USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire : from the time of the first settlement within its borders, 1640 until 1900 > Part 44
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1887. First part of January cold. A heavy snow 13th, which made the roads impassable. Remainder of month cold. 30th, snow going away fast. The weather in February was generally cold and disagree- able. April 3, breaking roads; snow remained until 10th; traveling bad; six inches of snow fell 18th; heavy rain 28th. May 22, the top of the ground is getting quite dry. June wet, with little hot weather. July hot, but not the best of hay weather. A great deal of hot, wet weather in August, which ruined the potato crop; many fields not worth digging. September pleasant. October cooler than the average. November mild; a favorable time to do fall work. First part of Decem- ber pleasant. Snow came on the 19th and 23d; rest of the month cold. A moderate crop of apples, which sold at $2 per bbl.
1888. A great deal of cold, stormy weather in January. 28th, the glass has registered below zero for the past week. Ice houses were filled in January. February very cold and stormy with little pleasant weather. There is less snow about here than in many places not far away. Roads running north and south are generally full of snow .. First week in March very cold, with high wind. On the 10th and 11th we had 18 inches of damp, heavy snow which blocked the roads and brought all business to a standstill. It was impossible for people to get to the annual town meeting, and it was postponed until the Satur- day following. Hardly any of the towns held their town meetings on the day appointed. We had less snow than in many other places. This storm was very severe in southern New England and in New York city, where many perished in the storm. April was cold and backward. Snow was visible during the entire month. May 12, pear and cherry trees in bloom. 18th, hot; 90 in shade. A great deal of rain fell in May. There was a good crop of hay and the season quite favorable for getting it. A very large crop of apples which found 32
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
little sale, and in many cases were disposed of in bulk at a low price. The fall was pleasant and favorable for farm work.
1889. The winter was moderate without a great amount of snow; the season was earlier than usual. 9th and 10th of May, hot; 90 in the shade. Apple and cherry trees in bloom. A favorable time to do spring work. Last of May very wet. June 19, cold for time of year; remainder of the month hot. It has been very wet; the streams are swollen and running full as in spring; roads badly damaged by wash- ing. A great deal of rain in July; scarcely any fair days; less haying done during the month than was ever before known. Haying not generally finished until 20th of August; nearly all the hay was wet and damaged. There was a small crop of potatoes, the wet weather causing them to rot badly. A very good crop of apples. October 11, first killing frost of the season; rest of the month pleasant. Heavy rain November 27, which did a great deal of damage; old milldam gave way. Very wet December 1. Several inches of snow fell 14th, which soon disappeared. Ground very full of water. 25th, no frost in the ground; 50 above in eve. This year has been noted for rains and floods. Hay, $15 per ton at the barn; Bartlett pears, $4 per bbl .; wages, $20 per month and board.
1890. Very warm for time of year. January 2, 65 above; people are plowing. A cold wave on the Sth. A disease called "La grippe" is becoming very prevalent, and is attended with serious results. 18th, roads have been very icy for a number of days; 45 above 26th. Feb- ruary 5, snow going away; roads muddy. Ice 8 inches in thickness is being stored. March 1, roads very soft. 2d, 10 inches of snow fell, "which is badly drifted. Stormy and disagreeable nearly all the month. April 1, roads are beginning to dry up. The marsh has not been frozen enough to team on and most of the hay still remains. The field mice have done a great deal of damage to young fruit trees, in some instances even gnawing the roots. Some rain first part of April; rest of the month dry and favorable for spring work. May 1, grass looks unusually well. Middle of the month hot, followed by rains. First week in June cool and wet; last of month fair; quite an amount of haying done in June. Good hay weather in July; haying generally done before the 20th; a good crop. Rain 26th, which washed the roads badly. Cyclone at Lawrence, Mass., causing loss of life and property. Fair and pleasant during August and September. Heavy rain 17th and 18th of October. Very wet rest of the month. November 1, cold; not much cold weather later in the month. December 1, below zero; snow enough for good sleighing. 15th, cold; zero weather for the past week. Filling ice houses. 26th, heavy snow which blocked the roads. Flour, $6; meal, 90 cts. per cwt .; oats, 40 cts. per bush .; apples, $2 per bbl.
