History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 180

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 180
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 180

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).

Mount Minor, sometimes called the Piper Moun- tain, is the next in elevation, and stands to the south- west of Mount Major as a spur in the direction of the line of hills that extends through the town of Gilmanton. This mountain is some eight hundred feet less in height than Mount Major, and forms a de- scending slope without much valley between them, as is not the case between Mount Major and Gunstock. A spur runs from Mount Major to the northeast, in- to Alton, in the line of Suncook Pond, and its ridge

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HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

is the dividing line of Gilmanton, and is sometimes called Morse's Mountain. These highlands cover about one-third of the town, and have been heavily wooded at times. Parts of this tract were subse- quently cleared, and parts, at different periods, were burnt over by forest-fires. The whole tract, as far as it is cleared, is excellent grazing-land for sheep.

The lesser elevations, called by distinctive names as hills, are, first, Liberty Hill, a cultivated plateau, about nine hundred feet above the lake-level, and commanding a complete view of the western part of the lake and the northwest part of the town and the more distant highlands and towns. It contains some excellent farms, but is not so extensively cultivated on its southern part as it was formerly. A road cuts another road at right-angles at the highest point, where a liberty-pole once stood.

Cotton's Hill is on the border of Gilmanton (now Belmont), and is an isolated peak. Iis northern slope is a gentle incline and contains excellent farms. Its southern and western declivities are more abrupt and the soil is less arable. It is crowned with a stately growth and is a conspicuous object from all di- rections, and beautiful for its symmetry.

Gunstock Hill, across the Gunstock Valley, and opposite Gunstock Mountain, is a long ridge, some- what in the line of a detached section, called Boyd's Hill, and of the Lochlin, and extends north and south on the west side of the valley of that name, and is the eastern limit of the second division of forty-acre lots in the original survey. It was selected for the site of the first church, built in 1792, and is sometimes called Meeting-House Hill. Here it was that the first settlers intended to make the town and fix the centre and the pivot of all affairs ; but, with water- power on either side and none there, it was the mani- fest destiny to yield to the valleys. This, at first, was the most improved part of the town, and, as far as excellency of glebe was concerned, it was not a bad choice.

Other highlands received particular and local ap- pellations, from ownership or adjacent dwellers, save one, in the Miles Valley, called Cobble Hill, which is a conical pile between the two arms of the river, very symmetrical in shape and rising to about five hun- dred feet from the surrounding lands, like an artificial mound, and is of about one mile in circuit at its base. It is grazing-land, and beautiful to behold from valley or surrounding mountain brows. By slight change in the height of the flowage of the river, its waters would flow on the opposite side of the hill, and into the other branch.

The grades of soil and wood-growths are worthy of mention. A section adjacent to the river, or the west side, is mainly a strong, rocky soil, and produces a hardwood growth, with a slight exception of the plain near Black Brook. The northern part of this belt is called the Oaks road, and Oaks District. It produced a peculiarly good variety of white oak,

much sought after by wheelwrights for use in their craft. The more remote belt from the river was of a lighter soil, and produced a pine growth. This was of superior quality.

It was a stately forest, and extended from the lake- shore up the Gunstock Valley to the base of Liberty Hill. In it the royal brand might have been seen,- perhaps, destiny-fixing some of the mammoth forms for the royal navy-yards. From these, in the plain of the upper Gunstock, the first settlers practiced the art of turpentine gathering as a source of income.

