History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 191

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714

USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 191
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 191

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The remaining history of this manufacture, which transformed Dover into a city, will be given farther on.

The rapid advancement of the town in wealth and population dates from the establishment of this great enterprise. In 1820 the population was 2870. Within the next ten years these numbers had nearly doubled, the census of 1830 showing the population to be 5449, while the taxable property had more than doubled. In this time many new streets had been laid out and new bridges built, hundreds of new dwellings had been erected, five or six new religious societies organ- ized and new churches built. In 1823 the Dover Bank and the Savings-Bank of the county of Straf- ford were chartered, the Dover Aqueduct Company incorporated, and the Strafford Guards organized. Two additional newspapers (the Gazette in 1825, and the Enquirer in 1828) had been established to aid the Dover Sun (which for thirty years had shone for all) in giving light to the people. Old Dover, after a life of two centuries, had passed away, and a new town with a new population and new industries had come into existence. Previous to this time it had been ex- ceeded in population not only by Portsmouth, but by Gilmanton, Sanbornton, and several other farming towns in the State which had not been settled for more than one hundred years after the Hiltons lauded at Dover Point, but now it became second only to | transportation of heavy goods than that of water Portsmouth, a position which it maintained for nearly twenty years, or until the sudden growth of Manches- ter made that the metropolitan city of New Hamp- shire.

In 1840 the population of Dover had increased to 6458, and its proportion of the State tax from $11.17 in 1820 to $30.98. In 1850 the population was 8186; the valuation $2,917,598.

During the first of these decades (1830 to 1840) business was somewhat affected from various causes. The disastrous effects of Eastern land speculations, the excitement in relation to nullification and the tariff, the suspension of specie payments and the

monetary revulsions which followed crippled busi- ness and retarded and in some cases put an end to enterprises here as well as elsewhere in the country. Many manufacturing establishments suspended oper- ations for a season, wages in others were reduced, and turnouts among the operatives added to the derange- ment. All the mills in Dover were for a time idle. The population and business of the town, however, made a handsome increase in these ten years, though not in so great a ratio as in the previous ten. Many handsome dwellings were erected, and several new business blocks were added to those previously built.

In 1841 the opening of the Boston and Maine Railroad, and the construction a few years after of the Cochecho Railroad to Alton, to both of which Dover people contributed liberally, had a marked ef- fect upon the business of the town. While its local trade and interests were on the increase, its impor- tance as a distributing point for interior trade declined. The Dover Packet Company, which had for many years given life and activity to the wharves and store- houses on the river, soon discharged its last cargo, the Landing ceased to be the centre of business, which from this time gathered around the railroad station and the streets leading most directly to it.

The Dover Packet Company, when in its prosperity, was the only channel of intercourse between Dover and the business world. With all the freight of the manufacturing company and that of the business men of the place to carry, it employed quite a num- ber of coasting vessels, and its commerce with Boston was larger than that of any other place east of New York except Portsmouth. A Boston paper of the period remarks with satisfaction at the growing im- portance of the manufacturing business, when a large portion of the cotton goods consumed in the country were imported, that "the last Dover packet from New Hampshire brought nearly as many cotton and woolen goods to this market as were brought by the packet-ship ' Dover,' and more than were brought by the packet 'New England,' from Liverpool. Cot- ton goods which were purchased in England for thirty-eight cents, and thought remarkably cheap, were not better cottons than now can be purchased here at twenty cents." Any other highway for the was then undreamed of. Surveys for a canal from Dover to the lake had been made, and the feasibility of building it was a matter of frequent discussion. A steamboat was put upon the lake in 1833 by the aid, in part, of the business men of Dover. In 1836 an appropriation of ten thousand dollars was obtained from the general government for improving the navi- gation of the Cochecho. The era of railroads, how- ever, was approaching; notices began to appear in the papers that a road was in the process of construc- tion from Wilmington to Andover, meetings were held to aid in its continuance to Dover, and on the 31st of August, 1835, books for subscriptions to its

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IIISTORY OF STRAFFORD COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

stock were opened in Dover. With the decline of its commerce, ship-building as an art died out on the Cochecho. The last vessel of any considerable size built here, a ship of six hundred tons, was launched Sept. 14, 1837, by Capt. Robert Rogers, from his yard near the Gulf.

In 1842 the town-hall building, with accommoda- tions for the county courts, county offices, town officers, etc., was built at an expense of more than $20,000; to be rebuilt and enlarged in 1867, after being badly damaged by fire, at a cost of more than $50,000.

