USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Chester > History of old Chester [N. H.] from 1719 to 1869 > Part 17
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May 11, 1750. From Clark's mill in Auburn to the main road.
July 8, 1751. From the " Branch " by Osgood True's, to Whittier's in Raymond. Altered May 7, 1765.
Nov. 5, 1751. From near Osgood Wason's in Candia, northeast by Dearborn's, towards Langford's on the reserve.
March 24, 1752. From the east end of additional lot No. 107, near Charles Moore's, northeast to the " Branch " road near the Locke place.
March 25, 1752. A continuation of the road to Candia, from John Underhill's or Jacob Chase's, laid out Dec. 18, 1746. From the southeast corner of additional lot No. 70, near where Mr. Southwick now lives, and by Capt. Weeks's, by " Norway meadow " and David Craig's to the north line of No. 38, 2d P., 2d D., near where Asahel Weeks lives.
Aug. 21, 1752. From Exeter line up the old cart road, that was, when the lots were laid, to David Bean's, near Freetown mill. This road was cut out to go from Free- town mill to Exeter, and is marked on the old plans, and the lots are bounded on it.
July 9, 1753. From near Mr. Orcutt's to the North Pond road ; between home lots Nos. 7 and 135.
March 2, 1754. Beginning between Capt. Morse's saw- mill and grist-mill (Couch's), and on to Derry line, near Jacob Couch's.
March, 1754. From Charles Moore's and John Moore's (Wilbur's) additional lot 104, by William Moore's (Daniel Sanborn's), and John Hoit's (Simon M. Sanborn's), to the road " laid out by the Parish of Brentwood " (Fremont). This followed the north line of Gov. Wentworth's fifty acres, and No. 6 to the reserve, then on the reserve the width of No. 2, and on the south line of No. 3 to the sled path, and across No. 3 to the road by Brentwood. The corners have since been cut off.
July 16, 1755. From the main road at Emerson's Cor-
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
ner, in Auburn, additional 64, northerly by Pike Chase's, over " Bunker Hill" to the new, or Dearborn, saw-mill on lot No. 57, 2d P., 2d D. It led by Joseph Basford's, the only settler at that time.
March 1, 1756. The road by Archibald McDuffec's, now Thomas Goldsmith's, by the Fowler place, now Savage's in Auburn, to where John Smith lived.
July 12, 1756. From Cornet Lane's cast southeast by Marden's, to the road to the "Branch," by Joseph Knowles's.
April, 1757. From near Joshua Hall's house, now Geo. S. Smith's, between 129 and 130, old hundred, northeast into Raymond, and passing where Garland Wason lives, to J. Osgood Wason's, then Thomas Wason's, to the old road to Candia.
Oct. 18, 1757. Began at the northwest corner of No. 3, old hundred, then south 29º west, on the reserve " to where the gate now hangs." Then across the 5th, 6th, and part of the 7th lot, to Exeter line, northward of the burying- place, and between Benjamin Smith's house and barn. It is the road from near J. Fullonton's in Raymond to Ep- ping.
Sept. 9, 1758. Candia "High Street" from the north- west corner of the school lot No. 91, 3d D., to the westerly end of the third division. The upper end probably was never built on the reserve as laid out.
Dec. 6, 1758. " Beginning at the north end of No. 35, third division, where the westerly path now goes, from Jeremiah Bean's bars [near the Candia village school- house ], crossing the river at the tail of the saw-mill, and on by Enoch Rowell's [Candia Corner] to Emerson's [now Parker's Corner], then west northwest to the southwest bound of the 92d lot." This would be by the Colby and Cass places, in all, five lots, or about three hundred and sixty rods.
June 12, 1759. From Freetown mill, by Raymond Cen- ter to Dudley's mill.
June 12, 1759. At the request of Jonathan Dearborn,
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
Wadleigh Cram and David Dustin,-beginning at the southeast corner of No. 16, old hundred, running across lots Nos. 16, 15, to Nottingham line.
