USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 23
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STORES AT EAST CANDIA.
About the year 1818, Abel Follansbee kept a store in the Langford district at East Candia. He traded there a few years and then removed to Newmarket where he died in 1826. Joseph C. Langford was the next trader in that district. He traded a few years when he was succeeded
288
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
1
by Cotton Ward, who traded two or three years when he went to Maine.
Stephen B. Fitts traded sometime near the residence of his brother, Monroe Fitts, until the completion of the Concord Railroad in 1852, when he removed to the Depot Village.
Addison Bean, son of David Bean, traded four or five years near the residence of Hiram Clifford on the south side of the street, when he removed to Raymond.
Cotton Ward returned from Maine and bought the goods in Addison Bean's store and moved them into a small build- ing a few rods east of the residence of Monroe Fitts.
Sargent Currier, who came from Amesbury, Mass., bought out the goods in Cotton Ward's store and traded a year or two.
Levi Dearborn and Frank P. Brown established the next store in the district and were in company a short time, when they dissolved and Mr. Dearborn started a new store at the west end of the village. After trading there a year or two, Mr. Dearborn sold out to Frank P. Brown, who has kept the store until the present time.
In 1824, David Bean established a store near his resi- dence at the Island and traded there about five years.
STORES AT THE DEPOT VILLAGE.
In 1852, Abraham Emerson, Coffin Moore, Rufus Patten and various other citizens of the town formed a co-partner- ship and erected the building now occupied by Charles S. Lang the trader, and established a Protective Union Store ; Coffin Moore was agent. After trading a few years the company sold the store and goods to Edward P. Prescott and J. Harvey Philbrick, who came from Deerfield. Pres- cott & Philbrick traded together a year or two, when Mr. Philbrick sold his interest to Moses B. Smith, a son of Capt. John Smith and the son-in-law of Mr. Prescott. Prescott & Smith occupied the store two years, when they sold out to Wm. D. Ladd of Deerfield and Jacob L. Bar- ker of Candia, who bought a building on the east side of the street, where they traded a year or two, and then Ladd
CHARLES F. MORRILL.
Sketch, page 512.
HISTORY OF CANDIA. 289
retired from the business. Mr. Barker traded until 1878, when the store and contents were destroyed by fire.
After Ladd & Barker vacated the old Protective Union Store on the west side of the street, Frank A. Langford and a Mr. Ray opened a store in the building and traded there a short time when they sold out to Gilman S. Lang who kept the store several years. At his death, his son Charles S. Lang, the present proprietor succeeded him.
In 1885, Frank P. Brown, who had been appointed post- master at the Depot Village, built a new building there and established a store and post office therein. When his term as postmaster expired, he sold the store to Mark A. Dexter, the present proprietor, who came from Hillsborough.
POST OFFICES, POST-MASTERS, ETC.
There were no post offices in New Hampshire previous to the war of the Revolution. Letters were sent from one place to another by special messengers or by persons who traveled to the places where the friends of the writers resid- ed. In 1786, the legislature of New Hampshire established post offices in the state, and letters and newspapers were carried in large saddle bags on horseback. One of the first routes extended from Portsmouth or Exeter to Concord, passing through Brentwood, Newmarket, Poplin, Raymond, Candia, South Deerfield and Allenstown once a week each way. When the Chester Turnpike was built, in 1805, the mail from Concord to the southeastern section of the state. was carried by stages, passing through Pembroke, Hook sett, Candia, Chester, Hampstead and other towns in the vicinity. The postage for single letters was a sixpence for forty miles and fourpence for any less distance. The first post offices which were established by the Federal Government were at Concord, Portsmouth and a few other large towns, and people of the small adjoining towns were obliged to receive their letters from these post offices. Dur- ing the year 1809, the letters for many of the towns in the vicinity of Concord were advertised in the New Hamp- shire Patriot.
19
290
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
The first post office in Candia was established in the year 1818, and "Master" Moses Fitts was appointed postmas- ter. He kept the office in the store adjoining his residence. He held the office until 1822, when Benjamin Pillsbury, who lived at the Corner in the present residence of Henry W. Moore, was appointed. He kept the office in one of the rooms of the house until his death, in 1835. He was succeeded by Benjamin Pillsbury Colby, who lived in what is now the residence of Edward Morrison. Mr. Colby was postmaster until 1840, when he was succeeded by William - Turner, who then lived in the Benjamin Pillsbury Mansion. Mr. Turner, who was a Democrat, was postmaster until. 1845, when he was removed and Henry M. Eaton, who was a Whig and supported the administration of President Tyler, was appointed. He kept the office in his store at the Corner until 1847, when Mr. Turner, who supported the administration of President Polk, was re-appointed through the influence of Hon. Levi Woodbury, who made a speech at a Democratic meeting at the Village about that time.