These on that particular plot were early manufac- tured into the superior lumber of those days, which is now the wonder of those who witness the demolition of the original houses and buildings. The huge radical remains of these, seemingly imperishable in the soil, were cleared by a mechanical device called stump- wheels, which were constructed of some fifteen or twenty feet in height, with a revolving axle of great diameter and strength, from which a cable chain, of great size and strength, passed nnder and around a principal root, over which the wheels were set; and then the third wheel, fixed on the axle, with a chain wrapping it in a groove in the rim, to which chain the team was attached, and by a deploying advance wound up the cable and lifted the stump. Thus the ground was cleared and broken in, and now is some of the finest lots in this part. The third belt produces a hardwood growth, and is a rocky but loamy soil, with a clay subsoil and excellent for agricultural uses. It rises into the elevated parts, where there is a mix- ture of stately spruce and some inferior variety of oak. The average soil is best for grasses and native crops. There are partial or limited deposits of clay and of sands. The present town and county boundary is in mid-lake, but originally the grant was limited by the shore-line of the lake, river and bays, including no islands. Governor's Island, long known also as Davis' Island, and connected to the mainland by a bridge built by the owner of the island, was annexed to the town at a later period. It contains about five hundred acres of land of a very superior quality. It was formerly covered with a very heavy growth of timber, pine at the eastern extremity and hardwood on the western portion. This is not the original grant or share of Gilmanton, reserved for the Governor, as that share was laid out to Governor Shute, in the cen- tre of the original town, and at the north extreme of the upper one hundred acre lots, and just to the west of Young's Pond, a rectangular plot of five hundred acres. But this island received its name from Gov- ernor Wentworth's taking a fancy to it. Another island on which were buildings built and a farm im- proved, and known as Welch Island, is also included within Gilford limits. Other smaller and unimport- ant islands -- as Locke's, Timber and Mark-are asso- ciated with the south shore and contain excellent grazing land, and are in parts well stocked with tim- ber-growth, and are valuable.

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GILFORD.

The system of ways or roads was provided for in the original laying out of the town by reserved range- ways and sideways at intervals in the setting out of the ranges and lots. Yet these, in a measure, were found to be so located as to be both inconvenient for use and impracticable for construction ; aud yet many of the roads correspond quite nearly to the old range- ways, and the original lots preserve, for the most part, the original form and entirety, so that from many eminences the view shows the quadrangular sub- divisions of the whole territory.

The road designed to accommodate the first and second tiers of forty-acre lots was built within, or alongside these ranges, from the Weirs to the Province road at the Lower Falls, or the present Laconia. In its lower part it coursed along the river-side and through the land left undivided at the time of the lay- ing out of the five ranges in the original survey, and which, lying between the river border and the second range, was later laid out and designated as the eighth range, the common and the village lots, and corre- sponded to like supplemental laying out in the upper part nearer the Weirs, which was classed as the sixth and seventh ranges, and a common or gore. On these lands were afterwards built the greater part of the two villages called Lake village and Meredith Bridge {now Laconia) and also a small collection of houses at the Weirs.

A road for the accommodation of the third tier of lots ran parallel to this first road in a most direct course, till half the course was passed over, and then, by reason of the broken surface of the land and the abruptness of its inclines, it deflected to the west and met the first road at Jewett's estate; only patches of it were built and are traceable in the south part of the town.

The third parallel road began a little distance from the lake-shore, at the head of the Intervale, and passed over Gunstock, or Meeting-House Hill; and, instead of crossing the Locklin Hill, deflected to the east and joined with the fourth road, which also began near the lake, on the east side of the Intervale, and ascended Spring Hill, and by some deflections contin- ued past the village aud over Liberty Hill to Gilman- ton, keeping on the first and second tier of one hun- dred acre lots through the whole length of the town.

The fifth parallel road, on the third tier of hundred- acre lots, was built along the west base and under the brow of the mountains, from the Gilmanton line nearly through the town, though its last stages were not more than a drift-way. It was broken and disap- peared for the last mile or two before reaching the lake, where it would have crossed high hills.

The sixth way was only opened as a bridle-road or cartway up the Miles Valley to near the Skeiler Meadow, and then, as a public, traveled road, to the base of the mountains; and in two brauches (one of which becomes a substitute for a seventh road, which would pass over Mount Prospect and to the terminal

ridge on the south boundary line of the town, and through the Masonian lots). At the base of the mountain it turns to the east and goes to the Alton line, in two branches, as part of an east and west road.

The roads designed to cross these, and run east and west, were fewer in number and not so regular or easily traced, as the lots in different ranges overlapped and were not parallel to the extreme margins or bor- der lines of the town. The first, however, known as the Pond road, was quite direct and continuous along the lake-shore from the Weirs to the Alton line, and was determined more by the natural features of the land than by the division of lots and settlements made.

