USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Claremont > History of the town of Claremont, New Hampshire, for a period of one hundred and thirty years from 1764 to 1894 > Part 16
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THE MICHAEL LOVELL FARM.
This farm, on Town hill, contains one hundred and fifty acres. It was owned by Asa Jones and then by Benjamin Jones, from 1784 to 1804, when it was bought by Alexander Ralston, who kept a tavern there, known as the Ralston Tavern, until about 1815. In 1821 Michael Lovell bought the place, and from that time it has been owned by him and his connections, and has been known as the Michael Lovell farm. In 1850 Gordon Way, whose wife was Mr. Lovell's daughter, took the farm and occupied it until his death, in 1880, when it went into possession of his son, Dr. Osmon B. Way, who still owns it. The land slopes to the east, is very strong, well cultivated, and produces abundantly of grass, grain, and other crops. Since Dr. Way has owned this farm, the house and other buildings have been remodeled, thoroughly re- paired, and are in excellent condition. The location commands an extended view of the surrounding country, the superior of which for attractiveness is seldom found.
THE JARVIS FARM.
This is a large farm on Town hill. It was bought by Dr. Leon- ard Jarvis, of Judge Sanford Kingsbury, in 1795, and was owned and occupied by him until his death, in 1848, after which his son, Russell Jarvis, succeeded to it. He died in February, 1888, and the farm has since been owned by his heirs. It is beauti- fully located, and the soil is naturally excellent. The specialty of the place has been the breeding of merino sheep and the pro- duction of fine wool.
ISAAC HUBBARD.
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THE JAMES P. UPHAM FARM.
This farm, formerly known as the Dove farm, consists of two hundred and thirteen acres, mostly upland, on Town hill. It was several years a part of the Dr. Leonard Jarvis farm. Mr. Upham bought it in 1850, of Russell Jarvis, and built upon it a handsome two-story house and ample barns and farm appurte- nances. He has given considerable attention to fruit culture, particularly apples. From 1850 to 1860 he set out four hundred apple, two hundred pear, and a large number of smaller fruit trees, all grafted with choice varieties of fruit, making a fine young orchard. The lawn in front of the house, sloping to the east, is ornamented with evergreen and other trees and shrubs. Like other places on Town hill, this one commands a view of a large extent of picturesque country, scarcely equalled. On the farm Mr. Upham keeps blooded Jersey cattle, and flocks of me- rino and southdown sheep; cuts annually seventy-five tons of hay ; raises seven hundred baskets of corn, and six hundred bushels of smaller grains, together with potatoes and root crops.
THE DR. SAMUEL G. JARVIS FARM
Is at West Claremont, two and a half miles from the village, on the road to Windsor, Vt. It consists of upland, sloping to the south, strong, rich soil, capable of producing large crops of grass and grain. It was occupied by Dr. Samuel G. Jarvis for more than fifty years preceding his death, on the 5th of March, 1892. He made the raising of merino sheep and the growing of fine wool a specialty. It is owned by his two sons, Drs. William and Leonard Jarvis.
THE LABAN AINSWORTH FARM.
This was formerly the Luther Ashley farm. It is situated a short distance south of Claremont Junction, and contains about three hundred and fifty acres, seventy of it being Connecticut river meadow, a portion of which is flowed at times of high water each spring. It is an excellent farm and very productive with a moderate
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amount of labor. It was bought by Laban Ainsworth in 1837, and he lived there until his death, May 19, 1881, since which it has been owned by his sons, George J. and Ralph Ainsworth. They cut one hundred and fifty tons of hay annually, raise large quantities of corn and other grains, keep from sixty to seventy-five neat cattle, six horses, and fatten from thirty to thirty-five good-sized hogs.
THE COOKE FARM
Is on the road from Claremont to Windsor, Vt., about midway be- tween the two places. This was a widely known tavern stand for many years - the tavern being a long two-story house, on the oppo- site side of the highway from the present handsome mansion, and was not removed until about 1858. In 1779 Capt. John Cooke bought this farm and tavern stand and continued the business until his death, February 8, 1810, when his sons, George and Godfrey, succeeded to the tavern business and farm. After a few years the tavern business was abandoned. Godfrey died April 4, 1849, and George survived him until October 29, 1850. This is a large and valuable farm, considerable of it being Connecticut river meadow. It has been known for more than a hundred years as the Cooke farm, and has been owned for more than fifteen years by Erastus Reed.
JOHN BAILEY'S FARM.
