USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Bristol > History of the town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 2
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CHAPTER XXXIV
BANKS AND NEWSPAPERS 418
Bristol Savings Bank incorporated, 1868-Organization, 1872 - Places of business - Amount of deposits - Officers - First National bank - Organization, 1898 - Officers - Bristol Weekly News - Bristol Weekly Enterprise.
CHAPTER XXXV
FIRE PRECINCT AND AQUEDUCT COMPANY 423
Poor facilities for fighting fire - Great fire of 1861 - Petition for fire dis- trict 1871 - Meeting of voters - New force-pump - A water supply agitated -Contract with Bristol Aqueduct company - Electric fire alarm - Personnel of fire department - List of firewards - Bristol Aqueduct company - Organization - Pipes laid - Officers of com- pany.
CHAPTER XXXVI
ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY, TELEGRAPHS AND TELE- PHONES
428
Bristol Electric Light company - Incorporators - Organization - Loca- tion of power plant - New power-house - Electric current carried to New Hampton - Board of directors - First telegraph line to Bristol, 1870 - Operators - Present location - Tilton and New Hampton Telegraph and Telephone company- Bell Telephone line - George A. Robie's local line.
CHAPTER XXXVII
FRATERNAL SOCIETIES 43I
Masonic Fraternity - Independent Order of Odd Fellows - Promise Lodge, Daughters of Rebekah - Nelson Post, G. A. R. - Nelson Post Relief Corps - Newfound Lake Grange - Lake and Valley Pomona Grange - Knights of Pythias- Ancient Order of United Workmen - Knights of the Maccabees.
XV
CONTENTS
CHAPTER XXXVIII
FARMS AND FARMING
443
Farming in early years - Emigration to the West - Great changes in the Locke neighborhood - Evolution on the farm - Fruit culture and dairy farming - Variety of fruit raised - Grade of cattle raised - Some farms mentioned
CHAPTER XXXIX
MINES AND MINING 446
The plumbago mine - Lead mine - Mine of argentiferous galena - The silver mine of North Bristol.
CHAPTER XL
FATAL ACCIDENTS 447
An account of fifty-three fatal accidents.
CHAPTER XLI
CEMETERIES 453
Early customs in burying the dead - Early cemeteries - The Bristol Cemetery association ; its cemetery opened ; additional land pur- chased ; its funds ; officers.
CHAPTER XLII
SOLDIERS' MONUMENTS 457
Monument erected in 1872 - A piece of ordinance appropriated by con- gress - A mortar selected; placed in Central Square; its dedica- tion ; inscriptions.
CHAPTER XLIII
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES 459
Career of John S. Emmons - Terrible fate of emigrants to Minnesota - Molly Burton and the Doctor - Millerite potatoes - Old pit opened - Vital statistics - A fearful ride - An agreement on divi- sion line - Henry Johnson - Post-office burglary - The old can- non.
CHAPTER XLIV
ANNALS OF THE TOWN 471
An account of storms, freshets, droughts and other unusual occurrences - The typhoid fever epidemic of 1822- Smallpox in 1835 - Gar- field Memorial services in 1881 - Grant Memorial services, 1885 - The Sprague suit against the town - Columbus Day, 1892 - Old Home week - Mckinley Memorial services - Public park.
xvi
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
APPENDIX A
496 TOWN, STATE AND COUNTY OFFICERS
APPENDIX B
VOTES FOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE
.
5II
APPENDIX C
SCHOOL TEACHERS
516
APPENDIX D
POPULATION
520
APPENDIX E
AFFIDAVIT OF JOSHUA TOLFORD
522
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS · 523
INDEX
524
E
C
Br
M
ILLUSTRATIONS
-
MAPS
PAGE
Bristol, town of .
ii
New Chester, plan of lots ·
36
Road laid out 1801 and Turnpike
I22
Bristol, village of
@
.
I34
SCENERY
Smith's river, Profile Falls . Newfound lake, extended view
IO
Smith's river, High bridge .
