History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 179

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 179
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 179

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).

Levi Shaw settled first near Israel Potter's, on the Sanborn place, then at or near Saltmarsh Pond, and afterwards to the south of the pond. He was a man of great physical strength and endurance. The family name has become extinct, but the line is kept by other names. William Sibley early settled near Gunstock Mountain. His father was the first merchant in Gilmanton. His half-brother, George Littlefield Sibley, located at Meredith Bridge; was in trade many years and agent of the railroad com- pany, and afterwards retired and died at great age. William Sibley had no male children, and Mrs. John Elkins succeeded to the paternal estate. The family name is now extinct.

The name of Sleeper is represented by Esquire Ne- hemiah, Henry, Joseph and Jonas. Nehemiah, Esq., settled on the lake-shore, near Esquire Evans', and was possessed of a good estate, to which George, now of Laconia, succeeded. Joseph and Henry were settled near Wm. Sibley's, at the west base of Gun- stock Mountain, and Henry did business at Gilford village and emigrated thence. Joseph was the ac- credited surveyor of his times, and had defined for conveyance most of the lands of the town. He sub- sequently moved to the farm in the Jewett neighbor- hood. Henry, Jr., lives at Lake village, and has held important offices in the town government. Jonas Sleeper was trader at Gilford village and died of spotted fever in the epidemic of the winter of 1814- 1815. His sons were Dr. Francis, of Laconia ; Jonas, lawyer, of Haverhill, N. H .; and Sarah, lately Mrs. Smith, of Bankok, Siam. It was an intellectual family. The mother was the daughter of Farmer Bean, of Gilmanton. The daughter was preceptress at New Hampton, and one of the first missionaries of the Baptist Society to India, and she has lived there for a period of some fifty years. Francis was maimed in childhood by the fracture of his skull from a fragment of a blast; and, though he sustained the loss of some portion of the brain, yet skillful sur- gery restored health, and there seemed no detriment of intellectual ability resultant. The mother mar- ried Benjamin Jewett, Jr., Esq., and died soon after.

The Smith family is of special importance in Gil- ford history. Judge Ebenezer Smith, of Meredith, was a man superior in the affairs of the State about the time of the Revolutionary War. His connection with the early surveys of this territory enabled him to know the location of the best lands. He chose considerable tracts on and near the Inter- vale, and between bogs in Meredith. His sons, Ebenezer, Esq. and John, Esq., improved the land thus selected here-Esquire Ebenezer at the head, and Esquire John at the foot of the Intervale. One Oliver Smith, also connected with the survey, had a

Amort

748

HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

place and a rude building on the east margin of the Intervale.

The sons of Esquire Ebenezer were John, Isaac, Daniel, Joseph P. and Ebenezer, Jr. John occupied the homestead after the sudden and accidental death of the father, and had no sons, Ebenezer, Jr., located a little distance north of the homestead, and had one son, Jeremiah. Joseph P. settled at different places, elsewhere and at the village, and finally on the flank of the Intervale, near Caleb Marston's estate-a place bought of Joseph Fifield, and improved by True Bean, and he had no sons. Daniel was of an inventive nature, and engaged in manufacturing at Meredith village, and afterwards, on a reverse in business, lived at his father-in-law's, Richard Dame's, and engaged in farming, and still later lived at Gilford village, where he died, and left no son. Isaac settled on the Lake-Shore road, beyond the limits of Gilford, and he had no son. The family held social distinc- tion from first to last.

The other son of Judge Smith, John, Esq., lived awhile here, and latterly at the homestead in Mere- dith, and his son, Captain John, or Deacon John, called John P., occupied the spacious house in Gilford. The property of father and son, as well as that of the grandfather, was great, and was increased by inherit- ance from another son of Judge Smith, Daniel, of Meredith. The religious character of Esquire John and Deacon John P. was well marked and of a high order, and generous gifts to the needy were of no infrequent occurrence. Here was an asylum for the distressed. John P. had two sons and one daughter,-Daniel K., a proficient scholar, a surveyor of precision and repute, who died in middle age, after holding a major's commission and being married, but having no issue; John P., Jr., who still lives in Gilford ; and the wife of Richard Gove, of Laconia, many years ago deceased, and without issue. A son of Washington Smith, of Meredith (the remaining son of Judge Smith), by the name of Joshua, lived in that part of Laconia lately annexed to Gilford. John Rice Smith, of Meredith, has been a tax-payer in Gilford on account of land occupied by sons-in- law, Stanford Jackson and Dudley Gilman and Moses Dockham. The Smith name was not, as elsewhere, proverbially common here.

