USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Wolfeborough > History of Wolfeborough (New Hampshire) > Part 2
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18
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
and the town of New Durham, in 1767, had a population of one hundred and fifty-seven persons, while Wolfeborough at the same time had not a single inhabitant.
Kingswood, although perhaps only a paper town, had a name which has proved transferable, and is, therefore, entitled to con- sideration.
At a meeting of the twenty-four town proprietors, held at the house of John Stavers, in Portsmouth, on the fourteenth day of November, 1759, at which Daniel Pierce was appointed mod- erator, and David Sewall, clerk, it was voted "that the township, in honor of the late renowned and illustrious General Wolf, de- ceased, be called Wolf-Borough."
It will be observed that the orthographic error in Wolfe's name was transcribed to that of the town. It was retained in the char- ter granted in 1770, and continued in general use for nearly a century. This method of spelling the name of the town has some- times led to the conjecture that it might have originated from the numerous haunts of that cowardly marauder then roaming in the forests-the American wolf. The foregoing record, however, shows that the town was named in honor of the heroic English general, James Wolfe, who, on Sept. 13, 1759, at the age of thirty- three years, fell at the head of a victorious army on the Plains of Abraham, Quebec, while engaged in a battle with the French. Wolfe had previously associated with the New Hampshire soldiery in military expeditions on the eastern coast of the country, and was a very popular officer.
Wolfeborough is an uncommon name for localities. There is one town in England, one in the state of South Carolina, and one in the state of New Hampshire that bears the name. A neighbor- hood in the town of Stetson, Maine, in which a considerable num- ber of Wolfeborough people settled about sixty years ago, is called the "Wolfeborough Settlement."
At this same meeting of the proprietors Daniel Rindge, George Meserve, and A. R. Cutter were appointed a committee to procure
19
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
a survey and division of the township into four parts. A tax was assessed for the purpose of defraying the cost of surveying and other current expenses. The survey and division were made by Walter Bryant, Jr., who constructed a camp for shelter near the present site of the South Wolfeborough woolen manufactury. On account of delays he did not complete the work until 1762. The grantors drew the northern quarter of the township, which was the least valuable division. This was afterwards known as the "Lords' Quarter"-a term which has, however, been gen- erally confined to the southerly portion of the division lying near the center of the town. This particular locality was comparatively early settled, and tolerably populous for a farming district. Some other portions of the "Quarter" have always been very thinly in- habited ; much of it is still pasturage or woodland. In April, 1762, Paul March, John Wentworth, and A. R. Cutter were ap- pointed a committee to settle five families in the township; and were authorized to grant to the same a tract of land not exceeding one thousand acres, and to pay each settler a sum not exceeding two hundred and fifty pounds, old tenor.
January 19, 1764, the committee on settlements was authorized to settle seven additional families, "provided that the expense of settling the seven families did not exceed fourteen hundred pounds, old tenor." On the seventeenth of the October follow- ing, the same committee, increased by the addition of Daniel Pierce, was instructed to make a road in said township.
In March, 1764, this committee was directed to grant one ad- ditional thousand acres of land to encourage settlements. The following May it was instructed to publish in the newspapers notices of the favorable terms which were being offered to settlers in the town of Wolfeborough, and also to procure a survey for a road. This road was "spotted" by John McDuffee, and "cut" by Josiah Miles the same season. The next year Miles bridged the few smaller streams over which the road passed, not including Smith's River. This road commenced opposite the cove in Lake
-
20
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Winnipesaukee, about one mile west of New Durham line, and extended to the western boundary of Wolfeborough, being, with alterations and extensions made in 1779, the main thoroughfare from Tuftonborough to New Durham through the villages of Wolfeborough and South Wolfeborough, now known as North Main Street and South Main Street. It was for many years called the "Miles Road." The portion opened by Miles was about five miles in length.