In 1847 the introduction of the shoe manufacture and trade for the Southern and Western markets added largely to the business of the place, employing after a few years a large capital, and in a good season more workmen than any other industry.

The Sawyer Woolen-Mills, another enterprise of the last twenty-five years, and of growing importance, has built up a new village in the south part of the city. Its history will be given farther on.

In 1855 the town government, after an existence of two hundred and twenty-two years, or from 1633, was superseded by a city organization.

With the city government came in the use of gas in lighting the streets and dwellings, improved side- walks, a police court, a more efficient administration of the laws, and other "city institutious," quiet and orderly elections included,-the business of voting being dispatched in a day instead of occupying two or three as frequently occurred under the town organi- zation,-the only drawback being the usual penalty of greatness, an increase of taxation.

In 1860 the population of the city was eight thou- sand five hundred and two; its valuation, $3,884,842. In 1870 the number of inhabitants was nine thousand two hundred and ninety-four; the valuation, $5,018,- 320, showing a comparatively small increase during the ten years, which will be long remembered for the great war for the preservation of the Union which was fought to a successful issue, and the great sacrifice of life and property which was required.

To raise and put its quota into the service, under the various calls which were issued, the city advanced upwards of $250,000, increasing its expenditures from $59,272 in 1860 to $233,462 in 1865.

In 1871 Congress appropriated $10,000 for the pur- pose of removing obstructions in Cochecho River. In 1872 an additional sum of $10,000 was granted, fol- lowed by a like amount in each of the two following years. In 1875 the sum was increased to $25,000, and later a further sum of $15,000, which gave free access to all vessels which are employed in the coal and other freighting business npon the river.

In November, 1872, ground was broken for the con- struction of the Portsmouth and Dover Railroad, an enterprise which had been in contemplation for more than twenty years. The road was built in that and the following year, and opened for travel in Febru- ary, 1874, costing some $800,000, of which sum the

city, in its municipal capacity, contributed $225,000, while many of its citizens made liberal private sub- scriptions.

In March, 1875, the " Dover Building Association" was organized with a capital of $10,000. Since that time it has invested between thirty and forty thou- sand dollars in real estate, building about thirty dwelling-houses, many of which have already been satisfactorily disposed of, affording handsome divi- dends to the stockholders in the enterprise, and fur- nishing desirable tenements to a valuable class of population.

In 1876 the valuation of the city for purposes of taxation had increased to $7,339,828. Add to this the investments in railroads, in government bonds, and other property exempt from taxation, and the whole amount will reach, if it does not exceed, ten millions of dollars, or not less than $1000 to each of the population on an even divide, could such a dis- tribution be made.

CHAPTER CXX.

DOVER .- (Continued.)

THE MANUFACTURING INTEREST.

The Lower Falls and their Mills .- Up to the year 1642 the falls had run undisturbed. In that year, the first in which we have any notice of them, we find, Ist 6th mo., 1642, that the town by grant of that date, and again by subsequent grants 30th 6th mo., 1643, conveyed to Richard Walderne, who had come here to seek his fortune, the falls, fifty acres of land on the north side, and sixty acres on the south. Here the major built a mill.

Ile built mills on both sides of the river. On the 20th of December, 1649, the major sold to Joseph Austin, the ancestor of all the Austins hereabouts, for twenty-five pounds, one-quarter part of the saw-mill on the south side, with all appurtenance.

The remainder he held until the 27th of May, 1671, when he sold to Peter Coffin another quarter of the south side privilege.

The major himself lived about where the north side of Central Avenue is, a few rods, perhaps, from Cen- tral Street. No other house or buildings, save his outbuildings, stood on the west side of Central and Franklin Streets, from the river to Otis' garrison, just above Brick Street, for perhaps two hundred years. That property, together with the whole of the north side mill privilege and the half of the south side, on the old major's violent death, in 1689, descended to his only son, Richard. Richard lived here a portion of his life, but by and by moved to Portsmouth.

