USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Cornish > History of the town of Cornish, New Hampshire, with genealogical record, 1763-1910, Vol. I > Part 4
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In those times, church and state were united. The church was sustained by the whole community under the management . of the political machinery of the state and town; a tax for its support being laid on every propertyholder. This action was required by Great Britain in all her colonies, and therefore one of the conditions of the township grants was that a certain part of said grant should be set apart for the propagation of the gospel, etc. This practice continued even after British rule had ceased in our colonies. The emancipation of the church from political authority was largely due to the Baptists, whose tenets forbid magisterial authority or interference in religious affairs. (See Baptist Church.) All other churches soon after followed in their wake.
The first meeting houses in town were plain buildings, but little better than barns, without much finish. The men sat on one side, and the women on the other. There were no means
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of warming them in winter; and yet everyone was required to go to meeting, even though thinly clad and poorly shod, and remain through two long services, each sermon being at least an hour long, besides two prayers and psalm-singing to each service. Between the two services there was an hour's intermission.
It was a common custom on Sunday morning in winter to yoke the oxen to a sled, put on a few boards, put on a chair for "mother" or "grandpa," take blankets in which the children cuddled down, and drive, in some cases, miles to meeting, stay through both services and intermission with no fire in the meeting house, and then drive home through the snow to a cold house. Women sometimes carried heated stones for their hands and feet; and later foot-stoves were used. These were filled with live coals at the start, and sometimes replenished for the return ride home, at the house of a friend near the meeting house. It was thought essential that a child should be baptized soon after birth, and it is said that babies were sometimes taken to those cold houses for baptism before they were a week old. In summer most of the people walked to meeting. If a horse was owned, the man would take his wife on the horse with her youngest child on a pillion behind him, and the children walked barefooted, the older girls carrying their shoes and stockings and putting them on just before they arrived at church. The mother of the writer has often avouched the truth of this custom, as she was one of the many big girls who practiced it.
The minister was regarded as a superior and sanctified being and entitled to great reverence and respect. At the close of the services the congregation would rise and stand while he passed out through the central isle. The early ministers preached morality as an essential element of true religion, and practiced it in their lives. Children were taught to show them great respect. If they met the minister on the highway, the boys would remove their hats and bow their heads, and the girls would make a low courtesy. Their visits in the family were not always relished by the children. The restraint on these occasions was irksome, and the fear of being catechised so great that they were glad to see him take his departure.
Deacons' seats were built at the base of the high pulpit, facing the congregation. Here those officials sat each Sabbath adding much to the apparent sanctity of the services.
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Tithingmen, chosen by the town and sworn to the faithful performance of their duties, armed with a long staff, took position overlooking the congregation, or walked the aisle, to preserve order and keep all the drowsy ones awake.
The singing was performed by the reading of a line of a hymn by the minister or leader, who gave the key-note with his pitch- pipe or tuning fork, the choir singing it after him, and then taking the next line in the same way.
The observance of the Sabbath was very strict; its hours begun at sunset on Saturday, and ended at sunset on Sunday night. All customary labors were suspended. All things savor- ing of levity or even mirthfulness were to be repressed, and all must go to meeting whatever the distance or the weather. Almost the only public and secular intercourse the people had on Sunday was during the hour intervening between the two solemn services of the sanctuary, when they caught a few moments for gossip. The less devout men of the congregation had their weekly chat in the horse-sheds at the rear of the church.
Puritan morals frowned upon amusements generally. Card- playing, theater-going and dancing were considered abominations by all good chureh-goers.
The free use of ardent spirits was not tabooed as at present. Ordinations and dedications, and even funerals were made occasions of feasting, and great freedom in those indulgences, and excess did not then seem to incur any disgrace.
The first schools were primitive affairs. Owing to the lack of text-books and competent teachers, but little could be learned beside the "three R's:" (Reading, "Riting" and "Rithmetic.") Schoolhouses were rude and uneomfortable. In winter the teachers were men, and the schools were effective and practical so far as they went. (See Educational Department.)
"As a rule, the pioneers heretofore described, and their wives and the large families of girls and boys reared in those primitive homes, were among the purest and noblest of men and women. Though parents were austere and apparently unsympathetic, their hearts were warm under a stern exterior. Their Puritan principles were of the highest, and their industry, frugality and integrity made them the best of citizens; and most of those homes were pure fountains whence flowed the streams that formed the mighty rivers of the states and the nation. From
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such homes came the men, always nobly seconded by the women, who beat back the savages, subdued the forests; carried on the affairs of each little independent government, the town; organized the states; won their separation from Great Britain, and laid the foundation of this grand republic."
The early settlers of these towns were a hardy and vigorous people, inured to hardship and danger. They were generally the young, energetic and enterprising members of the older com- munities. Respect for the authority of the church and state were striking features in the character of our forefathers.