I2
Bristol village from Sugar hill
I4
View from Burns's Hill
I6
Pemigewasset River and Central bridge
II2
Sugar Loaf road
130
Newfound lake, five scenes
360
Newfound river falls e
.
362
BUILDINGS
Engine house
92
Town house .
92
Congregational church, Hill
256
Bridgewater meeting-house .
265
Methodist chapel, erected 1814
274
Methodist chapel, erected 1839
280
Methodist church, dedicated 1872
.
284
Methodist church, dedicated 1890
.
286
.
4
xviii
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
Congregational church, erected 1827
30
Congregational church, remodeled 1870
308
Free Baptist church
316
Catholic church
320
Early schoolhouse
328
Schoolhouse Union district
336
Minot-Sleeper library
356
Mills of Dodge-Davis Manufacturing Company
382
Mills of Train-Smith Company
384
Mills of Mason-Perkins Paper Company
384
Bank block
402
PORTRAITS
Richard W. Musgrove
Frontispiece .
Hon. James Minot
230
Hon. Cyrus Taylor
238
George T. Crawford
240
Hon. Benjamin F. Perkins
242
Rev. Walter Sleeper
288
Rev. Newell Culver
292
Rev. James Thurston
292
Rev. Albert E. Drew
292
Rev. George W. Norris
292
Rev. Otis Cole
292
Rev. David Calley
304 314
Josephine Augusta Cass
344
Prof. Fred Lewis Pattee
348
John W. Dodge
382
Hon. Lewis W. Fling
408
Hon. Samuel K. Mason
408
Hon. Ira A. Chase
408
Kenson E. Dearborn, Esq.
410
George A. Emerson, Esq.
410
Ira S. Chase, M.D.
412
James M. Bishop, M.D.
412
Hadley B. Fowler, M.D.
414
George H. Calley, M.D.
414
.
·
Rev. Jesse M. Durrell
292
Rev. Silas Ketchum
INDEX OF ILLUSTRATIONS
xix
John C. Wheet, M.D. . ·
416
Channing Bishop, M.D.
416
Arthur V. Dowd, M.D.
416
John W. Coolidge, M.D.
416
William G. Kelley
494
WAR-TIME PORTRAITS
Charles W. Cheney
202
Sergt. Stillman Clark
202
Charles N. Drake
202
Lieut. David E. Everett
202
Sergt. Enos B. Ferrin
204
Maj. Hadley B. Fowler, M.D.
204
Capt. Blake Fowler
Adnah M. Hall
.
Oliver P. Hall
.
William P. Harlow
Sergt. John H. Ingalls
Sergt. Horace L. Ingalls
Lieut. Alonzo W. Jewett
Levi B. Laney
Sergt. Uriah H. Kidder
Henry R. Kidder
206
Capt. Richard W. Musgrove
208 208
Corp. Albert Nelson
208 208
Dan P: Nelson
Major J. Nelson
210
Sergt. Thomas E. Osgood
2IO
Sergt. Henry A. Randolph
210
Corp. Louis Rowe
210
Corp. Charles R. Smith
212
Lieut. Timothy Tilton
212
Sylvester Swett
212
Roswell D. Swett
212
Louisde L. Ballou
216
Capt. Daniel W. Bohonon
216
.
204 204 206 206 206 205 206 206 206
Corp. Abbott C. Musgrove
XX
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
Harvey W. Drew
216
Luther C. Ladd .
222
MISCELLANEOUS .
Tavern Sign
I49
Central Square - two views . 392
Nelson Post, G. A. R., group
438
Soldiers' Monument .
458
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
CHAPTER I
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN
The mountains ! They proclaim The everlasting creed of liberty.
-Bryant.