He devised the property by will, April 6, 1730, to

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his son Richard, the secretary of the province, at whose death, Aug. 23, 1753, it descended to the sec- retary's sons, Thomas Westbrook and George. Thomas W. lived in the mansion built on the old property, and which stood exactly back of Morrill's Block, a few feet west, with the end lapping over the line into Second Street. A handsome yard was in front, as it faced the east, and its garden ran down to the river ; the old house still stands near by. Thomas W. bought ont his brother George's right to the mill and homestead 21st of November, 1758, and by will dated 7th of August, 1779 (proved 8th of June, 1785), de- vised it to his two sons, Daniel and Charles, or to either survivor in case the other died without lawful issue before attaining the age of twenty-one. Charles did so die, and Daniel came into possession. Daniel lived in the old house. He mortgaged, by deeds dated 29th of April, 1811, and 18th of December, 1815, the falls and all the land on the north side of the river, excepting the small lot then in possession of Abigail Boardman (next below the Mark Walker lot), to the New Hampshire Strafford Bank ; the bank came into possession 31st of January, 1820, and conveyed the whole to William Payne, of Boston, 23d of April, 1821, who obtained release of dower the same day. Thus passed out of the Waldron possession the lands lying north of the river and west of Main Street to the river, as the north boundary of the "Horne lot" goes, then following of the river half the way to Whittier's fall till it met the Ilorne property, then running a little east of north till it met the John Wal- dron property, thence east to the road, and down the road to the west side of Main Street again. This did not include their property on the east of Main Street nor south of the river.

So far as is now known, no buildings stood on the north side of the falls in the " Factory Square" ex- cept mills for a great many years. Over a hundred years ago the Waldrons erected a building which was used as a tavern by Capt. Thomas Shannon. This stood near the present gate, but a little nearer the river, and faced Central Street. Capt. Shannon left it, however, about 1796, and went to Rochester Plains, continuing in the same business. It was afterwards occupied by tenants.

Samuel Ricker and his family occupied it once. Other tenants succeeded, but its dilapidated condition rendered it a poor residence. A "mill-house," built probably earlier than the Shannon house, stood a rod or two east of the north end of that building. It was a structure of logs, and in later days was inaccurately known as the " garrison house." It had been used for millers families. These, with the grist- and saw-mills, were all which the company found on the northern side of the mill property. The company took these away, and placed their " counting-room" about where the gate now is, north of the river. They built a black- smith-shop running from near the "counting-room" (a gate between) almost to the river. These are

now all gone, but the shed running north from the gate, which was built at an early date, still remains.

The nail-factory, the first substantial in the new regime, still standing and occupied for shops, was erected in 1821. The business proved unprofitable, and was abandoned in 1826. The machine-shop was a more modern affair, and the present " wood shop" replaced the old one at too recent a date to be worth attending to. The brick store now occupied by the firm of Moulton & Cate was occupied for the com- pany by John B. H. Odiorne as a general variety store. Here they disposed of their own goods in part and did a general business with up country, as was the custom in the early history of manufacturing. As experience showed the inconveniences of this system, and especially after the company had sunk a fortune in the business, the trade was given up. Odiorne and his brother-in-law, Samuel W. Carr, as Odiorne & Carr, went on on their own account, but probably i with no great success. After they gave up business the building was used for many years as the store- house of the company's goods, sometimes an office or two being let, and sometimes not. By and by, Benja- min Barker, who came from Rochester, hired it. Since his return thither it has had various tenants, but it is only within a few years that his enterprise has given it a lively appearance.

This land was not all Waldron property. Striking a line from the counting-room gate or a little south, on Central Street, about east to the river, and we have two sections,-the upper one was the Waldron privilege, the lower was the town's,-and after the opening of Washington Street and the building of the lower bridge, was cut and sold as house lots; to this, by and by. Of that part of the Waldron grant which lay on the south side of the river, as just de- scribed, Maj. Walderne sold one-quarter to Joseph Austin, Dec. 20, 1649. This quarter descended by in- heritance to his son, Thomas Austin; Thomas con- veyed it, May 14, 1719, by deed, to son Joseph ; from him, either by a daughter's marriage or some other way not recorded, it passed to the hands of Tristram Coffin, of Dover, who, by will dated April 27, 1761, and proved Aug. 26, 1761, devised it to his son Eliphalet (brother to Aunt Debby and Mrs. Bickford) ; he sold it, Nov. 3, 1795, to Jacob Currier. Another quarter was sold by Maj. Walderne to old Peter Coffin, May 27, 1671. Old Peter conveyed it, Nov. 24, 1714, to his grandson, Eliphalet Coffin, of Exeter, who, by will proved Sept. 13, 1736, devised the said interest to his son, Rev. Peter Coffin, of Kingston, who, Oct. 21, 1741, conveyed the said part, together with his share of what was saved out of the mill " that was lately carried away," to John Gage, of Dover. John Gage having died, his estate was divided, Nov. 18, 1794, between Capt. John Gage, Jonathan Gage, Moses Gage, and Sarah, wife of Nathan Horne; the quarter of the mill privilege fell to Capt. John and Jonathan jointly.

