USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Sanbornton > History of Sanbornton, New Hampshire, Vol. I - Annals > Part 48
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A sceond governor election in 1878; the first biennial for State and coanty oilleers being held Nov. 5.
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HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
Isis (2d). Frank A. MeKean, S., ICI, T., H42; Natt Head, . S., 120, T., 125. Total, 8., 252, T., 272.
1850 (Nov. ). Frank Jones, S., 159, T., 187; Charles 11. Bell, . S., 157, T., 167; Warren G. Brown, S., 2, T., 1. Total, S., 328, T., 355.
Non :. - It appears from the foregolug record that the town of Sanbornton has cast Its vote for president or governor of New Hampshire, In all, ninety- sis thues, and sixty times for the successful candidate.
REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS, AND ELECTORS.
Dec. 15, 1788. A special meeting was held, chiefly to choose by ballot, for the first time, three persons having the " qualifications required by y' Cousti- tution of y" United States, to represent this State In Congress"; also to choose tive persous more, Inhabitants of this State, " who shall not be Continantal Seuetors, Representatives, or persons holding offices of profit or trust under ye l'uited States, to be ye Electors of this State for a President and Vice- President " of the United States. This first vote for representatives stood : Judge Foster, 36; Col. Joshua Wentworth, 35; Gen. Sullivan, 32; Pane Win- gate, 18; Gen. Peabody, 13; Mr. Atherton, 10.
At a subsequent meeting, Feb. 2, 1589, it was stated that " the candidates to choose from" were (1) Benjamin West, (2) Samuel Livermore, (3) Pane Wingate, (+) Ablel Foster, (3) John Sullivan, and (6) Nicholas Gilmon, Esq. (" but Pane Wingate is chosen senator "), to the first, fourth, and sixth of whom Sanbornton gave nineteen votes each for their ilnal choice ! This cus- tom of holding a " preliminary meeting " to express a preference, and a see- ond meeting for actual election (after the highest candidates had been " sent out "), prevailed for many years; for instance, Ang. 29, 1596, the four most popular men in the estimation of our Sanbornton fathers were shown to be Abiel Foster, Esq. (Canterbury 1, 80 votes; Jeremiah Smith, Esq. (Exeter), 80; Wm. Gordon, Esq., 55; Jas. Sheuf, Esq., 72; against 10, 7, 5, and 3 votes for another set of candidates. Three of the highest were afterwards elected.
Nov. 2, 1812. Among " ballots for six representatives in Congress," Daniel Webster (Portsmouth) and Samuel Smith (Peterboro') were the first and fourth of the board which received 312 votes os. 111 for a board of six other candidates. Aug. 20, 1814, in illing the vacancy occasioned by Hon. Saumiel Smith's resignation, Parker Noyes, Esq. (Salisbury, now Franklin, "near home "), received 356 votes against D. L. Morrill, Esq., 182. Also, for " the next Congress " (1814), Hon. Daniel Webster had 339 votes. in 1816 and 1819, llon. Jeremiah Smith (first) and Parker Noyes, Esq. (fourth), appear upon the higher of two lists of candidates which received, respectively, 262 es. 140 in 1816, and 239 os. 162 in 1819; thus showing that the Federal proclivi- ties of the town were still decided, though waning.
The first vote for five electors (Dec. 15, 1788) stood : "Gen. Cilley, 37; Col. Smith, 36; Col. MeDuffe, 33; Col. Long, 28; Col. Walker, 25, which shows a disposition to honor the military heroes of the late Revolution. These men, of course, went " solid for Washington." In 1792, though more civilians were elected, there was no division, 19 votes being given for each of a board of six headed by Josiah Bartlett, with Timothy Walker and Timothy Farrar ( Hollis) as the two last. November, 1796, gave the first signs of a split, New Hampshire being restored to her former number of electors (live), and
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APPENDIX C - ELECTORS.
the two Ebenezer Smiths, Esqs., of Durham and Meredith, heading (with the citizens of Sanbornton) a very respectable minority, - 16 and 13 to 30 cs. Gov. John T. Gilman and lon. Oliver Peabody, who were the ilist two Adams electors.
