USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Plymouth > History of Plymouth, New Hampshire; vol. I. Narrative--vol. II. Genealogies, Volume I > Part 29
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53
John Balch, a son of Andrew and Bethiah (Lovett) Balch, was born in Beverly, Mass., Oct. 12, 1735; while a lad the family removed to Keene. He served in the Revolution.
For more than two years he was the trusted bearer of the dispatches of the government, the communications of business, the greetings of friendship, the pleadings of love, and the intel- ligence of sorrow.
Long live the memory of John Balch, the first post-rider of New Hampshire, the first to bring a mail to Plymouth. In summer's sun and winter's storm he rode his weary circuit. He traversed forests, forded rivers, and climbed the mountains. His memory was stored with news and his saddle bags were filled with letters for many people. How the hoofs of his horse pounded the mellow roads of Lower Intervale as he rode straight to Webster's Inn. Here he delivered packets of war to Colonel Webster, communica-
VOL. I .- 22
338
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTHI.
tions of State to the selectmen, letters and invoices to the mer- chants, letters of news and friendship to others, the smaller inissives, more neatly folded, to blushing youth, and, alas, some- times the sad intelligence of death, written and read through the misty veil of tears.
In November, 1785, the legislature established two routes and provided for two post-riders. The first route is described in the records " from Portsmouth through Exeter, Nottingham Concord & Plymouth to Haverhill and from thence down Connectient river to Charlestown from thence through Keene Amherst and Exeter to Portsmouth and alternately from Portsmouth through Exeter, Amherst Keene and Charlestown to Haverhill and return by Ply- mouth, Concord, Nottingham & Exeter to Portsmouth." This was called the western route. The second, called the northern, route was from Portsmouth through Dover and around Winnepesaukee Lake, through Gilmanton and Dover to Portsmouth.
The routes were revised in March, 1786, and the post-rider, passing through Plymouth, was to leave Portsmouth every Monday for Plymouth, Haverhill, Orford, and Hanover, returning to Portsmouth by way of Boscawen, Northfield, Canterbury, Epsom, and Newmarket.
With the growth of the State and the increasing number of towns demanding consideration, the legislature could not long defer an enlargement of the existing system. In February, 1791, four routes were established. The second route was from Concord through Boscawen, Salisbury, Andover, New Chester, Plymouth, Haverhill, Piermont, Orford, Lyme, Hanover, Lebanon, Enfield, Canaan, Grafton, Alexandria, Salisbury to Concord. The com- pensation of the post-rider was fixed at £12 semiannually. At the same time it was voted that " the postage on all private single letters be six pence for every forty miles and four pence for every number of miles less than forty and other letters and packetts according to their weight and bulk, which shall be exclusive per- quisites of the post-riders carrying the same."
There was a post-office at Portsmouth several years before any
339
POST-ROUTES AND POST-OFFICES.
others were established in the State. From this office letters and parcels from abroad were distributed by the post-riders. Under the authority of the joint resolution of Feb. 15, 1791, the presi- dent and council, March 18, 1791, established ten post-offices and appointed an equal number of postmasters. The post-offices were at Portsmouth, Exeter, Dover, Plaistow, Concord, Amherst, Ply- mouth, Haverhill, Hanover, Charlestown, and Keene. At the same time Dr. John Rogers was appointed postmaster of Plymouth. He was the first postmaster in this town and the only one in Plymouth appointed by the State.
In March, 1786, Jeremiah Libbey of Portsmouth was appointed postmaster-general of New Hampshire. This action was held to be in conflict with the powers of the confederation, and the action of the executive of this State was modified. In July following he was appointed superintendent of post-routes and of the post-office at Portsmouth.