This was originally the Oliver Ashley farm, just south of Ashley Ferry. For many years it was owned by Benajah Rogers, then by his son, Abram. In 1882 John Bailey bought and has since owned it. It contains one hundred and twenty-five acres, seventy-five of which is Connecticut river meadow, and he has other out lands. He is a progressive farmer, liberal in the use of manures, knows how to make two blades of grass grow where but one grew before, and has improved his land every year since he bought it. He has remodeled and thoroughly repaired the buildings and erected a good new barn, thoroughly ventilated and well lighted. He cuts about one hundred tons of hay each year; raises from one thousand to twelve hundred baskets of corn, five or six hundred
CAPT. JOHN COOK FARMHOUSE.
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bushels of oats, potatoes and other crops ; has a considerable dairy and fattens twenty hogs. In many ways this is a very desirable farm.
Besides those farms particularly noted, may be mentioned as among the best, the William Jones farm, just north of the Junction railroad station, owned by the heirs of Lucian E. Jones; on the river road, the Ralph Ainsworth farm, one hundred and fifty acres, owned by Charles H. Ainsworth; the Woster Jones farm, owned by George F. Long. These farms have considerable Connecticut river meadow, good corn and grass land, free from stones and easily worked. On the Charlestown road, the Edward Ainsworth farm, owned by Walter H. and William E. Ainsworth, and the Joel Goss farm, owned by George P. Rossiter. These are upland farms,
strong rich soil and productive. On Bible hill, the Erastus Glid- den farm, for many years owned by Joshua Colby and his son Henry, and now by James Sylvester and James Brown, and the Ira Colby farm, now owned by Daniel Adams. These are among the best hill farms in town, and with good management have been quite profitable. On the east road to Cornish Flat, a little more than a mile north of the village, the Ichabod Hitchcock farm, owned by Frederick P. Smith, very productive of grass and grain crops. On the southeast side of Green Mountain were formerly several good farms, high up, but sloping to the south, strong soil, excellent for the production of grass, small grains, and potatoes. These have been mostly acquired by Prescott Putnam, who has about five hun- dred acres, made up of the Jonathan E. Rowell and Samuel C. Abbott farms and a part of that formerly owned by the late Abner Stowell. Mr. Putnam has a large dairy and makes butter for the home market. The Lemon Cowles farm, on the southwestern slope of Green mountain, for many years owned by him, then by his son, Tracy Cowles, and now by the latter's heirs, is also a good grass, small grain, and root crop farm. On the old road to Newport, a mile and a half east of the village, is the Solomon Hubbard farm, Sugar river meadow and upland, owned by Freeman S. Chellis. Next east is the Bartlett Clement farm, for many years owned by
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Samuel Tutherly and his son, William E. Tutherly, later by Syl- vester Bartlett, and now by James N. Perkins, contains nearly three hundred acres, and is classed with the best upland farms. In Puckershire are the Proctor farm, owned by George Walker; the Harriman farm, owned by Jacob W. Sanborn; the Way farm, owned by Enoch Johnson; the John Blodgett farm, owned by Herbert E. Tutherly - which has been named the Elm Farm -on which is kept a dairy and supplies milk to the village; the Barstow farm, owned by William F. Jones, where a specialty is made of raising poultry and producing eggs for the home and Boston mar- kets. On Maple avenue is the Joseph Wilson farm, which has been in the possession of the Wilson family since 1776, and is now owned by Josiah Wilson, a grandson of Joseph. In the north part of the town is the large farm, owned and occupied by the late Solon C. Grannis for seventy years and now owned by his heirs; the Bailey farm, now owned by Erastus B. Bailey; the farm on Red Water brook road, owned by Samuel H. Andrews, the neat ap- pearance of whose buildings and surroundings attract attention. On the old road to the Junction, bordering on Sugar river, is the Harvey Tolles farm of about two hundred and twenty acres of Sugar river and Beaver brook meadow and upland. More than forty years ago Mr. Tolles raised on this farm an ox, which at maturity weighed over three thousand pounds. The farm is now owned by his son, Lawrence A. Tolles, who makes a specialty of producing and supplying milk to the village. At the south end of Broad street is the Cossit farm. It has been owned by the Cossit family for nearly a hundred and twenty-five years - first by Ambrose Cossit, then by his son, Ambrose, then by his son, John F., and is now owned by the latter's son, Henry A. Cossit. On the hill, east of the old road to Newport, is the Nathaniel Cowles farm, now owned by Stepen J. Roberts. This is a productive and valuable hill farm.