The Stevens family was early in Gilford. Paul Stevens, who worked at shoe-making, first lived in the south part of the town, and then near Israel Potter's, in the house built by Samuel Potter. He had a large family, of which was Colonel Ebenezer Stevens, who worked at the blacksmith trade at Gil- ford village, and since living at Meredith village,-a man of high social standing and rare ability. Also William, who also worked at blacksmithing at Gil- ford village, and afterwards emigrated to the West, having one daughter, the wife of Benjamin Wad- leigh, Esq. Also Paul, Jr., who was a mason by trade; and Smith, and John and Moses, and several

daughters, who were residents, and conducted busi- ness in the line of millinery at several places.

John Stevens settled on Liberty Hill and had a large estate there, bought of Jonathan Morrill. He had sons, Sherburn, Hubbard and Sickum. The estate was later occupied by his daughters, but has since passed into other hands. The sons, except Sher- burn, moved to other places, and the other members of the family also removed. Sherburn lived south of Liberty Hill and, at last, near Laconia. He had two sons, Frank and John, who were dentists, and the former was also physician.

Daniel Stevens was an early settler, and located at the south part of the town. Benjamin Stevens lived near Lieutenant John Gilman, and afterwards moved to the town of Hill. Ensign Stevens (so called), once lived on Gunstock Hill, where Jeremiah Gilman afterwards lived, and later lived at Lake village and elsewhere.

Nathaniel Stevens, a tailor, came to Meredith Bridge about 1840, and pursued his vocation there many years, and with good success.

Nathan Swain and Joseph Swain were citizens; the latter located near the Locklin, and had sons, Moses and Silvester, who live elsewhere. He was a man of religious activity. His wife died from burns, when his house was consumed. The estate has gone out of the name, but to direct heirs.

Chase Swain lived at different places, and a son, Charles, was a blacksmith at Gilford village and other places.

Henry Swasey lived in the west part of the town, and his son Henry served his time at Henry Whit- tier's, and has since been in trade at Lake village.

Littlefield Taylor was in the tax-list of 1813, and his residence not indicated.

Badger Taylor was a machinist at Meredith Bridge . for many years. He had one son, who became a minister, and a daughter who was well connected.

General Tay (so called), lived at Meredith Bridge, and was builder there.

The Thing family is an old one, and includes Jere- miah, Jesse, Joseph, Jeremiah, Jr., and Morrill, and some of later generations, though not numerous.

Jeremiah settled on Liberty Hill before the begin- ning of this century, and carried on the tanning busi- ness, and had Bernard Morrill as apprentice, and others. He came from Brentwood and had two sons, Jeremiah, Jr., and Morrill, who also were tanners. The former lived at the homestead till, in later years, he went into trade with Jewett & Chase, at the vil- lage, and, still later, at New Hampton.

He was in his younger years a school-teacher and a severe disciplinarian. Morrill Thing carried on the tanning business at Gilford village for several years, and afterwards at the homestead; and, after the death of his parents, moved to the Mathias Weeks place, and remained there till death. He was repeatedly in office as selectman and representative

749

GILFORD.

and in other positions. He was well versed in town affairs, and, in the Legislature, a man of ability and trust. His family were mostly short-lived, and but few of them remain. His wife was from the line of Esquire Benjamin Weeks, and an executive woman. Associated is Jesse Thing, of whom less is known now. Joseph Thing lived near the mountain, by William Sibley's. His son Joseph lived at Lake vil- lage, aud a grandson is an artist in Ohio. He after- wards moved to Lake village, and was a man of ability. He was a carpenter by trade; built the Goodhue house, and kept a small store. He was elevated to positions of trust, and was a useful citi- zen. Gilman Thing succeeded to the Captain Gilman estate, and had no son.