June 13, 1759. From Freetown mill, crossing the bridge below the mill, going to the west of the outlet mill, and east of Daniel Robie's house (Rev. J. Fullonton's), Wad- leigh Cram's and John Cram's, to the road laid out Oct. 18, 1757 (the road to Nottingham).
Feb. 11, 1760. Between Ithamar Berry's and Zachariah Butterfield's, between Nos. 21 and 22, 2d P., 2d D.,-the road from the Lane road up to the J. Norton place.
March 17, 1760. From Derry line, near James Adams's (now Robert Adams's), passing Hearne and Presby, to Mc- Duffee's mill in Auburn.
March 17, 1760. From David Witherspoon's, on the southeast side of Gov. Wentworth's farm of two hundred and fifty acres, in Auburn, northeast over the hill, instead of across the corner, as it now goes, and was at first laid out.
June 14, 1760. From the outlet of Jones's pond, and passing the northeast corner of the 37th lot, old hundred, to Jonathan Bean's house in Raymond, to the road there laid out, in April 6th, 1744.
Sept. 30, 1760. Beginning near Dudley's mill, at the end of the road laid out June 12, 1759, running westerly, enter- ing No. 27, 3d D., between a swamp and a great ledge of rocks, some thirty or forty rods north of the present road at Candia and Raymond line, and passed up the valley to near the Village school-house in Candia. There was an article in a warning in 1775, "To see if the Parish will vote to have the highway flung up that leads from Jeremiah Bean's to Joseph Homans'." Past in the negative. Ho- maus lived near Bean's Island. There was a Smart above.
Feb. 11, 1761. Beginning near Jethro Batchelder's house, at the road laid out May 5, 1750, thence north 29º east to the northeast end of lot 122, old hundred, then west- northwest to Lane's.
Dec. 9, 1761. At the request of Josiah Fogg, Robert
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Page, Elisha Tole, Jedediah Brown, and Jonathan Brown, from the old Freetown road, across lots 31, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9 and 8, old hundred, to the road laid out April, 1757, near the old burying-ground.
April 30, 1762. A road was laid out the northwest side of additional lots Nos. 40 and 39. Began nearly opposite the Jacob Chase place, then southwest the length of those two lots, then southeast to the road from the Fitts place to Morse's. If this was ever built there is none there now.
Nov. 27, 1762. From Enoch Rowell's (Candia Corner), passing between Emerson's house and barn, passing to the west of Samuel Tole and Jonathan Tole, down by French's to Jacob Griffin's, to near the Methodist church in Chester.
Nov. 27, 1762. From the new or Dearborn saw-mill, in Auburn, crossing Nos. 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62, on to the reserve, then north 29º east, so far as No. 113, 2d P., 2d D., to the "clay pits," so called, in Candia. The last part of this road on the reserve was sold by Candia in 1797.
March 24, 1763. From Lane's in Chester to Lane's in Raymond.
March 24, 1763. North Pond road from Nathan Morse's, across the Governor's farm, and on to Southwick's. Altered Feb. 2, 1767.
Nov. 25, 1763. From William Preston's, near Rufus Phillips' in Chester, to the Fowler place (now Savage's in Auburn), to the road laid out March 1, 1756. Afterwards, May, 1768, changed to its present location above Charles Chase's, between 45 and 46 additional.
The path from what is now called " Bunker Hill," in Au- burn, to the pond and Calfe's mill, left the present road near the school-house, and crossed the farm of the writer, near the lower end of the field, sixty rods from the present road, where David White first settled, and on in that direc- tion until it came to the base of the Mine hill, then along near the base of the hill to the present road, near where Mr. Haynes lives. Wells Chase drew boards for his house over this path in 1771.
Sept. 1764. From Massabesic Pond, by William Craig's,
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
(the Moses Hall place) by William Adams' (S. Kimball's), and on the reserve at the end of David White's lot (B. Chase's), on to the road by Lieut. Basford's (it came out at the north of H. Dockham's) ; afterwards altered across the lot to the school-house.