John Balch, the pioneer post-rider, having completed the con- tract for three months was continued in service upon the route through Plymouth until August, 1783. He was succeeded by Timothy Balch, who rode the circuit over two years. At this time two post-routes were established in November, 1785. Samuel Bean was appointed " to perform as rider " on the route through this town, and Jeremiah Libbey was requested to furnish him with instructions. In connection with the establishment of four routes in 1791, John Lathrop of Lebanon was appointed to the route through Plymouth and Samuel Bean was transferred to another route. Ozias Silsby of Acworth was a post-rider many years after 1791 and mainly in the southern part of the State. Upon the route through Dover and around Lake Winnepesaukee, called the northern route, Samuel Dearborn and Nahum Akerman were post-riders in 1786 and 1787. In later years, and before the advent of stages, Ezekiel Moore of Canterbury, Peter Sleeper of Bridgewater, and Josiah Abbot of Concord were post-riders between Concord and Plymouth. Samuel and Moses Harriman, sons of John and Sarah (Heath) Harriman of Bridgewater, were post-
340
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
riders, and Moses is said to have driven the first stage into Ply- mouth. They were not long employed in the carriage of the mail. Both settled in Stewartstown. The last post-rider from Haver- hill through Plymouth was Silas May. He carried the mail upon horseback and later was a driver of the mail-coaches. About midway of his career he drove a light covered wagon drawn by one horse, and in this way he supplied the missing link between the saddle bags and the mail-coach. Considerable has been written of Silas May, and all the writers have called him Col. Silas May. A prolonged effort to secure some definite information of this pioneer in the mail service has been attended with negative results. He did not buy or sell land in Grafton County. There is no record of his estate in the probate records of the county. He was not appointed a colonel in New Hampshire. He was not a myth because he was the defendant in several petty suits in 1820 and 1821. At this time he was a resident of Haverhill, and was taxed in that town 1819, 1820, and 1821. In the record of these suits no military title is chronicled. He was a colonel only by the brevet of courtesy.
For several years the rate of postage for a single letter not exceeding forty miles was eight cents, over forty and not exceeding ninety miles ten cents, over ninety and not exceeding one hundred and fifty miles twelve and one-half cents, over one hundred and fifty and not exceeding three hundred miles seventeen cents, over three hundred and not exceeding five hundred miles twenty cents, over five hundred miles twenty-five cents. The miles in the schedule was the measure of the route and not of the letters.
A full account of the lines of stages from Haverhill to Con- cord, like the history of a railroad, is not within the exclusive province of the history of any one town. The chronicles of the early and later stage lines, the names of the proprietors, managers, and drivers, the contentions over highways, and the building of turnpikes afford the material for an interesting and instructive chapter of the history of a county or a State. The lines of stages were not corporations, and the State archives afford no information,
341
POST-ROUTES AND POST-OFFICES.
and the page of local history is richer in romance than in historical data. In the new History of Concord is found an excellent and helpful article by Henry McFarland from the standpoint of Con- cord as a stage centre. To William Tarlton should be given the honor of being one of the pioneers in the establishment of a stage line from Concord to Haverhill. He was a resident of Piermont, but was' intimately associated with the people of Haverhill. In 1811, and while he was the sheriff of Grafton County, he was associated with many others in a first effort to establish a line of stages over this route. It is generally admitted that a stage made regular trips for several months. The History of Haverhill asserts that the driver of the stage at this time was William Smart. The History of Warren says he was Peter Smart. Who- ever is called as a referee to decide which of these worthy men drove the first stage on this route through Plymouth should be in- formed that Peter Smart, the famous driver of mail-coaches, in the summer of 1811 was seventeen years of age. All the writers are agreed that the first gallant attempt to establish a line of stages from Haverhill to Concord was early abandoned.
A line of stages was established in 1814, and the mail-coaches made regular trips until the railroads drove them from the road. It is asserted by many that Robert Morse of Rumney was the founder of the line which was established at this time.
