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 4
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Voted that Mr. Oliver Ashley shall attend Provincial Congress till further orders.
At a town meeting on December 15, 1775, " Capt. Joseph Wait was chosen Representative to attend the Provincial Congress to be held at Exeter on the 21st day of December next."
Voted that said member shall have full power with the other members of said Colony to resolve themselves into such a House as the Continental Congress shall recommend for taking up Government in the Colony.
In accordance with an order of the Provincial Congress, the cen- sus of New Hampshire was taken in 1775. The following is a verbatim return of Claremont :
Males under 16 years of age
148
Males from 16 to 50- not in the army
125
All males above 50 years of age .
18
Persons gone in the army
1
All females .
231
Negroes, and slaves for life .
0
Total
523
The number of fire-arms in the Town of Claremont fit for actual service, 60 stand; 65 wanted.
Colony of New Hampshireremont, Oct'r 13th, 1775.
A true Number. Attest,
MATTHIAS STONE, OLIVER ASHLEY, Selectmen.
Thus it will be seen that in this year the number of inhabitants in Clarement was five hundred and twenty-three. In the year 1776 the number of new settlers fell so far short of the number of re- movals that in the winter of 1777-78, according to tradition, there were only forty families in town, which, being estimated at eight persons in each family,- considerably more than the subsequent and present average,- we find a reduction of two hundred in the population in the short space of two years. Among those who left about this time was Colonel Benjamin Sumner, who took up his
1154040
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
residence in Long Island. He was suspected of being on friendly terms with the British. He occasionally made short visits to this town, when on his journeys to and from Canada, carefully avoid- ing any contact with his former townsmen, excepting certain known and well-tried friends. Several attempts were made by the Com- mittee of Safety and other ardent Whigs to arrest him when on his flying visits, but without success.
The order for this census required a return of "The Number of Fire Arms in the respective Districts fit for use, and the number wanting to complete one for every person capable of using them," and it was " further strictly enjoined upon all Selectmen and Com- mittees to endeavor to prevent all persons from burning their Pow- der in shooting at Birds and other Game."
At a town meeting held December 10, 1776,
Voted and chose Mr. Elihu Stevens for a Representative to represent s'd town in the Assembly to be held at Exeter on the third Wednesday in December next, at 3 of the clock in the afternoon, and also empowerd said Representative for the term of one year from their first meeting.
Then proceeded and voted for two Counsellors for the Province of Cheshire and State of New Hampshire, in obedience to the warrant.
At the annual town meeting in March, 1777,
John Sprague was chosen Constable on the south side of Sugar River, Edwin Goodwin was chosen Constable on the north side of Sugar River.
Voted to pay the Rev'd Mr. Angustine Hibbard's third year's salary in good wheat at five shillings per Bushel ; in good well fatted pork at four pence per pound; good flax, well dressed at eight pence per pound, and other articles of provision or labor in proportion to the above Articles.
Benning Wentworth was commissioned governor of the Prov- ince of New Hampshire in 1741. In 1767 he resigned his office in favor of his nephew, John Wentworth, a son of Mark Hunking Wentworth, and to his nephew and successor in office it was sup- posed he would bequeath the bulk of his large estate. But in 1759, on his sixtieth birthday - being a childless widower - he had mar- ried Martha Hilton, his twenty years old servant girl, a young woman of matchless beauty, ready wit, and good sense, but very
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
poor, and died childless at the age of seventy-four years, in 1770. To her he bequeathed by his will, executed but a short time before his death, almost his entire property. Events which followed the death of the late Governor caused great uneasiness and perplexity to the owners of lands reserved by himself in townships granted by him. Those reservations were carefully located with reference to timber, soil and other advantages, and were bought at high prices by actual settlers. Doubtless the late Governor intended, and sup- posed he had, invested the several grantees with titles which could never be disputed, much less disturbed.
