History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 170

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 170
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 170

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).

" State of New Hampr? To the Hogble Council and House of Repre- Strafford ss. sentatives in General Asseurby convened.

"The Petition of the Subscribers, Inhabitants of a Place called the Gore, adjoining New Durham and Wolfborough, Humbly Shew that upon a certain Petition preferred to the General Court, prayinga Waggon Road should be made & repaired from New Durham, by Merry Meeting, to Wolfborough, fhrough said Gore, & another Road from said Merry meet- ing to Gilmanton, at the Cost of the owners of the Laod through which said Road should run ; upoo which Petition, on the 23d day of June, 1780, it was enacted that said Road should be made & repaired as afore_ said at the Cost of the Inhabitants & owners of said Gore, in the same Proportion as the State Tax, and that the said Inhabitants & owners shall be liable to the same Pains and Penalties as any Town in the State for uot repairing Highways, by which act your Petitioners, the Inhabitants of said Gore, humbly conceive that they are laid under greater Inconveni- ences & Disadvantages thao any other lohabitants of this State by being sobjected to large Costs, or to Pains and Penalties, for large Tracts of Land that your Petitioners never had any the least civil or political Con- nection with ; Your Petitioners, the said Inhabitants, being few in num- ber, living upon the Borders of said Gore, owners only of the small l'ar- cels of Land they severally bve upon without the Benefit of any Iocor- poration, being obliged to make all necessary Roads to their own abodes, esteem it a great Hardship which they are nuable to go through in being obliged to make and maiotain Roads through Laud of others, that your petitioners can receive no Benefit by. If such part of said Gore as would accommodate your Petitioners was Incorporated into a Town or Parish, your Petitioners would then esteem it reasonable to he made liable, with the owners of Land within such Incorporation, to perform everything necessary for Highways ; or as that is not the Case, your Petitioners are willing that their Lands should be rated in common with other Laods in said Gore, to all Necessary Highways, in which Sense your Petitioners humbly conceive to be the Prayer of the first Petition, upon which the aforesaid act was made, ofherwise your present Petitioners would have taken Benefit in shewing Cause why the Prayer of the same ought not to have been granted. Wherefore your Petitioners humbly pray your Ifonbio Court to take under Consideration their present Circumstances & inability to fulfil the Requisitions of said Act, & to order that the Lands only in said Gore be taxed towards said Roads, and your Petitivoers shall uver pray.

"October 12th, 1780.

"JOSEPH ROBERTS, }

Selectmen." "ELEAZER DAVIS,

The following is relative to procuring men for the army :

"Gore, adjoining New Durham, March 26th, 1781.

" At the anual meating, held in said Towa by the inhabitants, by law Qualified to vote io towa affairs.

" Voted that the said meating stand adjourned to monday, 30th Day of Apl, to see if the Honble Court will consider Que in our Proportion of Taxes for the present year ; we, the sd iohabitants, think we are agreved, therefore beg your Honours would consider ous, being but few in Num- ber, & Likewis Poor, & it is out uf Power to get those mea sent for to serve in the Continental servis as being more than our proportion, ac- cording to other Towns.

"attes

" JOSEPH ROBERTS, Town Clark.

"Joseph Roberts, Nathaniel Smith, Josiah Smith, John Glidden, W. more (his X mark), Daniel Rogers, Eleazer Davis, Oliver Pevey (his X mark), Jonas thanlaffin, James Dudley, George Horn, Eph™ Roberts, Silas Buzzell, Robert Buzell, Moses Gilman, Charles Rogers."

The following relates to the inability to furnish men for the army :

"STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

"To the Honble the House of Representatives of the State of New Hampshire, or, in their Recess, To the Hoable the Committee of Safety of said State. The Representation of the Select Men for them- selves and other inhabitants of the Gore, in the County of Strafford, Sheweth, --

"That there is no more than thirty-seven rateable Poles in the Gore, and those in general very poor and necessitous, and dispersed over a large Tract of rough, wild Land ; that we are much in Arrears for our Beef and men supplied last year & the year before, & that but a small propor- tion of the Inhabitants have paid their last year's taxes, and say they are not able to do it.

"That there has been demauded from us, by the Honble Court, four Men to serve in the Continental Army for three years, or during the War, wben it is a common thing in other Towns for forty Med, much more able than we are, to be classed in one Class, to get one Man.