Iu Isvs, November (first Friday), the Federal or Anti-Jefferson party was still iu the ascendancy in town, giving to the seven De Witt Clinton electors, headed by llou. Jeremiah Smith, the very large majority of 248 to 72 over the seven Madison electors, led by John Langdon. This majority was iu propor- tion much less (317 to 111) for the next Presidential campaign, Nov. 2, 1812, which introduced Jaques Madisou to his second term of office, New Hampshire now being entitled to eight electors, Johu Langdon still heading the Madison men, and our own Nathan Taylor appearing among his opponents. The war had made the Republican or Madison cause unpopular in New England. But a reaction was beginning to be manifest at the first election of James Monroe, Nov. 4, ISIC, Sanbornton's vote for the eight electors being 270 Federal (Jolin T. Gilman first) against 144 for the Monroe party, then first called the Demo- cratic-Republican.
Little interest seems to have been taken in the Presidential election of 1820 (for Monroe's second term), the higher party of electors only receiving from 113 to 120 votes, - probably against the party in power, as Hou. William Plumer's name is among them; and there being apparently no organized opposition to this board, as one man only received forty-three votes, and two others but one or two each.
At the election of 1824, the Democratic-Republican party carried the town by a complete revolution, giving to their six Jackson electors from 130 to 151 votes ench, with no full ticket for either of the other Presidential candidates, Clay, Crawford or John Q. Adams, the latter being finally elected President by the House of Representatives at Washington.
But the Federals or Whig party of Saubornton were not again to be canght mapping, and rallying in November, 1828, defeated the eight Jackson electors by a vate of 287 to 275 ! while in 1832, for Jackson's second term, the tables were again completely turued, and the seven Democratic-Republican electors, including John Taylor, Esq., of this town, were chosen by a vote of 320 against 228 for the Whigs. This Democratie ascendancy has ever since been unintained, the majority for the seven Van Buren electors of 1536 being the decided one of 214 to 99! though for the very exciting "log-cabin" catti- paign of 1840, when Mr. Van Buren was in turn defeated by Geu. William I1. llarrison, the Whig rally in Sanbornton was very strong, securing 311 ballots for llarrisou and Tyler against 333 for the Democratic nominees, and there being only one man in town who had the bardihood to carry his vote for the seven electors of the Third Party !
In 1844 the six Democratic electors (James K. Polk ) had 266 votes; the six Whig electors ( Henry Clay ) had 213 votes; the six Third Party or Abolition electors had 30 votes. Total, 515 votes.
At the Presidential election for 1848, the six Cass electors received 299 bal- lots; six Taylor electors received 168; and six for two smaller parties, 43 and 29 cach. Total, 389.
1852. Five Pierce electors had 259 votes; tive Scott, 174; five Third Party, 44. Total, 507.
1856. Five Buchanan electors, 353 votes; five Fremont, 200; tive Fillmore, 3. Total, 635.
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HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
1600. Democratie electors, 310; Republican (Lincoln), 300; Third Party (Prof. Charles 1. Haddock heading the five electors), I. Total, 617.
1864. Democratle electors, 311 ; Republican (Lincoln's second term), 277. Total, 618.
1868. Democratie electors, 301 ; Republican (Grant), 264. Total, 565
1872. Democratie electors (Greeley), Sanbornton, 179, Tlitou, 140; Repub- llean (Grant's second term), S., 138, T., 110, scattering, 7. Total, S., 317, T., 257.
1876. Democratic electors (Tilden and Hendricks), S., 186, T., 152; Repub- lean ( Hayes and Wheeler), S., 135, T., 132, scattering, 4. Total, S., 321, T., 288.
1880. Flve Democratic electors (Hancock and English), S., 187, T., 187; fve Republican electors (Garfield and Arthur), S., 138, T., 168; Greenback or scattering, S., 3, T., 1. Total, S., 328, T., 356.
APPENDIX D.
(See pp. 196, 197.)
A DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OF THE HIGHWAYS OR ROADS LAID OUT IN SANBORNTON, - 1770-1875.
THE following is a list and record of the roads as "returned " by the selectmen in exact chronological order, to which will be added notices of other roads which were not returned, or entered in dne form upon the town books.
The first seventy-nine are from Vol. I. of the Town Records, where found mostly in a group or groups, and the return in each case con- sists merely of a brief statement of the starting and ending points, with a barren succession of courses and distances in degrees and rods ; e. g., "E. 10º N., 20 rods," ete. The returns of the remaining high- ways as here numbered are scattered through the other town books, mostly with the general records of the several years, and increase in fuluess of detail and formality of entry as the years advance. Hence in later times there is almost invariably a record first of a petition for the given road signed by several citizens ; then of the action of the selectmen upon said petition ; and finally, the return or description of the road itself.
The returns of roads are generally supposed to have been made by the selectmen, aud their locations, starting-points, courses, lengths, and terminations to have been thus entered upon the Town Records as soon as the same were agreed upon, and before the roads were actually constructed. There is also evidence that a few of the earlier high- ways, as in the case of No. 22, though returned, were never much used or " made " at all ; but to most of the earlier roads a certain degree of completeness for returning seems to have been requisite, which yet only consisted in a widening of the original " baggage-ways," bridle paths, or ten-foot sled roads to the prescribed breadth, and even this widening seems to have been at first more theoretical than practical. There is no evidence that these roads were fully cleared of trees in their specified length and breadth ; and they were destined for many
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HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
years to be used only by saddle-horses and ox-teams, no kital of horse vehicle being known in town till long afterwards. The idea of work- ing, grading, or " turupiking" the roads in the modern style was not realized in most parts of the town till ucar the close of the last cen- tury. Though the courses and distances are quite as explicitly stated in the very first returns as in those of later date, yet the measure- ments must have been rough, and the rods decidedly long, as only about 1,140 rods (or three and one half + miles) are taken up in No. 2, between the original Sanbornton Bridge and the site of the first meeting-house.
In this catalogue the date of each return will be entered after its unmber ; followed by an abstract of the return, with a summation of ilistances for the several roads, their general courses, and such explanatory remarks as may help us to trace their history, and if possible to identify them at present. Their width will be understood to be two rods, and range roads four rods, as by vote of the town, March, 1772, except as otherwise stated.
CATALOGUE.
No. 1. July 30, 1770. This is the earliest record or return of a com- pleted (?) road, after the incorporation of the town, signed by the first Board of Selectmeu, and styled, " A rode from ye S. E. corner of Thomas Critchet's land to ye Alder Heath, so called"; whole distance about three miles; nearly identleal with the present Bay road, from near the late Capt. Jacob B. Phil- brick's ( Lot 26, First Division) by Union Bridge village to the large meadow (Alder Heath) through which the Gulf Brook flows into the river, ou Lut 79, Second Division.
No. 2. Sept. 15, 1750. " A return of ye main rode from Winepesoco River up to ye end of ye minister great lot." Three rods wide; "beginning at the great bridge in Col. Parker's" (probably for Packer, grautee of Lot 75, Second Division), and runuing about 1,140 rods iu a prevailing north-northeasterly direction till it reaches the " minister range line " (near site of first meeting. house ) ; "and thence half a mile farther, a few degrees west of north, to the range between ye first and second division of lots "; whole length. 1,800 rods. This the original main or Gulf road, from the Bridge, over the old Meeting- House fill, to the present Leavitt place, on the track chiefly used by the set- tlers for the tive or six previous years. (See p. 19.4.)
No. 3. Dec. 14, 1770. A joint return by selectmen and Daniel Sanborn and Ebenezer Morrison, owners of Lot No. 74, Second Division, "of a rode from ye mill yard at Winepesoen river to ye range live at ye N. W. corner of said lot" ( the present highway from Tilton Street to Tin Corner) ; also of " a stall piece of way to ye Eastward of said corner," veering cast-northeast and east-southeast (as now across the valley of the brook), " till it hits " rauge way again," about one hundred and sixteen rods east of the northwest corner, at the northeast corner of the lot, where it met the road originally laid out by the proprietors ou the east side of this seventy-fourth lot (sce p. 194, seventeenth line), in exchange for which its present owners grant land for
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APPENDIX D - HIGHWAYS OR ROADS.
another road diagonally through it. It appears from this that the proprietors did open a road towards the original mill graut, on side line between Lots 7 and 75, cast of the T'in Corner.
