USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and representative citizens > Part 46
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Saratoga in October, 1777. Capt. Daniel McDuffee also commanded a com- pany in those battles of which about thirty were Rochester men, and they were in the fiercest parts of the battles. In the regular Continental army, in the three New Hampshire regiments, there were over thirty men who had long service, and several of them lost their lives in the army. There were also a good number of brave Rochester men who served their country upon the seas in privateering vessels. Among these were Benjamin Calber, Timothy and Joseph Roberts and Isaac Hanson. They served with the gallant Paul Jones. With them was George Roberts of Middleton.
When the Selectmen passed around the Association Test in 1776 for signers they found 196 men who complied with the request to sign it ; twenty- two men refused to sign the test and promise to bear arms against King George's authority. Also there were twenty-two others who were members of the Society of Friends; one of their doctrines of faith was not to engage in war, they refused to sign for that reason. But many of these later changed their minds and rendered good service to the American side of this contest with Great Britain.
Hon. John Plumer, Lieut .- Col. John McDuffee, Deacon James Knowles and Dr. James Howe were prominent in their leadership among the citizens during the Revolution, but there were many others just as patriotic in render- ing service, though not so conspicuous in the public eye.
Hon. John Plumer was the first magistrate in the town. Governor Went- worth appointed him Justice of the Court of Common Pleas for Strafford county in 1773; the Provincial Congress reappointed him in 1776 and he held the office until 1795, when he resigned; during the later years of his service he was Chief Justice.
Lieut .- Col. John McDuffee was born in 1722; he was a lieutenant in the French and Indian wars. He served in the Revolutionary army nearly five years, continuously, being a part of the time brigade-commissary. He was the first Representative of the town in the Provincial Assembly of 1762; also a member of the State Legislature in 1782. He was six years a State Senator. being part of that time senior Senator, hence served as President of the Senate. He died Oct. 15, 1817, aged ninety years.
Dr. James Knowles came to Rochester in 1749. His fellow citizens con- ferred on him many official positions ; although he was past the age of military service he did valuable work in the Revolutionary period, as a civilian. He served in the Legislature six years as Rochester's Representative. For forty years he was a deacon of the church. He was an able, efficient and unostenta- tious servant of his townsmen many years.
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Dr. James Howe was one of six brothers who served in the Revolution. He had entered upon the practice of his profession before the war began, and his first service in the army was as surgeon's mate in Colonel Long's regiment. He did good service in the Canadian campaign of 1777. He was three times elected as Rochester's Representative in the State Legislature.
CHAPTER LX HISTORY OF ROCHESTER (VI)
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES
The First Parish Congregational Church is as old as the town, as one of the conditions of the charter in 1722 was that the proprietors build a meet- ing-house within four years. Indian wars prevented any settlement in the town for six years, and the condition was not fulfilled. In 1730 it was voted to build a meeting-house, forty feet long, thirty feet wide, and eighteen feet stud, to be well framed and inclosed. The house was built in 1731, on Havens' hill.
In 1776, this house having become dilapidated and in danger of being blown down by the wind, it was proposed that a new one be built; but, on account of the war, it was delayed until 1780; then a new church was built upon "The Common." This house remained unpainted, and for years had neither steeple or bell. It had galleries on three sides. Many of pews were high square boxes. The middle of the house was provided with free benches.
In 1842 this house was moved from "The Common" to the corner of Main and Liberty streets. It was then renovated, and a vestry was added below. In 1868 it was enlarged and remodeled at an expense of $8,500. In 1876 repairs were again made on the interior of the house, and it is now a pleasant and commodious house of worship.
The following is a list of the pastors from 1737 to 1883:
Amos Main graduated at Harvard College in 1729; was called to be the settled minister of this town May 9, 1737 ; died April 5, 1760, aged fifty-one; was pastor of this church twenty-three years.
Samuel Hill graduated at Harvard College in 1735; was installed pastor of this church Nov. 19, 1760; died April 19, 1764; was stated supply and pastor of this church about four years.
Avery Hall graduated at Yale College in 1759; was installed pastor of this church Oct. 15, 1766; resigned April 10, 1775 ; was pastor of this church eight and a half years; died at Wakefield, Aug. 5. 1820, aged eighty-two.
Joseph Haven graduated at Harvard College in 1775 : was installed pastor
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of this church Jan. 10, 1776; died Jan. 27, 1825, aged seventy-seven ; was pas- tor of this church forty-nine years.
