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 25
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Since 1850, yielding to the solicitations of his mute friends, who have ever looked to him for advice, in consequence of his being one of the oldest and ablest graduates of the asy- lum, Mr. Brown has most of the time been connected in some official capacity with their various associations. He was the first president of the New England Gallaudet Asso- ciation, which position he held for several years. He has also been president of the New England Clerc Monumental Association, and is vice-president of the National Clerc Monumental Association.
Mr. Brown married, for his second wife, Sophia Sumner, of Leeds, Me., a hearing lady, who has four educated mute brothers.
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
Thomas, like his father, is a great lover of fun, and his humor is unbounded. He is one of our most intelligent, upright, industrious, and respectable citizens.
Mr. Brown is one of the most interesting of mute speak- ers, and at all the gatherings of the mutes he is called upon to address them. The first speech he ever made was in Hartford, Sept. 26, 1850. A silver pitcher, most elegantly wrought, was presented to each of his old teachers, Messrs. Gallaudet and Clerc. Mr. Brown was the originator of the movement, and at the presentation spoke as follows :
"My deaf and dumb friends: The object of our assem- bling here is chiefly to pay our grateful respects to our early benefactors,-to those to whose assiduous labors we owe our education, and the hopes and happiness it has afforded us. Let me congratulate you upon our happy meeting. How interesting to us all is the occasion,-as one for the renewal of former friendships and the expressions of grate- ful acknowledgments to our best friends and benefactors. Let us ever remember them, and love the great and good institution with the sincere love of children."
On Wednesday, Sept. 6, 1854, a large concourse of deaf mutes, from all parts of the Union, met at Hartford to join in the ceremonies of the completion of a monument that had been erected to the memory of Mr. Gallaudet. Mr. Brown delivered a short address upon the occasion, which was given, as he gave it, to the large number of hearing people present, by a teacher of the institution. We give an extract, showing how deeply grateful he was for the services of his old teacher, whose memory was that day being com- memorated :
" Thanks to our gracious God, that we are spared to meet here to enjoy the honor of raising a monument to the de- ceased Gallaudet, who formerly sought our happiness and prosperity, while others have been called away by a myste- rious dispensation of God, who would have wished to have witnessed this celebration.
337
DEAF MUTES.
" Was this monument built for our worship, or an idol, or for an ornament to this institution ? No! it perpetuates our affectionate remembrance of a departed friend and ben- efactor, and will be an endless memento to this institution, of which that great man was the first principal. How good God was to have prepared and selected such a man as was Dr. Gallaudet, for the friend and teacher of deaf mutes. I ever felt towards him as my kind father. Now he is on his dusty pillow. His monument stands as an immortal me- mento to future teachers and pupils. May the choicest blessings of heaven descend upon us, that we may be pre- pared to meet our first beloved teacher when God shall call us away."
The fiftieth anniversary of the "dawn of education on American deaf mutes". was held in Hartford, Aug. 22, 1866, upon which occasion Mr. Brown presided, and made a speech in review of what had been accomplished at the in- stitution during the fifty years which had passed away since it was founded.
Mr. Brown attended the semi-centennial celebration of the founding of the New York institution for the deaf and dumb, in New York city, August 28, 1867. He was introduced to the large audience by Dr. Peet, his old instructor, who gave him a very flattering introduction. In the course of his re- marks, Mr. Brown said,-
" On the Ioth of September, 1851, I was at work on my farm, in a lot which I had named the 'Gallaudet lot.' The day was intensely hot, and I felt very sad and gloomy, al- though I could not give any reason therefor. I worked as long as I could, and finally gave it up, and went to the house to rest. I had hardly set down in my chair, when some one brought me the news that T. H. Gallaudet was dead. I was much shocked and grieved, and since then have wondered whether there was not some mysterious connection between my sad feelings on that day and the death of my early friend and benefactor. I have never studied the theory of premo-
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
nitions, but I confess it appears to me that there are such things."