In 1849, Gen. Zachary Taylor was elected President by the Whig party, and, in 1850, Mr. Turner was again re- moved and Henry M. Eaton was re-appointed postmaster. He held the office until 1855, when he was succeeded by Stephen B. Fitts, a Democrat. Mr. Fitts established the of- fice in the store at the Depot Village now occupied by Charles S. Lang and was postmaster until 1857, when Robie Smith succeeded him. Mr. Smith was postmaster at the Depot Village until his death, in 1862. His widow Hannah P. Smith was appointed his successor and held the position until 1866. Jacob S. Barker of the firm of Ladd & Barker succeeded Mrs. Smith and established the office in his store which then stood on the east side of the highway at the De- pot Village until 1870, when he was succeeded by John Rowe who was postmaster about one year. The next postmaster at the Depot Village was Gilman C. Lang who was appointed in 1871. He was a Republican and kept the office in his store on the south side of the railroad track until 1885 when he was succeeded by Frank P. Brown, a Democrat. In 1889 the Republican party again came into
29I
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
power and Mr. Brown was removed and succeeded by Mr. Willard G. Lang, the present incumbent.
In 1830, Thomas Anderson, who lived near the old An- derson tavern on the Turnpike was appointed postmaster mainly, it was thought, for the purpose of receiving the mail matter for Candia which came to the town by stages at that point. He continued in the office until 1841 when the office was discontinued. Mr. Anderson took much pains in delivering the mail to the people who lived in oth- er parts of the town. When he attended meeting on Sun- day at the Congregational church he generally carried many letters and large quantities of newspapers for deliv- ery at intermission time in a part of the entry.
In 1835, a post office was established near the extreme upper end of the North Road, and Elijah Smith was ap- pointed postmaster. The office was abolished in 1842. It is not probable that either Mr. Smith or Mr. Anderson got very rich from the profits of the offices they held.
In 1853, a post office was established at Candia Village and Plumer W. Sanborn, a Democrat, was appointed post- master. He kept the office in his store and held the posi- tion until 1861. Being a Democrat he was removed and W. J. Dudley, a Republican, was appointed. In 1885, when Mr. Cleveland was elected President, Mr. Dudley was removed and George E. Mitchell, a Democrat, was appointed. In 1890, when the Republicans elected Mr. Harrison, Mr. Mitchell was removed and Mr. Dudley was re-appointed.
Fifty years ago, the rate of postage on a letter was six, ten, twelve and one half, and eighteen and three fourths, and twenty-five cents, according to the distance. In 1845, the postage on a letter was reduced to five, ten, fifteen and twenty cents. There were other changes in the rates of. postage from time to time. Since about ten years ago, letters have been carried to every part of the country for two cents each.
THE SURPLUS REVENUE.
In 1836, there was a large surplus of revenue in the Treasury of the United States, a large part of which accur-
292
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
ed from the sale of the public lands. During the same year, Congress voted to divide the surplus which amounted to $37,468, 859.97 among the several states of the Union, in four equal instalments. For various reasons, only three instalments were paid. New Hampshire received as its share the sum of $669, 084,79 the first instalment of which was paid January I, the second, April 1, and the third, October, 1837.
The act of Congress provided that the money so divided among the states should be safely kept and repaid when ever the Government called for it. The Legislature of New Hampshire in November, 1836, passed an act authorizing the State Treasurer to receive the funds and give a certifi- cate that it should be kept in accordance with the law of Congress. The Legislature also passed an act pointing out the way and manner in which the money should be depos- ited with several towns in the State. The towns were to receive it when they had voted to take it, had pledged their faith to keep and repay it when called for, and had appointed an agent to receive it and execute a certificate of deposit. At the annual town meeting in Candia in 1837, it was voted to take its share of the money on the condi- tions stated and Samuel Anderson was chosen agent to re- ceive it from the State Treasurer. Mr. Anderson received at various times three instalments of the money of $1, 105.95 each, amounting to $3, 317.85. The town voted to expend the money so received in paying its debt. The fourth in- stalment was never paid from the United States Treasurer to the State for the reason, as was stated, that the amount of revenue received from the sale of the public lands be- came greatly reduced.
