USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Amherst > History of the town of Amherst, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire (first known as Narraganset township number three, and subsequently as Souhegan West) > Part 8
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Isaac Abbot,
Richard Boynton, jr.,
Isaac Abbot, jr.,
Andrew Bradford,
Samuel Abbot,
John Bradford,
Jacob Adams,
Caleb Brown,
Ebenezer Averill,
Andrew Burnam,
Elijah Averill,
Joshua Burnam,
James Badger,
Stephen Burnam,
Reuel Baldwin,
Daniel Burns,
Joel Barker,
George Burns,
Nehemiah Barker,
James Burns,
Isaac Bartlett,
John Burns,
Augustus Blanchard,
John Burns, jr.,
Isaac Blanchard,
Moses Burns,
John Blanchard,
Thomas Burns,
Simon Blanchard,
Simeon Butler,
Stephen Blanchard,
Jonathan Buxton,
Widow Lucy Blanchard,
Robert Campbell,
Oliver Bowers,
Ballard Chandler,
John Boynton,
Daniel Chandler,
Richard Boynton,
Daniel Chandler, 2d,
V.]
TOWN OF MILFORD.
89
Richard Clark, Benjamin Conant, John Crosby, Josiah Crosby,
Benjamin Hutchinson, Elisha Hutchinson, Nathan Hutchinson, jr.,
Timothy Hutchinson, Daniel Johnson,
Samson Crosby,
Stephen Crosby,
Caleb Jones,
William Crosby,
Jonathan Jones,
Robert Darrah,
Joshua Jones,
David Duncklee,
Joseph Knowlton,
David Duncklee. jr., Jacob Duncklee,
Jonathan Lovejoy,
Jacob Flinn,
Samuel Lovejoy,
Edward Foster,
Porter Lummus,
Moses Foster,
Jotham Lund,
Benjamin French,
Isaac Marshall,
Asa Gilmore, Abel Gilson,
John Marvell, Joseph Melendy,
Asa Goodall,
Nathan Merrill,
Daniel Goodwin,
Joshua Mooar,
Jonas Green,
Stearns Needham,
John Gutterson,
Benjamin Nevins,
Samuel Gutterson,
Josiah Osgood,
Samuel Gutterson, 2d, Simeon Gutterson,
William Peabody,
Jonathan Hale,
Joseph Perry,
Jonathan Hale, 2d, Samuel Hartshorn,
Ebenezer Person,
Jonathan Phelps,
Isaac How, Stephen How,
William Powers,
Joseph Hoar,
Aaron Priest,
Nathaniel Rayment,
Joseph Hoar, jr., Joseph Hood,
Jacob Richardson,
Joseph Hood, jr.,
Ebenezer Sargent,
Benjamin Hopkins,
Nathaniel Seavey,
Daniel Hopkins, John Hopkins,
Simon Shed,
Peter Hopkins, Solomon Hopkins, William Hopkins,
Daniel Shepard, John Shepard, Jotham Shepard, Daniel Smith,
Nehemiah Howard,
John Smith,
Jeremiah IIubbard, Abner Hutchinson, Bartholomew Hutchinson,
Isaac Southwick, Nathaniel Southwick,
John Stearns,
Benjamin Lewis,
Aaron Peabody,
Daniel Person,
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HISTORY OF AMHERST.
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Edward Taylor,
James Wallace,
Widow Taylor,
John Wallace,
Widow Temple,
Joseph Wallace.
Bartholomew Towne,
Widow Mary Wallace,
Jonathan Towne,
John Willard,
Moses Towne,
Benjamin Wright.
Rebecca Upton,
8 March, 1836. The town of Amherst appointed David Stewart agent to oppose the petition, then pending in the legislature, of Daniel Holt and others, asking to be set off from Amherst and joined to Milford. After some delay the legislature passed an act, approved 20 December, 1842, by which a tract of land, bounded as follows, was severed from Amherst and annexed to Milford : commencing at a stone monument standing on the bank of Souhegan river on the dividing line between Amherst and Milford, thence north on said dividing line 128 rods to a stone mon- ument, thence south 69° east 165 rods to a stake and stones on land of Daniel Holt, thence south 3º east 218 rods to a white oak tree on the bank of Souhegan river, thence by said river to the bound first mentioned.