January 4, 1854, quite a remarkable meeting of deaf mutes took place in this town, at the house of Mr. Brown, to frame a constitution for a society to be called the "New England Gallaudet Association." Each New England state was rep- resented. Mr. Brown presided, and William B. Swett was secretary. They held three sessions daily for five days, save upon the fourth. The morning session was opened with prayer by some member of the board. A complimentary resolution to Mr. Brown was passed at the close, to which he responded very neatly. A resolution of thanks "to Mrs. Brown for her attention, promptitude, and excellent board ;" to Mr. Swett, " for his services and hospitality ;" and to Al- bert Gove and his wife, for their friendliness and hospitality, was also passed.
There in solemn convention these deaf mutes sat and transacted their business, with as much order and regularity as would any hearing assembly, and most certainly with far less noise.
Mr. Brown has been rightly named the "mute Cincinnatus of America," and his memory will ever be held in high re- spect by all who have known him.
THOMAS LEWIS BROWN,
son of Thomas and Mary S. Brown, was born in this town, July 8, 1839. When only a day old, a careless nurse let him fall upon the floor, and this, his mother always said, was the cause of his being a deaf mute. She was the more inclined to this belief, from the fact that her daughter was a hearing child. In 1851, Thomas was sent to school at Hartford, where he remained until 1857. He rose rapidly in his classes, and was regarded by his teachers as a superior scholar. He remained at home until the spring of 1859, when he was engaged as a teacher in the Deaf and Dumb
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MASONIC.
Asylum at Flint, Mich. He entered upon his duties March 7, 1859, and has been connected with the institution ever since, teaching the first or highest class since 1865. He is regarded by the principal, his fellow-teachers, and his pupils, as an efficient teacher and a valuable acquisition to the insti- tution.
MASONIC.
The first meeting of the Masonic fraternity, of many mem- bers, occurred upon St. John's Day, June 24, 1823, when there was a large gathering of the order belonging to this and the neighboring towns, to commemorate the day. At this time there was no lodge in town, but one was opened by St. Peter's lodge, of Bradford, at the house of William Cressey, where a procession was formed, which proceeded to the old Congregational church, to listen to an address deliv- ered by Brother and Rev. Mr. Nye, Congregational minister from Claremont. A large concourse of people was present. At the conclusion of the exercises, the procession was re- formed, under the direction of Perley Howe and Timothy Darling, who officiated as marshals on the occasion, and marched back to Mr. Cressey's, where a bountiful dinner, provided by the fraternity of this town, was partaken of. The tables were spread on the green in front of Mr. Cres- sey's house, and were shaded by small birches placed at intervals their entire length, and arched over them. Hon. Joshua Darling presided on the occasion. After the eata- bles were disposed of, the fraternity were called to order, and sentiments appropriate to the day and the order were read and responded to.
There were at this time quite a large number of Masons residing in this town; and in the early spring of 1825 a pe- tition for a lodge to be established here, to be known as Aurora Lodge, No. 43, was presented to the Grand Lodge of this state, which petition was considered, and a charter granted, June 8, 1825. The first meeting of the lodge was
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
held at the house of Mr. Cressey, July 2, 1825, when Enoch Darling, Esq., was elected W. M., Col. Imri Woods, S. W., Dr. Jacob Straw, J. W., Page Eaton, Esq., Treasurer, Dr. Nathan Sanborn, Secretary, Jacob Silver, S. D., Perley Howe, J. D., Daniel C. Gould, Josiah Morse, Jr., Stewards, and Micah Howe, Jr., Tyler.
When the brick building was erected by Wallace & Dar- ling, in 1826, the fraternity secured a hall by adding the third story to that structure. Hon. Joshua Darling, Jacob Silver, and Page Eaton were chosen a committee to oversee the building of the same. The hall was dedicated, with ap- propriate ceremonies, by the Grand Lodge of the state.
On St. John's Day, June 24, 1828, a procession was formed at the hall, after its dedication, which proceeded to the Con- gregational church, where prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. White, of Washington, and an address was delivered by Brother and Rev. Mr. Lawton, of Hillsborough. Col. Imri Woods directed the music for the occasion, which was said to have been rendered "with much tact and skill." After the exercises were concluded, the procession was re-formed, and marched back to the second story of the brick building, where a sumptuous dinner, furnished by Capt. Robert M. Wallace, was partaken of by the large gathering. Enoch Darling, Esq., W. M., presided with much dignity and ability. The social hour was spent in responding to sen- timents appropriate to the occasion, by several of the lead- ing and most distinguished members of the fraternity in the state, who had honored the dedication with their presence.