Thus far the efforts of the proprietors of Wolfeborough to se- sure settlers in the township had been of no avail. They now granted full discretionary power to the committee on settlements, and voted additional sums of money for accomplishing their ob- ject. Still their lands remained unoccupied. The difficulty in obtaining settlers arose from the fact that in New Hampshire there was more land offered for occupancy than there were per- sons to occupy it. While the controversy between this and the neighboring province of Massachusetts in relation to their boundaries continued, the governor of the latter granted large tracts of land in the disputed territory to persons and organiza- tions. When, in 1741, Benning Wentworth was appointed gov- ernor of New Hampshire, he evinced an equal readiness to char- ter townships, and thereby largely increased his wealth by ques- tionable business methods-so charged his enemies. In 1746 the Masonian Proprietors purchased Mason's right, and being de- sirous to realize from the bargain, offered their lands on what seemed advantageous conditions to township proprietors; but for reasons already named, these sometimes had more perplexi- ties than profits from their ventures.
As the town proprietors of Wolfeborough held their lands on certain conditions pledged to the Masonian Proprietors, which had not as yet been fully complied with, it became necessary to adopt some measures that would prove more effective in secur- ing settlers. Therefore, in order that each proprietor might have a direct personal responsibility in the matter, they, in October,
21
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
1765, voted to divide the three-quarters of the township, which they had hitherto held in common, into twenty-four shares of equal value. Before the division took place, however, they voted to reserve one hundred acres of land around the falls on Smith's River for a mill privilege, and a tract of one thousand and fifty acres in the southern part of the town for Elisha Bryant and others, who proposed to become settlers.
It is said that Bryant and three sturdy sons afterwards came to the place, and using the camp formerly occupied by Walter Bryant, the surveyor, as a dwelling, commenced felling trees. They, however, remained only a short time. The elder Bryant, having a relish for strong drinks, complained that the pure stream of water which flowed near his temporary abode furnished an un- palatable beverage. The tract of land assigned to him was in- tended for seven families. It afterward reverted to the proprie- tors.
A contract was made with Paul March to procure a survey of the lots for twenty pounds, lawful money. Walter Bryant, Jr., immediately commenced the work, and completed it the same season.
On the nineteenth of February, 1766, the proprietors met at the inn of Captain Zachariah Foss, in Portsmouth, for the purpose of drawing their respective lots of land. It appears that after the twenty-four lots had been laid out, there remained a tract of land bordering on Tuftonborough, and extending from Winnipesaukee Lake to the "Lords' Quarter." It was three hundred and two rods wide at the easterly end, one hundred and eighty-six at the westerly, and comprised seventeen hundred and fifty acres. Of this tract Daniel Pierce, by agreement, took as his share one thousand acres, and relinquished all his other rights as a grantor and grantee. This lot was for many years known as the "Great Lot," and a small portion of it remained in the possession of the Pierce family until about 1840. By the exchange here noticed,
22
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
lots numbered eleven and fifteen in the grantors' quarter came into the possession of the grantees.
The remaining seven hundred and fifty acres of this tract, to- gether with lots numbered twenty-two and twenty-three, were granted to Paul March on condition that he should waive all other claim to a right as a grantee and settle nine families thereon by the first day of the following October. This tract, which em- braced about nineteen hundred acres, extended from Tufton- borough line to what is now Friend Street. Here were made the first permanent settlements in Wolfeborough, but not at so early a date as that agreed on by March. Some subsequent proceed- ings of the proprietors would indicate that a portion of this tract came again into their possession.
Having completed arrangements with Pierce and March, and thereby disposed of lots numbered twenty-two and twenty-three, there remained twenty-two lots to be drawn by twenty-two pro- prietors. Two lads, one of whom was Henry, son of Captain Henry Rust, officiated at the drawing. This was the result :- Lot No. 1 of 640 acres was drawn by Jotham Rindge.
" 18 “ 600
66
" John Wentworth.
66
" John Long.
