History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 181

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 181
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 181

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).

Other animals were sometimes kept, not entirely for profit, or for executing undertakings, but more particularly for convenience and fancy. The horse was thought to be as necessary to a complete furnish- ing of the barn-yard as the dog or cat was to the com- plete house. But yet some business was done in raising horses for the market or to sell. And now and then more than the one " domestic horse " graced the baru-yard of the more opulent ; and, perchance, was spared to supply the needed horse-power in those days of stage-coaches, or even to supply and serve the desire and passion of the rich and those indulging in pride-show. An exception, perhaps, may be taken in pork-producing, for though the keeping of swine was for domestic ends, to furnish the home larder, yet many a dressed porker found its way to Portsmouth market, and later into other cities, whither trade was subsequently directed, and sent back in lieu of it the daintier luxuries of commerce or clean cash. In earlier times wheat-raising was quite extensive and fairly profitable. But from about 1830 this crop be- came oftentimes uncertain or a failure, by reason of the weevil-fly, whose ravages were great after the de- crease of the native clover-growth, in which they had before that worked and spent their fury. Hence, gradually the wheat-culture declined, and the crop became insufficient to meet demands, and is now al- most absolutely a thing of the past, and not likely to be revived. It was a rare thing in former times for a farmer to buy a barrel of flour. It was considered evidence of miserable husbandry, and a sure omen of ill success, or a failing fortune, or a precursor to a financial ruin. Likewise the corn crop was abundant and extensively put on the market. But very little of it was used for stock-feeding, either in their ordi- nary keeping or for their fattening. The surplus above home consumption and local supply of the domestic market was not inconsiderable. The oat crop and the potato crop were also in excess of home consumption, and became articles of merchandise in the market. The cultivation of flax was formerly extensive, and now is unknown. As a general rule, each farmer had his plot annually sown, and its yield carefully se- cured, properly treated or cured and well stored. And in due time it was manufactured,-the seed into

linseed oil, which was once successfully and exten- sively done at Meredith Bridge, and the fibre to the stage of the dressed hank, or thread, or the fabric. The diminutive linen foot-wheel, and the larger tow- wheel, also usable for wool-spinning, were the abso- lutely necessary and commendable articles of outfit to the then diligent housewife. The factory was not then on the water-courses, but the substitute was on all the hill-sides. Home-made fabrics of wool and flax, and to some extent of even cotton, were the almost universal supply for apparel and house- furnishing, and somewhat for the market. The blithe, sweet-singing maid of those days, standing at the helm of her new-improved,1 Shaker-made patent spinning-wheel, was in her dignity, and when the accredited stent of four skeins daily of seven knots, each containing twenty double threads, on an honest reel, was got off, and in good season in the afternoon, she was in her felicity, having earned the title of " clever girl " or " spinster."

The diligence of all the members of the family made it no onerous service to provide adequate rai- ment and other textile furnishing for the household. The house was a busy place, and resonant with the hum of the spindle, the rattle of the whacking-loom and the hundred processes of domestic labor.

One industry in the agricultural department de- . serves mention, and that was the silk-culture. About 1840 the mulberry-tree was cultivated on the light soil in the Gunstock Valley above Gilford Village, having been planted and introduced by Mr. Benjamin Rowe. The silk-worm grub was obtained and fed by the mulberry leaf, and a successful product of the silk cocoons was realized. These were sold unreeled, and the manufacturing of the silk of commerce from these was done elsewhere. An enthusiasm in this new industry was for a time quite extensively shared by the people possessing light soils, which were pro- nounced to be especially adapted to the mulberry culture ; but the enterprise, though not fruitless, was not extended, and for a want of interested, enterpris- ing operators, the scheme was not long prosecuted, and the silk-producing interests ceased. A few re- maining trees only indicate the former attempt. From the "light infantry " of domestic manufactory we proceed to notice some of the " heavy artillery " of man-operated machinery. And first of these is the saw-mill. Lumber-making has been practiced since the settlement of the town, but only at first to meet existing necessities in the first building of dwellings. In later years much lumber has been manufactured for the general market. The saw-mills at first were

1 The improvement of the Shaker wheel consisted in the patent head (Bo called), which secured greater velocity to the revolving spindle, by means of some gearing between the band-wheel and spindle-block, and also by au apparatns for adjusting the tension of the larger and lesser wheel-bands. This invention saved many a weary whirl during a day's work, for which benign appliance there was often heard a "God bless the good Shaker !"

