History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 80

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 80
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 80

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).

HISTORY OF ANDOVER.

BY N. J. BACHELDER.

CHAPTER I.

Early History .- The earliest or provincial history of the town of Andover can be derived only from records so incomplete and often contradictory that it is difficult to settle many important questions regard- ing the first settlement of the town. Something was known of the location and peculiarities of this tract of land many years previous to the presentation of a petition to the Masonian owners for the grant in 1748.

Whatever had been learned by exploring parties, so little had been recorded before this date that not only is an immense amount of research necessary, but some theory and speculation also for an intelligent statement of previous transactions in regard to this tract. But few facts are reasonably certain in rela- tion to it. The land was entirely devoid of a white man's habitation or the faintest indication of the same at the time of the grant. It was covered with the original forest, frequented by wild animals and diversified only by the nnevenness of its surface, the mountainous region existing on the northern and western boundaries. The hilly sections were covered with a dense growth of hard wood and the plains with an immense pine forest. The streams and ponds existed in all the grandeur of primitive wild- ness, and the entire tract now known as the town of Andover was an unbroken wilderness.

This land had been previously purchased of John Tufton Mason, Esq., and to these proprietors did the original grantees petition.

At a meeting held at Portsmouth, November 20, 1751, the grant was made to the following-named persons :

Edmund Brown, William Swain, Archelaus Lakeman, John Hoyt, John Brown, Daniel Cram, Nathan Row, Amos Dwinell, Daniel Sanborn, John Sanborn, Joseph Gove, Benjamin Leavitt, Nathan Longfellow, David Norton, Walter Williams, Benjamin Swett, Jr., Benjamin Shaw, Benjamin Tilton, Joseph Prescott, Thomas Sillia, Ierael Blake, John Ellis, Daniel Weare, Nathaniel Healey, Benjamin Sanborn, Robert Mil- ler, Tobias Lakeman, of Hampton Falle ; Edward Brown and Jonathan Beck, of Salisbury, Mass. ; Samuel Bathrick, of Portsmouth ; Ezekiel Worthen, Joseph Weare, Samuel Blake, Jr., John Chapman, Samuel Blake, Nathan Dow, Samuel French, William Brown Clough, Jesse Prescott, Ebenezer Loverin, of Kensington; Anthony Emery, John Marston, Simeon Marston, Joshua Towle, Daniel Marston, John Leavitt, Jonathan Leavitt, Nathaniel Bachelder, of Hampton ; Samuel French, Richard Smith, Benjamin Eaton, Joseph French, Hezekiah Carr, Benja- mio French, of South Hampton and Hampton Falls; David Page, David

Lowel, Nason Cass, Joseph Rawlins, of Exeter ; Jonathan Sanborn, of Kingston ; Robert Calf, of Chester.

Said tract of land was estimated to contain about forty square miles, and was bounded as follows :

"Beginning at a great rock on the westerly side of Pemigewasset River, which rock is the northeasterly bound of a tract of land granted to Ebenezer Stevens, Jedediah Philbrick and others hy said proprietors ; then running west seventeen degreee, south, ten miles ; then beginning again at said rock, running up said river so far as to contain four miles upon a straight line ; thence west seventeen degreee, south, ten miles ; theace on a straight line to the end of the first ten-mile line."

Various conditions were imposed upon the grantees, among which were the following :

"That fifteen families be settled upon said tract of land, each having a house of sixteen feet square at least, or equal thereto, and four acrea of land cleared and fitted for tillage or mowing upon their respective shares within four years next after the granting hereof; and fifteen families more so settled within six years of the granting hereof; and thirty families more within ten years of the granting hereof. That within eight years from the granting hereof a meeting-house be built for the worship of God and fitted for that purpose for the use of the inhabi- tants there ; and that they maintain and support the constant preach- ing of the Gospel there after the expiration of ten years from the grant- ing hereof. That all white pine trees fit for masting the royal navy be and hereby are reserved and granted to his Majesty, his heirs and suc- cessors forever for that purpose. Provided always that in case of an In- dian war within any of the terms of years ahove limited for the doing any of the said matters and things aforesaid, by the said owners to be done, the same number of years as such war shall last shall be allowed after that impediment shall be removed."

