USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Wolfeborough > History of Wolfeborough (New Hampshire) > Part 39
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The Red Hill, built by Boston parties, never proved a success, and her dismantled hulk now lies near Lee's Mills.
The James Bell was at one time owned by Alpheus Swett, and was by him sold to Lake Village parties.
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
The Maid of the Isles, a commodious deck and cabin steamer, was built at Wolfeborough by William D. Haley. Her draft was too great for convenient navigation, however, and she was finally rebuilt at Lakeport, from which place she now runs as an excur- sion boat.
The Nellie, formerly a government launch in Portsmouth har- bor, was run for several years from Wolfeborough, by her owner, J. R. Duncan.
Numerous pleasure and freighting boats now ply the waters of the lake, their number being estimated as high as one hundred and fifty. The natural developmnt of the lake region as a summer resort will make these craft much more common.
In the old days the lake traffic was the main dependence of the town for supplies from the outside world. The old resident can remember when the "Lady" lay outside Sewall's Point waiting for the ice to leave the bay in the spring. In the autumn, naviga- tion lasted in many cases until the steamers had to break ice to reach their winter berths. A special feature was the exporting of Thanksgiving poultry, when as many as twenty-two tons have been shipped from Wolfeborough, in one consignment, by boat. All the heavy supplies needed by the merchants in the winter were ordered in advance and delivered by the steamers.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE PUBLIC LANDING-HOW JUDGE SEWALL DISPOSED OF HIS LANDS IN WOLFEBOROUGII-SMITH'S BRIDGE VILLAGE BUILT ON HIS ORIGINAL LOT-SQUATTERS ON THE LAND- ING - SEWALL'S STATEMENT - DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH SHORE.
T HERE lies in the center of Wolfeborough village, on the lake shore, a small parcel of land, now covered with build- ings, over which there has been more discussion and controversy than any tract of ten times its area in town. This is the so-called public landing, given the public by deed of Judge David Sewall.
When, in 1766, the land in Wolfeborough belonging to the twenty-four town proprietors, as joint owners, was divided in severalty, lot number sixteen fell to David Sewall, attorney-at-law, of Portsmouth. It lay on both sides of a portion of Smith's River and of Wolfeborough bay, the shore-line bordering a large portion of the waters of the latter. The lot contained four hundred and forty acres, two-thirds of which was situated on the northwesterly side of the river and bay.
The portion of the lot on the southeast side of the river ad- joined Daniel Treadwell's lot, number fourteen. The line between the two lots extended from a point near the main road to Lake Winnipesaukee, an estimated distance of two hundred and twelve rods. The north-easterly line ran nearly in the direction of the main road to what is now Pickering's Corner ; thence in the same line east of the site of the shoe factories to Smith's River ; thence by the river, bay and lake shores to the point where the south- eastern line reached the lake.
On this lot is built most of that portion of Wolfeborough vil- lage which is known as Smith's Bridge. The southeasterly part 516
RESIDENCE OF COL. E. B. DICKENSON
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of this lot was sub-divided by the Miles or Main road; that on the south side of the road adjoined Lake Winnipesaukee and con- tained one hundred and forty acres, that on the north side of the highway, one-tenth as much. Each division was a triangle in shape.
These lands were thus disposed of by Mr. Sewall :
August 30, 1769, one year after the settlement of the town, he deeded to John Sinkler a tract thus bounded: Beginning at the northeast corner of his proprietary lot and extending northwest sixty-five rods ; thence, carrying that width to the lake, a distance of two hundred and twelve rods; the amount of land conveyed being eighty-six acres, more or less, the consideration for which was thirty pounds and two shillings. This land is now apparently in possession of Greenleaf B. Clark.
In 1777 Sewall conveyed to Moses Varney the fourteen-acre lot on the northeast side of the highway. In 1791 this lot reverted to him, being conveyed by Henry Rust, administrator of the estate of Matthew S. Parker. March 28, 1793, he deeded the same to Samuel Leavitt, its boundaries being thus described: Begin- ning at a stake on the country road, about twelve rods distant from Smith's Bridge; thence by said road southeasterly about nineteen chains (76 rods) to the road leading to the Mills ; thence northeast or thereabouts, twenty-four chains (96 rods) by the Mill lot to Smith's River ; thence by the river and a right line to the stake first mentioned, which leaves a small piece of land to the northwest. On this lot was a small house and barn in the pos- session of Moses Varney, represented as a tenant.
