USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Chester > History of old Chester [N. H.] from 1719 to 1869 > Part 18
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Oct. 9, 1807. From Candia line by Benjamin Eaton's to the Murray saw-mill.
March 8, 1819. From near where James Underhill for- merly lived in Auburn, 106, 2d P., 2d D., by the Kent place, to near the bridge, across the Blanchard mill-pond.
Sept. 12, 1822. From near John Wilson, Esq. (now James Towle), by James Wason's to Richard Basford's, additional Nos. 102 to 110.
Sept. 12, 1822. From the bridge below " Oswego mill" to Candia line, towards MeDuffee's.
From 1830 to 1836. There were various roads widened and straightened which it is not necessary to detail.
There was a stage run from Dover to Lowell through Chester, which went with the mail to the office of Daniel French, Esq., and Orcutt's tavern. A shorter route to pass a mile southeast of the meeting-house was planned by Derry people.
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HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Dec. 2, 1834. A petition was filed by Henry Willey and others, with the clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, set- ting forth that there was a large amount of travel from . Dover to Lowell, and asking to have the old road widened and straightened, and a new road made from Epping Cor- ner to Col. Mark Fisk's in Derry. Thomas D. Merril of Epsom, Jacob Freese of Deerfield and Jeremiah Wilson of Gilmanton were appointed a committee.
In Chester they laid out a road from near John Lock's, by Long's Corner and Hall's Village to Derry line. The damages assessed were $1,722, and the cost of making estimated at $1,722.
February term, 1836. Chester petitioned for another committee, and Titus Brown of Francestown, Stephen Webster of Haverhill, and Josiah Bellows of Walpole, were appointed. The committee reported against making this piece of new road on condition of the selectmen laying out the following, which was laid out Aug. 15, 1837.
August 15, 1836. The road from the Worthen saw-mill, by Shackford's mill to the old road near the bridge (which was built), thence diagonally across the farms to the old Melvin place on the street, thence across the farms to Dr. Rufus Kittredge's, on the Derry road (which was discon- tinned by vote of the town, Aug. 28, 1838) ; also from the school-house No. 2, southeast nineteen rods, thence to Derry line.
Whole damage awarded . . $2,043 00
Shackford road 293 08
Towards Derry
613 46
The discontinued part was not paid for.
Sept. 2, 1836. Laid out from near Webster's, to connect with the above.
Oct. 2, 1837. The road from Poplin line to Daniel San- born's was widened and straightened ; from Daniel San- born's to near the river, a new road ; thence widening and straightening to Hale True's ; thence a new road to Joseph True's land ; thence widening and straightening to Benja- min French's.
219
HISTORY OF ROADS.
June 2, 1836. A new road from John Prescott's to the Worthen saw-mill laid out.
Sept. 1, 1836. A petition of John Folsom and others for a road on Londonderry turnpike was presented.
February term, 1837. A viewing committee was sent out. The proprietors of the turnpike objected, unless they could have some pay. The road cost $67,248, but they did not expect that. The committee reported in favor of laying it out. Ambrose Cosset of Claremont, Horace Chase of Hopkinton and Jacob Freese of Deerfield were ap- pointed a committee, who laid it out and awarded $2,000 damage, of which Chester was to pay $279, which was refunded by the county, return February term, 1839.
By an act of the General Court passed July 4, 1838, the charter of the Chester Turnpike Corporation was repealed, making it a free road.
In 1838, the road from near Candia line, passing below the Oswego mill and to Manchester Centre, was laid out by a court's committee. Chester made no opposition, but the selectmen attended to advise as to its location. It was built in 1839.
In the town account for 1838, there is a charge of $137 for the selectmen's services and expenses about the Amos- keag road. There is also a charge of $405 for compen- sation for highways, all but $35 of which was paid for the Poplin road.
In the account for 1839 are the following charges :
Road Committee's services and expenses $430 97 .
Compensation for the new Raymond road
. 1,145 70
Making the Poplin road .
227 29
Piece of new road by Jeremiah Ray's, .
