History of the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, Part 36

Author: Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Concord, N.H. : Rumford press]
Number of Pages: 838

USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Haverhill > History of the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire > Part 36

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IRA W. THAYER, on his graduation from the Woodsville High School, took the law course in Boston University and, on his admission to the bar, began practice in St. Johnsbury, later in Woodsville for a brief period, having his office with C. H. Hosford, but in 1913, a favorable opening occurring he removed to Berlin where he has every prospect of a success- ful practice.

The history of the Haverhill bar has been an honorable one.

HAVERHILL POLICE COURT

In accordance with a vote at the annual town meeting of 1893, the legislature of 1895 passed an act establishing a Police Court in Haverhill, and William F. Westgate was appointed justice, and this was amended at the session of 1899 by providing for an associate justice, the latter to "have sole jurisdiction within the limits of the Woodsville fire district," Dexter D. Dow, clerk of the Supreme Court, was appointed associate justice in May, 1899. He served in this capacity until February 11, 1903, when he was appointed justice in place of W. F. Westgate who had died April 23, 1902. Herbert E. Smith of Pike was appointed associate justice, but served only a brief period, when Russell T. Bartlett, register of probate for Grafton County was appointed associate justice. The court was abolished by the legislature of 1913, and Haverhill was made part of a police district, consisting of the towns of Haverhill, Orford,

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Piermont, Warren, Benton and Monroc, to be known as the police court for the district of Haverhill. Dexter D. Dow was appointed justice, and it was provided that the court should hold its sessions at some suitable place in the town of Haverhill. These district police courts were given enlarged jurisdiction in both civil and criminal matters. The change was not wholly satisfactory throughout the state, and the legislature of 1915 abolished the district Court, and the old Haverhill Police Court, under the new name of Haverhill Municipal Court, was re-established, and Judge Dow was appointed justice, with Russell T. Bartlett associate. The jurisdiction given by the act of 1913 was in the main retained and the Court was for Haverhill alone.

CHAPTER XIII

THE MEDICAL PROFESSION

DR. SAMUEL WHITE CAME TO NEWBURY IN 1763-THE ONLY PHYSICIAN IN COOS UNTIL AFTER REVOLUTIONARY WAR-DR. MARTIN PHELPS FIRST IN HAVERHILL- FOLLOWED BY DRS. EDMUND CARLETON, EZRA BARTLETT, JOHN ANGIER, PHINEAS SPALDING, HENRY B. LEONARD, JOHN McNAB, SAMUEL P. CARBEE, CHARLES R. GIBSON-PRESENT PHYSICIANS-DRS. MILLER, LAWRENCE (DIED 1919), DEARBORN, SPEARE-DENTISTS-"GOOLD" DAVIS-THE COTTAGE HOSPITAL.

HAVERHILL's first physician, like Haverhill's first minister, lived in New- bury, but no account of the medical practitioners of Haverhill would be complete without mention of Dr. Samuel White, who, while he lived across the river, was Haverhill's only doctor till just after the Revolution. Like many other of the early settlers of the two towns, he was a native of Plaistow. He was the fourteenth of the fifteen children of Nicholas White of whom seven fine sons and two daughters were among the early settlers of Newbury. The eldest son, Noah, b. 1728 was one of the grantees and came with his wife and four brothers to the town in 1763. Samuel, born November 6, 1750, a boy of thirteen, remained but a short time, returned to Plaistow and later studied medicine with Doctor Brickett of Haverhill, Mass., and in 1773 located permanently in Newbury, was for some time the only physician in Coos, and for many years the principal practitioner in the settlements on both sides the river, his account books showing visits as far to the north as Guildhall and Northumberland. F. P. Wells says of him :1

"He had the confidence of the people and was esteemed very skilful. Many of his journeys were on foot, and in winter on snowshoes. He was surgeon to the troops sta- tioned in Coos, and accompanied the soldiers who went to Saratoga. He reached Bennington the day after the battle and helped care for the wounded. Two accounts kept by him are owned by Mrs. Z. A. Richardson of St. Johnsbury and are in a beautiful handwriting, each entry being clear and exact and the ink as fresh as if just written. These accounts begin in 1773 and end in 1790. For an ordinary visit the charge was one shilling here in Newbury; from two to six shillings in Haverhill; in Bath from three to seven shillings. A visit to Capt. Ward Bayley at Upper Coos is charged at forty shillings. Medicine was always extra. In these books about one hundred and fifty remedial agents are mentioned. Physic stands first, some sort being used over fifteen hundred times. Bleeding was common. Surgical operations were few, scarcely a dozen are mentioned in these volumes, and these were simple fractures of arms or legs. . In person Doctor White was tall and large in frame, capable of great endurance, and strong constitution as his great age testified. He was fond of anecdote, and abounded in wit and humor. He used to say that he was 'apt to have poor luck with his patients in their last illness.' He was generous to a fault, somewhat slack in business, and would take