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HISTOR Y OF STRAFFORD COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

In a further division between the two, made March 17, 0,05, the " qua Mer" was released . to John; John sold it, July 25, 1795, for fifty pounds tos ohn Phillips Gil- mam, of Dover, so that at the beginn 'ng of the year 1 - 1796 the south sich was owned halff \ v the heirs of Thomas W. Walderre, a quarter by Jolla P. Gilman, and a quarter by Jacob Currier.

On the 14th of May, 1796, the property was divided. Daniel Waldron's half was next to Centirull Street, running ten or twelve rods on that street, arul a bout nine down the river. Currler and Gilman took the other half, almost where the Factory bridge stands, having also a right of way through Waldron's land and a right to build fiumes from the dam.

On the 6th of May, 1797, Currier and Gilman also divided, in a way impossible to be made intelligible, and of no sort of use now if it could be. Gilman: sold a part of his share, 21st of August, 1798, to Sam- uel Gerrish, Jr .; on Gerrish's death it descended to his children, John and Alphonso, and is sold by virtue of license, 29th of April, 1811, to Daniel L. Currier, an oil-mill then standing there.

Currier conveyed it by deed, 24th of March, 1821, to John Williams, of Boston, and Isaac Wendell, of Dover, who conveyed it, 28th of April, 1821, to Wil- liam Payne, of Boston. Gilman conveyed the residue of his share to John Gage, 21st of August, 1798, whose daughter, Mary Wingate Gage, inherited it, on whose account it was sold by license to Jacob M. Currier, who included it in his sale 26th March, 1821, as below.

Jacob Currier conveyed out of his share, 3Ist of October, 1801, to Daniel L. Currier, a privilege for a fulling-mill, who conveyed it to Ephraim Foss, Jr., who seems to have conveyed it to Jacob M. Currier, subject to lease, which expired Ist of February, 1824. On the 20th of May, 1815, Jacob Currier sold to Wil- liam Currier a quarter of an oil-mill standing on the premises, which said William conveyed, 25th of May, 1820, to Jacob MI. Currier; Jacob Currier also con- veyed all his remaining interest, 28th of January, 1818, to Jacob M. Currier, who thus owned the whole quarter, and who conveyed said quarter to William Payne, 26th of March, 1821.

The upper part of the south side, which, in the division of 14th of May, 1796, was assigned to Daniel Waldron, he sold, 21st of January, 1819, to Jonathan Locke, the tavern-keeper. Locke sold it, 30th of April, 1821, to William Payne. Thus the whole mill property came into the hands of William Payne, who was a wealthy citizen of Boston, and the first presi- dent of the Dover Factory Company, and who con- veyed the whole to the company, with other lands hereabouts, 27th of April, 1822, and thus the water of Maj. Walderne's mill privilege was set to turning spindles. As to the buildings which have stood on this sonth side tract prior to its occupation for cotton- factories, it is hard to be very specific. There can be traced an " old" saw-mill there in 1649; a saw-mill in

1671. in 1719, and in 1735: an oil-mill in 1798, 1806, 1811, 1815, and 1818; a grist-mill in 1798 and 1818; a carding.machine "in the building containing and covering said grist-mill and oil-mill" on Jacob Cur- rier's part in 1818; Jeremiah Stickney also had a card-factory there somewhere between 1810 and 1820, and Ephraim Foss, Jr., had a fulling-mill about where No, 3 picker stands, from 1821, and doubtless earlier, to 1-t of February, 1824.

The " Dover Cotton Factory" was incorporated Dec. 15, 1812, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, which built in 1815 the No. 1 factory at " Upper Factory" village ; it was a wooden structure, and has long since disappeared. The company had its capital enlarged, June 21, 1821, to five hundred thousand dollars, about the time when it bought up the titles of the Tower falls, as described above. The capital was enlarged, June 17, 1823, to one million dollars, and the name changed to " Dover Manufacturing Company." The capital was again enlarged, June 20, 1826, to one million five hundred thousand dollars, but the com- pany did not succeed, and a new company, the present one, the "Cocheco Manufacturing Company," was incorporated June 27, 1827, with a capital of one million five hundred thousand dollars, which pur- chased of the old company all their works and per- sonal property.