Thomas C. Upham graduated at Dartmouth College in 1818, and at An- dover Theological Seminary in 1821; was installed colleague pastor with Mr. Haven July 16, 1823; resigned to accept a professorship at Bowdoin College, May 29, 1825 ; was pastor of this church two years ; died April, 1872.
Isaac Willey graduated at Dartmouth College in 1822, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1825; was installed pastor of this church Jan. 17, 1826; resigned Oct. 22, 1834; was stated supply and pastor of this church nine years.
Edward Cleaveland graduated at Yale College in 1832, and Yale The- ological Seminary in 1835; was installed pastor of this church Jan. 11, 1837 ; resigned Oct. 30, 1837; was stated supply and pastor of this church one year.
Francis V. Pike graduated at Yale College, Sept. 14, 1831, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1834; was installed pastor of this church Feb. 20, 1839; resigned Sept. 20, 1841 ; was pastor of this church about two and a half years ; died at Newburyport, Mass., Sept. 4, 1843.
John E. Farwell graduated at Amherst College in 1836, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1839; was installed pastor of this church Aug. 15, 1843; resigned June 22, 1852; was pastor of this church about nine years ; died Dec. 24. 1858.
George Spaulding became acting pastor of this church in August, 1852; resigned in August, 1853; was acting pastor of this church one year.
J. C. Seagrave was installed pastor of this church May 25, 1854; resigned Dec. 26, 1855 ; was stated supply and pastor of this church two years.
James M. Palmer graduated at Waterville College in 1847, and at Bangor Theological Seminary in 1853; became acting pastor of this church May I, 1858; was installed April 26, 1859; resigned July 14, 1864; was acting pastor and pastor of this church about six years.
Prescott Fay graduated at Amherst College in 1852, and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1855; became acting pastor of this church May 4. 1865; resigned August, 1867; was acting pastor of this church two years and three months.
A. F. Marsh graduated at Bangor Theological Seminary in 1867; was installed pastor of this church Oct. 31. 1867: resigned Oct. II, 1870; was pastor of this church three years.
Harvey M. Stone graduated at Bangor Theological Seminary in 1847; was installed pastor of this church May 18, 1871; resigned Jan. 28, 1875; was stated supply and pastor of this church four years.
A. J. Quick graduated at Williams College in 1860, and at Union Theolog-
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ical Seminary in 1863; became pastor in October, 1875, and served until 1884. His successor was Rev. A. S. Kimball.
The First Free Will Baptist Society was organized March 19, 1825, at the house of Enoch Tibbets. A church was organized April 15, 1829, at the house of John York. It consisted of sixteen persons. For several years the ineet- ings were held at private residences. In 1840 a meeting-house was built and dedicated at Gonic. The first quarterly meeting was held at the courthouse Aug. 10, 1839. In 1842 Rev. D. Swett was chosen first pastor of the church. In 1874 extensive repairs of the meeting-house were completed at an expense of nearly three thousand dollars. The society is in a prosperous condition.
The East Rochester and South Lebanon Free Will Baptist Church was organized June 1, 1865, and Rev. Isaac Hyatt became pastor. The meeting- house was built soon after at a cost of $6,000. Rev. R. McDonald became pastor. The society continued to grow as the business interests of the village increased, and is now in a flourishing condition.
The Rochester Village Free Will Baptist Church was organized in the fall of 1871 and Rev. Ezekiel True was chosen pastor. He gathered a large congregation and put the society on a firm foundation. A nice church edifice was built, and in honor of this able and faithful pastor the society named it the True Memorial Church, and the society is one of the most prosperous in the city.
The Friends commenced having meetings in Rochester in 1751 by permis- sion from the Monthly Meeting in Dover. Permission was renewed from tinie to time, for short periods only, usually about a month. In 1776 there were twenty men who professed that faith and probably as many women, perhaps more. In 1781 they built a meeting-house near Judge Dame's residence. It was afterwards taken down and the material used for constructing a new one at Gonic, from which it has since been removed to its present location. A meeting-house was built at Meaderborough in 1805. In 1823 there were reported to be twenty families belonging to one meeting and fifteen families to the other. The membership at present is not large in number, but excellent in quality.
The Universalist began to organize in 1841 and their first pastor was Rev. R. O. Williams. Following him services were held whenever they could secure ministers to officiate up to 1865; from that date until 1877 no meetings were held, when a reorganization was perfected and services were conducted for several years.
