History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 20

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Nashua > History of the city of Nashua, N.H. > Part 20

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

CHARLES H. NUTT.

Charles H. Nutt was born at Tyngsboro, Mass., May 3, 1817, died at Nashua, Aug. 7, 1892. He was a son of Samuel and Hannah (Usher) Nutt. His paternal ances- tors were early settlers in Francestown and were worthy people. On the maternal side he was a descendant of the Ushers, one of the first families of Danvers, Mass.

Mr. Nutt obtained his primary education in the public schools of Amherst, to which place his parents removed when he was a child and where they became wide- ly known as land- lord and landlady of Nutt's tavern. While yet a lad he was in the employ of Robert Reed, who kept a coun- try store at Am- herst. He com- pleted his studies at Derry academy, and in 1833, be- came a clerk in the general mer- chandise store of Hon. Isaac Spald- ing in Nashua. In 1837, Mr. Spalding having sold out his business, Mr. Nutt went into the mer- chant tailoring business on his own account. His venture was a success. The busi- ness, however, had its limitations and, being ambi- tious for a larger field of endeavor, he sold out in 1846, and purchased the stock and good will of the succes- sor in the business established by his first employer in Nashua. He con- tinued the busi- ness at the old stand at the corner of Main and Factory streets till 1860, in which year he purchased the property at the corner of Main and Park streets, built a new block, which has since been greatly improved, and pursued the hardware depart- ment of his former business until 1889, when, by reason of failing health, he sold out and retired to private life:

CHARLES II. NUTT.

Mr. Nutt was an old school and progressive merchant whose word was as good as his note. He did business on thorough business principles, and was a man whose judgment was much sought after by the mercantile com- munity. He was a good citizen and an ardent lover of his

country and her institutions. In 1846, 1847 and 1848, he served the town as clerk, but his retiring disposition and dread of notoriety and public life was such that he could not be prevailed upon in his later life to stand as a candi- date for any office in the gift of the people. He was a director for a number of years in the First National bank of Nashua, and the Souhegan National bank of Milford, and was interested in other institutions. Mr. Nutt was a Unitarian, and very firm and decided ; although quiet and unobtrusive, in his religious convictions. He had the interests of the people at heart. It is very evident, from his will, that for several years previous to his death he had been meditating upon various methods and ways of dis- posing of a con- siderable portion of his large estate at his decease, so as that it would accrue to the bene- fit of the city in which he by his justice and perse- verance had accu- mulated it, and whose people and interests occupied so large a place in his affections. That his medita- tions finally cul- minated in the determination to establish a hos- pital fund was worthy alike of his business sagacity, which enabled him to select this method as one most likely to benefit all classes of citizens, and of his generosity and humanity, which prompted him to provide especially for that large class of unfortunates, who, in accident and disease, are too often left to the cold charity of the world. Eventually a large sum will be available to erect a set of buildings to be known as the Nutt hospital.

Mr. Nutt was united in marriage in December, 1842, with Elizabeth Anderson, daughter of John and Eliza (Eckfeldt) Anderson, both of Philadelphia. The chil- dren of their marriage were: Lizzie A., born March 16. 1844, married F. E. Allen of Keene, deceased; Charles A., born June 19, 1847, married Sadie M. Putney of Manchester : George, born June 16, 1855, deceased.

11.4

HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

HIGHWAYS, BRIDGES, CANALS, STAGING AND TAVERNS.

BY A. H. SAUNDERS.

"But come thy ways, we'll go along together." "And thereby hangs a tale."

-As You Like It.

T HE earlier history of Dunstable, so far as the records of the town were made, is exceedingly unsatisfactory in that no results of the various undertakings of the town are entered upon the records so that succeeding generations could be able to identify and locate the work done by their predecessors. The settlers of the town were too earnest in their work of wresting from the soil the means of sustaining life, and, from their advanced position in the then wilderness, in preserving from their Indian foes even life itself, to cultivate the graces or such an education as would qualify them to become narrators of the events in their own times; indeed, from the very anxiety displayed in the fact that they must in any event have a spiritual leader, the minister, who was the only educated man in the community, it may be justly inferred that among the doctrinal tenets inculcated "sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof" was taken by them in its most literal sense and they were eminently satisfied if they could work out for themselves a home, provide for their families, and at last die in the hope of a blessed immortality ;- indeed, the ecclesiastical element entered so largely into the daily life of these early settlers that no community could exist as a corporate body until a minister was settled. The earliest disturbances, as it appears by the records, were caused by the difficulty in locating the "meeting house " so that the people of the sparsely settled colony could all equally enjoy THE OLD IRON BRIDGE OVER THE NASHUA AT CANAL AND BRIDGE STREETS. the benefits to be derived from the weekly expounding of the laws of their austere religion, subject as they were to the inevitable fine for non-attendance and their proportional part of the "minister's tax" at all events, without the corresponding benefit to be derived therefrom. Taxation without representation was thus early a matter of great import. All this had much to do with the location of the roads and bridges, as will be seen later on.