1891. January 6, severe N. E. snowstorm which made it necessary to break the roads. There were a number of snowstorms and con- siderable rain during the month. 18th, trees and shrubbery coated with ice. February 5, 10 below; much cold, stormy weather during the
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month. March 4, heaviest fall of snow of the winter, which blocked the roads. 21st, a rainstorm which continued four days. April 3, snow and rain storm which did much damage. 22d, 80 in the shade. May pleasant; very hot middle of the month; getting to be very dry. July a good hay season with an average crop. August and September pleasant but quite dry; much hot weather. October 1, 90 in the shade. Many are complaining of dry wells and scarcity of water; pleasant during the month. First cold weather and ground frozen November 29. December pleasant nearly all the month. Flour, $7; corn, 70 cts .; potatoes, 50 cts .; apples, $1.50 per bbl .; hay, $12 per ton at the barn.
1892. January 3, a remarkable winter thus far with little snow or cold weather. 11th, roads soft and wet. 27th, coldest day of the season. February 5, people cutting ice; 10 inches of snow fell 11th. Cold rest of the month. March 13, it has been cold, rough weather since the month came in. 20th, the wind has blown all the time for the past two weeks. 27th, snow going away. April 21, first rain for a long time. May 1, ice formed half an inch in thickness. Old pota- toes sell for 35 cts. per bush. 19th, a number of rainy days; grass looking unusually well. A great deal of hot weather in June, with a number of rains last of the month. A good hay season; haying gen- erally finished before the 20th of July. Green head flies very plenty and troublesome. Crops suffering from drouth. Rain in August helped the crops. Grasshoppers doing a great deal of damage. 21st, roads dry and dusty; some rain last of the month. September, very pleasant. There is a large crop of apples which sell for $1.75 per bbl. October cool with some rain. November 5, snowing all day; pleasant middle of the month; cold with snow last of the month. December 15, pleasant; roads in good condition; cold last of month; no snow; roads smooth and frozen hard. The corn crop was very heavy this year.
1893. January 1, roads soft and muddy. From the 6th until the middle of the month cold and rough. Ice houses filled last of the month. First part of February cold. 20th, blizzard, which blocked the roads with snow. 22d, hard N. E. snowstorm; very snowy rest of the month. March 13, snow going away very fast; not much cold weather during the month; snow on the ground as late as the 15th of April. 22d, but little work done on the land. May 3, three or four inches of snow fell; two inches of rain 16th. Season cold and back- ward. 21st to 25th, very hot. Grass looks uncommonly well. Good growing weather and plenty of rain in June. July, a good crop of hay, mostly secured before the 20th, after which it became very dry; crops suffering. A heavy rain August 26. August 12, great heat for a number of days. 29th, blizzard which did much damage. Pleasant all through September. October, a good crop of potatoes, which are rot- ting badly; quite warm during the month. Pleasant weather extended through November. Cold in December with snow enough for sleigh- ing. 29th, very slippery. Corn selling for 53 cts. per bush.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
1894. January 1, putting in ice. Paid $4 for St. Louis and $5 for Haxall flour. 15th, roads had to be broken; snowy rest of the month. Middle of February cold, with a heavy body of snow upon the ground. 24th, 12 below with high wind. March 3, warmer; sleighing spoiled; roads muddy. 17th, roads drying; traveling good, with ground set- tled last of the month. April 3, ground frozen. 8th, cold N. E. snow- storm. 15th, the sun has not been visible for a number of days; last of month pleasant; grass very green. Apple trees in bloom May 13; rain much needed. Heavy rains last of the month. Very cool first part of June; warm last of the month. July 7, getting very dry and hot; rain much needed. Having done earlier than usual. Heavy rain 29th, attended with lightning, which did much damage in some places. Dry and dusty in August. Crops suffering from drought. September 2, hot; the air is full of smoke; considerable rain fell during the month, which made the grass look very green. 10th of October, 2 inches of rain; a pleasant month. Two inches of rain November 5. Snow came on the 8th, and remained upon the ground for a week, making the roads soft and muddy; rough weather last of the month. Some snow in December, which went away about the 20th, when we had a number of pleasant days. 23d, ground frozen. 27th, a heavy snow which drifted badly. 30th, zero in the morning. Hay sold for $13 per ton at the barn.