The Thompson family was one of the early ones, and quite large. David Thompson settled near the Miles River in its middle course. His sons were Jonathan, Jr., and Levi B., the latter being the youngest of the family, and inheriting the homestead. After the death of the parents he removed to Top- sham, Me., and was in trade in Brunswick, Me., for some years, where his son, Dr. A. J. Thompson, grad- uated. He afterwards was in trade at Gilford village with his older son, John, and, still later, moved to Sanbornton. Dr. A. J. Thompson was in practice at Meredith Bridge; went into the army, and, after practicing in Salem, Mass., awhile, died there. He was a man of superior talents and of high social stand- ing. Samuel Thompson settled on the Lake-Shore road, near the Intervale, and had three sons, who lived elsewhere in the State. Jonathan Thompson lived on the road near Governor's Island. Jacob Thompson lived at various places. Thomas and Charles are also named. Most of the members of these three Thompson families were of great stature, and one was called, to distinguish him from another of the same name, " Long John." The families have been much reduced in later years, and there is scarcely any of the lineage bearing the name left in town.

The Thurston family was early on the ground as settlers. Benjamin Thurston came soon after Sam- uel, who is recorded as settling in 1791. Samuel located in the south part of the town, and Benjamin near the Intervale. Miles L. and Benjamin L. suc- ceeded him in the order of descent and on the home- stead. They held a large landed estate, and were in good circumstances and robust. The widow of Ben- jamin (Ist) lived to be in her one hundredth year, and left one son and several daughters. Daniel, Benjamin, Jr., and Samuel, Jr., were of the other original family, and settled in various places, some on the Lake-Shore road and in Alton. Daniel Torsey settled near the mountain, in the south part of the town, but was reduced, and for long years lived at the almshouse, and died aged. Henry and Alva Tucker are in the list. The latter was a mechanic at Mere- dith Bridge. He was a man of ability and good Sally married Henry Wadleigh, and was inclined to

standing. Henry Wadleigh came to town with Es- quire Benjamin Weeks in 1787. He was son-in-law to Esquire Weeks, and settled near him, and worked at blacksmithing. He had sons, William and Ben- jamin, who also worked at the blacksmith trade, and the latter also at stone-cutting, and has had important official positions, and is a skilled workman. The family is still represented in the third and fourth generations.

David Watson, of Meredith, cleared land in Gil- ford, near the Gunstock River and the present village, and began building in 1798. His sons, Jonathan and Job, lived on the place. Jonathan also subse- quently lived near the Locklin, in the Swain house, and at length moved back to Meredith. His son, David, of Boston, was born in Gilford, and has been long in business in Boston. Job occupied the estate in 1811, and had a large family. Two sons, John and Charles, graduated at Bowdoin College and at Union Seminary, and have labored in various places. David became a carpenter, learned his trade in Lowell, and worked there some years, and, later, at Laconia, where he lives now. The daughters are settled in different places, and have been well connected. Others bearing the name have at times resided in the town.

John Webster, in 1806, and Dudley Webster, in 1813, are taxed; supposed to dwell near Malachi Davis, and at a time near Jackson's meadow.

The Weeks families are large and of special im- portance in the history of the town, both in its earlier stages and in its more recent course. Benjamin Weeks, Esq., as has been said, came to this part of the town in 1787. He had lost a barn and stock of hay in the Lower Parish a little before by fire. His father had died about the same time in Greenwood, N. H., and left not much property. He moved to Burton for two or three years, and returned without success, in 1792. He bought land largely, and sold many pieces, and had four hundred or five hundred acres. His older brother, John, came with him and lived near by, towards Jonathan Sanborn's, and died in 1816, aged about eighty-four years. Deacon Noah Weeks, another brother, came about the same time, and settled to the southwest of him, on Liberty Hill, or its vicinity. Esquire Weeks had six sons and one daughter, all born in the last quarter of the last cen- tury. He aided them in education and to commence trade. Daniel, the oldest, began trade in 1801 at the home place; Elisha, the third son, began trade there in 1802; Matthias, the second son, studied law, and run the tan-yard awhile; and William attended the academy at Gilmanton, fitted for college and gradu- ated, and, being feeble in health, went South, and taught a few years, and died in 1810, probably the first one from this town, or its territory, who gradu- ated at college, which was in 1806. Benjamin and Levi R. also engaged in trade in their early life.

750

HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

literary life, but died early. From these were a large community of active, enterprising citizens. Elisha settled in Strafford ; Levi R. moved to other places; and from Benjamin's and Daniel's families, each large, came a number of tradesmen, and a good share of the business in this part of the town has been done by them. The family of Deacon Noah- viz. : Noah, Ira and Mathias-have also been of honorable career, and have been marked for piety and honesty.