1 History of Newbury, Vt., pp. 736-737.

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notes from people whose financial ability he knew nothing about. For years he drank heavily, but afterwards discontinued the use of spirits. Late in life he made a profes- sion of religion, and was admitted to the Congregational Church at a special service held at his house September 19, 1844."

Doctor White died January 25, 1848, in his 98th year. During the period covered by his account books, but seven confinement cases, an indication of the prevailing employment of midwives in those carly days, and the few cases of surgery indicate that the use of the knife was almost unknown. Appendicitis, gall stones and a score or so of other ailments had not then been discovered or invented, and anaesthetics had not taken the place of alcohol which was the only opiate then used by the profession. The medical treatment by practitioners was heroic, and Doctor White was undoubtedly the first of the Haverhill heroes. He had a large family of twelve children, none of whom married, and the graves of nine of these with those of their parents are marked by the long row of white gravestones in the Jefferson Hill Cemetery.

Bittinger mentions a Dr. John Porter as connected with the early evidence relative to the charges of disloyalty made against Col. Asa Porter as early as 1776, and says that he was probably a brother of Col. Asa, but the latter had no brother of that name, nor is there any evidence that he ever practiced medicine in Haverhill, and as little is known of Dr. Samuel Hale who is mentioned in the proprietors in 1778, where he was voted £3, 18s for doctoring in Ezekiel Chapman's family.

Dr. Thaddeus Butler came to Haverhill in the closing years of the Revolution. He was married before 1783 to a daughter of Col. Timothy Bedel. He must have died early, since his widow married Samuel Brooks in 1787 or 1788.

The first physician resident in Haverhill who came into prominence was Dr. Martin Phelps, who must have come to the town as early as 1782, since in that year he acted as attending surgeon to the soldiers at Haver- hill under Capt. Charles Johnston. He was born in Northampton, Mass., in 1756, the third of the nine children of Martin and Martha Parson Phelps and fifth in descent from William and Dorothy Phelps, who was born in Tewksbury, England, August 4, 1560, and came to New England, arriving March 20, 1630, and was one the first settlers and founders of Dorchester, Massachusetts Bay. Doctor Phelps graduated at Yale in 1776, studied medicine and came to Haverhill. He married, first, Febru- ary 28, 1786, Ruth Ladd of Haverhill, who died in Chester, Mass., April 16, 1804, and, second, February 5, 1806, Mary Fowler of Westfield, Mass. He died in Chester, Mass., whither he had removed some time subse- quent to 1796, his name appearing on the tax list for the last time in that year. Of his eight children,1 the first five were born in Haverhill, the

1 See Phelps Genealogy.

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sixth in Belchertown, Mass., in 1799, and the two youngest in Chester, Mass. He was a man of great excellence of character, and enjoyed an enviable reputation as a physician. At a special town meeting, Novem- ber 21, 1791, a proposition to introduce "the small pox in town by way of inoculation" was negatived. At an adjourned meeting January 3, 1792, this action was rescinded and it was "voted that Dr. Martin Phelps have liberty to propagate the small pox in town by inoculation." At a special meeting January 23, this action was rescinded, and the mat- ter remained in abeyance till at a special meeting January 7, 1793, it was " voted that the town consent to have small pox in town by way of inocu- lation." It is evident that a strong feeling was aroused over this subject, and there is a tradition that one result of this was the removal of Doctor Phelps from town. In Chester he became prominent as a physician and a citizen holding various town offices and was a representative to the General Court. While in Haverhill he was active in the organization of the First Congregationalist Church, and with Col. Charles Johnson was one of its two first deacons, an office which he held until his removal to Belchertown. In the record of baptisms are found, children of Doctor Martin and Ruth Phelps: Patty, 1788; Samuel, October 14, 1790; Sally, April 29, 1792; Electa, February 16, 1794.

