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 3
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35
Abijah Alexander.
1
Solomon Willard ..
2
Ebenezer Dodge
21
Jonathan Hammond.
7
John Cass
26
Prentis Willard.
9
Nathaniel Heaton
23
William Heaton.
34
Gideon Ellis.
37
Joseph Hammond.
13
John Grimes
24
William Grimes.
16
Joseph Cass
11
Jonathan Willard.
18
John Scott
42
James Scott
28
William Richardson.
45
Ministers Lott.
44
John Peirce
36
Samuel Scott .
49
Thomas Lee.
30
Abijah Willard
8
Stephen Putnam
27
Abel Lawrence
22
Timothy Taylor.
20
Clement Sumner
25
Benjamin Freeman
51
Abel Willard
46
Oliver Fairwell
39
Joseph Ellis.
37
William Smeed.
5
John Serles ..
12
Theo'd Atkinson Esqr
15
Oliver Fairwell Jun'r.
31
Daniel Jones Esqr.
32
Epherum Addams
19
Gleeb.
4
Phenihas Adam
54
School
14
Samuel Wells
3
Gospel
6
A DRAUGHT OF THE ONE ACRE LOTTS.
No.
No.
Josiah Willard Esqr.
26
Jonathan Willard
21
Jeremiah Hall :...
51
James Scott.
9
Josiah Willard Junior.
33
Ministor Lott
2
John Ellis
28
Samuel Scott.
25
Sampson Willard
14
Abijah Willard
12
Abraham Scott.
39
Abel Lawrance .
34
Henry Foster
41
Clement Sumner
20
Solomon Willard.
10
Abel Willard.
32
William Heaton ..
15
Michael Medcalfe
38
Jonathan Hammond
40
Ephrium Dorman.
1
Joseph Hammond
22
Jerathmiel Powers
29
24
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
A DRAUGHT OF THE ONE ACRE LOTTS .- Continued.
No.
No.
Prentis Willard.
23
Simeon Davis
42
William Grimes.
27
John Armes ..
30
Henry Bond ..
48
Timothy Taylor
31
Elijah Alexander
24
Benj'a Freeman.
45
Ebenezer Dodge.
43
Oliver Fairwell
37
John Cass
53
John Serles
47
Nathaniel Heaton.
18
Oliver Fairwell Jn'r.
50
Gideon Ellis
52
Epherium Addams
7
Joseph Ellis.
54
Phenihas Wait
46
John Grimes
11
Samuel Wells.
49
Joseph Cass.
16
William Smeed.
44
John Scott. .
19
Theo'd Atkinson Esqr
13
William Richardson.
35
Daniel Jones Esqr.
36
John Peirce
17
Gleeb
5
Thomas Lee
4
School
3
Stephan Putnam
6
Gospel
8
Several of the lots drawn in the third fifty acre division were surrendered to the proprietors, and other lots not drawn were taken in their stead.
At a meeting of the proprietors of the common or undivided lands, at the Tremont house in Claremont, on the second of De- cember, 1845, Nathaniel Cowles was chosen moderator, and Solon C. Grannis, proprietors' clerk; Solon C. Grannis and Nathaniel Cowles a committee for " making sales and giving deeds " of lands. It was
Voted that the following instruction to the Committee of Sales be adopted. That as David H. Sumner is a large proprietor of the lands, no sales of any part of them (until further ordered , otherwise) shall be made without his consent in writing the said consent to be put on file and recorded in the record of the Proprietors.
Voted and chose Alpheus F. Snow, Nathaniel Cowles and Moody Dustin, Agents.
By consent of Mr. Sumner, the committee conveyed tracts of these lands to James Sperry, Hira Ayer, Ichabod Hitchcock, Leonard Richardson, Leonard P. Fisher, Curtis Stoddard, Charles
25
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Cotton, Nathan G. Allds, David H. Sumner, and Daniel J. Liv- ingston. At a meeting March 28, 1857, at the office of Snow & Baker, Solon C. Grannis and Leonard P. Fisher were chosen the committee for making sales.
