History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 49

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 49
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 49

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).

School Districts .- We learn from Mr. Davis' re- port for the year ending March 1, 1885, that there are in town twelve school districts, or, perhaps, more ac- curately, eleven, counting Nos. 7 and 9 as one dis- trict. Each of these districts is a little republic by itself. Its boundaries are not so definitely defined and fixed as those of a town, for they vary to suit the convenience of even a single family.

A school-meeting is a type of every deliberative and legislative body, from the primary or caucus to the Congress of the United States. The history of every one of these school districts properly told would be more interesting than the general run of town his- tories. The inhabitants of a school district are more nearly related to one another than to citizens of the town in general, some of whom they rarely meet, and to many of whom they are strangers.

Out of a dozen such histories, covering our whole territory, a history of the town could be compiled that all our people would want.

District No. 8 is united with District No. 17 in Warner. Their temple of learning has been famous for more than half a century, and is known as the " Calico School-house " from a fancied resemblance that the dotted door and window-shutters bore to calico.

After the consent of the towns which are interested, this district was formed by the tax-payers signing an agreement dated October 10, 1825. The signers in Bradford were Ebenezer Bagley, Colburn Hawks, N. R. Marshall, Ebenezer Cheney, Daniel Pierce, Cummings Pierce. Those in Warner were,- Timothy Flanders, Enos Collins, Moses Collins, Newel Brown, John Simmons, Thomas J. Flanders, Samuel Brown, David Bagley, Enos Collins, Jr., Asa Sargent. Of this list of men, only Cummings Pierce survives.

In the Bradford portion of this district there have at times been twenty or more attending school ; now the town report shows but two. Well, it is ebb-tide now; let us not be discouraged, the tide will turn. There are live men and brave souls in the old district yet. In the dark hours of the nation's peril, when she called the roll of her defenders, sixteen men who had been schooled here responded to their names.

Roads and Drives .- In the reports of town-meet- ings and in the proceedings of the selectmen may be found the history of the laying ont of most of the public roads. The most important of these are the cross-roads at Raymond's Corner and at the west part of the town and the Henniker road. The north and south road at the " middle of the town " is known as the "Old County road." That from the "Corner" towards Melvin's mills is the " Warner road ; " that from the Corner to the Lake Massasecum and along its west shore is the " Henniker road." These roads are intersected by others at all angles, and running in all directions, so that every farm-house, whether located on a hill-top or in a valley, has a public road leading close to its door-yard. As the settlements change from one part of town to another, or as one por- tion declines and another advances, the roads show the movement of the population. In and near and between the villages the roads are wide and smooth and clear of stones, and kept in good repair. Out two or three miles over the hills, where the dwellings are farther apart, the roads become narrowed down to a single wagon-track, bordered with grass and weeds, prominent among which, near the farm-houses, are the plantain and may-weed. Looking along these neighborhood roads, one sees long lines of this verdure dividing the horse-track from the wagon-ruts. It is a struggle for mastery between nature and art. The smooth, wide road is artificial; the grass and weeds are natural. A good road may be kept open thousands of years, as they have been in Rome; but art is tem-

196

HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

porary and nature eternal, and she will win at last. In our roads it is interesting to watch nature in the process of reclaiming her own, and gaining a foot- hold where she had temporarily been thrust aside. As the travel is gradually discontinued, the toe-path and the wheel-ruts grow narrower, and the weeds and grass taller; and here and there blackberry bushes, sumachs and birches come up close to the track, as though their roots had been there all the time waiting and watching for their opportunity to assert them- selves. Modest little bushes of all kinds, that had stood almost unnoticed for years along the stone walls at the roadside, become trees, and afford a pleasant shade to those who pass along occasionally in summer. Rank-growing vines cover up the stone walls ; grass, weeds, bushes, trees cover the roadway, and very soon nature half denies that man has ever spent his labor there. But there are signs of civilization not so easily covered up. Where the homestead of the sturdy set- tler stood, the old cellar and the old well remain. There, too, holding their own for a time against the forest-trees, are the old apple-trees, where the orchard was, and the lilac-bushes that we know stood near the door-way.

