USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Antrim > History of the town of Antrim, New Hampshire, from its earliest settlement to June 27, 1877, with a brief genealogical record of all the Antrim families > Part 12
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At a legal meeting held by the Inhabitants & freeholders of Antrim in the County of Hillsboro' State of New Hampshire on the 22d Day of April Setting forth in the forth Article of the Warrant Something to be Done Concerning the Center Lot, as there has been several Dissputes which has arisen betwixt Capt Danl Miltimor & Some indiveduals in Sd Antrim Respecting Sª Lot who shall hold it & whereas Some persons of Late have proposed To Commence A Law Suit Against Sª Miltimor on account he purchessed it from the Mesonian Proprietors We therefore, the Subscribers Hereof Do Utterly protesst against all Such unneeces- sary sutts of Law which may rise from Such Disputes and May be hurt- full to the Town in General -
Ritchard Mcalisster Arthur Nesmith
Tobias Butler John Mcalisster
Dan1 Miltimor John Karr Robt Gregg
James Nesmith Alexander McDoel John Stuart
Thomas Patch William Holms
Samuel Patten
Alexander Jameson 6
Michal George
Semion George.
William Bodwell.
82
DESTRUCTIVE FROST.
March 12, 1793, " Voted Daniel Nichols be requested to survey the land which the town had from Samuel Gregg and Capt Daniel Miltimore."
It seems that a tract of land between Benjamin Gregg and Samuel Christie, and extending from the old road eastward one- quarter of a mile or more, had been granted to the town for school purposes, - but without deed. This the Masonians sub- sequently deeded to Daniel Miltimore and others for a consid- eration. Then followed the question of ownership; and after several years, it seems to have been compromised, - the town taking part of the land, and hiring it surveyed, as indicated by the above vote. The other land referred to was given by Samuel Gregg to the town, constituted the " old common," .was known among the old people as the "parade," and when, on removal of the church and town-house forty years later, this was sold by the town, the avails were returned to " Blind Lettice," the aged daughter of Samuel Gregg.
In 1794 considerable was done by way of repairing the ceme- tery on the hill. The wooden fence which had been put round it at first was in a decayed and fallen state, and the town voted, at the March meeting, to " fence the grave yard with a good Stone wall four feet four inches high and a timber of eight inches on the top." At an adjourned meeting, March 25, they voted to dispense with the timber, and have simply a wall of stone five feet high, and proceeded to sell the building of it at once. The east side was built by Samuel Christie ; the south by William Brown ; the west by David McClure ; and the north by " Lt. Macfarland." Most of this wall stands in good condi- tion after the lapse of eighty-five years.
In May, 1794, there was a remarkable frost, killing almost every green thing. Dr. Whiton says it was June 17. But, as this was fourteen years before he came to town, and probably fifty years before he wrote, I think we must rely upon the evidence which puts it a month earlier. The following' entry "appears in the diary of Dea. Isaac Cochran : -
1794 May 18th A Remarkable Hard frost on Saturday the 17th wass a very heavy gale of wind, from the norwest, and extreme Cold. On the morning of the Eighteenth, the water in tubs wass froze, one inch thick, and watter Emptied out of a tar kittle, on the ground, Condenced into ice, as fasst as it Struck the ground; and the wheat, Barley, oats, and flax, wass intirely Cut off ; and Rye in general wass very much dam- aged, and in many plaisse totaly Cut off.
83
THREATENED TROUBLE WITH FRANCE.
Fruit that year was entirely destroyed. No mention is made of any damage to corn, which would have been very serious had such a frost occurred on the 17th of June.
March 26, 1795, a meeting was held at James Wallace's store (Stacy's) to choose a representative to the " General Court to · be held at HANOVER on the first wednesday of June next ; " and John Duncan was chosen, as usual. He must have been in the legislature, one branch or the other, as much as twenty years.