CHESTNUT HILLS.
The . formation of a town from parts of Amherst, New Boston, Goffstown, and Bedford, was proposed prior to 1792. At the annual town meeting in March of that year, Col. Daniel Warner, Samuel Dana, Esq., Col. Robert Means, Joshua Atherton, Esq., and Mr. Daniel Campbell, were appointed to view the premises petitioned for by John Patterson and others, and report on the same.
23 May, 1792, they reported "that they had attended to that service ; considered the situation of the parties with regard to the place of public worship in said town ; con- ferred with a committee of the town of Bedford appointed for the same purpose ; and received a plan of said Bedford ; also were favored with the company of one gentleman from
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TOWN OF MILFORD.
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Goffstown ; but had no plan of that town, or New Boston ; but had reason to believe that a decent town might be made on the plan of the petitioners without great injury to the towns adjoining ; but did not take upon them to judge how far it may affect any other town but Amherst."
" With regard to their centre, ability, &c .; With regard to that part of Amherst petitioned for, we are of opinion that the petitioners have been full as modest and reasonable in their request as any petitioners who have heretofore endeavored to make dismemberments of the town; but we understand that a number of the settlers on the most southerly range of lots petitioned for are averse to joining in the proposed new town, We think the prayer of the petition can only be granted as far as follows: viz., To begin at the south-east corner of John Stewart's lot, thence to run west on the range line to the south- east corner of Benjamin Damon's lot, thence west to the west side of lot No. 103, thence south a few rods to the range line again, and on that west to the North Parish line, and that all the inhabitants with their lands included within the line prayed for be permitted to leave Amherst and join with others mentioned in the petition in making a new town; but until they can obtain an incorporation of a new town on or near their proposed plan, they be considered as liable to duties and entitled to privileges in Amherst in the same manner as they have been in times past.'
Which report was accepted.
This project for a division of the town failed, and, although it was renewed some years after, it has not been accomplished.
.
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HISTORY OF AMHERST.
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CHAPTER VI.
SITUATION, EXTENT, AND BOUNDARIES OF THE TOWN .- DIS- TANCES FROM PROMINENT PLACES .- SURFACE .- ALTITUDES. -STREAMS .- PONDS .- FOREST TREES AND SHRUBS .- QUAR- RIES .- FISH AND GAME .- ADVENTURES OF TWO OF THE EARLY SETTLERS .- A WOLF HUNT .- REPTILES .- ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES .- INDIANS .- STORY OF JOE ENGLISH.
The town of Amherst is situated in the sontherly part of the county of Hillsborough, in the State of New Hampshire, in latitude 42° 51' north. It lies on both sides of the Souhegan river, the principal part being on the northern side.
Its length from north to south, according to a survey made in 1806, is 9 miles and 170 rods. Its greatest width is about 5 miles, and its least width 2 miles and 242 rods, comprising an area of about 22,000 acres, of which about 500 are covered with water.
It is bounded on the north by Bedford and New Boston, on the east by Bedford and Merrimack, on the south by Hollis and Milford, and on the west by Milford and Mont Vernon.
Its distance from Concord is 28 miles ; from Manchester, 12 miles ; from Nashua, 10 miles ; from Portsmouth, 53 miles ; and from Washington, 484 miles.
Its surface is broken and uneven. Near the Souhegan is a strip of valuable interval land. Adjoining this, at a higher elevation, are large traets of sandy plain land, formerly thickly covered with a growth of pitch pines. Along the water courses are considerable tracts of meadow
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land. At a higher elevation, the hill-sides afford excellent grazing land, and when moderately free from rocks are well adapted to agricultural purposes, and with proper care vield an abundant reward to the husbandman. In other parts they are as hard and strong as granite can make them, and are fitted only for the production of fuel and timber.