The Unitarians have for a number of years had a pastor who served them and the Unitarian Society at Dover, in the forenoon of Sundays in one city and
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in the afternoon in the other city. At present the liberal sentiment of the city is united in supporting these meetings.
The Methodist Episcopal Church began its existence in Rochester in 1807. The Rev. Ebenezer Blake was the itinerant who deliveerd the first Methodist sermon. The meeting was held in a schoolhouse. He made his circuit round there once in four weeks. The Rev. Warren Banister assisted him betimes. In 1808 the preachers were Revs. L. Bates and E. F. Nowell, doing service in a circuit of towns. Class meetings were organized and the cause of Metho- dism advanced slowly. In 1809 the circuit riders were Revs. H. Field and A. Taylor. The meetings were then held in the courthouse and the size of the audiences increased, when signs of mob opposition appeared and the preacher had to be escorted on his way to the courthouse by special police officers. The opposers were "lewd fellows of the baser sort" in the town. In 1811 the membership had increased to ninety-one members. Next year it increased to 108. It seemed to be the custom for a preacher to serve only one year. In 1816 Rev. John Lord became pastor and during the year increased the mem- bership about sixty. He was not permitted to remain more than two years, but his successors kept up the membership and increased it little by little each year. In 1825 the society had become sufficiently prosperous to build a ineet- ing-house, which was completed in October, and dedicated with great rejoic- ing under the pastorate of Rev. H. Foster. Rev. E. F. Nowell participated in the dedicatory service. The new meeting-house and the new minister, Rev. Charles Baker, increased the size of the audiences. An act of incorporation was granted by the Legislature this year to facilitate business arrangements. The membership was largely increased in the years 1826, 1827, and 1828; in the latter year a parsonage was built. In 1830 the first Sunday school was opened in connection with the regular church service. Sunday schools had been held in a schoolhouse before that time. In 1834 they began to assist in missionary work. It had come to be the regular custom now to change ministers biennially. Usually the Rochester church was well served and it prospered spiritually and financially. In 1844 the Rev. O. C. Baker was appointed preacher, but the presiding elder could not permit him to return a second year, because of a misunderstanding between the elder and the church, whereat the church was much stirred up, but his successor, Rev. Henry Drew, poured oil on the troubled waters and peace was restored, but they never for- gave that presiding elder. Before Mr. Drew's two years expired he secured a remodelling of the audience room of the church, which greatly improved the appearance, and made the house much more convenient for the parishioners. In 1853 it was found necessary to enlarge the audience room to accommodate the increased congregation ; also an organ was installed, which added much to
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the effects of the musical programs. In the spring of 1854 the New Hamp- shire Annual Conference was held in Rochester for the first time. That same year the church contributed $1,000 to the Conference Seminary, which had been established at Tilton, N. H. In 1861 the present parsonage was built at a cost of $3,000. In 1867 the corner-stone of the new church was laid, Rev. F. K. Stratton being pastor. The Masonic fraternity assisted in the ceremonial work, in the presence of an audience of 5,000 persons. It was completed in 1868 at a cost of $20,000. The pastor was Rev. J. M. Chapman. The Rev. M. T. Cilley was pastor in 1877-78, and did especially good work in rais- ing money to pay off the church debt of about two thousand dollars. Being housed in a very fine brick edifice, in a central location, the society has pros- pered and done good work in all lines that help to make the city better in other ways as well as religiously.
CHAPTER LXI HISTORY OF FARMINGTON (I)
GEOGRAPHICAL-TOPOGRAPHICAL-FARMINGTON DOCK-FIRST TOWN MEETING -OFFICERS ELECTED
The line between Rochester and Farmington is 614 miles long. The line between Farmington and New Durham is parallel with the Rochester line and six miles distant ; Strafford is on the southwest and Milton on the northeast. It touches Middleton at its north corner for the distance of two-thirds of a mile. The town is well supplied with streams and rivers, among which are the Cochecho, Mad, Ela, and Waldron. These afford manufacturing facilities which are a never-failing source of profit to the inhabitants. These are in the northeast side of the town, and the village is in the valley at the junction of the Cochecho and Ela rivers. The railroad is on the hill west of the village. Chesley mountain in a little south of the center of the town. Blue Job is on the northwest side of the town, partly in Strafford.
