USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Henniker > History of the town of Henniker, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, from the date of the Canada grant by the province of Massachusetts, in 1735, to 1880 with a genealogical register of the families of Henniker > Part 21
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271
BUILDINGS BURNED.
Hiram M. Davis's dye-house.
Phipps & Hubbard's tavern, on the south side of the river, where Thomas Brown now resides, was burned during the early spring of 1848. Cause of the fire unknown.
Thomas Pope's barn was struck by lightning and burned. Col. Imri Wood's woollen factory, situated at West Hen- niker, was burned in November, 1861. Cause unknown.
David Houston's peg-works at West Henniker. Caught about the dye-house.
Edmund Mirick's shoemaker's shop, situated in the field northerly from D. W. Cogswell's blacksmith shop, was burned March 23, 1852. Supposed to have been set on fire.
Ammi Smith's grist- and saw-mill, situated at West Hen- niker, was burned in November, 1861. Caught from the burning of Col. Wood's factory.
Rufus S. Howe's barn, situated at the "Old Noyes stand," was burned April 23, 1860. Cause unknown.
Rufus S. Howe's saw- and cider-mill, situated on the road north-westerly from the "Old Noyes stand," was burned in July, 1861.
Milton Gregg's two houses, situated south-westerly from the stone house.
Samuel K. Gove's house and barn, situated in the south- easterly part of the town, easterly from the present residence of B. F. Kimball, was burned. Supposed to have been set on fire.
Mrs. Flynn's house, situated on the hill easterly from the village.
George Courser's saw-mill, situated on the former site of Messrs. Dillinghams' paper-mill, was burned July 4, 1861. Cause of fire unknown.
Harrison Morrill's barn was burned August 27, 1862. The origin of the fire is unknown. It was burned in the after- noon. The barn was one hundred feet in length and forty feet in width, and was full of hay. The wheat had been put in the day before, and was standing in the lean-to and about
272
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
the floor. A large crop of oats was ready to go in; and when the fire broke out, Mr. Morrill and his two hands were in the field, commencing to load them. Before the barn could be reached, it was a sheet of flame There had been no fire about the building, and the doors were closed. One horse was burned in it. Through the most superhuman exertions, the house close by was saved. The loss was $2,000 ; insured for $300.
Thomas Brown's house, known as the Levi Colby house, in the north-westerly part of the town, was burned Septem- ber, 4, 1862. Cause unknown.
Moses Cheney's paper-mill, at West Henniker, was burned February 8, 1869, during the night. Cause unknown.
Joseph B. Wood's house, in the west part of the town, was burned August 9, 1869, at II o'clock at night. Caught from a fire in a hog-house.
Thomas B. Adams's house, situated on the south side of Craney hill, was burned in the daytime, August 14, 1872. Caught on the roof.
Lewis P. Hanson's buildings were burned April 26, 1873. Two sets of buildings were destroyed. The fire caught in a barn that stood above all the rest. Nothing but a little straw was in it. Not much was saved from the buildings. Cause unknown.
William E. Cogswell's tin shop was burned about midnight of April 29, 1873. An addition was being made to the build- ing upon the east end. The fire, when first seen, was in that part, and in the old shop adjoining. Nothing but the town safe was saved, which was rescued from the ruins by keeping a stream of water playing upon it for hours. The covers of the books were somewhat warped, and some papers smoked ; otherwise everything was in good condition. The Methodist parsonage, close by, and Mr. Cogswell's dwelling, were cleared of their contents, and were saved only by the most heroic efforts. Not a breath of wind was stirring, else the consequences might have been more direful.
273
BUILDINGS BURNED.