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GILFORD.

mainly for producing boards and plank. The first dwellings were covered with shingles and clapboards made by hand, being rived and shaved by the farmer in his leisure days. Afterwards sawn shingles were used, but were vastly inferior. The saw-mills of the town have been the following : Lamprey's, near Alton line, which was abandoned forty years ago. It was operated by a small and inadequate stream, and only survived to meet a local need at that time. Foster's mill was built after Lamprey's went to disuse, and was to supply its place in the interests and demands of that part of the town. It also was inappropriately located, and proved unsuccessful, and ran hut a few years. A large tract of heavily-wooded land in that section of the town was subsequently cleared, and its timber was manufactured into lumber hy steam- power, and the lumber marketed. Colby's mill, on the same stream, the Miles River, was built after the disuse of Foster's, but was more the successor of the Leavit mill, which had been twice built and carried away, the first being a grist-mill, and the second for sawing, and the third now in use, for both sawing lumber and also shingles, and lately for threshing, besides. On the same stream, helow, was the ancient Brown & Leavit mill, for sawing, not now in operation.

One of the earliest mills for sawing lumber was that built on the Gunstock stream by Simeon Hoyt and Esquire Ebenezer Smith, in 1789. As this was erected at the waterfall included in one of the public shares or the ministerial lot, it was subject to some conditions and limitations, and the permission of the use of the waterfall and adjacent lands was granted to these two gentlemen in 1788, to extend fifteen years, and conced- ing the right to clear and occupy for their mill-yard two acres, and on both sides of the river. They are also hound not to unnecessarily cut timher on the adjacent lots and to remove the mill at the expiration of the lease, or to sell it to the town; and, meantime, to give free right to saw on the part of the people any material desired for a meeting-house in that part of the town. This mill was then the only one in that heavily- wooded section. It was the source of all the board and plank-stock of that part, and shared, with other parts, the general patronage of the whole region. There was not much sawing of timber, that being almost always hewn. The mill was not removed nor sold to the town; but the encroachments on the public lot being so frequent and easy, the whole lot was sold and the proceeds of the sale invested for the benefit of the ministry. The mill, with the lot, was bought hy Bernard Morrill, and it has been owned and run by him and his son until the present time. The flowing of the meadows above the village, while owned hy parties not operating the mill, was limited to the 20th of May yearly, when the mill must stop ; but by a single ownership, both of the mill and meadow, the flowing, and, consequently, the business of the mill, was afterward unrestricted as to times and seasons.

This mill has been operated by employed men at. most times and has not often been idle for want of work on hand when there was a water supply, and it has been the source of a good income to the owners and operators. It has been several times damaged by freshets and substantially rebuilt, and, in later time, has been furnished with circular instead of up- right saws. The greater part of an immense forest of timber in the Gunstock Valley and western moun- tain slopes has been converted into lumber at this mill, and thence taken to market or used in building iu this vicinity.

It has been an appreciated accommodation to the public and a source of revenue to the owners and the class of men to whom its business furnished employ- ment, and who lived upon the results of their engage- ment in its operation.

About 1835 a movement was made to build a mill on the lower part of the stream, near the only re- maining large tract of pine timber land. This was built by Joseph Potter on his land, and under the foremanship of Mr. Bachelder (called Boston John). Mr. Potter and son entered upon the business of the manufacturing of lumber, including shingles and clapboards and lath. The mill was operated many years, mainly by John M. Potter, and was after- wards sold to Hazen Copp, who built dwelling-houses near by, and is still operated by his son, Augustus Copp. Facilities for grinding corn were added re- cently, and it has cut the entire growth of heavy pine timber in its vicinity into marketable lumber. It was only after years of endeavor and repeated trials that the dam was made permanent and sub- stantial.