The last meeting of the proprietors that appears on record, was held at the office of A. F. Snow, on the twenty-eighth of October, 1858. David H. Sumner was moderator. By a loose paper, in the handwriting of A. F. Snow, Esq., dated July 16, 1864, found in the proprietors' record book, David H. Sumner consented to the sale, to Daniel J. Livingston, of the westerly half of Lot Number 2, and to himself of Lots Numbers 9 and 10, 8, 15, and 16, and the westerly half of Lot Number 5, and three fourths of an acre adjoining Lot Number 10, called the " Mill Privilege." These sales, it would appear, disposed of the last of the common or undivided lands in Claremont. Solon C. Grannis was the last pro- prietors' clerk chosen and in his possession the records remained until his death, March 7, 1892.
3
CHAPTER II.
FIRST SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN.
In 1762 Moses Spafford and David Lynde came to town, selected land and built cabins. They cleared some land and did other things to make for themselves homes. Between that time and 1767 a few others came, built cabins, cleared land and returned to their homes to pass the winter. Most of these cabins and clearings were in the west part of the town and along Sugar river. In 1767 the proprietors began to take steps to dispose of their shares and held out inducements for people to settle upon their grant. That year several came from Farmington, Hebron, Colchester, and other towns in Connecticut. None of the grantees came that year, and only Samuel Ashley, Samuel Ashley, Jr., and Oliver Ashley of the whole number ever became inhabitants of the town. Samuel Ash- ley did not become a citizen of the town until 1782. The early inhabitants of the town were nearly equally divided in their attach- ment to the Episcopal and Congregational denominations. An Episcopal church was organized in 1771, and a Congregational minister was settled in February, 1772.
Some years ago Bela Chapin, a painstaking and careful writer, prepared an interesting sketch of the "Bygone Times in Clare- mont," which was published in the "National Eagle." His data were gathered mostly from tradition and are as reliable, probably, as the generality of information obtained from that source. He says,
Near the middle of the last century a man named Eastman of Killingworth, Conn., a hunter and trapper, came up the Connecticut river as far as this town, and here, by the Sugar river and the various brooks which empty into it, he pur-
27
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
sued his vocation with great success. He extended his excursions into Newport, and having taken a large number of beavers and otters, he carried their dry skins back to Connecticut. He gave there a marvelous account of the region he had visited, and after disposing of his valuable furs he set out again for the same hunting ground. But he was heard from no more. After the first settlers arrived in Newport from Killingworth, Mr. Eastman's bones were found near Mink brook, just east of Kelleyville. It is thought he was killed by Indians, who considered him trespassing upon their hunting grounds.
At an early day many of the first settlers made changes in the ownership of their land. Some were afraid of the early autumn frosts on the lowland farms. Some were suspicious that the fertility of the light terrace land farms would not endure, and would some day become like the soil in parts of Connecticut. One Mathews, who had settled in what is now called Puckershire, sold his large farm and bought another uncleared on the high northern slope of Green mountain. "I am going," he said "where there is land," meaning by his emphasis that he was going where he would have much better land to till than where he had lived. He lived many years upon the mountain, and there are yet to be seen the ruins of his cellar and barnyard wall and a few old apple trees where he lived so long perhaps in contentment and happiness. The farm where he dwelt upon the mountain is now occupied by Timothy B. Rossiter as a sheep pasture. Two other men also sold their farms and went to live upon the mountain. Another early settler in the west part of the town became discouraged and sold his farm, which was nearly covered with great pine trees, and went where the trees were smaller, because there was so much labor required in burning and clearing away the great pine trees.
One of the oldest roads in Claremont was that running north and south over the hills in the western part of the town. This was the highway of travel up and down the river valley. It was through this town on that road that, in 1770, President Wheelock and his family in a large wagon, accompanied by students and attendants, about ninety in all, passed on their way from Connecticut to Hanover, driving before them a drove of hogs. At Hanover they established Moor's Charity School, which in due time became Dartmouth College.
