USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Andover > History of the town of Andover, New Hampshire, 1751-1906, Part I > Part 16
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JOHN ASH.
Andover June 3d 1782.
Hillsborough-Andover June 3rd 1782. Then the above Named John Ash. Made Solemn Oath to the Truth of the above Deposition by him Subscribed to the best of his Knowledge and Judgment Administered by
Jona Weare Just of Peace.
Men who served in the Revolutionary War and afterwards settled in Andover: Samuel McGowan or "Gwin," Eliphalet Rollins. William Ash, James Pike. Caleb Brown, Edward Evans, Noves Pervear. Iddo Scribner. Sam Cilley, Mark Batchelder. Gershom Durgin. William Newton, Edward Currier, Charles Hilton, Joseph Brown. John Roberts, Simeon Rollins, Phineas Page, John Rand, William True, Benjamin Thompson. Abner Eastman, Lawrence Ellis.
Abner, son of Benjamin Eastman of Deerfield, was in Colonel MeCleary's regiment in 1777. He afterward resided in Andover for a few years, and finally moved to Canada.
193
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
William Newton moved from Salisbury to the Josiah Evans farm in Andover, now Franklin. He was a soldier at West Point and Bennington.
Iddo Seribner died in Andover, February 5, 1831.
Edward Evans was a noted schoolmaster in Salisbury; a tax- payer in Salisbury in 1775. Was adjutant of Colonel Stick- ney's regiment at Bennington and served till close of war. Late in life he moved to Andover, near his son, Josiah, where he died May 26, 1818, aged eighty-two.
SOLDIERS IN WAR 1812-1814.
The following men enlisted from Andover in September, 1814, for ninety days' service :
In Capt. Jonathan Bean's company : Calvin Cilley, sergeant; Josiah Sanborn, corporal; Charles Cilley, James B. Goodwin, Nathaniel Graves, Joseph S. Huntoon, John C. Huse, Jr., Joseph Kimball, Jonathan Roberts, Jr., Joseph Wadley, Samuel B. Wadley, John Webster, privates.
In Capt. Silas Call's company : Nathaniel Huntoon, eor- poral; Nathaniel Bartlett, Francis Cilley, Gilmore Fellows, John Garland, Samuel Kinnerson, Ezekiel Knowles, William Serib- ner, Samuel Straw, privates.
The above enlisted in October, 1814, and were discharged at elose of war, December 24, 1814.
Dea. Samuel Cilley served in 1812.
Stephen Decatur Swett also served in 1812. Was drowned at Concord on his way home after discharge.
Among the men who settled in Andover after the war was Rev. Samuel Robbins, who was a drummer boy at the battle of Plattsburg.
13
194
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
WAR OF THE REBELLION, 1861-1865.
LIST OF MEN MUSTERED INTO THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES From 1861 to 1865, and credited to the quota of the town of Andover.
Name.
Company.
New Hampshire Regiment or service.
Term of enlistment.
Berry, Walter
A.
2d Infantry.
3 years.
Bush, Orin ..
C.
2d Infantry.
3 years.
Derwin, Joseph ...
C.
2d Infantry
3 years.
Holmes, Andrew J.
H.
2d Infantry
3 years.
McCormick, James
K.
2d Infantry.
3 years.
Myers, Henry ..
B.
2d Infantry.
3 years.
Murphy, Martin
K.
2d Infantry
3 years.
Murphy, Matthew
K.
2d Infantry
3 years.
Riley, John.
K.
2d Infantry
3 years.
Andrews, George W
A.
3d Infantry
3 years.
Harris, James.
A.
3d infantry
3 years.
Meyers, Wilhelm.
I.
3d Infantry
3 years.
Walcott, Henry
B.
3d Infantry ..
3 years.
Buzzeli, Alvah.
F.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Buzzell, Frank A
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Chase, Alonzo ..
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Chase, George W
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Corey, Henry S.