It is said that no papers can be found in the office of the Secretary of State or the State Treasurer at Concord relat- ing to the different transactions concerning the surplus rev- enue.
It was suspected that Zenas Clement State Treasurer at the time, wishing to prevent the towns from ever being call- ed upon to repay the money hid or destroyed the rec- ords.
The United States Government has not hitherto called
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
upon the States to refund the surplus revenue and are not likely to do so in the future.
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JUSTICES OF THE PEACE.
The following are the names of the citizens of the town who have been appointed Justices of the Peace. A few were authorized to officiate in the C unty or State as well as in the town. Among the first Justices of the Peace, were Samuel Mooers, Samuel Morrill, Walter Robie, Nathaniel Emerson, John Lane, seinior, Daniel Fitts, Benjamin Pillsbury, Johr Taylor, Henry Eaton, Moses Bean, John Lane, jr.
The following are the names of the Justices who were appointed for the first time between the years 1830 and 1840 :
Daniel Fitts, jr., Jonathan Martin, Abraham Emerson, Rufus E. Patten, Joseph Richardson, Samuel Tuck, Jona- than Currier, William Turner, Joseph C. Langford, Lowell B. French, John Moore.
The following named citizens were appointed Justices of the Peace for the first time between the years 1840 and 1850 :
Leonard Dearborn, Isaiah Lane, David Bean, Samuel Dudley, Samuel Cass, Henry M. Eaton, Nehemiah Colby, David P. Rowe, Stephen B. Tilton.
The following are the names of citizens who were ap- pointed between 1850 and 1860 :
Pillsbury Colby, Moses F. French, Edmund Hill, John Smith, Joshua Lane, Plumer W. Sanborn, J. Harvey Phil- brick, Carr B. Haines, Cyrus T. Lane, John Rowe, John G. Lane, William Crane, David M. Batchelder, Thomas Lang, Edward P. Prescott, Moses T. Emerson, Dana D. Thresher.
Between the years 1860 and 1870, the following citizens were appointed :
Moses B. Smith, Levi Bean, Wm. W. Neal, John Lane Fitts, Woodbury J. Dudley, Charles H. Robinson, Josiah Richardson, Gilman Lang.
294
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
Between the years 1870 and 1890, the following citizens have been appointed :
Cotton Ward, Jesse R. Fitts, E. R. Ingalls, F. P. Langford, J. C. Hobbs, Henry W. Moore, Ingalls Bunker, Frank W. Eaton, George F. Cass, F. P. Brown, J. H. Nutting, John Holt.
Many of those who were appointed Justices of the Peace, held the office many years. It is probable that the names of some of those who were appointed have been overlook- ed and do not appear in the above list.
From fifty to seventy years ago, there was considerable litigation among the people of the town and suits which did not involve a large amount, were often tried before Jus- tices of the Peace. A large number of cases were brought before John Lane, Esq., who lived on the North Road. There was no lawyer in the town but the plaintiffs and de- fendants employed Judge Butler, Josiah Houghton, Ira St. Clair or H. Cilley, jr., Deerfield to conduct their cases. Im- portant suits against parties always attracted a large crowd of spectators. . In later days, cases have been tried before justices now living, and lawyers from Manchester have appeared upon one side or the other.
THE CENSUS.
The following is the official statement of the number of persons there were in the town at the various times spe- cified :
1767
362
1773
663
1775
744
1783
935
1786
982
1790
1040
1800
IF86
1810
1290
1820
1283
1830
-
1362
1 840
1430
1850
-
-
-
-
.
1482
295
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
1860
1482
1870
1575
1880
I340
1890 -
1108
The census of the town for the year 1850, was taken by Francis B. Eaton ; that for 1880, by John Rowe, and that for the year 1890, by A. Frank Patten. It will be seen that the largest population the town ever had was in 1870, and that at present time, the population is less than it was in 1800.
ADDITIONAL NOTES PERTAINING TO ROADS.