No. 2 was built in 1822, but this building ceased to be called No. 2 when the new No. 2 (first section), on north side of river, was opened for work in 1881.

The old No. 3 was occupied in 1823, and was super- seded by the new No. 2 (second section), which began work in 1882.

No. + was opened in 1825, and No. 5 in its present form, which replaced the old printery in 1850. The new No. 1, standing on the south side of Washington Street, was finished in 1878.

The manufacture of cloth began under the care of John Williams, the first agent. He was the founder of this industry here, and thus of Dover's modern prosperity. It was his indefatigable activity which turned capital to these falls. When the corner-stone of the "old nail factory" was laid, it received the in- scription : .

"July 4th, A. L. 5821. W. &W."

This meant John Williams and Isaac Wendell. Mr. Williams had secured the introduction of the cotton manufacture, and remained the agent of the corpora- tion which had begun at "Upper Factory." John Williams was its founder; Moses Panl, clerk when the work came to the lower falls; John Chase, its first general mechanical superintendent; Andrew Steele, its first master-mechanic; Samuel Dunster (still living in Attleboro', Mass.), the builder of the first practical machinery of the calico printery.

John Williams was succeeded by James F. Curtis, who remained until 1834, when Moses Paul became

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DOVER.

agent. Moses Paul was one of Dover's best citizens. taining the results of the business of the company for the year ending April 29, 1882. 12,003 bales of cotton were purchased, 12,064 used, the priee averaging 11; cents (nearly). The mills manufactured 29,767.417 yards of cloth. Besides the manufactured cloth, | 9,179,145 yards of goods were purchased for printing. The whole quantity printed is 38,825,276 yards. The Born in Waterborough, Me., 28th of March, 1798, he was nine years of age when the family came to this Dover, with whose prosperity he was to be so thoroughly identified. He was fifteen years of age when he en- | tered the employ of his uncle, John Williams, twenty- six years of age when he was promoted to be superin- tendent of the mill at Upper Factory, thirty years of | balance of profit and loss account is $96,184.90, which makes the net profit for the year $198,740.87. Of this we have paid $150,000 in dividends, and appropri- ated the rest to rebuilding mills. The middle section of new mill No. 2 has been built and is in successful operation, but the small profit now made on prints does not warrant any further outlay at present, and the construction of the south section has been de- ferred." Clerk, Z. S. Wallingford; Treasurer, Ha- ward Stockton ; Directors, Amos A. Lawrence, John A. Burnham, J. Ingersoll Bowditch, T. Jefferson Coolidge, John McDuffee, John L. Gardner, Jr., Haward Stockton.

age when he was superintendent of the mills on the lower falls, thirty-six years of age when he became agent, and it was after twenty-six years of this latter service that he died, universally lamented, July 9, 1860. He was succeeded, Aug. 1, 1860, by the present agent, Zimri S. Wallingford, who had been superin- tendent from 1849, and over the mechanical depart- ment five years previous. The success of his adminis- tration is visible. The enlargement of the work is seen in the fact that when he took charge the mills had a so- called capacity of fifty-seven thousand spindles ; their present capacity one hundred and twenty thousand. Twelve hundred operators are on the books of his charge.

The first printing of calico in these works was under the superintendence of Dr. A. L. Porter, who was suc- ceeded, before 1830, by John Duxbury, a thoroughly experienced printer in England. His successors have been George Mathewson, John Bracewell, and the pres- ent superintendent, Washington Anderton, who took charge in 1880. The original printery was in the pres- ent No. 5, and other buildings near but now removed. In 1832 it was said :

" The principal manufacture is fine cotton cloth, No. 40, for calicoes, which are bleached and printed on the spot; No. 18, sheeting, and No. 30, shirting, also are made. The number of people employed in these three cotton mills, machine-shops, and calico- printing establishments is eight hundred females and three hundred men and boys. These mills consume about two thousand six hundred bales of cotton, and turn out four and a half million yards of cloth an- nually, or about fifteen thousand yards daily. The calico-works made into fine prints and dyed goods (colored cambries) two thousand five hundred pieces of twenty-eight yards each, or seventy thousand yards, per week. The following articles, with many others not specified, were used by this establishment in one year :

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History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 191

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1714

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714