D.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Emerson, George H
4th Infantry
3 years.
Farnum, Ebenezer
4th Infantry
3 years.
Flanders, Daniel B
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Leavitt, Lucius.
E.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Loverin, John S.
4th Infantry
Morey, Julian A
4th Infantry
Morey, Oren F ..
I.
4th Infantry
Morrison, Ira W ..
4th Infantry
3 years.
Prescott, Harlan P
4th Infantry.
3 years.
Rowell, Enos S
4th Infantry.
3 years.
Smith, Caleb M ..
4th Infantry
3 years.
Spaulding, Charles W
4th Infantry
3 years.
Tucker, Erastus B.
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Webster, Aaron D ..
I.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Woodward, Albert B
K.
4th Infantry
3 years.
Barron, Thomas
5th Infantry
3 years.
Genan, Michael.
5th Infantry
3 years.
Hardey, Patrick.
5th Infantry
3 years.
Heath, George F
I.
5th Infantry
3 years.
Moore, James
I.
5th Infantry
3 years.
Welch, Thomas .
I.
5th Infantry
3 years.
Smith, Henry
H.
7th Infantry
3 years.
Graham, Joseph.
8th Infantry
3 years.
Hazzard, Edward
8th Infantry
3 years.
Smith, Michael.
8th Infantry
3 years.
Clement, Hermon A
F.
9th Infantry
3 years.
Clement, Simeon A
F.
9th Infantry
3 years.
Merrill, Benjamin.
C.
9th Infantry
3 years.
Phelps, Peter F.
C.
9th Infantry.
3 years.
Atwood, George.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Brown, Elbridge G
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Buzzell, John ..
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Chase, George W
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Cilley, Martin J
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Colby, Henry A .
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Cook, Aldrich B.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Cooper, Solon.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Currier, Albert E.
E. 10th Infantry
3 years.
Currier, Stephen C.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Davis, Frank L.
E. 10th Infantry. 3 years.
Downs, Philip.
E. 10th Infantry
3 years.
I. I.
3 years. 3 years. 3 years.
I.
I.
K.
D. I.
B.
B.
H.
D.
195
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
LIST OF MEN MUSTERED INTO THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES From 1861 to 1865, and credited to the quota of the town of Andover .- Continued.
Name.
Company.
Regiment or service.
Term of enlistment.
Farnum, James.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Flanders, Perry B
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Gale, Alfred Y ..
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Gale, Thomas C ...
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Haynes, Harvey D
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Keniston, Alden J.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Kimball, Frank D.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Leavenworth, Mark J
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Moody, Moses F
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Moores, Philip.
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Morey, Gilbert .
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Morrill, Charles H.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Morrill, George H ..
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Moulton, Jonathan K
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Moulton, Simeon S., Jr
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Pettee, Henry W
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Sanborn, Henry J.
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Sanborn, John M ..
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Sanborn, Samuel J.
E.
10th Infantry
Seavey, John ..
E.
10th Infantry
3 years. 3 years. 3 years.
Tucker, Gilbert A
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Veazey, William.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Weare, Leonard F.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Wilson, Jesse F.
E.
10th Infantry
3 years.
Woodward, John K
E.
10th Infantry.
3 years.
Davis, Frederick
F.
14th Infantry
3 years.
Holmes, Andrew J
D.
16th Infantry
9 months
Buzzell, John.
B. 18th Infantry.
1 year.
Chadwick, Hale
B.
18th Infantry
1 year.
Connor, Otis R.
B.
18th Infantry.
1 year.
Ladd, Hiram K.
A.
18th Infantry.
1 year.
Scribner, Enoch O
B.
18th Infantry.
1 year.
Brown, John H.
I. N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Cilley, Augustus L
I. N. H. Battalion, Ist R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Cilley, John S.
I.
N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Davis, Madison B.
I.
N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Davis, Sherman A
I.