There are several pleasant drives out of town. That to the top of Kearsarge Mountain is rather tiresome, but it gives fine views; a visit to Sunapee Lake, where several of our citizens have summer cottages, is always refreshing. But we have pleasant drives within our own borders. One good drive, rich in varied scenery, exhibiting our hills, valleys and plains dotted over with pastures, fields and gardens, farm-houses, school-houses and meeting-houses, also rich in historic interest, is as follows: Starting at the new town-house, which stands on the highest land on the road between the "Mills" and the "Corner," in sight of the railroad, and just across it Colby's and Jenny's stores; diagonally across the square is the Baptist meeting-house, by the door of which hung so long the little box with glass front in which marriage intentions were "published." Here, at the church, is a road leading up to Deacon Marshall's old place. On this road, across from the church, lives Joseph Currier. Then, between the meeting-house and Carr's store, we should pass on the right the residences of Silas Colby, Ward Day, Smith Gillingham, Ai Hall, H. Colby, Gillingham, the Andrew place, Daniel Carr, Buswell and Carr's store. One may almost truly say Carr's post-office, he has held it so many years.

Next is the old Tappan place, with its law-office and its tall poplars, which have been a land-mark for miles around for two or three generations. Then the road that leads back to the Samuel Jones place, John W. Morse's store and Wood's grist-mill finish up that side to the bridge.

On our left, as we leave the town hall, and close by it, is Dr. Peaslee's drug-store; then Patch's house; then across the valley Mrs. Farley's, Mrs. Emerson's;

then " Woodside," the fine estate of Colonel M. W. Tappan ; then the residences of Moses Gould, Frank Tappan, Mr. Wood, William M. Carr, the Buswell store, with Masonic and Odd-Fellows' halls overhead, Bartlett's brick hotel, Hadley's house and black- smith's shop; then the bridge across the outlet to Todd's Pond, which pond stretches away to the right into Newbury.

While the horse is drinking at the public fountain, just across the bridge, there will be time to observe that here is a public square; that above the foun- tain are several sign-boards with fingers pointing toward various towns, the names of which are plainly painted, and the distances told in figures.

Having decided to go nearly straight ahead up Cochrane's Hill, we may take time to glance along the street to our right, and see on the right-hand side Bailey's huge, barn-like shop; a little beyond which, and up a gentle grade, is Dr. Raynes' office; a few rods farther on once stood the hall in which the "High School" was held. A little beyond is the pleasant residence and fine garden of Mrs. George Hart. The next house, a few rods away, is Mrs. Rowe's, the last in Bradford, so near is our pleasant village to the edge of the town. Across the street from Mrs. Hart's are the houses of Mr. Wiggin, Blood, Wm. A. Carr and the Deacon Hadley place, occupied by Jesse Marshall. Here lived for a while and died one of our noted' men, Rev. John Gilling- ham, a preacher of the Christian sect. He was sympathetic and emotional, with a gift of language and tone of voice with which he could make one's nerves tingle from head to foot. On the hill facing the bridge live Edwin and Jacob Bailey.

At the left and close by the bridge is the residence of John W. Morse; and just across the street from these are the three great houses of the Wadleigh brothers, Evans, Moses and John D., the former the father of Bainbridge, the United States Senator.

Passing up over the hill, the first house seen on the right was occupied several years by David Hawks and family. Next on the left is the Enoch Sweat place; then the house of Levi Morrill, the retired hotel-keeper; the next is a large, old house on the right, in the Ashby place, now occupied by Walter Abbott. "Jim" Taylor lives next, in a small cottage on the left. The road bears to the left, near a brook, and we come to the Jonathan Peaslee place on the right.

Then, without crossing the brook, we go close to the small saw-mill and chair-shop of Frank Brown. Looking up the road over the hill, first on the right is the house of E. Ring. Near the top of the hill, on the right, lives Albert Brown, the barn close to the road on the left. This little hill is avoided by taking a new road that bears to the left near the mill.

At the foot of the hill, beyond Brown's, is the Elder Steele place. Along a more level and sandy

197

BRADFORD.

road we soon come to the Fair-Ground, where the sister towns of Bradford and Newbury hold their annual fair and cattle show.

Leaving the Fair Ground on our right, we pass over an undulating, wild and woody country to and across the West meadow, near General Hoyt's old mill-site, the Durrell farm, one of the best in town. Not far beyond, an old road, closed by a gate, leads up a long, steep hill to Oliver Sawyer's (father of Oscar). He has lived there some fifty-five years.

More woods and rocks and miles bring us to the Bradford Springs, noted for their medicinal and healing waters. After the sight-seeing, water-drink- ing, rest and refreshment here, we can return through " the middle of the town," first passing the house of Mrs. Elbridge G. Hoyt, which is the old General Hoyt place. The old burying-ground, with its moss- covered inscriptions, is worthy of a call. The stone walls around the "pound " are in good repair, and most look very much as they did when Nathaniel Presbury built them, in 1789, for two pounds twelve shillings.