No. 4. Dec. 20, 1770. " From Salmon brook to ye main rode in Sanborn- ton, beginning at s brook, ou northerly side of the bridge." This marks the earliest building of a bridge at what is now the Turkey Bridge; probably in connection with the opening of this highway, but before the same was returned. It originally went up the hill nearly south of the present clock shop of the Johnson brothers, west of their pond, and past the Thomas Morrison and Sanborn house sites, to the road as at present travelled to Crockett's Corner. This first section of the road from Salmon Brook has been twice changed (the last time about 1837), deflecting westerly into the pine woods to avoid the sand-hill. From Crockett's Corner it continued over the long hill of the original First Baptist Meeting-House, tive hundred rods, to "ye range way," near the present Daniel B. Sauboru's; thence on the range to main road, at the Leavitt place.
No. 5. March 26, 1771 (day of second annual town meeting). The full Board of Selectmen for the previous year made return of a road " from the S. W. corner of ye minister great lot [the point reached by Nos. 2 and 4] up to ye head of Isaac Colby's land." A continuation of the main road, by the present Shute's Corner, to the north side, probably, of Rufus Colby's farm. Length, nine hundred and thirty-one rods.
No. 6. July 30, 1771. From the termination of No. 1, at Alder Heath, " to ye Bridge over Winepesoco river." Total length as at present, about one and one half miles.
No. 7. July 30, 1771. "From S. W. corner of Daniel Lary's land, Westerly in ye range way, 529 rods "; then south and southwest "to ye mill rode"; in all, two and one fourth miles. From what is now Shute's Corner (not then occupied), west, by Clark's Corner, to corner (Crockett's) near First Baptist . Meeting-house.
No. 8. July 30, 1771. "From Jona. Smith, Jun.'s, S. W. corner, running Southerly, on ye side line of Lot No. 8, 2d Div., to ye Salmon brook, or mill rode." Must have been a continuation of Andrew J. Taylor's lane from Charles B. Perley's, north, for. accommodation of families there settled. Long since discontinued ns a highway. Tradition says it once " went through " to No. 7, being Jonathan Smith's path of egress to the Centre.
No. 9. July 30, 1771. "From S. E. corner of Jacob Smith's land, on ye lot No. 67, 2d Div., running Westerly in ye range way to N. W. corner of Lot No. 72." Tin Corner, west, to the present Franklin town line.
No. 10. Ang. 8, 1771. "Between ye lots Nos. 10 and 11, 2d Div., begin- ning at ye min rode, and running North to ye range at ye Northerly end of said lots." From near the late Giles place, down the hill to Clark's Corner, west of the Minister's Second Division Lot.
No. 11. Dec. 5, 1771. "From Jolm Gale's East side line to ye main rode in this town; N. E. from s'd side line, 92 rods, to James Cate's house; thence [ mainly ] N. E., to the range north of Lot No. 36, Ist Div. ; East on that range till within 34 rods of N. E. corner of s'd lot"; next, a detour north of range and back to it of eighty-eight rods; and " then on ye range to s'd main rode." This was the first highway opened from what is now Franklin to the Square! Starting point, back of the late Charles 1. Clark's, in Franklin (at Site 1, Lot No. 69, Second Division) ; first ninety-two rods in what is now woods and
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HISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
feld, southwest of the late E. C. Wyutt's; then, the road as now travelled by Eben. Burleteles, the Thompson neighborhood, and Calef lllll ; thially, east, on range near A. J. Crockett's (except the small detour) over what is now a rough and wild region, to the Square, near J. M. Taylor's! Four rods wide on the range; elsewhere, three rods.
