History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 22

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390

USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 22

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SOCIETIES, ETC.

Masonic .- The Masonic bodies are De Witt Clinton Commandery of Knights Templar, instituted 1826; New Hampshire Chapter of Rose Croix;

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Grand Council of P. of J .; Ineffable Grand Lodge of Perfection, No. 1 ; Davenport Council, No. 5, Royal and Select Masters; Washington Chapter, No. 3; St. John's Lodge, No. I, instituted 1736; St. Andrew's Lodge, No. 56; Portsmouth Rose Croix Chapter, No. I, E. M. R. M., organized 1881.

Odd Fellows .- Strawberry Bank Encampment, No. 5, instituted February 28, 1845; Piscataqua Lodge, No. 6, instituted May 24, 1844; New Hampshire Lodge, No. 17, instituted February 1I, 1846; Osgood Lodge, No. 48, in- stituted August 27, 1868; Union Rebekah Degree Lodge, No. 3; Fannie A. Gardiner Rebekah Lodge, No. 82, instituted May 4, 1900.

Knights of Honor .- Sagamore Lodge, No. 258, organized March 27, 1876.

Knights of Pythias .- Damon Lodge, No. 9, instituted January 31, 1871 ; Lucullus Commandery, No. 8.

United Order Pilgrim Fathers, No. 15, organized April 27, 1880.

Patrons of Husbandry .- Portsmouth Grange, No. 22, organized March 2. 1874.

Red Men .- Massasoit Tribe, organized 1888.

Royal Arcanum .- Alpha Council, No. 83, instituted May 1, 1878.

Temperance .- Rockingham Lodge, No. 37, I. O. of G. T .; Strawberry. Bank Lodge, No. 54, I. O. of G. T.

United Order of the Golden Cross .- Portsmouth Commandery, No. 47, organized April 5, 1879.

Grand Army of the Republic .- Storer Post, No. I, reorganized August, I878.

Federal Fire Society, organized 1789.

Portsmouth Athenaeum, incorporated June, 1817. This institution is owned in a hundred shares of $100 each, the institution having the right of pre-emption at half the value of the shares. It has a valuable library of 20,000 volumes, and a large number of newspapers and periodicals are also taken.

Portsmouth Board of Trade; Portsmouth Female Asylum .- This institu- tion was founded in 1804 by a few ladies, and incorporated in 1808.

Portsmouth Home for Aged Women was established June, 1876, and chartered June, 1877; Portsmouth Howard Benevolent Society was instituted in 1829, and incorporated in 1854. The funds of the society are derived from the annual contributions of $1.00 from each member, and by private donations. Its object is to assist the unfortunate poor, chiefly in the winter.

Portsmouth Society for the P. O. C. T. Children; Portsmouth Young Men's Christian Association, organized 1852; reorganized 1888; St. Mary's Catholic Benevolent Society, founded January, 1875, by the pastor, Very Rev. Canon Walsh; The Chase Home for Children, formerly the Children's Home.

The Portsmouth Medical Association .- The Portsmouth Medical Asso- ciation was organized April 23, 1874, with the following members : Jeremiah F. Hall. Nicholas Leavitt Folsom, Benjamin W. Curtis, Samuel C. Whittier, Daniel W. Jones, John W. Parsons. The first officers were as follows : Presi- dent, J. F. Hall; secretary, D. W. Jones; treasurer, N. L. Folsom ; business committee, S. C. Whittier, B. F. Curtis, and J. W. Parsons.

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

Portsmouth Improvement Association .- Organized 1902.

Society for the Care of the South Cemetery .- Incorporated 1897.

Freedom Council, I. O. U. A. M.

W. R. C .- Storer Relief Corps, No. 6; reorganized 1892.

U. V. U .- General Gilman Marston Command, No. 6.

Harriet P. Dame W. V. R. U., No. 2 .- (Auxiliary to General Gilman Marston Command ) ; organized February 2, 1893.

N. H. Sons of Revolution .- Founded 1893.

Besor Senate K. A. E. O.

Portsmouth Yacht Club .- Club house, 65 Mechanic Street; organized April, 1898.

Portsmouth Country Club .- Organized 1899.

Warwick Club .- 5 Market Street; organized December 16, 1892.

John Langdon Club .- Organized December, 1899.

Civic Association.

Graffort Club .- Organized May 13, 1895.