" The Whittier family are also of honorable mention and important. Deacon Andrew Whittier came and settled early near Daniel Hoyt's. He was a man of influence, and raised a family who were among the enterprising men of former days. Timothy succeeded to the homestead. Jonathan settled nearly on the north, and was a wheelwright and framer. He after- wards built and operated a mill, including grist-mill, thresher aud carriage-shop. Andrew wrought at shoemaking nearer the village, and at later times lived, and died at his father-in-law's, Abel Hunt's. Moses and Henry settled on the Oaks road, near the Upper Weirs. Moses was a mechanic, but Henry was a farmer, and had no family.

John Weymouth is taxed in 1813; and Charles Willey, who lived near Governor's Island ; and Jacob, at Lake village; and Job Wilson and Benning Wil- kinson, concerning whom little is known ; also Jere- miah Young, of uncertain location and history. Dr. I. K. Young preached only a short time in the church at Meredith Bridge, while it stood on the Gilford side. Samuel York lived on the Intervale and had sons and daughters.

These constitute the inhabitants till time brought in new ones.

The Topography of the Town .- The form of the plat is, in a measure, determined by the water frontage and the terminal mountain run. It would have been nearly rhomboidal, but for the truncation of the south- east corner, which was rendered advisable by reason of such section, by the line of the watershed upon a continuous chain of eminences. The only line that seems not determined by some natural feature is on the southwest, and is there in coincidence with the ranges of hundred-acre lots and lies between the elev- enth and twelfth ranges-(a detachment of a portion of the eleventh range, near Winnesquam was made only a few years ago and annexed to Gilford, and still later that same, with theadjacent portion of the twelfth range and several of the southernmost lots of the sec- ond division of forty-acre lots and with the common lots, was detached from Gilford and annexed to La- conia). About two-thirds of the territory of the town lies on the northern slope, and is drained directly into the lake. The other one-third slopes to the west, and is drained by short water-courses into the river at Lake village, Laconia village and Winnesquam. There are only four inland natural ponds and these of small dimensions, and are the sources of as many

streams, which flow in three valleys in the town. The first is at the southeast border of the town, nearly on the division line, and while it has little or no basin of drainage, discharges any overflow in an almost indistinguishable outlet into the Suncook River. Proverbially, it is said to have no outlet or inlet, but catches and holds the rain fall on the surface and narrow terminal rim, and overflowing when this is in excess of its capacity. It abounds with horned pouts. The second is a little pool on the Miles River, near its source. It was largely increased in extent, at one time, by flowage in consequence of the dam at Foster's mill, which is no longer kept up. The third is a small circular pond on the west side of the town, which abounds in lilies (hence called the Lily Pond), and also produces a species of leeches. With a very slight fall, it discharges its water through Black Brook (so called) into the bog at the Plains (so- called) above Lake village. The fourth is near the centre of the town, and is known as the Saltmarsh Pond, being near the residence of Thomas Saltmarsh, a prominent citizen of Gilmanton, and afterwards one of the first Board of Selectmen of Gilford. It is larger than the other three, and also abounds with lilies and the horned pout, and discharges its waters through Jewett's Brook into the river above the falls at Laconia.

Besides the Winnipiseogee, or Merrimack, on the western side of the town, and by reason of the an- nexation recently of a portion of land detached from Laconia, also flowing now through a part of thetown, there are seven other streams in or adjoining the town, and these, though mostly inconsiderable in size, furnish considerable hydraulic power. The most eastern rises and flows a short distance in Gil- ford, and then, flowing along the Alton line, passes finally into that town, and enters the lake at West Alton. It was not made much use of for motive- power, except in its lower courses in Alton. Its two branches drain the extreme eastern part of the town. The second is of greater volume, and rises near the Sun- cook Pond, and flows north through a deep and rapidly- descending valley-bottom to the lake, and is called Miles River, or Leavitt's Brook, taking its name from two men by the name of Leavitt, Miles and Samuel, who had mills on it. It drains the eastern side of Mount Major and Gunstock and the western side of Mount Prospect. Foster's and Colby's mills were also on this stream ; only Colby's is now operated.

The third and still larger is the Gunstock, which ex- tends through the entire length of the town from south to north. It drains the western side of the former mountains, and also Mount Minor, the north- ern side of Liberty Hill, and the eastern slope of Meeting-House Hill, or Gunstock Hill.