This is all sacred ground. Here stood the old town-house ; here were the annual March elections ; here spread out the ring of athlete wrestlers; while inside the house our fathers voted for town officers, the minister among the rest, for President of New Hampshire, and, every four years, for President of the United States. But we must drive straight back to the Mill village, and study the history of the set- tlers at another time.

Another pleasant drive is from the Corner to the "Centre ;" then easterly along over the long range of hills where Offin French, the Sawyers, Jewett and Hale lived. On this high road one gets fine views of Lake Massasecum, Guiles' Hill and the Warner hills and old Kearsarge. Looking across to the left, the old Bush meeting-house and its neighbor- hood seems to be in a valley.

Continuing over rocky hills and a pebbly road, but little used, past the untenanted honses of Deacon and of Silas Abbott, the Lyman Cheney place, the school-house in District No. 5, well-nigh untenanted, down the hill, through a mass of blackberry bushes ; then up over a short but steeper hill to the Moses Colby place, now owned and occupied by Prescott Colby and a sister. Here Stephen Ward and his father lived; they sold to Colby, and moved to where Warren Ward now lives. Then on down longer and steeper hills to the Henniker road, near How's old tavern-stand, in the edge of Warner. Here, taking a turn to the left, one soon crosses again Bradford line, and comes to the Sharron Jameson place, first settled by Moses Baley, one of the signers to the petition to have the town incorporated.

A few rods farther, and the same side of the road (the west) at the left in going toward Bradford villages, stands the "Pond meeting-house," the in- evitable grave yard being by the road-side south of

the house. A few rods down the sandy hill a road branches off to the right, leading past the Shepard Davis and the Samuel Davis places. Close by, on the left, is the old Tom Cheney tavern, with its barn hard by the road on the right. Here, at the right, is the south end of old Bradford Pond, now Lake Mas- sasecum. It is here half a mile wide, and fringed by a beautiful open grove of pines, making as fine a place as could be wished for in which to hold picnic and pleasure-parties. The shore is a white, rather coarse sand. Beaver Dam Brook comes into the pond near by. Looking north, one can see the whole length of the lake, about two miles, with Great Island on the left and Loon Island on the right. Beyond the "Hay-Stack Rock " Guiles' Hill rises from the east side of the lake, with an almost perpendicu- lar side of granite ledges thinly covered with stunted cedars, oaks and blueberry bushes. This hill, by the way, is a famous berrying-ground. As to the mode of spelling this hill, Giles would be preferred; but that would allow it to be pronounced as if written Jiles.

The east side of the lake is wild woods, excepting Frank Davis' pasture at the south end and Cummings Pierce's field at the north end; but along the west margin of the lake runs the "new " Henniker road, the old road being a few rods farther west, running along over hills and high ridges. This was called the stage-road, because stages carried the United States mail over it before the railroad came to Bradford.

Before starting up the road, it is only fair to say that the thanks of many readers of this are due to Mr. Ward, at the Cheney place, for the loan of boards for the temporary construction of tables and seats for the use of pleasure-parties in the "pine grove." Now, starting along, one may notice that the road is excellent and considerably shaded. Within half a mile or so a road leads np the hill on the left to Warren Ward's, where Proctor and Stephen once lived. Here the road turns to the left almost at a right angle, and leads still up the hill. At the high- est point in the road a "pair of bars" shuts up a private road that leads up on a higher hill to the Sylvester Ward place, where Sumner Ward lived. From these bars the larger road leads down a gentle slope, through a little valley, the road all the way deeply shaded until near the other road where we saw the School-house No. 5. Perhaps there is nothing finer in town than these few rods of retired, quiet shade. At the point where this road leaves the Henniker road a guide-board is marked "Hillsborough."

Descending to the valley and crossing it a few yards, we have, on our left, the old homestead of the Davis family, first cleared by Isaac, the great-grandfather of Charles F., the present owner and occupant, and crossing the brook, on which once stood a mill, we soon pass the old cellar of Lyndon Ward on the right

198

HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

then about a half-mile to a road that leads off on the left, which passes the Bush meeting-house and on to the "Centre." A little way up this road stands the Pond School-house, one of the old institutions of the town. Here, at the angle of the road, is the Daniel Sargent place, first settled by William Young, of Warner, who afterwards built and lived north of Fred. Cheney's. Carlos Abbott has lately come into possession of this farm and has made a thorough ren- ovation of the old buildings.