50 00
The Amoskeag road
2,732 83
Paid in one year for new roads
$4,586 79
Add paid in 1838 as above
542 00
$5,128 79
February term, 1838. Petition of John Moore and others for a road from John Locke's to Adams' saw-mill, in Derry, to go into Sandown. The committee reported against it.
220
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Oct. 14, 1840, the road from near the Dearborn saw-mill, in Auburn, easterly across Chester turnpike to the Candia road, near Seavey's, was laid out.
In 1840, upon the petition of John Clark and others, a road was laid out from below the Blanchard mills across Candia road, over Bald hill to Manchester. July 16, 1841, the selectmen were instructed to build it imme- diately. They purchased a team and hired help and commenced, but a town-meeting was called at the request of the opponents of the road and counter instructions given. A part of the petitioners for the road turned against it and had to pay the petitioners' expenses of the contest, and be taxed to the town to pay for the opposition. It was built, however, to the Candia road, and one hundred and thirty-seven dollars for land damages paid and six hun- dred and thirty-eight dollars for building it. Beyond the Candia road it was discontinued.
Oct. 28, 1840. A road was laid out from near Reuben Senter's (the old Crosett or William Brown place), to the road to Derry, south of No. 4 school-house in Auburn, across 86 and 87, 2d P., 2d D.
1843. A road was laid out from near Joseph Smith's house westerly to the Borough road, laid out October, 1840.
December 4, 1843. The road from near Amos Morse's or Dinsmore sawmill to the Derry road, was laid out.
Nov. 2, 1844. A road from the road to Candia, south of the Methodist church, southeast to the old Berry place, in- stead of one over the hills laid out March 3, 1769, was laid out.
1846. The road commissioners, on the petition of John Moore and others, laid out a road from near Hale True's (the old John Moore place) to near the Methodist church in Sandown. This was to lead towards Lawrence.
1846. Jona. B. Sanborn and others preferred a petition to the commissioners for a road from Daniel Sanborn's (the Lt. William Moore place), in Chester, to the Methodist church in Sandown. Not granted.
June, 1846. The petition of Stephen Dearborn and others,
221
HISTORY OF ROADS.
for a road from Auburn Village to Lovereign's Corner in Raymond. Final action September, 1847 ; laid out. Au- burn built from the Village to the Murray road and paid landholders $691, and for building the road $1784.30. The whole damages were for Auburn, $973 ; Chester, $323, and expenses, $438.83.
February term, 1748. Raymond petitioned for a discon- tinuance.
August, 1848. Chester petitioned for a discontinuance.
February, 1850. Auburn petitioned for a discontinuance of that part not built, all of which was granted ; afterwards laid out and built, Chester, 1864; Auburn, 1868.
September 3, 1847. A new road laid out from Osgood True's to the old road from the Locke place, and the old road widened and straightened to Hale True's, towards Lawrence or Haverhill.
Oct. 16, 1847. A road was laid out from near Ebenezer Marden's, southwest to the road from Chester to the Branch.
Oct. 23, 1848. An addition to the above to near Wal- ter Basford's shop.
July 15, 1853. A road was laid out from near Frederic · Wason's (the old David MeClure and John Knowles place), southeast to Wason's.
In 1847 a road was laid out from Londonderry turn- pike passing the steam saw-mill to the Senter road.
In 1849 a road was laid out from Londonderry turnpike southeast to Londonderry line towards Wilson's Crossing.
In 1853 a road was laid out from the corner near school- house No. 2 in Auburn, southwest to meet the road laid out in 1847.
In 1864 the county commissioners laid out in Chester the road laid out upon the petition of Stephen Dearborn and others and discontinued, and in 1867 the selectmen of Auburn laid out the part of the same in Auburn.
The Mammoth road, leading from Hooksett to Lowell, was laid out after a long contest in 1831, which passes a long distance in Old Chester, in Hooksett and Manchester, which cost the town of Hooksett between three and four thousand dollars.
