USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Dunbarton > History of the town of Dunbarton, Merrimack County, New-Hampshire, from the grant by Mason's assigns, in 1751, to the year 1860 > Part 11
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Voted, To accept of the report of the committee for the grave-yard fence. They report that the common wall, built by William Smith, is agreeable to the obligation. They report that the double wall, built by William Stin- son, 3d, is not agreeable to the obligation.
Voted, To adjourn this meeting a short space of time at this place.
Met according to adjournment.
Voted, To accept the report of the committee, last made, which is that William Stinson, 3d, come under ob- ligation to keep said double wall in repair for ten years from this present meeting. Voted, That the afore-named committee be authorized to take bonds of said Stinson for the repair of said faced wall for ten years. Voted, Not to abate the tax of a ***** horse, taxed to Capt. Rob- ert Holmes. Voted, That the committee take bonds of John Bunten for the tax bill delivered to him for building the grave-yard fence. Voted, To dissolve this meeting.
DANIEL JAMESON, Proprietors' Clerk. Dunbarton, October 17, 1801.
GRAVE-YARD.
In 1766 the town " Voted, That the selectmen build a pound, and fence the grave-yard ;" and in 1767, " Voted, That the pound be built as near the meeting-house as pos- sible ;" also "Voted, That any person or persons who shall not come, or send a hand to help build said pound, and fence the grave-yard, upon the third Tuesday of June
148
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
next, shall pay three shillings, lawful money, to the select- men, to be collected by the constable."
A pound was consequently erected near the meeting- house, constructed of round and split logs, and the grave- yard fence in a similar manner.
Tradition reports that several years previous to the passage of the foregoing votes, the first sermon ever heard in this, then forest township, was delivered by the Rev. Mr. McGregore, in the open air, upon the ground now inclosed as the central public cemetery. Several of the audience upon that highly interesting occasion probably lie, " each in his narrow cell for ever laid," within its sur- rounding walls.
During a visit to this consecrated inclosure, a few days since, we observed with pleasure indications of recent improvement in the many elegant monuments reared to the memory of the dead, surrounded with shrubs and flowers, exhibiting the piety and taste of surviving rela- tives.
The disposition to adorn, with the productions of na- ture and art, the hallowed ground where mortals find their last repose, we are happy to say is increasing in the community. Its progress and results deserve encourage- ment and commendation. "Foul fall the hand" that would mutilate a memorial erected by friends to designate the place where objects of their affection are laid at rest : To-
Rest till the morn when trumpet sound Shall rouse death's sleepers from their bed ; When earth and ocean, circling round, Yield up their spoils of quick and dead ; When friends shall meet, from woes at rest, In Heaven's pure conclave of the blest.
The oldest stone in the yard, with an inscription, is that of Samuel Foster Cunningham, son of George Cunningham, who died in 1794, aged nine years. The first person buried in the yard was Samuel Stinson. His grave is near the hearse-house. No stone, bearing any inscription, marks the spot. He was
149
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
one of the first settlers. We copied from stones in this cemetery the following memorials :
" Mrs. Hannah Burnham, died March 1, 1805; relict of the late Lieut. Nathan Burnham, of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who fell at the defeat of the British army at Ticonderoga, A. D. 1758."
Capt. William Stinson.
" Stranger, like you, I once enjoyed my health, Relations pleasant, and sufficient wealth, Till Eden's fiery law alarmed my soul, The Saviour spoke-I bowed to his control. Riches more enchanting, brighter joys I found, Than earth afford or Eden blooming round.
On the stone of Mr. William Beard are engraved, after the date and age, the appropriate words : " A soldier of the Revolution."
Caleb Mills.
" My children dear, as you draw near, Your father's grave to see,
Not long ago I was with you, And soon you'll be with me."
Mrs. Tamar Mills.
" Our labors done, securely laid In this our last retreat, Unheeded o'er our silent dust, The storms of life shall beat."
Benjamin Twiss.