Manufacturing in the early days of our history was carried on in all parts of the town. There were many blacksmiths who made nails and many kinds of farm- ing tools. There were also shoemakers in abundance, and a few coopers. But every house, especially every farmhouse, was a manufactory. Nearly all wearing apparel was home-made. Woman's lot then was that of great hardship. Carding wool and flax, and spinning and weaving it, was much of her employ- ment. The warping bars, the loom, and the spinning wheels, both for flax and wool, were had in almost every residence. Then carding machines and fulling mills were put in operation, and, as time progressed, facilities increased. At the close of the war of 1812 manufacturing by water power became more exten- sive, and continued to increase as the years passed by, and the business of the
28
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
town became still more important. About 1835 there were in Claremont eight stores, one furnace, four fulling mills, one woolen factory, one cotton factory, two paper-mills, eight saw-mills, and two printing offices.
In olden times corn, rye, oats, potatoes, pumpkins, and maple sugar were the principal productions of the soil. The raising of corn, oats, wheat, and rye were attended with some uncertainty. Raccoons, bears, and hedgehogs devoured the corn, much of it before it became ripe. Men killed the raccoons and hedgehogs at night by going with sled-stakes where would be the exit of the game, while the boys ran through the cornfields, and, with great noise, drove out the animals for the men to kill as they were about to escape to the woods. Potatoes were raised in abundance. Pumpkins were a sure crop, and many were raised. These last afforded food for both man and beast, and often were eaten in various ways when better food was scarce. Maple sugar was the first crop of the year. There were an abundance of maple trees in the different parts of the town, and especially along the hillsides near Sugar river, which from that fact received its name. And it was believed that the time for tapping sugar maples was only after the river had cleared itself of ice in the spring. Many a tired and hungry man, returning to his cabin, would refresh himself with sugar from his abundant store.
Claremont was once a region of lofty pines. These were cut down and dis- posed of in various ways. Many were split into rails for fences, and many were sawn into boards or made into shingles and clapboards, and many were burned and wasted. But the stumps remained in the ground and were likely to almost never rot. Then the stump-puller was put in operation. This consisted of a long, slim tree, cut and made into a lever, with a stout truck-wheel upon the smaller end. The longer end of the lever was chained to the stump with a mon- strous chain, a link of which would weigh about fifteen pounds. Then a half- dozen yokes of oxen were hitched to the wheel and driven forward, and the great stumps were thus turned out of the ground. These were drawn away and fences made of them.
New England rum for many years made sad havoc among the town's people. The first or early settlers were temperate in the use of ardent spirits, but the next generation of inhabitants were carried away and made miserable, many of them, by intemperate habits. It was a fault of the times. It was customary and fashionable to drink rum, brandy, and other kinds of fire-water upon all occasions and in everyday life. The preachers of the gospel drank rum, the deacons drank it, and almost every one, male and female, the aged, the middle- aged, and those in tender years, drank intoxicating drink. Not all were excess- ive drinkers, most drank moderately. On extra occasions, such as ordinations, weddings, funerals, family and friendly reunions, huskings, the raising of build- ings, bear hunts, musters, and on all occasions of merriment, much liquor was used, and often many became drunk or much beside themselves. Rum-drinking was a cause of much trouble, poverty and unhappiness. It made men quarrel
VILLAGE FROM FLAT ROCK.