This hall was occupied by the lodge until its destruction by fire, Feb. 15, 1876, or nearly half a century. By the fire, the lodge lost everything belonging to it ; but, nothing daunted, they secured another hall, and were soon in working order.
During this half century, the lodge has been presided over by fifteen different worshipful masters, all residents of this town but four. There have been eight different treas-
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I. O. O. F.
urers, and ten secretaries. During this time, 180 different persons have been members of the lodge. Whole number who have died, 66; whole number demitted, 40; present membership, 74 ;- total, 180.
ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER.
June 7, 1867, a chapter of Royal Arch Masons was insti- tuted, which has been quite prosperous, including in its membership a large number of prominent Masons within its jurisdiction. This chapter was called Woods Chapter, in honor of Col. Imri Woods, of this town, an eminent mem- ber of the fraternity. Its number is 74.
BEAR HILL GRANGE,
of the Order of the Patrons of Husbandry, was instituted in this town, Dec. 4, 1874. The grange took its name from Bear hill, situated in the south-west part of the town, known to us as Patten hill, where some of the first meetings were held, and where the order was instituted. The following season it commenced holding its meetings in the main vil- lage, where they have since been held. The lodge has met weekly or fortnightly most of the time since its organization. It has been quite prosperous ; and its membership includes some of the most substantial farmers and mechanics of the town, and their wives and daughters. Many literary enter- tainments of a high order are given at their meetings.
I. O. O. F.
July 28, 1876, Crescent Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 60, was instituted. Public services were held in the Congregational church, at which addresses were made by several leading Odd Fellows of the state. The lodge has been quite pros- perous. An encampment was instituted in the summer of 1879.
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
"CAUTIONS," OR WARNINGS OUT OF TOWN.
A very singular custom prevailed in the olden times, which was no less than that of warning all new-comers into town to depart hence within a specified time. This was done under the provisions of a statute which expressly de- clared that upon this being done, the town thus giving the warning should not be held liable for the support of the per- sons thus warned, if they called upon the town for assist- ance. But little attention was, however, paid to these warn- ings, and in most cases it was hoped there would be none, for all were served alike. Occasionally a family would take the matter to heart seriously, and leave the town.
Mr. Ward, in his genealogy of the Rice family, says that in one instance where this was done to a family of property and good standing, who came into Massachusetts from another state, where the practice was not known, were very much astonished when the notice to leave the town was served upon them. They thought so seriously of the mat- ter, that finally the husband inquired of the wife what it could mean. Said she, "I cannot, for the life of me, im- agine what it is for. Have you said or done anything here to give offence ?" said she, looking into his face. "I have done no more than civilly pass the time o' day with the peo- ple since we have been here," said he. "Well, then," said the good wife, "who knows but what they think we have got the small-pox?" Thus they queried, but could not account for it. The husband, having lain awake all the night long thinking about it, said to his wife in the morning,-" I am going to pack up our things and go somewhere else, for this is no great of a place after all."
The following is the form of the warrant issued in such a case :
Hillsborough SS.
To Mr. Jonas Bowman, constable for the Town of Henniker in said County, Greeting :
Whereas several Persons have come into this town lately
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WARNINGS OUT OF TOWN.
which may Becom inhabitants if not warned out, and are likely to Becom a Town Charge in any time of sickness or adversity ; viz : Charles Greenfield and his wife hannah, and his son Da- vid, and his Daughters Hannah and Patty, who came from Bos- cawen this Province into this town in the month of December, 175S, And Also Thomas Pingree and Mary his wife and his son Pearsons, and his Daughters Mary and Sarah, who came to this town from New Rowley in the Province of Massachu- setts in the month of December, 1785.
You are therefore required to Warn and Notify all and each of these Persons to Depart out of this Town as they will then contempt under the penalty of the law.
Hereof fail not and make Return of this warrant with your doings thereon as soon as may be.
Dated at Henniker aforesaid, this thirteenth day of Decem- ber A. D. 1785.
Robert Wallace, Selectmen James Joslyn of
David Campbell, Henniker.
The constable made his return upon the back of the war- rant as follows :
Hillsborough ss, Henniker, January Ist, 1785.
