USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 32
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Benjamin Thompson commenced farming on his own account in 1828, when he was twenty-two years old. His cash book and first ledger, from 1828 to 1835, show that his farming operations were quite extensive, much help employed, at least three pairs of oxen kept, besides, cows, sheep, horses
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and swine, etc. He also had an interest in a sawmill in which he not only sawed what lumber he wanted for his own use, but also used this mill for making cider and pressing hay. His ledger shows that among the sales from the farm were hay, wood, lumber, butter, cheese, apples, cider, vinegar, beef, pork, grain, etc. In fact all the farm hands he employed and there was quite a crew of them, were kept supplied with the necessaries of life, from rum and tobacco, to clothing, food, etc. He paid very little if any cash.
Benjamin Thompson was the pioneer in raising fruit for the Boston market. . As early as 1837 he began to set out apple trees, which he budded or grafted himself. He claimed to be and no doubt was the first farmer in Durham who commenced to raise the Baldwin apple; for many years in succession he raised at least a hundred barrels a year, and he so managed as not to have any "off years" in the product. He knew how to do it. He personally attended to setting out the trees, and did the budding, grafting and trimming of them just when it was the proper time to do it. He was an expert rider on horseback and did a great deal of traveling about his farm that way, overseeing the work; in fact he would trim apple trees sitting on his faithful horse, who knew the wishes of his master thoroughly. His tall spare form was a familiar sight in Durham village and about the farm prior to his becoming an octogenarian. Benjamin Thompson was a successful farmer, none better in Durham, which abounded in good farmers, until his health became so poor that he could not attend to the cares of active farm supervision. Being a bachelor his household expenses were not very large. Being a careful and far-seeing manager in farming and other business affairs his property constantly increased. His father, Benjamin Thompson, Sr., was a wealthy man ; when he died in 1838 he made his son Benjamin residuary legatee and executor ; there were nine heirs; Benjamin was careful that the "residuary" part of the estate was not impaired by the settlements with the other eight heirs. Benjamin's mother died in October, 1849, leaving an estate valued at $8,000. There were six heirs, and some of them thoughit Benjamin claimed more than his share. Whether true or not considerable feeling ensued, and from remarks made at the time, the family understood that they never would receive a cent of Benjamin Thompson's property, when he had "passed on." And they did not. They did not know then what "Uncle Ben" was planning in his mind. Their judgment of him is different now.
Just when Benjamin Thompson. began to plan to lay the foundation for an agricultural college on his farm is not known; he never told any one ; but in 1858 he made his first will in which he provided for such a college and appointed executors. He was then fifty years old; in the providence of
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God he was to live thirty-four years more; he knew it not, of course, but he set his mind at work for that one object, be his own life long, or short of old age. He made codicils at different times slightly modifying the conditions of the trust. Daniel M. Christie, Esq., drew the will as Mr. Thompson directed, but its contents were not disclosed until his death, January 30, 1890. There were many surmises as to what "Uncle Ben" was going to do with his property ; but no one surmised he was to convert Durham into a college town.
Mr. Thompson kept quietly on his way; cared for his farm; raised big crops; sold at good prices, when the market was best for selling, and made good investments of his income. In this investment business he was a good judge himself, and he had an extra good helper in the person of Hon. James F. Joy of Detroit, Mich., who had been born and brought up in Durham, and had been a school fellow with Mr. Thompson. Mr. Joy made many investments for Mr. Thompson, in the West, and they all paid him good income. In fact Mr. Thompson, so far as known, made only one bad invest- ment; that was in $30,000 in South Carolina state bonds, which the state afterward defaulted, and declined several times since then to pay. But the State of New Hamphire has this year (1913) made a new attempt to collect the debt ; the result will be known after this writing is published.
A public hearing was held at Concord, Feb. 11, 1901, before a special committee of the Legislature on the will of Benjamin. Mr. Joy, one of the executors of this will, and a cousin of the testator, addressed the meeting. He said Mr. Thompson was a careful, economical and prudent man. Some years before that he formed the idea of giving his fortune to the State of New Hampshire to establish an agricultural college. Probably he was the first New Hampshire man who conceived such a college for the state. He felt that this state needed such a college. Mr. Joy suggested to him that his money might do good in some other way, but his reply was that there was no other purpose for which he could devote his money, which was earned by hard work, so well as by establishing an agricultural school to be located on his "Warner Farm" wherein should be thoroughly taught, both in the school- room and in the field, the theory and practice of that most useful and honor- able calling-farming. He asked Mr. Joy to become an executor of his will and do all he could to have it carried out. Mr. Thompson told Mr. Joy he wanted the college located in Durham because that was his birthplace. He had two objects in view in his will-one that the state should have a perpetual fund for the support of the college and the other that the state should furnish funds for construction of the college buildings. At the time Mr. Thompson
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made his will he valued his property at $64,305. When the will was probated the property was rated at about $500,000.