Doctor Phelps was succeeded by Dr. Amasa Scott, who lived in the Phelps house on Ladd Street, where he maintained a sort of tavern for invalids, what perhaps would be called in these modern days a sanata- rium. In 1800-01-02 he served as moderator at special town meetings, but soon after this went to Hanover, where he was in practice in 1815. In the treatment of what was known as the spotted fever or black plague which was epidemic in this section that year especially in the town of Warren, he was eminently successful where other physicians failed. During the time he remained in Haverhill his practice seems to have been special rather than general.

Dr. Isaac Moore was of Scotch ancestry, born in Worcester, Mass., in 1765. He came to this section of the country early in life, since as a boy of fifteen he witnessed the burning and sacking at Royalton, Vt., by the British and Indians in 1780. He probably began the practice of medicine in Haverhill, but remained here but a short time, going to Bath in 1790, in which town and in Littleton he practiced until his death in 1818. He had not special knowledge of books, but was a man of great natural ability, and though rough in manners and speech, often shocking his more refined patients, he had more than ordinary success in his prac- tice. His wife was a daughter of Col. Timothy Bedel and they had a family of thirteen children. Hewas one of the early advocates of vaccina- tion, and his efforts to introduce it in Bath antedated those of Doctor Phelps in Haverhill. In 1789 Bath voted to permit him to "set up a

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house inoculation," but so strong was the prejudice against it, in spite of this vote, the building was torn down before it was completed. In 1790, however, he erected another building, and somewhat extensively adver- tised his small pox hospital for the accommodation of "those who wished to take the small pox by the safe and easy way of inoculation."

Dr. Edmund Carleton practiced his profession for nearly half a century in Haverhill. He was born in Bradford, Mass., May 13, 1772, fifth in descent from Edward Carleton, who came from England and settled with Rev. Ezekiel Rogers and nineteen others in 1638-39, Rogers Plantation, afterwards Rowley, Mass. Soon after birth he went with his parents to Haverhill, Mass. In 1792 he taught school in Boscawen, where he later married Joanna, daughter of Peter and Rebecca Coffin, born April 11, 1773. He studied medicine with Dr. Jacob Kittredge of Dover, and settled in Haverhill in 1795, and pursued the practice of his profession until a few years before his death, which occurred November 2, 1838. After beginning his practice in Haverhill, he attended lectures in Hanover and graduated from the Dartmouth Medical School in 1804. He lived on the main street near the Piermont line, at first in a small house, and later in the large one which he built, and where his youngest son, Arthur, afterwards lived. He had a fine productive farm, and was active in the affairs of the community especially in the church of which he was a respected deacon for nearly twenty-five years. He was for many years a director of the Coös Bank, and took a deep interest in the Academy and the schools of the town. Prudent and economical, a foe of anything that looked like waste, he narrowly escaped being regarded by his neighbors and fellow townsmen as "near," if, indeed, he may be said to have escaped, and he amassed what was regarded in his time a handsome property. He stood high in his profession and was much in demand by his brother physicians for con- sultation in critical cases. In a time when medicine was administered heroically, he anticipated modern treatment by giving more diminutive doses than did his brethern, claiming that better results were thereby obtained.

Dr. Ezra Bartlett came to Haverhill from Warren, where he had been in practice since 1797, in 1812, and remained in active practice for a period of thirty-six years. He was distinguished as a physician and surgeon, and was also prominent in public affairs. He had an aptitude for both vocations, much of this by inheritance. He was born in Kingston in 1770, the son of Josiah Bartlett, who was a native of Amesbury, Mass. In one of the public squares of that town there is a bronze statue of Josiah Bartlett, and on a bronze tablet imbedded in the pedestal is an inscription of which the following is a part:

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Patriot, Scholar, Statesman A delegate to the Continental Congress A signer of the Declaration of Independence With Stark at Bennington A member of the Convention-which ratified The Constitution of the United States. Chief Justice, President and First Governor of New Hampshire Not more illustrious for public services Than for his private virtues.