At the same time (1793) Sewall deeded to Leavitt a piece of land thus bounded: "Northeasterly, by the road leading over Smith's Bridge, southeasterly by land deeded to Sinkler, south- westerly by the Pond" (meaning the lake)-"a triangle, reserv- ing so much of the land at the angle at Smith's Bridge, adjoining said Pond, as may be necessary for a convenient landing for the inhabitants of Wolfeborough and others who may hereafter have
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occasion to make use of the same for that purpose." This tract contained fifty-three acres, more or less, and included the land now owned by Brewster Free Academy (some forty acres), the Pavilion lot, and all other land lying between South Main Street and Wolfeborough bay, to the bridge.
The portion of his lot on the north side of the river and bay, about two hundred and ninety acres, was sold to William Rogers in 1779 for four pounds of spring beaver fur. It was long in possession of the Rogers family. The Sewall Point lot and a strip of land ten rods wide, extending from the Main road to the lake, eventually came into the possession of Samuel Nowell.
The Public Landing was not a conveyance, but a reservation. It was originally the property of Mr. Sewall, and he made the reservation not exclusively for the benefit of the corporation it- self, or for any member of it, but for the general public. It is doubtful if, after he made the declaration, he retained any personal claim on it. It was as free as the waters of Lake Winnipesaukee or the breeze that ripples its surface. The town had no property rights in it, except perhaps those of a custodian, whose duty it was to protect the rights of the public. No individual certainly had any personal right to any portion of it, and all claims of per- sons who originally seized the property were based on false premises. If, by his public declaration Sewall had not disposed of all his rights to the landing, the fee simple remained with him and certain selected heirs. His own heir to it was his widow, whom he constituted his residuary legatee, and her heirs were Paul Langdon and his wife Elizabeth, her niece, whom she made her residuary legatees, and their rights were conveyed to the town of Wolfeborough in 1849 by a quit-claim deed. No other heir of Judge Sewall could make a valid conveyance of the land- ing to any person, as they had no legal claim to it. Hence, their conveyances are valueless.
The first person who squatted on the landing was James Brackett. On it he erected a cabinet-maker's shop, which was
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subsequently removed. Brackett disposed of his claim to another party, by whom it was occupied until again conveyed. Divers persons have at sundry times seized portions of the landing and disposed of their claims to others, until, with the exception of a strip perhaps thirty feet wide, the whole landing is in the posses- sion of persons or corporations.
Judge Sewall could not have anticipated the uses to which the landing would be put. It was then very convenient for a high- way watering place, being the only one on the Main road be- tween Meserve Brook and Mink Brook, and was used for land ing boats in summer and teaming in winter. He delighted in visiting it on his occasional tours to Wolfeborough in company with his close friend, Dr. A. R. Cutter. They were accustomed to make their stay at Col. Henry Rust's, and on a pleasant day the trio would ride on horseback to the landing in dignified order ; first, Judge Sewall, then, Dr. Cutter, and last, Col. Rust. They would drive into shoal water for the comfort of their horses and leisurely view the beautiful bay and the attractive scenery sur- rounding it.
In the early part of the last century the landing was claimed by the town, and several times agents were appointed to clear it of incumbrances, but nothing was done in this line. In Moses Thompson obtained of Judge Sewall's widow a quit-claim deed of the property. Mr. Thompson appointed John M. Brackett and Blake Folsom a committee to act with him, and they disposed of their rights to the Winnipesaukee Steamboat Company. This company was absorbed by the Concord & Montreal railroad, the railroad, in turn, by the Boston & Maine railroad, and the present occupants hold the land on lease from that corporation.
A deed is on record showing that Jonas W. Varney bought of George Piper, for forty dollars, a half-acre of land extending from the land of Samuel Avery to the landing, October 14, 1823.
This question of the ownership of the landing is a complicated one. The matter has been much agitated in recent years ; many
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
protests have been made regarding the construction of fences, etc., and it is not improbable that action will be taken in the near future, looking toward some settlement of the matter. In this con- nection we give verbatim et literatim a statement made by Judge Sewall in 1808, over his own signature, to Henry Rust. This paper is now in the possession of Mr. Albert B. Rust :
"With respect to the reservation mentioned in a Deed I made to Mr. Leavitt of about Fifty three acres of land in Wolf-borough on the S. West side of the Road there, adjoining Smith's Bridge so called, made and executed in 1793 after viewing the place in 1800, and perusing a Copy of the description of the land, said to be taken from a Record of the Deed The whole of the Ground (which now appears to be Sand) between the Road, and the Waters of the Wenesepocky Pond, and are supposed to be about Twenty Rods in length, from Smith's Bridge South Easterly, was my Original intention to be reserved for a convenient landing Place.