The brick block belonging to J. & J. W. Morse was burned a little after midnight of February 15, 1876. The fire was first discovered in the rear basement of the ell of the build- ing. The block and most of its contents were destroyed. The first story was occupied by D. R. Everett as a country store ; the second story for the manufacture and storage of cigars. The third story was occupied by Aurora Lodge F. and A. Masons, and Woods Chapter, No. 14, Royal Arch Masons, who lost everything in their hall. A terrible storm of sleet was raging at the time, which, together with the almost superhuman efforts of the citizens, saved the adjoin- ing buildings from destruction. The building was erected in 1826, by Jonas Wallace and J. Proctor Darling, at a cost of about $2,000. One of the rooms in the second story had been occupied as a tailor's shop by Jesse Webster for thirty- eight years.
Dillingham & Co.'s paper-mill in the village was burned, with all its contents, April 22, 1876.
The buildings of Mrs. Oliver Colby, in the east part of the town, were burned March 7, 1877. Caught on the roof.
Buildings of George H. Farrar, at West Henniker, were burned July 25, 1877. The fire was set by children who were playing in the barn.
A house owned by Benjamin Colby, at the west end of the village, was burned June 22, 1878.
A barn belonging to George Colby, in the east part of the town, was burned July 21, 1878. Struck by lightning.
CHAPTER XVI.
POPULATION OF THE TOWN-MORTUARY RECORD-CEN- SUS TAKEN BY MR. SCALES-BURIAL-YARDS-NEW CEM- ETERY-AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES OF THE TOWN.
N 1761 there was only one family in town, consisting of some half dozen persons. The first regular census was taken in 1775, when the population was found to be 367. In 1783 another was taken, and the population was found to be 749. I find that the enumeration was made by the selectmen in the fall of the year after the war closed. They made the following report :
Census of Henniker in 1783.
No of White Inhabitants in the Town of Henniker 745
No of Blacks, 4
No of Dwelling Houses 72
No of Barns and other Buildings, So
No of Acres of Land 2.2,500
The above is a True Inventory of The Town of Henniker according To The Best of our Judgments.
Taken By Us,
James Joslyn Select Samuel Dunlap Men.
Henniker October 1783.
Population in 1790 II27
1800 1476
1810 1608
1820. 1900
1830 . 1725
275
POPULATION.
Population in 1835 (by Rev. Jacob Scales) 1709
1840. 1715
1850 1690
1860 1500
1870 I288
Mr. Scales says of the census taken by him, January I, 1835, "that it showed there were at that time, three hundred dwelling houses, three hundred and twelve or fifteen fami- lies, and over seventeen hundred individuals of all ages." He then says,-
They are now supplied with five good houses of public wor- ship. The people are divided into Congregationalists, Meth- odists, Baptists, Friends, Universalists, and a considerable num- ber, who perhaps have yet their form of religion to choose. In four houses, there is generally public worship every Sabbath and at other times. In the fifth (which belongs to the town) the Universalists meet from eight to twelve times during the year.
About one third of the inhabitants of all ages & both races, are supposed to favor the Congregational interest.
The Methodists, Baptists, and a very small society of Friends, receive the favor of more than one half of the other two thirds.
The rest are disposed to class themselves with the Universal- ists, or with those who have no partiality to any form of relig- ion.
It is believed that two thirds of the inhabitants, whose health and age permits, assemble weekly with those who prize the Sabbath and sanctuary privileges, when they are not detained by some inconvenience.
Very few, if any, of those who attend constantly on the in- structions, and the privileges of the gospel, can be numbered with the votaries of ardent spirit, or the slaves of beastly pas- sions.
At that time there was one person over ninety years of age, and twelve over eighty.
Mr. Scales classed the inhabitants of the town religiously, as follows :
Supposed to favor the Congregationalists, 583
66 Universalists, 531
276
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
Supposed to favor the Methodists,
260
Baptists, 223
66 Friends, II2
Total,
1709
The following are the statistics of the town in 1870, for which I am indebted to the marshal's report :
Population under one year of age. 18
66
between one and ten .. 194
ten and twenty 256
twenty and thirty.