The second road, in this direction, set off at the Plains, north of Black Brook, and continued to the head of the Intervale, ascended the Ames and the Sawyer Hills, and descended into the Miles Valley, and was deflected round the south end of Mount Pros- pect, and reached the Alton line as identical with the deflections of the sixth north and south road, and is known as the Mountain road or route.

The third sets off a little north of Lake village and by slight deflections extends to Hoyt's Mills, or Gilford village, and should have passed over the mountain by the Old Stair-Way, a ravine with regular rock formation.

The fourth sets off at Jewett's Corner, and in two branches reaches the mountain bases,-one via Chat- tleborough and the other by Liberty Hill. A third branch, of a later laying out, reaches Gilford village by the Gully route (so called). These, with later al- terations constitute the road system of the town. The sharpness of the hills, in the roads, has given occa- sion for the re-location of many roads, around the hills, in different parts of the town.

While this system of roads and cross-roads was all provided for in the plan and survey of the town, they were laid out at different times, as necessity required, and in separate sections when demanded. The oldest road is, of course, the Gilford portion of the Province road, laid out as a State or colony road by the General Court in 1770, and committed to Gilmanton for con- struction through its own territory ; but, on its refusal to build it, it was built by contractors engaged by the colony government, and the cost, three hundred and thirty-one pounds, assessed on the town. It had to be repaired and the bridge rebuilt in 1790, at town ex- pense. The roads of the town have usually been built by direct individual assessment, and worked out by all the tax-payers of the town, but repaired and kept in order by a system of district supervision and taxation, the town being divided into some thirty highway districts.

Portions of highways were at first made by individ- uals for their own convenience, and on their own lands, without any formal laying out ; while to oth- ers there are records of legal laying out by proper authorities. Among those returned are the following-

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HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

an incomplete list, but showing the progress of settle- ment : In 1782, one by Abel Hunt's. In 1785, one from Peaslee Rodgers' to Noah Weeks', one to Fol- som's Mills and to Simeon Hoyt's and one from Sam- uel Smith's to Meredith Bridge. In 1787, from Thomas Foster's (Intervale) to the pond, etc.,-i.e., on the Pond road. At the same date, from Ebenezer Smith's to the Gunstock Mills,-i.e., probably via Spring Hill and Kelley Corner, though possibly ' a mill-road through the pine woods lot. The present road, by the tannery and carding and fulling-mill, was of a much later laying and building.

The older approach by traveled road was by Pot- ter's Hill to the mills. In 1788, one from the Prov- ince road to Simeon Hoyt's, probably the middle road from Liberty Hill south. In 1789, one from Philbrook Raud's to David Clough's, that is, over Gunstock or Meeting-House Hill, to Thomas Hoyt's (now Mr. Rog- ger's.) Also one from David Ames' (R. Dame's) to Thomas Frohock's (late D. Y. Smith's), and one from Josiah Sawyer's to Ephraim Brown's. In 1790, one from Levi Gilman's to the Gunstock road. In 1792, one from Samnel F. Gilman's, via Ezekiel Gilman's (Zebedee Morrill's) to Jacob Jewett's (Deacon Isaac's), doubtless to meet a road already made from the Prov- ince road past Samuel Jewett's, the next house. In 1794, one by Daniel Hoyt's and one from Samuel Gilman's (3d) to Samuel Gilman's. In 1797, one from Jeremy Rowe's to Samuel Thurston's, in the south part of the town. In 1799, one from Wil- liam Hunt's to Josiah Tilton. In 1800, one from Jeremy Rowe's to Meredith Bridge, and one from Thomas Foster's to James Ames', across the In- tervale, in 1801. Also in the same year, one from John Smith's to the Upper Weirs. In 1803, one from David Hale's to the Great Weirs (Lake village). In the same year, one on Governor's Island to Nathan- iel Davis'. In 1805, from J. Smith's to the Great Weirs, probably by Malachi Davis'. In 1807, from David Gould's to Joseph Potter's, and in 1808; one from D. Hale's to the Weirs (Oaks road), and from A. Jackson's to Samuel Thurston's (via the Collins neighborhood), and one more in 1812, from Bartholo- mew Gale's to Meredith Bridge. A few others, omit- ted here, make up most of the roads of the town.