According to the terms of the grant, the tract was divided into eighty-one shares, and each share di- vided into three lots. Two of the lots were to con- tain one hundred acres each, and the third the re- mainder of the land belonging to each respective share. Eighteen of these shares were reserved by the grantors. One was reserved for the first ordained minister, one for the parsonage and one for the sup- port of schools. The remaining sixty shares were to be the property of the sixty grantees. The pro- visions of the grant were such that the eighteen shares reserved by the grantors were to be free from any expense incurred in effecting the settlement of the town.

The township was first called New Breton, in honor of the brave men who achieved the capture of Cape Breton in 1745. A large number of the forces in this engagement came from the province of New Hamp- shire, and several of the grantees of New Breton were among the number.

328

329

ANDOVER.

The early meetings of the proprietors of the town- ship were held at Hampton Falls, and for more than twenty years all business was transacted there. Committees were frequently appointed and sent up to the township, and their reports formed the basis of action. The first important business transacted at these meetings was to procure the drawing of a plan of the town, and May 28, 1753, a committee was appointed to lay said plan before the grantors and arrange when to have the lots drawn. According to this plan, the town was divided into four ranges, each commencing at the Pemigewasset River and extending across the town in a westerly direction. Land, four rods wide, for a road between each range was reserved and a centre square surveyed, where, prob- ably, it was supposed the business interests of the town would be centred, and it is not unreasonable to conjecture that it was expected to become a cen- tral location for all leading interests. This town centre was west of Loon Pond about one-half mile, and located on land now owned by J. D. Philbrick, W. A. Bachelder and F. H. Flanders. Instead of be- ing the metropolis of the town, it is even remote from any highway.

, The ranges were divided into lots according to the terms of the grant, and measures were taken for spotting out the town as indicated by the plan. It is not certain how thoroughly this was done, for at a meeting in May, 1763, a committee was appointed " to run out said township anew and bound and num- ber every lot agreeable to the plan formerly exhibited and accepted by the grantors." This committee was David Norton, Richard Smith, Benjamin Eaton, Ben- jamin Tilton and Jeremiah Lane. They spent six days doing this work, and in November of the same year made a lengthy and interesting report of their pro- ceedings. This report occasionally mentions "old spotted lines," but nearly all the lines were newly spotted, with no reference to any previous survey, and the committee claim to have made a thorough division of the town according to the original plan. Undoubtedly, this was the first accurate survey with the boundaries distinctly marked. About the same time committees were appointed for establishing the boundary lines between this and the adjoining town- ships, which seems to have been well and faithfully done.

Proprietors' meetings were held very frequently, and after the boundary lines were fairly well estab- lished, the location of roads and bridges was the subject mainly considered.

The range-ways which had been reserved for roads were not practical for this purpose, and we find the early records filled with reports of action taken in this matter. In September, 1753, it was voted to clear a road to the Centre Square. Doubtless, this was the earliest projected road, and, like those afterwards surveyed, terminated at the Centre Square as the ob- jective-point. Although this road was spotted, we

are unable to find any evidence that it was cut and cleared. At the meeting of July 21, 1761, a commit- tee previously appointed to look out and spot the most convenient place for a road to the Centre Square, and also to search out the most convenient place for a saw-mill and spot a road thereto, made report as follows :

" We have made search, and, according to the best of our judgment, pursued the road from the fort in Stevenstown (so-called) to Peter Bowing's house, in said Stevenstown, and from thence to Call's meadow (so-called), and from thence the spotted way to Loon Pond, in said New Breton, and from thenee to the Centre Square, and from thence back to the southeasterly part of said Loon Pond, and from thence northerly round said pond till we come to where said pond empties itself, and from thence down said stream to the first falls, next to Loon Pond, where we apprehend to be the most convenient place that we can find in said township of New Breton for a saw-mill."

The report of this committee was accepted, but no further action is recorded in regard to clearing the road thus spotted.

The records indicate that the first road cut and cleared was known as the Centre road, leading from the Pemigewasset River to Chance Pond, around the northerly end of this pond, and from thence to the mill privilege and Loon Pond.

At a meeting held November 3, 1762, a committee consisting of Anthony Emery, Nathaniel Healy, Jr., and Jeremiah Lane, who had been appointed at a previous meeting, reported the above-mentioned road completed, and were voted three hundred and eigh- teen pounds ten shillings, old tenor, in payment for cut- ting and clearing the same.

As the town became settled, roads were necessary, and soon were ent in various directions through the forest, and their location has been a subject of con - troversy and contention as often as a new road was projected, even to the present day. In many in- stances roads were abandoned after a short time as some better way was suggested.

