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 28
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12. The Third Woolen-Factory. - Ezra Hyde built a third woolen-factory in South Village, a few steps above the present cutlery-factory. It was a large, two-story building, planned for a great business. But it never went into operation, hard times and reverses coming just as it was completed in 1847. It was used for the manufacture of powder-kegs by White and Eaton, by Moore and Stearns, and then by J. S. Burnham, - in all nearly three years. Then it passed into the hands of Jonathan Temple, who
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MILLS ON GREAT BROOK.
made picture-frames and some kinds of furniture. Afterwards, this building was occupied a year or two by John Hadley, in carding wool. It was a cheap building, and was taken down in 1856, to make way for other buildings.
13. Still another Woolen-Mill. - Just below the canal, Hyde built a large, two-story structure almost joining the last named. This passed into the hands of Mark B. Woodbury, who moved it up across the canal onto the street, where it was known as Union Hall. The French roof was put on in 1876. It is now known as Goodell's Block, and is occupied for stores, printing- office, Odd Fellows' hall, and various other purposes.
14. The Hoe-Factory. - White and Eaton bought the privilege next below, and put up, in 1844, the large building now a store- house on the street, where at once they continued the manufac- ture of cast-steel hoes, doing a large business. Subsequently, they made what was called the " premium cast-steel concave hoe," which was extensively popular. White was a gunsmith of great skill, and carried on some business in that line. During their stay in this shop, they got out the patent for the " Antrim shovel." Eaton claimed the idea ; White invented the application of it, - the welding of sheet steel, which had been accounted impossible. When the Shovel Company was formed, or soon after, this shop ceased to be used for manufacturing.
15. Conant's Wheelwright- Shop. - This has long been used as a dwelling-house, and is the last one at the top of the hill below the end of the canal. It was built by Samuel A. Conant in 1842, for a wheelwright-shop, that being his trade. A. "penstock " was made from the canal to it, and preparation made for exten- sive business, -to which the death of Conant put an end. There seemed to be no limit to the mills that were planned to run by that canal.
16. The Shovel-Shop. - In 1856 the Antrim Shovel Company was organized, and at once built them a long, one-story shop, nearly where the cutlery-works now stand, for the manufacture of shovels on the patent of White and Eaton. This company con- sisted of many of the prominent and wealthy men of the vicinity, and did a heavy business for several years. This company did not fail, as has been mistakenly said; but not finding the profits large enough to remunerate them and pay dividends as they expected, they sold out all the effects of the company to Tread-
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GOODELL COMPANY.
well & Co., of Boston, in 1860. This ended the famous Shovel Company. As an investment, it was not a success.
In 1863, Treadwell & Co. built a two-story addition, sixty feet long, to the north end of the shovel-shop ; but the next year, they sold the shovel patent, with all the machinery and tools per- taining thereto, to Oliver Ames and Sons, of North Easton, Mass. When the patent ran out Ames got it renewed, and it was in force twenty-one years. This shovel is now made in Taunton, Mass., in Philadelphia, and several other places. It is every- where called the " Antrim shovel," and is really one of the best things ever patented. Ames at one time made one hundred dozen per day of these shovels. Literally, they have gone into all the earth.
After the departure of the shovel business, 1864, the shop stood unoccupied, for the most part, till it was burned, Feb. 22, 1867. But it was immediately rebuilt one-story high by Tread- well & Co., and was occupied by D. H. Goodell & Co. in the manufacture of "lightning apple-parers." This machine was invented and patented by D. H. Goodell, in 1864. In 1868 the " turn-table apple-parer " was purchased of J. H. Lockey & Co., of Leominster, Mass. Also, soon after, the right to manufacture the " Cahoon seed-sowers." Treadwell & Co. failed in 1870 ; and D. H. Goodell & Co. were drawn down with them by en- dorsement of paper together. The last-named company had valuable assets and owed only seven hundred and sixty-one dollars, and that in small bills. Mr. Goodell has since paid every dollar of this, the debt of his own company. After a course of bankruptcy, this shop passed by sale at auction into the hands of D. H. Goodell. . This was in 1872. He continued the manufacture of apple-parers and seed-sowers till Jan. 1, 1875, when the present Goodell Company was formed. This company bought out the factory, power, tools, stock, etc., of D. H. Goodell, and also all the business, stock, and tools of the Wood's Cutlery Company of Bennington. They at once put up an addition, two stories high and seventy feet long, on to the south end of the apple-parer factory, into which new building they removed the cutlery business from Bennington. Another large addition to this factory, bringing the entrance up to the main street, was made in 1879. They now employ about one hundred men and several women, and manufacture more than one hundred different styles of cutlery, all of superior character ;
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MILLS ON GREAT BROOK.
besides great quantities of apple-parers, potato-parers, cherry- stoners, seed-sowers, and several other new and valuable conven- iences. This large business has been built up chiefly by Mr. Goodell, showing him to be a man of remarkable energy and perseverance.