" Time was, I stood where thou dost now, And viewed the dead, as thou dost me ; Ere long thou 'lt lie as low as I, And others stand and look on thee."
The town contains two other public cemeteries; one at Page's Corner, and one on its eastern border, near Bow line. The family of the late Major Caleb Stark have a private burial place upon their estate, on the road leading from Concord to Weare.
150
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
PHYSICIANS. Doctor John Cochran was assigned, in 1752, lots numbered two, three and four, in the eighth range. In regard to his residence and practice as a physician we are not informed. Dr. Dugall was permitted, as a temporary residence, to erect a house upon the minister's lot. He practiced before and after that date.
Dr. Symmes Sawyer was married May 31, 1792, to Ruth, daughter of Hon. Jeremiah Page, and practiced before and after that year. Dr. James Clement, Dr. Shaw and Dr. David Mighill, were resident physicians. The latter married, September 7, 1814, Betsey Mills, daughter of Major John Mills.
Dr. Isaac Stearns, from Lovewell, Maine, settled here in 1819. He married Eunice P., daughter of Mr. Benja- min Marshall, and for his second wife Mrs. Lund, daugh- ter of Mr. Jeremiah Page. He died August 31, 1850, aged 57. He was an amiable person, much respected, and was post-master at the time of his death.
After his departure, Dr. Merrill settled here. He re- mained a year, more or less. We have now no resident physicians, unless we consider, as such, our good friend, True Morse, who prepares many remedies for the benefit of invalids, and Mr. Jonathan Colby, who possesses the power of healing which a " seventh son" can exercise.
MAGISTRATES. Justices of the Quorum : Caleb Stark, Henry L. Burnham. Justices : Nathan Gutterson, Daniel H. Parker, Nathaniel H. Wheeler, John Burnham, Jona- than Ireland, John Stinson, Charles Holmes, John C. Ray, Charles G. B. Ryder, William B. Burnham, Josiah Rich- ardson, Henry Putney, Leonard Rowell.
RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS. These are four : viz., the Congregationalist, Universalist, Methodist and Baptist so- cieties. The Baptists have two meeting-houses. The Universalists hold their meetings in the town-house. The Methodists use one of the Baptist houses. The Congre-
151
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
gationalists have a meeting-house and vestry building. Of the above named societies the latter only support a permanent clergyman.
REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS.
Although this town furnished, upon all occasions, its full quota of soldiers for the Continental army, and militia volunteers, we find in the town-clerks' records but few of their names.
John Mills, William Beard, - Holmes, Caleb Stark and John McPherson were at Bunker's Hill, and probably in other actions of the war.
On the 22d of July, 1777, eighteen men were required for the Bennington expedition. Thomas Mills, a son of John McCurdy, Alexander Hogg and Thomas Hoyt vol- unteered on that occasion.
In 1781 eight men were called for, as recruits for the Continental regiments. To fill up their quota at that time the town hired, among others, John Dorman, Amos Barnes, John Morgan, Moses Heath and Nicholas Dodge. The contracts of Heath and Dodge are inserted in this work among the transactions of 1780 and 1781.
The soldiers of 1812 from this town were Joseph Col- lins, of the 4th regiment U. S. infantry. He was at Chat- taugee, and at the attack of LaCóle or Stone Mills, in 1814. He died a few years ago.
Thomas Ayer, of the 11th infantry, was in the actions of Chippewa and Niagara. He is now the oldest person in town, having entered his 91st year in May, 1860.
Charles Hart was a soldier in 1813.
Benjamin Whipple and Ephraim S. Clement volun- teered in the Massachusetts regiment for the Mexican war. The latter died at Vera Cruz, and the former soon after his return home.
152
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
ECCLESIASTICAL STATISTICS.
· For the following we are indebted to the Rev John M. Putnam :
Congregational Church in Dunbarton.
This church was organized June 18, 1789, consisting of ten members. This was about forty years after the first permanent settlement was made, by white inhabitants, and twenty-four years after the town was incorporated under the name of Dunbarton.