" Nathaniel P. Sargent.
66 24 " 600
15 “ 600
" Henry Rust.
66 13 “ 480 12 " 550
66
66 " Thomas Wentworth.
66
" Daniel Rindge.
66
66
66
" Henry Apthorp.
" Daniel Treadwell.
66
66
66
" Robert Odiorne.
66
66
" William E. Treadwell.
2 " 600
66
" William Parker, Jr.
" Joshua Brackett.
.
.. II " 550
66
66
66
" John Parker.
.«
" George King.
66 8 " 648 9 " 642 14 " 480 17 " 600 66 20 "710
66
66
" John Rindge.
66 7 " 642 4 “ 560 66
19 “ 560
23
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Lot No. 21 of 650 acres was drawn by George Meserve.
" 16 “ 440
66 3 “ “ 550 66
66 66 10 " 648 66
66
66 5 " 648 6 " 648
66 66 " " David Sewall.
" Thomas Darling.
" Samuel Moffatt,
" Isaac Rindge.
" A. R. Cutter.
The lots were appraised of equal value. They averaged about six hundred acres each, but varied considerably in extent-the largest, which included within its limits what is now Pine Hill cemetery, containing seven hundred and ten acres, and the smallest, within whose boundaries is now situated an im- portant part of the Bridge village, four hundred and forty acres. Lots near the Miles Road appear to have had the greatest acre value. They were those numbered thirteen, fourteen, and sixteen. Lots numbered twenty-two and twenty-three, located on the same road, had already gone into the possession of March. Land in the southwestern part of the township was appraised a little higher per acre than that in the northeastern, probably on account of its proximity to Lake Winnipesaukee, and conse- quently, to the road leading from Merry Meeting Bay to Dover ; thereby rendering access to the settled portions of the province less difficult, and the land more available for early settlement. The water privilege on Smith River would also have a tendency to increase the value of land near its locality. It is evident that these lands were at first the most highly prized in the town, as they were the earliest settled. The entrée of Governor Wentworth on his domain in the east side of the town, however, brought a prestige to that section that counterbalanced the natural ad- vantages on the west side.
It was required in the grant from the Masonian Proprietors that their division of the township should be surveyed, and subdivided among them at the expense of the grantees. According to ar- rangement their reservation was divided into eighteen shares, which were drawn by lot as follows :-
24
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Lot No. 9 for the Ministry.
66
17
" John Wentworth.
66
15 " Joshua Peirce.
66 66 I2 George Jaffrey.
6 Thomas Packer.
66
14
John Moffatt.
66
II
D. Peirce and M. Moore.
66
66
2
" Mark H. Wentworth.
66
66
4
66 Thomas Wallingford.
18
66 The First Minister.
7
John Rindge.
66
66
66 Solly & March.
66
3 8
Meserve, Blanchard & Co.
5
66 Tomlinson & Mason.
66
66
3
66 Richard Wibird.
66
66
16
Jotham Odiorne.
66
I
The School.
66
66
IO
Theodore Atkinson.
These lots, with the exception of that numbered one, averaged about three hundred acres each. This contained four hundred and fifty.
Four additions have been made to the area of Wolfeborough since it was chartered. They will now be briefly noticed, and in subsequent pages more fully considered. Descriptive boundries of the original township, its additions, and subdivisions will also be given, and such allusions made to them as will render it com- paratively easy to determine localities. This will, of course, im- pliedly lead to the anticipation of some historic events.