1895. Fair and cool, but moderate weather with sleighing in Jan- mary. Very cold, with 10 below first week in February; continued cold all the month. Snow on the 9th, which blocked the roads. Dull and wet first of March. Snow going away from the heat of the sun; roads soft last of the month. First plowing April 13; roads not wholly settled until the end of the month. May S, hot weather. Hard frost 20th. June 1, it is getting very dry. Corn and other planted seed a long time in coming up; in some cases it did not come up at all. A great deal of dull weather, which interfered with haymaking in July. Crop below the average. August 1, very cold; too cold for corn which is very small for the time of year. 11th, warmer; corn making a rapid growth remainder of the month. September 11, a heavy thun- der-storm at night, followed by cool weather for a number of days; rest of the month warm. First week in October perfect weather; heavy frost on the night of the 10th; 6 inches of rain fell 13th, which was very acceptable, as many were out of water. Surface of the ground became very dry before the end of the month. 31st, 3 inches of rain. Snow November 2. 11th, very hot for the time of year. Ground frozen quite hard 22d. Four inches of snow, which was badly drifted and made no sleighing, came December 5: zero weather 11th. 17th, roads very smooth; good wheeling. 22d, no frost in the ground; moderate rest of the month. .
1896. First of January very moderate for the time of year. No frost in the ground; roads dry and settled. The ice, which was a few weeks ago seven inches in thickness in the ponds, has entirely disappeared. 5th, clear and cold; 18 below on morning of the 6th. People cutting
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ice 16th. Heavy rain 24th; but little snow during the month. Feb- ruary 1, roads very hard and smooth; no snow. Some snow and a heavy rain 6th, which carried away bridges and did much damage. Hard snowstorm 9th. A schooner loaded with coal (Glendon) came ashore at Hampton Beach; crew saved. One came ashore at Salisbury, and another at Plum island; crews lost. 17th, 20 below, accompanied by a high wind. 24th, snow going away rapidly. The weather during March was disagreeable; roads muddy. 27th, very cold and windy; two stands of buildings were burned in Kensington, and others had a narrow escape. April cold and disagreeable; wind east nearly all the month. May 10, hot and dry; 90 in the shade. Apple trees in bloom 17th. 23d, very dry; but little rain has fallen since the ground opened. Good rain 31st; the drought appears to be broken. June 13, cold for time of year; there has been but little warm weather this spring. Crops are backward. Hot last of the month; considerable having done in June. July, a good crop of hay and favorable weather to secure it. August 13, weather has been intensely hot for a number of days, and work has in many instances been suspended; it was dry all the month; too dry to plow. September 5, heavy rain; wet all the rest of the month. 12th, picking off Baldwin apples which sell at $1 per bbl. The largest crop of apples ever known, with no sale; so many as to be a disadvantage to those who have them; many were not gathered; sold as low as 25 cts. per bbl. in bulk. November 15, cold; snow upon the ground. 23d, trees and shrubbery coated with ice; but little pleas- ant weather during the month. Cold 1st of December. Heavy rain 9th, which cleared away warm. 16th, blocking snow; cold last of the month; roads smooth and frozen hard. Ice stored during the month was 10 inches in thickness. Meal, 70 cts. per cwt .; hay, $14 at the barn; Bartlett pears net $1.90 per bbl.
1897. Nearly all the month of January moderate without snow; roads hard and smooth. 25th, very cold, followed by a N. E. snowstorm which blocked the roads. February 7, rain, which spoiled the sleigh- ing. 16th, best sleighing of the season; last week of the month very pleasant. The roads were very wet and muddy all through March. There was a thunder-shower 21st. April 1, roads are drying up. 4th, grass looks quite green. \ great amount of rain fell during the month. 25th, 80 in the shade. \ great deal of rain in May; all kinds of vegetation vigorous. First week in June very rainy. On the 9th, 6 inches of rain fell in 24 hours; R. R. culvert at Exeter washed out; freight train wrecked; three killed. The dam at Brown's mill gave way, and the two bridges below were washed out and had to be rebuilt. Gardens and planted fields submerged, with a poor prospect for hoed crops. Last of the month fair and warm. Considerable hay- ing done during the month. Crops of all kinds very small and back- ward for the time of year. Until the 10th of July it was good hay weather, but very hot; 100 in the shade; 114 was reported from Lowell, Mass. There were many deaths from the effect of the great heat; rest of the month exceedingly wet, with east wind. A large crop of hay;
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the last of the month poor hay weather; having not generally done until first week in August. A great deal of rain in August. 24th, cold, dark, and rainy; much like a November day. A great crop of salt grass. September was pleasant with considerable rain. 9th and 10th, great heat. A white frost 22d. First of October cool and pleas- ant. 10th, heavy frost; there has been more or less frost every morn- ing for a week. 15th. 90 in the shade. Four inches of rain fell Novem- ber 2. 12th, snowing all day; much wet and little pleasant weather during the month. First week in December moderate; later cool, with some snow. Heavy snow 31st. There has been frost every month this year. Bartlett pears netted 75 cts. per bbl .; hay, $10 at the barn; corn, 40 cts. per bush .; granulated sugar, 5144 ets. per lb .; potatoes, 60 cts .; wages of men, from $15 to $18 per month with board. Day labor has for many years been $1.50 without board. Not a large crop of apples, which were of poor quality; sold at $2 per bbl.