17. Aiken's Second Mill. - This was a small, low saw-mill built by Dea. Aiken, about 1790. It stood on the bank of the brook, about at the south end of the knife-factory ; had a little canal to bring the water to it, and an old-fashioned " sputter- wheel," but no great force. About 1800, it passed into the hands of " Capt. Hadley, " who sawed lumber there a few years. Then it was used several years for the manufacture of potash, and several parties made large quantities till the war of 1812. Soon after the breaking-out of the war, an old man by the name of Wetherbee bought or hired this old mill for the manufacture of saltpeter. Wetherbee came from Society Land. Did not live here. Saltpeter was one dollar per pound, and the demand was pressing. Wetherbee crawled under all the old buildings in town, scraped the soil off, carried it to his shop, leached it, and boiled down the lye. Under the old meeting-house on the hill, he took the whole of the soil.
After the war the Woodburys made potash for years in the old mill. It has been gone about half a century.
18. Poor's Mills. - Frederick Poor cut a canal and put in a small wheel to grind bark, and started a tannery business, in 1822. A saw and grist mill was built by Stephen Poor, in 1825. Three or four years later the whole passed into possession of Thomas Poor, who enlarged the tannery and carried on all three kinds of business, employing many hands. Poor commenced the manufacture of patent leather in 1>35, putting up for the purpose a large building across the street south of his dwelling- house. This was burned the following year. He rebuilt, and continued the manufacture several years. This last building is now a tenement house.
Poor's tannery and the saw and grist mill were burned March 18, 1858. He rebuilt the saw and grist mill the same year, about as they now stand. The tannery business was not revived. Large quantities of "excelsior" are annually sent to market from this mill. It is made of poplar wood, and is a very nice article.
19. The Breed Mill. - The first on this spot was a little full-
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MILLS ON GREAT BROOK.
ing-mill and carding-shop, built by Benjamin Sargent. This was certainly running as early as 1788, and was probably built in 1786. Sargent, after a few years, sold to James Taylor. The last advertised, July 25, 1796, that he " proposed dyeing deep blue, crimson, scarlet, and other good durable colors." John Gilmore " took the mill " June 15, 1799. Between Taylor and Gilmore, Samuel Fisher occupied the mill awhile. Gilmore was succeeded by Thomas G. Breed. . About 1814 he pulled down the old mill, and built one much larger and better. The main body of it stood a little south of the present mill. Here Breed did large business in carding, coloring, dressing cloth, etc., for a long time. In 1841, his son, James C. Breed, in company with Ezra Hyde, commenced to manufacture woolen cloth of various kinds in this shop. In 1846 this firm was dissolved, and Breed continued the business some years alone. Then the mill was idle. It was burned March 31, 1850. Nothing more was done at this privilege till 1857, when the building now Luke Hill's blacksmith- shop was moved from the upper end of the village and put in its present place and use. The west and larger part of the pres- ent building was put up by D. H. Goodell in 1860. It has been used some years as a part of the cutlery-works.
20. The Rollins Mill. - A little mill was built to saw logs, on this spot, in the fall of 1776, by James Aiken and Joseph Boyd. In course of years it come into possession of Isaac Baldwin, who sold it to Benjamin Rollins in 1815. It was burned Dec. 11, 1817. Rollins immediately rebuilt, and on somewhat larger scale, occupying the place, in the whole, seventeen years. He sold in 1832 to Elijah Herrick. Rollins added a grist-mill and ground grain New Year's Day, 1818, - just three weeks from the fire. Herrick was succeeded by Volney Johnson, who in 1836 tore down everything and built new and large. This was burned in 1842. The present mill was built by Abijah Whitcomb soon after. It is now the property of D. H. Goodell. An immense quantity of lumber has been sawed here in the last half-century, chiefly drawn from the pine lands over the river in Bennington and Deering. Shingles, clapboards, and such light stuff were prepared here so extensively as to establish a reputation at a distance for these articles. Several hands are now employed here summer and winter.