The names of its mountains are from parties who owned them at an early date. Job Allard owned the mountains now called Blue Job, which belongs to the Blue Hills range, hence the name Blue Job. Mad river derives its name from its freshets or floods, to which the country along its bank is subject. It has been known to rise after a heavy storm of one or two hours' duration a number of feet, flooding the country along its border, sweeping property and everything before it; rocks weighing tons have been moved from their resting- places by its impetuosity and carried quite a distance down the stream. One of the floods occurred in 1869, causing great destruction of property, and endan- gering the lives of the people. In some instances they were rescued from their houses in boats.
The early history of Farmington will be found principally in the history of Rochester, of which this town originally formed a part. The early record his- tory, Revolutionary, names of early settlers, etc., are incorporated in the history of the mother-town.
Among the first who settled in this section were Benjamin, Samuel, and Richard Furber, Samuel Jones, Benjamin Chesley, and Paul Demeritt, who located near Merrill's Corners from 1770 to 1783. On the Ten-Rod road
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Joseph and Levi Leighton were located; on Chestnut hill, Moses Horne, Caleb Varney, Judge Wingate, and others in various parts of the town. Among the men from this town who have held public positions in the state and United States legislative halls, now deceased, are Nehemiah Eastman, Esq., who held a distinguished position at the bar for many years. He was elected to the State Senate, and also a member of the Nineteenth Congress. He died Jan. 19, 1856. Dr. Joseph Hammond was a member of the State Legislature, and also of the Twenty-first and Twenty-second Congresses. He died March 28, 1836. George L. Whitehouse was a deputy sheriff six years, a judge of the court of common pleas for the county of Strafford for fourteen years, also a member of the House of Representatives three years. Judge Whitehouse has also been extensively engaged in railroad surveys in this and other counties. Jeremiah Dame, John D. Lyman, George M. Herring, and Alonzo Nute were members of the State Senate; Thomas T. Edgerly and Josiah B. Edgerly were regis- ters of deeds.
Jeremiah Jones was the first man born in the town who was elected to the State Legislature. He was elected for six successive terms and nominated for the seventh, but refused to run. His majority at his first election was one, at the last 158. The late Hon. Henry Wilson, United States Senator from Massachusetts, was born on a farm about two miles south of Farmington village.
The first meeting-house was built on Robert's hill, about two miles south of Farmington village. The first schoolhouse was built at Merrill's Corners, in the southern part of the town, about the year 1791.
Early Merchants .- One of the first merchants in Farmington was Jonas C. March, who came here from Portsmouth in about the year 1780, and built a store in what is now the lower end of the village, on premises now owned by G. N. Eastman. Mr. March subsequently removed to Rochester, and was suc- ceeded as the "trader" of the town by John Googin, whose stock in trade con- sisted chiefly of molasses, tea, spiceberries, pepper-corns, tobacco, rum, etc.
Mr. Googin, however, soon had an energetic competitor in the person of Joseph Smith, of Dover, who erected a large two-story building on the site of the present brick church and engaged in trade, adding dry-goods to the usual stock of groceries. He had a faithful old clerk named Joseph Sherburne, who had charge of the store here, while Smith remained at Dover.
In 1830, Nehemiah Eastman was the lawyer here, and Joseph Hammond the doctor. Peter and Levi Pearl were at the head of the militia, and J. H. Edgerly called the roll of names, among whom were the Nutes, Burnham and Isaac, George R. Dame, Samuel Bunker, Hiran French, etc. At that time "Jerry" Wingate was postmaster.
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Farmington "Dock."-The name of Farmington Dock is said to have originated as follows: Long years ago, when Farmington was a part of Rochester, the people living on what was called the "Plains" were in the habit of cutting logs in the winter and depositing them on a little hill on the banks of the Cocheco, near what was called Knight's Brook, ready to be rolled into the river when the spring freshets came and floated them to the "Plains." From the manner of depositing, or "docking," as it was called, came the name. Another theory, however, is that the name Farmington Dock (or the Dock) originated from a growth of large yellow dock growing on the border of Knight's Brook, about one-half mile south of the village, where it crosses the road. People were in the habit of watering their horses at this place, and the growth of said plant was so thick that it became of public notoriety. The word first appears in the town records in 1792.
The village of Farmington is situated on what was formerly known as the "Old John Ham farm." The first dwelling was a log house, occupied by one Berry. The first frame house was erected in 1781 or 1782 by John Roberts, and here he reared a numerous family. The second frame house was built by Jonas C. March previous to 1792.
The town of Farmington was incorporated Dec. 1, 1798, the notification for the first town meeting being dated Feb. 23, 1799, and signed by Aaron Wingate.