In obedience to the within warrant, I have warned all and each of the within mentioned persons forthwith to Depart out of This Town as the Law directs.
Jonas Bowman, Constable for said Henniker.
August 16, 1784, the following persons were warned out of town :
Joseph Basford and Anne his Wife from the town of Ware, and Mary Andrews from Hillsboro.
December 19, 1784, the following persons were warned out :
Jabez Alexander and Louis his wife, and his Daughter Dor- kis, and his sons Benjamin and Callop.
Mr. Alexander had been a faithful soldier of the Revolu- tion, and among the battles in which he took part was that of Bennington. As a reward for his services, now that the
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
war was over, and he and his family were liable to need assistance, they were warned to leave the town. As this may seem unjust, and to some inhuman, I am pleased to record the fact that no notice was taken of the warning, and that his family and himself were well provided for by the town whenever they needed any assistance.
These " cautions" were modified in after years, so as to include only those who it was feared might become really a charge upon the town, and about the beginning of the present century it was discontinued altogether. But few persons settled here for the first forty years after the origi- nal settlement, who did not receive this notice. In the light of these days it seems an inhuman custom, but viewed from the point of our forefathers, it seemed quite necessary, and withal just.
FIRST BAPTISM.
Jacob Barnes, son of Silas and Betsey Barnes, and Ruth Harthorn, daughter of Dea. Ebenezer and Rhoda Harthorn, were the first two children baptized in this town. They were "sprinkled," and were named Jacob and Ruth, for Mr. Rice and his wife. Mr. Rice performed the ceremony,- when, it is not known ; but as both were born in June, 1769, -Jacob the 4th and Ruth the 5th,-the act of sprinkling must have taken place before the log meeting-house was built ; and it was, without much doubt, done in the house of Silas Barnes, where the meetings were generally held.
ROADS LAID OUT.
In addition to the roads mentioned in the previous pages as being laid out, the following are some of the older ones :
The road over Craney hill was laid out by Silas Barnes and William Kimball, selectmen, in 1772. John Putney lived in the last house in the township, over the hill, and the road terminated at his house. It ran by no house at that
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ROADS LAID OUT.
time, after leaving Mr. Putney's, until Jonas Bowman's was reached. This was on what is now known as the old Hardy place, near the foot of the hill.
Another road was laid out the same year, and by the same selectmen, leading from Wm. Peters's across the lots owned by Jonathan Robinson and Thomas Wallace, and the Rice lot, and Jonathan Temple's lot to his saw-mill on Good or Saw-mill brook.
The road from the " Oak-trees " across the plain was laid out Feb. 15, 1782. It was afterwards straightened, and laid out nearer the bank of the river. At the end of the road a gate was placed, through which all travel had to pass on its way up or down.
Several roads were laid out during the Revolution, of which there are no returns upon the records of the town. The returns were probably made properly to the town, but failed of being recorded. These roads were mostly those . which have since been discontinued, and were mostly short pieces of road. The most important of these was the road laid out over Goss hill to Bradford line, over which all the travel to that town and above passed in those early days. Another one was the road leading from the school-house in " Westborough corner," up to the Gibsons' and the Colbys', then settling in the more westerly part of the town ; also a road leading from the same point to Hillsborough line, as now trod. There was as yet no communication with the town of Warner, upon the north. In 1798 a road was laid out from the Centre bridge sixty rods north. A road had been laid out running from Centre bridge, on the north and east side of the river, down to the Lower Mills, to be four rods in width. All other roads, save the one from Hopkin- ton to Hillsborough, were laid out two rods wide. A road had been laid out during the Revolution, running up through " Shabica," commencing near the present residence of Mr. Washington C. Cogswell, and thence to the south side of Warner line. A few settlers lived upon this road ; but the
23
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
soil being poor, and the rocks in too great abundance, the farms were mostly abandoned. In 1812 the road was dis- continued, on condition " that gates should be kept by the settlers upon the north and south ends of the road, so that people might pass and repass by shutting the gates."