N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Elkins, Frank P.
I.
N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Gordon. James F
1st N. H. Cavalry
3 years.
Hunt, Oscar J.
1st N. H. Cavalry.
3 years.
Krieck, August.
1st N. H. Cavalry
3 years.
Morrill, George H.
I.
N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav. N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years. 3 years.
Noyes, Enoch P.
M.
1st N. H. Cavalry.
3 years.
Seavey, James M.
I. N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Swett, Stephen R. Taylor, Herbert.
I.
N. H. Battallon, 1st R. I. Cav. N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
Thompson, John P
I.
3 years.
'Trumbel, Abraham M
L.
1st N. H. Cavalry
3 years.
Call, Justin.
K.
Ist Heavy Artillery
1 year.
Jaques, Frank M.
1st Heavy Artillery
1 year.
Kilburn, Joseph C.
E. E. 1st Heavy Artillery 1 year.
Brown, Charles G.
U. S. Navy
3 years.
.
.
Swett, Francis H.
E.
10th Infantry
E.
M. M.
Moulton, William H.
I.
I. N. H. Battalion, 1st R. I. Cav.
3 years.
196
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
LIST OF MEN MUSTERED INTO THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES From 1861 to 1865, and credited to the quota of the town of Andover .- Concluded.
Name.
Company.
Regiment or service.
Term of enlistment.
Hayes, John H.
U. S. Navy
3 years.
Johnston, Richard.
U. S. Navy
3 years.
Mason, John.
U. S. Navy
3 years.
Roach, John
U. S. Navy
3 years.
Selkey, Thomas
U. S. Navy
3 years.
Stevens, John
U. S. Navy
3 years.
George W. Chase served in the Fourth and Tenth regiments.
Frank P. Elkins served in the First Rhode Island Cavalry and the United States Navy.
George H. Morrill served in the First Rhode Island Cavalry and the Tenth Regiment.
Enos S. Rowell served in the Fourth Regiment and in the Vet- eran Reserve Corps.
Andrew J. Holmes served in the Sixteenth, Seventeenth and Second regiments ; was appointed second lieutenant in the Tenth Regiment, but not mustered.
Peter F. Phelps served in the First and Ninth New Hamp- shire regiments.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS FROM ANDOVER.
Stephen R. Swett, Major, New Hampshire Battalion, First Rhode Island Cavalry.
Aldrich B. Cook, Captain, Tenth New Hampshire Infantry.
George W. Chase, Captain, Tenth New Hampshire Infantry.
Francis H. Swett, First Lieutenant, Tenth New Hampshire Infantry.
Gilbert A. Tucker, First Lieutenant, Tenth New Hampshire Infantry.
John P. Thompson, First Lieutenant, First Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry.
William H. Moulton, First Lieutenant, First Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry.
John S. Cilley, Second Lieutenant, First Regiment, New Hampshire Cavalry.
Harlan P. Prescott, sergeant. Co. I, 4th N. H. Infantry, re- ceived the "Gillmore medal" for gallant and meritorious con- duct in the operations before Charleston, S. C.
197
MILITARY AFFAIRS.
SOLDIERS WHO WERE CREDITED TO OTHER TOWNS, BUT WHO HAVE BEEN RESIDENTS OF ANDOVER.
Name.
Company.
Regiment.
Position.
Remarks.
Atwood, Prentiss C. . .
A.
5th Pa
Bartlett, Daniel D ... ..
I.
5th N. H.
Bartlett, Sylvester W ..
B.
8th N. H.
Private ... Private ... Private ...
[Virginia. D. dis. Jan. 23, 1862, in K. June 14, 1863, Port Hudson, La. Capt. 15th U. S. Inf .; retired Sept. 29, 1890.
Bean, John Wesley. ..
I.
5th N. H.
Captain ..
Busiel, Harrison M ... . Cochran, Clarendon A.
E.
