USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Wolfeborough > History of Wolfeborough (New Hampshire) > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41
James Estes had four daughters : Anna R., born June, 1845, married David Bennett, of Tuftonborough ; Maria B., born Oct. 22, 1848, married Edward Farnham, of Milton; Sophia, born Oct. 5, 1850, married Frank H. Young, of Tuftonborough ; Louisa, born Oct. 21, 1853, married Charles H. Tutt, of Lynn, Mass.
Colonel William Cotton was born in Portsmouth, Feb. 29, 1738. He served as a soldier in the French and Indian War, and after- wards became a colonel in the New Hampshire militia. October 20, 1761, he married Mary Clark, who was born Dec. 17, 1737, and died in Wolfeborough, March 17, 1798. Col. Cotton came to Wolfeborough in 1781, and settled on the farm now owned by his great grandson, Albert W. Cotton. He soon opened one of the little taverns so common at that period, and also began re- tailing goods in a small way. The store which he occupied is now a part of the farm-house kitchen. He took with him to Wolfe- borough eight children whose ages ranged from one to eighteen years. Two had previously died in Portsmouth, and two that were born after his arrival in Wolfeborough were short lived. The other eight married, had, in the aggregate, fifty-nine children, and reached an average age of seventy-one years. Col. Cotton was evidently a man of means, as he soon purchased a large tract of land, much of which still remains in the possession of his
176
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
descendants. Six of his seven sons settled in his immediate neighborhood. At one time there were twelve farms comprising sixteen hundred acres of land, most of which was in a compact body, owned by persons of the Cotton name and blood.
His oldest son, William, at first settled in Wolfeborough, but afterwards removed to Castine, Maine. A son of his, also named William, returned to Wolfeborough and became a prominent citi- zen of the town. He served seven years as selectman, dying while in office. Dudley P. Cotton, a son of his, went to the West Indies and became wealthy. Subsequently he returned to Wolfeborough, and purchased a farm in the neighborhood where he was born, purposing to make it his future abode. He contributed quite generously for the improvement of the highways and schools in the neighborhood, but not receiving so ardent co-operative response to his acts as he desired, he disposed of his property and returned to his island home, where he soon after died.
John P. Cotton, the second son of William, the settler, took a lot of land next to Brookfield line, near the site of the East Wolfe- borcugh church. It proved to be one of the best farms in Wolfe- borough. He married Betsy Allen, of Ossipee, and had nine children. He lived to the age of seventy-six years.
Thomas Cotton took the lot of land lying northwest of John's and adjoining it. He married Martha Furber, of Wolfeborough, and had six children. He was deacon of the Freewill Baptist church, and occasionally preached. He died at the age of eighty years.
James Cotton's farm lay south of that belonging to Thomas. He married Betsy Robinson, of Brookfield, by whom he had four children. He was eighty-seven years old when he died.
Isaac Cotton married Eliza Martin, of Brookfield, by whom he had eight children. He died at the age of seventy-two years.
George C. Cotton settled near Nute's Ridge, where now resides his grandson, George C. Avery. He married Sally, daughter of
+
NATHANIEL ROGERS
1
77
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Col. Mark Wiggin and had four children. He died at the age of sixty-five years.
Samuel Cotton married Sally Fernald, of Brookfield, by whom he had six children. His farm was on the north side of Cotton Mountain, adjoining the Thomas Cotton lot. He lived to be seventy-one years old. His son, Brackett F. Cotton, resides on the home place.
Mary Cotton married Robert Pike, of Middleton, and was the mother of ten children. She died at the age of fifty-five years.
For two generations the descendants of Col. William Cotton were quite noted for demonstrations of religious enthusiasm ; so much so as to give character to the neighborhood called Cotton- borough. Latterly this family trait has not been especially notice- able. About the time that William Cotton settled in Wolfe- borough a brother named Thomas came to the town, and com- menced a settlement on the Isaac Rindge lot. He afterwards re- turned to Rockingham County. Col. Cotton's family were stal- warts. He was six feet and four inches in height ; his sons aver- aged six feet and one inch in height and two hundred pounds in weight, while a grandson, Henry, was six and a half feet in height and weighed three hundred pounds. Col. Cotton died September 8, 1721, aged eighty-three years.
The ancestors of the Rogers family were probably Scotch- Irish. If so, it can boast of as good blood as flows in American veins. New Hampshire had quite an infusion of it in early times, some of the best citizens of the province and state being of that race, among them, Horace Greely.