The location of the mill was, at first, on no public road, and it necessitated the laying and maintaining of the Valley road past it, and from the Intervale to the Fulling-mill route or road, involving two bridges over the stream. Shingle-sawing was early added to wool-carding and fulling, at the Mingo Fulling-Mill, and is still carried on by Deacon Heman Hunter. The same business has been carried on there by the successive owners, Meshech Sanborn, Christopher Gilman, Benjamin Gilman and others.

There were two mills at the Weirs-one on either side of the river. The Prescot Mill there gave name to the place for a time, as it was currently denomi- nated "Prescot's Mills" as well as Weirs. The head was so slight at this point that the power was small, notwithstanding the great volume of supply of water and its being constant ; hence the privilege was con- sidered as unimprovable and of little value, so that it naturally fell into disuse, and, later, the heighten- ing of the dam at Lake village destroyed the privi- lege altogether, and so both mills ceased long ago.

The lumber manufacture was extensive at the falls at the foot of the bay. Here Abraham Folsom built in 1780, and the mill has been in nearly continuous operation for more than one hundred years. He also

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HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

built and operated a grist-mill, and another saw-mill was afterwards built on the east side of the river, then called, by way of distinction, the "Gilford side," and was called at a time Bachelder's Mill, and again Lyford's Mill, and by the name of other owners or operators. In it the experiment was made of running a gang of saws, without good success.

These mills have largely been supplied with a stock of logs from the lake and bay, by being rafted from places on the borders of the same. These mills could do business the year round ; whereas the mills on the smaller and variable streams would be capable of operation only in the seasons of the year when the water supply was abundant. This, however, was not altogether unfavorable to the owners, who had other business to prosecute, and the demand for sawing was limited to seasons intervening between the pressing claims of agricultural interests. So great was the volume of lumber manufacturing at Lake village, and proportionally so in excess of all other pursuits and products, that the place became known best by the current designation of "Slab City," and bore that title for a long time. Well might it have been called Log Town, as the river approaches were crowded at nearly all seasons with rafts of logs, floated thither from the lake.

At the season of low-water there was not the desired height of head or quantity of flow into the wing-dams and upon the rival wheels there on the different sides of the river; hence a de- vice was resorted to to effect this matter, viz .: the construction of a sort of submerged breakwater-a curb of plank-work filled with stone, to anchor or ballast it, extending far up the middle of the channel into the current places of the river,-which should di- vide the flow and direct it in due proportion into the respective mill-ponds, and not suffer it to flow in greater measure to either one side, as it was inclined to do by reason of any obstruction or change of channel.

Competing interests were the foundation of rivalries and jealousies and devices on the part of the actors in the Folsom and the Bachelder enterprises, which, however, gave life and thrift to the business under- takings.

The lumber-mill at the Lower Falls-Meredith Bridge-was subject to just the same local competi- tion ; yet it found rivals and antagonists both in the competition of the upper mills and also in the com- petition of other and diverse interests and enter- prises near to it.

In 1780, Colonel Samuel Ladd built his mill as the successor of that of Stephen Gale, who, in the four or five previous years, had been endeavoring to use the water-power at that place and had built a mill on the Meredith side, and had lost his hold on the reservoir by the yielding of his dam-structure to the force of the stream. Fire and flood alike opposed Colonel Ladd's determination, and his works were

four times destroyed, but only to be rebuilt and en- larged by his indomitable will and equally-matched courage. He added compass to his undertakings and enjoyed a fair share of patronage in the lumber- making engagements of the time and place, and he even surpassed Folsom in the grinding and flouring patronage of the wide field. This saw-mill con- tinued, till a comparatively recent date, to do its proper work. But it was unfortunately located in regard to its yard-room and its approaches, and hence went into disuse many years ago; and the sawing business at this place has been done since, first, by water-power, on the canal on Laconia side, by Cook & Co. at their sash and door manufactory, and still later, by the same company, by steam-power on the Gilford side, where no inconsiderable amount of lumber-making has been done.

Besides the above enumerated sawing establish- ments, the Collins mill has been in operation for some years, where the sawing of both lumber and shingle has been prosecuted; and the Whittier mill did gig-sawing and had small circular saws for the cutting-up business in carriage-making.