"That we have, as we conceive, been always much over rated, and altho' the Honble Court have ordered a considerable Abatement in our Taxes, yet the Treasurer constantly sends bis precept to us for the whole Sum demanded, and we are this year charged a high price, for the Defi- ciency of Beef not supplied last year, which we suppose ought not to be the case, as it is contrary to a Resolution of the Honble Court.

" Aud that oofwithstanding we Labour under so many peculiar Dis- advantages, we have exerted ourselves to the utmost to get two Men, hoping, if we could have succeeded in the Attempt, we might have been favored as to the other two, but we are sorry to say that after spending a great deal of Time aud Money, we have not been able to get one Man at auy Rate ; we have offered vur Cattle, part of our Lands, or any other Thing within our Reach, to no purpose.

" We thought it our Duty to make this Representation, hoping that we might be alleviated of some of our Difficulties, and that you might take such further order herein, as you in your great Wisdom should think fit.

"Gore, July 8th, 1782. "JOSEPH RODERTS,

"JONATHAN COFFIN, Selectmen.

" The Select Men heg leave to note further That if their whole pro- portion of Men are four, the number now required of them, allowing the above-mentioned abatement, their just proportion would be buf about three, altho' they have heard that the Sheriff has a precept for the whole Sum io Lieu of the four Men."

The following is a certificate of the number of ratable polls, 1783:

"Strafford ss. Pursuant to A Vote of the General Court, This may Certify that there is forty Rateable Pools, From Twenty-One years Old and Upward, Living In New Durham Gore.

" Taken by Order of the Select med.

"Gore, December 30, 1783.

" JOSEPH ROBERTS, Town Clerk.

" Strafford Es.

"New Durham Gore, Decr. 3d, 1783. Then the above-named Joseph Roberts made Solemn Oath to the above Certificate by him signed that it Contained the full number of Rateable Polls living in Town.

"Coram MATTHW T. PARKER, Jus. Peace."

708

HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

The following is the copy of a petition asking to have the annual meeting held in March, 1784, legal- ized :

"STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

" To the Honble the General Assembly of the State of New Hampshire : " The petition of the Subscribers chosen Select-men of the Gore, in the County of Strafford, in said State, Humbly Shews,-

" That the Inhabitants of the Gore aforesaid held an annual Meeting in March last past, when they chose Select-men, Collector, &c., as usual at such meetings, but as their power of holding meetings ceased with the late proportion Act, their transactions were void, of Course.

. " Wherefore your petitioners pray that the Choice of the Town Offi- cers, and other proceedings at said annual Meeting may be established, and the trouble and expense of another prevented.

" JOSEPH ROBERTS.

"JOSEPA PIERCE.

"ELEAZER DAVIS."

This petition resulted in the passage of the follow- ing resolution, legalizing annual meeting :

"STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

" In the House of Representatives, Octo. 29, 1784.

" Whereas the Selectmen of the Gore (so called), in the County of Straf- ford, have petitioned the General Court, setting forth that the inhabit- anta of said Gore, in March last, held a meeting & chose all officers as usual to assess & collect their Taxes, hut as their power of holding meet- ings ceased with the late proportion act, their proceedings were void; wherefore they prayed that the choice of officers & other proceedings at said Annual Meeting might be established.

" Therefore Resolved, That the meeting held in said Gore, in March last, be established, and the officers chosen to assess & collect their Taxes are hereby fully authorized & empowered to transact the uecessary busi- oess of their respective offices as fully as if said Proportion Act had con- tioued io force through the current year.

"Aod the officers chosen at said meeting are hereby empowered to call a meeting for the purposes aforesaid, sometime in March next ; And the officers for the respective years to call meetings anuually to choose such necessary officers until a new proportion of the State Taxes shall be made. Sent up for Coocurrence.

"GEO. ATKINSON, Speaker.

" In Senate, October 30, 1784, read & Concurred, "M. WEARE, President."

At the first town-meeting after the town was incor- porated it was voted to build an "Orthodox Con- gregational Meeting-House." The frame of this church was raised in the fall of 1797, but it was never entirely finished. Meetings were held in it, however, more or less, until about 1840, when it was sold for a town-house.

In 1798 the town voted to raise one hundred and sixty-six dollars for the support of the gospel minis- try, and about this time the Rev. Mr. Whipple was employed to preach, and remained here two years.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

MAJOR GEORGE D. SAVAGE.

Major George D. Savage was born in New Durham, N. H., March 7, 1818. His father, Captain Benja- min Savage, was one of the sturdy pioneer yeo- manry of the State, and his mother was descended from a like ancestry. Major Savage was the oldest of ten children, eight of whom lived to adult life.