CHAPTER XIII.
TOWN HILL.
PART OF THE TOWN FIRST SETTLED.
In the early days of the settlement of the town and for many years, Town hill was the center of population, business, and fash- ion. The highway from the Cupola house south, if not the first, was one of the first, built in town, and until long after the Revolutionary War, was the only road from points south on the Connecticut river to Haverhill. There is a tradition that it was called the King's highway. Through the town it was laid out ten rods wide, and for a considerable distance on Town hill, on either side was a row of tall Lombardy poplars. In a dis- tance of about a mile and a half from Lottery bridge south were more than twenty houses-by far the best in town and some of them large and for that time fine and expensive.
The first house south of Lottery bridge was occupied by James Balloch, a Scotchman, father of George W. and William Balloch. Subsequently the son, George W. Balloch, for many years a famous butcher, lived there, and in this house Gen. George W. Balloch of Washington, D. C., was born. The next two were occupied by Sumners. Then there are evidences of three or four houses, about which there is no known history. East of the highway John Wise, a Scotchman, who married Hannah, daughter of Benjamin Sumner, built a large and hand- some house, and nearly opposite was the Dove house, not far from where James P. Upham's house now stands. On the west side of the highway is the Judge Sanford Kingsbury house, the same now occupied by the heirs of Russell Jarvis. Next comes
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the Stephen Mann place, afterward owned by George Wooddell now by Thomas J. Fitch. Near his buildings is now standing a portion of the first meeting-house in town. It was also used for a schoolhouse. On the east side of the highway is the Barna- bas Ellis place, bought by him of Josiah Willard, one of the grantees of the town, in 1767, after whose death it was owned by his youngest son, William Ellis, who was born there in 1807 and lived there until his death, in August, 1880, since which it has been owned by the latter's son, William B. Ellis. Next, on the west side of the highway, is the Dr. Thomas Sterne place. Dr. Sterne was the first physician settled in town. He came here from Boston in 1768, and soon built the house on this place, which was then the largest and most elegant one in this vi- cinity. He died there November 24, 1816. For a number of years this place was owned by Stephen Mann, who kept a tav- ern there, then by Hugh Moore, who sold it to James Leet and it was known as the Leet place for many years. James P. Upham bought the farm in 1893 and took the house down. Next, on the same side of the way was the Nicholas Farwell house and shoe shop. The house was the John Picket house, one of the first framed houses built in town, the same in which George N. Farwell was born in 1804, and Dr. Silas H. Sabine afterward lived and practiced his profession. Just south of this Capt. John Farwell, brother of Nicholas, also a shoemaker, lived. Both of these Farwells removed to the village about 1813 and continued the shoemaking business. Nicholas built the brick house, corner of Broad and Pine streets, where Herman Holt now lives, and Capt. John built the one on the east side of Broad street, where Herbert Bailey lives. Next, on the same side of the highway, is the Ralston place. It was owned prior to 1784 by Asa Jones, who sold it in that year to Alexander Ralston, a Scotchman, who came from Boston to Keene, and from thence to Claremont. Mr. Ralston was so intensely loyal that he was included in the act of banishment from Boston in 1778.
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Alexander Ralston, John Wise, and James Balloch came from Scotland to America together, all lived on Town hill for a time and were fast friends. Mr. Ralston purchased four tracts of land in that locality, which included most of what is now the Way farm and the territory west of it, extending to Connecti- cut river - two hundred and eighty acres in all. Three of these tracts were bought of Asa Jones and the other of John Spencer. About 1784 Mr. Ralston built the large two-story house and L now standing, and with repairs and improvements made upon it by the present proprietor, it is in excellent condition. In this house was kept for more than thirty years the widely known Rals- ton tavern. Being on the main road from Massachusetts to north- western New Hampshire and northeastern Vermont, it was a famous stopping place for the daily six-horse stage, the large can- vas-covered freight wagons, and pleasure travelers. For a time the Free Masons held their regular meetings in the large hall in the house. On occasion of one of these meetings Mrs. Ralston's curiosity to know the secrets of the order led her to go quietly to the unfinished attic over the hall and listen to the proceedings. She was a large, heavy woman, and by mischance stepped upon the lathing, her feet went through the ceiling, and she was only relieved from her embarrassing position by the help of her hus- band and his brother Masons. The evidence of this adventure remained in the ceiling until the house was renovated in 1887. In 1804 Mr. Ralston sold the tavern and about one hundred and fifty acres of land, which constitutes the Way farm, to Benjamin Jones, and returned to Keene, where he died in 1810. John White kept the tavern for a time and was followed by John Newell, a pioneer Methodist, whose son, Matthew, became a Methodist preacher. He removed to Weathersfield, Vt., and was the grandfather of Wilbur, Charles, and Asbury Newell, now living there. From 1795 to 1806 Jesse Lee and other itinerant Methodist preachers held occasional meetings in the hall of the Ralston tavern.