1898. January 3, coldest day thus far of the winter; zero weather Sth; snow going away; sleighing spoiled; 10 inches of snow fell 26th; very cold. On the 31st began one of the most severe and heavy snow- storms ever known here, which brought all business to a standstill throughout New England. It was followed by very cold weather; 20 below on morning of February 3. It cost this town nearly $600 to open the roads and make them passable, as they had to be shoveled nearly the entire length. Rain fell on the 12th, which settled the snow very much. 16th, a cold, drifting snow. Three days' rain 21st, 22d, and 23d. Fair last of the month. March 5, five inches of snow fell. 12th, snow going fast; roads muddy. The month of March was very pleasant; in fact, the pleasantest of the whole year. A great deal of rongh weather with much rain in April. 17th, grass very green. May 8, it has been very cold and wet for the past few weeks; spring work very backward. 22d, apple trees in bloom; a very general bloom. 29th, the sun has not been visible for the past week, raining nearly all the time, 6 inches having fallen. First week in June cold and rainy. The pear bloom nearly all blighted. Warm last of the month. July 2, 3, and 4, intensely hot. 4, a tornado visited Hampton Beach, which blew down buildings, causing loss of life. A boat was capsized; 5 persons drowned; 4 of them were from Kensington. A thunder-shower 21st; the buildings of D. C. Hawes of this town and those of D. E. Palmer of Kensington destroyed by fire. One of the largest crops of hay ever known; poor weather to get it in July; much damaged hay; much haying yet to be done first of August; many having when the weather would admit all the month. A great deal of rain fell during August. September, very hot first of the month; more heat than usual during the month, with some rain. Some pleasant weather and a great deal of rain in October. A good but not a general crop of apples, which sold from $2 to $2.50 per bbl. November 2, Miss Florence Healey fatally burned from her clothes taking fire. 12th, it has frozen considerably for the past two nights. It was wet during November with little pleasant weather. 27th, one of the heaviest snowstorms ever known
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so early in the season, which was badly drifted; it required two or three days' labor to open the roads. Great loss of life and property along the New England coast. The "City of Portland" lost with all on board, 140 in number. December 4, heavy rain at night, which carried off a great deal of the snow and spoiled the sleighing. This was followed by cold; 10 below on the 14th. 23d, snow going fast. 31st, a disagreeable day; rain which turned to snow. Thus ends a year of little pleasant weather, with a great deal of loss of life and property in this immediate vicinity.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER was born in Haverhill, Mass., De- cember, 1807. He was a lineal descendant of Rev. Stephen Bach- iler and Capt. Christopher Hussey, which was to him a source of pride. He took a lively interest in the home of his ancestors, and in the welfare of this town. In his boyhood days he spent consid- erable time in this vicinity, and was familiar with the country scenes about here. It has been said that many of the beautiful descriptions in his writings are of places located between Great hill and the Merrimack river. He made an annual pilgrimage to this town every year from 1860 until his death in 1892. He passed the summer of 1892 with a few of his intimate friends at the house of Miss Sarah A. Gove, where he died September 7. The death of Mr. Whittier has caused considerable interest to be felt in the place where he died. Hundreds yearly visit the house, which has now become a place of great historic interest. Miss Gove's place is called "Elinfield," a picture of which appears in this book.
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ELMFIELD.
OLD-TIME CUSTOMS.
THE early settlers had few of the conveniences and comforts which every one now considers necessary for the enjoyment of life. They were largely dependent for the supply of their wants upon the products of their farms, which were utilized by their own labor. But little food was purchased. Meats were obtained from the flesh of animals killed upon the farm. Ice was not used. Refrigerators were unknown. Often portions of the animal killed were loaned to the neighbors, which were repaid in kind when animals were killed by them. In this way the fresh meat supply was kept up for a long time by the killing of one anmial. The other parts were salted and kept for a number of months before all was eaten. Nearly every family had a beef and a pork barrel, from which most of the meat used in summer was taken. Meats were not expected upon the table every day as at the present time. As late as 1850 butcher's carts, now so common, were almost unknown. Nahum Osgood of Amesbury was about the only one who drove through this and neighboring towns. He did not sell a great amount, as people considered it expensive to patronize a butcher's cart. Most families found it necessary to practice strict economy in the expenditure of money.