He was 45 years of age when the War of the Revolution broke out, and was enjoying a large and successful practice of medicine in the town of Kingston. Ezra Bartlett owed much to inheritance. He began the practice of medicine in Warren in 1797. The fact that his father was one of the grantees of the town, and had not disposed of his holdings of land doubtless had something to do with the settlement of the son in that town. He had a large practice almost immediately. He took an interest in the affairs of the town, was moderator in 1800, 1808 and 1811, town clerk and treasurer in 1803 and 1804, and represented Warren in the legislature in 1805-06-07. He gave a great impetus to town affairs, and when in 1812 he removed to Haverhill, where there were better educational advantages for his children and a larger field for professional practice, Warren was not the same town in which he established himself in 1797. The roads were better; the schools were better; the farms were better, and he set a good example by building a fine house for himself, which served as a pattern for scores of others. His professional reputation was such and he had such excellent facilities for study, that he nearly always had one or more medical students with him, some of whom became in after life eminent professionally and politically. Two, Dr. Thomas Whipple, and Dr. Robert Burns became members of Congress, the former for four terms. Something of his popularity in Warren, and afterwards in Haverhill and adjourning towns is indicated by the fact that many children were named for him, and even to the present time, the christian name of Ezra Bartlett like that of George Washington is frequently found. During the thirty-six years of his practice in Haverhill he was beyond question the leading physician in this region, and was regarded as an authority in consultations. His interest in public affairs brought him frequent honors. In 1819 and 1820 he was treasurer and town clerk, presidential elector in 1820, a member of the Governor's Council in 1822, and represented Haverhill in the Legislature in 1834. He was chief justice of the Court of Sessions before that Court was abolished, a judge of the Circuit Court and for several years an associate justice of the Court of Common Pleas. All these positions he filled with honor to himself,

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and with scrupulous fidelity to the public. He had a large family of children, and of his seven sons, five adopted the profession of father and grandfather and some became eminent in their profession. Many stories were related of him illustrating his tact and readiness in emergencies. Arriving home after midnight after a professional visit one night, as he drove his two-wheeled doctor's sulky in the yard, he saw a man dis- appear suddenly from his cellar window. Quietly alighting and making for the window, he was surprised to receive from some one in the cellar a large piece of salt pork. He took it silently and deposited it in a bag which was lying near and then another, and still another and another until two bags had been filled, when there came from the cellar the question "Shall we 'take it all?" "No, friend, no," replied the doctor, "leave me enough for my breakfast." The runaway was discovered, and the two it need not be said settled for pork. He died at his home on Court Street nearly opposite the old Court house December 5, 1848, mourned by the entire community.

Dr. Ezra Bartlett, Jr., was born in Warren, September 28, 1811, the year before the removal of his father to Haverhill, and died in Brooklyn, N. Y., June 16, 1892. He was educated at Haverhill Academy, preparing for college, but did not enter, and after studying medicine with his father and with his uncle Dr. John French of Bath was graduated at Dart- mouth Medical School in 1832, and began practice in Warminster, Va. He remained there but one year when on account of the illness of his father he returned to Haverhill, and entered into partnership with him. He remained but a few years, however, when he went to South Berwick, Me., where he remained fifteen years. Later he went to East Boston, Mass., where he remained for nearly five years, when he went to Exeter, where he practiced until he retired on account of advancing years. He was a successful and skilful physician and enjoyed a large and lucrative prac- tice. During the War of the Rebellion he was "contract surgeon" for two years, and was on duty in Tennessee, Georgia, and after Sherman's march to the sea at Hilton Head, S. C. He was twice married, first, to Sarah Calef of Saco, Me., and, second, to Mrs. Eleanor Augusta Tucker, widow of John Hubbard a lawyer of South Berwick, Me. One son by the first marriage, Josiah Calef Bartlett of Chicago, was connected with the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

Dr. John Angier was born in Fitzwilliam December 20, 1784, the young- est of the eleven children of Silas and Elizabeth (Drury) Angier. His early practice of medicine was in Alstead and Maine, but came to North Haverhill in 1827, where he had an enviable reputation as a physician and an extensive practice until his death in 1836, losing his life by being thrown from a buggy while on a visit to Weathersfield, Vt. He was the first resident physician in North Haverhill. Active in politics, a Demo-

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crat when party feeling ran high he was elected to the Legislature in 1833, and was defeated for the same office by John L. Rix in 1834, though Rix was denied his seat on the ground that he was declared elected on Wednesday at an adjourned meeting. He was again elected in 1836, and served at the June session the year of his death. He married Mary Mann, who died in 1873, at the age of 84. Of their children two are buried in the family lot in Horse Meadow Cemetery. One daughter became the wife of Nathaniel M. Swasey (see Swasey Genealogy) and his two sons, J. Dorsey and George W., went early in life to northern Pennsylvania where they successfully engaged in the lumber business. Dorsey Angier may be said to have been the discoverer of petroleum, accidently observing oil floating on his mill pond, which he secured by digging pits into which the water flowed, and the oil was removed from the top. Believing that the oil must have come from pools in the earth, he sunk a well near the mill pond "striking oil" at a depth of sixty-nine feet. Other wells were sunk and there was the beginning of the immense petroleum industry-John D. Rockefeller and Standard Oil. A Haverhill boy was the pioneer. It is needless to say that the Angier brothers made handsome fortunes and were numbered among the first citizens of Titus- ville, Pa. Dr. Angier was a man of striking personal appearance, tall, straight and is said to have borne a striking resemblance to Gen. Andrew Jackson, so much so that when acting as one of the marshals, while a member of the legislature, on the occasion of General Jackson's visit to that body, he was mistaken by many for the general himself and was the recipient of quite an ovation.