12th N. H.
18th N. H ..
Cross, Hiram H
C.
Ist N. H. H. Art.
Dodge, Solomon.
E.
11th N. H.
Farnum, Ebenezer
D.
4th N. H.
Fenton, J. Patrick
B. F.
15th N. H.
Gregg, Reuben M.
M.
1st N. H. Cav
.Griffin, Calvin B.
H.
8th N. H.
Hilliard, Timothy
E.
3d N. H ..
Hull, James H.
L.
N. H. Battalion
Huntoon, Henry B
C.
5th N. H.
Private ...
Dis. disabled Feb. 3, 1863.
Johnson, David
I.
4th N. H.
Kingsbury, Harlan P ..
K.
9th N H ..
D. Andersonville, Ga., Aug. 9, 1864.
Kingsbury, James M ...
K.
9th N. H.
Private ...
Drowned Aug. 12, 1863, Helena, Ark.
Knight, Luther M.
5th N. H ..
Res. May 28, 1863. D. Sept. 2, 1864.
Knowles, Lucian E.
D.
1st N. H. Cav .. 8th N. H .*
Langley, James M.
Lorden, John ..
11th N. H.
Matthews, Frank H.
F. E.
4th N. H ..
Moody, John H.
H.
Patch, William H
I.
2d U. S. Sharp. 6th N. H.
Pevare, David W
E.
16th N. H.
D. Aug. 13, 1863, Mat- toon, Ill.
Pickett, William
H.
4th Vermont. 7th N. H
Pinkham, Charles L
G.
Putney, Frank A.
E.
Putney, William A
K.
I.
Smith, Charles E.
Spaulding, Chester.
H.
16th N. H.
Stevens, Nelson.
B.
18th N. H.
Woodbury, Charlton W. York, W. F.
E.
10th N. H.
B.
4th N. H.
Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... Private ... 1st Lieut. Private ...
Must. out Dec. 27, 1864. Dis. Sept. 13, 1864. Must. out July 27, 1864. D. Mar. 27, 1864. Dis. July, 1865.
Must. out Aug.20, 1863. Must.out June 10, 1865. Dis. Dec. 22, 1863. Dis., disabled, Sept. 12, 1862.
* From Wilmot.
t State Service, 1861.
Must. out June 4, 1865. Must. out Sept.27, 1864.
23d Mass
Private ... Private ... Private ... 1st Lieut. Private .. . Private ... Captain .. Private ... Private ... Private ...
Dis. June 8, 1865. Dis. June 15, 1865.
Gordon, William.
Must. out Aug. 13,1863. Dis. July 15, 1865. Dis. April 10, 1862. Dis. June 26, 1865. Ist N. E. Cav .; must. out July 15, 1865.
Dis. Sept. 26, 1864.
Private ... Private ...
Surgeon . Private ... 1st Lieut.
Dis. disabled, Feb. 26, 1864; d. in A., June 5, 1891.
Corporal. Sergeant. Private ... Private ... Private ...
Must. out June 4, 1865. Must. out Aug. 23, 1865. Must. out June 28, 1865. Dis. Dec. 19, 1864.
1st U. S. Sharp. N. H. N. Guard 4th N. H.t. 5th N. H. 16th Ohio.
Rowell, Enos S. Simonds, James M.
B.
198
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
SOLDIERS BORN IN ANDOVER WHO SERVED WITH REGIMENTS FROM OTHER STATES,
Or who were in New Hampshire regiments and credited to the quotas of other towns.
Name.
Company.
Regiment.
Position.
Remarks.
Blake, John W ...
A.
6th N. H.
Corporal.
Butterfield, J. Ware ....
D.
12th N. H.
Captain ..
Cass, Luther.
A.
6th N. H.
Private ..
Cilley, Joseph Gilman.
F.
2d U. S. Sharp.
Private ... Private ...
Eastman, John B
L.
6th Mass
Gilman, John.