Benjamin Thompson was generous in other ways than in giving money to found an agricultural college. When the college was moved from Hanover to Durham in 1891, the citizens of the town had one of the best town libraries in New Hampshire, owned by a library association. Mr. Thompson was one of the founders and from year to year gave liberally for its support. He gave liberally to the church, and showed his generosity and helpfulness where help was needed. But he did not let others decide to what and in what way he should give. Benjamin Thompson's career stands in strong contrast with that of his illustrious grandfather, Judge Ebenezer Thompson, but if great- ness depends on doing things that produce beneficent and far-reaching results, then Benjamin Thompson certainly was a great man.
CHAPTER XXXIII
HISTORY OF LEE (I)
ORIGIN OF THE NAME; PARISH OF LEE IN DURHAM
Localities in what is now the town of Lee began to be settled at a very early date. First the immigrants built their village on Dover Neck; soon they branched out along the rivers and Little Bay; they went up Oyster river ; soon after up "Lamperele" river, as they spelled it, and then across country between the two rivers, Dover claiming all the territory up to that river, Exeter having what was beyond. One of the chief points the enterprising men looked out to secure grants of were the water falls, for mill sites, and this section of old Dover, now Lee, had then and has now several excellent falls for use in generating power for mills. The lumber business was soon one of the most important and profitable. So Wadleigh's Falls, on Lamprey river, in that part of old Dover, now Lee, were granted by Massachusetts authorities to Samuel Symond of Ipswich, Mass., together with 640 acres of land (one square mile) of which he took possession June 3, 1657, in the presence and with the consent of Moharimet, the Indian sagamore of this region. But he did not hold it, as appears from the following in Dover Town Records.
May 3, 1669, Robert Wadleigh was received as an inhabitant in Dover "according to ye tenure of the last inhabitant received." At the same time he received this grant of what has ever since been known as Wadleigh's Falls :
At a general town meeting held at Dover March 3, 1669, Given and granted into Robert Wadleigh as accommodations for the erection and setting of a sawmill or mills at the uppermost falls upon Lamperele river, commonly called by ye name of ye Cleland falls ; with an accommodation of timber there- unto belonging, ye bounds of ye timber are as follows: Yt is to say, all ye timber on ye south side above sd falls as farr as ye towns bounds doth goe, and on ye north side all ye timber yt is within of the River above ye sd falls as far as the Town bounds doth goe, with one hundred acres of land on ye south side of ye sd River and twenty acres of land on ye north side of ye river adjacent unto the sd falls on both sides; all which falls, timber and land is granted unto ye sd Wadleigh and his heires, executors, administ. and assigns, provided it doth not intrench upon any former grant either in pt. or whole. In consideration of sd grant of falls. timber and land, the sd. Robt. Wadleigh dothe engage himself heires, executors and administr. to pay or
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cause to be paid unto the Towne of Dover the summ of tenn pounds per an. in merchanta. pine bords at price currant at the ordinary landing place on Lamperele River lower falls, as long as he or they do keepe possession there of wch payment is to begin the last of August next insueing this instant, to be made unto ye Selectmen of Dover or their order, and further it is agreed and ordered that if any pt. thereof be taken away by any former grant then the town is to abate of the rate proportionally. And alsoe ye towne doth reserve free eagresse and Regresse for ye transportation of timber, either by land or water : and ye Inhabitance have ye same Liberty in this grant as they have in other Mill grants.