In 1795, there was again a call for military action. The rela- tion of America to England had never been very cordial, and the constant disturbances between France and England made trouble for us. In 1794 a treaty was made with England, which, though somewhat unfavorable to us, was on the whole beneficial for many years. But France was in such a state of violence and rashness as almost to involve the United States in war with their old ally. Ambassadors were sent over from this country, but they would not receive them. Some of them went so far as to intimate that if America would pay tribute money to France, it would be taken as a sufficient satisfaction by that country ; to which Charles C. Pinckney of South Carolina replied : " Millions for defense, not a cent for tribute." Things went on from worse to worse until Napoleon came into power. There were some dis- turbing elements in this country also. It was in the process of this excitement that a meeting was called in Antrim, April 9, 1795, " To See What Method the town Will take to raise their propor- tion of minute-men called for from this town." A trained army subject to call at any moment was the object of this plan. This town " Voted the term for which the minutemen are enlisted be two years ; " they voted to " make up the minutemen's wages to ten dollars per month " exclusive of clothing, and then pro- ceeded to enlist men for their quota. Further than this, the town records do not show.
March 22, 1796, the town " Voted the Selectmen be empow- ered to appoint a Day, and to clean the parade and Set up Some horse blocks." There not being a carriage of any kind in town, and riding altogether on horseback, these blocks were needed to assist old men and boys and women in mounting the horse. These were set up in convenient places near the steps and round the common, and then the horses were led up to them. The mounting of matrons and fair damsels at the close of service was quite an affair. There was room for agility and politeness both.
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84
METHODS OF VOTING.
And then, slowly, the long procession of horses moved like a car- avan down the hill. I have heard old people say that the head of the procession, two or three horses abreast, reached Mr. Whiton's (Bass place) before the last horse started from the church. Sometimes the blocks for mounting had one or two steps up, for the special advantage of the aged. I well remem- ber the old chestnut horse-block at my father's door, an enormous thing that had lain there a hundred years, and after all that decay was large and heavy.
The year 1797, like the preceding, has but little to chronicle in this place. March 21, a meeting of Antrim and Windsor was held at James Wallace's store (Stacy's now), to choose a representa- tive to the general court at Portsmouth, and John Duncan was chosen,' as before. At the same place a meeting was called to assemble Aug. 28, to vote for congressmen ; and another separate meeting was called at the same place and on the same day, to elect a representative in place of John Duncan, who had been elected to the senate. Probably the laws required that national and state elections should be separate, as they ought to be. The first meeting was called at two o'clock, P. M., the other at three. Woodbury Lang received all the votes for representative to Congress. Then adjourning, the other meeting was organized immediately, and they chose Dea. Jonathan Nesmith representa- tive to the state legislature. This was the last meeting of An- trim with any other town.
In 1798 it was found that Antrim had voters enough for a representative of its own, the number required by the consti- tution of 1792 being one hundred and fifty. This indicates a constant increase of population in the preceding years. Dea. Jonathan Nesmith was chosen representative, the first the town had by itself ; and the subsequent list may be found in the chap- ter on town officers.
At the annual meeting March 13, 1798, " Voted to choose the Selectmen by pricking." This was probably to save time, as they had no printed votes. In recent years it has been customary, in caucus and elsewhere, to suggest several names, write them in one column, on pasteboard, and then pass the pasteboard for every man to mark against which name he preferred. It is supposed a sheet of paper, with eight or ten names on it, was passed for every man to prick with a pin against the name he preferred, the one having the most pin-holes to be first selectman, the one
5
.
85
THE TURNPIKE.
having the next highest number to be second selectman, and the next the third. This certainly was a novel way to elect town officers; but it is supposable that they voted fast and with free- dom from the party whip. At any rate, most of the old officers were thrown overboard. Perhaps this would not be a bad method of election at the present day - especially if the pin might be used occasionally upon the candidate himself !
In 1799, a company having been formed to build a turnpike from Claremont to Amherst, they asked permission to pass through this town ; and a meeting was called, Nov. 18 of that year, " To See if it is agreeable to the Inhabitants of the town to have a turnpike road established from Cornish to Amherst." Upon this, " Voted the town have no objection." This road was constructed chiefly the following year, cutting across the eastern edge of the town. It was called the " Second New Hampshire turnpike." It was completed and stages were put upon it in 1801 (" the first that had visited Antrim ") ; and at once there was a great stream of travel over it to Boston. Business was thus drawn to the east part of the town, and travel diverted from the old line through the Center. In the following year William Barnes put up the great three-story tavern on the turnpike, and subsequently a store was opened near by. Thus it looked as if the extreme east of the town were to be the principal place of business. But the turnpike was built over hills and away from villages, as though it were more an object to go in a direct line than on an easy road ; it was calculated for the accommodation of interested parties, rather than the public, in some cases ; and its tolls were so burdensome, that, in the process of time, other roads were built on better ground, which, being free, seriously affected the travel and income of the turnpike. For twenty-five years there was an enormous amount of travel over it, chiefly of the heavier sort, - teams of all kinds in long procession, laden with farm products and timber going to Boston, or loaded with store goods and rum in return. But as, by competition and expense of supporting it, the income of the turnpike dwindled down, the proprietors threw it upon the care of the towns through which it passed, and it became a free road. The gates were taken down, or were left to rot down. They were about eight miles apart. When the turnpike was in its prime, a toll-keeper was stationed at each gate. There were two gates in Frances- town ; one where the New Boston road branched off, and one at
1
86
. GREAT MORTALITY FROM DYSENTERY.