The bridges of the town, except a few of the larger and more costly, have been built by the districts. The only bridge on the Miles River, of much expense and difficulty, was the one at Miles Leavitt's, which went down-stream in a freshet, with the mill also, which was rebuilt higher up-stream. The one at the town farm has also been damaged at times by the overflow of the stream. There are eleven bridges spanning the Gunstock, several of which have been carried away in high water. Three are on the Intervale, and that whole surface is overflowed in times of freshet. Two are at Copp's Mill and of recent construction ; one at the fulling-mill ; one at the tannery ; two at the saw- mill and Village road; one at Whittier's Mill, often

damaged; and one at Esquire Weeks' residence. The bridges on the Winnipiseogee, including railroad bridges, are now ten in number, and expensive struc- tures.

Providence road bridge is the oldest, and has been three times rebuilt, and is now a substantial structure. The first was a rude affair and short-lived. The bridge at Folsom's Mills was built in 1782, and has been two or three times repaired, or substantially rebuilt. The raising of the water-level by the new dam necessitated the construction of a bridge of greater height and firmer build. There has been added, in later years, another bridge near where the old footway on the dam was. The railroad crosses the stream above these and again twice at the Lower Falls, or Laconia. The Weirs bridge was built in 1803, and has been twice rebuilt and raised higher, to allow passage to steamers under it, in the river channel. The channel was cut deeper some years ago, and recently the United States gov- ernment has appropriated money for the improve- ment of the passage into and out of the lake.

The second bridge was built at Laconia, on Mill Street, and has twice been rebuilt. It is just below the dam, and indispensable, though its approach from Lake Street or the Gilford side was difficult. The third bridge there, on Church Street, was built about 1850, and was unfinished for some years. Meredith laid her road to the river centre and built the bridge to that point. Gilford endeavored to defeat the build- ing of the road and bridge, and refused to proceed in its construction. But at length the project succee- ded, and the street and bridge is now much used. The Messar bridge, at the upper point of the narrows, or at the foot of Little Bay, was also strenuously opposed, as likewise the filling above it, which was deemed im- practicable at first, and stoutly opposed. The bridge in the lower part of the village is of recent construc- tion, but was found a desideratum by reason of the expansion of the village in that direction and the in- crease of business in that part. The bridge leading to Governor's Island was built in 1820, and mainly by the owners of the island. Its support being expen- sive, they asked the town's support of it, and the town at length assumed it. It is about thirty rods from shore to shore. Two natural formations project on the opposite sides and make a natural fitness for the place of a bridge. It was built by sinking a structure of logs in square sections and filled with stone, the greatest depth being about twenty-five feet, and there is left an open pass-way, not in the deepest part of the channel, of some fifteen feet width, through which row-boats, if small, may pass. The filling of stone on each side of the bridge renders it enduring against the action of the waves.

The Industries of the Town .- The main pursuits of the inhabitants of Gilford have been agricultural; and yet various other pursuits have also been followed, and the mingled interests of these projects have held the attention of those who were ready for any under-

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GILFORD.

taking that evidently might be profitable or honor- able to the projector.

While agriculture has been engaged in by most of the people, it has been conducted with varying wis- dom, and been variously successful in different depart- ments thereof, and in different times. The soil, vary- ing much in its productive power, and its special adaptation to particular growths, is, on the whole, good and remunerative. There are sections in the high- lands of the east part that are particularly adapted to grazing, and there wool-raising has been one prin- cipal object, and its ends attained without great diffi- culty. On the higher parts of the mountains the native grasses are unmixed with the baser or inferior grasses of the wet lowlands, and are more concentra- ted, nourishing and sweet-flavored. Hence, sheep seek these places, both for the coolness of the air or refreshing breezes and for the abundance and rich- ness of the feed. There they fatten, and yield their fibre, which brings in a good income to the investor and cultivator. Formerly, each and every farmer had his limited stock of sheep; and it was thought to be an absolute necessity to the proper exercise of good husbandry to have a little store of wool for domestic manufacturing, and a little stock of mutton in a well- replenished larder. The surplus above home demand .in these two items of flock-growth sought the market for revenne, or exchange for other necessaries, or, per- chance, for the mere glory of laudable and successful production. In response to this usual, known and tempting venal store, the far-seeing wool-monger was sure to be on hand at the fit season, and with the proper ore in sack or wallet, intent on a commercial raid. There is one "lost art," or lost sight, in these days of steam and vapor: that is, the old-time drover, in his long blue frock,-a professional uni- form, half-driving and half-walking, and riding anon; and collecting from farm-yard to farm-yard, till his bleating throng and lowing host fill the way, resem- bling a crusading army; and when the muster is complete, taking up the long, tedious pilgrimage, in one line of march, from the Aquadocton hill-sides and sheep-cots to the noisy sale-yards and slaughter- houses of that far-famed and bloody Brighton.