Robert Morse, son of Stephen and Sally (Kay) Morse, was born in Haverhill in 1792 and became a resident of Rumney. For many years he was the manager and proprietor of the stages between Haverhill and Concord. In the past and future chronicles of his time he deserves honorable mention. He was an able manager and an efficient promoter of the stage business in Grafton County. No writer has credited him with a measure of ability and enterprise he did not possess, but it is possible that the tradi- tions of the county have introduced him upon the stage a few years before the fact. There were many who were interested and who contributed substantially to the founding of the business. Among these were Col. David Webster, Col. William Webster,
342
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Moor Russell, and Jabez Hatch Weld of Plymouth. At times in later years there is evidence that Robert Morse was sole proprietor, and he also was interested in other lines of stages. Many of the early coaches did not transport the mail. The government estab- lished post-routes without much regard to the routes of the stages, and contracts were made with post-riders and with persons who drove a light wagon drawn by one horse. The mail was carried to and from Plymouth by private conveyance until after 1820. In the spring of 1817 a contract was made for carrying the mail from Concord, through Salisbury, Andover, New Chester, Bridge- water, to Plymouth, thence by New Holderness, New Hampton, Salisbury, Boscawen to Concord. The mail was to leave Concord every Tuesday morning and arrive at Plymouth Wednesday at eleven in the forenoon ; returning leave Plymouth Wednesday at two in the afternoon and arrive at Concord Thursday at six in the afternoon. The driver on this route was Simon Harris of Bridge- water. In 1820 Samuel Tallant, who had been a post-rider, began the carriage of the mails in a light coach drawn by two horses, making, for a year or more, semi-weekly trips from Concord to Plymouth. Soon after 1820 the government established a mail- route from Concord through Plymouth to Haverhill, which fol- lowed the line of the railroad as subsequently located. At the same time another post-route was established from Concord through Bristol, Bridgewater, West Plymouth, and Rumney to Haverhill. As will appear, over these two routes permanent lines of stages and mail-coaches were run many years.
In the newspapers of the time the Morse stages were advertised to leave Concord for Haverhill daily, one-half of the stages going by way of Canterbury and Plymouth village and the others by way of Bristol and the Mayhew turnpike. All of these stages traversed the same route from the northern terminus of the May- hew turnpike at West Plymouth to Haverhill. The two routes were under one management and the drivers were frequently trans- ferred from one to the other.
In a schedule of stages leaving Concord in 1842, prepared by
343
POST-ROUTES AND POST-OFFICES.
Henry McFarland, there is mention of a stage leaving the Phenix Hotel every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for Haverhill by way of Plymouth village, and one leaving the American House every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday by way of Bristol and the Mayhew turnpike. At this time the driver through Plymouth was Peabody A. Morse, and over the Mayhew turnpike the driver was William B. French, well remembered as Bailey French.
In 1826, through the active influence of Nathan Pike of Water- ford, Vt., David Moor Russell, William Wallace Russell, William Webster, and Stevens Merrill of Plymouth, Truman Stevens and Isaac Abbott of Littleton, and others in the vicinity, a line of stages from Waterford, Vt., through Littleton and Franconia Notch was inaugurated. This line, without great prosperity and with some minor changes of route, was continued until the build- ing of the Pemigewasset Valley Railroad. In Plymouth, where the coaches connected with the through lines from Haverhill to Concord, this line was called the Littleton stage. The property was owned by Truman Stevens and Isaac Abbott of Littleton and later by George W. Little and Harrison B. Marden of Ply- mouth. In the later years the coaches were lettered "Plymouth & Franconia Mts." Damon Y. Clark, who died in Littleton in 1900, and Seth Greenleaf were drivers on this route.
Among those who were drivers, and also at some time owners of an interest in some of the stage lines passing through or cen- tring in Plymouth, were Harrison B. Marden, Charles Norton, Henry Abbot, George W. Little, Frank Thompson, and Seth Ford. Seth Greenleaf, James F. Langdon, and Wilbur C. Stearns were veterans of the whip. Their routes generally were not through this town. The Morse brothers - Peabody A., Thomas J., and Stephen C., sons of Robert Morse the proprietor - and William B. French, who married a daughter of the proprietor, are well re- membered by the aged residents of Plymouth. Other drivers were Willard Graves, known as Judge Graves, Jabez Burnham, Willis Hall, Alvin T. Burleigh, John E. Little, Leonard Brock, Curtis Clark, Ira Muzzey, and Charles Sanborn.