222
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
A road was laid out in 1840 from the Factory Village across the farms to the old Suncook road near Matthew Gault's. When the Londonderry turnpike was laid out as a free road in 1836, Hooksett bridge was reserved by the corporation, which the town of Hooksett purchased in 1853 for $1,640, which was burned with the railroad bridge Sept. 30, 1857, and a new one built at a cost of $6,000, which was carried off by a freshet and ice, March 20, 1859, and a new one built by the town at an expense of about $8,000.
CHAPTER X.
HISTORY OF MILLS.
Before giving a history of the building of mills I propose to give a description of the early mills, and of the modern improvements.
The early saw-mills were built with flutter or undershot water-wheels, with heavy rims, and at least three feet and a half high, and about four feet wide, with a wrought-iron crank, from sixteen to eighteen inches long. The water was brought on in a tangent of about forty-five degrees. The gate hoisted perpendicularly. The saw-frame ran in rabbets in the fender posts, secured by wooden knces called " hook pins." The pitman, to connect the crank to the saw-frame, was all of wood. The saws were of iron, so that when the breast was worn hollow they would heat the saw and strike the back on an anvil, and straighten it. The saw was strained by a key or wedge. The carriage ran on pieces of plank, called "nogs," about two feet apart, set perpendicularly in timbers, the corners cut out to receive the carriage. Only one carriage side was cogged. Reel dogs were used at both ends, so that the dogs were drawn every run. To feed, a roller went across the mill, in front of the saw, resting on wooden bearings on the plates, and
.
223
HISTORY OF MILLS.
a head hanging down, from which there was a pole® some ten feet long, with a pawl or hand on the end, to work the rag-wheel. They had no apparatus for raising the hand, but always had to be there, to take it up and lay it on a pin.
They had no negro-, or gig-wheel, but ran the carriage back with their feet; and to have it go back easier, would have the mill incline a foot and a half, or two feet, in the length. I have seen all of this in operation in my day.
About 1808 there came along a millwright by the name of Oliver Hawkins, who introduced wider and lower wheels, with the floats fastened to arms. He used short cranks, and had the water brought on nearly perpendicular, and after striking the wheel, the water was brought round in a curve. The gate was drawn horizontally on the bottom of the flume. He introduced cogging both carriage sides, and running upon a continued track in the centre of each side.
Some mills were built by Joseph Wilson, of Hudson, with the rolling gate, and other improvements, perhaps earlier than Hawkins'. The first change of water-wheel from the flutter, was the spiral vent, invented by Clark Wilson, of Swanzy, in 1830. It was a reacting wheel, with iron buckets and wooden rim.
The first balance wheel I ever saw in a saw-mill, was at Osgood's, at Methuen, Mass., in 1827. It was a heavy wooden wheel, five feet in diameter, with a cast-iron seg- ment, for counter-balance. It was put in by James Butter- field. It waded so heavily in the water that it did no good.
In 1838 the Exeter manufacturing company built two saw-mills, and sent to Hallowell for their irons, and had iron balance-wheels.
The first slides for saw-frames, so far as I know, were in the Locks and Canal Co.'s mill at Lowell, in 1832, V slides on the saw-frame running in grooves in the posts. It was nearly impossible to keep them tight on the frame, and there were other difficulties. The next was V slides on the posts and grooves in the saw-frame. The Exeter mills, be- fore spoken of, had square slides on the inside of the posts, and composition boxes on the saw-frame. In 1839, larger
224
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
square slides on the inside of the posts, with wooden bear- ings on the frame, were introduced. About 1845, round slides in front of the posts, and soon after the present form of square ones in front of the posts were introduced.
So far as I am aware the first belted saw-mill was built for Ralph Bricket, of Hampstead, in 1836, in connection with a shingle-mill, to split the stuff. It had no counter- balance, and was not substantial enough to do great busi- ness. The first iron segments on the carriage running on an iron track, so far as I know, were in a mill built by the Amesbury Flannel Manufacturing Co. at the Tewksbury mills. The track was round on the top. This was in 1839. The first steam saw-mill in this region was built by Webster & Page, at South Kingston.