In 1806 some of the residents of the lower part of the town petitioned that a road be laid out and built from the Joseph Plummer place up to Nathaniel Noyes's, and to straighten other parts of the main road from Hopkinton to Hillsborough. The request of the petitioners was granted by a court's committee, but the town refused to build the roads as laid out. At the November term of the court in 1810, the roads were indicted by the grand jury, then in session at Hopkinton. In 1811 the town asked permission of the court to discontinue all the roads that had been laid out by the committee. Permission was granted, and this was done in August of this year. In 1813, however, the re- quest of the petitioners was again granted, and the select- men laid out the roads as requested, and they were speedily built.
A road was laid out about this time, to commence at the terminus of the road that had been laid out from the centre bridge, sixty rods north, and to terminate at the south line of Warner. This road ran through the " Wallace swamp," and thence around by the Clarks', Gordons', and Connors'.
The year 1821 found roads running to nearly or quite all the principal points of the town. A good many of the older ones had been discontinued, and many new ones built. At the laying out of the township, it will be remembered that land was reserved between the range-ways, for the building of roads. Upon many of these reservations no roads had been built, and they had been absorbed by one settler and anoth- er until they had all disappeared.
In 1820 an article was placed in the warrant for the an- nual meeting, " to see if the town would instruct the select- men to claim, in behalf of the town, the land so reserved
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FIRST BLACKSMITH SHOP.
that had not been appropriated for roads." The town did not see their way clear to do so, but chose Hon. Joshua Darling as an agent to consult some eminent authority in regard to the matter, and make his report to the town. There is no record of the report. The matter was aban- doned.
In 1824 a petition was numerously signed, and presented to the selectmen, requesting them to lay out a road from the old road, terminating near the present residence of Washington C. Cogswell, up to Bradford line. The select- men, agreeable to the request, upon January 19th of this year laid out the desired road, with the understanding that it should be built immediately. The town, however, voted to discontinue the road, and nothing more was done with it this year. The petitioners applied to the court for a com- mittee to lay out the desired road. It was granted, and the road was laid out by a court's committee, April 27, 1825. The road was built that and the next season, and was opened for travel in the summer of 1826.
The shortest piece of road ever laid out in the town was in 1828. This road ran from the lower mills, then owned by Messrs. Chase & Gordon, to the clothing-mill of Lu- ther Harthorn, where the kitt-works now are. This piece of road was six rods in length and two rods in width. The town, as a whole, has always been noted for the good condi- tion of its roads, save when in contention in regard to any of them.
FIRST BLACKSMITH SHOP.
The first blacksmith shop erected in Henniker was a log one, and was built before the Revolution, by Baracas Farn- ham or Farnum. It was situated on the north side of the road, about ten rods westerly of the present residence of Kendall Whitcomb. One account says the shop was built by a Mr. Cochran, but as the two men were here at the same time, and both resided near by the shop, being rela- tives, we will divide the honor between them. Mr. Whit-
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
comb has often ploughed up cinders where the old shop used to stand.
Dea. Cochran was probably the workman mostly em- ployed in the shop, for Mr. Farnham turned his attention to the erection of a saw-mill a little easterly from the pres- ent residence of George E. Barnes. In a short time after- wards another shop was erected, in the south-east part of the town, near by the store of Gideon Adams. John Camp- bell, who lived where Mr. Copp now resides, erected one on his farm at the close of the Revolution. Shops were soon after erected at the main village and at West Henniker.
COLORED PEOPLE.
In the earlier settlement of the town, the colored people were quite numerous, living in families of their own, or as servants in other families.
The first colored person that came to town was a woman. She came with the family of Capt. Eliakim How, in June, 1763. She considered herself a slave for life, and was deem- ed as such by the laws of this province, as well as the prov- ince of Massachusetts. Her name cannot be ascertained.
A few others came here as servants for families, but it is believed that Maj. Jeremiah Crocker was the first to bring his family here. Mr. Crocker was born, as he supposed, in Natick, Mass., and was a drummer for several years during the Revolution. He came to this town in 1780, with Thaddeus Gibson, in whose family he and his family resided quite a number of years. He was given the title of " Major" by his friends, for his services in the Revolu- tionary war. His family consisted of himself, his wife Rose, his two children Salmon and Irene, and his sister Irene. He lived with his family, for several years, on the bank of the river northerly from the present stone house of Mrs. Tucker. He afterwards lived in a little house near the pres- ent residence of Fitz C. Courser. Having outlived his fam- ily, he went to reside in the family of John Stuart, who lived
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