Damages were awarded the owners of land through which roads passed, and frequently the range-ways adjoining the farm were voted in exchange for the land taken. The famous Fourth New Hampshire turnpike was surveyed through the town in 1804, and opened to travel in 1806. One of the most important toll-gates on the route of this turnpike was that at West Andover, where this road was in- tersected by the Grafton turnpike.

This gate for many years was in charge of Thomas Clark, Esq., a man of some renown in hotel and store business, and also in public affairs.

The turnpike was made a free road in 1839, and the town was required to pay the corporation five hun- dred and sixty-six dollars in consideration of the same.

The early settlement of the town progressed very slowly. It required no little courage and powers of endurance to brave the dangers and privations of the wilderness. A narrow path cut through the forest was the road over which a man must bring on horse- back his family and household goods.

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Reminiscences of the exploits and adventures of the earliest inhabitants would fill a lengthy chapter. Different sections of the town bear names taken from hunting adventures which are still fresh in memory and often told by the oldest inhabitants as related to them by the first settlers.

Money was voted at the proprietors' meetings for the encouragement of those who first settled here; but not until 1761 did any one venture to make a home within the limits of the town. During that year Mr. Joseph Fellows moved from Boscawen into that part of Andover known as Flaghole, and settled on what is now the Royal Stone farm. Mr. Fellows died March 14, 1811, aud his daughter, Peggy, was the first child born in town. Elias Raino was the next settler, building a house near the Joseph A. Rowe place. The house was long since destroyed, but traces of the cellar can still be seen. Mr. Raino died September 20, 1787. The third man to settle in the town was William Morey, who cleared the farm now owned by Jonathan Cilley, and built a house a few rods south of the one at present occupied by Mr. Cilley. Mr. Morey died in 1814. Edward Ladd was another of the early settlers. He lived upon the farm lately occupied by James Marston, and died in 1818, at the age of eighty-two years.

With no inhabitants on the north from whom as- sistance could be had, and being unable to obtain supplies without a journey of a dozen miles, and then bring them home on their backs, it is no wonder that the early settlement was slow. In 1775 the number of inhabitants in the town was one hundred and seventy-nine.

In the minds of the proprietors, next in importance to the clearing of roads seems to have been the building of a saw-mill, and the mill privilege was one of the first things looked for in the survey of the town. The place selected was where the Busiel hosiery- mill now stands, and here the first saw-mill was erected by Nathaniel Prescott in 1766. The proprie- tors of the township voted Mr. Prescott forty pounds, lawful money, towards the erection of the mill, he agreeing to keep it in good running order and to saw all logs hauled there by the inhabitants of the town at the halves for the next ten years. A large num- ber of saw-mills have since that time been built in town, and in 1820 no less than five were in active operation. At this early date they were usually built on small streams, which now would not fur- nish sufficient power, and upon very small streams do we frequently find traces of dams, mills and rude machinery in places now entirely given to the growth of wood and lumber.

A grist-mill was needed, and its location was con- sidered at several meetings. Various places were favorably reported. In 1769, Mr. Prescott moved the saw-mill farther up the stream, and a committee contracted with Anthony Emery to build a grist- mill at the foot of the falls, and also made a contract

with Mr. Prescott for drawing water for said grist-mill from his saw-mill gate for a period of twenty years by payment of seven pounds, lawful money.

At a meeting February 2, 1774, this grist-mill, built by the proprietors of the township, was voted to be sold to Joseph Fellows for thirty-five pounds. It was used for many years, and was but one of sev- eral grist-mills in operation in the town a few years later. Carding-mills, clothing-mills, bark-mills and tanneries were built in various sections of the town, and in 1820 no less than two of each mentioned were operated.

The first business meeting called in New Breton was by authority of the province of New Hampshire and for the purpose of choosing officers for assess- ing and collecting the province and county tax. This meeting was held at the house of Joseph Fel- lows, June 21, 1773, but after this, were annually held at the meeting-house. But little business was transacted, except the election of officers, which in; cluded a man to take care of the meeting-house, until the incorporation of the town, June 25, 1779, at which date the town took the present name of Andover.

The first town-meeting after the incorporation, was held at the meeting-house July 13, 1779, and the fol- lowing were elected the first town officers: Moderator, Samuel Blake; Clerk, Jonathan Weare ; Selectmen, Joseph Philbrick, Samuel Blake and Jabez Morril ; Assessors, Peter Weare and Joseph Chandler; High- way Surveyors, Robert Wise, John Row, Joseph Phil- brick and Joseph Fellows; tithingmen, fence-viewers, surveyors of lumber and hog constables were also chosen.