While not highly educated in the schools, they became liberally educated in the arts and methods of pioneer life. The rugged life they were compelled to lead developed new energies and made them the heroes of their own success.
With all their devotion to law and authority they possessed a love for freedom from restraints of society which is fascinating to many men and women. Their own lives as pioneers were divested of all such restraints and so they were at liberty to devote all their energies to the founding and growth of their homes in the wild. Their lives were a repetition of that of their ancestors nearer the coast who had fought and driven the Indians back and established homes the century before; the account of which stimulated these, their descendants, to a similar work and expe- rience.
The rugged experiences of the first settlers served to develop them in every way and fit them for still greater achievements. It made them a class of men and women of a type apparently superior to those who were never called to such experiences.
The following incident is a specimen of multitudes of similar experiences by early settlers: It is related by Levi N. Barn- ard, Esq., of Springfield, Vt .:
"Nathaniel Gowing, who was born in Sutton, Mass., in 1734, came to Chester, Vt., soon after the settlement of that town in 1763. The summer of 1765 was a barren one and the following winter was very cold with deep snows. Provisions were scarce, and Mr. Gowing, who lived in the north part of that town on a high hill, was forced to travel on snowshoes to Cornish, N. H., where the only grist-mill within many miles was located. He tramped across Weathersfield and reached the river (there were no highways then), went up the river on ice to Cornish and
4
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secured sixty pounds of Indian meal, he then retraced his steps. The load proved heavy and he became nearly exhausted. In this condition he was tempted to lie down in despair, but the thought of his wife and children famishing at home kept him going, and after a long and weary tramp he reached home with his meal on his back, and on that they managed to worry out the balance of the winter."
Mr. Barnard, now (1908) in his 99th year, has often heard Mr. Gowing relate this incident among other experiences of his early life. Many a like incident has been told where our ances- tors, when driven to straits, have performed heroic deeds and conquered difficulties that would seem well-nigh impossible in our day. To the masterful deeds of our forefathers, we owe the comfortable conditions of the present. Their heroic achievements paved the way for the generations that have since followed them.
In all the early settlements of New England a vigilant system of self-defense was the only safeguard for the settlers. The dangers of the forests from Indians and wild beasts developed this spirit and made the hardy pioneers brave and warlike. Thrilling feats of bravery and valor were often displayed by individuals and by organized forces. The necessity of organized force was realized by all. The French and Indian War had been precipitated. French and English were rival claimants for vast tracts of the territory of North America. The French, joined by Indian allies, sought to drive the English settlers from their just claims. The English very naturally resented ali these attempts, and a war lasting nine years ensued, resulting in a vic- tory for the English colonists. This was called the "French and Indian War." It ended in 1763,-two years before the settlement of the town. Cornish, therefore, as a town, played no part in this strife. Hostile forces may have marched through the solitude of her forests, but they left no record there.
The principal, if not the only hero of that memorable strife, who afterwards made Cornish his home, was Capt. Joseph Taylor, whose interesting experiences are recorded in the genealogy of the Taylor family. (Which see.)
Wild Beasts, Etc.
The forests of Cornish, like those of other towns in this section, at first abounded with wild game of all kinds common to the
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latitude and climate. The most dangerous and most dreaded animals were the black bear, wolf and catamount. The wolves often made the night hideous by their howling, two or three making sounds as if there were a dozen or more of them. But these seldom attacked men unless pinched by extreme hunger. Children, however, were in much greater danger from them. Bears and wolves especially were counted a terror and a scourge, as they were ever ready when opportunity presented, to prey upon such domestic animals as might come within their reach. The raising of sheep was next to an impossibility by reason of their depredations. The state therefore offered and paid bounties for their destruction. We can realize that it was a pressing necessity that prompted the offering of liberal bounties for their extermina- tion. For several years it was necessary that all domestic animals be secured by corralling them at night to render them as secure as possible. It was no uncommon thing for the weary owner to be aroused from his slumbers at midnight by the dismal wail of his affrighted animals, caused by the stealthy approach of vora- eious beasts. Incessant war, therefore, was waged against them.
Trapping the bear was a common method resorted to. Shoot- ing was considered less safe than trapping them, as a wounded bear becomes a terrible foe unless the hunter has made a fortunate shot, which he is not always sure to accomplish.
The traps were made of iron and steel with long sharp teeth in- side the jaws which closed with a savage and relentless grip upon its victim which could in no way extricate itself. When caught in this way the bear or other animal could easily and safely be dispatched.
Doubtless many a thrilling adventure with these animals occurred during the earlier years, which, had they been recorded would furnish an interesting chapter ; but unfortunately not many of these are left on record, or even handed down by tradition.
Col. Jonathan Chase was the owner of a bear-trap. He oftentimes loaned it among his neighbors on condition that he should have the hide of all animals caught in it, while the trappers could have the carcass, and all the fun and satisfaction of the capture.