21. Duncan's Tannery. - The relics of this once most impor- tant enterprise in town may yet be discovered. It was a few
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MILLS ON GREAT BROOK.
steps below the last-named mill. Was built by William Star- rett. in 1796, who occupied it some years, and made it of great advantage to the town. Frederick Poor owned it a short time. George Duncan bought it, 1816, and carried it on till his death, 1840. It was then continued by his son, George C. Duncan. This tannery was burned in June, 1841. Was at once rebuilt. John and Dexter Simonds had it a short time, but chiefly George C. Duncan. The second tannery was burned, April 2, 1851.
22. Thompson's Mill. - About 1824, Dea. Isaac Baldwin put up a large, two-story factory on this site, and occupied it in black- smithing and as a general repair-shop for some years. About 1833, Baldwin and White commenced here the manufacture of cast-steel hoes, being the first in New Hampshire in that enter- prise. About 1839, Robbins and Flint succeeded them, manu- facturing about to the value of three thousand dollars annually. White and Eaton began business as a firm in this shop, but afterwards built for themselves. In later years, Baldwin's fac- tory was partly made into tenements. It was chiefly unoccu- pied, and was burned about my first coming to Antrim, in the fall of 1867. In 1868 Luke Thompson built the present shop, which is kept running by his heirs.
Thus it will be noticed, that, altogether, there have been twenty-two different mills within two miles on this busy, mighty, little stream, not counting mills rebuilt. From the pond to the river, the water is now used fourteen times, and might be used much more. This stream has a great fall, so that less water is needed. It is fed by springs ; does not dry up like other streams. I have known the mills to run here when factories on Merrimack river and many larger streams had shut down, for lack of water. This useful, laughing brook thus supplies most excellent privileges. It is the life of the town !
There were two mills in town which I have not yet men- tioned. One was in the southwest corner of the town, built by David Low, of Hancock, in 1825, was an ordinary saw-mill, has passed through many hands, was long owned by John Flint, afterwards by Warren Hatch. It is now going to decay. Bob- bins, shingles, wash-boards, and clothes-pins were at times made in this mill.
The other was " Dea. Cochran's Mill," built by Dea. Isaac, in 1786. The remains of the dam are still to be seen near the
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MILLS ON GREAT BROOK.
road southwest of the old homestead. This was a saw and grist mill, and was quite important in its day. The grist-mill part was swept away in the great freshet of 1819, and again in the still greater one of 1826, but was each time promptly rebuilt. The whole was taken down in ,1855, with intent to rebuild. But circumstances prevented the accomplishment of the design at the time, and the project was not afterwards revived.
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OLD CENTER.
CHAPTER XIII. '
VILLAGES.
THE first village, of course, was the old Center on the hill. It would hardly be called a village now. Going up from the south, the buildings on the top seemed to lean against the sky. School- house, church, tavern, and a few dwellings made up the whole. It had a spacious and beautiful common. It was all the gather- ing-place the town had for more than half a century. Religious meetings, town meetings, everything, were at the Center. Con- gregations of four hundred and five hundred were often gath- ered there in summer. At the time of the town's greatest popu- lation, there was no other meeting-house or meeting-place. Going up from the south seventy-five years ago, the buildings were as follows : -
1. A small, low school-house, a little below the southeast corner of the common. It had a huge fire-place and steep floor, according to the custom of those days. This was burned, 1811.
2. On the left of the large common of about two acres, lying west of the road and south of the burial-ground, stood the house of Samuel Webster, a shoemaker. It was a large, three-story building, with shoemaker's shop in the basement. Was planned for a tavern also. Was never fully finished. Was taken down and made into the Appleton tavern, West Deering, in after years.
3. The Meeting-House. - It stood at the southeast corner of the cemetery, with a drive-way between. Was a large, two-story structure ; gable end to road, fronting south ; two rows of win- dows clear round; high porch on each end ; three entrances ; and pulpit on north side. A long row of horse-sheds, facing south, extended from the church westward along the south side of the cemetery to the extreme west of the common. Another long row stood on the east side of the old highway, extending northward considerably beyond the church. The church and horse-sheds and common and cemetery made quite an imposing appearance for those days, and all were proud of the place.
4. Dea. Tristram Sawyer's Place. - This was a small, low, poor house, and stood just north of the cemetery, on the same 17
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SOUTH VILLAGE.
side of the road. Sawyer built new in 1810, which house was moved down whole over the rocks in 1821, and is now the house of George G. Hutchinson.