Hatevil Nutter, who had an interest in a former grant at or near the same place, entered his dissent to this grant, but Mr. Wadleigh held the title. He had a sawmill running there as early as April 21, 1668, and in 1669 his right was confirmed by Massachusetts. They are called the upper falls in Lamprey River in a survey of Dover bounds in 1701. Ezekiel Gilman of Exeter conveyed to Samuel Doe, Nov. 9, 1730, "one sixteenth part of a 640- acre grant in Dover, at a place commonly called Wadley Falls upon Lamperell river lying on both sides of the river, formerly granted by the General Court of Boston to Samuel Symonds of Ipswich, deceased, which sixteenth part said Gilman had by deed from Robert Wadley Sept. 1, 1730. Also one sixteenth part of the sawmill and dam upon Laperell river, at Wadley's Falls, with all privileges." These falls are in the southeast part of Lee. When a century had passed beyond this date the farm holdings had become quite numerous, and the farmers began to complain about having to travel to Dur- ham village to attend town meetings and especially religious services on the Lord's Day; they did not call it Sunday. After discussion a year or two, the following is the record of what was done in town meeting, as a result of neighborhood discussions :
Province of Newhamp at a Publick Town meeting, (Legally Notified) held at the Meeting house at The Falls in Durham, on monday The Third day of September A. D. 1764-Joseph Atkinson Esq was Chosen Moderator, for the well Regulating Said Meeting- Voted That There Should be a Com- mittee Chosen To Run a Line across Said Town of Durham, From Paul Chessley house, near madbury Line; to the house of John Smart upon New- market Line being according to The Request of Sundry of The Inhabitants of Said Town, Requesting That ; all the upper or western end of Said Town, above the afores Line, may be voted, to be Sat of as a Parish-Voted That Leiu Joseph Sias, mr Miles Randel, and, mr Nicholas Duda of The Petitioners and Capt Benjamin Smith, Capt Stephen Jones, and Mr Thomas Chesley, of The Lower Part of The Town, be The persons, to be Employed as a Committee for The aforsd purpose-Voted, Likewise, That if the Said Com- mittee, Dont Think The Line petitioned for to be Suitable to fix any other Line That They may Unanimously agree upon and make Report Thereof
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accordingly to The town on The 24 Inst. The meeting adjourned To The 24 day of September Instant, to 2 of the Clock in The afternoon. Met according to adjournment, Sept 24th and The Committee made The Fol- lowing Report in writing, under their hands, To the Town.
Whereas, we The Subscribers, were Chosen, at a Publick Town meeting, of The Inhabitants of Durham, the 3d Inst To Run a Line, across Said Town, agreeable to a Petition, Exhibited to Said Town, by Sundry of the Inhabitants Requesting, the western part thereof, to be Sat of into a Parish, it was Likewise voted-That if we The Subscribers, Dont Think the Line Petitioned for proper, to fix Some Other Line, that we might agree upon, and make Report to the Town accordingly. Pursuant Thereto, we have Run the Line petitioned for, and indeavored to Veiw, and Inform ourselves, into the Circumstances of Said town, and Do Unanimously agree, That a Strait Line; Beginning one hundred and Twenty four Rods, above the Dwelling house, of paul Chesley, on madbury Line, and So to Run a Strait point across to Newmarket Line, to one mile and a half, above the Dwelling house, of John Smart may be a Suitable Line.
N B it is the intent of the above Resolve, that the Line Fixed upon, Run from the house of paul Chesley, North 6 degrees East, to Madbury Line & then to Measure up 124 rods, by Said madbury Line.
Stephen Jones Miles Randel
Benjamin Smith Joseph Sias Committee
Nicholas Dudea Thomas Chesley
The meeting adjourned, to the 8th day of October next, to 2 of the Clock in the afternoon. October 8th met according to adjournment, and Voted That Capt Benjamin Smith And Leiut Joseph Sias, be appointed, a Committee, to draw a Vote in writing for the western part of the Town to Be Sat of as a parish and Bring it to the Town, at Some publick townmeet- ing-the Town meetting Dissolved.
November 18th 1765-at a Publick Town meeting, (Legally Notified) of the Inhabitants of Durham, held this day at the falls in Durham-Joseph Atkinson Esqr Chosen moderator, for Said meeting-Capt Benjm Smith Esqr and Capt Joseph Sias Brought the following Vote to the Town in writing-That The western End of Said Town of Durham, be voted, to be Sat of as a parish, Agreable to the Result or a Report of a Committee, (Chosen and appointed for that purpose) and Brought into Publick Town meeting, the 24th day of Septr 1764-with this addition, thereto, that the Said parish, (when an act may be Obtained for that Purpose), Shall take Their proportionable Part of the poor now Supported by the whole town, and Likewise That the Said parish Shall not in any Respect Interfere with any Lands belonging to the proprietors in Said Town-Voted, that the above vote, Brought by Capts Smith and Sias, is agreeable to the Sense of the Town, and that it be Recorded accordingly.