No. 12. March 19, 1772. By the Board of 1771. "Return of a way from William Hayes's to John Gale's East side le. Beglus at ye malu rode, near s'd llayes's house, and runs westerly on ye range [Including a part of No. 3 and No. J] until It comes 89 rods to ye Westward of the S. W. corner of Lot No. Cs, 2d Div."; and thence, maluly northwest, one hundred and four rods, to Its terminus as above, near the present Reuben Morrill's, In Franklin. Ouly the first and last portlous of this road then newly returned. It is now the highway from the Gulf road, near J. B. Butchelder's, to Franklin, viu Thu Corner.
No. 13. March 19, 1772. By the Board of 1771. "From Johu Gibson's to y' malu rode ; begins ut y" buy rode, near s'd Gibson's house [just below present Kollins School-house, East Tilton], Westerly ou range, 84 rods [up hilll to the Lancaster corner]; then N. W.," with two southwest deflections, " to ye range § a mlle below ye centre "; and flually, " Westerly on sald range to y" s'd mmin rode." This was the old road by Mrs. Shepard's, and the now deserted Hunt neighborhood, to Mr. John Perkins's; whence, striking the range above, it was first designed to follow the same across the Thomas Brook Valley, by the Thomas house and over the hill, to the Square, between present farms of Joshua Lane and Thomas M. Jaques (then the Aaron San- born and Esq. Daniel Sanborn farms) ; but two years later (1774), Its course was changed from Robert Smart's (now Perkins place), because the former road was " farther to ye Northward, and not so convenient " (obviously !), and made to run nearly as at present, hitting "main rode" at the Ingalls place (How Dr Edward Abbott's), and giving to Aaron Sanborn about two thirds of the discarded range way.
No. 14. March 19, 1772. By the Board of 1771. " From ye great Bridge to ye grist mill, N. W. 70 rods, and S. W. 25 rods, to ye mill rode." This is plainly the first recognition of Tilton Street from opposite Hill's Block to near the new will, below railroad station; then simply a connection between returns Nos. 2 and 3 of this list.
No. 15. March 19, 1772. By the Board of 1771. "From Benjamin Hoit's N. W. corner to Salmon Brook bridge." A little dificulty in identifying this in all its points; but doubtless the road cast ou range from the late Capt. James Prescott's corner (northwest corner of Lot 5, Second Division), by the later Weeks and Piper houses; and then, as now, by a circuitous rollte, north- east and southeast, down the Silver or Dustin Hill, and round by the new school-house and late Elias Russell or Rundlet place, to the present Turkey Bridge, meeting road No. 4; whole distance then about one and one third miles.
No. 16. March 19, 1779. By the Board of 1771. "From ye main rode to Nathaniel Burley's S. W. corner; beginning 15 rods to ye Northward of ye range line that s'd Burley's land lays upon "; theuce southwest "to range line, and Westerly ou s'd line to s'd S. W. corner." Thus describing the high- way us then from top of the Gulf Ilill to the homestead of the late Daniel Davis (now G. M. Brown's). The last eleven roads were all returned by the selectmen of 1771.
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APPENDIX D - HIGHWAYS OR ROADS.
No. 17. April 27, 1772. " Au alteration of the malu road [now begins to be thus spelled] through Josiah Sanborn's and Daniel Sanborn's land, In lew of" a section of No. 2. "Begins at South end of Edward Kelley's land, in y' old road," with principal directions, " S. E. 99, 50 rods; S. W. 3º, 30 rods ; and S. W. 23º, 41 rods." As this alteration must have been on both Lots 75 and 14, First Division, and was less than half a mile long, It implies that the original way of ascending the old Tower or Meeting-House Hill was different from the present; probably more direet, and running to the west of the ilest meeting-house site amt present cemetery.
No. 18. June 8, 1772. " A piece of a road beginning at the road that wits laid out from ye mills on Wluepesoco River to John Gale's land [probably meaning the western terminus of No. 12]; and then running northerly ou y side line of sald Gale's land, taking one rod and a half out of his land, and the same out of John Clark's land, and out of Mr. James Cate's land, until it comes to the southerly end of" No. 11. This ran north, on side line from near the present Reuben Morrill's, and east of Charles II. Clark's, Franklin. Discontinued, with lower extremity of No. 11, Aug. 24, 1807.