Sept. 2, 1766. From the old main road in Hooksett, at the March place, to the river " where Lousy brook empties into the river" (at Martin's Ferry) ; then beginning at the west bank of the river and running northwest to the line of the town.
June 27, 1767. From Charles Moore's, now Daniel San- born's, east end of No. 5, 2d P., 2d D., northeast to Whittier's land, No. 30, old hundreds, then northwest to the highway by Joseph True's.
March 3, 1768. From the end of the highway by David Foss's additional lot No. 107, on the reserve, northeast to the road to the Branch.
June 10, 1768. A road from near I. M. M. Elliott's, on Chester street, southwest eighty rods. This road led down to additional No. 39, where Jacob Wells formerly lived, and Joseph Colby then lived. Discontinued.
Jan. 5, 1769. From southwest of Prescott's (now Wil- liam True's), northwest on the reserve to the road from the meeting-house to Lane's.
March 3, 1769. From the old Berry place, at the end of the road, laid out April 17, 1744, to where Simon Haselton now lives, south of the Methodist church.
Aug. 22, 1769. From Sandown line, up by the Waddel place, and to the road by Jacob Hill's.
April 6, 1771. The northwest corner of additional lot No. 2, and running southeast to a beech tree, being the southeast bounds of the town, also the present main road to Derry line.
April 26, 1771. Across additional lot 101, from the Manley Lane place (now Davis) to Sandown line.
Dec. 29, 1772. From the southwest corner of No. 100, 2d P., 2d D., (on the Folsom place) southeast, crossing the 14
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Derryfield road, and on by Brown and Pierce's mill to the road to Derry from Auburn, at N. Presby's. (Probably no part of it is traveled now.)
Sept. 14, 1773. From Robert Calfe's (now Nathan Griffin's) over Campbell's bridge, to Candia line, towards Anderson's.
March 28, 1774. From Hugh MeDuffee's mill, at the Long Meadows, west-northwest on the reserve, to the Derry- field road near Mrs. Shannon's. There is no road there now.
March 30, 1774. From the southeast corner of Abner Hill's land, northwest on the reserve, between the additions and 2d P., 2d D., " to the highway by William Rendall's and Daniel Dolbear's" (to the road to Lane's).
Feb. 21, 1775. From the house where " William Gross now lives [James Hooke's] to Raymond line." 1
March 26, 1776. At Candia line at the northeast of lot 34, 2d P., 2d D., by Griffin's (now John B. Rand's) to the road from Simon Haselton's to Lane's. Discontinued.
Sept. 14, 1784. Beginning at Candia road, northeast corner of additional lot No. 74, thence west-northwest to the northwest corner of No. 77. This was to go to No. 39, 2d P., 2d D., where Griffin had formerly and Eliphalet Poor then lived.
Dec. 15, 1788. From near Clark's saw-mill in Auburn, towards the John Crawford place, towards Candia. It was altered, May 16, 1805.
Dec. 9, 1791. At the request of Nathaniel Emerson and twenty-nine others of Candia, a private way was laid out, beginning on Candia line, on lot No. 108, 5th D., crossing lots No. 103, 102, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119 and 120, to Al- lenstown line. It was laid out for the purpose of going to Suncook to mill, and to Concord.
April 4, 1792. Beginning between John Graham's and the " Little meeting-house," where the Rev. James Holmes now lives, northeast to James Wason's, now Stephen Kim- ball's ; between 69 and 70 2d P., 2d D.
Oct. 12, 1792. Beginning near David Patten's, where E.
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
A. Heath lately lived, on No. 102, 2d P., 2d D., across 104 and 105, to the pond, and across the " straits " (the pond) and through " Deer Neck " to Derryfield line.
In 1794 the Legislature passed an act laying out a road from Hale's bridge, in Walpole, to Chester, a distance o sixty miles, in order to take the travel to Portsmouth. It passed Amoskeag bridge, and over Bald hill, and terminated at a pine tree on Deer Neck, where, or near where, the above road ended. Ithink the road was cut out so as to be sometimes traveled, but was never made either in Chester or Derryfield. There was a bridge built across the strait of the pond, the remains of which were there until about 1810.