The clapboards and shingles were all riven. The earli- est clapboard machine was introduced a little previous to 1820, and the log hung upon centres, and passed over the saw, and was so adjusted as to saw the requisite depth for the width of the clapboard. It was self-setting, and had sappers attached to the saw to straighten- the edges. The shingle machine was a later invention. The first of either of these machines in Chester was by John Clarke, in 1833.
The early grist-mills were driven by undershot water- wheels, about fifteen feet high and four feet wide, the water brought on at an angle of about twenty-five degrees. The gears used were wooden - face or crown gears. The runner was hung on a stiff horn, sometimes a tripod, so that the spindle had to be exactly perpendicular to the face of both bed, stone and runner. The tub-wheel was in- vented by a Mr. Hitchcock, the first part of the century. It was at first a small and deep wheel, with the runner . attached to the top gudgeon. They soon, however, made larger wheels, usually six to eight feet in diameter, fifteen inches deep, and geared. These wheels were mostly used from 1810 to 1835, for grain mills. The spiral vent, and other reacting wheels, and then centre-discharge, and various combinations of direct and reaction wheels, super- seded them. In the early mills, wrought-iron gudgeons or
-
225
HISTORY OF MILLS.
bearings were used. The earliest cast-iron wing-gudgeon saw was put into N. Clark's mill, Sandown, by Joseph Wilson, in 1812, though they were probably used earlier. The cap or flange-gudgcon was invented by Butler Wilson, a son of the above, at a later date.
As the clothi was of home manufacture, fulling- or cloth- ing-mills were common. The fulling-mill or stock was driven by an undershot wheel about ten feet high, with two wooden ovals or cams set opposite to each other on the shaft, to force the feet or mallets alternately against the cloth, and they fell back by their own gravity. When the ovals were too flat, or the motion too quick, the mallet would not fall back as fast as the cam, and they would meet with a heavy concussion. Cranks, with smaller wheels, were introduced about 1810.
The raising the nap on cloth was done by a small card, by hand. Mr. Haynes got up a machine for raising the nap on cotton and linen cloth, called "fustian." It con- sisted of a main cylinder on wooden bearings, two or two and a half feet in diameter, covered with teasels, and the cloth passing over rollers above and below. Instead of getting motion by attaching it to his water-wheel, he had a rope attached to the shaft of the machine, and passing over a sheave at the beams of his mill, with a heavy weight at the other end of the rope. This was wound up until the weight was raised to the beam, and then the machine would run until the weight had run down; then it must be wound up again.
The shearing of fulled cloth was done with hand shears. The blades of these were about seven inches wide, and about thirty inches long. The clothi was laid across a cushion about as wide as the length of the blades of the shears. The bottom blade lay flat upon it, and weighted down with fifty or sixty pounds of lead; the other blade connected by a large bow or spring, and standing at an angle of about forty-five degrees. A strap was attached to the bottom blade, and to a wooden handle or lever made to bear against the top blade, by means of which the shears 15
226
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
were sprung. In shearing, the shears were sprung with one hand, and, weighing in all nearly one hundred pounds, moved evenly across the cloth, and then lifted and moved back again. It required a great deal of skill, and was very laborious work. These shears were exclusively used until 1812 to 1814, when Hovey's vibrating shears were introduced, in which by turning a crank the shears were sprung, and the cloth-beams moved, also a brush to raise the nap. About the year 1825, spiral blades were in- troduced.
The dyeing of fulled cloth for every-day wear was mostly with butternut, or oilnut, bark; for handsome, black or London brown, dyed with camwood darkened, and much later indigo blue was introduced. There was, for men's summer wear, a cotton and linen cloth made, called fustian, which was dyed with fustic, darkened, and a nap raised and the cloth pressed.