179
66
thirty and forty 139
66
forty and fifty .. 172
fifty and sixty. I27
sixty and seventy. IIO
seventy and eighty 65
66
eighty and ninety 27
66
over ninety. I
Total I288
Number of dwellings 317
families. .325
66 males 621
females 667
foreign-born males
14
66
females. IO
From the tables given, it will be seen that the largest increase in the population of the town, for any correspond- ing number of years, was between 1783 and 1790.
The population steadily increased until 1820. Then, like nearly or quite all the agricultural towns of the state, it be- gan to decrease. This diminution may be attributed to several causes. Emigration to the then Western country, into the interior of New York, began to attract the attention of some of the population. Very soon after, manufacturing
277
POPULATION.
places began to spring up, in which whole families found more remunerative employment, as they thought, than could be found upon the farms of the town. Quite a number of families moved to Manchester, this state, and to Lowell, Mass. Still, the town held its own remarkably well until 1850. Up to this time, but few farms had been abandoned. After this, large numbers of families, as well as young peo- ple, emigrated to the far West, and into the manufacturing centres. The young people left home, and the fathers and mothers, who had worked early and late to make comfort- able homes for themselves and their families, finding them- selves deserted by the children, and unable longer to till their farms, were obliged to dispose of them as best they could. In consequence of this, some of our best farms have been turned into pasturage.
The Proctor farm, situated upon Federal hill, is one of the most notable examples. This farm was at one time one of the very best in the town. Some thirty head of cat- tle, half a dozen horses, and a large number of sheep were usually wintered upon the farm, while the old mansion, with its huge-throated fireplace and spacious rooms, was redo- lent with generous hospitality and welcome cheer.
One entire school district, so long known as the "Colby district," has become depopulated, and the land turned into pasturage. One has only to travel through that district to see the immense amount of labor performed by the older settlers in that section, to make themselves and their chil- dren comfortable homes. Such large stocks of cattle as were kept upon the farms, and such unbounded generosity within the old dwellings ! All have passed away. A large number of " cellar holes" are to be seen in various parts of the town, over which once stood pleasant homes. Many of these buildings have been taken down and converted to other purposes. It is hoped that the ebb-tide in the popula- tion has been reached, and that with the improved machin- ery upon the water-power of the town, and other branches
278
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
of industry which are at times springing up, together with the better disposition manifested to remain upon the farm instead of "going farther and faring worse," will again add to its population, and the town once more be prosperous. I am glad to note that many of the once abandoned farms are again taken up, and many new buildings are being erected.
MORTUARY RECORD.
Although the many monuments and the crowded mounds in the several burial-places of the town proclaim the fact that its "silent population " far outnumber its present living population, still statistics furnish conclusive proof that the pure air and water have been great promoters of longevity and health. From a historical sketch, written by Rev. Ja- cob Scales in 1838, we extract the following :
The town has been usually very healthy, and the average number of deaths has been about one to sixty inhabitants. Very many of the inhabitants have lived to more than eighty years, and some more than ninety. Industry and frugality appear to have been the leading traits in the character of every one who has, in this place, reached the age of ninety years.
Up to the time the above was written, no person residing in this town was known certainly to have reached the age of 100 years. Maj. Jeremiah Crocker (colored) died about this time, and was considered a centenarian, although there was no positive proof that such was the fact. Judging from facts and incidents of which he had so perfect a knowledge, he must undoubtedly have been nearly if not quite 100 years of age, and such fact is recorded upon the tombstone which was erected over his grave by his numerous friends.
Mrs. Hardy, who was a native of Rowley, Mass., and who resided near the foot of Craney hill, upon the north side, and who died in 1845, lived to the great age of 103 years and upwards. Through all her long days she was a vigor- ous and healthy woman, hardly ever knowing what it was to
279
MORTUARY RECORD.
be ill until near the close of her life. Born nineteen years before the first permanent settlement was made in this town, she saw the formation of these colonies into one independ- ent nation. She was 23 years of age when the Revolution came on, and lived under the administration of ten presi- dents of this confederation. For nearly or quite half a cen- tury she lived upon the side of the hill where naught but the purest air could be breathed, which fact, coupled with her habits of life, which were simple and frugal, rounded out her days to a remarkable old age.