James Rogers, of Portsmouth, settled in Rochester in 1734, probably at the location now known as Hayes' Crossing, as here was the Rogers' stopping-place on the route from Portsmouth in Governor Wentworth's time. He was accompanied by his son Charles, who, in 1747, married Mary, the daughter of John Mc- Duffee, and four years after purchased his father's farm. He appears to have been an enterprising citizen of Rochester, and
178
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
was several times elected one of the board of selectmen. Some years after, having received a grant from the King of England of two thousand acres of land at Merry Meeting for meritorious ser- vices while acting as lieutenant in the French and Indian War, he removed to that place, and commenced lumbering. With the aid of his sons, Samuel and William, he built a sawmill. While here he came to the meadows on Lake Wentworth in the summer,
and harvested hay, which he stacked. His son William, a mere lad, spent the next winter there taking care of four oxen that were protected from the weather by a hovel built of logs. He was, un- doubtedly, the first white person who hibernated within the limits of Wolfeborough. During his seclusion he was visited only oc- casionally by members of the family bringing food.
William Rogers came to Wolfeborough as a settler in 1776, when he was twenty years old. He was a member of the militia company which was that year organized. Probably his father, Lieutenant Charles, came to the town about the same time, and thereafter made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Joseph Lary. Having been much exposed to hardships as a soldier, hunter, and pioneer settler, he appears to have somewhat prematurely aged. Being incapacitated for labor when he came to Wolfeborough, he spent most of his time in fishing either from the shore or on the ice of the lake. To protect himself from the severity of cold weather, he had a seat constructed and boarded on three sides, a sort of rude forerunner of the little fish-houses that now dot the surface of Wolfeborough Bay in the winter season. On one occasion his structure was seized by a fierce nor'-wester, and he, though vigorously protesting, made a speedy visit to Clark's shore. As years increased he became blind, and weakened by senility, the pastime of fishing became such a passion that he continued the avocation, although frequently annoyed by mis- chievous boys, who would tug at his line in imitation of a fish-bite.
William Rogers was born in Rochester, February 8, 1756. In 1779 he purchased a one-hundred-acre lot of David Sewall for
--
179
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
four pounds of Spring beaver fur. It was situated on the north- westerly side of Smith's River. January 25, 1780, he married Mary Chamberlain, of Rochester, and soon after erected a house on his lot. This house was located a little south of the present site of the Christian church. A portion of it is still standing. It was formerly used as a small inn, and here sometimes town meet- ings were held. A part of it was also occupied as a store. In this house, October 19, 1792, was organized the Freewill Baptist church, which now worships in Wolfeborough Falls, being the first church organized in Wolfeborough. In it also, six days later, was ordained Isaac Townsend, the first person set apart to the work of the ministry in the town. In the afternoon of the same day, however, Ebenezer Allen was ordained as the town minister at the meeting-house.
It is not now known whether Mr. Rogers ever professed piety. His sympathies, however, were with the Baptists, and his wife became a member of that church within a few weeks after its organization. Until the erection of school-houses religious meet- ings were frequently held at his house on the Sabbath and at other times. Mr. Rogers not only cleared and improved his farm, but did considerable business on his own account in buying and selling lands. He was several times elected on the board of selectmen, and for many years had the custody of the grain taxes paid by the inhabitants of the south side of the town. His first wife, who bore him six children, died September 10, 1795, and the following year he married Mary Connor, by whom he had eight children. Twelve of the fourteen reached mature age. He died April 28, 1810. He bequeathed the home place to his son Nathaniel, in whose care he left his widow and the younger chil- dren. The trust was most faithfully executed.
The names of his children by his first wife were John, Eleanor, William, Nathaniel, David, and Mary, or Polly, as she was familiarly called. Those by his second wife were James, Samuel C. Daniel, Nancy, Susan, Hannah, Jane, and Phœbe C.
180
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Three of his sons, William, David, and Samuel C., at an early age left home and started out in life for themselves in Salem, Mass., but soon removed to Boston where they continued in the mercantile business until about 1815. They then removed with their families to the West, and finally located at Cincinnati, where they settled permanently in business. Many of their descendants continue to reside there.
Nathaniel and James married and settled in their native town, the latter marrying Clarissa Wiggin. About 1840 he moved to Stetson, Me., where in addition to managing a large farm, he con- ducted an extensive lumbering business, and held important offices in the town. He ever remained much attached to his Wolfeborough home and early associates, visiting the town very frequently during his life. He died December 30, 1878.