The hopes of his successor in office being cut off, he determined, if possible, to oust the young widow from her inheritance. Long forgotten claims against the late Governor's estate were unearthed and brought forward, suits at law were commenced, and even in some instances forcible entries were made upon the lands devised. But these proceedings, so long as they were confined within the range of the domestic circle, were but little noticed by the public. It was not long, however, before the new Governor began to turn his attention to the reservations made by his deceased uncle in grants of townships. He submitted the question to the Council " whether the reservations of five hundred acres in the several townships made by the late Governor Benning Wentworth, in the charter grants, conveyed the title to him ?" The Council deter- mined this question in the negative. The Governor then asked whether they would advise him to grant the said tracts to such of his majesty's subjects as should settle and cultivate the same ? To this they gave their assent. It may be stated that of the council- lors seven on this occasion were relatives of the governor.
The next step was to dispossess all who had derived their title to the reserved lots through the late Governor. This extraordinary movement brought forth, in rapid succession, its legitimate results. The occupants of the disputed lands at once determined to defend their estates at whatever cost. The officers of the government used every artifice in their power to accomplish the object of their mis- sion, but the settlers remained firm and uncompromising. Threats, insults, and violence were resorted to, but without success. A few,
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
alarmed at the prospect of a lawsuit and intimidated by the men- aces of officers, relinquished their titles, and at no inconsiderable expense repurchased their possessions. Complaints were at last sent to the Lords of Trade of England, and measures were taken to examine into the acts and conduct of the Governor. The Council undertook to reply to the charges made against themselves and the Governor. With their defense were sent depositions from persons in all ranks and professions testifying in favor of the Gov- ernor. "In reference to the matter before us," it was declared by the King in Council, that " the lands granted to the late Governor were granted in the name of the King, which was sufficient to em- power him to convey a title, and that the Council was mistaken in directing otherwise."
In accordance with this decision the Governor was directed not to disturb the title or interest of those who had purchased of the late Governor and had complied with the terms of the charter, by actu- ally occupying and improving the lands. Lieut. George Hubbard, father of the late Isaac Hubbard, Esq., and great-grandfather or Isaac Hubbard Long, the present owner and occupant of the farm, was the owner of the governor's reservation in this town. He was an early settler, having come here in 1778, and had made consid- erable improvements upon his lands. The possession of these was considered by the Governor and those employed by him to dispos- sess Mr. Hubbard, as very desirable. They were favorably located, and the common prediction that Claremont was destined to become a wealthy and prominent town rendered them of still more import- ance. Hence no effort was spared which might insure success to the undertaking. But Mr. Hubbard was not the man to be deluded, driven, or persuaded to acceptance of the terms or inducements held out to him to part with that which he wished to retain. His reply to those who from time to time attempted to dispossess him of what he regarded as his rights, almost invariably was, " The law sustains me, if law is common sense, and neither the Governor nor His Majesty King George shall drive me from this soil." Mr. Hubbard had early been informed, through Peter Livius, Esq., one of the Council, that preparations were making to lay the whole matter
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
before the King's Council, and doubtless felt quite sure that the acts of the late Governor, unless clearly illegal, would never be dis- countenanced by the King. The title of the late Governor to the lands in question being confirmed by the King in Council, the own- ers were relieved from further anxiety.
The committee, Benj. Brooks and Benj. Sumner, chosen at the first town meeting to lay out a highway to Newport, in pursuance of this duty, began about half a mile. south of the middle point of the west line of the town, and proceeded easterly in a straight line to Sugar river. The course was not varied by hills or valleys. The width of the highway was uniformly ten rods. This road passed through what is now the south part of the village, near the Stevens High School building. It was the custom to reserve strips of land ten rods in width between adjacent tiers or divisions of lots, with the intention that whenever lands might be taken for actual high- ways, the owners of lands so appropriated could be compensated from the "reservations." Hence it is found that the one hun- dred acre lots generally contain one hundred and five acres each.