The First Town Meeting was held March 11, 1799, at the house of Simon Dame, "at ten of the Clock in the forenoon," when the following officers were chosen : Moderator, Aaron Wingate ; town clerk, Jonas C. March ; selectmen, Ichabod Hayes, Ephraim Kimball, and David Roberts; auditors, Capt. Samuel Furbur and James Roberts; assessors, Thomas Canney and Paul Demeritt ; surveyors of highways, James Roberts, James Leighton, Joseph Thompson, Jr., Paul Demerett, Benjamin Furbur, Joseph Emerson, Daniel Canney, Jona- than French, Edward Knight, Samuel Jones, Jr., Thomas Davis, John Downs, and George Leighton; surveyors of lumber, Jonathan French and David French ; hogreeves, Richard Furbur, Joseph Holmes, Aaron Wingate, Jonas C. March, Ephraim Perkins, John Murray, Ichabod Pearl, Ichabod Hayes, and Paul Demerit; tithingmen, Edward Varney, Anthony Peavey, James Nutter, Ezekiel Ricker, Samuel Varney, Alexander Berry, and Richard Rundlet ; fence-viewers, John Walker, Ezekiel Ricker, Joseph Holmes, Elijah Meder, and David French; field-drovers, James French, Benjamin Runnals, Joseph Thompson, Jr., Moses Whitehouse, Paul Twombly, Moses Varney, and Samuel Drowne.
At this meeting it was voted "that the privilege of being a constable in said town of Farmington the present year shall be sold at vendue to the
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highest bidder, and the purchaser to give bonds to the satisfaction of the selectmen for the faithful performance of his duty."
The "constable birth," as it was called, was bid off by Ensign Samuel Knowles for twenty-one dollars and twenty-five cents. At this meeting John Taylor Gilman received one hundred and thirty-three votes for Governor. . Richard Furbur was the town's first representative to the General Court.
In 1799 licenses to retail "foreign distilled spirituous liquors" were granted to the following persons: Joseph Holmes, Lakeman & Marsh, Benjamin Run- nals, and Elezear Pearl.
The following tavern licenses were granted : Joseph Holmes, Col. Richard Furbur, Samuel Knowles, Edward Knight, and Ephraim Perkins.
CHAPTER LXII HISTORY OF FARMINGTON (II)
ECCLESIASTICAL-CONGREGATIONALISTS- FREE WILL BAPTISTS
The Congregational Church in Farmington Sept. 15, 1819, with the fol- lowing members : Benjamin Furber, Peter Akerman, Noah Ham, Mary Fur- ber, Muhitable Hayes, Mary Furber, Mehitable Furber, Elizabeth Roberts, The Rev. James Walker, agent of this New Hampshire Missionary Society, officiated at the organization, and he became pastor and held the office seven years. His successor was Rev. Clement Parker, who served in 1827-28 and 29. Following him the supply was furnished from time to time by the Missionary Society up to 1840 when Rev. Timothy Morgan was installed and remained three years. Rev. Joseph Lane served in 1844-45 and 46; Rev. Benj. Willey, 1847-50; Rev. Roger M. Sargent, 1851-52; Rev. D. D. Tappan, 1852-58; Rev. Roger M. Sargent, 1860-69; Rev. W. S. Kimball, 1869-71 ; Rev. Eugene Titus, 1872-74; Rev. Paul H. Pitkins, 1875-77 ; Rev. Walter E. Darling, 1877- 1884. Since then a succession of good men have served as pastors and the church is in a flourishing condition. A good Sunday school library was secured for the society in 1833 by Rev. Mr. Fisk while a student at Andover Theological Seminary.
The Free Will Baptist Society was organized Oct. 21, 1854. A church was organized inside of the society or parish Nov. 8 of the same year, with a membership of thirteen, five men and eight women. One of this number was Rev. Dexter Waterman, who became the first pastor of the church and society. The meetings were held at this time in the old Peavy meeting house, located about three-quarters of a mile from the center of the village. Under Mr. Waterman's management the membership of the church was increased to thirty-two, and the society was largely increased during the two years he served. His successor in November, 1856, was Rev. J. L. M. Babcock. In 1857 steps were taken for the erection of a house of worship in the compact part of the village. The efforts were successful and the new meeting house was dedicated with appropriate services Oct. 28, 1857. The Rev. Ransom Dunn preached the dedicatory sermon. Mr. Babcock, who had successfully
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