In 1769, about twenty years before the organization of the church, the town had erected a rude structure which they denominated a meeting-house, and which was used for purposes of public worship, though it had scarcely any resemblance to a church edifice of the present day. It stood where the old meeting-house, belonging to the town, now stands. All around was an uncultivated, wild forest, casting the shadows of its foliage upon the court of the Lord's house.
In 1789, the town voted, on certain specified conditions, to build a new meeting-house, which vote was carried into effect. In August (26th) following, the Rev. WALTER HARRIS was ordained over the church as pastor.
In 1792, the third year of the ministry of the new pas- tor, there was a religious awakening of a very marked character. The result was a great enlargement of the church, bringing into it eighty new members.
In 1816 another season of refreshing from the Divine presence was experienced, which resulted in forty acces- sions to the church in the course of that and the ensuing year.
The year 1826 is also memorable for the manifestations of the grace of God to this church. Eighty new mem- bers were added, in connection with this extensive awak- ening. About four years after this, Dr. Harris closed his long and highly useful labors as pastor of this church. But his influence still lives ; beautiful as a thread of gold, and, with the strength of iron, it is interwoven with the character of this people.
153
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
In 1830, July 8, the second pastor of this church, the Rev. John M. Putnam, (the present pastor) was installed by the same council that dismissed Dr. Harris.
In the spring of 1831-about eight months after the present pastor's settlement-there was a revival of religion which brought into the church fifty new members.
In 1836 the church, in connection with the religious society associated with it, erected a new meeting-house ; the one in which they now worship.
In 1858 another season of special religious interest was experienced, which brought into the church twenty-three new members. These were mainly heads of. families, of the young and middle-aged portion of the community, whose acquisition greatly added to the strength of the church.
The church is united and prosperous, comprising about one fifth of the adult population in town : Resident mem- bers, 111-43 males, 68 females ; absent, 18; total, 129. Number admitted by profession since the formation of the church, in 1789, three hundred and sixty.
There is one fact somewhat remarkable in relation to this church, which is, that it has never had but one pastor beside the present one, although it has not been a day without a settled minister for more than seventy years-a fact to which it would not be easy to find a parallel.
Dunbarton, April 30, 1860.
Baptist Society.
The first Baptist society was formed in the Spring of 1828, and in November of that year the first church was organized. The second society, at Page's Corner, was formed at the house of Peter C. Page.
Both the first and second societies were united at Dun- barton Centre, in November or December, 1846.
The Universalist Society was formed in 1830, by Nathan Gutterson, Joshua F. Hoyt, Silas Burnham, Alexander Gil- christ, and others.
11
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
The Methodist Society was formed about 1847, by John Cate, Moses W. Woodbury and Nathaniel Colby.
POST-OFFICES, &C.
The first post-office in this town was established at the central village, in 1817, when the Hon. Return Jonathan Meigs was Postmaster-General of the United States, and David Tenney appointed post-master. His commission is dated October 17, 1817. He was succeeded by James Allison, Richard Parkinson, Isaac Stearns, Samuel Burn- ham, Warren Perley and Moses Perley, the present in- cumbent.
Another post-office was established in the Gould Dis- trict, called "East Dunbarton," but discontinued several years ago.
In 1834 a post-office was established at Page's Corner, called " North Dunbarton," and Adams Roberts appointed post-master. He declined the office, and Peter C. Page was appointed in his place. He was succeeded by John P. Tenney and George W. Page, the present post-master.
Prior to the year 1817 the letters to the people of this town " were few and far between." The nearest post- office was Concord. The principal newspapers taken were the Farmers' Cabinet, of Amherst, the New-Hampshire Patriot, by Isaac and W. R. Hill, and Tuttle's Concord Gazette, which were conveyed to the subscribers by the subscribers in turn. The editors notified them by writing upon their papers the words, "Your turn next." Upon receiving this notice, a person rode on horse-back to the place of publication, and brought the papers, directed to each individual subscriber ; which were left at some cen- tral point for distribution.