The township of Bristol is situated in the southeastern corner of Grafton county, near the central part of New Hampshire, in latitude forty-three degrees, thirty-five minutes, and in longitude seventy-one degrees, forty-five minutes. It is bounded on the east by Bridgewater and New Hampton, on the south by New Hampton and Hill, on the west by Alexandria, on the north by Hebron and Bridgewater. The Pemigewasset river flows be- tween Bristol and New Hampton, and Smith's river between Bristol and Hill, the town boundary being, in each case, in the middle of the stream. A considerable portion of the northern part of the township is occupied by Newfound lake, about two- thirds of which lies within the limits of Bristol. Territorially, Bristol is one of the smallest townships in the county. Its land area scarcely exceeds nine thousand acres, or about fourteen square miles.
The surface of Bristol is very mountainous. The Bridge- water range, with its undulating summits, enters the town from the north, and culminates in the highest point,' Bristol Peak, about two and one-half miles northeast of Bristol village. This summit is commonly called Peaked hill,2 a name also applied to Bridgewater Peak, the northernmost summit of the range. Bristol Peak is, according to the United States coast survey, the highest elevation within the limits of the township. The old signal of
I The state geological survey designates Bristol Peak as the highest summit in the range. Recent measurements and estimates, however, indicate that the summit just north of Bristol Peak is the highest.
2 The nomenclature of this vicinity is peculiarly complicated. Some respectable summits are wholly unnamed, while several others are blessed with a number of cognomens. In all possible cases we have used the geographical names, and where there are none we have adopted the most popular and euphonious of the local appellations.
I
2
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
the coast survey was located at an altitude of 1,785 feet above tide water.I
The eastern slope of Bristol Peak is commonly considered a sheer precipice, and such it seems when viewed from the summit or when being scaled by an adventurous mountain-climber ; but when viewed from a point of vantage to the north-northeast, the slope is seen to be about forty-five degrees. It is, however, very abrupt and scraggy, and is visited by only the most experienced climbers. The pastures at its base are about 550 feet below the summit. The southern slopes of Bristol Peak contain excellent pasture and tillage land. The pleasant farmhouse of Levi J. Nelson is situated at an elevation of 1,043 feet, and is surrounded by well cultivated and productive fields. On the north and north- west, the peak slopes gradually into the highlands of Bridgewater. In this locality is situated the Homans farmhouse, the highest in the township. Its altitude is about 1, 350 feet.
Bristol Peak sends off two long ridges, one to the west and another to the southeast. The first culminates near the foot of Newfound lake in a thickly wooded summit known locally as Lead hill. Near the summit of this elevation is a once-famous lead mine, now almost hidden by a scrubby hemlock growth. The second ridge, unlike the first, presents several clearly defined summits. Briar hill, about three-fourths of a mile southeast of Bristol Peak, reaches an elevation of about 1,200 feet, and still farther to the southeast are two heavily wooded summits of slightly less elevation, whence the slope is rapid to the Pemi- gewasset river. Through the gap southeast of Briar hill passes the highway which leads into the old Locke neighborhood. The summit of this road is about 1,000 feet in elevation.
The second most prominent summit in the town, although not second in point of altitude, is New Chester mountain, commonly known as Round Top.2 This peak is situated in the southern part of the township, just south of Bristol village.
1 Bristol Peak is the only summit in the township whose height has been carefully determined by unquestioned authority. The altitudes of some of the other summits have been measured with an aneroid barometer by Prof. Geo. L. Vose, of Brunswick, Me., who was a member of the state geological survey under Prof. C. H. Hitchcock. Prof. Vose spent the summer of 1900 in Alexandria, and did some careful work with a common aneroid, walking over eight hundred miles, including several ascents of Cardigan. His principal object was to learn how near the aneroid, as generally used, would come to the measurements of the coast survey. The result showed that the average of several measurements differs slightly from the figures of the coast survey, and that a single measurement with the aneroid can be regarded no better than a rough approximation. Several of the elevations given in this chapter are the result of only one measurement, and hence can be regarded as only approximate. The heights along the Pemigewasset and Newfound rivers, and the elevation of Newfound lake, were determined by the state geological survey.