,
344
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
The United States Government assumed control of the post-office of Plymouth in 1795, and Dr. John Rogers, who was the only postmaster under the authority of the State, became the first post- master under the general government. The post-office was at his residence on South Main Street. He was a Federalist, and carly in the administration of Thomas Jefferson he was succeeded by Dr. Jonathan Robbins, who belonged to the other party. It is said that when Dr. Robbins received the mail and supplies of the office, he inquired of his predecessor if that was all he would need in the future conduct of the business, to which Dr. Rogers replied that he would need nothing more except brains. Dr. Robbins lived where Amasa W. Avery now resides, and there the post-office remained thirteen years. Nathan Harris, a merchant near the corner of Highland and Langdon streets, succeeded Dr. Robbins and held the office until 1825, when Col. William Webster was appointed early in the administration of John Quincy Adams. Colonel Webster removed the post-office to the hotel, on the site of the Pemigewasset House, and there it remained nearly thirteen years, when he was succeeded by Joseph Powers in 1837, who removed the office to a frame building where Rollins Block now stands. The political tables were turned at the time of the inau- guration of William Henry Harrison. In May, 1841, Denison R. Burnham, greatly to the delight of the Whigs, was appointed postmaster and removed the office to the hotel. Four years later the Whigs were defeated, and Timothy Eastman was appointed to succeed Mr. Burnham. He placed the office in a building which stood on the site of the dwelling-house of Henry George. In the succeeding presidential election the Democrats were defeated. Denison R. Burnham was again appointed postmaster, and the office was removed a third time to the site of the Pemigewasset House. In 1852 John T. Cutter succeeded Mr. Burnham, and the office was removed to the building where it was accommodated dur- ing the term of Joseph Powers. In 1857 Timothy Eastman was again appointed, and the office was accommodated in the building next south of the Tyler House, where it remained nearly four years.
345
POST-ROUTES AND POST-OFFICES.
Walter D. Blaisdell was appointed postmaster in June, 1861, and was continued in office nearly twenty-six years. He did not remove the office when he assumed the control, but later he removed it to a building in Quality Row, east of the common, which has since been removed. Chauncey A. Fellows succeeded Mr. Blaisdell, and he removed the office to Kidder Block. John Mason was appointed in 1891, William G. Hull, 1895, and Walter W. Mason, 1899, and the post-office has continuously remained in Kidder Block. The exact date of the several appointments are as follows: -
.John Rogers, July 1, 1795. Jonathan Robbins, July 1, 1802. Nathan Harris, Aug. 4, 1815. William Webster, June 7, 1825. Joseph Powers, April 15, 1837. Denison R. Burnham, May 19, 1841. Timothy Eastman, May 16, 1845.
Denison R. Burnham, March 20, 1849. John T. Cutter, Dec. 30, 1852. Timothy Eastman, Nov. 4, 1857. Walter D. Blaisdell, June 18, 1861. Chauncey A. Fellows, Feb. 22, 1887. John Mason, Jan. 27, 1891. William G. Hull, Jan. 21, 1895. Walter W. Mason, March 2, 1899.
In 1830 a post-office was established at West Plymouth and was discontinued Sept. 6, 1900. Thirteen postmasters have been appointed : --
Dearborn H. Hilton, May 19, 1830. Taylor P. Hannaford, April 14, 1831. Peter Flanders, March 22, 1832. Thomas Paine, July 22, 1835. Joseph Fifield, April 8, 1840. Joseph D. Osgood, Sept. 30, 1841. Thomas Milligan, March 18, 1852. James Cochran, July 23, 1855. Charles S. Bunker, Feb. 26, 1857. James W. Hoffman, April 1, 1859. Levi S. Gordon, March 17, 1860.