In 1769 the settlement of the town had so far progressed that husbands who had provided cabins sent for their wives and chil- dren, and single men began to consider the subject of matrimony. Barnabas Ellis and Elizabeth Spencer were the first couple married in Claremont according to the usages of civilized society. There being no one in town empowered to perform the ceremony, the Rev. Bulkley Olcott of Charlestown was sent for to officiate. There were no roads through the wilderness, and a brother of the bride was sent to act as pioneer for the clergyman and to procure new rum for the wedding. All the people in town were invited. The ceremony was performed in a log cabin,- the largest and best adapted one in the neighborhood for such a gathering. It con- tained three rooms, and a chamber which was reached by a ladder made of spruce poles. The guests were seated upon benches, stools, and blocks of wood. In front of the happy pair was a stand upon which was a Bible, hymn book, and a full tumbler of the bev- erage provided. The parties being in order the minister approached the stand, and with becoming dignity took up the tumbler, and
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
after a generous sip of its contents, said : "I wish you joy, my friends, on this occasion." A chapter from the Bible was read, a hymn was sung,-the minister reading a line and those present singing each line as read. The marriage knot was then solemnly and duly tied, a long prayer offered and the ceremony was com- plete. Then followed toasts, jokes, and merriment, interspersed with black-strap.
Mr. Ellis was one of the early settlers. He filled several town offices, was a lieutenant in the continental army, and was with Ethan Allen's expedition against Forts Ticonderoga and Crown Point, in 1775, and in the battle of Bennington, August 16, 1777. He purchased a tract of land on Town hill, where he lived, hon- ored and respected, and died in 1837. The farm continued the home of his youngest son, William Ellis, until his death, in 1880, and is now owned by his grandson, William Barnabas Ellis.
Since the termination of the French and Indian War, in 1760, the Indians had not troubled the settlements along the Connect- icut river. Game and fish were very abundant, and occasionally they resorted in small numbers to their old hunting and fishing grounds, but their visits were few and short. Probably they never occupied the territory in this vicinity as a permanent or habitual abode, as no relics of the race have ever been discovered in the neighborhood which would indicate it. At the time referred to a single Indian by the name of Tousa still lingered in the west part of the town, and claimed certain territory as his hunting ground, on which he mostly stayed. Tradition has it that he had been chief of a tribe who were once lords of the soil, but now were either exterminated or had removed to Canada. But he seemed determined not to relinquish the possessions of his ancestors to the aggressive palefaces. Though he continued to remain here for several years after the settlement of the town, and at last died on what he termed his own soil, yet he sought no intercourse or friendship with the new occupants, but followed his favorite pursuits - fishing and hunting. It was known that he had borne a conspicuous part in the bloody and devastating expeditions against Charlestown, Keene, and other English colo-
JOHN TYLER HOUSE, WEST CLAREMONT.
-
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
nies, and it was feared that he might be still lurking about, watching an opportunity to enact similar scenes.
He had frequently warned the white hunters not to trespass upon his ground, and they generally heeded his warning. He was present at the raising of the frame of Union church in 1773, and expressed great indignation at the erection of so large a building, seeming to regard it as an encroachment upon his rights. He became crazed with too much fire-water, was boisterous, and loudly threatened to shoot any white hunter who should intrude on his territory. One Timothy Atkins, a full match for Tousa in size and strength, between whom and the Indian a bitter enmity had long existed, hearing these threats, determined to hunt on the forbidden ground. One morning he went off in that direction alone, with his gun heavily charged, after which Tousa was never seen or heard of, and his sudden disappearance was a mystery. In 1854, Josiah Hart, now living, in digging on his premises - territory which was claimed by Tousa as his ground - unearthed a skeleton, which from its great size, and the form of the skull and face bones, was believed to be that of the last Indian habitue of Claremont.
The territory claimed by Tousa as his hunting ground was on the north side of Sugar river, and embraced parts of the farms of the late Messrs. Danford Rice, Dr. S. G. Jarvis, and John Tyler.
In the spring of 1767 Benjamin Tyler, a mill-wright and an ingenious and enterprising mechanic, came from Farmington, Conn., to Claremont on foot. In March of that year the grantees voted him two acres of land on Sugar river for a mill yard, with the privilege of the stream, on condition that he build a mill or mills and keep them in repair for ten years. That summer he built the first dam across that river at West Claremont, in the same place where the Jarvis and Coy dam now is, and then returned to Farmington. The next March he brought his wife, six children, and his household effects here on an ox sled. There being no roads he came on the ice of Connecticut river from Bellows Falls. He was delayed at Montague, Mass., several days
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
by a snow storm, and in the time made a pair of cart wheels for the tavern keeper to pay for his entertainment.