29
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
with each other and spend their money foolishly. One old man, in his latter days, used to boast that he had had a dozen lawsuits and had beaten every time. This manner of life continued until about 1828, when Dr. Reuben Muzzey, of Dartmouth College, came about delivering his noted lecture, entitled " Rum,- its history, its uses and abuses." This lecture had immediate effect. All the good people, almost without exception, signed a pledge of total abstinence from all intoxicating drinks, and from that day to the present time the cause of tem- perance reform has continued its onward progress among our people. Still rum was sold and used in town. When laws were enacted to prevent its sale, sellers were licensed to sell it. We remember one noted rumseller in town [Luther Farwell]. He had a general assortment store in Dog Hollow. He was licensed to sell from year to year, but sometimes there were gaps when he had no license. Before the expiration of his legal time of selling he would advertise his stock so as to reduce it by a more rapid sale. One year the following was a part of his advertisement :
"The appointed time is hastening on To prosecute for selling rum. Bring in your things, glass, wood, and stone, The time is coming when you'll get none, For selling rum is just and right Till 12 o'clock next Saturday night."
Small were the excuses for drinking rum. A friend of mine tells me of his first visit one winter morning, long ago, at the house of two maiden sisters, neighbors of his, who lived about a mile from the village. He called at the house, and after some talk, the lady there asked: "Are you going to the village?" He told her he was going there, and she then said : "You see, my sister has to do the chores at the barn, and she very much needs some- thing to keep the cold from her lungs. Would you get her a gallon of rum ?" He answered yes. Going then to the barn he found the other lady cleaning the stable, and after some talk, she asked : "Are you going to the village ?" He replied in the affirmative, and she continued : "You know my sister in the house is not very well, and she needs something to strengthen her. Would you be so kind as to get her a gallon of rum?" He said he would, and on his return he brought them their rum. After the era of licensing had gone by, the people of the town elected a rum-seller to furnish fire-water to all who wanted it for medicinal and mechanical uses. Then there appeared to be much sickness in town. Men bought liquors for all kinds of complaints, and many bought it as a preventive of sickness. Much was sold for me- chanical purposes. Farmers bought it for the purpose of making their scythes swing easily in hay tinie. We once heard of a man from a neighboring town who called at the agency to buy rum for the purpose of pickling cucumbers.
30
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
After getting his large jug filled, and having paid for it all, he took a solid drink. Said the agent : "Hold on, sir; you bought that for pickles." "So I did," said the man, " and want first to pickle the cucumbers I had for breakfast."
In 1764, according to E. D. Sanborn's History of New Hamp- shire, from Charlestown to Haverhill, more than seventy miles, there was no road, only a bridle path indicated by marked trees. This was often hedged up by fallen trees or made impassable by freshets. Claremont then contained two families, and Cornish and Plainfield one each. A rude cabin was their only shelter, game or fish, for a time, their principal food, and water from the spring their only beverage. The wife lived alone while the hus- band was abroad felling trees or securing food. Comfort was unknown. When food became more plenty the inhabitants gen- erally ate meat once in a day. Porridge of beans, pease, or milk furnished their other meals. Bowls, dishes, and plates were usually of wood. The more wealthy used pewter and tin. There was then a mill at Charlestown for grinding corn, and people came long distances to get their grain made into meal.
The first meeting of the inhabitants of the town of Claremont in the Province of New Hampshire was held on the eighth day of March, 1768. How this meeting was notified or warned does not appear. The record of that meeting is as follows :
At a meeting of the Inhabitants of the Town of Claremont holden at the House of Capt. Benj'n Brooks of said Claremont on tuesday the eigth day of March, 1768.
Capt. Benj'n Brooks was chose Moderator to regulate said Meeting.
Joseph Ives was chose Town Clerk.
Capt. Benj'n Brooks, Ebenezer Skinner, Benj'n Tyler, Thomas Jones and Amos York were chosen Selectmen.
Benj'n Brooks, Jr. was chosen constable
Then this meeting was adjourned to the 29th day of instant March at one o'clock in the afternoon.
Mar. 29th, 1768. Then met according to adjournment.
Amos York and Benedick Roys were chose Tithingmen.
Benedick Roys and Josiah Rich were chose Deer Reves
Asa Leet and Ebenezer Skinner were chose Surveyors of Highways.
Voted to build a Pound for the use of the Town, near Thomas Jones' House, in the most convenient place
Thomas Jones chose Pound Keeper.