With respect to the exception, from the Triangular piece of about 14 Acre conveyed to said Leavett in the same Deed of 1793. I find that in 1777 the same was surveyed prior to making a Deed thereof to Moses Varney a Tanner and Shoemaker. Varney en- tered and improved it, in his own Right or as a Tenant, until the year 1791, When it came to me again by Deed from Col H. Rust, as Admin. of the Estate of Matthew S. Parker. . . The place where Varney's Tan Vatts, were made and used, near the margin of Smith's River, I always supposed were within ; and a part of the 14 Acres said Varney purchased of me. That the straight line from the Stake (mentioned as the place begun at to describe the same land) would strike Smith River at or very near, said Var- ney's Tan Vatts : And the small piece reserved from the said 14 Acres, was to adjoin Smith's Bridge was not supposed to exceed half an Acre in quantity At the time Leavit's Deed was made (1793) as Well as in 1777, when Varney first purchased, the
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Waters of the Pond were much lower than when I viewed the place in Oct. 1800.
David Sewall"
The development of the Sewall-Rogers lands on the northerly side of the bay within a decade has been remarkable. The land was purchased by Messrs. Charles F. Piper and George A. Car- penter, and is now practically covered with handsome summer residences. The pioneer in this movement was Colonel Edward B. Dickinson, of New York, who had visited Wolfeborough an- nually for several years and had become impressed with the ad- vantages of the place as a permanent summer home. He pur- chased a lot of ten acres, with a water front of nearly six hundred feet. Here he erected in 1889 an attractive residence, "Ferncliffe," or thirteen rooms, with a wind-mill, bath-house, boat-house and several summer houses, about the grounds. A stone wharf, one hundred and forty feet long, affords ample dock facilities. The high standard fortunately set by Colonel Dickinson in the first house built on what is now Sewall road, has been to a good degree maintained by the numerous cottagers that have succeeded him.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
THE EARLY HOMES OF THE SETTLERS-METHODS OF BUILDING IN VOGUE-JOHN LARY'S WIFE A TRUE HELPMEET-Two- STORY HOUSES OF SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO-ITEMS OF IN- TEREST ABOUT THEM-HOLIDAYS OF OUR FATHERS-THE COUNTRY STORE AS A RESORT-TOWN MEETING, ITS SERI- OUS AND SPORTIVE SIDE-INDEPENDENCE DAY-THE GLORIES OF MUSTER.
T' HE first shelters of the settlers were rude huts of logs, de- signed for temporary occupancy. Log cabins intended for more permanent homes were constructed on more commodious lines, the walls being ceiled and partitioned. Board floors were laid, brick fire-places and ovens were constructed, and doors and windows built. It was one of these latter buildings in which Ben- jamin Blake lived for the first eighteen years of his married life. The same kind of dwelling served for Joseph Lary, whose buxom wife carried the roof boards for their home on her head from Smith's River to the site of the house, near the present dwelling of Benjamin Webster. Fortunately for the early pioneers, a saw- mill was established on the falls of Smith's River before a settler arrived, and another was soon built near the Wentworth farm.
The first dwelling erected in Wolfeborough, if we except the Walter Bryant camp, on Mink Brook, was the Mill house situated near the garden of Roscoe M. Flanders. This house was con- structed of sawed lumber.
The houses of the settlers varied in the manner of their con- struction. A very few had but a single room, others had but two, some had an oven built outside. A quite common style of abode was the "half-house,' which consisted of one large living-room and one or two smaller rooms. The chimney was placed near the 522
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outside wall, with two and sometimes three fireplaces. Except the one in use, these fireplaces faced the wall. If prosperity pre- vailed, and the family increased (as it usually did), additional rooms were built on, and these fireplaces were utilized.