The valley of the Gunstock is broad in parts and contains some of the best land in the town. Midway in its course Gilford village is situated, where, in a narrow gorge, the mills are situated, and the power is great,

751

GILFORD.

and the fall abrupt for a half-mile. have been located on this stream, and its lower waters course sluggishly through a plain of about one mile square, of alluvial formation and exceedingly fer- tile. A small stream, called the Meadow Brook, or Black Brook, courses through an arm of this plain, which is known as the Intervale, and enters the lake near the mouth of the Gunstock. This stream has no fall, and is more of a creek than a river. These rivers at certain seasons abound with the sucker. which comes up from the lake to spawn, in the mau- ner of herring.

The stream flowing from the Lily Pond, by the raising of the dam across the rapids in the Winni- piseogee at Lake village, and the consequent flowage, has been rendered an inlet of Long Bay up half its course, and there is no hydraulic power on this stream.

The sixth stream has about three miles course and several small tributaries. Its main branch, in its upper course, has good power. Collins' mill is on it. It drains a section of the town extending nearly to the centre, in the direction of the Gully and the north- west slope of Liberty Hill. Its lower course is with- out much fall, and passes through some excellent farms, and reaches the river between bogs above the falls at Laconia village, in the original Samuel Jew- ett estate. It is called the Jewett Brook there, but Collins' Stream in that part where their mill is lo- cated, and where it issues from Saltmarsh Pond, or, as it is sometimes called, Chattleborough Pond. On the Gully branch lies an old meadow, called, formerly, the Jackson, or the Smith's meadow, owned first by I. R. Smith, of Meredith, and later by his daughter, Mrs. Jackson, and also by H. Bugbee and others.

The seventh stream rises in the southwest part of the town, and in the edge of Gilmanton (now Bel- mont), and one branch of it near Cotton's Hill, and also receives the waters of the north slope of Ladd's Hill, in Belmont. Passing the Province road, it courses through the plain in the southwest part of the village of Laconia, and falls into the Winne- squam at it southeast angle. It was called the Durkey Brook, and on its hanks, near its mouth, there was a spring, once reputed to be mineral and mediciual, Some use of its power is made near the Concord stage road.

The great river, Winnipiseogee, has, or had, three places of power : At the Weirs, or Prescott's Mills, by wing-dams, three feet of head was utilized ; but flow- age has ruined this privilege and it has long been in disuse. At Lake village a single head of twenty feet gives great power, and it has, from the first, been well used. The Lower Falls, at Laconia, has also a single head of some greater height. The current, however, is not quite all utilized, the river proper being here nearly a mile in length from bog to bog, in the natural state, or level.

The altitude of the surface of the town is also re-

Six mills | markable. There are four elevated. portions that re- ceive the title of mountains, and four that bear par- ticular names as hills, besides some lesser hills that bear no names unless those known only to the imme- diate locality. The most elevated portion, in the eastern part of the town, is called Mount Major, or, on the chart (nautical), Gunstock Mountain. Its summit is about two thousand six hundred feet above the level of the lake, and that level is five hundred feet above the sea-level ; hence, it is three thousand feet high. From its summit the surface of the ocean, off Portsmouth, can be seen, by the unaided eye, under the morning sun. It has been a surveyor's post, in the triangulation of the Atlantic region, for the purpose of making a chart of the coast. The United States government had property in monu- ment signals, on it, and for a series of years occupied its apex as a signal and surveying-station, furnishing it with instruments and manning it with operators. It commands a view of the greater part of the State and a part of Maine. Its highest part is not wooded, and from it are seen some twenty-five bodies of water.

Mount Gunstock, locally so called (and sometimes Suncook, and still again, sometimes Peaked Moun- tain), is the next in altitude, but of some three hun- dred feet less elevation. It stands to the northwest of Mount Major. It is in the western slope of this, in a ridge running down the mountain, that the mine of iron ore is situated, it being a trap of some two feet in width, and extending downward and inward, and has once been worked. It is protoxide and peroxide of iron, in the proportion to make magnetic ore. It is, in some of its parts, eighty-five per cent. pure iron, and a well-formed horse-shoe nail has been made from it, directly, on the anvil, without going through the process of smelting. A road was built to it by the mining company some sixty years ago, but is not now used. By a circuitous route, the summit of the mountain can be almost attained by vehicle, and the remainder of the journey made on horseback or on foot. This summit was once much used for purposes of celebration. In one Presidential campaign an ox was dressed here and served, roasted whole, to a large assemblage of people,-a mass-meeting. A spur or wing of highland extends from this northward and abuts the lake in a bold headland, and is the ridge separating the valleys of the Miles and the Gunstock Rivers.

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.

History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 179

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