Oct. 15, 1792. The present road from Mckinley's in Auburn, over Rattlesnake hill by the "Fang " of the pond to Derryfield .line, near the Island-Pond House. This is instead of a highway laid out March 16, 1748.
Dec. 9, 1801. From James Wason's (now Stephen Kimball's) in Auburn, northerly over the hill to the north- east corner of the parsonage lot; thence west-northwest across two lots to the "Kent place."
Dec. 8, 1801. From near Hugh Crombie's in Auburn, to near the Oswego mill.
Jan. 12, 1803. From near Joseph Carr's (George W. Clark's, in Chester), west-northwest, crossing Chester turn- pike, to Cyrus D. Wood's in Auburn. It is nearly on the . rangeway between the additional lots.
April 4, 1804. From the main road near Otterson's, to the mills at Hooksett.
May 16, 1805. From the end of the road laid out Dec. 15, 1788, from Clark's mill by Crawford's to Candia line towards Anderson's.
Nov. 23, 1805. From Chester turnpike, near where Alfred Sanborn now lives, southwest by Coleman's, to meet the road laid out Dec. 9, 1801.
Dec. 6, 1805. From the main road near Nathaniel Mar- tin's in Hooksett, to Thomas Wicom's.
Dec. 1805. From the Murray saw-mill yard, to the turn- pike at Hook's mill in Auburn. Altered March 10, 1810.
·
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Dec. 26, 1805. The " White Hall " road, a continuation of Candia High street, crossing Chester turnpike at Rowe's corner, by " White Hall" mill (then Wheeler's), Daniel Davis's, Martin's school-house to Martin's Ferry. It was indicted Sept., 1815, and discontinued to evade the indiet- ment Sept., 1816, and laid out again as a private way Oct. 13, 1820.
A very large share of the country trade was at Newbury- port, and a large portion of it passed through Chester, which was a great thoroughfare from the upper part of the State to Newburyport, Haverhill, and to a considerable extent to Boston. The transportation was all with teams, especially horse teams, in the winter. More hay and less grain were fed then than now. I have heard Dea. E. H. Kelly say that frequently he had drawn home a load of hay and fed it out baiting horses without ever unloading it into his stable. Perhaps this current might have been checked by the construction of the Middlesex canal, but it continued to a much later day. The road through Chester woods was bad, - few people living on it to repair it, and the town had nearly every year to appropriate money. to repair it, over and above the highway tax. The road was very hilly, and various plans were devised as a remedy. One was to take the travel down the North Pond road, and save going on the street, and also save Robie's or Stockman's hill. Hence the petition of Joseph Blanchard and others, for a road from Long's Corner to the two-mile stone. Also the peti- tion of Gideon George and others, to go from Joseph Rob- inson's to Nathan Webster's, keeping the south side of Robie's hill. The travel could then go through the south part of Sandown, Hampstead Peak, and over the Rocks bridge. Another plan was to go down the old road to the brook ; then near Benjamin Hills', and keep east of Ingalls hill, - when one might go out on to the Haverhill road by Mr. Tenney's, or on to the Sandown road. Still another route, petitioned for by Mr. David Poor, was to leave the main road near Capt. Emerson's, and by Hall's Village, keeping west of Ingalls hill to Ordway's Corner in Hampstead.
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
This route, according to Stephen Chase, Esq.'s, survey, would be in Chester five hundred and eighty-five rods ; and the whole length, twelve hundred and fifty-five rods. The old road, thirteen hundred and thirteen rods, making a sav- ing of fifty-eight rods. The road was opposed by London- derry and Chester, and was not laid out. The road was widened and straightened from Blake's tan-yard to Benja- min Hill's, Feb. 20, 1807.
At the August term of the Court of Common Pleas, 1807, Benjamin Fitts and sixteen others presented a peti- tion for a road, from the end of the road running southwest from said Fitts's dwelling-house to the southwest side of Moses Sanborn's land. The petition was not granted. The great move, however, was the building the turnpikes.