the Gibson place. Another toll-gate was at Hillsborough Upper Village. The charge for passing a toll-gate was eight cents. At a proper bed-time, all the gates were closed; the heavy bolts were locked ; and woe to the young gentleman that was out late with his father's team ! '
The year 1800 is memorable for the terrible scourge of dysen- tery that swept a great number of children into the grave. It was a summer terribly dry and hot, - spoken of as one of great physical suffering for every one, on account of heat. The first death by dysentery was July 23; and the last fatal case, it is believed, occurred on the 23d of September.
The following item in the " Village Messenger" of Amherst, Sept. 30, 1800, gives some idea of this great fatality : -
MORTALITY IN ANTRIM.
Funerals from the 23ª of July to 17th of Aug.
· 16
17th Aug. to 24th of Aug. 19
24th of Aug. to 31st of Aug.
9
66 1 Sept. to 7th of Sept.
7
7th to 10th
.
4
77
10th to 23ª
10
All but 3 of dysentery.
65
From this it will be seen there were nineteen funerals one week in August. For two months there was hardly a day with- out a funeral in town, and some days there were four or five. These were mostly children, but not all. The following appears in the " Village Messenger," Sept. 27, 1800 : -
In Antrim, Sept. 20, of dysentery, Mrs. Mary Duncan, wife of the Hon. John Duncan. She was benevolent and friendly, and in particular useful amongst her own sex in the hour of distress.
Quite a number of families lost all their children. It was a time of intense mourning among the mothers of Israel. Seven persons died in the year from other diseases, making four besides those numbered above, and sixty-nine in all, - nearly one fifteenth of the whole population. Other towns suffered at the same time with Antrim. Probably more than fifty of those little graves on the hill, in 1800, are now unmarked, and forgotten by the living.
It was in the midst of this terrible sorrow that the town set- tled its first minister. The town voted him a call more than a year previous ; but there was some opposition and no enthusiasm,
87
POLITICAL PARTIES.
and much delay : but in the summer of this terrible year their need of a minister was so great, and the work they required of Mr. Little put them under so much obligation to him, that they hurried up the work of ordination. Many cherished objections to him, but made no opposition. They may have thought there was a judgment upon them for failing of a pastor so long. The day of ordination was one of sadness, and under a baptism of tears, the like of which seldom has opened a minister's career.
The census of 1800 gave Antrim a population of 1,059. Dr. Whiton thinks the census was taken in the fall of the year, and reached the above figure notwithstanding the loss of numbers by death. The inhabitants had doubled since 1790; and in all outward features the town had vastly improved. Let Dr. Whiton, who always speaks a little better than any other, add here : -
This period was marked by a happy progress in relation to buildings, fences, roads, cultivation, and the increase of the comforts of life. Nearly all the log houses of former days gave place to more commodious framed buildings. The rude household furniture of the first settlers began to be succeeded by articles more convenient and ornamental. The bean por- ridge, the hasty-pudding, the brown-bread-and-milk, - the staple articles of former diet, - yielded the field quite generally to tea and coffee.
The year 1801 began with a small political tempest in town. There had been a terrible struggle between France and England ; and a terrible revolution in France, with an aim toward liberty, perhaps, but with fatal result. A.strong party had grown up in this country, that sympathized with the aims of the French Revolution, and they were called Republicans, subsequently Dem- ocrats. These were opposed to a strong central government, talked about having the people rule, and advanced the doctrine of State Rights. Their opponents were called Federalists. These last had always prevailed without opposition in Antrim, hitherto. But after peace with France was restored (1800), removing the apprehension of war, the new party received additional strength. Some severe and offensive acts of the Adams administration, subsequently referred to as " the first Adamses reign of terror," had resulted in the election of Jefferson to the Presidency in the fall of 1800. These things were talked over during the winter, and at the following meeting, March 10, 1801, a large majority were of the new, or Democratic, party. The old officers were all removed ; and the new set, under the leadership of Hon. Jacob Tuttle, took possession of the town. From this time, for about
88
BALDWIN BRIDGE.
half a century, the " Democratic party retained ascendency in this place by large and decisive majorities."