Mrs. Hemphill, who died in 1869, was a few months over 100 years of age at her death.
Previous to this century there is no record of deaths indi- cating the age of any person that died, save in a few in- stances, and those mostly of young people. The record within this century is not complete, but from that and other sources I find that since its commencement the following persons have died in this town, aged 90 years and upwards :
Date of Death. Name. Age.
Nov. 4, 1816.
Adam Willson .94
Dec. 25, 1826.
Ebenezer Harriman 93
Aug. 17, 1831. Enoch Johnson. 93 Aug. 2, 1841. Ephraim Morrill .98
July 23, 1842. Aphia Colby. .90
Sept. 13, 1842.
Lieut. Samuel Wadsworth .95
March 29, 1845. Sept. 2, 1845.
Elizabeth Kemp, widow of Levi .93
Sarah Wheeler 95
Sept. 19, 1847.
Nathaniel Chase .94
Sept. 4, 1848.
Widow John Smith . 90 Widow Bickford .91
·93
May 7, 1850. March 23, 1851. Dec. 28, 1852.
Mary Chase, wife of Nathaniel .92
Jan. 31, 1853.
William Morrison. .90
Aug. 26, 1853.
James Morrison (blind from youth) .92
Sept. 14, 1854.
Widow Joseph Cheney .92
June 9, 1856. Widow Betsey Morse .90
Jan. 3, 1857. Widow Mary Gould. .98
Sept. 13. 1849. Betsey Stuart.
Jennie D. Morrison . 90
280
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
April 28, 1858.
Darius Whitcomb. .90
Dec. 18, 1859.
Margaret A. Rice .98
March 8, 1861.
Widow Ruth Goss .97
Sept. 19, 1861. Lydia Dinsmore .92
June 23, 1862. Ephraim Dodge .91
Aug. 26, 1863.
Lettice Caldwell .97
May II, 1867.
George Connor. .93
June 11, 1869.
Hannah Connor . 92
William Livingston 95
Moses Huse and his wife both lived to be considerably over 90 years of age.
As there is no record of the ages of the deceased for over half a century after the first settlement of the town, the ex- act number who lived to be 90 and upwards cannot be as- certained. It is probable that several died within that time over that age.
In addition to this number may be added Widow Lucy Morrill, who died April 4, 1875, aged over 94 years ; Isaac Rice, May 11, 1876, almost 92; Jacob Rice, April 14, 1879, 92; Anna S. Pillsbury, July 8, 1879, 94.
It will be seen, by referring to the mortuary list, that a very large number have lived to be upwards of 80 years of age. These, added to those of whom there is no public rec- ord, leave no doubt but what at least 150 persons have lived to reach the age of 80 and over.
The whole number of deaths in this town, from its settle- ment until Jan. I, 1880, as near as can be ascertained from public and private records, is as follows :
The record of deaths from 1761 until 1775 is set down at 19. This is not considered as an exact return, as it was kept by individuals instead of by the town, but it must be very nearly correct, as it is in about the same ratio that has existed in the town since a true record has been kept.
From 1775 to 1785. 55
1785 to 1795. 94
1795 to 1800 90
1800 to 1805 73
281
MORTUARY RECORD.
From 1805 to 1810. 65
1810 to 1815. 95 1815 to 1819 100
1819 to 1827 1 58
1827 to 1838. 343
1838 to 1850 253
1850 to 1860 243
1860 to 1870 227
1870 to 1880. 232
2028
Previous to 1838 the rate of mortality was about one to sixty of the population. The rate has varied but little since that date upon the average. Some years it has been quite large, in others correspondingly low.
I give the following table by years, as near as can be as- certained :
From 1761 to 1775 19
Deaths in 1776. 7
Deaths in 1796 29
I777
7
1797
IO
1778
2
1798 15
I779
8
1799
14
1780 3
1800
14
178I
5
1801 9
1782
5
1802
I5
1783 13
1803.