Eleanor Rogers married Samuel Meader; Mary (Polly), Thomas Chamberlain, of Brookfield; Nancy, William Thomas ; Susan, Alpheus Swett; Hannah, Isaac Copp, of Tuftonborough ; and Phœbe, Samuel Thompson. Daniel and Jane died in infancy.
At the time of his father's death Nathaniel Rogers was less than twenty-five years of age. There was a large family of younger brothers for whom he was to provide a home. He immediately commenced making the arrangements to build a house. This he completed in 1812. It was a large two-storied building situated on the opposite side of the road from where his father had erected one about thirty years before. It remained in the possession of the family about seventy years. In February 16, 1815, Mr. Rogers married Martha, daughter of Richard Rust, by whom he had seven children, all of whom are now deceased. His wife died in 1832, and he afterwards married Eleanor Jane, daughter of John L. Piper. She bore him three children, Nathaniel Piper, John, and Lucy M. These are now living, John being a resident of Wolfeborough. Mr. Rogers had more than an ordinary share of domestic cares, at first acting the part of a parent to his younger brothers and sisters, and then rearing his own large family of
2
H
OLD ROGERS HOMESTEAD
18I
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
children. He was a capable and busy man; besides managing and improving his large and valuable farm, he had charge of the sawmill situated at the lower falls on Smith's River, where he manufactured a large amount of lumber, running his mill with double crews. It is not improbable that he owned the mill for several years; nor is it unlikely that he built the house now occu- pied by the widow of Charles H. Parker, as there was connected with that a store which he occupied, and which is now the one- story house situated on Center Street opposite the residence of W. B. Hodge. He also engaged in a variety of enterprises, being an owner of one-fourth of the Pickering Factory. While con- ducting the lumber business at the "Mills," he resided temporarily in the Kent house, now occupied by Charles L. Horne, 2nd. He was a level-headed, active, public-spirited citizen, neither a bigot in religion nor a narrow partisan in politics. He seems not to have been ambitious for office, although he represented the town of Wolfeborough in the legislature and was one of the first judges of the Court of Common Pleas in Carroll County, serving from 1841 to 1846.
On the matter of liquor selling he was in advance of the pre- vailing sentiment of the town in his day. As a proof of his free- dom from bias, it is related that when the building of churches in Wolfeborough was first agitated, he suggested that one should be erected on the Brick Schoolhouse Hill for the joint occupancy of the Congregationlists and the Freewill Baptists, those then being the predominating sects in the compact part of the village.
James, son of James Hersey, of Newmarket, reared a family of ten children. Two of them, Jonathan, born in 1846, and Jemima, born in 1850, settled in Wolfeborough. Jemima married John Piper. The other children settled in Sanbornton. Jonathan Hersey, in 1771, received of Daniel Pierce, of Portsmouth, a deed of one hundred and forty acres of land, a portion of the "Great Lot." Mr. Hersey is spoken of elsewhere in this volume. He had nine children.
182
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
James, a son of Jonathan, had one son, George W., who spent his life in this town. He was born January 1, 1805, and in early life was much interested in military matters. Passing through the lower grades, he finally became brigadier-general of the N. H. militia and was for many years known by that title. He farmed somewhat extensively and owned the large limber tract known as Hersey's woods. He served twice as selectman. He married November 19, 1829, Mary E. Wiggin, who still survives him. Their children were: James Albert, born November 22, 1830, died young ; Charles H., born December 23, 1832; Albert James, born March 3, 1835; Dana Samuel, born November 14, 1837; Ann Eliza, born January 1I, 1840; Emily Caroline, born January 20, 1843; Sarah Elizabeth, born March 24, 1846; Abby Helen, born March 19, 1850.
Charles H., son of George W., graduated at Dartmouth College and was for a short time preceptor of the Wolfeborough and Tuf- tonborough Academy. The greater part of his life has been spent in business, however, in Boston and Wolfeborough. He has served on the school board and in various minor official capacities. He married July 20, 1865, Olivia Mason. He has one daughter, Nellie O., born May 8, 1866, who married Dr. Edwin H. Ross, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., and has two children.
John B., son of Jonathan, occupied the farm on which for many years lived his son, James P. He married Ruth Nudd, March 14, 1813. He died August 21, 1853. His children were: Mary, born December 1, 1814; John, born March 14, 1816; William H., born September 10, 1818; James P., born November 6, 1822; Erastus, born November 6, 1824; Hannah N., born January 28, 1828; Samuel N., born June 11, 1831.