Single horse wagons were rarely seen, in this region, in 1812. The first one we ever saw was brought into town by Ebenezer Chase. It was strong enough to sustain any load that two horses could draw.
155
HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
Chaises, with square tops, had been for several years previously possessed by several persons. The first bel- lows-topped chaise brought into town, in 1808-9, was owned by Major C. Stark. An awkward old sulkey, in which he was once accustomed to ride, was sold to Dr. Green, of Concord, who used it until his death.
The pastures of this town were, even in early times, noted for supporting good cattle and horses, as was the town for possessing good riders. General Stark brought home a number of blood horses and mares, purchased at the sale of Burgoyne's army effects, at Saratoga, which acquisition much improved the breed of horses in this region.
TRADERS.
Major Caleb Stark opened the first store in this town, at " Page Corner." His assortment of goods was more extensive than that of any establishment within thirty miles. After he removed his store to the "Borough Farm" his transactions became more extended. Persons came from Connecticut river, and from places fifty miles or more distant, to trade with him.
We once heard him say that he had taken, in barter, 20,000 yards of tow and linen cloth in a year, and other country produce in proportion. He employed coopers to prepare casks for butter, beef, pork, and other matters, including pot and pearl ashes, for the Boston market ; and teamsters were constantly in his pay, transporting freights in wagons to and from Boston, until, in connection with Isaac Riddle, Esq., he opened the navigation of the Mer- rimack river as far as Bedford.
The prosperity of his affairs induced him to engage in navigation. He built and owned several vessels. One of them was lost at sea, and another captured under the operation of the "British Orders in Council." By these disasters he sustained a loss of more than twenty-five thousand dollars. In 1806-7 he opened a mercantile
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
establishment at Boston, in company with Mr. John Mc- Kinstry, his brother-in-law.
Before his removal thither, other stores were opened in town. The following persons, at times, were engaged in trade at Dunbarton Centre : Nathan Greeley, Peter Pat- terson (a lame man), Phinehas and Wm. Parker, William Green, David Tenney, James Allison, Allison & Evans, & Brown, Leach & Poor, and Samuel Burnham, who is now the only store-keeper in Dunbarton. The traders at the "Page Road," since Major Stark's time, have been : William Green, Jeremiah Page, Jr., and John Kimball, Dudley & Sargent, Adams Roberts, William Fol- lansbee, Oren Foster, Erastus Woodbury, and James Lord.
NEW MEETING-HOUSE.
DUNBARTON, May 6, 1789. At a legal meeting, holden this day at the meeting-house in said town, for the pur- pose of building or repairing the meeting-house, pro- ceeded as followeth, viz :
1. Chose Jeremiah Page, Esq., moderator, to govern said meeting.
2. Voted, To build a new meeting-house, providing the pews will sell for enough to build said house, together with the old meeting-house being added to defray the cost of the new one, the dimensions of which are to be forty feet by fifty.
3. Voted, To choose a committee of three men: viz., Ensign William Tenney, Capt. David Story and James Stinson ; said committee to make proper draughts of said house, and conditions of sale for pews in said house, and lay the same before the town at the adjournment of said meeting.
4. Voted, To adjourn the meeting to the twenty-sixth day of May next, at ten o'clock, at the meeting-house, in order to make sale of the pews.
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
DUNBARTON, May 26, 1789. Met according to adjourn- ment, and proceeded to sell the pews below the galleries, and they were sold for the sum of four hundred and one pounds, one shilling.
Voted, That the above committee continue in office until further orders of the town.
Voted, To adjourn this meeting to Thursday next, at one o'clock P. M., at the meeting-house, in order to sell the gallery pews, and transact other necessary business.
DUNBARTON, June 2, 1789. Met according to adjourn- ment, and voted to accept the pew No. 23, to remain the parsonage pew, for the use of the minister.