His boyhood and youth and part of his early man- hood were spent on his father's farm. After he had attained sufficient age, the winter months were spent in teaching school. He early evinced great ardor for military life, and as a boy and young man, took much interest in the militia trainings and musters of half a century ago. Assoon as old enough he enlisted in the State militia and gradually rose to the rank of major, and served in that capacity a number of years. The title thns obtained clung to him through life, and he was known far and near till the time of his death as Major Savage, notwithstanding the fact that he was promoted to a higher rank during the War of the Rebellion.

In 1849 he moved to Alton, N. H., and engaged successfully in shoemaking, merchandising and ho- tel-keeping, being proprietor of the Cocheco House about twenty-five years, where he achieved the rep- utation of being one of the most genial and popular . Bonifaces in the State. He was active, generous- hearted and public-spirited, and was held in the highest esteem by those who knew him best. The projection and building of the Cocheco Railroad was largely due to his enterprise and influence. In pol- itics he was a prominent, active Republican, saga- cious in council, bold in utterance and uncompro- mising in his political principles.

When war sounded its dread alarums, and the call came for more troops to defend the nation's flag, the old military ardor was once more aroused, and with the cry of "Come, boys !" Major Savage offered his services in his conntry's cause. Says one writer, "The history of the raising of the Twelfth New Hampshire Regiment is too well known to be re- peated. The fabled Cadmus sowed dragon's teeth aud raised a crop of men, but we are ignorant of the time it took to mature that crop. Colonel Whip- ple, Colonel Stevens and Major Savage sowed the seeds of patriotism and loyalty, and in four days a thousand men, as loyal as ever stood, was the result."

Mythology was eclipsed by reality. The major of militia was commissioned major of volunteers. They were enlisted September 17, 1862, and went at once to the front. His regiment went into action in the battle of Fredericksburg, and at Chancellorsville, May 3, 1863, as Major Savage was repeating orders from the colonel, he was shot through the jaw by a sharp-shooter, which shot nearly cost him his life. After partially recovering from the wound he re- turned to the regiment and remained until honor- ably discharged, May 28, 1864. He was promoted to a lieutenant-colonelcy February 5, 1864. At the same time he was wounded at Chancellorsville, his brother Henry, captain of Company A, in the same regiment, was killed. The military career of Major Savage was perhaps not distinguished by superior generalship or his knowledge of correct military manœuvres or tactics, but many a sick and weary soldier was cheered by his kind words and hearty

Geo. D. Savage

Amos & Rollins

709

ALTON.

sympathy, he often dismounting from his horse to give such one a ride or carry his knapsack. He possessed in an eminent degree those qualities of heart that served to endear him to the members of his regiment, and his memory is tenderly cher- ished by every surviving comrade.

After returning to private life (1864) he was ap- pointed a deputy sheriff, which position he held to 1880. In 1861-62 he was a member of the State Legislature. In 1866 he was elected railroad com- missioner for three years. He was a member of the Masonic order and the first Commander of the G. A. R. Post at Alton. Few men were better known in the State, and perhaps none had more friends. He died of consumption at his home in Alton, Febru- ary 17, 1883, leaving five children who still survive (1885),-Mrs. John W. Currier, Mrs. George F. Jones, Mrs. Charles H. Downing, George Frank (who is pro- prietor of the Cocheco House, so long kept by his father) and Miss Jessie Savage.

AMOS L. ROLLINS.

Amos L. Rollins was born in the town of Alton, N. H., December 11, 1826. His father, Ichabod Rol- lins, Jr., was a farmer and died when Amos was but nineteen years of age. His grandfather, also named Ichabod, was one of the earliest settlers in the town of Alton, whither he came from Newing- ton, N. H.

Amos L. was brought up as a farmer's son, receiv- ing only such educational advantages as were to be obtained at the common schools of the village. He has done more or less at husbandry all his life; but for many years his time has been chiefly taken up with the public business of the town.

The first official duty to which he was chosen was that of town clerk, which position he held five years. In 1862 he was elected second selectman of Alton, and in 1864 was chosen chairman of the hoard. and that position he has held each consecutive year to the present writing (1885). He has also held the office of moderator for twenty-one years in succes- sion, and the office of town treasurer seventeen years, He was chosen a member of the Constitutional Con- vention which met at Concord, 1876. He has been county commissioner three years, and has been treas- urer of the Alton Five-Cents Savings-Bank from its organization to the present time.

He has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1866, and was secretary of the order four years.