5. Christie Tavern. - A large, double, two-story house on the east side of the road a few steps north of Dea. Sawyer's. There were several large barns, and every appearance of thrift. Here was a hall, also a spacious bar-room. It was a good sample of the old fashioned tavern.
5. Small house nearly opposite Christie tavern. This house had been occupied by various parties back many years. David Hopkins lived in this house, John Warren, and many others. It was taken down as long ago as 1813.
These constituted the "Old Center," as the records call it. It was a spot very dear to the fathers. Now all is changed. Every building is gone. Some of the cellars are filled up. Only the burial-ground remains ! Passing on north, where now the roads are discontinued, just at the fork of roads on the west side of the main road, stood a small house, of whose occupants little is known. It was here John McAllister first lived ; and in the fork of roads opposite stood his blacksmith-shop, - the first in Antrim. All this set of buildings have been gone about seventy years. Down the east branch of the road a short distance was the house of Dea. James Nesmith. A few steps farther north on the main road was the house of Abraham Smith, which stood on the west side. North of him a few rods, and on the east side of the road, lived Abraham McNiel.
SOUTH VILLAGE.
For half a century this was often called Woodbury's Village. Gradually it came to be called South Village. Recently, from its being by far the largest village in town, it has been some- times called simply Antrim ; and this is the name of its post- office. It is situated on a ridge of land rising from the west bank of the Contoocook, which river is the southeast line of the town ; South Village being therefore on one extremity of the town, and about eight miles, by direct road, from its western inhabitants. It is " beautiful for situation," being seen from long distances from the hills around, and yet high enough to be healthy and attractive. Few prettier villages can be found in New England, and none of more enterprise and thrift.
The first settler within the limits of this village was Dea.
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SOUTH VILLAGE.
James Aiken ; the second, William Smith ; the third, Daniel McFarland (now N. W. C. Jameson's) ; the fourth was Benjamin Sargent, who probably began the Kelsea place ; and the fifth was Ebenezer Kimball, who began where the Carter House now stands. Kimball had the first store. The second was opened by Mark Woodbury, on the present Woodbury stand, in 1794. Isaac Baldwin, William Starrett, and Bartholomew Ballard set- tled in the village in 1795. The Baldwin place is known to all. Starrett built the Fletcher house, and started the lower tannery. Ballard built the Henry Hill house, and commenced the manu- facture of clocks. From this time the village increased very slowly till 1860. In 1826, or " meeting-house year," South Vil- lage had only fourteen dwelling-houses. These fourteen were as follows : The old, low, unpainted house on the Kelsea place ; a small dwelling where Mr. Corey lives ; the old, bulky, half-fin- ished, unpainted McFarland house ; the Woodbury house, late the residence of John R. Hills ; the Burnham house, now Mr. Whittum's ; the old Aiken house by the poplar-tree ; the house of Mr. Poor, consisting only of the brick part; the Fuller, or Ballard house, late Henry Hill's ; the William Smith house, just south of Chessmore's ; the Breed house, a small, low dwelling on the spot where the south school-house afterwards stood ; the Rollins house, recently occupied by Charles Gibson ; the Dun- can house, now Carter's; the Dea. Baldwin house; and the Starrett house, now Mr. Fletcher's. There were two stores, two tanneries, three saw-mills (Aiken's, Poor's, and Rollins's), two grist-mills, and a fulling-mill. There were also school-house and blacksmith-shop.
Twenty-five years later (1851) there were thirty-three dwell- ing-houses, two stores, two school-houses, and some additional mills. The first church built in South Antrim was that of the Methodists, built in 1864. The growth of this village since 1868 has been quite rapid. There are now (1879) sixty-eight dwelling-houses, more than double the number in 1851. Many of these houses accommodate more than one family. There are some beautiful residences, and all have the appearance of neat- ness and prosperity. There are now four stores, a shoemaker's shop, a harness-shop, a jeweler's, a tailor's, a barber's, a tin-shop, six mills and factories, two churches, a fine large building for a graded school, and a large hotel. There are now more than ninety families in the village ; a large amount of business is
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STREETS AND HOUSES IN SOUTH VILLAGE.
done ; and it is one of the liveliest, smartest, handsomest, clean- est villages in New Hampshire !