While building his dam Mr. Tyler lived in a rude hut under a fallen pine tree, near where the dam was built. When he ar- rived in Claremont with his family, in March, 1768, they stopped at the log house of Daniel Warner, located on the meadow near where Lottery bridge now stands. This was the second house built in town, the first one being built by Samuel Ashley on what has since been known as Ashley meadow, a short distance north of Ashley ferry. Soon after the arrival of Mr. Tyler the ice in Connecticut river broke up, formed a dam near the mouth of Sugar river, the water set back onto the meadow, and the inmates of the Warner house were forced, to save their lives, to make their escape on rafts and a canoe. The house and its entire contents were carried away and destroyed.
Mr. Tyler was born at Wallingford, Conn., on February 22, 1732- George Washington's birthday - married Mahitabel An- drews, and removed to Farmington, Conn., where they had seven children born to them, the first of which died in infancy. At the first town meeting, in March, 1768, and before his arrival with his family, Mr. Tyler was chosen one of the selectmen, was subsequently re-elected several times, and held other offices of honor and trust in the town. That summer he built, in con- nection with his dam, grist and saw mills on the north side of the river. At the raising of the frame of the grist mill, which was no common event, the settlers in the vicinity were present to help, some of them coming twenty miles. Mr. Tyler had brought with him from Connecticut half a barrel of West India rum for this occasion. It was not tapped until the work of raising the frame was finished. Any kind of spirituous liquor was a rarity in town in those days, and some of the men indulged so freely as to be overcome by it, were unable to reach their homes that night, and slept by the side of fallen trees in the forest.
For two or three years the crops were almost a failure, and the settlers suffered greatly in consequence. As soon as he got his mills in order, Mr. Tyler ground corn and other grain for
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
the settlers over a considerable extent of territory, many bringing their grists through the forest for miles on their backs. He also got out lumber, and being a carpenter as well as millwright, su- perintended the building of many framed houses and barns in the next few years, the most of them in the west part of the town. He built for himself what was for those days a large two story house, the same that has for many years been well known as the Maynard tavern stand.
The first framed house in town was built by Benedick Roys, about a hundred rods east from James P. Upham's residence, on Town hill. In 1807 Benjamin Grundy moved it to its present location, finished it in a few years, and then sold it to Benjamin Tyler, father of West Part John Tyler, as he was called, to dis- tinguish him from John Tyler of Claremont village. The house and surrounding lands, after the death of his father, Benjamin Tyler, the younger, passed into the possession of West Part John Tyler, who spent most of his life there, and from it was carried direct to his last resting place by the side of his ancestors, in the cemetery near Union church, in which he had worshiped all his life. This house is still standing and is occupied by his widow.
Town meetings for several years prior to 1792 were held at pri- vate houses and at the tavern of Ebenezer Rice.
In the warrant for a town meeting to be held on the eighth day of December, 1794, was this article, " To choose one of the following persons, viz : Abel Foster, Esq., or Paine Wingate, Esquire, they having the highest number of votes next to those already elected to represent this State in the Congress of the United States, to hold his place for two years from the fourth day of March next."
The vote of Claremont at the town meeting was, for Abel Foster, Esq., 43; Paine Wingate, Esq., 28. Abel Foster, a clergyman of Canterbury, was elected.
Prior to 1794, two tax collectors-one on the north and the other on the south side of Sugar river - had been chosen. At the annual meeting this year it was voted that one man should be chosen tax collector for the whole town, and that the office for the ensuing year "should be set up at thirty pounds, and any person
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
should have the right to say how much less he would do it for, with the privilege of being Constable, and furnish a good and sufficient bondsman." After several bids Joseph Rice declared that he would comply with the conditions and perform the duty for the sum of nineteen shillings and eight pence, and he was chosen.
It was voted to raise one hundred and twenty pounds for the sup- port of schools the ensuing year ; one hundred and twenty pounds to repair highways, and sixty pounds to defray incidental expenses. The whole number of votes cast for governor was 120, viz : John Taylor Gilman, Esq., 112; Simeon Olcott, Esq., 6 ; Bazellah Wood- ward, Esq., 1, and Benjamin West, Esq., 1.