Unfortunately the "town clark," being more familiar with the carnal weapons than those of the scribe, we are left very much in the dark about the highways and bridges, and are led to the belief that at that early period they must have been first located by blazed trees so that the good man, with his wife mounted upon a pillion behind him, rode to church as best he might, upon horseback; later as the families increased, the trees were cut, making a passageway through the woods which would permit the use of a rough home-made sled in the winter, or rude cart fashioned for farm use as well as a conveyance in the summer.

The rivers were the natural highways along which were the Indian trails which were followed by the earliest roads. Timber was eagerly sought after, which, with the king's reservation of those suitable for masts of his ships, thus found a ready passage to the sea. The rivers also afforded fish in abundance, no small item in those days. The earliest record of a trail is taken from Potter's Manchester, and is as follows :-

"In 1648 the famous apostle, Eliot, 'hired a hardy man of Nashaway to cut out a way and mark trees ' from 'Nashaway' to 'Namaskee,' and he hired Indians and cut his way and marked the trees, and when they came to Souhegan in their work the Indians of Souhegan were much pleased to think

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

that Eliot was come to visit them, for they had heard him at Pawtucket and Nashua, so that the first bridle path ever made from Nashua to Namaskeag (now Manchester) was made at the expense of Apostle Eliot."

Land grants were made to enterprising men from Boston, Salem, Marblehead and elsewhere, comprising what were known as the "Boston Farms," probably as early as 1650; settlers had come in, orchards had been planted and the cultivation of land commenced, and so the foundation of the future Dunstable laid. This I conjecture, for when the new elected town of Billerica was incorporated, May 29, 1655, they having been handicapped by large grants to the Cambridge church and college, already made or insisted upon, petitioned the authorities to offset this by a grant of land not hitherto taken up, which was granted and it was ordered by the general court "that Major Willard, Capt. Edw'd Johnson, Mr. Edw'd Jackson or any two of them with Thomas Danforth, or any other surveyor shall lay out the same." The following is a literal copy of their report :-

"Layd out to the vse of the inhabitants of Billirrikey, eight thousand acres of land, lying vpon Merremacke Riuer, on both sides thereof, taking in the trucking howse now inhabitated by Jno. Cromwell, the same land being lajd out about sixe thousand three hundred acres, on the east side of the riuer, about seventeene hundred and fivety acres on the west side of sajd riuer, and is bounded by the wilderness surrounding the same, as is demonstrated by a plott thereof, taken and made by Jonathan Danforth, survejor, and exhibbited to this Court by Major Symon Willard and Capt. Edward Johnson, appointed by this Court, Octob. 14, 1656, to lay out the same."

"SYMON WILLARD, "EDWARD JOHNSON."

"The Court allowes & approves of the retourne of these commissioners in reference to the land herein expressed .- 1657, May 15."

It is safe to say that this survey was the earliest ever made for the purpose of locating land grants in the Merrimack valley beyond Chelmsford, and is the starting point in the history of Dunstable, and shows conclusively that the Dunstable lands had already been occupied or at least taken up. The location was in a part of the valley commonly called Naticook. This Naticook grant remained for a year in the hands of Billerica, when John Parker received authority to dispose of it. (Mass. Grants, page 7).

The authority for the above will be found in the Mass. Col. Records, Vol. 4, part I, p. 269-302, and Mass. Ancient Maps and Plans, Vol. 2, Index: "Billerica." William Brenton, who bought the Naticot land of Billerica was a Boston merchant and leading business man. He removed soon after this date to Rhode Island, and was governor of that colony in 1666-8, and died in 1674. Litchfield, which was taken from Dunstable in 1734, was known as "Brenton's Farms."

I have apparently digressed in thus giving the true history of the Brenton farm, but I judge that it will be of interest to many from the fact that its boundary lines appear to this day in conveyances of lands both in Litchfield and Nashua.