The story has often been told of his loaning his trap to Ben- jamin Dorr and other parties in the east part of the town. The trap was set on the hill of the farm of Stephen Child near the line
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of the adjoining farm of Mr. Dorr. The land was but partially cleared, being covered with underbrush, fallen trees, etc. They set the trap by the side of a huge log or fallen tree. The following day Mr. Dorr and his companion sought the place to ascertain if they had caught any game. Evidently they had mistaken its locality. Mr. Dorr mounted a log and pointed to another log a little way off, saying to his companion, "There is the place where we set the trap," and suiting the action to the word he stepped off the log, intending to go to the other log, and stepped directly into the trap which closed upon him, piercing his ankle and holding him fast. His companion seeing his con- dition, at first endeavored to liberate him, but soon found that it required, at least, another man to aid in mastering the sturdy jaws of the trap.
The next thought was to go to the nearest neighbor for help. Meanwhile Mr. Dorr was suffering severely from the lacerations of the cruel spikes of the trap, which held him firmly in their grip. His companion ran to the house of Mr. Child for help, and hurriedly told him the circumstances, urging him to come at once to the aid of Mr. Dorr. They went to the place where the unfortunate man was pinioned, and with considerable effort they extricated him from his unenviable predicament. His leg had received severe injuries, from which he never fully recov- ered, and, though he afterwards lived to a good age, was always lame in consequence of this event.
But the joke came in on the settlement for the loan of the trap according to the terms then specified. Tradition does not say how the matter was adjusted, but it is hardly supposable that Colonel Chase claimed the "hide," for in this case the "game" lived until nearly 79 years of age. The writer well remembers, when a little boy, of seeing Mr. Dorr, as an aged and lame man.
The event of the "capture" of Mr. Dorr gave occasion for many jocular remarks, doubtless enjoyed by all better than by himself. The locality where this event took place was said to be a favorite resort for bears. A clearing was made on the hill and a field of corn planted as a decoy for them. The rows or ridges made at that time are plainly visible at this day.
One morning Mr. Child saw a bear leisurely sauntering about the barn evidently in search of a breakfast. Seeing the bear was disposed to leave, he seized a lever near at hand, and followed
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the bear towards the woods on the east, until the bear was crossing a shallow pond on a log, when Mr. Child sprang forward and struck the bear a vigorous blow, breaking his back, after which he was easily dispatched. This little incident has often been told the writer, also the place designated where it took place.
Ezra Stowell, who lived on the mountain in the edge of Gran- tham (now Cornish), during the early part of the last century had one year an unusually fine piece of corn. He not only took great pride in it, but it was to be the chief dependence of the family for food during the coming winter. So it was with great concern that he discovered that the bears had also got their eyes on it, and were helping themselves to it freely. His wife sympathized with him in the loss, but when he declared his intention of going out that night to shoot the bear, she brought all her powers of persuasion to bear to dissuade him. She argued that if he failed to kill the bear, the bear might kill or injure him, and such a loss would be greater than any amount of corn. She finally wrung from him a reluctant promise to let the bear alone, and she retired to rest with a mind free from anxiety.
But there appears to have been a mental reservation in the promise made by Ezra for he loaded his gun that night with a large charge of shot, adding two good bullets. He stood the gun in the hall near the door of the sleeping room, covering it with his coat; and when the regular breathing of his wife convinced him that there was no likelihood of argument being renewed that night, he softly arose, and taking the gun started for the cornfield.
It was bright moonlight. As he crept along he heard the bear at work, and soon could see him as plainly as by day, going along between the rows, and every now and then reaching for a par- ticularly juiey ear, which he would twist from the stalk, munch with great relish, and then pass on for another morsel. As the bear approached he presented a fine target, and taking good aim, Mr. Stowell fired. The bear went down in a heap, and in a moment lay still. He seemed to be dead, but Mr. Stowell, with the caution of a frontiersman, would not risk a nearer approach without better evidence of death. He prepared to put another charge in the gun, but after the powder was down the muzzle he found that in his haste he had forgotten to bring the shot- pouch. He would not risk a return to the house, where his wife might already be awake; he dare not leave the bear without a
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complete settlement. He finally slid the long iron ramrod down the barrel, and fired that into the bear. There was no respon- sive movement, and he was fully satisfied that his first shot had killed the bear. He returned to the house, where he found his wife peacefully sleeping. She knew nothing of the adventure until he confessed to her.
The morning came, a complete examination was made. It was found that one of the bullets had passed through the bear's heart and must have caused instant death. The other bullet had severed a corn-stalk as neatly as a knife could have done it.
The ox team was brought into play and the bear's carcass drawn down to the house. He was a big fellow. His meat was a welcome addition to the homely fare of the day, and the thick, warm bearskin did duty for many years.