The above, & within, are True Coppyes, as on Durham Town Records.
attest-Ebenr Thompson T Cler
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As a result of that meeting a petition for a division of the town was pre- sented as follows :
Province of New Hamp'r To his Excellency Benning Wentworth Esqr Governor and Commander in Chief in and over his majesty's Province of New Hampshire to the Honourable his majestys Counsel and the House of Representatives in General assembly Convened-The Petition of Sundry of the Inhabitants of Durham most humbly Sheweth That in said Town of Durham there are Inhabitants Sufficient for two Parishes and to maintain and support the Charge thereof That many of the Inhabitants live more then Eight miles from the Place of Publick Worship and where all Town meetings and the Publick of Affairs are holden and Transacted which Ren- ders it very Difficult for them to Attend there at any time but more Espe- cially in the winter Season that the Consequence thereof it is Probable will be that many of the Youth in said Town will be brought up in great Igno- rance unless the Difficulties be removed and the Petitioners are in a great measure prevented the use of their Privilidges in their present Situation- Wherefore your Petitioners most humbly pray your, Excellency and Honours, that there may be two Parishes in said Town and that the Dividing Line between the Two Parishes Beginning at Paul Chesles house at Beech Hill so (Called) then North Six Degrees East to the line Between said Durham and Medbury then running westerly on said line one hundred and twenty four rods then Beginning and Running from thence to New Market line to one mile and half above the Dwelling House of John Smart which Line was agreed upon by a Committee Chosen by the Said Town of Durham in the year one thousand Seven hundred and Sixty four and Voted in Publick Town meeting and so to Include the whole of said Durham above this line We therefore humbly pray your Excellency and your Honours to take our Case into your wise Considerations and Set said Parish off by said Line with the Powers and Privilidges of Other Towns or Parishes in this Prov- ince and your Petitioners as in Duty bound shall Ever pray ---
Dated at Durham November 18th 1765
Hercules Mooney
stoten tutle
Eben Randel
Gideon Mathes
Miles Randal
Micah Emerson
Wintrhop Durgin
Samuel Langley
Joseph Clark
Elijah Denbo
Moses Davis Junr
Joseph Sias
Samuel Jackson
Willm Waymoth
John Elliot
Joseph Thomson
James Davis
Josua Woodman Jun
Jonathan runnels
John Giles
Samuel pitman John follett
Andew watson Isaac Small
Joseph meder
Thomas Huckins
Benjamin Bradly
Joseph Hicks
Nicholas Duda
Joseph Jackson
John Sanborn
Eben Lethers
Josiah Johnson
Edward Hill
William Renely
Timothy Davis
Thomas Snell
francis Eliot
thomas Yourk
Eli Clark Juner
Benjamin Bickford
James Hall Hanary tufts nathanel Watson
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mason Rendel
Moses Dam
Zaccheus Clough John Davis
Joseph Clay
joseh doe
James Giles Bunker
Nathaniel Stevens Jun. Bartholomew Smart
Ebn Jones Juner
Robert York
Isarel Randel
Jonathan Stevens
Nichole Tuttel
Francis Durgin
Ebenezer Dow jun
Samuel Burley
Joshua Burnam
Nathaniel Watson Jur
Nathaniel Randal
Samuel Carter
Joseph Huckins
Reubin Hill
Thomas huckins jr
John Shaw Junr
Clement Davis
Solomon Sias
Ichabod Denbow
James Watson
frances Allen
Thomas Wille
Nathaniel frost
William Cashey
John Snell
Samuel watson
Edweard Scales
Eli Clark
Josiah Durgin
Samuel bickford
hunkin Dam
John Durgin
william Rendel
Thomas Noble
John Shaw
Job Runels
Ebenezer Jones
Benjamin Woodman
John Clark
Samuel Sias
David Davis
David munsey
Gorge tutle
Benja Clark
Jonathan Stevens
In the above petition for a parish no mention is anywhere made of a name for it; the petitioners simply say they wish to be set off from Durham as a parish, and Durham had given its consent. How then did the parish get the name of Lee? Governor Benning Wentworth gave it the name, just as he did the name of many other towns that were granted under his adminis- tration. And he selected the names from places in England, where he had friends, or with which he was acquainted. He selected Lee, on the River Lee, in London. There was no particular reason for it; he simply so named the parish, which in fact was a town.
The Journal of the House (New Hampshire Provincial Assembly) Wednesday Jan. 15, 1766, A. M., has the following :
A message was sent to the Council by the Clerk of the House to Enquire what Acts had passed the Council and were consented to by the Governour. P. M. In answer to the message to the Council by the Clerk in the forenoon, Mr. Secretary (Theodore Atkinson) came down and informed that the following Acts were consented to by the Governour ( Benning Went- worth) viz :
For a new Parish in Durham.
To enable the Treasurer to recover debts.
To revive the Proprietary Act.
To enable the Selectmen to exchange Roads. To enable inhabitants to call town-meetings.