Paul Jones Club.

Ladies' Humane Society .- Instituted 1816; incorporated 1874.

Macomi's Council, D. of L.

N. H. N. G .- First Company Coast Artillery Corps, organized April 27, 1909; Frederic T. Harriman, captain, headquarters of First Battalion Coast Artillery Corps, N. H. N. G., C. B. Hoyt, major.

Winfield Scott Schley Camp, No. 4, Department of New Hampshire.

United Spanish War Veterans .- Organized October 19, 1905, has a mem- bership of 89 comrades. Commander, Frederick W. M. Poppe; adjutant, Harry W. Foster.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks .- Portsmouth Lodge, No. 97; instituted September 17, 1888.

U. O. of I. O. L .- Star Lodge, organized November 13, 1893.

A. O. U. W .- Sagamore Lodge, No. II ; instituted December 10, 1884 Portsmouth Athletic Club .- Organized September 10, 1885.

Knights of Columbus .- Portsmouth Council, No. 140, organized August, 1895.

Central Labor Union .- Organized November 2, 1901.

A. O. H .- Division No. 2.

Foresters of America .-- Court Rockingham, No. 6; instituted September, 1887.

Portsmouth Seamens' Friend Society .- Organized 1838.

N. H. Society for Protection of Cruelty to Animals.

N. H. Sons of the Revolution .- Founded 1893.

District Nursing Association .- Organized 1906.

Piscataqua Pioneers .- Organized June 12, 1905.

Portsmouth Girls' Club .- Organized 191I.

Governor Wentworth Associates, No. 6.

Haven W. C. T. U.

Rockingham Co. W. C. T. U.

N. E. O. P .- Kearsarge Lodge, No. 268; instituted 1896.

Fraternal Order of Eagles .- Mercedes Aerie, No. 682, organized 1902.

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

Portsmouth Veteran Firemen's Association.

Portsmouth Firemen's Relief.

Franklin Pierce V. F. Association .- Organized 1885.

Order of United American Mechanics .- Portsmouth Council, No. 8, or- ganized April 11, 1892.

Knights of Golden Eagle, Grand Commandery, No. 1 .- Instituted Oc- tober 22, 1897.

Ivy Temple Ladies of the Golden Eagle .- Oak Castle, No. 4; instituted February 24, 1892.

United Order of Pilgrim Fathers.

Six of the foregoing associations and clubs own and occupy their build- ings. The Y. M. C. A., Home for Aged Women, Athenaeum, Athletic Club, the Elks and Knights of Columbus. The Wentworth Home for Incurables on Pleasant Street and the Society of Colonial Dames in the Whipple-Ladd House on Market Street were given their historic buildings by the former owners.

CORPORATIONS, ETC.

Granite State Fire Insurance Co .- Office, National Block, Congress; Cal- vin Page, president; Joseph O. Hobbs, vice president; Alfred F. Howard, secretary ; J. W. Emery, assistant secretary.

Portsmouth Fire Association.

Piscataqua Fire Insurance Co.

Portsmouth Gas Co., 13 Congress; incorporated 1907.

Rockingham County Light and Power Co.

Morley Button Manufacturing Co.

Portsmouth Building and Loan Association.

Thomas Bailey Aldrich Memorial .- Incorporated July 5, 1907, 386 Court ; Wallace Hackett, president; Rev. Alfred Gooding, vice president ; C. A. Haz- lett, secretary ; Wallis D. Walker, treasurer.

Portsmouth Bridge .- Incorporated 1819.

Newcastle Bridge Co .- Incorporated 1821.

Piscataqua Navigation Co.

Frank Jones Brewing Co.

Eldredge Brewing Co.

Portsmouth Brewing Co.

Gale Shoe Manufacturing Co.

Plymouth Business School.

Widder Bros. Shoe Co.

Portsmouth Tanning Co.

Portsmouth Foundry Co.

Consolidation Coal Co.

THE PORTSMOUTH NAVY YARD

It was because the early government of this settlement saw, on account of the extensive and fine timber lands and the advantages of the deep and never- closed harbor, an admirable location for ship building that Portsmouth was

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

chosen as a place for building ships for the Royal Navy, and at a later date by our Government for one of its yards. As early as 1650 there are records of timber for masts marked with the king's "Broad Arrow" as belonging to the crown.