E.
10th N. H ..
Private ... Private ...
Pressey, George H.
1st N. H. Cav.
2d Lieut ..
Sanborn, Calvin.
E.
16th N. H.
Private ...
Sanborn, Daniel H.
E.
16th N. H.
Spaulding, Henry ..
E.
5th N. H.
Private ... Private ... Private ...
Thompson, Daniel W ..
G.
2d Kansas Cav. 1st N. H.
10th N. H ..
F.
1st N. H. Inf'y.
Whipple, George W. ..
E.
31st Maine
Ist N. H.
Private ...
9th N. H.
Sergeant.
White, George T.
B.
10th Minn.
Captain ..
[ Nashville, Tenn. K. Dec. 16, 1864, near
SOLDIERS FROM ANDOVER IN THE WAR WITH SPAIN IN 1898.
Clark, William, Company A, First New Hampshire Regiment.
Crosby, Ashley, Company L, First New Hampshire Regiment.
Sawyer, Luther J., Company H, First New Hampshire Regiment.
Sleeper, Walter W., Company M., First New Hampshire Regiment.
[Sept. 2, 1863. Dis. Aug. 20, 1863; d. Dis. Aug. 20, 1863.
Spaulding, William H.
9th Mass.
[dis. Jan. 13, 1865. Enlisted Dec. 9, 1861;
Trumbel, Gustine M ....
Sergeant. Sergeant. Sergeant. 2d Lieut .. Corporal.
Whipple, John P
.
Dis. Nov. 17, 18 62. Drowned Aug.13, 1862. Dis. Feb. 27, 1862.
Eastman, Isaac R., Jr ..
A.
11th Mass.
D. in southern prison.
ROADS IN ANDOVER.
The early records of the meetings of the proprietors of the New Breton township give ample evidence that road-making, as then understood, was, from the beginning, an absorbing topie.
But the work of providing such roads as would stimulate settlement in the new township was no easy task. It was not a diffieult matter to vote that a road from Pemigewasset River to Loon Pond should be eut, eleared and made passable; but to do that work in the wilderness, many miles from the place of meet- ing, was a different problem.
At the meeting of the proprietors, held at the inn of Benja- min Swett, in Hampton Falls, on October 15, 1753, it was voted "that a Road shall be Cleared to Senter Squar," etc., and votes on the location and building of roads occupied a portion of the time of almost every subsequent meeting.
THE FIRST ROAD.
The "Military" or "Plymouth" road, along the west bank of the Pemigewasset River, was cut through by Colonel Blanchard in 1754, and was eleared of bushes in the summer of 1762.
The proprietors paid Moses Burbank and William Silloway £25 4s. Od. for the labor. This road, on the plan of Stevens- town or Salisbury, was called the "Coos" road.
On July 21, 1761, the committee appointed to locate a road to the Centre Square (see abstracts of Proprietors' Records), re- ported that they had made search and pursued the road from the fort in Stevenstown to Loon Pond. Some parts of this road were afterwards built, but it is now impossible to fix the location of the original line.
On October 27, 1762, the proprietors voted to pay Joseph Fellows £117. old tenor, for clearing the road from Loon Pond to Webster's Mill, in Stevenstown. He worked thirty-nine days.
In 1762 a question arose between New Breton and New Chester as to the location of the northeast bound of New Breton. This was settled in 1763 by a committee consisting of Thomas
200
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
Wells and William Tolford of Boscawen, Richard Nason and Richard Smith of the New Chester proprietors, and Benjamin Tilton and Jeremiah Lane, representing the proprietors of New Breton.