During the last of the eighteenth and the first of the nineteenth centuries quite a number of two-story houses were erected. Among them were the Isaiah Horne house, Col. Copp's tavern, the Andrew Wiggin, Jonathan Blake, Joseph Edmonds, Daniel Wiggin, Meader, Tebbetts, Bassett, Lucas, Varney, and Rogers houses; the Jewett tavern, to which Richard Rust added the second story ; the Mason house, on the site of the Durgin building, but since removed to the corner of Glendon and School Streets; the John Pickering tavern, now the Rollins house; the Samuel Avery house ; the Guppy house ; the Hart house, now the residence of Mrs. George W. Furber; the residence of Mrs. Jethro Furber, which was built on the ten-acre Sewall strip by Samuel Nowell, and moved across the bay on the ice by Stephen Coffin ; the old store, changed into the Joseph Farrar residence, and afterwards into the Manning boarding-house, later removed to Union Street ; the Daniel Brewster house, the Henry Rust, afterwards the Parker house, now burned ; the Henry Rust, Jr. and Richard Rust houses at South Wolfeborough; the Joseph Furber house in Pleasant Valley ; the houses of Elijah and Jonathan Hersey at Pine Hill; the Isaac Edmonds house at Wolfeborough Falls ; the Allen par- sonage (with oaken frame), now owned by J. Frank Chamber- lain, at Wolfeborough Center ; the houses built by James P. and Henry Horne, now occupied by Frank B. Horne and Samuel Reynolds; the Stoddard, Isaac Martin, and George Whitton houses, the last burned ; the Aaron Roberts and Thomas J. Tib- betts houses at North Wolfeborough. Possibly other two-story houses were built in town more than seventy-five years ago.
The following facts regarding old houses in town are gathered from various sources :-
James Lucas's house was where Cate's block now stands.
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Charles Thurston's house was the ell of Moses Thompson's house.
Charles Thurston's cooper shop is the ell of Charles W. Gil- man's house.
John Lucas's house was a part of the Richard Davis house. Dr. Blaisdell renovated it.
Jeremiah Norris Taylor had a house opposite the Guppy house.
Moses Seavey lived opposite the George W. Furber house. Seavey once occupied the farm in North Wolfeborough now owned by George Morgan. The brook near the farm is still called the Seavey Brook.
Samuel Connor, a son of James Connor, lived near the Brews- ter Lane.
Daniel Brewster lived at the end of the lane and owned five hundred acres of excellent land. His brother George had an equal amount, both farms constituting the "King" lot.
The Henry W. Furber house was the original Daniel Brewster house.
James Connor settled on the Tetherly place. Jeremiah, his son, occupied it, and after him Eliphus Wiggin.
The John H. Rust house was built by Joseph Edmonds from rough to finish ; including setting of glass, etc., for one hundred and fifty dollars. William Kent built the Enoch Clark house.
The Severance house was the John Warren house. Samuel Leavitt, Dr. Chapman, and Dr. Edgerly have all lived there.
Joseph Smith's store stood where Charles F. Piper's house is. It is now the dwelling of Rev. Mark Stevens.
John L. Piper's house stood on the site of Charles F. Parker's dwelling. Moses Piper, Dr. Perkins, Dr. Lary, and Dr. Hall lived there.
Joseph Clark built the house he lived in, now occupied by Greenleaf B. Clark. He was a manufacturer of furniture.
Deacon Rust's store was built by Nathaniel Rogers.
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
Samuel and John L. Piper's store stood where the Bank Build- ing is.
The Pickering-Rollins house is the oldest in the village. The nails in it are hand-made and the laths are rived.
Jeremiah Libbey's house was in the Belvue House garden.
After the establishment of retail stores in Wolfeborough it be- came the practice with many of the adult population to make a half-holiday of Saturday afternoon. They would then visit these emporiums, make necessary purchases, swap news, and, we fear, imbibe mixed grog. The people of Wolfeborough, in common with other New England towns, observed five holidays annually. These were Town Meeting, Fast Day, Independence Day, Muster, and Thanksgiving. The Christmas festival was looked upon by many in those times as a survival of popery and was little countenanced.
At first New Hampshire selected the first Tuesday in March for the annual election day ; later, the time was changed to the second Tuesday, as at present. Jeffersonianism, Republicanism, or the intensive modification of it, Jacksonian democracy, generally pre- vailed in Wolfeborough during the first half of the last century. The Federalists and Whigs were greatly in the minority. There were no party caucuses nor any nominations announced in ad- vance. Seldom, even, were ballots prepared. Ready penmen would write them as wanted at the meeting, and would prepare them as cheerfully for one side as the other. The contests were often sharp, on one occasion eight ballotings being required for the last selectman. Of course some questionable tricks were played but, the boss had not then come into vogue.