The next place worthy of note is the road on the left, with stone walls on each side, leading up to True Pipers, twenty rods or so, the former home of Nathan. The next house is Frederick Cheney's, on the left, and very near the shore of the lake. Here a road leads up to John Howlet's, intersecting the one that branches off at Carlos Abbott's. Here the road is sandy and heavy; a brook crosses the road under a bridge, where the cardinal flowers can always be seen in their season. A few rods of deep, sandy road across the valley or intervale brings the traveler to Adoniram Jameson's on the right. This is a new place, and seems like an intruder amongst the old veterans. From here the road ascends a sandy but not steep hill, though probably the hardest for teams on the whole road. At the top of the hill a road branches off on the right, labeled "Melvin's Mills, 2 miles." This is the road that was laid out by the selectmen in 1787, and ordered "to remain a bridle- road till paid for." It crosses the bridge over the Pond Brook, and passes up by Cummings Pierce's, Nathan R. Marshall's old place, which lies partly in Warner ; here, turning northerly, running over Bible Hill by the Hawks homestead, and down the hill to Melvin's mills. On Bible Hill the town line runs along in the road, and the houses of the late Enos Collins' (now Herbert Ewing's), Moses (now Frank Collins'), Mrs. John H. Brown and Mrs. Harvey Brown are all on the Warner, or east side of the road. As soon as the road crosses the Pond Brook at Massa- secum Rock, a branch leaves to the left and passes the Timothy Dowlin, or Nathan Pierce, or Leonard Jameson place on the right, and on up to the top of the hill to the old T. L. Dowlin homestead, since owned and occupied by Amaziah Hall; then down the hill to the Samuel Wheeler place, on the left, across the bridge over the united streams from Todd's Pond, Presby's Brook and the Pond Brook, which somewhere along here must begin to wear the name of Warner River, and out on to the Warner road, at Edward Cressey's old tavern-stand. All this, from the top of the hill near Add. Jameson's, is a digres- sion ; we are on the Henniker road, at the top of a sand-hill, at the north end of the lake. Did a great avalanche, checked in its progress by the firm ledges of Guiles' Hill, melt away there, and scoop out the deep basin of the lake and pile up the sand, making this hill? The second house that William Young built in town stood west of the Main road, and on

the "old " Henniker road. Descending the hill, and passing a peat-bog on the left, and the field and in- tervale of Cummings Pierce on the right, we soou reach the houses of George and Pierce Sargent, near together on the left. Down a slight incline and passing a narrow woods on the right, we come out to John H. Collins' place, on the right,-a well-kept and productive intervale farm. Close by, on the same side of the road, lives Mr. Woodbury; then Collins' barn on the intervale at the left ; then the covered bridge over Presbury Brook. At the bridge, before crossing, the road forks, and one branch goes up to An- drew Jones' place and to the old Deacon William Presbury place, said to be the first place settled in Bradford. A little beyond the bridge the road crosses the track of the Concord and Claremont Railroad, then the Hiram Davis house, then Mrs. Dane's, Bard P. Page's and Marshall's tin-shop, at the "Corner," and on a corner of the Warner road. This is the village square. Gillis' Hotel stands at the left as we . entered. Across the street, in front, is the old Farley & Chase store, now finished off into a dwelling-house, owned by J. P. Marshall, occupied by John French. Next is the old Kimball stand, the stove-shop, now owned by Bates. A little farther along, guarded by an iron fence, is the fine residence of J. P. Marshall, on the old Raymond estate. The old brick school- house has been changed to a residence. On the same side of the street (the right) is the fine old residence of Dr. Ames, with its grove of evergreen trees near ; the house and grounds have been attractive and prom- inent features in the village for almost fifty years.

Personal History and Genealogical Notes .- DR. JASON H. AMES, born December 16, 1796, in Fairlee, Vt. He was a pupil of the famous Dr. Lyman, who lived awhile in Bradford in the house next to the tin- shop at the Corner. Dr. Ames married, December 20, 1827, Clara George, of Warner, and settled in Bradford, taking Dr. Lyman's business and living in a house purchased of David Brown, and built the house where he now resides in 1836. Dr. Ames was for many years the only physician in town. Hun- dreds of men and women, now past middle life, re- member that when sick how much better they felt when the doctor's white horse was reported in sight. He heard the last dying groan of a large portion of three generations of our people, and the welcome birth-cry of as many more.

He was an active and leading member of the Democratic party. He was selected by his townsmen to deliver the address of welcome to Lafayette when the general visited Bradford, in 1824. His wife died December 5, 1868. Their children were,-

1. George, born September 19, 1828; died Septem- ber 8, 1834.

2. Henry George, born February 6, 1830; married Mary G. Stoddard, of Perry, N. Y., in 1854, and settled at Mt. Morris, N. Y., where he now resides.

3. Martha Jane, born June 30, 1832; married, June

199

BRADFORD.