The "Falkland."-The first war-ship ,built here was the "Falkland," of fifty-four guns, in 1690, and in 1724 still in commission in the Royal Navy. In 1749 a ship-of-war named the "America," of fifty guns was built for the British government by Colonel Nathaniel Meserve. When the war of the Revolution was seen to be inevitable this site at once recommended itself to the Government. Governor Langdon, then the owner of Badger's Island, of- fered its use to Continental Congress, and here, in March, 1755, was begun work on the frigate "Raleigh," of thirty-two guns, and the following May she was launched, and before four months had elapsed she was on the seas and had engaged in attacking four English vessels of war acting as convoy of a large fleet of merchantmen. It was one of the earliest engagements which gave promise of that brilliant bravery which surprised the world as it gained one success after another upon the seas, and over the ships of the greatest naval power in the world.

The "Ranger."-The next ship built here for the Colonial government was "the Ranger," launched in 1777, and immediately given to the command of John Paul Jones, and with her he attacked and captured the "Drake," a British vessel of greater power.

The "America."-In 1776 the keel of the "America" was laid at Badger's Island, the only ship of the line which the Government at that time completed, and in 1782 this ship was given by Congress to France to replace the "Mag- nifique," one of her men-of-war, recently lost in the harbor of Boston. This ship was captured by the British in 1794, and her name changed to the "Im- petueux," and long regarded as one of the most valuable and beautiful vessels in the British navy, and yet her builder, Mr. Hackett, of Portsmouth, had never seen a ship-of-the-line. For a long time after the war little was done in the navy, but in 1798 the frigate "Crescent" was built, then the sloop-of- war "Portsmouth," next the "Scammell," and then the "Congress." It was not till 1800, the principal island, on which the buildings of the navy yard are erected, was purchased by the Government and the various provisions neces- sary for a naval station actively begun. The buildings are on an island on the opposite side of the river.

LIST OF VESSELS OF WAR BUILT AT THIS STATION

Built for the Royal Navy .- 1690, frigate Falkland, 54 guns; 1696, frigate Bedford, 32 guns; 1749, frigate America, 60 guns.

Built for the Colonial Navy, from 1775 to 1800 .- 1775, frigate Raleigh, 22 guns ; 1776, sloop Ranger, 18 guns; 1778, frigate Crescent, 32 guns ; 1799, frigate Congress, 38 guns; 1776, ship-of-line America, 74 guns; 1797, sloop Portsmouth, 24 guns; 1798, schooner Scammell, 14 guns.

Built for the Navy of the United States .- 1814, ship Washington, 74 guns; 1817, ship Alabama (changed to New Hampshire, launched 1864), 74 guns : 1820, schooner Porpoise, II guns; 1820, frigate Santee (launched

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1855), 44 guns; 1827, sloop Concord, 24 guns; 1839, sloop Preble, 20 guns; 1841, frigate Congress, 50 guns; 1842, sloop Saratoga, 24 guns ; 1843, sloop Portsmouth, 24 guns; 1848, steam frigate Saranac, II guns; 1855, lightship for Nantucket; 1857, sloop Jamestown, 24 guns; 1857, steam sloop Mohican, 9 guns ; 1864, ironclad Passaconaway, 4 guns ; 1864, tug Port Fire; 1864, Blue Light; 1864, ironclad Agamenticus, 4 guns ; 1864, sloop of war Piscataqua, 15 guns; 1864, sloop of war Minnetonka, 15 guns; 1864, sloop of war Illinois, 15 guns; 1861, steam sloop Ossipee, 9 guns; 1861, steam sloop Kearsarge, 9 guns ; 1861, steam sloop Sebago, 9 guns ; 1861, steam sloop Mahaska, 9 guns ; 1862, steam sloop Sacramento, 10 guns ; 1862, steam sloop Sonoma, 10 guns ; 1862, steam sloop Connemaugh, 10 guns; 1863, steam sloop Sas- sacus, 10 guns; 1863, steam frigate Franklin, 60 guns; 1863, steam sloop Patuxent, 9 guns; 1863, steam sloop Nipsic, 9 guns; 1863, steam sloop Shaw- mut, 10 guns ; 1863, steam sloop Dacota, 10 guns; 1864, steam sloop Contoo- cook, 15 guns ; 1865, steam sloop Benecia, II guns; 1869, steam sloop Monon- gahela, 10 guns; 1873, steam sloop Marion, 10 guns; 1873, steam sloop En- terprise, 7 guns; 1874, steam sloop Essex, 7 guns.