Chester turnpike was designed in order to have a better road, and shorten the distance from Pembroke to Chester. The turnpike was fourteen miles and two hundred and forty rods long, and shortened the distance two miles and twenty-eight rods. It was said that a Pembroke man, in his enthusiasm, said that when the turnpike was completed it would be all down hill from Pembroke to Chester. A bystander inquired how it would be the other way. He replied, " About the same." But it was a very hilly road both ways. There was, however, a large amount of travel over it, and Anderson's tavern was widely celebrated as a stopping place. In the end it proved a dead loss to the pro- prietors. It was, however, on the whole a public benefit. It opened a road to a section that otherwise would not have had any, and gave a great stimulus to building roads.
Before the building of the turnpikes it was not practiced to elevate the centre, and have gutters on the sides to carry off the water. They merely cleared the traveled road of the worst obstructions - stumps and stones, - and caus- wayed the wet places with logs. If the side of a hill became gullied, they carted in small stones, and covered them so that it soon became a rather uneven pavement. In consequence of this mode the roads were laid out narrow.
A petition was presented to the Legislature, at its June session, 1802, showing
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
" That the distance from Concord Bridge to Chester East Meeting house may from actual survey be shortened three miles ; that the road leading from sd Bridge to said meeting house is much used in traveling, and in the trans- portation of Country produce carried from the westerly part of this state and from the state of Vermont to market. Perhaps no one road in the state of the same distance would be more useful to the Publick than this, provided it were as good as it might be made. But we despair of ever seeing such a road made in the way that has been heretofore Practiced. Ten or twelve miles' distance of said Road is through land scarcely habitable, and those who settle on such land cannot reasonably be Expected to do much in the repair of highways.
" When Persons belonging to Vermont or the upper Part of this state arrive at Chester, they have generally an oppor- tunity of knowing what place will afford the best market for the articles they have to Dispose of, and they can from sd Place, without any material inconvenience, go to Exeter, Portsmouth, Haverhill, Newbury Port, Salem or Boston. This advantage over any other Road has heretofore induced People to travel through Chester on their way to the sea- port towns, notwithstanding the extreme badness of the Roads.
" Your Petitioners are of opinion that a Turnpike road may be made, and supported for such a reasonable toll as will greatly relieve the Publick from the inconveniences of the road they have been so long subject to.
" Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray that they, with such others as may hereafter become proprietors with them, be corporated into a Body Politic & corporate, for the purpose of making a Turnpike road from Concord Bridge to Chester east meeting house, under such regula- tions and restrictions as you may think reasonable ; and as in Duty bound will ever pray.
" Chester, June 9th, 1802.
" Joseph Blanchard, John Bell,
John Wingate, Pearson Richardson,
Benjn Brown,
Eben Townsend,
Thos. Sargeant,
Joseph Robinson,
Amos Kent,
Simon Towle,
Isaac Hill,
Daniel French,
Benjn Kitterage,
Ozias Silsby,
Nath1 Head,
Stephen Hill, John Emerson, Ezekiel Blake,
Henry Sweetser."
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
There was a day of hearing appointed, and an order of notice, but the prayer was not then granted.
June 19, 1804, Henry Sweetser, Asa Robinson, John Bell and Amos Kent, and their associates, were incorporated into Chester Turnpike Corporation, and were authorized to make a road from Chester street to Chester line, in the direction of Pembroke street, and to erect gates and take tolls. They were not to take tolls of persons going to meetings, funerals, to mill, or ordinary business in town, nor of soldiers going to attend military duty. The State might in forty years repay expenses and nine per cent. interest, and the road be the property of the State.
The stock was divided into three hundred shares, of which were taken in Chester, by Brown & Sweetser, eight ; John Bell, ten ; Amos Kent, ten ; Thomas Sargent, three ; Simon Towle, four ; Ben. Brown, two; James Wason, Jr., three ; John Wingate, four ; Isaac Hills, four ; E. Hills, two; Dr. B. Kittridge, four ; Asa Prescott, two; Samuel Shackford, three ; Daniel French, two ; Jacob Elliot, two; John Emerson, two ; David Hall, 3d, Ebenezer Townsend, B. P. Chase, John Melvin, John Folsom, Joseph Robinson, . Benjamin Currier and Jethro Sleeper, one share each. The shares were assessed ninety dollars each, making twenty-seven thousand dollars.