Chestnut Hill, in the north-east part, adjoining New Boston, is the most elevated land in town. Walnut hill, in the east part of the town ; Wilkins's hill, south of the village ; Christian hill, in the west part of the town; and Moderator's hill, north of the village, are the principal elevations.
The altitude of the Wilton railroad at Amherst station is said to be 256 feet above mean tide water; of Amherst plain, in front of the town-house, 427 feet ; and of Mont Vernon village, one of the highest points in the original township of Souhegan West, 770 feet, or 270 feet higher than the surface of Lake Winnipiseogee.
Souhegan river crosses the town, running in a south- easterly course. Beaver brook rises in the north part of Mont Vernon, runs in a southerly direction nearly the whole length of that town and passes into Amherst, where it runs in a southerly course through Holt's meadow, thence changing its course to an easterly direction it passes north and east of the village, after which it pursues a southerly course and falls into the Souhegan.
Prince's, or Babboosuck, brook runs in a south-easterly direction from Joe English's pond in the north-west part of the town, to within a few rods of Babboosuck pond, where it suddenly changes its course to the north-east. In a short time it again changes its course to a south-easterly direction, and passes into Bedford, continuing on the same course through a corner of that town, and Merrimack, it empties into the Souhegan. In its course through Amherst it receives Damon's, Stiles's, and other brooks as
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tributaries, and in Bedford it receives Pulpit brook, which passes through the north-east part of Amherst into that town.
Babboosuck pond, which was wholly within the limits of Amherst, as it was originally laid out, is in the east part of the town, and is estimated to cover an area of about 380 acres. A small brook connects it with Little Babboosuck, or Weston's pond.
Joe English's pond, in the north-west part of the town, lies partly in New Boston, partly in Mont Vernon, and partly in Amherst, the larger part being in Amherst.
Damon's pond is a small pond in the north-cast part of the town ; and Stearns's pond, another small pond, is in the south part of the town.
Most of the varieties of forest trees and shrubs common in southern New Hampshire abound in Amherst. The mountain chestnut oak, somewhat rare in other parts of the State, grows abundantly on Wilkins's hill.
The white pine is still plenty, but the monarchs of the warm hillsides, with trunks four or five feet in diameter, extending upward a hundred or a hundred and twenty-five feet, have almost entirely disappeared. The axe and the fire have been busy in their destruction.
The smaller wild fruits are produced in abundance, and latterly hundreds of bushels of the several varieties are sent, in their season, to Boston and other cities.
Granite abounds, and, in some parts of the town, is found of a fine quality. A few ledges have been opened, where it is quarried for building purposes. Ledges of crystalized quartz occasionally occur. Limestone has been found in the north-east part of the town, and iron ore exists in small quantities. Deposits of clay are found, from which brick and earthen ware are manufactured. About a mile east of the plain is a mineral spring, the water of which is thought to be useful in the treatment of some diseases.
The ponds and brooks were once well stocked with fish, and the salmon formerly passed up the Souhegan in the
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spring time. They are said to have been caught from the river at East Wilton as late as 1774. Within a few years black bass have been introduced into Babboosuck pond.
Game was plenty in the early days of the settlement, but the larger animals have long since disappeared. The black bear was frequently met with by the early settlers. Tra- dition has it that one of them, a young man, had built a cabin on Walnut hill, and, not deeming it good for man to be alone, had contracted a habit of crossing the township frequently to a dwelling in the vicinity of Shepard's mills. On one of these excursions he met a she bear and a couple of cubs. Not caring to receive a hug from Mistress Bruin, he, like a prudent man, left the path and walked around her, and in due time arrived safely at his journey's end, where we may suppose he received embraces of a more agreeable kind.