The streets in South Village were named as below, at a meet- ing of the citizens called for the purpose, though some of the names had been fixed in the use of the people before : From Mr. Goodell's through toward Bennington, Main street ; from Main street toward Clinton, Clinton street ; from Main street past the Methodist parsonage, West street ; from Main street past Mr. Poor's, High street ; from Main street to the river, Depot street ; from Main street to Maplewood cemetery, Concord street ; from the north end of Main street to Concord street, Elm street. It was voted to call the common School Square. Of the two streets laid out in 1879 from the south end of Main street, west- ward, the south one was called Prospect street, and the one next north, past Mr. Hatch's, Pleasant street.
A few of the houses in South Village were built as follows : -
Elijah Kimball's. - The oldest part of this house was built by James Duncan for his son, about 1799. The wing and barn were built by Dr. Burnham. These buildings repaired, and second story put on the house, by Elijah Kimball and his son, in 1877.
The Sylvester Little House. - Built by said Little, 1879.
Hurlin House. - By Rev. William Hurlin, 1878.
J. H. Smith's. - Built 1846, for a school-house.
Kelsea House. - Built by Harold Kelsea, 1861.
Ruthven Child's House. - Built by A. F. True, 1876.
Baker House. - Moved to its present position and fitted up, by Ephraim Simonds, 1864.
Corey House. - John Hopkins put up part of it for a store. The other part is probably older than any other building now standing in South Village.
Alvah Dodge House. - Put in its present position by him in 1848.
Kimball Girl's House. - Built for parsonage for Rev. Mr. Stevens, 1864.
Dr. Anthoine's. - Built by William Hill, 1864.
Luke Hill's. - Built by Reuben Simonds, 1862.
William N. Tuttle's. - Built by S. G. Wallace, 1861.
Old Brick House. - Was once union school-house ; fitted for dwelling by Ezra Hyde, about 1847.
S. G. Wallace's. - Built 1874.
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HOUSES IN BRANCH VILLAGE.
John Butterfield's. - Built by R. L. Livingston, 1833. Methodist Parsonage. - Built by Frank Muzzey, 1861.
School-house and Hall. - Built 1869.
Methodist Church. - Built 1864.
Baptist Church. - Built 1871. N. W. C. Jameson's. - Built 1862.
Baptist Parsonage. - Built 1879.
The Judge Woodbury House. - Built 1849.
Mr. Whittum's House. - Built by James Aiken, Jr., 1806.
Levi Woodbury House. - Built by George C. Duncan, 1850.
BRANCH VILLAGE.
The first blows in this village were struck by John Gordon, who settled in 1772 where Oliver Swett now lives. Probably he had made an opening and laid claim to his land two years before. The next was John Warren, who began the farm now S. S. Sawyer's, taking all of the land now in the village south of the river. He built the first mill in town, and had his log house back of Scott Preston's. He built the mill in the spring of 1776, - having probably laid the foundation and partly built the dam the preceding year. Thomas Stuart came next, being about a year later than Warren. Stuart settled the Flint place as early as 1775. Nathan Taylor soon followed. After this, for thirty years, the Branch Village grew but little. An eye-wit- ness, in 1809, gives the following : -
1. A small, low, unpainted house with only two rooms, where is now the residence of John G. Flint, Esq.
2. A small, old-looking school-house on the spot where a bet- ter one now stands.
3. The Day House. - Then nearly new, built by John Dunlap.
4. The Langdon Swett House. - Built by Joel Jones, 1808, for a house and shoemaker's shop. Was then in a half-finished, bad-looking condition.
5. The Dea. Weston House (Oliver Swett's). - Built about as it now stands, in 1807.
6. A 'small, old house, occupied by Robert Smith, previously by Nathan Taylor. It was in the field a few steps south of S. S. Sawyer's.
7. The three-story house, built by Josiah Wallace, 1805, then unfinished.
8. The Champney House. - Then occupied by Dr. Stickney.
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HOUSES AT THE CENTER.
It had been standing some years above the well in the yard opposite. Moved across and fitted up by Dr. Stickney early that year (1809).
9. A small house, occupied by Dea. John Alexander. This stood a few rods east of Scott Preston's. Has been gone many years.
These eight dwelling-houses and school-house, with a few small barns and two or three small mills, constituted the Branch Village in 1809. The first store at the Branch was opened by Tuttle, McCoy, and McCauley, in 1813. The building put up for this purpose is now the dwelling-house of Henry E. Swain. John G. Flint's house was built by David McCauley, in the spring of 1817, having a large hall, which was used for select schools and various other purposes. The Tuttle house, now Hiram Griffin's, was built in 1817, and the brick store in 1818.
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