As an example of the economy of the times, the following item may appear (March 16, 1801) : " Voted Mr Fairbank take the care of the meeting house for one Dollar and Seventy five Cents." Yet at the same time they voted a " gallon of rum for the vendueing of the great bridge," and " three gallons of rum for the use of the men who work on the road near Stoddard."
This year, the Baldwin bridge, which, never having been thor- oughly built, had always been a source of trouble, was so out of repair as to occasion much outcry and risk. The matter was delayed because of the unwillingness of this town to build the whole bridge. At length its condition became so serious that a special meeting was called, June 11, 1801, and the town " Voted Capt Hopkins Mr Balden and Lt. Sterrett be a committee To treat with the Society [now Bennington] respecting building the bridge." And this committee were instructed " to Inform them if they refuse to build one half of the bridge, that every thing in the power of the town will be done to compel them to it." It is supposed they quietly conceded to build their half, as nothing more appears concerning the matter. This would be inferred from the fact, that, soon after, the town, in good nature, " Voted to spend forty dollars to Causaway the Intervail between Mr. Baldwin's and the Bridge." Since then, one-half of said bridge has been maintained by Antrim, and often the town has had occasion to " causaway " that interval.
In the year 1802 very little occurred, to be mentioned in this place. A vote was passed to repair the graveyard fence, and the work was intrusted to Samuel Christie. This was the third time within twenty-five years that this fence was set in order, - showing the deep interest of the fathers in that spot. All the surroundings were very humble, but kept neat and in good order.
The previous year the depredations of crows had been so great, that, at the following March meeting, this town, like many others, offered a bounty for their extinction, putting it at " one shilling for an old one and 6 pence for a young one." Under this rule the boys made rapid work with these black pests. In these early years the towns often assumed the matter. of bounties ; but more recently the State has had control of such things, though it must be admitted that the town was ahead in knowing what was wanted, and in common sense in pursuit of it.
89
· THE "BIG TAVERN."
This year (1802), William Barnes put up the "Great Three Story Tavern," on the turnpike. It attracted considerable attention, as being by far the largest building of the kind in this section, and probably destined to influence the direction of busi- ness for the whole town. The only village, then, being on Meet- ing-House Hill, and very small, there seemed to be nothing to prevent the drift of things eastward. Roads were soon called for from other parts of the town to the turnpike. Some short pieces were built. The " Big Tavern " had its day. Mr. Whiton occasionally went there to preach. But, after all, it does not appear that there was much money in it; it changed hands occasionally, and at length was burned, Feb. 1, 1818. Likewise, the turnpike store was not a good investment ; and, after the fire, business no more drifted to that part of the town.
In 1803, and for several successive years, John Duncan, Isaac Baldwin, Samuel Dinsmore, Joseph Boyd, Alexander Thompson, and Jacob Tuttle were chosen dog-pelters. The annual eleva- tion of some of the best men in town to this office, indicates that it was a position of some importance. Or, possibly, it may have been deemed prudent to dignify the office by means of the men. At any rate, these men accepted the trust, and no doubt dis- charged its obligations faithfully, as before stated.
Oct. 4, 1804, Rev. Walter (Little) Fullerton was dismissed from his pastorate. In the chapter on churches further notice of this event will appear, and it is barely stated here, inasmuch as the business was all done by the town in public town meet- ing. Some of these votes strike us as very peculiar now. For more than fifty years, the votes on church matters are as much a part of the town record, and about as frequent, as votes on highways, or on raising money.