Wolves abounded, and were a source of some trouble to the early settlers. On one occasion a young man, from the west part of the town, who was returning from some merry- making on the plain, where he had furnished the music, found that a pack of these animals was following him. As they were coming uncomfortably near, he climbed a large rock, near the roadside, where he was out of their reach, and spent the remainder of the night. To while away the time he played on his fiddle to his yelping audience, who assembled around the rock, and remained there until day- light, when they left him to pursue his journey.
On another occasion, when they were unusually plenty and troublesome, the men and boys turned out one day en masse to hunt them. They finally succeeded in driving them into a small swamp, about a mile and a half north- west of the old meeting-house, which the hunters sur- rounded, and kept up an incessant discharge of firearms and beating of drums through the day. Some of the wolves escaped during the daytime, and the rest decamped at night and sought more quiet lodgings elsewhere.
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Deer were occasionally killed, and rarely a moose. One of the latter is said to have been shot as late as 1771, on the flat near the brook north of the jail.
The birds common in this part of the country were form- erly much more abundant than at present. The red-breast robin, the bluebird, and sparrow, came in the early spring- time to cheer the settlers in their labors. Later came the bobolink, the swallow, and the golden robin, with his mag- nificent plumage and song. Wild geese occasionally alighted in the ponds, on their semi-annual migrations, and afforded a mark for the sportsman. In seasons when the crop of nuts and acorns was abundant, the woods were filled with partridges and wild pigeons. Several dozens of the latter were often taken at a time in nets prepared for the purpose.
Many varieties of birds once common are now rarely met with, owing to their wanton destruction, and the clearing up of the forests which afforded them food and shelter.
Rattlesnakes were occasionally met with. A daughter of Mr. Abel Prince, who has recently deceased, used to relate that her father killed a large one, many years since, that used to frighten the cows as she drove them past his den to pasture on summer mornings.
Water and spotted adders, black, striped, and green snakes, are frequently seen. It seems to be the habit of these reptiles to pass the winter together in a torpid state, in caverns among the ledges, or in holes under the roots of trees. A den of this kind was discovered some years since in the easterly part of the town, from which eighteen black snakes, averaging five feet each in length, were taken ; beside these three or four striped snakes were found in the den.
ATMOSPHERIC CHANGES.
Sudden and extreme changes in temperature occasionally occur. A change of fifty degrees is said to have taken
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place in the eighteen hours preceding the morning of the memorable cold Friday, 19 Jamiary, 1810, and changes as great and sudden have since been noticed.
Probably the coldest day experienced in this State, the present century, was 24 January, 1857, when the ther- mometer indicated -37°. The sky was remarkably clear, and a strong north-west wind blew all day. This extreme cold was followed, within forty-eight hours, by a rain- storm.
Other cold days noted within seventy-five years have been-1810, 19 January, -14°; 30 January, 1818, -22°; 11 February, 1818, -32°; 12 February, 1818, -26°; 1 February, 1826, -24° ; 6 January, 1835, -25° ; 30 Jan- mary, 1854, -28° ; 7 February, 1855, -28° ; 18 January, 1857,-20°; 25 January, 1857, -25° ; 11 January, 1859, -34°; 14 January, 1861, -25°; 8 February, 1861, -36° ; 5, 6, and 8, February, 1863, -22º ; 14 March, 1863, -23°.
Some of the opposite extremes have been-30 June, 1819, +93°; 10, 11, 12, and 13, July, 1825, averaged +95° at noon ; 13 July, 1849, +100° : 25 and 26 June, 1864, +100° ; 3 August, 1864,-the highest reported,- +103° ; 16 July, 1868, +102°.
The average snow-fall for each of the twenty-five last winters, according to the record kept by Hon. William L. Foster, of Concord, has been about six feet and eight inches. The average rain-fall of each year has been 32.85 inches.
The greatest rain-fall within that time was on the third and fourth days of October, 1869, when 74 inches of water fell, doing a vast amount of damage to highways, bridges, dams, and mills.
The greatest amount of snow at any one storm was on the 4 January, 1859, when two feet fell.