On November 3, 1762. the committee, consisting of Anthony Emery, Nathaniel Healey, John Sanborn, Ezekiel Worthen, and Jeremiah Lane, appointed to cut and clear the road from Pemi- gewasset River to Loon Pond, reported that they had cut and cleared the Centre Road about two and one-half miles from Pemigewasset River to Chance Pond, thence round the north- erly end toward the mill privilege (near what is now called "hog-baek"), in said township. Also that they had hired Capt. John Webster of Boscawen to begin at Loon Pond and elear the remainder of the road towards the mill privilege. The cost of the road from the river to the mill privilege was £270 10s. Od., and thence to Loon Pond. £48 0s. Od.
The crossroad from "New Road to the Centre Road." through the Chase farm, was built to the "lower falls" in 1769. The Emery Road was originally called the "New Road."
While the town was known as New Breton, many paths were partially or wholly cut and more or less cleared by the settlers for the convenience of individuals or neighborhoods, but were not legally laid out. Upon the incorporation of the town under the name of Andover it was deemed wise to formally "lay out" the roads and paths that had been used with advantage. In this work many of the traveled paths were straightened and in some cases the location was materially changed.
On September 1, 1779, Joseph Philbrick, Paul S. Marston and Philip Mitehell were chosen a committee to lay out roads. and they located and relocated the principal roads in town that year.
In October they laid out the road from Benjamin Cilley's, now Andover Centre, easterly to Ragged Mountain Brook, near the present switch track, on the Plains. thenee easterly to the vicinity of the present Kilburn Corner, thence easterly to Bos- ton Hill and southerly to the Connor place, thenee easterly to the Joseph A. Rowe place, nearly on the line of the highway as it existed before the railroad was built aeross the Plains. Before October, 1779, the road across the Plains was very erooked and little better than a wood path.
201
ROADS AND TURNPIKES.
In the same year the old range road from the J. A. Rowe corner eastward to the present Thompson place, was laid out in due form.
A road from the present Flaghole schoolhouse corner, by the way of the Joseph Fellows, now Royal Stone, place, was laid out to a point near the William Emery, now W. B. Emery, place. and thenee to the range line, near the burial place of Joseph Fellows, the first settler, in the Stone pasture. Only a short seetion of this road was ever built.
In 1779 the road was laid out from Horseshoe Pond northerly to "Swett's Corner." and thence to Capt. Peter Weare's tavern on Taunton Hill, where Wilton P. Graves now lives.
Also in 1779 the "Protectworth road," running from a point on the Salisbury line, west of Raeeoon Hill, northerly to Tueker Corner, thence northwesterly across the Great Plains to Long Bridge, over Ragged Mountain Pond Brook, was laid out in due form. Before this date this road was simply a path by spotted trees.
Another important road made a legal highway in 1779 was that from the "Walker eorner," east of the J. A. Rowe place, northward over the Knowles and Brown Hill to the mills at East Andover, and thence westerly along the northerly side of Loon Pond, up the valley of the Tilton Brook, to what was known as the "ten mile tree" at the "pass of the mountain" at New Chester line.
A branch of this road, running from a point near where Seward Dow's house stands, westerly to Cilley's Corner on Bos- ton Hill, was laid out in 1779. The road from Barnard's Cor- ner (east of the Elbridge Chase house) to the former Anthony Emery farm, where Joseph B. Emery lived in 1880, was laid out November 17, 1779. At that time John Rowell and Thomas Blake lived on that route.
In 1780 the town "voted to raise £2000 to work out on the highways the Insuing year," and also voted that "work on the highways shall be twenty dollars per day." At that time a Continental dollar was worth from two and one-half to three and one-half cents. There were four highway surveyors in 1780.
The road from Benjamin Cilley's, at Andover Centre, west-
202
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
ward and northwestward, via the present villages of Potter Place and West Andover, to the Wilmot line, was laid out by the selectmen in September, 1780, through what had been known as the "fifteen mile woods."
"Laid out a highway from the North side of the town Down to Benjamin Sillas as the Path is Now Trod Excepting Nine Places altered and Straightened by Spotted Trees. Said High- way to be three Rods wide." This road was again laid out and straightened in 1789.