A remarkable snow-storm came Oct. 7, 1804, covering the ground, in this town, more than a foot deep with snow. People had only begun harvesting. Mr. Whiton says of it: "The greater part of the potatoes and apples were buried under the snow. In the open fields it gradually melted and disappeared, but in some cold spots, secluded from the sun, the drifts lay till the next spring." This indicates a very cold and early winter, compared with anything we have now. It seems certain that the removal of forests, and other causes, have produced a change of seasons, in a hundred years, very marked and favorable. In proof of the same, it may be said, that, April 19, 1807, at the
90
ORDINATION OF DR. WHITON.
funeral of Dr. Cleaves, snow was so deep as to make it very diffi- cult to carry the body to the grave, and that the doctor got his death by traveling on snow-shoes, to see his patients, in the mid- dle of April.
The years 1804-8 were prosperous ones for the town. They had preaching, but no pastor, until the settlement of John M. Whiton, Sept. 28, 1808. It is proper to say here that the " town " took great pains to prepare for this day. Ministers being settled for life, such events occurred but once in a gen- eration. People came for many miles, and in great numbers, to witness the solemn and unusual scene. A legal town meeting was called more than two months beforehand, and in the middle of "haying-time," for the sole purpose of arranging for the ordination. Of this meeting, Mark Woodbury was moderator.
Voted Dea. Isaac Cochran, Dea. Jonathan Nesmith, John Duncan Esqr., Capt. James Hopkins and Mr. Isaac Balden be a committee to make all necessary provisions for ordination day.
Voted Dn Arthur Nesmith, Ensign Asahel Cram and Mr Abrm MeNiel be a committee to regulate the music.
Voted Col. McCluer be Marshal of the Day on Said ordination Day.
Voted Capt. Jameson, Capt. Worthley, Lt. Tuttle, Lt. Nesmith, Ensign Bell and Ensign Gregg be a committee to keep regulation in and about the Meeting-house on Said ordination Day.
Voted the Selectmen See to proping the Meeting-house and fixing the steps.
In accordance with these faithful and earnest preparations, the vast gathering of people from this and the adjoining towns, and the "hundreds of strangers" from abroad, were' provided for to an extent " far exceeding the demands." The great and free hospitality of the fathers has been kept up. Antrim always was generous, and always did love to feed and honor her guests.
It was about this time that Mark Woodbury bought out the " Jeffrey Right." He had been collector, and had advertised the non-resident taxes, as appears by the Amherst paper of October, 1800, and subsequent dates, and it occurred to him that he might make a good thing by buying up this advertised land. He advertised nine hundred and forty-four acres in one lot "on the west end of Great Right No. 6," which seems to have been near Stoddard line. The " Jeffrey Right " was what remained of the original wild lands of the Masonian proprietors, and con- sisted of thousands of acres of woodland in Antrim, Deering, Hancock, and Bennington, -i. e., the various tracts in the
91
POUND-KEEPER.
original Society Land remaining unsold to settlers. This land was variously situated, and, in many cases, of uncertain bounds. Woodbury bought them out, and, it was said, at a low figure, as they did not realize that they had much left here, and he subse- . quently sold to various parties as he could. Woodbury met Benjamin Bullard of Bennington, at Goodell's lower mill, and laid claim to all said Bullard's land, which he had occupied many years. It may be presumed that Woodbury did it by way of a joke ; but Bullard snatched up a sled-stake, in desperate earnest, and drove him out of the mill-yard. That claim was not prosecuted any further.
From 1804 onward a number of years, there was but little political interest in town, if we may judge from the votes. As the families were large, the number of voters was less to the same population than now. But there must have been 225 voters in town, or more. Yet, in 1806, there were only 36 votes cast for representative to Congress ; in 1808, only 121; for Presi- dent, 1808, only 127; in 1810 the votes for congressmen were 120; in 1812 the number increased to 213; and the next year the vote for governor was 241.
Until 1811, collector and constable of the town were always united in the same person ; but, at the March meeting that year, John Taylor was chosen collector and Ezekiel Paige constable, and these offices have since been held separately. The audit- ors were then called " town counters."
For many years the town " voted Dea. Jonathan Nesmith find a pound and be poundkeeper." It was very common then to " pound " cattle, a custom now gone to disuse. Dea. Nesmith used his barn for this purpose. At one time Samuel Fairbanks sued the town because they had no pound, and, after considera- ble litigation, he lost his case ; but the town, soon after, took measures to build a pound, which resulted in the erection of the now dilapidated structure above the Center. The law case was closed up in 1818. The present pound was built in 1817, and the office of pound-keeper, so long held by Dea. Nesmith, was passed over, in March, 1818, to Asahel Cram, living near the new structure.
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