The boundary of the original township of Wolfeboro begins near the southeast corner of the farm occupied by Charles F. Chase, and runs northeastly on a line west of the Neil Cate farm and east of the Martin farm, until it reaches a point near the dwelling
66
25
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
formerly occupied by John W. Cotton. It then turns toward the northwest, and passing a little east of the Joseph Jenness house, and between the farms once owned by Stephen Nute and Nicholas Nute, reaches Dimon's Corner, and so on by the road leading from that place to Water Village, past the farm of Joseph H. Bickford, where, there being a curve in the road, it goes through a meadow, and reaches Tuftonborough near the foot of the Goldsmith hill. Here it turns towards the southwest, and runs for a short distance on the road leading from Water Village to Wolfeborough Falls, then near the northern shore of Beech Pond, and farther on, by the house of Charles Bassett, until it reaches Lake Winnipesaukee at the southwesterly corner of the John Fullerton farm. Then, turning again to the left, it follows the lake shore and Alton line until it reaches the starting point.
The additions which have been made to the territory of Wolfe- borough have modified its exterior lines. Its present southeast corner is near Mount Long Stack, from which the northeast line extends about one mile to the corner of the original township near the farm of Charles F. Chase, and continues in the same direction, until it approaches the village of North Wakefield, where, at a point distant one mile and seventy rods from the northeast corner of the original township of Wolfeborough, it turns to the left, and runs in the direction of the road leading to Ossipee Corner eleven hundred and ninety rods. There, turn- ing to the left, it runs eighty-three rods towards Wolfeborough, where it turns to the right and runs on the north side of Trask and Batson Mountains about one and three-quarters miles. At that point turning again to the left, it runs directly to Wolfe- borough line. There is another change in the town line where it reaches the farm formerly owned by Benjamin Wiggin, situated in the westerly corner of the town. Here it turns somewhat to the west as it approaches Lake Winnipesaukee. From the lake shore
26
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
it runs directly to Alton near the foot of Dug Hill, including with- in its line the four principal islands that lie in Wolfeborough har- bor. The length of an air line from Tuftonborough to Alton is about seven miles; the sinuous shore-line, which fronts every point of the compass, is nearly twice as long.
In the town proprietors' allotment of land in Wolfeborough, lots numbering from one to ten, a double row one and one-half miles long and two hundred and fifty rods wide, were situated in the north-eastern part of the town, and, as a group, were bounded by the Lords' Quarter, the Addition, Brookfield, and Lake Went- worth.
Lot numbered one, drawn by Jotham Rindge, bordered on Brookfield, Lake Wentworth, and lots two and six, and included within its limits Martin's Hill and Mount Delight. Lot num- bered two, drawn by William Parker, Jr., was bounded by lots one, three, seven, and Lake Wentworth. It included land now occupied by Thomas L. Whitton and others. Lot three, drawn by Thomas Darling, was bounded by lots two, four, eight, and Lake Wentworth. On this probably stood the Governor's house. Lot four, drawn by John Long, was bounded by lots three, five, nine, and Lake Wentworth. It included portions of the meadow lands. Lot five was bounded by lots four, ten, eighteen, and the Lords' Quarter. It was drawn by Isaac Rindge, who erected a house on it known as the "Rindge House." It stood where now stands that owned by Harry Smith. Lot numbered six, drawn by A. R. Cutter, situated in the east corner of the three-quarters, was bounded by lots one and seven, the Addition, and Brook- field. Cotton Mountain, within its limits, was at first called Cut- ter's Mountain.
Lot seven, drawn by Governor Wentworth, was bounded by lots two, six, eight, and the Addition. The farm of Timothy Y. Cotton is within its limits. Lot eight, drawn by Daniel Rindge, was bounded by lots three, seven, nine, and the Addition. Within its limits is the farm occupied by Cyrus Jenness. Lot numbered
27
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
nine, drawn by Henry Apthorp, was bounded by lots four, eight, ten, and the Addition, and included Frost's meadow. Lot ten, drawn by Samuel Moffatt, was bounded by lots five and nine, the Addition, and the Lords' Quarter. It probably included the Wil- mot Bickford farm. Lot numbered eleven, drawn by Joshua Brackett, extended from the Bryant Reservation to the Sands, a distance of two miles on the headlines of New Durham and Brook- field. Its opposite boundary was, for a distance of four hundred and forty-two rods, on lot numbered twelve, and then on the shore of Lake Wentworth. The hamlet called Brackett's Cor- ner is within its limits. Lot numbered twelve, drawn by Thomas Wentworth, was bounded by lots eleven and thirteen, the Bryant Reservation, and Lake Wentworth. Within its boundaries is the farm of John T. Furber.