In 1861 the famous sloop-of-war "Kearsage" was built on the railway, her keel being laid on the 3rd of May, and the vessel launched through the dock on the 5th of October following and sailed with many Portsmouth sailors on board on February 5, 1862. She sank the confederate cruiser Ala- bama on June 16, 1864, after that privateer had destroyed 386 vessels be- longing to United States citizens.

A floating dry dock, built by contract in 1848-51, cost, with its basin and the railway at its head, $1,282,000.

In 1866, Seavey's Island was bought of twenty-eight owners, the govern- ment paying therefor $105,000 for the 105 acres included in the purchase.

The new granite dry dock occupies the channel that formerly lay between Dennet and Seavey Islands. The contract was let to John Pierce of New York City for the sum of $1,070,000. The dock's inside length is 750 feet and width 130 feet; and it is 39 feet from coping to floor of dock. In its construction there are 20,500 cubic yards of cut granite. It required 18,000 cubic yards of concrete, using 43,000 barrels of Portland cement (400 lbs. to

the barrel). 166,000 cubic yards of rock was blasted and hauled away, the entire foundation being a quarry. The first stone was laid May 21, 1901, in the presence of Rear Admiral Read, Lieutenant Gregory, C. E. and Lee Tread- well, C. E., the superintendent for the contractor. An article on the dock and Henderson's Point was published in the Granite Monthly February, 1904, written by T. P. Sullivan, the inspector of granite.

Spanish Prisoners .- On July 9, 1908, the U. S. S. St. Louis arrived in port with 702 Spanish prisoners from the destroyed Spanish fleet at Santiago, and the U. S. S. Harvard on July 15 brought 963 additional. They were landed and placed in hastily constructed barracks on Seavey's Island and guarded by 228 U. S. Marines. They were given U. S. Navy uniforms and rations, and their improvement was rapid. Great was the surprise when the time came on September 28, 1908, to send them back to Spain on the Steamer City of Rome, to find it was hard to drive them away from the prison, so well had they been clothed, fed and treated. Many of them could be seen

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

staggering under the packs of booty they had been accumulating during their stay, proud of the consciousness of having more possessions than they ever had before.

Destruction of Henderson's Point .- The contract to destroy Henderson's Point was awarded in August of 1902. At that time an appropriation of $750,000 for the work was made by Congress. The contract called for the removal of 220,000 cubic yards of rock and 50,000 feet of earth. After the company removed 220,000 feet and more remained, the government recognized that the estimate was incorrect and subsequently allowed the company ad- ditional funds. By that contract the company was to take away a point that protruded into the Piscataqua River 540 feet, that formed an angle with a 700-feet base line and which would give a depth of thirty-five feet at mean low water, sufficient to take the biggest ship afloat when the water in the river is at its lowest point.

The work of removing the point was begun with clearing away the sur- face. A cofferdam was then constructed along the inside edge of the outer surface of the rocky point. A railway was built and soon the company was digging out from the shore to the point, leaving a shell of rock, supported by a cofferdam as the outer wall of a thirty-five foot deep well that was hundreds of feet long and wide.

It was in the course of this work that several important features of en- gineering were tried and found true. When it was determined that the outer wall of the point would be removed with one blast the company began to drill horizontal lift holes in which to place the dynamite. Some of the holes were eighty-two feet deep. The first drill placed was six inches wide and three feet long. When that drill had gone to its greatest depth the horseshoers employed moulded a six-foot drill that would exactly fit the lowest depth or striking point of the preceding drill. Each new piece of drill that went into a hole was three feet longer than the preceding drill and each was reconstructed to fit the individual hole. Twenty-seven separate drills were used in some of the lead holes and a force of thirty-five blacksmiths was rushed to keep the work moving. The holes were six inches wide at the top and one and three- fourth inches wide at their lowest extremity. Several of the steel drills were eighty-five feet long.