With these saws Gilford has not only met its own building demands, but has doue no small amount of work in furnishing other parts with stock. Its great wooded area and stately forests made this department of industry to be both inevitable and successful, and also inspiring and inviting enterprise. These primi- tive growths have disappeared before the vigorous lumbermen and made useful under the severe attacking saws; but the broadaxeman's blade played no unimportant part in bringing this beauty and service out of the rough wilderness and unused bower.

A branch of industry akin to lumber-making was formerly prosecuted extensively, viz., stave-making and the associated cooperage. The oak growth of the mountain-sides furnished abundant and excellent ma- terials for making casks of various sizes and uses. These staves were rived on the hill-sides and wrought in the many cooper-shops and transported to the markets far and near. Shooks, for casks of one hun- dred gallons capacity and upward, were extensively made and sent to the West Indies for the molasses manufacturers. Barrels for fish-packers, beef and pork-packers and for liquors were made and trans- ported to Portsmouth. This work of manufacturing was done principally at the centre of the town, though to some extent in other parts. Jonas Sleeper, Joseph Sanborn, Henry Sleeper, George Wm. Weeks and others engaged extensively in this as a branch of trade and enterprise. Workmen were employed by them both for stave-riving and cask-making. The coopers in business were Nathan Hatch, Ebenezer S. Hunt, Joseph Sanborn & Sons, Samuel & Joshua Gilman, Moses Jewett, David Gould, Ezekiel & Na- than Collins, J. L. Davis, Simeon & Nathaniel Davis and many others. Indeed, the cooper-shop was a

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GILFORD.

common annex to the other buildings of many a place, and Cooper was not an unfrequent prefix to a surname, as, for example, Cooper-Gilman and Cooper- Jewett. The latter emigrated to Cape Cod, where the fish-barrel was in requisition.

The transportation of the manufactured casks was an undertaking of considerable magnitude. The huge load on the mammoth vehicle, drawn fifty miles in two days by stalwart ox-teams, was no trivial matter to carry out; and the sight of these huge moving piles was no tame affair to youthful curiosity and astonishment, as was also the music of the coopers' instruments, deftly handled, to their admiration of the artificers.

The mills for grinding have been erected and operated as follows: Folsom's mill, at the Lake vil- lage site. This was first and chiefly used for corn- grinding. In due time a rye crop was raised and was ground in the same set of stones, producing an un- bolted meal. Finally, wheat was a product and re- quired bolting, and hence a bolter was added, and it became a flouring-mill of general patronage.

Ladd's mill was successfully run, from 1780, in con- nection with the saw-mill, which was in the upper story of the building, and the grinding on the lower floor. This mill rivaled the Folsom mill, being more accessible by the main part of the population. There was some competition between the two as to the quantity and quality of flour made from a bushel of farmer's wheat ; and so high did the enthusiasm of good millership run at times that it was declared of some that flour was produced and returned from their favorite mill exceeding the weight of the grist taken to the mill. But this must have been to special customers. Yet it must have effectually annulled the tradition that millers were not scrupulously exact in taking only lawful toll, or, at least, it should have proved that Gilford millers were exceptionally honest.

Ladd's mill was succeeded by one built by the factory company, and located farther down-stream and below the factory, or Ticking-Mill (so called). Its capacity was increased by adding two runs of stones and using two bolters. Many farmers used " fine Indian," or bolted corn-meal, as a substitute for wheat-flour, to make a superior bread.

Millers Bachelder and Dimond successively and successfully presided for a full term of service and years at the wheels of the Meredith Bridge Grinding and Flouring-Mill. The universal custom was for each farmer to carry frequent and small grists to the mill, aud have them milled for a toll of one-sixteenth, or two quarts on a bushel. Ready-ground meal, or even flour, was at first rarely ever for sale or to be purchased. The toll-grain was on sale, but oftener transported than sold in the place and to residents. The balance of most crops was in favor of exportation or the market, and usually went to the cities, Ports- mouth or Boston. In later years the great bulk of milling is that of the stock imported and on sale.