8, 1862, Bartlett G. Cilley, of Andover, N. H., who was born January 4, 1835, died August 21, 1867. He was a law-partner of Hon. M. W. Tappan. Children: George Ames, born November 24, 1863; Winfred B., born October 18, 1865.

DANIEL CARR, son of Moses Carr, of Newbury, Mass., born August 2, 1801. He married, first, Febru- ary 20, 1827, Rhoda, daughter of Joseph, a descend- ant of Richard Bartlett, who came from England to Newbury, Mass., in 1635. They had one son, Wil- liam A., born January 10, 1828. Mr. Carr came to Bradford in the latter part of the year 1836 and en- gaged in the business of a dealer in general mer- chandise. He married the second time, January 1, 1839, Caroline L., daughter of Weare Tappan, of this town. Their children were, --

1. Frank Tappan, born October 28, 1844. He married, September 19, 1872, Helen Frances, daughter of John H. and Esther Pierce Collins, of this town, and engaged in trade with Wm. A. for awhile.

2. Kate Elizabeth, born November 2, 1846 ; mar- ried, December 25, 1872, Dr. Charles Augustus Carle- ton, who settled in Bradford, but soon removed to Salem, Mass., where he has become a noted and very successful physician. They have one son, Frank Carr, born June 10, 1879.

William A., son of Daniel Carr, married, Jannary 10, 1856, Harriet Maria Martin. Their children were,-

1. William M., born May 4, 1857 ; married, February 22, 1882, Mary L. Hartshorne.

2. Mabel M., born June 28, 1859 ; married, June 26, 1884, Henry C. Bartlett.

3. Charles B., horn October 9, 1860; died June 6, 1864.

4. Frank M., born May 10, 1862 ; died June 6, 1864.

Mrs. Carr died July 30, 1865. He married, second, Mary E. Proctor, of East Washington, N. H., June 21, 1876. In July, 1854, Mr. Carr was admitted as a partner in business, under the firm-name of D. & W. A. Carr. This firm continued until July, 1875, twenty-one years, when the elder member retired and the business was continued by William A. Carr, who has been postmaster about twenty-eight years.

JONATHAN CHENEY came from Londonderry and settled toward the east part of the town. His chil- dren were Daniel, Stephen (a famous fox hunter, who lived on the Henniker road, on the west side of Massasecum Lake, where his son Frederick now lives), Lydia, Jonathan, Eben, Hannah, Calvin Ly- man and Simon.

RICHARD CRESSY was born in Beverly, Mass., Sep- tember 5, 1737. He removed from Hopkinton to Bradford February 11, 1794. He married Susan Evans, of Methuen, who was born January 28, 1741. Mr. Cressy was a soldier in the War of the Revolu- tion. A pass from General Stark is still in possession of Addison Cressy. He died September 9, 1797. His children were,-

1. Jabez, born September 3, 1762; died July 30, 1778.

2. Hannah, born November 8, 1764; died July 30, 1778.

3. Susannah, born January 27, 1767; died July 27, 1778.

4. Mary, born April 1, 1770.

5. Ebenezer, born February 25, 1773 ; died young.

6. Richard, born November 10, 1775 ; died May 20, 1852.

7. Hannah, born August 9, 1778; died July 14, 1784.

8. William, born May 25, 1781.

9. Cyrus, born June 4, 1786. He married Hannah Sawyer. Their children were,-

1. Hannah, born February 7, 1812.

2. William Sawyer, born June 3, 1813.

3. Jabez Woodbury, born August 16, 1815.

4. Greeley Miller, born February 22, 1819.

5. Cyrus Miller, born October 15, 1822.

6. Addison Searl, born December 20, 1825.

7. Antoinette, born March 15, 1834.

Richard Cressy was a Revolutionary soldier, and probably settled in Hopkinton, N. H., immediately after the war. Of his nine children, Cyrus, the youngest, was eight years old when the family moved into Bradford, in 1794. Richard settled on the place where his son Cyrus lived, and where his grandson, Greeley, now resides. Richard was a gunsmith in the army, and he did good service in keeping the old flint-locks in repair. A small vise and screw-driver which he used in the army are kept as relics in the family of his grandson, Addison Cressy, of this town. Mr. Cressy has also another interesting relic of the Revolution ; it is a twenty-four-pound cannon-ball that was dug out of Bunker Hill at the time the foundation for the monument was laid. Cyrus Cressy was present when the workmen found the ball; they told him he might have it, if he would take it out of the city without being discovered by the authorities. He put it on his arm and laid his handkerchief over it, and walked off unmolested. The originals of the following copies of military passes are held by the same family as choice relics of those dark days. The first is a week older than the battle of Bunker Hill,-

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 49

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