346
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
Richard G. Stearns, July 14, 1870. Discontinued Nov. 1, 1892. Re-established July 5, 1893. Harrison B. Page, July 5, 1893. Discontinued Sept. 6, 1900.
At the present time the Plymouth post-office is conveniently located in Kidder Block, and is conducted by Walter W. Mason, postmaster; Edson M. Barker, assistant postmaster; and Lucy B. Smith, clerk. The gross receipts for the year 1904 were $7700. Connected with the post-office are four rural free delivery routes. No. 1, established Sept. 1, 1900, Adin H. Philbrick, carrier, extends to West Plymouth, returning by way of Rowe's Corner and Livermore Falls. No. 2, established Nov. 1, 1900, Walter D. Philbrick, carrier, extends through Lower Intervale to Bridgewater, returning by way of Bridgewater Hill, and accom- modating families in the south part of the town of Plymouth. No. 3, established April 1, 1901, Charles P. Dyer, carrier, is to Campton, from thenee to Campton Bog and returning by way of Beech Hill. No. 4, established April 1, 1901, John M. Russell, earrier, extends to Squam Lake, returning east of Mount Prospect.
347
BANKS.
XXV. BANKS.
THE PEMIGEWASSET BANK.
THE Grafton Bank at Haverhill was incorporated 1803. The second bank organized in Grafton County was the Pemige- wasset Bank at Plymouth. It was incorporated July 2, 1825, and began business previous to March, 1825. It was a State bank of discount, issuing bills redeemable in specie and conducting a busi- ness similar to that of the banking institutions of the time. The banking-room was in the north end of the brick house occupied by William C. Thompson, which stood on the site of the present Kidder Block. There, with a reasonable measure of success, the bank conducted business twenty years, when the corporation was dissolved. According to the usage of the time, the charter was limited to twenty years. In 1845 a new charter was secured for an additional term of twenty years, but the organization was not continued.
The incorporators named in the charter of 1825 were prominent men of this town and vicinity. Those not otherwise designated were residents of Plymouth. They were William Webster, Caleb Keith of Wentworth, Stephen Grant, Moor Russell, Josiah Quincy of Rumney, Phineas Walker, John Rogers, Ira Goodall, a lawyer of Bath, Joseph Flanders of Bristol, Joseph Weld, William Cald- well of Groton, Enoch Colby, Jr., of Thornton, and Isaac Smith of Franconia. By the terms of the act of incorporation the capital stock was not less than $30,000 or more than $100,000. The managers organized with a capital stock of $50,000. The first cashier was William C. Thompson, who served two years. Mr. Thompson was a busy lawyer, and the bank was in his office.
348
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
At his suggestion William Green of Concord was appointed cashier early in 1828. Mr. Green remained the cashier of the bank until it was dissolved, a period of eighteen years. He was a faithful servant of the bank and a useful citizen. The books and records of the bank are probably in existence, but their location is unknown to the people of Plymouth. In the possession of Mrs. Robinson, a daughter of William Green, is the original resolution, of which a copy follows : -
PLYMOUTH March 14, 1845.
At a meeting of the directors of the Pemigewasset Bank March 12, 1845 the following resolution was unanimously adopted.
Resolved, That William Green, Esq. is justly entitled to the confi- dence and respect of the board for the faithful and able discharge of his duties as Cashier of this Bank, for the last seventeen years and for his kind and courteous deportment towards all interested in the affairs of the institution and that the clerk be directed to give said Green a certified copy of their resolution. A true copy.
WILLIAM W. RUSSELL, Clerk.
At the organization of the bank Arthur Livermore was chosen president. At the close of the year he resigned as president and declined a re-election as director. The second president was Daniel Smith of New Hampton, who served four years and was succeeded by William Webster of Plymouth, who was the president of the bank from 1831 to 1845.
During the twenty years which measure the life of the bank there was a board of seven directors elected annually. In 1845 there was one vacancy. The following list gives the date of a first election to the board and the number of years of service of each director, and represents an aggregate of one hundred and thirty-nine years. The residence of the several directors is Ply- mouth unless otherwise stated.