The meritorious generalship of such a campaign was for no ordinary man. The special commission for this royal order fell to the lot of such meat-men as Nathan, Jeremiah (called Jed.) and Asa Bachelder, Thomas Sewell, William Sargent, Nathan Bartlett and a few others, and in the later days, John O. Sanborn, Harrison Gilman, Joseph Sanborn, Jr., John Weeks, Carroll Follet, Ladd & Co. and a few others, who now are content to skirmish a little at short- range and on the offensive. While the old stock variety was generally raised, an improved variety of fine-wooled stock was kept in the mountan region by principally the Weeks Brothers & Sons. This merino wool was very superior for fine cloth-making, and brought a very high price in the market,-sometimes

as high as a dollar per pound, and nearly double that of the common-stock wool. But as the sheep were of a diminutive size bodily, each one yielded a less quan- tity both of fleece and meat, and they were less remunerative for the purposes of food or clothing; and so merino wool-culture declined.

In later years, still another species was generally kept, of greater size, and producing a staple of coarser and longer fibre. But the extent of sheep and wool-raising has grown less of late, by reason of lower prices of wool, though the less value in the fleece has been offset by higher prices for the lambs and the mutton.

In the line of stock-raising, the production of beef is and has been an important branch of business.

The ridges of land devoted to pasturage were well adapted to neat-cattle-feeding, and produced beef of an excellent quality, and gave abundant thrift to the stock so devoted. In the earlier years, in times of less demands for meats, with less population, and greater production of feeding, a large surplus of beef was sent to market by drift. Stock was kept less sumptuously at the barns, and in winter seasons, and almost universally, beef was grass-fed and young, and less expensively produced for the market.

The average farmer depended on his neat-stock sold for the greater amount of cash needed to meet obligations and procure other means of living. Nearly all the yearly increase of live-stock by genera- tion was kept, and little slaughter of the young was tolerated. Veal was a rarity on the table of the farmer or the inn.

The dairy interests were important, and were mostly for distant markets. Cheese-making was as extensive as butter-making. The better farmer was accustomed to take his ox-load of butter and cheese in the fall season, and draw it to Portsmouth, and exchange them for West India goods,-that is, for sugar, salt, and perchance a cask of "the ardent," and fish. The lesser farmer had to obtain these through the medium of the common store, and make the home-made spruce beer and domestic cider answer for the more costly and stronger drinks of the gentlemen. In those days, at about every tenth house was the cider-mill; and hence, the demand for the cooper's service was immense. This craft, as far as the making, or rather, the repairing, of cider-casks was concerned, was carried on in a decidedly unique manner.

About the time of the apple-picking and cider- making, in November, a set of craftsmen took up the march, and went the rounds of the neighborhood, to renew the hoops on the casks needed, and merry indeed was the music of the cooper's whack, ringing over the hills. Cider was scarcely a commodity for market; either it was considered too sacred to be bar- tered, or it was not sufficient in quantity for more than the limit of home consumption. Improved fruit, or its culture, was quite largely undertaken

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HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

some years ago; and both new orchards were set from grafted nurseries, and old orchards were grafted. Very limited attempts were made to propagate or cultivate other fruits. The cherry, the plum and pear were considered as the luxury of the favored few. Sugar-making, from the maple, has been en- gaged in only to a small extent, and that in a dimin- ishing proportion.

Poultry-raising has always been engaged in to a considerable extent, and in greater variety formerly. The vigil-keeping goose and the turkey have had their day, but are fast disappearing. The former is almost unknown, and the latter scarce. The hen is current, but egg-production was never extensive.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 180

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