2 Until a few years ago this summit was not dignified by a well-known
3
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN
It reaches the height of 1, 103 feet ; and its high eastern neighbor, known as Little Round Top, lacks only thirty-eight feet of attaining the same altitude. Through the gap between the two elevations runs the old road which was the first thoroughfare between Bristol and Hill, the summit of which is 845 feet above sea level. The northern slopes of these hills are gradual, being occupied by dwellings and well-cultivated fields; but their southern slopes are thickly wooded, and descend rapidly to Smith's river. Across the valley, in Hill, rise the three densely wooded summits of Periwig, sometimes called Tri-Peak. The highest summit reaches an altitude of 1,235 feet. Periwig forms the abrupt culmination of a considerable mountain range which extends westward through the northern part of the township of Hill, the range presenting the bald summit of Bartlett hill, 1,460 feet, about three miles west of Periwig ; Page mountain, 1,750 feet; and Wilson mountain, 1,900 feet, the last named known also as Garland and Hemlock hills. Wilson mountain is probably the highest summit wholly within the limits of the old town of New Chester.
Bristol is bordered on the west by a range of hills of con- siderable elevation. The range has a general northerly and southerly direction, and is known locally as the Alexandria hills. The southernmost summit, Gordon's hill, lies in the southeastern corner of Alexandria. It reaches an elevation of about 1,200 feet, and is the highest land in the range. The next summit to the north, Burns's hill, is probably more widely known than any of the others, on account of its ancient burying ground. Its altitude is about 1, 100 feet. From Burns's hill the range turns slightly toward the east into Bristol, where it soon reaches the summit of Gale's hill, known also as Hemp hill, about 1, 150 feet in height. Between Burns's and Gale's hills runs the road from Bristol village to Alexandria village, the summit of which, a few rods west of the town line, is 916 feet above sea level. Cross's hill, otherwise known as Cross's ledges, is a bald summit a short distance east of Gale's hill, and slightly inferior to its neighbor in altitude. From this point the range continues, with no clearly defined summits, to the foot of Newfound lake, sending off gradual slopes to the northwest, and falling rapidly to New- found river on the east and southeast.
Along the eastern side of the Newfound valley extends a mountain wall of considerable dimensions-the Sugar Hill range. What is popularly called Sugar hill is not a clearly defined
name. It was commonly spoken of as The Mountain. About twenty years ago the Bristol Enterprise christened the summit Round Top, from its resemblance to Round Top at Gettysburg. The name became popular and has since been generally used. Very recently have been found early town records in which the summit is designated as New Chester mountain, which is certainly a very fitting and appropriate appellation.
5
. - 1
4
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
summit-it is merely the culmination of a series of summits. Viewed from Bristol village, however, it appears a hill in every sense of the word, rising abruptly almost within the limits of the village to the height of 476 feet above Central square, or 945 feet above sea level. The true summit of the Sugar Hill range is near its northern extremity near the foot of Newfound lake. Its height has never been determined, but conservative estimates place it at about 1,200 feet. The western slopes of the Sugar Hill range are precipitous and ledgy, while the eastern slopes descend gradually into the fertile fields and meadows at the base of Bristol Peak.
The extreme eastern portion of the township contains several respectable elevations which are destitute of names except local appellations known only to the people of the immediate neighbor- hood. Prominent among them is Pine hill.