The Beech Hill or Swett Road, from the foot of the hill near and southeast of the present Fifield bridge, running first south- erly and then westerly, about as the road now lies, towards the Beech Hill schoolhouse, to land of Jedediah Sleeper, was laid out in 1781.
The Range Road, from the corner east of the present resi- denee of Henry M. Thompson on Beech Hill, westerly to the Eastman plaee, was first laid out in 1781, and extended easterly to the Richard Elkins place in 1794.
The road from Weare's Corner, on Taunton Hill, to the Tucker corner, northeasterly from John Bachelder's house, was laid out in June, 1782.
THE COLLEGE ROAD.
On July 4, 1774, the proprietors voted (see abstracts of rec- ords) to build a road "from the Mills in said New Brittain to meet a Road at New Chester Line that is Now Cleared or Marked out through said New Chester and other Towns to Hanover." This was soon called the "College Road."
The road, as built, ran from the mills at East Andover west- ward across pond brook, now Tilton Brook, past the late John Bachelder's place and on to the New Chester line.
Dea. Jonathan Weare built the section from the mills to the brook, including the stone bridge over the brook, and Joseph Fellows built the remainder. Fellows was allowed thirty dol- lars for his work.
Prior to this date the travel northward through the central part of the town had been by a spotted trail over the mountain, by the way of Taunton Hill. The greater part of the travel through New Breton from the southern to the northern towns had been by the River Road along the Pemigewasset River.
203
ROADS AND TURNPIKES.
The rapidly increasing population of the upper towns be- came dissatisfied with the condition of the road over the moun- tain to New Chester, and northwestward, and in 1784 a petition was laid before the Legislature asking for a better road. The Legislature passed an act to lay out a road, four rods wide, be- ginning at the River Road in Boscawen and running to Con- necticut River, at or near Dartmouth College.
Timothy Walker of Concord, Ebenezer Smith of Meredith and Henry Gerrish of Boscawen were named as a committee to lay out the improved highway. On the copy of the act sent to Colonel Gerrish are the following notes: "1785, May 24, set out. Returned 30th d-7 days. Adjourned to Sept. 12, 1785, to meet at Colonel Gerrish's, Oct. 26th, 1785. Made a Return of said Road which [was] received & was accepted by the Gen- eral Court."
This return has not been found among the records of the Legislature of 1785; but the following purports to be a tran- script from that return so far as it relates to the route in An- dover.
Beginning on the north at "New Chester line to Benjamin Cil- ley's house in Andover, thence straight (leaving John Sawyer's house three rods to the north) to the road as now trod; thence by said road to the Bridge over the Ragged Mountain Brook ; thence nearly on a straight course to a stake three rods to the south of Simeon Connor's barn; thence on a straight course to the road by Josiah Scribner's house; thence in said road to a Beech tree marked E; thence straight, about seventeen rods across Lieut. John Roes land to the Road; thence in said road to Benjamin Huntoon's house in Salisbury." From the last mentioned point the road was to run to the River Road in Bos- cawen, near the house of Col. Henry Gerrish.
There appears to be no record of the construction of the vari- ous links, noted in the above return, necessary to connect the several roads already traveled.
The "Hanover Road" was, in 1787, quite neglected and un- finished, as appears by an Act of the Legislature on January 6 in that year to enforce the completion of the road. The com- mittee appointed to build that road were authorized to proceed against the selectmen of each town that failed to put the road
204
HISTORY OF ANDOVER.
in passable condition, by directing the sheriff to levy and collect money, goods and chattels, of those officers for funds to con- struet the road.
As finally located, the "College Road" ran from Boseawen to the South Road village in Salisbury, thence to the Centre Road, thenee northerly into Andover along the west base of Raccoon Hill to the Tucker corner; thenee aeross the Plains up the wes- terly side of Taunton Hill, and nearly along the location of the present road, northward into New Chester.
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