It is certain that fifty tons of dynamite were used at the single explosion July, 1905. More would have been used if the government would have per- mitted. In addition to the fifty tons at the single explosion about 150 other tons of dynamite were used. The gross cost of the dynamite alone was about $75,000. Two hundred lift holes were filled with dynamite at the time of the explosion and each was connected in a series of wires so that no bad section of the material would cause the entire stock to fail to explode. All of these were connected by electric wires under the personal supervision of Chief Electrician Thomas F. Flanagan. The explosion, the greatest ever planned in modern times, was a success and contrary to expectations no damage resulted to people or property. There was a loud sound, and, according to the officer in charge of the measuring instruments, the water went into the air 73 feet, and the debris to the height of 170 feet. When the water and debris dropped

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back into the river a tidal wave 10 feet high headed for the New Castle shore. It was estimated 35,000 people witnessed the explosion.

After the blast the principal difficulty was encountered. For more than a year the company used big dredgers and heavy scows in clearing the basin of the river. The high tide repeatedly caused the dredges to drag their moor- ings and float away. It was then found necessary to have light-draught dredges constructed for the special use. The force of the tide is so great that a stretch of wire 1,000 feet long had to be replaced every three months. The contract was completed in 1912.

The Treaty of Portsmouth .- The envoys appointed by the governments of Russia and Japan arrived at the Navy Yard on August 8, 1905, and were met at the Portsmouth Bridge by the Governor of New Hampshire and his staff, and escorted by the State Militia to the county courthouse on State Street, and from thence they were taken in automobiles to their quarters at the Wentworth House in New Castle. Each day the envoys held their ses- sions in the new storage building at the Navy Yard. The members of the conference consisted of Witte, Rosen, Navokoff, Plancon, Korostovetz, Comora, Takahira, Otchiai, Adatci and Sato. The Treaty was signed Sep- tember. 5, 1905. On a bronze tablet in the Conference Building is the follow- ing inscription :

"In this building, at the invitation of Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States, was held the Peace Con- ference between the Envoys of Russia and Japan, and Sep- tember 5, 1905, at 3 :47 P. M., was signed The Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the war between the two empires."

Navy Yard Commandants .- The following is a list of the commandants of the navy yard at this place from 1812 to 1914:

Captain Isaac Hull, 1812; Captain Thos. Macdonough, 1815; Captain Charles Morris, 1818; Captain W. M. Crane, 1823; Captain C. G. Ridgeley, 1825; Captain J. O. Creighton, 1826; Captain J. D. Henley, 1828; Captain W. M. Crane, 1832; Captain John D. Sloat, 1840; Captain George W. Storer, 1843; Captain Daniel Turner, 1846; Captain Thomas W. Wyman, 1849; Captain Joseph Smoot, 1852; Captain John T. Newton, 1855; Captain John Pope, 1857; Commodore G. F. Pearson, 1860; Commodore T. Bailey, 1864; Commodore Joseph Lanman, 1867; Commodore John A. Winslow, 1869; Commodore A. M. Pennock, 1870; Commodore J. C. Howell, 1872; Commodore A. Bryson, 1874; Commodore Earl English, 1876; Commodore John Guest, 1877; Commodore J. C. Beaumont, 1879; Commodore Clark H. Wells, 1881-1884; Commodore Philip C. Johnson, 1884-1887; Captain Robert F. Bradford, 1887-1889; Commodore Joseph D. Skerrett, 1889-1890; Rear Admiral Charles C. Carpenter-As Captain, 1890-1894; as Rear Admiral, 1898; Captain Montgomery Sicard, 1894; Captain Allen V. Reed, 1894-1896; Rear Admiral George C. Remey-As Captain, 1896-1898; as Rear Admiral. 1898-1900; Rear Admiral Bartlett J. Cromwell, 1900-1901; Rear Admiral John J. Read, 1901-1903; Rear Admiral Caspar F. Goodrich, 1903-1904;

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Rear Admiral William W. Mead, 1904-1907; Rear Admiral George A. Bick- nell, 1907-1908; Rear Admiral Edwin K. Moore, 1908-1909; Captain Frank A. Wilner, 1909-1911; Captain Charles C. Rogers, 1911-1914.

List of officers now on duty at the navy yard :

Commandant's Office .- C. C. Rogers, Captain, Commandant Navy Yard and First Naval District, Aid to Commandant; W. McDowell, Lieut. Com- mander, Inspection Officer; O. T. Hurdle, Chief Boatswain, Assistant to In- spection Officer; M. J. Lenney, Machinist, Assistant to Inspection Officer ; P. H. Bierce, Boatswain, Assistant to Inspection Officer; H. V. C. Wetmore, Carpenter, Assistant to Inspection Officer.