Meetings were held on August 16th and September 1st to consider various questions for advancing the settlement of the town. Action was taken for the support of both school and church, and the incorpo- ration of the town marked a new era in its develop- ment.

During the next years the town became rapidly settled, and all worthy objects of a public nature were supported. Old roads were repaired and new roads laid out and cleared. Bridges were built. Land was cleared and cultivated, and the large two-storied houses were erected. A new meeting-house was built, and a church organization established.

Appropriations were almost annually made for schools, and later the school districts were formed and school-houses erected. In 1790 the town had six hundred and forty-five inhabitants, and in 1820 the people of Andover numbered sixteen hundred and forty-two.

October 10, 1828, Joseph C. Thomson was elected agent for the town in the formation of the new town of Franklin. Mr. Thomson was instructed to favor the formation of the contemplated town, pro- viding the tract of land taken from Andover for its formation should extend entirely across the town. A strip of land bordering upon the Pemigewasset

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ANDOVER.

River was taken from the easterly end of Andover and incorporated in the town of Franklin by an act dated December 24, 1828.

Following will be found the list of representatives and town clerks serving in the town to the year 1886, and after this are given the more important events in the history of the leading interests of An- dover :

REPRESENTATIVES.

1796-1802, Joseph Philbrick ; 1803, Jonathan Weare; 1804, Joseph Philbrick ; 1805, Jonathan Weare ; 1806, Jacob B. Moore ; 1807-9, Jona- than Weare; 1810-12, James Tucker ; 1813, Jonathan Weare, Jr. ; 1814, James Tucker ; 1815, Jonathan Weare, Jr. ; 1816-17, no representative ; 1818, Samuel Graves ; 1819, no representative ; 1820-21, Robert Bar- ber; 1822-24, Sammel Brown ; 1825, Robert Barber ; 1826, no represen- tative ; 1827, Samnel Brown ; 1828, Joseph C. Thomson ; 1829-30, James Tncker; 1831-32, Jesse Graves; 1833, no representative; 1834-36, Jo- seph Swett; 1837-38, Royal F. Eastman ; 1839, Joseph C. Thomson ; 1840 41, Benjamin F. Scribener ; 1842-43, Enoch F. Sceve ; 1844-45, Jo- eeph 1. Ruwe; 1846, Samuel Butterfield ; 1847, Samuel Butterfield and John Fellows ; 1848, John Fellows; 1849-50, Samuel Morrill ; 1851-52, Ephraim G. Graves; 1853-54, Dudley F. Langley ; 1855-56, Caleb T. Marstoo; 1857-58, Watson Dickerson ; 1859-60, John M. Shirley ; 1861- 62, .John Proctor ; 1863-04, Sammel Swett; 1865-66, Aaron Cilley ; 1867- 68, George W. Thomsou ; 1869-70, Henry A. Weymouth ; 1871-72, John F. Emery ; 1873-74, John P. Carr ; 1875, Ziba Severence; 1876, Ziba Severence and Clark Durgin ; 1877, Clark Durgin end Gerry Morgan ; 1878, Gerry Mergan and Clarence E. Carr ; 1879, Clarence E. Carr ; 18×1, William E. Meleody; 1883, Robert C. Carr; 1885, George W. Stene.

TOWN CLERKS.

[At the organization of the town government, in 1773, Paul Smith Marston was chosen town clerk, and continued in the office until the incorporation of the town, in 1779.]

1779-92, Jonathan Weare ; 1793-94, Silas Barnard ; 1795, Jonathan Weare ; 1796-97. Jacob B. Moore ; 1798-99, Jonathan Weare ; 1800-4, Jacob B. Moore ; 1805, Jonathan Weare ; 1806-10, Joho Weare ; 1811, Willard Emery ; 1812-18, Robert Barber ; 1819-24, Samnel Brown ; 1825- 31, Jesse Gravee ; 1832-33, Nehemiah D. Sleeper ; 1834-36, Thomas R. White ; 1837, Edwin Moody ; 1838-39, Samuel Swett ; 1840-41, Jeceb C. Ilanson ; 1842-44, Simon Gravee ; 1845-46, William B. Emery ; 1847- 48, Henry A. Weymouth ; 1849-50, Ephraim G. Graves ; 1851-53, Henry A. Weymouth ; 1854-56, Jacob F. Kenerson ; 1857-60, Clark Durgin ; 1861-64, Nathan Woodbury ; 1865, Henry M. Bosworth ; 1866-72, John W. Keniston ; 1873-79, George H. Morrill ; 1880-84, Henry M. Bos- worth ; 1885, Nathan Woodbury.