31
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Voted to raise a Rate of ten Pounds, Lawful Money to defray Town charges. Capt. Benjamin Brooks and Benjamin Sumner were chose a committee to lay out a Road to Newport.
Voted to take two acres of land off from the North west corner of the Fair for a Burying place
At a legal Town meeting holden at the House of Dr. William Sumner, on Tuesday, the fourteenth day of March, 1769,
Dr. William Sumner was chose Moderator
Benjamin Sumner was chose Town Clerk.
Jeremiah Spenser, Lieut. Benjamin Tyler and Benjamin Sumner were chose Selectmen.
Ebenezer Rice was chose Constable.
Ebenezer Skinner and Lieut. Tyler were chose Tithingmen, and said Tyler refused to serve, Asa Leet chose in his Room
Benedick Roys and Joseph Ives were chosen surveyors of Highways and Thomas Jones Keeper of the Town Pound.
Voted to adjourn this meeting to Tuesday the 28th day of instant March, at 3 o'Clock P. M. at the above mentioned place.
This meeting was opened according to adjournment.
At the same meeting chose Asa Leet, Thos. Gustin and Joseph Ives to be
a Committee to examine the Selectmen's accounts for the last year.
Asa Jones, Asaph Atwater, Beriah Murray, Hawards or field drivers.
The duty of a hayward was to keep a common herd of cattle of a town and see that they did no harm to hedges or enclosed grounds; to decide how many cattle each man was entitled to pasture on common grounds set off for grazing; and to im- pound all cattle going at large, doing or liable to do mischief. This officer long since became obsolete.
Josiah Rich and Jacob Roys chose fence viewers.
Amos York chose Leather Sealer.
Voted that Daniel Warner shall have for his services in making a road to Merrimack £1-8-0 Lawful money
Voted that Hogs may run at large Yoked and ringed according to law. This meeting is dissolved.
A Town meeting legally warned, March 13, 1770.
Capt. Benjamin Brooks was chose Moderator
Ebenezer Rice was chose Town Clerk
Capt. Benjamin Brooks, Capt. Benjamin Sumner, Jacob Rice, Joseph Ives and Asa Jones were chosen Selectmen.
Barnabas Ellis was chose Constable
32
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Josiah Rich and Benjamin Brooks, Jun'r, were chosen Tithing men. Messrs. Joseph Ives and Asa Jones were chose Leather Sealers.
John Spencer and Joseph Taylor were chose Field Drivers. Thomas Gustin was chose Town Treasurer.
Joseph York, Asa Leet, Moses Spaford were chosen Surveyors of Highways. Thomas Gustin, Ebenezer Skinner and Samuel Ashley were chosen a Com- mittee to examine the Selectmen's accounts.
Voted that swine shall go upon the Commons yoked and ringed according to Law.
Voted that this be dissolved.
The preceding extracts are given verbatim, showing how the records were kept, as well as the business that was transacted. Following are such abstracts from the recorded proceedings of town meetings as seem of interest.
At the annual meeting, on March 12th, 1771, holden at the house of Benjamin Brooks, who was chosen moderator, Samuel Cole was chosen town clerk, Thomas Gustin, Benjamin Brooks, and Asa Jones selectmen, and John Kelborn sealer of measures and weights.
Voted that the Town should record the Marks for Cattle and swine belonging to the Inhabitants of the Town.
September 26th, 1771. A meeting of the Inhabitants of the town of Clare- mont qualified to vote in common affairs and warned according to Law, at the South School House. At the same meeting Capt. B. Brooks was chosen Moderator. At the same meeting Capt. B. Brooks was chosen Grand Juror for the year ensuing.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1772, it was
Voted to raise three Pounds Lawful Money to purchase weights and measures for the use of the Town.
At a town meeting held on the sixth day of January, 1773, " Mr. Thomas Gustin was chosen moderator," and " Messrs. John Sprague, Benjamin Brooks, Jr., Ebenezer Rice, and Jacob Rice, drawn and appointed to serve on the petit jury."