Lot thirteen, drawn by George King, was bounded by lots twelve, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen and Lake Wentworth. It embraced the home farms of the Brewsters. On it was the ele- vation called King's Hill. Lot fourteen, drawn by Daniel Tread- well, was bounded by lots thirteen, fifteen, sixteen, and Lake Winnipesaukee. Within its limits stands the old Hart house now occupied by Mrs. George W. Furber. Lot numbered fifteen was a part of the Bryant Reservation, and included the Rust and Parker farms, most of Rust's Pond and South Wolfeborough vil- lage. It was, by agreement, assigned to Henry Rust. Lot six- teen, drawn by David Sewall, was situated on both sides of Smith River, and embraced much of the territory on which now stands Smith's Bridge village. Within its limits was Sewall's Point.
Lot seventeen was drawn by Robert Odiorne, but soon went into the possession of William Torrey. This lot was four hun- dred rods long and two hundred and eighty rods wide, embracing within its limits the entire mill-lot of one hundred acres, the re- maining portion of the village of Wolfeborough Falls, Crooked Pond, and the outlet of Lake Wentworth. Lot eighteen, drawn by John Rindge, was bounded by lots five, seventeen, nineteen,
28
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
twenty, the Lords' Quarter, and Lake Wentworth. Included within its boundaries, was the large tract of woodland formerly owned by George W. Hersey.
Lot numbered nineteen, drawn by Nathaniel P. Sargeant, was bounded by lots eighteen, twenty, twenty-one, the Great Lot, and the Lords' Quarter. Within its limits is Lily (formerly Sar- geant's) Pond. Lot twenty was bounded by lots seventeen, nine- teen, twenty-one, and twenty-two, and included the Avery woods. It was drawn by William Earle Treadwell, but subsequently be- came the property of George Meserve. Lot twenty-one was drawn by George Meserve. It lay northwest of lot twenty, and probably included within its limits the site of Pine Hill school- house. It was bounded by lots nineteen, twenty, twenty-three, and the Great Lot. Lots twenty-two and twenty-three lay be- tween lots twenty and twenty-one, and Lake Winnipesaukee. They were conditionally relinquished to Paul March. Lot twenty- four embraced Wolfeborough Neck, and was assigned to John Parker. At first the Neck was allotted to Henry Rust and John Parker, as, before measurement, it was supposed to contain land sufficient for two lots. It was, however, afterwards ascertained that its superficies equalled only five hundred and forty-seven acres. This tract was, therefore, given to Parker for his share, , and Rust received six hundred acres of the Bryant Reservation.
The first row of lots in the Lords' Quarter, numbering from one to six, bordered on a range-road extending from Dimon's Corner to Frank B. Horne's farm. The most southern lot con- tained four hundred and fifty acres. It was numbered one, and appropriated for schools. The other seventeen averaged three hundred acres each. Lot number two was situated northeast of lot one. On it is the farm of Charles C. Thompson. It was drawn by Mark H. Wentworth. Lot three was drawn by Richard Wibird. On it stands the dwelling of Sylvester Twombly. Lot numbered four was drawn by Thomas Wallingford. Here is Charles H. Bennett's farm. Lot five, on which is the house of Walter
29
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Sherburne, was drawn by Tomlinson and Mason. Lot numbered six was drawn by Thomas Packer. The Haines family have been occupants of it from the early settlement of the town. Parallel to this range of lots are two others. The middle range has the odd numbers, and the northwestern range the even.