James P. married Clarissa J. Willey and had one son, Eddy E., born July 11, 1854, who has since the death of his father man- aged the home farm.
Samuel N. has been a merchant and manufacturer of clothing. He married, May 9, 1857, Susan E. Copp, by whom he had one
183
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
son, Oma, who died young. He married, June 6, 1877, Catherine M. Leighton, of Portsmouth. The children are : Parry T., born January 16, 1880, married Edna E. Sanborn, and has one child, Louise Elizabeth ; Ralph S., born July 17, 1882.
Elijah Hersey, son of Jonathan, settled on the farm on Pine Hill now occupied by Henry G. Horne. He married Hannah Tibbetts. Children: Druzilla, born 1811; Mary A., born 1813; Levi T., born 1816; Asa D., born 1818; Ezra B., born 1820; Julia A., born 1822.
Jonathan Hersey, son of Jonathan, settled on the farm now occupied by the family of his son, William P. Children : William P., born February 7, 1826; Woodbury L., born March 9, 1829; Winthrop D., born February 4, 1830; Hannah, born March 27, 1834, married B. F. Mason. Two sons named Charles died young.
William P. Hersey was a farmer ; settled on the old homestead ; married Lucinda Avery; died January 18, 1887. Children : Charles F., born August 23, 1859 ; Anna J., born October 30, 1863, married Charles Basset ; Virgil P., born January 27, 1871.
Woodbury L. Hersey was a laborer. He married Louise Nute, by whom he had one son, George F., born April 7, 1864. Wood- bury died May 29, 1875.
Winthrop D. Hersey is a carpenter. He married Georgiana Guptil. Children : M. Annie, born April 19, 1857, married George R. Wilson, of Oxford, Me .; Charles D., born January 15, 1859, married Nellie Frances, has one daughter, Annie ; Frank E., born May, 1861, married Marie C. Chamberlain ; Fred E., born Septem- ber 23, 1862, married Anna M. McDonald, who died in 1899, leaving a daughter, Elta.
John Martin came to Wolfeborough as an agent of the Cabots in 1780. Isaac Martin, his son, then six years old, accompanied him. When he was twenty-one years old, Isaac began felling trees on the Banfield farm, but finding the growth very heavy, he gave up the attempt to clear land there and took up a portion of
184
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
the Governor Wentworth farm. Here he lived until his death at the age of eighty-nine years. This farm, on what has long been known as Martin's Hill, is now owned by Stephen W. Clow, Esq. Isaac Martin's children were : Daniel, born November 26, 1802; George, died young ; Betsy, died young; Maria, married Daniel Chamberlain, of Boston ; Betsy, married Henry Emery, of Lowell.
Daniel Martin was a farmer. He did much surveying and administrative business, served as selectman six times and repre- sentative twice. He died June 7, 1874. His children were: George B., who spent most of his life in Boston and New York; Almira A., died young ; Leander, died young ; Edgar, died young ; James H., born August 17, 1841 ; Elizabeth F., married Edwin C. Newell; Lois, born January 6, 1846, married John Eaton.
James H. Martin married' Mary, the daughter of Samuel Huggins, and for a time lived on the home farm. He afterwards carried on the Huggins farm, and in 1887 moved to a handsome residence which he had erected in Wolfeborough village, where he has since resided. Like his father, he has done considerable sur- veying and has had the administration of many estates. He has served five terms as selectman and once as representative, also as member of the school board, as precinct fireward, and has held many minor offices. Mr. Martin has, during a useful life in his native town, won an enviable reputation for ability and honesty in the many public positions to which he has been called, and has liberally supported all movements for the public welfare.
CHAPTER XV.
EBENEZER HORNE AND HIS SUCCESS AS A ROAD-BUILDER-SOME- THING OF HIS FAMILY-WHY "GOOSE CORNER" WAS SO- CALLED-ROADS BUILT IN ALL DIRECTIONS-HISTORY AND DESCRIPTION OF THE OSSIPEE ROAD-OTHER IMPORTANT ROADS LAID OUT SINCE 1800-THE VILLAGE STREETS.