Before the controversy in relation to the Congregational meet. ing-house, which continued for some years, was settled, Matthias
13
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Stone erected a suitable building for the purpose and offered to donate it to the town for a meeting-house. At a town meeting, called to consider the matter, it was voted not to accept the gift - probably on account of the location - and the structure was never used as a place of worship, but was removed to this farm, where it now stands, and has been used for a barn.
Prior to the purchase of this property by Mr. Ralston, in 1784, on what is now the Way farm, was a house which was said to have been recently burned, on or near the site of the present one; the John Picket house; the store building and a blacksmith and wheel- wright shop opposite. In 1815 Benjamin Jones sold the Way place to Danforth Parmalee, at which time the tavern business was discontinued. In 1820 it was sold to Michael Lovell, and was known as the Michael Lovell farm from then until his death, April 29, 1860, in the ninety-sixth year of his age. In 1850 Gordon Way, whose wife was a daughter of Mr. Lovell, took the place and kept it until his death, in 1880, soon after which it passed into the possession of his son, Dr. Osmon B. Way, who still owns it.
South of this, on the west side of the highway, was the Christo- pher York place, afterward owned by Michael McConnon. Arnold Merrill lived there a few years preceding his death and was the last occupant of the house. It has since been taken down. Nearly opposite was a place owned by Oliver Corey, father of Mrs. Nicholas Farwell. The buildings were removed years ago. At the south of these places, in a lot distant from the highway, was formerly a pest-house, where persons afflicted with small-pox were treated.
Many of the habitations named and others not named went to decay so many years ago that there is no known record or reliable tradition in relation to them, and there is now nothing but cellar holes, and in a few instances wells, left to mark the places where they stood.
Town hill is an elevation from its surroundings, gently sloping to the east to meet the morning sun, and west to Connecticut river. The soil is warm, strong, and generous, and here are
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some of the best farms in town. From this elevation are exten- sive views of Connecticut river valley; Ascutney, the Green Mountain range, and other sections of Vermont; parts of Charles- town, Walpole, Acworth, Lempster, Unity, Newport, Croydon, Grantham, Plainfield, Cornish, and New London-the whole forming a panorama of quiet beauty rarely equalled.
INDUSTRIES.
La
SHOE SHOP DAM.
CHAPTER XIV.
WATER POWER.
MANUFACTURING AND INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS.
One of the great advantages and sources of wealth of Clare- mont is its superior water power, derived mainly from Sugar river. This river is the outlet of Sunapee lake, which is nine and a half miles long, and from half a mile to two and a half miles wide, and is eight hundred and twenty feet above Connect- icut river, into which it empties in the town of Claremont. Sugar river is about eighteen miles long from its source to its mouth. It passes through the towns of Sunapee, Newport, and Clare- mont. It is fed by what is called South Branch, which has its source in Lempster, Unity, and Goshen; the North Branch coming from Springfield, Grantham, and Croydon, both of which it re- ceives in the town of Newport, after passing the village of that town, and other smaller streams along its course. But the river is chiefly supplied with water from Sunapee lake, especially in dry times.
The Sunapee Dam Company was incorporated by the New Hampshire legislature, December 4, 1820. This company is com- posed of mill owners in Claremont, Newport, and Sunapee, who derive their motive power from Sugar river. Among the rights granted by the legislature was that "to sink the outlet of Suna- pee lake at the source of Sugar river to the depth of ten feet below the low water mark of said lake, and to erect and main- tain a dam there, with suitable gates and flumes, to the height of said low water mark, for the benefit of the mills and mill privileges."