At a town meeting held on April 5, 1773, it was
Voted that those who are appointed to serve as Jurors at the Court of Com- mon Pleas should serve at the Court of General Sessions of the Peace also.
33
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
At the same meeting John Thomas and Capt. Wait were drawn and appointed to serve at both Courts aforesaid.
At a town meeting on August 16, 1773,
Mr. Phineas Fuller was chosen Grand Juror, to serve at his Majesty's Su- preme Court to be holden at Keene, on the third day of Sept. next.
The selectmen of Claremont received the following letter, and promptly made return as given below :
PORTSMOUTH, October 15th, 1773.
Sir, -
I am to request an exact list of the number of inhabitants in the town of Claremont, distinguished into different Ranks or Classes, according to the schedule below, which I shall be glad to have returned to me, authenticated, as soon as possible.
JOHN WENTWORTH.
Unmarried men 16 to 60 years of age Married men 16 to 60 years of age Boys 16 years and under
41
66
121
Men 60 years and upwards .
2
Females unmarried
125
Females married .
66
Widows . ,
2
Male slaves
0
Female slaves
0
Total
423
ASA JONES, BENJAMIN BROOKS, JOSEPH TAYLOR, Selectmen.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1774, Matthias Stone was chosen moderator, Benjamin Sumner town clerk, Thomas Gustin, Matthias Stone, and Stephen Higbee selectmen, and all of them were sworn. This is the first record of any of the town officers having been sworn to the faithful performance of their respective duties.
At a town meeting on April fifth of that year, it was
34
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Voted that those Jurors that are appointed to serve at next Court of Common Pleas, to be holden at Charlestown in and for The County of Cheshire, on the 12th day of April Instant, shall serve at the General Sessions of the Peace to be holden at said Charlestown on the 14th day of Instant April. Joseph Hubbard and Asa Jones was appointed to serve the Courts aforesaid as jurors.
At a legal town meeting holden in the town of Claremont, at the meeting house in said town on July the 8th, 1774, Voted and chose Deak'n Matthias Stone, Moderator. At the same meeting a vote was called to see whether the town would stand trial with Mr. John Kilborn, who had commenced an action against said town for boarding the wife of Samuel Lewis and her children, by order of the Selectmen. Voted not to stand trial on the above action.
At the same meeting Voted to raise on the inhabitants of said town money for the discharging the several debts hereunder mentioned :
To Lieut. John Kilborn for keeping the wife and children
of Samuel Lewis and his children
92 6 £4 12 6
To Joseph Hubbard
23 8
1 3
8
To Daniel Curtis
16 9 2-6 16 9 2-4
To Capt. Sumner
13
13
To Capt. Brooks
22 9 1 2 9
To Lieut. Joseph Taylor
17 6 17 6
6 63 38 2-4
Thier several accompts being exhibited in the open town meeting and allowed by vote.
The above meeting was dissolved by
MATTHIAS STONE, Moderator.
At a town meeting on the thirteenth of September, 1774,
Voted and chose Capt. Benjamin Sumner to be Agent for the town to stand trial against a bill found by the Grand Jury for said County, against said town for not building a bridge over Sugar River on the road leading from Mr. Thomas Jones northward over said River.
Voted to raise money for the defraying the charges of said suit and collect it in the next Provincial rate that is gathered in said Town.
At a town meeting on June 15, 1775, "For the purpose of hear- ing the reports of Mr. Oliver Ashley from Provincial Congress and to choose a Committee of Safety, &c.,"
Voted that the town is fully satisfied with the doings of our Member, Mr. Oliver Ashley, at the Provincial Congress, holden at Exeter on the 17th of May last.
Voted and chose Capt. Joseph Wait, Ens'n Oliver Ashley, Mr. Thomas Gustin,
35
HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Mr. Asa Jones, Jacob Roys, Eleazer Clark and Lieut. Joseph Taylor a Commit- tee of Safety in this town.
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