Very few Indians remained in the township when the first settlements were commenced. Those who lived here were a part of the Penacook tribe, whose head-quarters 7
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were near the Merrimack, in the territory now occupied by the city of Concord.
Their relics are occasionally found in various parts of the town, principally in the vicinity of the larger streams and ponds, and it is said that skeletons, supposed to be those of Indians, have been washed from their graves on the banks of the Souhegan.
It is not unlikely that they resorted to the falls in the river at Merrimack and Milford, in the fishing season, for the salmon that formerly went up the river. Probably the town was frequently visited by hunting parties in quest of bears, deer, and other game. One of these hunters, belonging to another tribe, who sometimes visited the town on hunting excursions, deserves mention.
JOE ENGLISH was a grandson of Masconnomet, a chief of some note who lived at Agawam, now Ipswich, Mass. He served for the English in the war which commenced in 1689, and was taken prisoner by hostile Indians while in company with a party of whites in the north part of Dunstable, near Pennichuck brook, and carried to Canada. While in captivity he pretended to be greatly exasperated against the whites, saying they had deceived him, and he would trust them no longer.
He finally managed to make his escape, and returned to Dunstable, where he was employed as a scout.
The Indians never forgave him for deceiving them, and formed many plans to waylay and capture him.
Once, while hunting on the hill that bears his name, in New Boston, it is said he was pursued by one of the hostile Indians. Being well acquainted with the ground, he ran rapidly around the hill, the other Indian being in full pursuit. Running near a precipice, he slackened his gait, and his pursner redoubled his exertions to reach him. At the proper place Joe stepped aside from the path, while his enemy, being unable to stop, plunged over the precipice, and was dashed to pieces.
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27 July, 1706, Joe and another scout were employed to guard Lieut. Butterfield and wife, who were journeying from Dunstable to Chelmsford. They were mounted on horseback, and were preceded by Joe with his gun loaded, the other scout following in the rear.
Just after they crossed Holden's brook, in Tyngsborough, they were fired upon by a party of Indians, and Capt. Butterfield's horse was killed. The Indians rushed for- ward for their prey. Capt. Butterfield and the soldier escaped, but Mrs. Butterfield was captured.
As Joe was the person above all others the Indians wished to secure, they pursued him. He had gone too far from the bridge to retreat in that direction, and espying a growth of wood on the left he made for it at full speed. Perceiving that his pursuers gained on him, he stopped, turned round, and presented his musket when they fell to the ground. After taking breath, he resumed his flight, the Indians continuing in pursuit. This course he con- tinued for some time, when one of the pursuers, thinking he would escape, fired at him and disabled the arm with which he carried his gun, which he dropped, and ran with greater speed than before. Just as he was entering the woods, another bullet entered his thigh, which brought him to the ground.
The Indians were greatly elated, and on coming up began to taunt him. Joe, well knowing the fate that awaited him, made a gesture and a reply which so provoked them that they dispatched him at once with their tomahawks.
His death was lamented as a public loss, and the General Court granted a sum of money to his widow and children, " because he had died in the service of his country."
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CHAPTER VII.
1762-1800. . TOWN OF AMHERST.
PROHIBITION OF THE SALE OF SPIRITUOUS LIQUORS ON THE SABBATH .- FOURTH DIVISION OF LOTS AND DISSOLUTION OF THE PROPRIETY. - SUNDRY VOTES OF THE TOWN. - THE " COUNTY " BRIDGE .- THE " DARK " DAY .- TROUBLES, LOCAL AND GENERAL, AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE REVOLUTION .- PETI- TION TO THE GENERAL COURT, AND SIGNERS' NAMES .- CUR- RENCY TROUBLES .- TROUBLE WITH LAWYERS AND SHERIFFS. -PETITION TO THE GENERAL COURT FOR RELIEF .- MEASURES OF RELIEF PROPOSED, AND ACTION OF THE TOWN. - THE MOB AT EXETER, SEPTEMBER, 1786, AND ITS SUPPRESSION BY PRESIDENT SULLIVAN .- PROVISION FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF THE REVEREND CLERGY ON ELECTION DAY AT CONCORD .- GENERAL WASHINGTON'S VISIT TO THE STATE .- THE GREAT FROST OF 1794 .- MEETING OF THE LEGISLATURE IN AMHERST. -CHANGE IN THE TIME OF HOLDING THE ANNUAL TOWN- MEETING .- DISSENSIONS CAUSED BY PARTY POLITICS .- DE- SCRIPTION OF THE ANNUAL MEETING IN MARCH, 1799, BY " AMPHION."