A serious obstacle to the identification of the earlier roads arose from the practice of the owners of lands adjacent to each other who agreed as to travelled ways through their lands without recording the same, as for instance, the owners of the Brattle farm, which embraced about two thousand acres and extended from Massapoag pond northeasterly, taking in the present village of Dunstable, agreed as follows :-

"DUNSTABLE, Oct. 25, 1718.

"At a meeting of us whose names are underwritten, being the proprietors of ye farme that was Mr. Thomas Brattles, and having divided ye greatest part of it amongst us into lots, both ye upland and ye medow, doe all agree that every one of us shall bee allowed all necessary ways, for the improvement of our lands, and to ye meeting house, as the major part of the propriety shall order and determine, and in case any one be more damnified by ye he shall be recompenced for his damage by ye way exing. Witness our hands, Thomas Cummings, Nathaniel Cumings, Jacob Kendle, Abraham Taylor, John Taylor, James Jewell, Thomas Jewell."

Again, roads were laid from the house of one man to that of another, the residence of one or both at this late day unknown ; still again, many of these roads were afterward changed or discon- tinued with no record of the fact made; in some cases descriptions are given but no distances, so

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. II.

that at the very outset we are met with a predominating element of vagueness and uncertainty well nigh, if not quite, impossible to surmount.

The earliest laid out road of which we have any record was in 1683-4, from the meeting house, which probably stood near the old burying ground on the Lowell road, to Groton Centre.

At a "generall Town Meeting," held September 15, 1686, Obediah Perry and Daniel Waldo were chosen surveyers of the highways. This is the first recorded election of such officers. Obediah Perry, mentioned above, was killed by the Indians, Sept. 28, 1691, on the south bank of the Nashua. river. As a matter of interest, showing an ancient custom in the transfer of land to complete the delivery thereof, I subjoin the following action taken at the same meeting.

"Voted, That the selectmen shall spedily confirm the house and land promised to Mr. Weld before his ordination, by signing and sealing to a deed of gift in the behalf of the whole town and give him possession thereof by turf and twig."

This minister's lot was on the Lowell road, near the state line and included the now so called Highland farm.

In 1687 we find the town assessed {1 12S. 3d. to aid in building the "great Bridge" over the Concord river at the fordway in Billerica on the "Great Boston Road."

September 22, 1687, Cornelius Waldo and Christopher Temple were chosen "Servayours of the hy way," and at a selectmen's meeting, Oct. 19 following, it was ordered that they "shall forth with mend the hy ways and ar impowered to warn and require men and teams to assist them in this work." Christopher Temple was killed by the Indians with Obediah Perry before mentioned.

The initial step toward laying out Main street, or, as it was for over a century thereafter called, the " Great Boston Road," was taken May 24, 1688, when it was ordered, "the selectmen are to lay out the Kings hyway, throu the Town to Nashawa river, and lay out Convenient hyway frome the generall hy (way) to merimathe River, where it may be best and do lest damag to the lot whear it must ly through."

What, if anything, resulted from this does not appear upon the records.

Dunstable being dependent upon Boston for all material supplies beyond what they could gather from the forest and streams or extract from the soil, the settlements below thought that inasmuch as they were thus dependent it would be fair and equitable that they bear a part of the burden of keeping the travelled way in a passable condition and so it appears that Dunstable was asked to contribute to the building of a bridge over Billerica river as per this record.

"This 2nd day of January, 1698-9, it was unanimously Agreed by the Inhabbitence of dunstable that Major Jonathan Tyng be Requested and he is hereby Impowared to appare on the behalf of this said town at Mr. nathaniell hills house in Chelmsford upon wednesday next and Joyne with other parsons ABoute a Brige over billarica River and Consenting to our Raising a proporsanable part of the charge hearof According to our estate as witness hereof the Selectmen and town Clark have hereunto subscribed their names."

" Robert parris Samuel Franch (French.) his Thomas X lun (Lund.) mark Joseph Blanchard Town Clark."

as attest

The first mention of any bridge in the town itself is in the following vote :-

"June the 29th, 1699."

"At a town meeting of the Inhabitents of Dunstable it was agreed and voted that Mr. Jno. Sollendine be desired to build a sufficient cross bridge over Salmon brook near Mr. Thomas Clark's ffarm hous provided the cost thereof do not exceed the sum of forty shilings and the Inhabitents of the town will bear the charge of one-half part in money or other things of money price as sone as the said bridge shall be finished provided that Indifferent men judge it to be worth so much when the work is done.