Dr. Joel Angier, a nephew of Doctor John, was a son and the eighth of the twelve children of Major Joel and Olive (Turner) Angier, was born in Acworth, married Mary E. Polly of Acworth. He studied medicine with Dr. Bliss of Alstead, graduated at the Dartmouth school, and after practicing in Washington and Bethel, Vt., came to North Haverhill about 1840 where he practiced five or six years, with a good degree of success, when he removed to Swiftwater, was for a time in Benton, the only practicing physician ever residing in that town, when he removed to Bath and from there to Hazel Green, Wis., where he remained in practice until his death.

Dr. Anson Brackett was a native of Wheelock, Vt., graduated at the Medical College of Burlington, Vt., and after practicing for a time in North Danville, Vt., and Lyons, N. Y., where he gained much success came to Haverhill some time previous to 1829 and remained here about six years when he removed to Gainesville, Fla., where he practiced till his death, becoming one of the leading surgeons and physicians in that state. He was especially distinguished in surgery and before leaving Haverhill performed some very important operations, among which was the ampu-

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tation of the leg of B. Frank Palmer, which was, owing to the weakened condition of the patient, a specially critical operation. The leg had been terribly crushed and torn in a bark mill in Bradford, Vt. Dr. Brackett would allow no stimulants to be used-anaesthetics were unknown, but did consent that the patient might have a strong cup of tea after the opera- tion. Mr. Palmer subsequently acquired fame as the inventor of the Palmer artificial leg which brought him a fortune. Dr. Brackett was a man of high character, and his removal to the south was a distinct loss to the profession in New Hampshire.

Dr. Simon B. Heath had studied medicine with Dr. Brackett, and after the removal of the latter to Florida succeeded to his Haverhill practice, but though a man of marked natural ability, his intemperate habits prevented his success and after a brief association with Dr. Hiram Morgan which proved unsatisfactory to the latter, he removed to Groton, Vt

Dr. Hiram Morgan was born in Rochester, Vt., in 1805, and died in Haverhill in 1876. He studied medicine first with Dr. Page of Bethel, Vt., then at the Woodstock (Vt.) Medical School from which he graduated in 1833, practiced for a time in Hancock and then in Corinth, Vt., and came to Haverhill about 1836. After a practice of a dozen years or so in Haverhill, which was constantlyincreasing, giving promise of abundant success, he went to New York to attend lectures, but soon after his return was stricken with disease from which he never fully recovered, and was so broken in health that he relinquished practice for the remainder of his life. He married November 13, 1837, Elizabeth, daughter of Col. Edward Towle, a woman of great refinement and most attractive per- sonality. For many years after he gave up his practice he and his wife boarded at Smith's Hotel and occupied an influential position in the best society of the village. Before his loss of health Dr. Morgan gave promise of taking high rank in his profession.

Dr. Edward S. Mattocks, a son of Governor Mattocks of Vermont, came to Haverhill prior to 1839, but failed to secure business and remained but a short time, when he went to Lyndon, Vt., where he died soon after.

Dr. Henry Hayes was a native of Scotland, studied medicine with Dr. Colby of Stanstead, Canada, and came from there to Haverhill about the same time that Dr. Mattocks did. He came with the best of recommen- dations, and was employed by many of the best families who formed a warm friendship for him. But Haverhill at that time was over supplied with doctors, competition was sharp and after a few years he went to Bradford, Vt., from there to the Vermont towns of Irasburg and Hart- land, and then to Massachusetts, where he died. He was regarded as a well read and skilful physician, but did not remain long enough in one place to achieve the best possible success.

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History of the town of Haverhill, New Hampshire, Part 36

Author: Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: [Concord, N.H. : Rumford press] Number of Pages: 838

Author: Whitcher, William F. (William Frederick), 1845-1918
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: [Concord, N.H. : Rumford press]
Number of Pages: 838