18
1784.
5
1804.
22
1785
6
1805.
13
1786
3
1806
II
1787
II
1807
I7
1788
4.
1808.
18
1789.
IO
1809.
IO
1790
15
1810 I2
1791
5
18II
14
I792
8
1812
18
I793
8
1813
I7
1794
19
1814
20
I795.
8
1815
23
19
282
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
Deaths in 1816 43
Deaths in 1848
.21
1817
2I
1849
.22
1818
19
1850 28
1819 19
1851 16
1852 26
1821
15
1853 32
1822. 16
1854. 25
1855. 21
1824
16
1856
24
1825.
26
1857 24
1826.
27
1858 19
28
1828
25
1860
20
1829
38
1861 20
1830
13
1862 17
1831
.34
1863 38
1832
33
1864
32
1833.
31
1865
25
1834.
25
1866
19
1835.
.20
1867 22
1836
33
1868 17
1837
.36
1869
1870
.20
1839
19
1871.
17
1840
· 13
1872.
30
1841
.20
1873 21
1842
29
1874.
20
1843
23
1875
26
1844
14
1876
25
1845
.20
1877
.25
1846
.22
1878
23
1847
.24
1879
25
This table shows the average number of deaths per year, since 1775, to be twenty-five. The largest number of deaths was in 1816, and the lowest in 1778.
For the following table, embracing a period of twelve years, from 1827 to 1838, inclusive, I am indebted to the late Rev. Jacob Scales, who prepared the same in 1838.
This table shows the number of deaths between each dec- ade of years, and I find the same to be the average rate of
1820 19
1823 .20
1827 31
1859
18 1838
25
283
" SPOTTED FEVER."
mortality for the whole number of years since the settle- ment of the town.
Years.
Under I year.
I to 10.
Io to 20.
20 to 30.
30 to 40.
40 to 50.
50 to 60.
60 to 70.
70 to 80.
So to 90.
90 to 100.
Total.
1827
4
3
4
6
2
I
ow
4
4
O
31
1828
7
4
3
I
3
3
2
2
I
I
I
38
1830.
3
O
3
I
0
O
2
3
I
O
13
1831
2
9
3
3
3
I
3
I
3
5
I
34
1832.
6
15
I
I
O
4
2
I
O
3
O O
31
1834
4
I
2
3
I
2
3
4
5
O
2
C
19
1836.
5
4
6
2
3
2
I
I
4
5
I
34
1837
4
5
2
5
3
4
4
2
2
5
O
36
1838
4
4
0
3
2
3
2
2
3
I
O
24
60
65
28
35
22
30
21
20
28
31
3
343
More than one third of the deaths in the above table were under ten years of age, and more than one half were under thirty years of age.
4
5
3
5
2
4
3
2
I
2
O
25
1835
8
I
I
0
I
6
O
0
2
2
0
25
1829
9
14
0
5
2
I
33
1833
This record, as a whole, speaks well for the healthfulness of the town. Purer air and better water are nowhere to be found within the borders of the state. Contagious diseases rarely prevail, and the town has ever been considered by the medical fraternity one of the healthiest in the state. The most fatal disease ever known in the town was the " spot- ted fever," in 1815 and 1816.
For three or four years previous to this time the more northern states had witnessed the rise of a very singular disease, of an eruptive nature, which was called by the phy- sicians the "Spotted fever" or "Cold plague." It was quite fatal in many places, sometimes nearly the whole of the fam- ily becoming its victims. The first indication of an attack was, generally, a sudden pain in some of the extremities,
284
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
spreading rapidly over the system, often terminating fatally in twenty-four hours, and in some instances in a much less time. It was not generally considered very contagious, as it raged fearfully in some places, while other towns that had unrestrained intercourse with such places almost entirely escaped. The physicians were at a loss at first as to the treatment needed. Sweating to a great extent was resorted to, by warm blankets and blocks of wood. This soon gave way to a milder treatment, although the disease was a diffi- cult one to understand and to master.