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

"Secondly. In case Mr. Sollendine do Refuse to build the said bridge for the price aforesaid the condition mentioned it is agreed that Thomas Lun(d) and Nathanael Blanchard do build the said bridge and the Inhabitents of the said town do promise to bear one-half part of the cost of said bridge if Mr. Thomas Clarke will bear the other half part and not to exceed forty shillings and the warrant it to stand a twelve month and if the water Carry it away they will rebuild it at their own Cost."

This was probably a rough log bridge, and located at or near the old bridge just below the present new stone bridge on Allds street.

The Nathaniel Blanchard mentioned above was killed, with his wife Lydia, daughter Susannah, and his brother's wife, Hannah, on the night of July 3rd, 1706, by the Indians.

March 4, 1700. "Robert paris Mr. William ting and John Cumings are chosen a Comity to lay out the Kings hight way."

March 1, 1703. "Nathaniell Blanchard and Joseph Hassel was chosen Surveyers of the hyeways."

Perambulation of the Dracut line. "wee whose names are under writen being Appointed a Comity by the town of dunstable and the town of dracut to Run and Stake the bounds Between Each town accordingly wee have attended said work in March 1710-9 wee begun at the northerly Side of Weakisook Island at a Stack and Stons then wee Renewed the old bound marks Between Said towns untill wee cam to the South East angel of henery Kembels ffarm then finding old bound marks wee agreed to Run according to the general Corts grant which was two degrees Eastward of the North fouer Mils which Reched to a pine tree marked with D D F with Stons About it which is the Norwest angel of dracut Town the above said line of fouer mils is suffitchantly Bounded by trees and heaps of Stons."

"for dunstable William Tyng henery farwell Joseph Blanchard

for dracut Thomas varnum, Joseph Colburn Joseph varnum Samll Danforth, Surveyor

Imployed by Dunstable and Dracut In Said work."

January 13, 1711-10, the selectmen agreed with Capt. John Buckley that he should be allowed to vendue a lot granted to his father Major Buckley and take another adjoining his farm and in consideration the captain by the record, "doth promis and Ingage to procure for the said town a pare of Honarable Culors Compleated and a good Suffitchant Drum within Six months."

The people left in the town were living in garrison houses and in daily fear of Indian attack, and no doubt the "Culors and Drum " were valued, as the colonies were in the midst of Queen Anne's war, which continued into the year 1713. Still "Generall Town Meetings" were held, the regular officers chosen, no mention of the war being made in the records, but we do find that at the next meeting, held March 3, 1712, a committee was appointed to repair the meeting-house. Under all circumstances they were bound to worship God, but we may well believe that they still kept their powder dry.

March 7, 1715, Thomas Blanchard was chosen "Saxon of the Meeting house and grave diger and pound Keeper."

March 5, 1716. "Voted and agreed that there be a commity of five men to state the Cuntry Rod from Captain Tyng's to the Nashaway River and also to Lay out a Cuntry Rod from Dracut as high as the Meeting house."

At a general town meeting on the first day of May in the year 1717 "voted and agreed that their be a Day of Fast Keep Sum time this Instant May voted and agreed that ye i5 Day of this Instant May is the Day appointed to be Appointed to be kept as a Day of Fast." This is the first recorded appointment of a Fast-day.

" September ye Seventh 1718-also agreed that the Cuntry Rod should be But four Rod wide through the town on the west Sid of Merrimack River," also "voted that John Lovewell Sener and

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. II.

his sun John should have Liberty to build a dam in the high way on Salmon Brook not to Incommod the high way."

Money was so scarce that the Massachusetts assembly issued bills of credit to be distributed among the several towns, and on November 7, 1721, Dunstable having received its allotment, chose three trustees to receive it and let it out to the people in sums not exceeding £5 nor less than £3 to each individual, charging "one shilling in the pound Interest," as the record naively asserts, "to pay the expense in Bringing ye money in to ye town and Leting of ye Said money out." The town however reserved {20 for the use of the town, $15 to be paid Mr. Prentice and £5 "towards Berring Cloth and a stock of amminition for said town." This last would seem to be a coalition that would cover the whole business.

The boundary line between Dunstable and Dracut seems to have been a source of trouble. We have already given the perambulation in 1710, and in 1716 two men were appointed to go over it again. In 1723 we find the following entered upon the town records.

"Decembr In the year 1723.