T HE tract of land situated north of Smith's River and extend- ing to the John Fullerton farm, bounded on one side by the Miles Road and on the other by the lake, contained about fifteen hundred acres exclusive of Wolfeborough Neck. It included most of the Rogers farm, the farms of the seven settlers, and four or five hundred acres of land lying between the Widow Fullerton's lot and that of her son John. This land was in the pos- session of John Flagg, who, in 1777, exchanged it with Ebenezer Horne, of Dover for real estate in that town. Mr. Horne removed to Wolfeborough with several well grown sons. The highway leading to Tuftonborough was on the border of his land, and as he wished to utilize this in furnishing sites for homes for himself and sons, it would be for the advantage of the family to have a change in the direction of the road. The route of the Miles Road as it then ran was preferable for easy travel to the present high- way, but Mr. Horne, who was a man of means and energy, had the address to bring about the desired change.
It will probably be remembered that the Miles Road was opened before the town had a single inhabitant at the expense of the town proprietors, and perhaps its width was not definitely described. It began at the cove in Lake Winnipesaukee and at the head line of Col. Rust's lot, and followed the same general course as does the present Main Road as far as the residence of Jonas W. Piper, thence forward in the same general direction to the dwelling of Alfred Brown, and from there in a quite direct line to the John
185
186
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Fullerton lot, which bordered on Tuftonborough. In 1779 the town instructed the highway surveyors, John Sinkler and Joseph Lary to lay out such a road, as is shown by their report, here sub- joined.
"We, the subscribers, surveyors of the highways for the south side of the town of Wolfborough, have this day laid out and spotted a road four rods wide from Wolfborough line adjoining the Gore thro' the land belonging to Doct. Ammi Ruhamah Cut- ter, Col. Henry Rust, and Captain Thomas Lucas to the main road leading thro' the land belonging to James Conner, being the road now used as the main road for the south side of the town, and continuing the same course said road now runs until it comes to the land belonging to Ebenezer Meder and Robert Estes, where it then turns from its present course at the corner of the line be- tween said Meder and Estes, and runs thro' said Estes' land on the south side of his dwelling house to land belonging to Ben- jamin Blake, and running nearly upon a straight line thro' said Blake's land to the Widow Mary Fullerton's lot, and continuing nearly a straight course thro' said Fullerton's land on the east side of the buildings thereon to the land belonging to Lieut. Ebenezer Horne, and continuing a straight course, being nearly a northwest point, to a brook running through said land commonly known by the name of Meserve Brook, then crossing said brook and running nearly a northerly point to the road now used as the main road thro' said town near the dwelling house belonging to John Fullerton, and continuing the same course with said road to Tuftonborough line .-
The above road being laid out by us, the subscribers, in con- sequence of a vote of the town for that purpose, to be an estab- lished road thro' the south side of said town.
Given under our hands at Wolfborough, the ninth day of Sep- tember, 1779.
John Sinkler
3
Surveyors of
Joseph Lary
the highways."
187
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
It will be observed that the Main Road as here laid out ex- tended about one mile farther south than did the original Miles Road, and reached New Durham line where Wolfeborough and the Gore (Alton) then adjoined that town ; from thence it passed through land belonging to Cutter, Rust, and Lucas to that in the possession of James Connor.
The land represented as belonging to Cutter was the balance of the Bryant reserve lot of ten hundred and fifty acres after the Rust lot of six hundred had been taken from it. It comprised four hundred and fifty acres, and was situated in the southwest part of the town. April 12, 1769, the town proprietors voted to sell the land for one shilling an acre, the purchaser to settle a family as a proprietor. A. R. Cutter, Geo. Meserve, and John Parker were appointed a committee to give a conveyance of it. They evidently did not dispose of it, and it was subsequently divided into fifty- acre-lots, and Dr. Cutter was authorized to sell it. It is not known that as an individual he had a title to any part of it. The road was also laid out through land of Thomas Lucas. This must have been a portion of lot fourteen (Treadwell's), situated be- tween the Rust lot and what has since been known as the Ban- field farm, as James Connor's land, which amounted to nearly three hundred acres, is supposed to have included that location.
It is probable that when Ebenezer Horne first came to Wolfe- borough no one of his sons had reached his majority, although Isaiah was evidently nearly twenty-one. Perhaps no effort was then made to determine the precise number of acres that his lot contained, as its boundaries were well defined. With the liberal allowance in measurement permitted at that time there would not be less than five hundred acres. This he divided equally or nearly so among the members of the family who made their homes in Wolfeborough, taking a double portion for himself and Isaiah, whose property interests appear to have been combined. How much improved land any one of the family possessed in 1794 is not known, but of wild (unimproved) land they in that year re-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.