In Chapter VI of this work, it was stated that the first roads in the town were laid out while the territory was a parish of Chester. Some of the earliest of those roads were at first mere paths, leading from the dwelling of one settler to that of another in the shortest and most convenient manner. In a short time, some of the paths became per- manent highways before the selectmen of Chester had laid them out in a formal and legal manner. In this way some of the roads in the southeastly and southweste:ly parts of the town were made crooked and irregular. When the Third Division or northerly part of the town was surveyed, strips of land extending in straight lines between the ranges or tiers of lots through the length and breadth of the Division and crossing each other at right angles were reserved for highways. When the roads were formally laid out by the selectmen, it was found that, in some cases, it was neces- sary to deviate from straight lines on account of steep hills, ponds, swamps or deep valleys which were situated on the route.
The crook in High Street between the Congregational meeting house and the valley twenty or thirty rods west of the residence of Mrs. Ansel Emerson was made to avoid the steep pitch of the hill to the valley referred to.
At a point a few rods east of the residence of Charles R. Rowe, on the North Road, a turn in the highway towards the northwest until it intersected with the New Boston road near the residence of the late Jesse R. Fitts was made
296
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
on account of the deep valley and the mill pond which are situated on a straight line from Healey's Corner, to Hook- sett line.
The road from the Corner to Raymond line was turned towards the northeast near the William Towle place be- cause of the hills and ledges which are situated on a straight line between the two points
The road from the Corner to Deerfield was turned towards the east on entering the Village to avoid the mill pond and ledges which are situated on a. straight line between those points.
The Burpee road was not extended east of the place where it intersects with the road which leads from the Cor- ner to Deerfield because of the unfavorable nature of the land.
The north end of the cross road from the Congregational church towards Deerfield line was not built beyond the New Boston road because it was not needed for the accom- modation of the people.
About a mile and a half of the west end of the Baker road that was laid out to extend to Hooksett line and about two miles of the south end of the cross road that was laid out to extend from Deerfield line across High Street to Auburn line was never constructed.
About a hundred years ago there were three families liv - ing on the Baker road viz : Levi Cass's, Caleb Brown's and Stephen Marden's. For nearly twenty years past there have been no buildings or residences on that road which is now practically, though not legally, discontinued.
The west end of High Street about half a mile in length was never built beyond J. P. L. Rowe's Corner, as was originally designed.
The Libbee Road that was laid out to extend from the South Road to Hooksett line was never built beyond the road which extends in a southerly direction from the said Libbee Road to the Turnpike.
The following roads have been discontinued :
The road which extended from the School house in East Candia to Bear's Island, the road that extended from a point near the residence of John Taylor, deceased, to the
297
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
road on which is situated the residence of Stephen Colcord and the widow of Col. John Prescott and a short piece of road which extended from the "clay pits" that were sit- uated about a hundred rods west of the residence of A. Frank Patten to the residence of the late Col. Samuel Cass. The latter road was discontinued more than one hundred years ago.
In the year 1810, a road was laid out from a point near the residence of the late Charles S. Emerson to a large tract of land which was situated near the west side of Patten's Hill and owned by William Duncan. The road was never built.
In 1839, a year or two after Manchester became a flour- ishing manufacturing town, a road was built between the School house in District No. 3, to the Turnpike near Ander- son's tavern to shorten the distance between Candia and that place.
In 1852, several citizens of the Village and Deerfield pre- sented a petition to the County Commissioners for a new road from the Depot Village to a point on the South Road near the School house in District No. 3, to shorten the distance between Candia and Manchester. At the same time a vig- orous effort was made by some of the citizens of Candia who lived in other sections of the town to induce the Com- missioners to lay out a road from the Corner in a straight line to a point on the South Road near the residence of Austin Cass ; but the Commissioners decided in favor of the more southerly route.
About the year 1840, a new road was laid out from the residence of George H. Brown on High Street, to a point on the Turnpike near the School house. This has been called the Doniphan road from the circumstance that a Mr. Doniphan was the first resident on that road.
When the first settlements were made in the town, the land that was reserved for roads was covered with a thick growth of wood and timber and it was many years before all the large trees and underbrush were removed. As late as 1824, there was quite a heavy growth of birch and ma- ple trees on the south side of High Street, a few rods east of the residence of G. S. Wallace and there were many sin-
298
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
gle old growth white oak and birch trees scattered over the sides of the North Road and other highways in the town.
About the year 1866, some of the citizens who lived in the southwest part of the town, and in the northwest part of Auburn endeavored to have a new road to Man- chester laid out from Deerfield South Road to Manchester across the Turnpike near the School house in School District No. 13. After several trials and much opposition, · the scheme was abandoned.