Renewing the bounds between Dunstable & Dracut by order of the Selectmen of Each town begining at a pine tree on the North side of beaver Brook in sight of Sd Brook being marked and lettered wh E being fallen down we have laid Stones about it from thence Running Southerly by the old marked trees many of them lettered wh D. D. as we came Near to a place Called Stone Dam then not finding the old bound then we agreed both parties to make a pine tree wh Stand on the East Side of beaver brook, four Rods from Sd Dam wh tree is Lettered wh D. D. and Stones bout wh Sd tree & stones both parties agreed to be a bound between Sd Towns from Sd bound tree Running Southward to a pine tree marked and lettered wh D. D. fo wh D. D. So Running to pine tree marked & Stones about it near to a pine tree wh is called the Southeast angle of Henry Kimble farm and from Sd pine tree we Removed the old bound to Long pond then running by the pond part of the way to an oak tree then the Sd bound being Lost both Comittyes agreed upon a Line of marked trees to tray Rock to be the bound between Sd towns wh trees are Lettered wh D. D. and then we Removed the old bound to merrimack River this is our Mutual agreement that the Sd Lines Shall Stand Good for Ever and it is agreed that the bound wh mentioned Shall be Entered in Dunstable & Dracut Town Books.

Joseph Blanchard his Joseph X Butterfield mark Being the Major part of the commity of the town of Dunstable appointed for Sd work. Thos. Varnum Joseph Varnum Sam'11 Colburn Being the whole of the Commity for Dracut. Sam'11 Danforth, Survayer.

From the nature of the bounds, "marked trees with stones about them" and not mentioning the vagueness in the direction of the courses, the " Good for Ever," ending seems to be, to say the least, a trifle high-sounding, but if it served the purpose of settling the disturbance of mind in the people, it evidently produced the result desired and to that extent it was commendable, even if mortal man could never again follow the trail as indicated by the report.

April 30, 1724. "Voted that the Selectmen shall imprue a Survarear to Rune the Line on the West Sid of merrimak River from Grotton Line to merrimake River."

"Voted that Lut. Henry Farwel shall Gine with the Committye appinted to keep the Grait Bridge in Billerica in Good repare."

"March ye 22, 1725-voted that Every man on the west Side of merrimack River Should give a day's work towards the highways in repairing of them."

"April the 5, 1725-At a meeting of the selectmen Capt. Henry Farwell & Samuel french were Chosen A Commety to preambulate the line between north Town and Dunstable."

"March 6, 1727-voted that there should be eight pounds Raised for Building a Boat."

"Voted that Capt. Blanchard should Return the Boat with in the year to the Town."

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HISTORY OF NASHUA, N. H.

This was probably for a ferry over the Merrimack river near the farm of Captain Blanchard at Little's railway station, now called South Nashua. Dunstable at that time included lands upon both sides of the river and the settlers upon the east side needed the accommodation. Captain Blanchard was the first, and at that time the only inn-keeper in the town. He died in the fall of this year and as the county court was not in session in December, 1727, Henry Farwell, Jr., petitioned the general assembly for a license, which was granted. The above relative to inn-keeping is taken from Goodale's history, which I think is wrong. Deacon Samuel French, who came from Billerica and built the house, still standing close by the state line, was probably the first inn-keeper in the town and was succeeded by his son Samuel French who died in November, 1727. At the town meeting held May 23, 1732, among other bills, the following appears and by vote of the meeting, it was allowed and ordered paid to the heirs.

" The town of Dunstable, Dr. to Sam'l French, Dec'd."

" 1725 to dining the Selectmen & meals, . o 8 o

Ditto in ye year 1726. . ..... .6 meals, 6 O for Rhum and Cyder had at Mr. Willm. Lunds for the Selectmen, I2 6

Going abt. to take the Invoice 1726 & 1727, 4 days, . 16 0

Total,

£2 2 6"

The town records from 1733 to 1745 are missing. Meanwhile the dividing line between Massa- chusetts and New Hampshire had been settled upon in 1741, by which the ancient town had been cut in two, leaving the meeting house and the larger part of the settlement in what seemed to them a strange country, but they settled down at last and accepted the inevitable. April 1, 1746, the town was incorporated under the laws of New Hampshire and the people proceeded to business.

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History of the city of Nashua, N.H., Part 20

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company Number of Pages: 652

Author: Parker, Edward Everett, 1842- ed; Reinheimer, H., & Co
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Nashua, N.H., Telegraph Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 652