In political affiliation he is a Republican, and in religion a Free-Will Baptist, and has been superin- tendent of the Sunday-school three years.

He married, in Alton, December 25, 1851, Sarah E. Kimball. They had five children,-three sons and two daughters. In 1866 he lost two of his sons aged nine and one years respectively, by diphtheria. Mrs. Rollins died April 23, 1871, leaving Mr. Rollins

with a family of three children. His second mar- riage was to Permelia A. Pendergast, of Barnstead, N. H., June 14, 1872. March 29, 1875, he lost his only remaining son by consumption. At present his family consists of wife and two daughters, one of whom, the elder, is married and lives in Manchester, N. H .; the younger resides with her father.

The best evidence of the esteem in which Mr. Rol- lins is held by his neighbors and townsmen is shown by the various positions of office and trust in which they have placed him. Probably no man who has ever lived in the town of Alton has filled so long and ably the various offices of the town, or made more per- sonal sacrifices for the welfare of its people. In what- ever position he has been placed he has sought neither personal emolument or aggrandizement, but simply and solely to do his whole duty.

His advice and counsel are sought constantly in the multiform perplexities that arise in the course of daily life and business, and is candidly and freely given. There is, probably, no one who knows Mr. Rollins who would for one moment doubt his sin- cerity or candor in any opinion he might express. He is widely known and highly respected through- out the State. The family from which he sprang is an ancient and honorable one in the annals of New England. It bas furnished men who have filled ably the public trusts of our land, men who have worn with credit and ability the judicial ermine, men who have stood high in the councils of the nation; but it has furnished no better representative of the pure, high-minded, useful and honorable citizen than Amos L. Rollins. The value of such men in a community is best known and appreciated when their career has closed, and their neighbors seek, too often, alas ! in vain for some one to ably fill their places in all the duties of citizenship.

ALONZO HAVINGTON SAWYER.

The Sawyer families of New England trace their lineage to Thomas Sawyer, who emigrated from Lin- colnshire, England, to America in 1635 or 1636. He was about twenty-one years of age at the time of his immigration, and settled first at Rowley, Mass., but in 1647 he went with the first proprietors to settle the town of Lancaster, Mass. He was married to Mary Prescott. They had a family of eleven children, and . from them are descended most, if not all, of the Saw- yers of this country.

Alonzo H. Sawyer was born May 17, 1827, in Alton, N. H. He was the son of Hon. Daniel and Tamson (Walker) Sawyer, of that place. His grandfather, Enoch Sawyer, was one of the pioneers of Alton, be- ing the second who built a house in what is now the village. Years later, as the village grew and pros- pered, he kept an inn and a general store, and was one of the substantial men of the town. His son, Hon. Daniel Sawyer, was one of Alton's principal towns-

710

HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

men, his time being almost wholly employed in pub- lic affairs. He was counselor on the staff of Ichabod Goodwin, New Hampshire's famous war Governor, represented his town in the General Court, and held repeatedly the various offices in the gift of his towns- men. He had bnt one brother, Seth, who was a Free-Will Baptist minister. There were two sisters, one of whom became the wife of Judge Ira Mooney, of Belmont ; the other married a Mr. Cate, of Alton. Hon. Daniel Sawyer was easily the leading citizen of his town ; a man of strong physical and mental or- ganization, pronounced in his views and opinions and not easily swayed in his judgments. An ardent Whig in politics, he was particularly strong in his anti- slavery views, and also an earnest advocate of the temperance canse. In religion he was a Free-Will Baptist. Public-spirited, and with broad views for the welfare of his towns-people, he was a man whose loss was severely felt in the community. He died September 13, 1869, aged sixty-eight years. His children were Alonzo H., Ellen (afterwards Mrs. Jer- emiah Jones, of Alton) and Frank P., who married Jennie Farnham, and resides in Lynn, Mass.

Alonzo H. was educated at New Hampton and Gil- manton Academies. He then taught school at various places in New Hampshire and Maine till his twenty- third year, when he married (November 7, 1850) Martha J. Shapleigh, of Lebanon, Me. She was the daughter of Samuel and Eunice Shapleigh. After his marriage he went to Great Falls, N. H., and en- gaged in merchandising. Continuing there four years, he returned to his native town of Alton ; established himself there as a merchant and continued that avo- cation till within two years of his death, part of the time alone and part of the time in connection with his brother-in-law, Mr. Jones, who succeeded him in the business.

They had one child, a son, Fred. Shapleigh Sawyer, born July 20, 1853; died May 9, 1872.