The town, soon after it was incorporated, was divided into' districts that increased in number from time to time, until about the year 1890 there were thirty-one highway districts and the work of repairing the roads in each district was placed under the supervision of a surveyor who was chosen at the annual town meeting. For many years the citizens in the several highway districts have been assessed a highway tax which has been levied according to the polls and estate in each district. The tax has been paid in mon- ey or labor as each citizen prefers. The work upon the roads was formerly done during the first part of the month of June, and when all the able bodied men and stout boys were assembled together upon a defective sec- tion of the road they had a jolly good time in telling funny stories and cracking jokes upon one another, or in talking about the extraordinary events of the times.
A few years ago, a road machine was purchased by the town and operated successfully upon all the highway dis- tricts. Since the machine was procured the roads have been greatly improved, and now few towns in the state can boast of better roads than those in Candia. During the past one hundred years, a very great amount of labor has been ex- pended in removing the boulders in the road beds, in lev- eling the hills and filling up the valleys.
·
Before the year 1800, the most of the traveling in the narrow and imperfect roads was done on horseback. Men rode on common saddles, and women were provided with side saddles. A man and his wife frequently rode upon one horse, he in the saddle and she sitting upon the pil- lion, or cushion behind him. Sometimes the woman car-
infant in her arms while her husband carried a
1
299
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
child two or three years old before him on the pommel of the saddle. Small bundles, containing bottles, jugs, par- cels of tea or sugar and various other artrcles were carried in saddle-bags slung over the back of the horse. Bags of corn and grain were carried to mill in this way, one-half of the contents of the bag being placed in one end, and the other half in the other end. In extreme cases, larger and heavier articles were carried on horse back. Many of the people rode in this manner to meeting on Sundays. Horse- blocks, so called, consisting sometimes of a sort of a bench about three feet high were provided near the church or the store to accommodate the riders in mounting and dis- mouting from their horses. A large horse block of this kind fitted with stairs, stood for many years close to the west end of the Congregational meeting house on the north side of the steeple. When wagons and chaises were intro- duced the women rode on horseback less frequently, but as late as 1830, some women might have been seer riding at a smart canter up and down the hills of the town.
The first vehicles used by the early settlers were called jumpers. Two hard wood poles about two and a half inches in diameter and ten feet long were fastened togeth- er about two feet and a half apart like the shafts or thills of a wagon. The forward ends of the poles were at- tached to the horse. When this kind of vehicle was used, the rear ends of the poles were dragged upon the ground. A barrel of cider or goods of any kind when strapped to the shafts, could be easily conveyed from one place to an- other. It is said that during the first few years after the town was settled, the bodies of deceased persons, were, in some instances carried to the old cemetery on a vehicle resembling the jumper.
The Rev. Dr. Bouton, in his history of Concord, relates that Ebenezer Eastman, soon after settling in Pennacook, now Concord, made a journey to Haverhill, Mass., on horseback and purchased a barrel of molasses with the intention of taking it home with him. He made a jumper and lashed the barrel of molasses upon the shafts and started on his journey homeward along the path through the wilderness upon a course through old Chester and near
300
HISTORY OF CANDIA.
1 to the line of the old Turnpike. He got along well enough until he had arrived within a short distance of his home. On climbing a steep hill, the rigging of his vehicle gave way, the barrel rolled swiftly down the hill and was dash- ed in pieces against a tree, the molasses overspreading and sweetening the ground in all directions. The Captain, in view of this calamity, sorrowfully exclaimed, "Oh dear! my wife will comb my head and harrow it, too!"
Rude two-wheeled carts and ox wagons came into use several years later. The first light one-horse wagons were introduced into Candia about the year 1812. It is said that the first chaises were brought into the town about the year 1805. The first had square tops. Nathaniel Rowe and Col. Samuel Cass had chaises of this kind. A few years afterwards, a handsome and better kind of chaise with bel- lows tops came into use. In 1832, there were more than a dozen chaises in town. The following are the names of some of the owners : Peter Eaton, Moses Fitts, William Duncan, William Robie, Benjamin Pillsbury, John C. Fifield, Nathan Brown, Moses Sargent, Henry Eaton, Wal- ter Robie, John Taylor, Daniel Fitts, Moses Bean, 'Samuel Anderson.
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