The chimney was very large, occupying a relatively large amount of the space inside the house. The fireplace was large enough to accommodate logs four feet in length, and was oftentimes larger than this. In making a fire a backlog a foot or more in diameter was placed against the back of the fireplace. A forestick was placed across the andirons in front ; between these wood was placed, and a hot fire was the result, which threw out a great deal of heat and gave the room a cheerful appearance. I have seen large stones used instead of a backlog, and an iron bar laid on the andirons in front in place of the forestick. The houses were not made very tight. Ample ventilation was had by the constant current of air which was passing up the chimney. A long seat made of boards,
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
with a high back to keep off the wind from behind, was placed before the fire. On this the family sat. This was called a "settle." In sitting before an open fire it was often complained that while one was roasted in front he was frozen in the rear. This was more healthy than the close and overheated rooms of later times.
At night when the family retired, any of the fire that remained was carefully covered with ashes, and was expected to keep until morning to kindle the fire for the next day. This was called "rak- ing up the fire." Calculation was made to have fire enough to cover up every night, so that it need not be lost. If the fire did not keep some one would go with a foot stove to the neighbors, if they lived near, and borrow some fire. If this was inconvenient resort was had to the tinder box. Tinder was made by charring cotton or linen rags. The box containing this was kept in a receptacle made in the side of the fireplace, by leaving out a couple of bricks. By striking fire with flint and steel, the tinder was set on fire. Home- made matches, which had been dipped in melted brimstone, were set on fire by touching the burning tinder, and in this way a fire was obtained. Sometimes fire was kindled by flashing powder in the pan of a flint-lock musket, which would set paper on fire. Fric- tion matches did not come much into use until 1832.
The cooking was done over and before an open fire; boiling was done by suspending kettles with hooks which were upon the crane, of different lengths to accommodate the height of the fire. An adjustable hook which was called a "trammel" was sometimes used. In early times meat was cooked by passing an iron rod called a spit through it. This was laid on the andirons in front of the fire; by repeated turning and exposing on all sides it was evenly cooked. Another way was to suspend the meat and poultry by a line before the fire; by twisting the line hard it would slowly unwind. Some one had to be in attendance to turn the meat often. The writer recollects when he was set to do this. A dish was placed under- neath to catch the drip. Sometimes the line would burn off, and have to be replaced before the cooking could be completed. Later, meats and poultry were roasted in a tin kitchen which was of cylin- drical form, made of tin, two or more feet in length, and fifteen inches in diameter, open in front. The meat was placed upon a spit, one end of which was passed through a hole made in the end, and the other passed through a slot in the other end so as to sus- pend the meat in the center of the enclosed space. It was then placed before the fire, the bright surface inside reflecting the heat
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powerfully upon whatever was to be cooked. On the end of the spit was a crank which could be so adjusted as to hold it in any posi- tion. By frequent turnings the cooking would be done evenly on all sides. There was a door in the back side which could be opened to allow the basting to be done. The gravy fell into the bottom where there was a small spont at one end. By tipping up. this could be turned out into a dish.
Potatoes and eggs were roasted by wrapping them in wet paper, placing them in ashes, and then covering them with hot coals. In half an hour or so they would be well cooked. Potatoes cooked in this way, with a little salt, were very nice eating.
At first bread and other things were cooked in a Dutch oven, which was suspended over the fire. It was a shallow cast-iron ket- tle, with a cover of the same material. The things to be cooked were placed in it. and the cover filled with live coals. It was used for both baking and frying. I have seen a Dutch oven, but never saw it in use. Before cooking stoves came into use bread, pies, etc., were baked before an open fire in a tin baker. This was a box made of tin twenty inches or so in length, the bottom, about a foot wide, inclining forward about twenty-two and one half degrees and set on legs. It had a perpendicular back four or five inches in width; the top was similar in shape to the bottom: it had a sheet- iron bake-pan suspended between them. When the baker was set before the fire at a suitable distance the bright inclined surfaces, top and bottom, reflected the heat with great power upon the mate- rial to be cooked. The greater part of the bread eaten by the writer before coming to his majority was baked in a tin baker. The baker first came into use about 1830. Bannock, made from corn meal mixed with water and spread about an inch in thickness upon a tin plate or trencher, was baked before the fire by setting it on an incline, the top a couple of inches back from the bottom. When baked and made into milk toast it was considered a dish fit to be "set before a king."
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