William Webster, 1825, twenty years; John Rogers, 1825, twenty years; William C. Thompson, 1830, sixteen years; Josiah Quincy of Rumney, 1825, four years, and 1834, twelve years; Ichabod C. Bart- lett of Bristol, 1832, fourteen years; William W. Russell, 1835, eleven years; Daniel Smith of New Hampton, 1826, four years, and 1839, six
349
BANKS.
years; David M. Russell, 1825, nine years; Rufus G. Lewis of New Hampton, 1830, six years; Isaac Smith of Franconia, 1825, four years ; Stevens Merrill, 1830, four years; Gov. William Badger of Gilman- ton, 1827, three years; Daniel Lewis, residence unknown, 1836, three years; Jonas Richardson, residence unknown, 1830, two years; Arthur Livermore of Holderness, 1825, one year.
At the expiration of the first charter, the Pemigewasset Bank was again incorporated. The act was approved Dec. 25, 1844. The incorporators were Samuel Burns of Rumney, William Webster, Thomas Clark, James MeQuesten, William W. Russell, John Rogers, Joseph D. Osgood, and Aaron Goodwin of Rumney.
There was no organization under the second charter, and the directors of the bank secured the passage of an act giving them two additional years in which to complete the work of liquidation.
To complete the record of State banks, mention is made of an effort in 1848 to establish the Plymouth Bank to succeed the Pemigewasset Bank. A charter was granted and approved Jan. 3, 1849. The incorporators were Robert Burns, William W. Russell, John Keniston, William C. Thompson, Isaac Merrill of Warren, Josiah Qunicy of Rumney, Abraham Ward of Rumney, David Hazleton of Hebron, William Clark of Campton, Obadiah Smith of Holderness, Peter Walker of Thornton, John Currier of Went- worth, and Samuel Burns of Rumney. An organization was not perfected.
THE PEMIGEWASSET NATIONAL BANK.
The subscribers to the capital stock of the Pemigewasset National Bank held the first formal meeting and filed articles of association Oct. 8, 1881. At this meeting a board of seven directors was chosen. They were Nathan H. Weeks, Carlos M. Morse, George H. Adams, Plummer Fox, all of Plymouth, and John W. Peppard of Rumney, Thomas S. Pulsifer of Campton, and Nathaniel P. Batchelder of Ashland. There was no change in the board until January, 1888, when Carlos M. Morse, John W. Peppard, and Nathaniel P. Batchelder retired and were succeeded
350
HISTORY OF PLYMOUTH.
by Charles H. Bowles of Plymouth, Charles B. Griswold of Haverhill, and Frank L. Hughes of Ashland. In February, 1888, Plummer Fox resigned and John Mason of Plymouth was elected. Nathan H. Weeks died Sept. 12, 1889, and Frederick P. Weeks was elected to fill the vacancy. John Mason retired Aug. 24, 1894, and was succeeded by Dean S. Currier. Charles B. Griswold and Dean S. Currier retired in January, 1900, and were succeeded by Davis B. Keniston and Scott N. Weeks. George H. Adams and Thomas S. Pulsifer are the only remaining members of the orig- inal board of directors. The first president was Nathan HI. Weeks, who served until his death, when George H. Adams was elected, who has served the institution in this capacity fifteen years. The first cashier was Osman B. Copeland, who remained until January, 1888. He is now cashier of a bank at West Ran- dolph, Vt. The second and present cashier, Rodney E. Smythe, was elected Jan. 21, 1888. John E. Smith served the institution as assistant cashier from April 18, 1896, until May 4, 1903. He resigned when elected treasurer of the savings bank. The wisdom of the trustees in management, and the efficiency of the cashiers in the discharge of an exacting duty, are demonstrated in the good reputation and substantial prosperity of the bank. The capital stock is $75,000 and the surplus and undivided profits is over $77,000, and during the years of its existence a regular and increasing dividend has rewarded the officials of the bank with the confidence and approval of the stockholders.
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.