These dangerous animals have long since disappeared except an occasional straggler, lured by the "Blue Mountain Game Preserve," may have been seen within a few years.
Beside the dangerous animals was the beaver, once numerous, judging by the remains of their dams on meadows through which flow large streams of water. These are now entirely extinct, but the fox, mink, muskrat and raccoon still exist, despite the wary hunter's skill, also the woodchuck, rabbit, hedgehog and skunk.
Of the feathered tribe the hawk, owl and crow are still plentiful, causing more or less trouble to those who raise poultry. The sparrow, robin, bobolink, swallow, oriole, blackbird, bluejay and many other kinds still exist, charming us with their beauty and filling our forests and meadows with their cheerful songs. Occasionally the whip-poor-wills' plaintive note may be heard on a summer evening.
Forests.
When the first settlers came to Cornish they found the country an almost unbroken wilderness. The land was covered with a heavy growth of wood and timber, all in its original stateliness and grandeur. The settlers were attracted by these conditions of the forests, as they furnished abundant evidence of the fertil- ity of the soil. Many of the trees were of immense size, especially the white pine. At first these were reserved for "His Majesty's masts, " according to the terms in the original grants. This
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reservation continued only during the continuance of British rule in the grants. After this all timber remaining belonged to the owners of their tracts.
Other varieties of trees common to the latitude abounded in all their primeval grandeur. The evergreens, hemlock and spruce, the former occupying a conspicuous share in the general forest, while the latter crowned the mountain's top and sides.
Of the deciduous trees, the different varieties of beech, birch and maple, seem to have formed a large percentage of the bulk of the forest in many places. To these were added the oak, poplar and basswood, while the stately elm and ash were to be found on the meadowlands, or beside the streams of water.
The above-named varieties have constituted the chief bulk of all the forests of the town, while many other varieties of less importance were found interspersed among them.
The forests, at the first, were comparatively continuous and uniform; covering all the land except swale bogs and craggy heights, or where a tornado may have partially denuded it.
With such a growth of wood and timber covering the land one may easily imagine what a task our forefathers had to prepare for the raising of the first crop of provisions. Yet they faltered not, and the forests rang with the sound of the merry woodman's axe mingled with his cheerful song.
Legislation to protect the forests was not needed in those days. The significance of the modern title "forester" was then unknown. But on the other hand, the most effective means were employed whereby large tracts of land could be cleared as speedily as pos- sible of its immense growth of trees. Oftentimes the best wooded and timbered tracts were the fields chosen for crop-growing, especially if near the building, and so the fine growth of wood and timber had to be sacrificed.
A very common way of beginning a clearing was to cut several adjacent trees two thirds or more off at the stump and then to fall one large tree against the one nearest it, causing it to fall in turn against others, and so the whole would be carried to the ground. This was called "driving a piece." The trees were allowed to lie one season to dry, after which they were cut, piled and burned.
Another way was to girdle all the large trees and then remove all the smaller growth by grubbing and burning. The large
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trees dying, their shade was not sufficient to materially affect any growing crop. These might stand for years before they fell. Millions of feet of the finest timber, and wood beyond all estimate, were destroyed by these methods. There seemed to be no other alternative as they had no market value at that time, and so the chief aim of the settler was to destroy, which was chiefly done by burning. The clearing involved much hard labor. A portion of the logs were used to build a fence around the tract, and some of the finest were used for building the house, which was generally constructed of logs; and the remainder, the main portion, were cut, piled and burned.
These methods were the common experiences of all pioneers who attempted settlement in the primeval forests.
Sometimes the settlers would exchange work with each other, and at other times join in "bees" to hasten the work.
It is said that some secret tact in planning and preparing log- piles for burning, gave rise to the satirical term of log-rolling.
So hardy and physically powerful were many of these settlers and so skilled in the use of the axe, it is said that many a man "felled" his acre of timber in a day, and that some of them would drink a quart of rum, and chew a "hand" of tobacco while doing it.
To the present generation, the destruction of those beautiful and valuable forests, seem little short of vandalism; but the exigencies of the times required it, as man must subsist on the products of the soil, and these could not be obtained until after the removal of the trees.
Sawmills, however, soon began to be erected, and in this way some of the best timber came to be of great use to the settlers, enabling them to build better houses and materially adding to the comforts of life.
Flora.
Not unlike the record of other towns of central New England, is Cornish, in regard to the wild flowers of the forest and the field. The history of man cannot antedate their existence in great profusion and variety. Our Savior evidently alludes to the wild flowers when he speaks of the lilies of the field whose beauty and glory outrivaled that of King Solomon.
In all the centuries following until our forefathers opened up
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their settlements, have the forests and fields been decked with wild flowers.
"God might have made the earth bring forth enough for great and small,
The oak-tree and the cedar-tree without a flower at all,
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