To make void fraudulent deed.
To enable Peabody & Shepard to sell land.
To dissolve the marriage of Saml Smallcorn.
Nathel Sias
Nathaniel Stevens
Benja Durgin
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The records from Jan. 15 to Jan. 23, 1766, are missing, but on January 16th the act for a new parish of Lee became law, as on Friday, Jan. 10, 1766, the House had passed an "Act for incorporating a new Parish in Durham," according to the Journal for that day. In that act the parish is called "Lee." The petitioners did not ask to have it named Lee; they did not mention any name for it. So Governor Benning Wentworth gave it a name; he called it Lee, as has been previously explained.
CHAPTER XXXIV HISTORY OF LEE (II)
BUSINESS AND OCCUPATIONS
The first business after obtaining the charter from Gov. Benning Went- worth was organizing the parish, or town machinery. The chief settlement in the new town was at Lee Hill, as it has been called since Governor Went- worth named the town; before that it was The Hill, where five roads center, since they had roads leading to different sections of the town. Quite a hamlet was gathered there before Durham became a town in 1732, and farms began to be settled around it. Who built the first house there the writer cannot say. But they had a meeting house there and a minister ready for establishing the new parish in 1766. Lee Parish was incorporated Jan. 16, 1766, which act of incorporation authorized Joseph Sias to call the first parish or town meeting; he issued the call for March 18th, and they organ- ized by choosing Miles Randall for moderator and clerk; Robet Thompson, Ely Clark and Nicholas Dudy, selectmen. Among other business it was voted "that Zacheus Clough inspect into the affairs of Rev. Samuel Hutchins." Mr. Hutchins was the minister when the town was incorporated. Mr. Clough attended to the duty assigned him and reported Mr. Hutchins' "affairs" satisfactory, and it was voted to continue him as minister for the town. He so continued until about 1800. His successor was the Rev. John Osborne.
The town lines are straight, but at their meeting form a variety of angles ; it has one pond and three rivers. Wheelwright's pond is near the center of the west side of the town and is the source of Oyster river freshet-that is, the fresh water part of Oyster river. On it is one fall where a sawmill was located at a very early period. As the county was one vast forest the first thing to do was to build a sawmill at every waterfall and begin sawing lumber. ยท The territory about these falls near the pond was covered with very tall, white pine trees, and many of them were cut for masts for the King's navy and merchant ships. More than two hundred and twenty-five years ago (1913) it had the local name Newtown, which it has retained to the present time. The Dover records speak of a highway laid out in 1688 from the head of
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Beard's creek, near the Woodman garrison, to New Town. The name itself implies settlement there at that time, and they had a sawmill at the falls called New Town Mill. Belknap states in his history, in 1712, this mill was burned by the Indians, and with the mill they burned a large lot of boards. But it was soon rebuilt and the frontiersmen kept on sawing boards, regardless of the Indians.
Who received the first grant of land there the writer does not know; nor why the locality was called New Town; probably it was some freak notion or fancy of the first lumberman, who was under the necessity of giving the locality some name in order to locate his timber grant, in a particular part of old Dover. On Oct. 17, 1663, 250 years ago (1913), Patrick Jemison received a grant of 120 acres about a mile and a half from Wheelwright's pond, down the river on both sides; that included the falls. May 31, 1721. sixty acres of this grant were laid out to Capt. Samuel Emerson, and in describing the bounds it says "beginning below Newtown Orchard, at a red oak on the south side of Oyster River." That shows the place had been settled a long time and had an orchard. Captain Emerson bought it of John Webster and wife Bridget, of Salisbury, Mass. Webster sold the other half (of the Jemison or Jameson grant) to Nathaniel Randall Jan. 27, 1719-20. And this was alongside of the Mast Path leading through Madbury to Dover at Wingate's slip, on Back river.
The Newtown Mill was owned by several persons who owned shares at the same time, and the owners took turns in using the mill in the flood season of the year in sawing each his quota of time there would be a good supply of water to run the saw. For example, when an inventory of the estate of Robert Huckins of Oyster River was taken April 23, 1720, it is noted that he owned "half a quarter" of the mill at Newtown. Nathaniel Lamos had forty acres of land laid out to him May 17, 1729, "beginning on Oyster's River, a little above the mill called New Town mill." A highway "from New Town mill up into the woods" is mentioned Oct. 20, 1735, when twenty- five acres were laid out for Robert Huckins on the south side of this road "at a place called Maple Brook." A highway was laid out from New Town sawmill on the south side of Oyster river June 9, 1738, extending from the road that leads from Little river.
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