Newfound lake, and its outlet, Newfound river, stand preemi- nent in their particular department of the physical features of this region. Newfound lake is a splendid body of water lying almost wholly within the townships of Bristol and Hebron. A few acres of water, near the Ledge, are in Alexandria, but not a square foot is possessed by Bridgewater, the western boundary of that township following the eastern shore of the lake at high water mark. The lake has a length of slightly more than seven miles from north-northwest to south-southeast, and a width of about two and three-fourths miles from west to east. There are three larger lakes in the state-Winnepesaukee, Squam, and Sunapee-its area, exclusive of its islands, being about eight square miles. Its elevation, according to the state geological survey, is 590 feet.I
Of the four islands in Newfound lake, the three largest are in Bristol. The largest is Mayhew,2 and is situated a mile from the outlet of the lake. Mayhew has an extent of forty acres, and its northern part rises about a hundred feet above the water. The island is sparsely wooded in parts, and its slopes yield immense quantities of blueberries and raspberries. The second island in size is Cliff island, about ten acres in extent, which is known also by the disgusting name Hog. It is situated near the extremity of Breezy point, from which it is separated by a narrow channel of water several feet deep. The northern part of Cliff island slopes gradually upward and terminates in an abrupt precipice. Belle island lies about forty rods east of Cliff ;
I By way of comparison we give the areas and elevations of the three largest lakes in the state: Winnepesaukee, 71.8 square miles, 502 feet ; Squam, 15.6 square miles, 510 feet; Sunapee, II.2 square miles, 1, 103 feet.
2 Mayhew island received its name from William Mayhew, who was a son of Peter Mayhew, the leading spirit in the building of the Mayhew turnpike. William Mayhew lived on the eastern side of the highway just south of the present house of E. T. Pike.
PROFILE FALLS, SMITH'S RIVER
2
d
.1. ... ..
1
F.
ust
5
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN
it is nearly circular in shape, contains about three acres, and is beautifully wooded. Between these islands and Sugar Loaf the water is about 135 feet deep.I The only other island, Loon, lies close to the northeastern shore in the township of Hebron, and is but a speck on the surface of the lake.
Many beautiful sand beaches are found on the shores of the lake, among which are Carr's, just south of Fowler's river, Crescent, at the southern extremity of Crescent bay, and Nutting's, a short distance north of Sugar Loaf. These three beaches are on the western shore, and are, like the splendid beach at the foot of the lake, in Bristol territory. Of the streams flowing into the lake, Fowler's river on the west, Cockermouth river and Bog brook on the north, and the Richard Brown and Hemlock brooks on the east are worthy of mention. Cockermouth river and its tributaries drain a large portion of Hebron and Groton, and Fowler's river performs the same service in Alexandria.
Newfound lake empties its waters into the Pemigewasset through the agency of Newfound river, which is the most im- portant stream in the township. This hill-bound river flows in a southerly direction for about two miles, and east-southeasterly for nearly half a mile. Within this short distance it has a fall of 238 feet, and its waters descend 105 feet during the last eighty rods of their journey. This remarkable fall furnishes excellent power for the many manufacturing establishments along the stream. Newfound river has no tributaries worthy of mention, the largest being the Sleeper brook, which rises on the eastern slope of Gale's hill and has a length of about a mile. Fowler's river flows across the northwestern part of the township and empties into Newfound lake just south of Breezy point. This stream rises among the foothills of Mt. Cardigan, and its numer- ous branches drain a large portion of the township of Alexandria. Just west of the Bristol town line it receives the waters of Foster pond from the south, and, at a point slightly nearer its source, the waters of Goose pond from the north. Its length is about eight miles. A part of the southern boundary of Bristol lies in the middle of Smith's river, which empties into the Pemi- gewasset at the southeastern extremity of the township after an easterly course of fifteen miles through Grafton, Danbury, Alex- andria, Hill, and Bristol. Smith's river descends over a hundred feet during the last half mile, its falls including Profile falls, forty feet high.
' In the summer of 1899 members of Camp Pasquaney made careful soundings, with the following results: Midway between Sugar Loaf shore and East Hebron, 137 feet; 120 rods from Sugar Loaf in same direction, 109; directly under cliff, 69; 200 feet from cliff, towards Whitte- more's point, 117; 300 feet, 135; 600 feet, 79; 500 feet east from Owl's Head, 101 ; 300 feet east from Rogers's point, 50; I 1-2 miles northwest of Whittemore's point, 118; I 3-4 miles out, 130. In nearly every sounding the bottom was found to be rock.