2. Proceeded to sell the pews in the galleries, and sold the same for the sum of £126 6s. 0d., after which Ensign William Tenney offered to build the meeting-house and complete the same for what money and other articles the pews amounted to ; after which the town voted to accept said Tenney's offer, by his giving sufficient security for his performance ; after which the town proceeded to ap- point a committee of three, as followeth : Capt. David Story, Capt. William Stinson and Mr. James Clement, in order to take bonds of said Tenney, and see the business completed. Lastly, Voted, To adjourn this meeting to Monday, the 22d day of this instant, June, at one o'clock, at the meeting-house.
Met according to adjournment, and voted to accept the bond taken by the foregoing committee, of Archibald Stinson and William Tenney, undertakers to build the meeting-house.
Voted, To adjourn this meeting to the third day of August next, at two o'clock, at the meeting-house.
DAVID STORY, Town- Clerk.
At a legal meeting, held on the 26th of May, 1789, the following matters were considered :
Conditions of sale of the pews in the new meeting-
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
house to be built by the inhabitants of Dunbarton, as fol- loweth :
1. The highest bidder shall be the purchaser, and have his choice, by said pew being struck off to him, and so continue through the sale of the whole.
2. No sum short of three shillings shall be accepted as a bid.
3. The purchasers of each shall pay as followeth, viz. : the one sixth part in cash, one sixth part in labor, one sixth part in lumber, the remaining half in produce.
4. The payments to be made as followeth, viz. : the. whole of the framing timber, and one half of the cash, and one half of the produce, to be paid at or before the first day of April next ; timber or lumber to be delivered at or before the first day of April next ; timber and other lumber to be delivered at the old meeting-house, to the acceptance of the committee chosen for that purpose, and the remainder of said cash and produce to be paid on the first of December following said April before mentioned.
5. The purchaser is to give sufficient security to the committee for the payment on the pew struck off to him.
6. The committee is to give sufficient surety to the purchaser for a bill of sale for his pew, by his completing his payment.
The price of produce, lumber and other articles of pay- ment to be as followeth, viz. :
Good merchantable white pine boards, 19s. per thous- and; good clear boards, 40s. per thousand ; good short shingles, 6s. per thousand ; good clapboards, 30s. per thousand; good lath boards, 15s. per thousand ; good joists, 24s. per thousand ; good pine and chestnut timber, well hewed, according to directions given by the commit- tee, 10s. per ton; white oak, 15s. per ton ; Indian corn, 3s. per bushel ; rye, 4s. per bushel ; good grass fed beef, 20s. per hundred, and other neat stock in proportion ; good pork, well fatted, 30s. per hundred; all of the above mentioned articles to the acceptance of the committee. Labor to be estimated as followeth, viz .: common labor,
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
3s. per day ; joiners, 4s. per day ; master carpenters, 5s. per day. Said laborers to find their own diet.
DUNBARTON, May 26, 1789. The above articles voted and accepted by the town.
Voted, That any person, not an inhabitant, shall have the same privilege in purchasing as the inhabitants have.
FLOOR PEWS.
Nos.
£. s. d.
Nos.
£. s. d.
20. James Stinson, 9 15 0
24. Doctor Sawyer,
15 00 0
18. Capt. Burnham, 9 18 0
25. Capt. Caldwell, 15 00 0
34. Esquire Hogg,
15 60
8. Lieut. Ladd, 9 16 0
26. Abraham Burnham, 15 3 0
7. William Page. 9 15 0
33. Lt. J. Mills, 15 00 0
29. Daniel Story, 14 90
GALLERY PEWS.