Mr. Sawyer was appointed postmaster of Alton du- ring Lincoln's administration, and held the office un- interruptedly a period of twenty-two years. He was a member of the Winnipesaukee Lodge, F. and A. M. He was town treasurer several years, holding that office at the time of his death. He was a member of the Provident Mutual Relief Association, and one of the trustees of the same. He was an ardent lover of mu- · sic and possessed a good voice, well cultivated, and

was for more than twenty years leader of the choir in the Free-Will Baptist Church, of which he was a member.

He held for many years a commission as justice of the peace, and only for his position as postmaster under the government he might have held at any time any office in the gift of his townsmen. He was a director in the Alton Savings-Bank and a share- holder in the Dover and Winnipesaukee Railroad. He died of heart disease July 17, 1885. His widow survives him, and resides at the homestead in Alton.

At the close of his funeral services the following lines, from the pen of his fellow-townsman, John W. Currier, were read by Rev. W. S. Packard, the offici- ating minister :

" Toll the bell softly, toll the bell low, Ringing out gladness, ringing in woe Telling of anguish, blinding my eyes; Breaking my heart-strings, sundering such ties ; Earthly hopes blasting, cherished dreams fied, Hearthstone so lonely, he being dead. Nothing to live for, of him bereft. Nothing remaineth, nothing is left ; Constantly asking-Can it be so? Yes, answers Reason-my poor heart-no. Reason ba gone !- It cannot be so, Husband ia sleeping-toll the bell low.

Thus, brother, sister, kindred and friends,

Neighbors and townsmen, life's chapter enda.

One of our number just stepped before, Into the unseen, shutting the door, Into the realms of unending day, Into the mansion over the way, Leaving a record for us to read,

Teaching ua lessons worthy of heed. Diligent in business, honest and true, Giving to each his merited due. Sincere in purpose, noble of mind, Simple in manners, neighborly, kind, Seeking no honors, wishing no fame, Character unquestioned, unsullied name,

Loyal to country, sturdy for right, Battling for justice with all his might, Honored by office, trusted in such, Faithful in little, faithful in much, Loving the Sabbath, keeping its laws, Liberally giving to every good canse. Others might travel, others might roam ; Best of all places he loved his home. Loathing the false and shunning parade. Such is the record our friend has made.

Take him np gently, bear him away, Lay him down softly in the clay, Under the green grass, under the skiea ; Cover with flowers the spot where he lies, Leaving him there sleeping under the sod, Angels to watch him-trusting to God."

HISTORY OF BARNSTEAD.

CHAPTER I.

Geographical-Original Grant-The First Settlements-Names of Set- tiers-The First Towo-Meeting-Initial Events-Educational-Law- yers-Physicians-The French War-Wer of the Revolution-List of Soldiers-War of 1812-War of the Rebellion-List of Soldiers-Ec- clesisstical-Civil History-Representatives-Town Clerks-The Baro- stead Reuoioo.

THIS town lies in the southern part of the county, and is bounded as follows : North by Gilmanton and Alton ; east by Alton and Strafford Connty.

This town was granted by Lieutenant-Governor John Wentworth, May 20, 1727, to Rev. Joseph Adams, of Newington, and one hundred and five others, with the following bounds :

"To begin oo the Head of the Town of Barriogtoo on the South West side of the Towo of Coulraine and running by the said Town of Coul- raine eight milea & from the said Town of Coulreine to run on the Head of Barrington Line South Weet forty Two Deegrees six miles & then North West eight miles, then on a straight Line to the head of the first eight miles."

It was impracticable at that time to fulfill the con- ditions of the grant, and but few settlements were made nntil 1767.

Among the early settlers were the following: Ebe- nezer Adams, Colonel Richard Sinclair, James Deal- ing, John Bickford, Arthur Bickford, Charles Hodg- don, John Elliott, John Nutter, Joseph Bunker, Moses Dennett, John Bunker, Eli Bunker, Jacob Pickering, John Peavey, Isaac Garland, John Keniston, Pitt Lougee, P. Daniels, Samnel Caswell, Captain John Drew, Aaron Chesley, John Tasker, Moses Rand, William Lord, Lemuel Hayes, John Pitman, E. Nut- ter.

The First Town-Meeting was held November 22, 1775, with Gilmanton. The first grist-mill was erect- ed by John Bunker, about 1769. He also built the first saw-mill in town.

The first postmaster was Charles Hodgdon, Jr., and the first mail-carrier was John S. Shannon, of Gilmanton.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 170

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