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
For many years Sugar river has furnished the power for a very large number of mills, representing a variety of industries in the towns through which it runs, and, at the present time, is a prin- cipal source of their wealth. Upon this water power they depend for their future growth and prosperity. As above stated, the fall of this river is eight hundred and twenty feet. In the town of Claremont it falls three hundred feet or more, and there are thirteen excellent mill privileges on these falls. Upon many of these privileges are mills upon both sides of the river, thus af- fording opportunity to utilize the whole power. It is estimated that each foot of fall is capable of turning one thousand spindles. There is a fall of two hundred and twenty-three feet in these thir- teen privileges.
The Sunapee Dam Company was duly organized immediately after the charter was granted, and suitable dam and other appli- ances were erected for the purpose of holding the water of Suna- pee lake in reserve for use at times of low water in the river, by mills along its course. This corporation has been kept up, and the dam and other appliances erected have been maintained and improved from time to time. Whenever the lands about the lake have been flowed, or other damage accrued from the erec- tion of this dam, those injured have been compensated by the company, and in not a few instances the right to flow has been purchased. Without this great natural reservoir, and the right to use it, granted by the legislature, neither Claremont, Newport, nor Sunapee could have reached their present condition of wealth and consequent importance.
Although this company has the right to draw the lake down ten feet below low water mark, it has never been drawn to any- thing like that extent. Since 1820, when the Sunapee Dam Com- pany was incorporated, the manufacturing business of Claremont, dependent upon water power, with a few pauses and lapses, has gradually, but steadily, grown to its present proportions. The first real, earnest start in manufacturing business did not occur until about 1833. In 1879 the late venerable Simeon Ide, who
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for many years - from 1834- was prominently identified with the manufacturing interests of Claremont, prepared and published a little book, entitled "The Industries of Claremont, New Hamp- shire, Past and Present," containing many valuable statistics. This is the most reliable known source of information, and from it are gathered many facts upon this subject. Of this water power Mr. Ide says :
From the statistics I have at hand, it would seem there was comparatively but very little use made of it previous to the year 1833-34. There was then at the upper fall, No. 1, a gristmill on the south side of the river; on the third fall, No. 3, south side, a wool-carding and fulling mill, carried on by Woodman & Elmer, and a furnace by Roswell Elmer; and on the north side a small hand-making paper mill, having two 120 lb. pulp engines, and other necessary appliances of that day in proportion, for making paper, owned and operated by Fiske & Blake, successors of the first paper maker in Cheshire county, Colonel Josiah Stevens. On fall No. 4 was a seven feet dam, and till the first of January, 1833, only water enough was drawn from it to move Tim- othy Eastman's bark-grinding machine. The Claremont Manufacturing Com- pany's stone factory, on the south side, had recently been put in order to receive its machinery. On the fifth fall, east side of the river, was the Tyler saw and grist mill; on the west side, a wool-carding, spinning, weaving, and cloth-dress- ing factory. On the sixth fall, west side, Farwell's cotton factory, with Billings's machine shop in the basement or L, first put in operation in 1831; and on the west side, in "the Gully," a small slate-sawing and planing mill, operated by Curtis Stoddard. On falls Nos. 7, 8, and 9, in 1832 not even a dam had been built, so far as I can learn.
Following the above order in a more minute historical descriptive view of the several present and former mill sites in the village proper of Claremont, the earliest date at which I find there had been any use made of that at fall No. 1, north side of the river, was about the year 1800, when Stephen Dexter erected a small building there, and he and his brother, Colonel David Dexter, carried on in it a scythe-making concern till about 1824. They also owned grist, saw, and oil mills, located on and near where the Monadnock Mills Company's sawmill now stands, which were run by water drawn from a low dam then standing about midway between dams Nos. 1 and 2. On the decease of Colonel Dexter, in 1830, his son-in-law, Moses Wheeler, in 1831, succeeded the Messrs. Dexter in the several branches of business above stated, except the scythe factory, as sole proprietor, and carried them on for several years.
In 1837-38 a two-story brick building took the site of the old Dexter scythe shop, and was owned and occupied by the Claremont Carriage Company two
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or three years. Hard times finally put a stop to this company's operations, and soon afterwards their buildings were destroyed by fire. Paran Stevens, Timothy Eastman, Moses Wheeler, A. J. Tenney, T. J. Harris (agent), were of the company. In 1843-44 the present three-story brick building was erected. It stood empty a few years, when John Fiske put into it cotton machinery; run it two or three years; then a Mr. Cozens bought the property, continued busi- ness but a short time, when the Monadnock Mills Company bought and con- tinued its use as a cotton mill until 1863, and then substituted the woolen for the old cotton machinery. This is the only factory on the north side of the river operated by power from fall No. 1.
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