This town suffered severely by the disease, as the record will show. A great many persons were attacked with it, and a large number died. Many a family in affliction kept the midnight light gleaming from their windows, giving no- tice to the passer-by that sorrow was in their household, and that the hearts of the inmates were sad and gloomy, for death was doing its dread work in their homes.
From November 10, 1815, to May 10, 1816, a period of six months, there were forty-three deaths in this town, most- ly from this disease. Some families suffered most severely.
Mrs. Pearsons, wife of Capt. Parker Pearsons, and two of her daughters, together with Gideon Haynes and two of his children, died in one house in about one month.
Widow Gould's son Gilbert died November 14, 1815, hav- ing been ill but sixteen hours. One of the bearers at his funeral was a young man by the name of Edward Bowman. Two days after the funeral he was attacked with the same disease, and died in four days.
The family of Samuel M. Smith, who lived on the plain easterly from the village, was sorely afflicted. Mrs. Smith and several of her children died. One son, Josiah, recovered from the attack, but was ever after deaf and dumb. He will be remembered as living in the westerly part of the town, near the Hillsborough line, for a number of years, where his widow, who became deaf and dumb from the same disease, resided. They had one son, John, who became a member
285
BURIAL-YARDS.
of Company D, Eleventh Regiment, in the late civil war. He was killed at Fredericksburg, Va., December 13, 1862, being the first soldier killed in the regiment. Mr. Smith was killed a few years since by the cars running over him, near the crossing below the late residence of Alvah Merrill.
The wife and a son of Dr. William Dinsmore were among its victims.
One of the largest families in town was that of Joseph Marsh, which consisted at one time of fifteen children. Mrs. Marsh was attacked with the disease, and died. Five of her children had died previous to the breaking out of this dis- ease. At the time of her death, several of the children were sick, mostly with the measles ; and out of that large family only Mr. Marsh and four children were able to follow the wife and mother to the grave. Most truly was that family stricken in sadness and in sorrow !
The disease was pronounced by the physicians of this and the neighboring towns as a "sporadic nondescript," previ- ously unknown; and, as such, it baffled their skill, and proved very fatal.
It will be seen that the whole number of deaths in the town, from its first settlement until 1879, has reached the number of 2,028. This aggregate, together with the large number that have been brought to town for burial, will make fully 2,400 persons buried in the several graveyards of the town, or nearly twice the number of the living population at the beginning of the year 1871.
BURIAL-YARDS.
The first action of the town in regard to a burial-yard was taken at a meeting held March 26, 1770, when it was
Voted that the burying place shall be upon the Senter lot.
Voted, that Josiar Ward, Ezra tucker, Silas Barns is a Com- mete to lok out the spot of ground to bury the Ded in.
Voted, that Josiar Ward should Dig the graves this year.
286
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
This committee selected the spot where is now the burial- yard near A. D. L. F. Connor's. This was the first one in town. Mr. Ward was the nearest settler to it, and was made the sexton.
This was the only burial-place for many years. In it lie a large number of the early settlers of the town. The graves of many are known by the tablets at their heads, while many others have nothing to indicate the place where they lie. But few persons are now buried in it : only those who have friends interred there, and who wish their remains to lie with them in the peaceful, historic old burial-ground.
In a few years a burial-yard was established in the south- east part of the town, and Amos Gould was chosen sexton. A large number of the old settlers are buried there, as that portion of the town contained more of them than any other part of it. Among them was Oliver Noyes, Esq. The fol- lowing is the epitaph upon his tombstone :
He served his country in the war of the Revolution, was strictly democratic in principle, industrious in his habits. Uni- versal in hope and faith, a good citizen, a kind father, and worthy pattern that his posterity ought to remember and follow.
Upon the tombstone of Dr. Amos Whitney, who died in 1802, aged 33 years, is the following :
The sprightly form, the active limb, Is conquered by the tyrants grim- Genius and learning, worth and parts, Must yield to his relentless darts.
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