At a general meeting of the proprietors of " Checher," held at Hampton the 11th day of January, 1720-1,
" Voted, To Collo Packer, Collo Wiar, Caleb Towle, and Sam" Ingalls, the whole Priviledge upon the upper Falls of the great Brook forever, to build a Saw mill or mills on, and also ten acres of Land Gratis, on Each Side sd falls for the sd mills Conveniency, with Condition That the sd mills shall be fitt to Cutt boards in a Twelvemonth from this Time ; and that they Shall Saw at halves the Proprs. Loggs, So much as they Shall have occasion for Building. And those props. that Shall have Occasion to buy boards shall be Supplyed with So many as they Shall have occa- sion for, at the Rate of thirty shillings per Thousand at the mill. And if the making a pond or ponds for sd mill damnifies any of the proprs., the society shall make good the damages."
At a meeting at Hampton, March 16, 1720-1,
" Voted, That the four persons to whom the Stream is granted, Shall give each a bond of Fifty pounds to the Comittee, to perform the Conditions of sa Grant, and if any of them Refuse to do it, the Comittee is Impowered to admitt others."
At a meeting of the committee, September 29, 1721,
227
HISTORY OF MILLS.
" Voted, That the proprietors of the upper Falls on the great Brook have the priviledge of the Lower falls also, for their Further Icouragent, to build a mill according to a vote of the Society, at a publick meeting held Jan. 11th, 1720-1, and in consideration of which Additional Privilege they are to build a Grist mill as Soon as the Town will need it."
James Basford at one time owned most of the mill. In 1731 he sold Ebenezer Dearborn one-fourth of the "old sawmill." In 1732 he sold to William Wilson one-eighth of the " old sawmill." In 1734 he had some difficulty with the proprietors about the mill, and they voted to have a reference.
In 1735 Ebenezer Dearborn deeded to his sons Ebenezer, Jr., Benjamin, Thomas and Michael, one-fourth of the " old sawmill."
In 1743, in consideration of £22 bills of credit, Ebene- zer Dearborn, Ebenezer Dearborn, Jr., Thomas Dearborn and Michael Dearborn convey to Thomas Wells four-sixths of the " old sawmill."
We know little more about the mill or its owners until about 1780, when Hugh Tolford, Jacob Wells, Capt. Clough, Moses Haselton, John Haselton and Benjamin Haselton rebuilt it. It was rebuilt once after that, and again in 1848, and is now owned by Edwin Haselton and Parker Morse.
Jonathan Blunt had a saw-mill previous to 1730. He owned home lot No. 12, and it was probably on that, near the Blake tan-yard.
AIKEN'S GRIST - MILL.
At a meeting, March 7, 1730, it was
" Voted, that there be encouragement given for building a Grist mill on the middle falls of the Grate Brook, that is to John Aiken's, and fourteen or fifteen acres of land to the Eastward of sd falls, as convenient as can be had of com- mon land, provided sd Aiken build a sufficient Grist mill by this time twelvemonth, and keep sd mill in good Repair from time to time, and at all times hereafter."
228
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
Mr. Aiken built the mill on his lot, No. 145. This was probably the first grist-mill in town.
William Graham, who married Mr. Aiken's daughter Margaret, purchased the mill and land adjoining in 1745.
In 1750, Graham purchased at the Long Meadows, and Mr. Aiken died, and gave by will his three home lots to his sons John and James. As the mill was on one of those lots, it had probably been re-deeded. John Aiken, Jr., lived where John Haselton now lives, and I think owned the mill. It was on that lot.
HASELTON'S GRIST-MILL.
The privilege of the " Lower falls on the Great brook " was granted to the proprietors of the upper falls, Sept. 29, 1721, but they probably never availed themselves of . the grant.
May 5, 1746, it is recorded, " William Crafford having built a grist-mill upon the Great brook in Chester at the Lower falls so called, the fifth day of May, 1746, doth Record his son Robert miller of said Grist mill." Henry Lunt owned the mill in 1753, died in 1761. Samuel Cur- rier owned it in 1770.