"At the annual town meeting in March, 1776,
Voted to choose George Hubbard to inspect the Bank of Connecticut River on those days which the law prohibits fishing.
At a town meeting on August 29, 1796,
Voted to choose a committee to view the Common & to see what addition was necessary to be made to said Common.
Voted and chose Oliver Ashley, Esq., Moody Dustin, Esq., George Hubbard, Gentleman, Giddeon Handerson, Ezra Jones, Gentleman, a committee for the above purpose.
The Committee report that it is necessary to make an addition to the Common of three quarters of one acre of land taken on the west side of said Common of Capt. Stevens land.
Voted to accept the report of the Committee.
BURYING YARD AND COMMON.
At a town meeting on August 27, 1792,
Voted to give of the school lot two acres of Land for a Burying Yard near the Meeting House.
At the same meeting
Voted to accept the Highway beginning at Atkins Bridge by the meeting house so through Mr. James Strobridge land. Voted to exchange one acre and two rods of land on the school lot No. 29, with Samuel Whitter for one acre & two rods of Ground which the meeting house stands on.
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
TAXES.
At the annual town meeting, on March 10, 1778, " Dea. Matthias Stone and Dr. Thos. Sterne were chosen a committee to petition the Assembly in the State of New Hampshire that no land Tax may be laid on the lands in the Town of except nonresident lands only, and that s'd Committee shall offer the Town's reasons and their remonstrance against it."
SMALL POX.
On February 7, 1788, in legal meeting, the town voted that " they would admit of a Pest House to be set up or procured for' the purpose of Innoculating for the small pox if leave can be ob- tained of the Sessions of the Peace," and that " Capt. George Hub- bard, Sanford Kingsbury, Esq., and Ambrose Cossit, Esq., be a committee to over see the affairs or take due measures to prevent the Small Pox from spreading from those that are Innoculated."
At a town meeting on January 19, 1792,-
Voted to discontinue the pest houses or liberty of Innoculating in s'd Town.
In 1783 there is no record of an annual town meeting for the choice of the usual town officers. During that year there were several town meetings, but mention is only made of the assemblings and adjournments without the transaction of any business, except- ing in November, when a vote was passed to "assess the town of Claremont in the sum of 130 pounds lawful money to pay the re- maining part of Rev. Mr. Hibbard's settlement," and also to "raise money to pay the bondsmen of Capt. Benj. Sumner, on account of the charges incidental to the settlement of the late Mr. Whea- ton's estate."
PAPER CURRENCY.
At town meeting on August 8, 1786,
Voted that this State make a Bank of paper Currency. Voted to choose a Com- mittee of five men to give our Representative instruction how and in what man- ner s'd money shall be made to answer the publick interest, and also in what manner said money shall be drawn out of the Treasury to answer the most valu- able purpose.
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HISTORY OF CLAREMONT.
Samuel Ashley, Jun., Major Ol'r Ashley, Elihu Stevens, Esq'r, Lt. Benjamin Tyler & Dea. Matthias Stone were chosen a Committee for ye above purpose.
At a town meeting on November 21, 1786, this committee re- ported a plan which they had agreed upon for a paper currency, and " Eighteen voted for the plan proposed to make paper money five voted against s'd plan."
To make this matter as clear as possible at this remote period, it may be stated that at the close of the Revolutionary War the gen- eral government as well as the states, was involved in debt. " Sil- ver and gold, which had been extensively circulated during the last years of the war, were now returning by the usual course of trade to those countries whence large quantities of necessary and un- necessary commodities had been imported." The country was drained of specie, and congress then possessed no power to lay im- posts, and there was no check to this universal flow from the pub- lic treasury. To remedy existing evils taxations upon polls and estates were resorted to, and thus frequent and almost insupport- able burdens were thrown upon the husbandman and the laborer.
Hence arose a clamor throughout the state for the establishment of a paper currency. In almost every town was a party in favor of this measure. It was insisted that through this method life would be imparted to commerce and encouragement to agriculture; that the poor would thereby be provided with means for the payment of their debts and taxes, and finally that it would act as an effect- ual check to the operations of speculators and monopolists.
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