Ia
6
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
The Pemigewasset river, which rises in Profile lake,1 flows along the eastern limits of the township. The general direction of the Pemigewasset-Merrimack river is south. Between New Hampton and Bristol is found the only marked deviation from this general direction between Profile lake and the Massachusetts line. Here the stream finds a passage through the mountainous region by flowing west, almost at right angles to its general direction. In the four miles2 from New Hampton to Bristol the river descends 86 feet, forming the most rapid portion of the stream south of the East Branch. Similar rapids continue below Bristol, so that the total descent from the New Hampton bridge to the mouth of Smith's river is 118 feet.
The Pemigewasset receives from Bristol soil two considerable streams besides Newfound river. The first, Ten-Mile brook, has its source among the hills east of Bristol Peak, and flows south- southeasterly through the old Locke neighborhood to the river, about two miles distant. Its mouth is about a mile below Pemigewasset bridge. The second, Danforth's brook, rises at an elevation of 1,400 feet on the southwestern slope of Bristol Peak, and has a general southerly direction of two and one-half miles, emptying into the river near Worthen's rock. It has several branches, one of which rises near the foot of Newfound lake.
Hemlock brook rises on the northern side of Bristol Peak, and flows west-southwest, along the base of the range, to Newfound lake just below Pike's point. During its course of two and one-half miles it has a fall of 800 feet. The Clark brook rises on the eastern slope of Burns's hill, and flows along the western limits of the township to Smith's river, after a southerly journey of slightly more than a mile. Black brook, which empties into Newfound lake west of Mayhew island, is well known, but is hardly large enough to be dignified by a name, though one hundred years ago it was a stream of considerable size and known as Newfound Pond brook.
The physical geography and geology of Bristol is full of interest. The township lies near the northcentral part of the Merrimack basin, one of the natural geological divisions of the state. The district "may well represent the average physical appearance of New Hampshire, consisting of numerous hills and mountains, mostlycultivable, interspersed with sandy plains, allu- vial flats, entirely underlaid by gneissic or granatic rocks."3
' Profile lake is 45.2 miles from Bristol village by river ; its elevation is 1,950 feet.
2 Prof. Hitchcock gives the distances on the Pemigewasset river as follows : From Pemigewasset bridge to Central bridge, 4.2 miles; from Central bridge, to Smith's river, 2.3 miles ; from Smith's river to Union bridge, Hill, 3.5 miles ; from Hill to Franklin, 7 miles.
3 C. H. Hitchcock, in Geology of New Hampshire Vol. I.
7
TOPOGRAPHY OF THE TOWN
The sandy plains which are characteristic of the Merrimack valley commence at New Hampton. They are usually high up, and are narrow and undulating. "At Bristol they are cut off, and there is no correctness in Dr. Jackson's map representing the great bend opposite Bristol as composed of drift.''I The great bend is practically destitute of modified drift, and therein it differs from all the rest of the valley. The characteristic terraces again commence opposite Bristol, whence the alluvial area extends unbroken through the state.
Remnants of the original high flood-plain are distinctly seen on both banks of the river from the East Branch to the Massa- chusetts line, but some of the most striking examples are found at the highest of two terraces at the mouth of the Ten-Mile brook; a small, gently sloping plain about midway between New Hampton and Bristol, and a similar area east of the highway a short distance northeast of Bristol. All these are in Bristol territory, and are about 500 feet above the sea.
Bristol abounds in splendid examples of erosion. The most interesting study in this particular department of geology concerns Newfound lake. There are strong indications that the lake was once at least twenty-five feet higher than at present, and that its waters were discharged through Foster pond and South Alexandria into Smith's river. A leading reason for this belief is that the present outlet of the lake has, by erosive action, cut through twenty-five feet of the loose till with which the lake is surrounded, and that Foster pond and the Alexandria meadows are less than that height above the present level of the lake.2 Furthermore, the bed of this ancient river is easily traced between Foster pond and Smith's river. There is evidence of another ancient outlet from the southeastern corner of the lake through the Sleeper meadow and Danforth's brook.
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