12. Ebenezer Hacket, 14 00 0
2. Ebenezer Ryder, 6 19 C
28. Archibald Stinson, 13 15 0
21. David Putney, 7 20
22. Esquire Page, 13 3 0
22. Samuel Allison, 7 20
30. Thomas Mills, 13 6 0
1. Hazediah Woodbury, 7 11
¿3. Ensign Tenney, 12 13 0
18. William Sargent, 6
4 0
11. Capt. Story, 12 13 0
5. James Colby, 5 18 0
32. Capt. Stinson,
12 00 0
13. William Caldwell, 5 18 0
27. Caleb Mills,
11 10 0
14. Capt. Story,
5 15 0
14. Robert Holmes,
11 00 0
12. John Burnham,
5 15 0
13. Lt. McColly,
10 19 0
15. Amos Hadley,
5 16 0
10. John Jameson,
11 00 0
9. Thomas Clement,
5 15 0
21. Asa Burnham,
10 18 0
20. Lieut. J. Mills,
3 12 0
2. Thomas Clement,
9 18 0
3. Wm. Smith,
5 12 0
31. Israel Clifford,
9 18 0
8. Samuel Burnham,
5 12 0
4. Samuel Clement,
9 18 0
16. Daniel Jameson,
5 60
15. Capt. Caldwell,
10 1 0
10. James Clement,
5 60
16. James Clement,
10 1 0
17. Daniel Story,
5 60
9. Samuel Burnham,
10 1 0
7. Thomas Huse,
5 30
1. James Cunningham,
10 4 0
19. Moses Trussel, 4 16 0
7. Thomas Huse,
10. 30
4. Capt. Burnham, 4 30
17. Alexander Jameson,
10 00 0
6. Stephen Ordway, 4 10
Bond and Contract for building the Meeting-House.
Know all men by these Presents, That we, Archibald Stinson, yeoman, and William Tenney, gentleman, both of Dunbarton, in the county of Hillsborough and State of New-Hampshire, are holden and stand firmly bound and obliged unto David Story and William Stinson, gentle-
35. Capt. Stinson, 15 00 0
6. John Bunten, 9 19 0
5. William Moore, 9 19 0
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
men, and James Clement, yeoman, all of said Dunbarton, in said State and county, a committee appointed by the inhabitants of Dunbarton to see that a meeting-house in said town be built and finished according to the vote of said town, at a legal meeting held at said Dunbarton on the second day of June, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine, in the full and just sum of one thousand and fifty-four pounds, lawful money, to the which pay- ment, well and truly to be made, we, the said Archibald Stinson and William Tenney, acknowledge ourselves and our heirs and assigns to stand jointly and severally bound and obliged unto the said David Story, William Stinson and James Clement, their heirs and assigns, in the capac- ity of a commitee as aforesaid, in the above sum of one thousand and fifty-four pounds, lawful money. Sealed with (our) seals, and witnessed with our hands, this twen- ty-second day of June, Anno Domini 1789.
The conditions of the above Obligation, or Bond, are such, that whereas we, the said Archibald Stinson and William Tenney, this day have agreed to build a meeting-house in said Dunbarton, of the dimensions of fifty feet long and forty feet wide ; said house to stand where the old meet- ing-house stands, or where the said committee shall stake out the ground where said house shall stand, and finish said house : Said house to be twenty-five feet posts, with a porch on the foreside of said house, of thirteen feet square, with the posts twenty-two feet high, and in said house are to be seventeen windows in the lower tier of windows, and twenty-eight squares of glass in each win- dow: one of which windows to be circular headed, back of the pulpit; and twenty-one windows in the galleries and porch, of twenty-four squares each-the glass 7 by 9.
The outside of said house to be finished in Tuscan order, and good workmanship. Said house is to be un- derpinned with good hewn stones, equal to Capt. David Story's house (the foreside and west end of said Story's house), with door-stones for steps to said house, hewn equal to the underpinning.
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HISTORY OF DUNBARTON.
The inside of said house to be finished in the same order, agreeably to the plan by which the pews were sold. Said meeting-house to be sealed pew-high, and plastered : the rest, both above and below, and under the beams and galleries, according to rule. The outside of said house to be painted with a good stone color, and every pew well made, and the number of each pew to be numbered with handsome paint, agreeable to rule.
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