In 1779 Samuel Currier, of Hampstead, conveyed to Richard Haselton thirty acres of land with the grist-mill, the land bounded on Crawford's and Mark Carr's. In 1780 he bought a pair of millstones of Francis Chase, of New- town, for one hundred and fifty pounds ; so he probably re- built at that time. The mill was once carried off by a freshet; Peter Haselton thinks about 1793. It was once . burnt. It descended to Thomas Haselton, then to his son Amos Haselton. He put in a machine for sawing clap- boards from the logs in 1839. In 1853 the mill was en- tirely rebuilt, using the timber of the old Long Meadow meeting-house. Machinery for making pails was put in in 1857 ; planer and box machine in 1858. Water being short a steam engine was put in in 1860; a second pail- lathe in 1862. In 1866 about thirty-two thousand pails were
229
HISTORY OF MILLS.
made, and fish-kits to the value of six thousand four hundred dollars, and about one hundred and fifteen thousand feet of boards made into boxes.
CARR'S, MORSE'S, NOW COUCH'S MILLS.
Previous to 1741 John Karr had built a saw-mill and grist-mill where Couch's mills now are, for in his inventory for that year there are two mills set down to him.
In 1743 there was an effort to have a new road to Lon- donderry to go by " Karr's mills." In the return of the road, March 21, 1754, it " Began at a stake near the Bridge Between Capt. Morse's saw-mill and grist-mill." In Capt. Morse's will, proved May 25, 1763, he gave his sons, Josiah and Oliver, the mills in equal shares. Oliver had the homestead farm, and died in 1770. The dam was carried away by a freshet, and at the time Josiah got wet, took cold, and died in 1794, and the mills went down. Oliver Morse's widow married Taylor Little and had a daughter Hannah, who married Isaac Dinsmore, who bought the place and rebuilt the saw-mill about 1806 and again about 1830. It was some time owned by Henry Abbot, who in 1834 put in a shingle-mill, the second in town. He sold to Col. Couch, who put in a run of stones below the road with the shingle-mill.
THE MCDUFFEE MILLS,-NEAR SCHOOL-HOUSE NO. 4, IN AUBURN.
In the inventory of 1741, James Campbell (who lived at the Pearly Chase place at Walnut hill) is set down as having a mill, and Daniel McDuffee (who lived at the Daniel Kimball place in Derry) had also a mill. The re- turn of the bridle road from where Gilman Morse now lives, through the south woods, March 25, 1740, ended at Campbell's saw-mill. This had been the road to the Long Meadows. In the return of the road, March 5, 1747, it runs by the west end of Hugh McDuffce's corn- mill. Hugh McDuffee owned the corn-mill during his life, and Archibald and Mansfield McDuffee the saw-mill.
230
HISTORY OF CHESTER.
James McDuffee is taxed in 1801 for two mills, which is the last tax on them. They soon went down. John Mc- Duffee, son of Hugh, fell through the place for turning the runner and broke his neck. The saw-mill stood just above the present road leading to Derry, the corn-mill several rods below.
NUTT'S, CRAIGE'S, CROSETT'S AND BROWN'S MILL, - AT THE AUBURN STEAM-MILL.
It is uncertain when or by whom the first mill was built. There were two men by the name of Nutt who lived at the Pierce and Brown place and might have had a share in it. The first title which I have seen is Thomas Shirley sold to James Wilson one quarter of a saw-mill, commonly called " Nutt's mill standing on Cohas brook," in 1750, and An- drew Craige, Jr., sells to Andrew Craige one-half of lot No. 93, 2d P., 2d D. (on which the mill stood), and one- fourth of the saw-mill, in 1764. Andrew Craige bought one hundred and sixty acres, a part of No. 87 and one-half of No. 93 (a part of the Nutt place), and sold to James and Benjamin Crosett. They sold half the land and one- half the saw-mill to Robert Fulton. James and Benjamin Crosett sold to Benjamin and Samuel Pierce and William Brown two hundred and seventy-four acres in 1771, and it is understood that they had the mill, but it eventually went down. The mill stood on the Long Meadow brook some seventy or eighty rods above the steam-mill.
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