Captain of Yard's Office .- H. A. Field, Captain, Captain of Yard; W. Derrington, Chief Boatswain, Assistant to Captain of Yard; J. C. Lindberg, Chief Boatswain, Assistant to Captain of Yard; Ed. Sweeney, Boatswain, Assistant to Captain of Yard.

Hull Division .- L. S. Adams, Naval Constructor, Construction Officer ; E. C. Hamner, Jr., Naval Constructor, Assistant to Construction Officer; L. W. Townsend, Lieutenant, Assistant to Construction Officer ; F. Muller, Chief Boatswain, Assistant to Construction Officer; F. M. Smith, Carpenter, As- sistant to Construction Officer.

Public Works Department .- L. F. Bellinger, Civil Engineer, Public Works Officer ; E. W. Craig, Chief Carpenter, Assistant to Public Works Officer.

Machinery Division .- F. W. Bartlett, Captain, Engineer Officer; F. L. Sheffield, Lieut. Commander, Inside Superintendent; I. E. Bass, Lieut. Com- mander, Outside Superintendent; R. E. Cassidy, Lieutenant (J. G.) Shop Superintendent; L. J. Gulliver, Lieutenant (J. G.) Electric and Ordnance Officer, Power Plant Superintendent; C. H. Hosung, Chief Machinist, Inspec- tions and Requisitions; C. R. Johnson, Chief Machinist, Assistant to Shop Superintendent, Yard Craft and Service; Joseph Chamberlain, Gunner, As- sistant to Electrical and Ordnance Stores.

Yard Dispensary .- B. L. Wright, Surgeon, Medical Officer in Command; L. H. Wheeler, P. A. Surgeon, Medical Officer Dispensary ; P. G. White, A. A. Dental Surgeon.

Naval Hospital .- B. L. Wright, Surgeon, Medical Officer in Command; F. M. Bogan, Surgeon; Medical Officer at Hospital; L. H. Wheeler, P. A. Surgeon, Medical Officer Dispensary; Chas. E. Reynolds, Chief Pharmacist, Assistant to Medical Officer.

General Store .- F. T. Arms, Pay Inspector, General Storekeeper; J. F. Flynn, Pay Clerk, Chief Clerk.

Navy Pay Office .- E. D. Ryan, Pay Inspector, Purchasing Pay Officer, Portsmouth, N. H.

CHAPTER XVII

ATKINSON

Early History-Ecclesiastical History-Educational-Atkinson Academy --- Military Record-Public Library

Atkinson is situated in latitude 42° 51', longitude 71° 8', and is about four miles in length and three in breadth, containing 6,800 acres, and is bounded north by Hampstead, east by Plaistow, south by Haverhill, Mass., and west by Salem and Derry. It is thirty-six miles from Concord and thirty- six miles from Boston, on the Boston and Maine Railroad. Daily stage to village two miles.

It originally was a part of Haverhill, which was settled in 1640. It com- prises a portion of the territory conveyed to the inhabitants of Pentucket (now Haverhill) by the Indians Passaquo and Saggahew, with the consent of their chief Passaconnaway, by their deed now in existence, dated November 15, 1642.

No settlement was made till eighty-five years later, when, in 1727 or '28, Benjamin Richards, of Rochester, N. H., Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Edmund Page and John Dow, from Haverhill, moved into the present limits of the town. When the dividing line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts was settled, Atkinson, then a part of Plaistow, was assigned to New Hamp- shire.

Plaistow was incorporated February 28, 1749. Atkinson was separated from Plaistow August 31, 1767, and incorporated by the Legislature Septem- ber 3rd of the same year.

The increase of population from the first settlement of the town was rapid, and in 1775, eight years after the incorporation of the town, it num- bered 575, more than the average from that time to the present. The popula- tion by the census of 1910 was 440.

The soil is of an excellent quality, yielding large returns for the labor spent upon it, and the town has long been noted for its superior fruit.

The location of the town is very high, commanding a view of the spires of sixteen villages and of many mountains on every side around it. The air is dry and pure, and Doctor Bowditch, the distinguished physician, has long recommended it as one of the most favorable resorts in New Hampshire for those afflicted with pulmonary complaints.

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 22

Author: Hazlett, Charles A Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390