Until the meeting-house was built in 1792, the town meetings were held in private dwellings, made quasi-public by a license to sell spirits. The Mill house, which stood near the garden of Roscoe M. Flanders at Wolfeborough Falls was the last building so occupied. · While the meeting-house remained as originally constructed, and after its transformation into a town-house, until
.
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the building of Brewster Memorial Hall, it was the only place where the citizens met to transact their legal town business. Al- though centrally situated, it was in a sparsely settled district where those who came from a distance could with difficulty obtain re- freshment.
Many of the voters took pocket lunches with them, which were in a manner supplemented by cold boiled eggs and home-made molasses candy peddled by boys, and the mute baker, Willand, endeavored to persuade his sceptical customers that the dry ginger bread he offered was "baked that morning." New rum could be obtained at three cents a glass. In later years appetizing food was served in booths erected on the grounds, a bowl of hot stewed oysters and a steaming mug of coffee forming an im- portant part of the popular repast.
Wrestling was a common sport at these town meetings. Champions from different sections of the town were pitted against each other. The bouts were interesting and not altogether un- scientific. "Collar-and-elbow" and "side-hugs" were the favorite holds, and the supporters of the champions successful in either style would claim that the other method "wasn't wrestling at all." So engaged did the crowd become in these contests, that some- times the moderator was compelled to send a messenger to remind the voters that business was waiting them on the inside of the town-house.
On Fast Day a large portion of the people attended divine worship in the morning. In the afternoon, weather permitting, the first ball game of the season was played, as is the custom to- day.
July Fourth, the masculine element resorted to the village, where, unless an orator and some special observance had been provided, they waxed patriotic over their punch, while the youths burned powder and ignited explosives with zest. A few women occasionally appeared on the scene, but only as spectators. Cory-
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don and Phyllis foraging for ice-cream and lemonade, were a later development of the "glorious Fourth."
The twenty-seventh regiment of New Hampshire militia con- sisted of the enrolled soldiers residing within the towns of Effing- ham, Ossipee, Wakefield, Brookfield, Tuftonborough, and Wolfe- borough, the extremities of the district being about thirty miles apart. The training field was in Ossipee, and the muster was the gala occasion of the year. Everybody who could, went; the ro- bust young or middle-aged man was there by a requirement of the law; the older men and the youths went to indulge in retro- spect or to strive to emulate; the wives and sisters were there be- cause their husbands and brothers were. Brave was the show made by the gaily uniformed troops, intricate were the evolutions and bold the hazards of the sham battle ; with bugles blowing, fifes screaming, and drums beating, what enemy could stand before them ?
The towns furnished the militiamen both liquid and solid rations. Venders at booths supplied the civilian crowd with the same, and at least as many were worsted by their devotion to Gambrinus as fell by the assault of the enemy. Footsore and weary, soldier and citizen arrived home at a late hour of the night, affirming, however, that town-meeting bustle and Independence Day glories paled before the spectacular wonders of Fall Train- ing.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
ITEMS OF INTEREST-BONUS PAID TO TAKE THE INVENTORY- WHIPPING POST-ORIGIN OF SHAD IN THE LAKE-BIG STORM OF 1816-BILL FOR BURYING A PAUPER-HOT PO- LITICAL FRAYS -- TOWN SURVEYED-THOMAS CHASE'S WALL -FIRST CARRIAGE, UMBRELLA, AND CIDER-MILL-A BIG TAVERN BILL-CHANGES AROUND LAKE FRONT-TWO FAMOUS APPLES.
TN 1789 the town voted to let the taking of the inventory to the lowest bidder, and the privilege was struck off to John Horne for eight shillings. There seems to have been at this time con- siderable competition for the berth. William Cotton the follow- ing year offered to pay eight shillings per £100 collected. In 1791, however, the town excused him from paying this bonus, and he simply did the work without financial reward.
At the town-meeting in 1810 it was voted to kill all dogs within town limits, also to pay a bounty of ten cents for all crows killed. Evidently the farmers had been suffering from marauders both in pasture and field. It is doubtful if the decree against the canines was very strictly enforced except, perhaps, in the case of the worthless "yaller dog."
Charles L. Horne, who was born November 6, 1828, says he recollects distinctly seeing a man whipped at a whipping-post, when a young boy. He describes the whipper as being a thick- set man. The culprit did not seem to mind the punishment at first, but, as the handler of the rod warmed to his work, he howled with pain and made ineffectual efforts to free himself. A man standing near characterized the punishment as an outrage, but was quieted by the suggestion that he was making himself liable to the same treatment. Some girls who had been insulted by the 528
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