In calling the town-meeting held 9 March, 1761, the town was divided into two districts. The voters in that part of the town lying east of the road leading from Lyon's bridge to the meeting-house, and onward east of the New Boston road to New Boston line, were warned by Constable Thomas Clark ; those living west of that line were warned by Constable William Bradford.
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At the annual meeting in 1762 the town
"Voted, To prohibit persons that have licensed houses from selling spirituous liquors on the Lord's day to the Inhabitants of this town, or to any persons that constantly attend the public worship of God in this town, and to annex a penalty of eighteen shillings new tenor for every half gill, and the sanie for every pint of cider sold contrary to this order, the same to be recovered by common process, with costs of prosecution."
Also voted that this vote be sent to the Court of General Sessions of the peace for their approbation.
At the annual meeting in 1765 they "voted that the surveyors keep the roads open next winter according to their discretion." To aid in doing this they were to be entitled to the same help they had in summer.
19 August, 1765, William Peabody and John Shepard. stated, in a petition to the General Court, that Joshua Hicks, Esq., of Salem, was for many years treasurer of the proprietors of Souhegan West, and that many of the pro- prietors had neglected to pay the assessments ordered upon their lots : that Major Hieks advanced money on his own account to defray the expenses of the propriety, whereby the proprietors were indebted to him to the amount of about four hundred pounds, Massachusetts currency ; that he died some four years since, and they were anxious to pay the heirs of the estate the balance justly due them ; wherefore they asked leave to sell the lands of the delinquent proprietors to enable them so to do.
Leave was granted 4 June, 1766.
The selectmen were this year instructed to procure a set of weights and measures for the use of the town.
SHIRE TOWN.
14 March, 1768, the town
" Voted to allow those persons in town that exerted themselves last fall, in order to have Amherst made a shire town, four pounds, thir- teen shillings, and four pence lawful money."
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12 December, 1769. A number of the citizens having asked leave to build and have seats on the beams of the meeting-house, the town granted their request.
FOURTH DIVISION OF LOTS ; DISSOLUTION OF THE PROPRIETY.
15 October, 1770, William Peabody, Solomon Hutchin- son, and Daniel Campbell, were appointed a committee to lay out the common lands in the township.
A record of this, the fourth division of lots among the pro- prietors, in the hand-writing of Daniel Campbell, Esq., is preserved in the proprietors' book of records, and the propriety seems to have been dissolved shortly after.
£120 lawful money was appropriated for the repairs of highways at the annual meeting in March, 1772, and it was voted that the work on the highways should be done between the twentieth day of May and the last of September. Two shillings and eight pence was allowed for a full day's work of a man, one shilling and four pence a day for a yoke of oxen, and eight pence a day for the use of a cart.
22 June, 1774, the town voted that Deacon Baldwin erect a post near the meeting-house, with a box having a glass face, in which the warrants for town-meetings shall be placed by the officers calling the same. Also, " voted that the warrants exposed to view in the box by the constable on all the public days between the date of the warrant and day of meeting shall be sufficient warning for the inhab- itants of Amherst."
18 September, 1776. The committee of safety was authorized by the legislature to take care of sundry perish- able articles belonging to the estate of Zaccheus Cutler, Esq., a refugee.
31 March, 1777. The town voted to remit the poll tax of those persons who served as soldiers in the Continental army the whole of last year.
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