Ecclesiastical History-CHURCH BUILDINGS, --- The early settlers manifested much interest in es- tablishing and supporting a religious meeting, and we find action frequently taken during the period in which the religious affairs were controlled by vote of the town. Doubtless, it was the intention of the grantees to locate the first meeting-house at the Centre Square, for, being the geographical centre of the town, it was supposed that it would become the business centre also, and a vote was passed at one time to build a meeting-house there. The "mills " having been located at the place now known as East An- dover, the proprietors of the township, for the better convenience of the inhabitants, decided to locate tlie first meeting-house there, and at a meeting held May 18, 1772, the following action was recorded .

"Voted, That a meeting-house be built in said township of New Breton for the public worship of God ; said house to be 20 feet wide and 30 feet long and 9 feet stnd ; to be one story high end well boarded on the sides and ende with feather-edged boards. The roof well boarded and shingled. Proper doors mede, and double floor laid over the whole frame below, Pleuk leid for the people to sit on end a decent desk for the minister."

Benjamin Tilton and Benjamin Eaton had previ- ously agreed to furnish all material and build this house for sixty-four dollars, and were appointed a committee, with instructions " to locate said house as near to the mills now built in said township as they shall think most convenient, and to have it com- pleted in a workmanlike manner within one year." One-half of said amount was to be paid in six months and the remainder when the house was completed.

It was located and built on the opposite side of the road from the school-house now standing, and within twenty rods of the first saw-mill and grist-mill built in town. This building was used for religious meet- ings and for the business meetings of the town until 1795, when, for some unknown reason, it was de- molished. Tradition says it was destroyed in the night, and it may have been done with the object of hastening the building of a new meeting-house ; for, as early as 1782, this subject was considered by the voters of the town, but they could not decide upon the place to build it. The location of the second meeting- house was a difficult question to settle, and for several years was agitated by the voters at each annual meeting. Various places were accepted and as often rejected by a reconsideration of the vote.

At one time "it was voted to build a meeting- house on the hill by Captain Bachelder's." A com- mittee was appointed to build the house and settle for the land. Afterwards it was voted " to set a meeting- house on the plains near Mr. Clough's," and at another time "on the plains near the pond." A vote was passed to build two meeting-houses. A commit- tee was chosen from outside the town, who located the house "near Mr. Nathan Row's," but the report of this committee was rejected. The house was finally built according to a vote passed May 10, 1790, " to build a meeting-house on the hill in Mr. Hilton's lot." This was on the exact location of the Congrega- tional Church at East Andover to-day, and the frame now in that building is the same as was originally raised May 3, 1796. The first sermon was preached in the house July 3d of the same year, and the church formally dedicated February 5, 1797.

The building has been frequently remodeled, and at the present day has but little resemblance to that first erected. The greatest development of the re- sources of the town was made in the years following the erection of this building, and for more than twenty-five years it was the only church edifice within the limits of Andover.

But very few records have been found regarding the third meeting-house built. It seems to have been erected by people of different religious beliefs, and was known as the Union Church. The frame was raised in June, 1822, and the building soon after completed. It was located at Andover Centre, and, as remodeled, is the present academy building. It was for a time regularly used for the meetings of the Universalist, Methodist, Congregational and Chris-

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

tian Societies, each occupying it a stated Sabbath in a month. It was afterwards only used occasionally, and a fine hall finished in the building erected by Hon. John Proctor became the more usual place of holding religious meetings.

The former church structure was divided into two stories, and the upper floor for many years used for the annual meetings of the town, and at present the entire building is devoted to the needs of Proctor Academy.

The large and commodious hall in Proctor Block, Andover Centre, was fitted up by Mr. Proctor ex- pressly for religious services and furnished with pul- pit, organ, chairs and all necessary appointments and conveniences of a house of worship. At his death a provision of his will bequeathed the use of the hall for religious purposes to his native village. By this wise and generous forethought a most attractive place of worship is provided, rendering a church edifice unnecessary.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 80

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