The mill at Gilford village, at the Hoyt's and Smith's privilege, was built not many years after the two other ones at the river. It accommodated the centre and eastern and, to some extent, the southern parts of the town. It did both grinding and bolting, and continued in use till about 1840, or till the build- ing of the tannery at the same dam, and was repeat- edly repaired. It is still standing, and has been owned some seventy years by the same parties and the same that owned the saw-mill, viz. : Esq. Bernard and General J. J. Morrill and son. The millers at this mill have been J. Pickering, S. Trefran, W. Meloon, William Knowles, Lowell Sanborn (Deacon Lowell, so called) and others temporarily. At this mill, and at others also, for a limited appointed time in the spring, the yearly stock of gypsum, or plaster of Paris, a cheap fertilizer, was grouud, and other grinding was deferred for that period and afterwards resumed. Also, in the last of May usually, a day or two was appropriated to salt-grinding, for dairy uses, which wonderfully accommodated farmers' wives and saved them innumerable poundings of the mortar and pestle, whose music, however, was the delightful matinée of hill and dale, announcing to many a hungry toiler the sure progress of kitchen-work, and, like gong or hell or trumpet, was the first prelude of an unannounced but ready breakfast.

The disuse of the mill at Morrill's left the field open for enterprise. Moreover, the Leavitt mill, on Miles River, had been carried away, and the eastern part of the town was left dependent on some other mill. It . was opportune to build.

At this time Jonathan Whitcher built a mill on the Upper Gunstock for grinding and bolting, to Y which he added also a threshing-machine, a turning- lathe and other machinery for making wheels, car- riages and furniture. This mill continued only a few years, and, after repeated damages to its long, weak and expensive dam, and to the mill itself, by freshet, by reason of a want of patronage and its uuprofitable- ness, it ceased to be maintained and was consequently abandoned.

Jeremiah Hunt was in business at this mill for himself, in the wheel and furniture interests, and in company in other departments, and was miller at a time. Then the whole of grinding and flouring was centred at Lake village and Laconia, except a little corn-grinding at Copp's mill at a time later. With less cereal products produced, and more imported and used, this is an adaptation both wise and in the line of natural drift. Yet it involves more labor and furnishing, and makes the result less lucrative. The old-time going to mill, with grist on the shoulder or on horseback, has given place to more extended trips in vehicles, light and heavy. The preparation of the grain for the milling state has been variously done. At one time the flail and coursing breezes were all the mediation used. Then the mechanical fanning- mill was resorted to to conquer a calm. Then the

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HISTORY OF BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

separating-mill, or thresher, was used and operated by horse-power and by water-power.

Two styles of the portable horse-power machines were invented and used. One was constructed with a sweep and gearing and rope-tension, operated by horses in draught. The other with a treadle incline and belting, and operated by horse-weight on the treadle. One of the former was owned and operated by a Mr. Bachelder, going from farm to farm. Sam- ucl Blaisdell & Sons owned and operated one of the latter pattern; and still others were brought into parts from adjacent towns. But the inconvenience of so frequent relocation and transportation, and the entertainment of the workmen and horses, was such that the stationary mill, to be operated by water- power, promised better success and speedy introduc- tion; and proved so. Hence, the almost simulta- neous construction of two such mills about the year 1835 or 1840,-the first at the Whittier mill and the other at the carding, fulling and shingle-mill, owned by Christopher Gilman, then by Meshech Sanborn, Benjamin Gilman and Hermon Hunter. The same provision for the threshing season was made at the Collins mill and at Meredith Bridge and Lake village, and, later, at Colby's.

The first years these mills were in use the patronage was extensive. Farmers drew their two, five, or ten tons of grain from one to eight miles to have it threshed and returned, each one going at an ap- pointed time. These mills have but little patronage now, and some of them have ceased to be used at all. So little grain is raised that it is not a great task to separate it by hand-flail, or not very unprofitable to feed the oat crop unthreshed. And rye is rarely threshed in this machine, because of the damage to the straw.

Mills for wool-carding and cloth-dressing, were put in, one at Laconia, operated by James Morrison and afterwards by John Buzzell, who, though they lived in Gilford, did their work on the Meredith side. This was discontinued some years ago, on the decline of home-made cloth and yarn, and to give place to their enterprise of cloth-making.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 181

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