December 5th, 1804, the grant was extended to Pem- broke street. Damages were assessed to known land- owners to the amount of $895.80 ; to unknown, one dollar per acre.
The road was built by contract. Jonathan Richardson contracted from the lower end to one hundred and sixty rods beyond the spruce swamp, the path to be twenty-six feet wide, the center to be thirty inches above the gutters ; the causeways to be twenty-two feet wide, and covered with gravel eighteen inches deep; the bridges to have seven string-pieces, beveled so that the plank touch not over one inch ; the planks to be four inches thick. The hills were to be reduced so that the ascent should not be more than eighteen inches in a rod. Richardson was to be paid $3.75 per rod.
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Simon A. Heath of Epsom, contracted for a mile and a quarter from Pembroke street, excepting Suncook bridge, at $2. 12} per rod ; and also for a piece beginning at an angle on the easterly side of Lakin's hill, to the south side of the stream below Hall's mill, including the bridge, for $4.50 per rod. Stephen and Daniel J. Mack contracted to build from the brook at Hall's mill to Jona. Richardson's job, for $3.72 per rod. Jolın Melvin and Abraham Sargent con- tracted to build over Lakin's hill, for $3,000, if the road measured a mile and three-quarters, or in that proportion. Asa Robinson contracted to build the bridge over Suncook river, for $1,000. Samuel Cochran, Asa Robinson and David Kimball contracted to build a tavern house at the upper gate for $1,990, and to build a stable for $450. James Sargent to build a barn for $265. Abner Blasdel contracted to build the lower toll-house for $225, exclusive of the chimney. Simon French was paid $187 for the lot at the upper gate. They hired ten acres of it cleared.
By an account rendered to the Superior Court, from Jan. 1806, to Jan. 1812. they had received for tolls and rents, .$6,487.67. From 1808 to 1815, they made dividends amounting to $18.55 to each share.
An act passed the Legislature, July 4, 1838, repealing the Chester Turnpike Corporation, which made a public highway of it.
I have not been able to find the records of the London- derry Turnpike Corporation, but it was laid out in 1805, from Butters Corner in Concord, leading towards Boston. John Folsom and John Melvin, of Chester, contracted to build fifteen miles from Hooksett bridge for $1,050 per mile, and $1,000 for straits bridge across the pond. The road was built in 1806 and was the great thoroughfare from the country to Boston. Head's and Folsom's taverns in Chester, and Redfield's, afterwards Melvin's, in Derry, were thronged with guests. But. afterwards, before the rail- road was built, the travel went down the west side of the river ; and much of the way now, on either Chester or Lon- donderry turnpike, there is seldom even a solitary traveler.
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HISTORY OF ROADS.
A publie highway was laid out over the Londonderry turnpike in 1839.
Feb. 20, 1806. Across the Blanchard mill-pond instead of going up to the Calfe place (Nathan Griffin's).
June 17, 1807. The selectmen laid out a road from Long's Corner to the Sandown road, near the second mile- stone. Discontinued by vote of the town, July 27, 1807.
At the January term of the Court of Common Pleas, 1808, Joseph Blanchard, and forty-seven others, petitioned to have it laid out. The Court laid it out, and in the Jan- uary term execution was issued for $65.38.
The plea for the road was, that the travel to Newbury- port would turn off the main road and go down the North Pond road, to avoid the hills.
To evade building it, and another petitioned for by Gid- eon George and fifty-five others, January term, 1807, pray- ing for a road from Joseph Robinson's to Nathan Webster's to go to the southwest of Robie's hill, it was voted Sept. 7, 1807, " To raise half a day on the poll and estate accord- ingly, and have it laid out under the direction of Stephen Chase, Esq., on Robie's hill." George's petition was not . granted.
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