No. 19. Dee. 10, 1772. " Return of a road from John Clark's land to ye new bridge over Winepesoco river, beginning at [ the end of No. 12], and running S. W. and S. E. 62 rods to ye bridge"; three rods wide. The track of this road was plainly visible down the bank of the river, southeast of the late Charles II. Clark's, till the recent building of the new dam and mill on the site of the old bridge.
No. 20. Dee. 16, 1772. "Froin ye north side of John Gale's house to ye new mills on Winepesoco river, beginning at road above returned, and running N. W., S. W., und Westerly by ye river to ye Westerly side of ye mill stage "; in all, one hundred and fifty-six rods. This road ran nearer to the river than the present highway between Tilton and Franklin, in front of the Charles If. Clark residence. The building of the first Folsom mill at Franklin Falls is thus fixed between June and December, 1772. (See No. 18.)
No. 21. Dec. 16, 1772. "From Benjamin Hoit's N. W. corner [connecting with No. 15] to Daniel Fitleld's house ; W. on ye range 189 rods, to Jolin Colby's land; then Northerly, between s'd Colby's and Jotham Rawlings's, and through Benja. Colby's into Charles Thomas's, 246 rods; and finally, N. E. and N. W. to said Fifield's house." Total length, five hundred and thirty-seven rods. The above names show that this must have been the road west from the Capt. James Prescott place to the vicinity of Jerry Weeks's corner; and then north upon the east road to the neighborhood of the present Charles Thomas and S. D. Weeks farms, where Fiffeld must then have been living.
No. 22. Dec. 16, 1772. "From William Hayes's to Benjamin Sanborn's [connecting with No. 12] Easterly on ye range, 250 rods "; thence north- easterly to termins on the present Sanborn road; in all, four hundred and six rods. This road never could have been much worked, as no signs of it can now be found. It may have been used as a bridle path for a few years. No remembrance of the same with those living in 1798.
No. 23. Dec. 10, 1772. "From ye main road to Abijah Sanborn's land [running first] between Mr. Woodman's land and Josiah Sanborn's laud, Easterly, 70 rods"; then southeast and northeast; in all, three hundred and sixty-nine rods. This was the old road from and down east side of the Meeting-House Ilill to site of the present lunkins School-house, joining present highway west of the late Perkins place.
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IHISTORY OF SANBORNTON.
No. 24. Dec. 16, 1772. .. From Ichabod Swain's N. W. corner to Thomas Critthett's S. R. [connecting with No. 1], E., to Swain's N. E. corner, 116 rods; S., between Lots 1 and 2. Ist Dlv., 100 rods"; then in a southwest direction, with " 40 rods by the Bay," aud over the hill, evidently, from below Chapman's Corner, to the east side line of suld Critchett's land (to which polut, three miles eleven rods) ; lastly, south, between Critchett's and Solomon Copp's, to terminus. A very circultous route as traced upon the map (which see); starting east from near the present Smith Neal's, down the hill to late Oliver Calef place; thence south, etc. The last eight rouds or pieces of road were returned by the selectmen chosen March, 1572.
No. 25. March 20, 1754. " At the Bay," beginning "at Solomon Copp's S. W. corner [same as Critchett's southeast, In last, Intersecting thus with the junction of Nos. 1 and 21], east, to Bay on range lue [bound tree near the late Betsey Philbriek's]; then by bay, N. aml N. E. as the bay runs, 200 rolls ; then cross a point of land [opposite Mohawk Point] N. 43" E., 28 ruds, to Bay again; then by Bay, N. E. 148 rods, to range line neur Jonatlem Thomas's house," which must have been near the Aaron Hill place of 1559. This was evidently the first continuation of the original Bay road, by the Dea. B. Philbrick (now Dalton) place, towards Mosquito Bridge. One mile iltty-six rods long, three rods wide.
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