The middle row of lots has had but few inhabitants. On lot numbered seven, which was drawn by Solly & March, is a por- tion of Samuel B. Sawyer's farm. Lot fifteen was drawn by Joshua Pierce. It embraces a portion of the Jacob Horne farm. Lots eleven and fifteen, by an arrangement with Daniel Pierce, came into the possession of the grantees of Wolfeborough. Lot seventeen was drawn by John Wentworth. The Nathan Weeks place was within its limits.
The northwestern tier of lots bordered on Tuftonborough. Lot numbered eight was drawn by Meserve, Blanchard & Co., and included the John L. Goldsmith farm. Lot ten was drawn by Theodore Atkinson, and was distant one hundred and seventy- five rods from the Ossipee town line at the foot of Goldsmith Hill. Lot numbered twelve was bounded by lots ten, eleven, fourteen, and Tuftonborough. It was drawn by George Jaffrey, and was one hundred and eighty-five rods wide. Lot fourteen was of the same width, and was bounded by lots twelve, thirteen, and sixteen, and Tuftonborough. It was drawn by John Moffatt. Lot numbered sixteen was drawn by John Odiorne, and included within its limits a portion of Beech Pond. Lot numbered eighteen extended to the Great Lot, and included within its limits the site of Elijah Horne's last dwelling. It fell to the first minister.
In the Addition, which became a part of Wolfeborough in 1800, lot numbered one, owned by Jonathan Warner, had an extent of nearly nine hundred acres of land, and was bounded by Brook- field, Ossipee, lots six and seven in the original township of Wolfeborough and lot two in the Addition. Lot two was bounded by lots one and three in the Addition, lots eight and nine in the old town, and Ossipee. It probably included within its limits
30
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
the Brown Tavern, for many years a noted hostelry. It was owned by James Stoodley. Lot three was bounded by lots two and four in the Addition, nine and ten in the old town, the Lords' Quarter, and Ossipee. It was owned by Dr. Hall Jackson. Lots one, two, and three were of the same size. Lot four was bounded by three and five in the Addition, the Lords' Quarter, and Ossipee. It was owned by Stephen Batson, and included the mountain and pond which now bear his name. Lots four and five each contained four hundred acres. There are about thirty- five hundred acres of land in the Addition, but being mountainous, it was estimated at the time of its annexation to Wolfeborough to contain less than three thousand acres.
That portion of Wolfeborough that came into the possession of the town proprietors was at first divided into twenty-four lots. Two of them were conveyed to Paul March for purposes of settle- ment, reducing the number to twenty-two. The Masonian Pro- prietors' Quarter was divided into eighteen lots, and the Addition contained five. Thus there were in the town forty-seven divisions of land,-one series of lots being numbered from one to twenty- two; another, from one to eighteen; and a third, from one to five. There were, therefore, in each series, lots numbering from one to five, a circumstance which has occasioned some per- plexities in transfering land.
VIEW OM
ERT'S HILL
PANORAMIC
MICHEBOROUGH BAY
CHAPTER III.
TOPOGRAPHY-BAYS OF WOLFEBOROUGH HARBOR-SMITH'S POND AND RIVER-LAKE WENTWORTH AND ITS ISLANDS-ITS MEADOWS, BEACHES, AND TRIBUTARY STREAMS-CROOKED POND-LOON ISLAND-SCENIC VIEWS FROM THE LAKE- TUMBLE-DOWN DICK-COPPLE CROWN-LONGSTACK- BELKNAP-OSSIPEE-PRESIDENTIAL RANGES-NEIGHBOR- ING FOOT- HILLS-RUST'S POND-PERRY'S BROOK-MIRROR LAKE-BEACH, LILY, AND BATSON'S PONDS-MESERVE AND FACTORY BROOKS-CENTER SQUARE, STOCKBRIDGE, BATSON, TRASK, WHITEFACE, AND COTTON MOUNTAINS-THE VAL- LEY ROAD-MINERALS-PRODUCTS-INDIAN RELICS.
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