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 27
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362
HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
FOURTH OF JULY, 1820.
The Fourth of July of this year witnessed a very pleasing and interesting gathering at Amherst, then the other half- shire town of Hillsborough county. Congress had passed an act granting pensions to the surviving soldiers of the Revolution. The applications for these pensions were made through the courts of the state. On that day the Court of Common Pleas for Hillsborough county, of which court Hon. Joshua Darling of this town was an associate justice, met at Amherst to receive applications, of which one hun- dred and forty were presented, mostly by the soldiers per- sonally.' These old soldiers were represented as "being bowed down with age and infirmities, pinched with poverty, and worn out with the labors of life : their claims to na- tional gratitude seemed stamped on their visage."
At noon-time, between the sessions of the court, about one hundred of these veterans assembled upon the common at the roll of the drum, and formed a line, the man on the right being 99 years of age, and who marched, it was said, " with as much precision as a man of fifty." Their com- mander was Capt. Zaccheus Walker, of New Ipswich. The drums and the fifes were played by their own number. After marching around the common, accompanied by Gen. Benjamin Pierce, of Hillsborough, and Judge Darling, of this town, they proceeded to the residence of Hon. Clifton Claggett, member of Congress from this district, and who had been quite influential in procuring the passage of the act granting these pensions, where pleasant little speeches were made by some of the leading men present. At the conclusion of Judge Darling's very eloquent speech to the old patriots before him, he gave the following sentiment : " The surviving patriots of the Revolution : May they long live to enjoy a rich reward from a grateful country, under the auspices of our happy government, to which their ser- vices so greatly contributed."
363
RELICS.
PREMIUMS.
At the agricultural fair for Hillsborough county, held at Francestown, Oct. 17, 1823, the following premiums were awarded to citizens of Henniker :
John Johnson, for the best field of barley in the county, $5 ; for the best yoke of working cattle, $4.
Mrs. Mary P. Darling, for the best piece of linen exhib- ited at the fair, $4 ; for the best pair of knit hose exhibited at the fair, $2.
RELICS.
Robert Harriman has in his possession an old chest that his great-grandfather upon his mother's side brought from England. His name was Jere Baal, which name could be distinctly seen upon the lid of the chest until within a very few years. The chest is upwards of two hundred years old. He has, also, a pair of tongs, descended from the same source, and brought from England at the same time as the chest. Maj. Moses Harriman, a brother of Robert's grandfather, was a soldier in the Revolution. The sword and belt he wore during the war are in Robert Harriman's possession. Maj. Harriman married for his second wife a woman who was for many years a servant in the family of Gen. Washington. Previous to her marriage, Mrs. Wash- ington gave her a nice veil,-a white one with a deep border : the veil will now hardly hold its own weight when taken up. Mr. Harriman has this in his possession. He has also a piece of a solid mahogany bedstead that once be- longed to John Quincy Adams, it being a present to him by the king of England, while a minister to his court from this country. It came into Mr. Harriman's possession by Mr. Farrar, Mr. Adams's gardener, to whom he gave it. The bedstead afterwards belonged to John Peters, who sawed it into knobs for drawers.
L. W. Cogswell has in his possession eight sleigh-bells
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
that were brought to this country in 1635 by his ancestor, John Cogswell, the first settler at Ipswich, Mass. They must be at least 250 years old, and are in an excellent state of preservation. He also has an exact copy of the will made by Edward, father of John Cogswell, in 1615 ; also, a piece of carved work, done in England in 1668, the figures being upon the upper side of the same ; also, a Dutch tile, taken from an old mansion in New Jersey, built over two hundred years ago.
Hiram Rice has a looking-glass his grandfather picked up on the retreat from the battle of Bunker Hill. It became broken, and two smaller ones were made from it. The frame was made by Mr. Rice's father, and is a good speci- men of the carpenter work done in those olden days.
Willard Rice has the original deed for his homestead, conveyed to his grandfather, Sept. 10, 1768, by William Eastman, of Hopkinton. Thirty acres were deeded for six- teen pounds and ten shillings. The witnesses to the deed are John Putney and Ezekiel Smith.
Oliver H. Noyes has a deed given by Thomas Stone, the fourth settler in town, to his son Thomas, Feb. 25, 1767. The witnesses are James and Susanna Scales. Thirty-five acres of land were deeded for nine pounds lawful money.
These are only a few of many rare and valuable relics to be found in the homes of this town.
GREAT FIRE OF 1829.
The summer of 1829 had been exceedingly dry, and al- most every green thing was parched and burned. The feed in the pastures upon the hills was crisp and dry. The leaves in the forests were as brown and sear, in many places, as though an early frost had overtaken them. Everything was like the tinder in the box, and often was the remark made, " What a terrible time this would be for a fire !" And so it was, although every one lived in hopes one would not occur. But come it did, at last, on the 7th of September, before any
365
THE GREAT FIRE.
frost had been seen, or any refreshing rain had fallen. A little before noon of this day, smoke was seen rising to the north and north-west of the two villages. As the cloud in- creased, people watched it with anxious eyes and with hearts full of evil forebodings, almost whispering to each other, as they wondered where and what that cloud of smoke could be. They had not long to wait, for before noon a man on horseback, his horse white with foam, came rushing into the main village, bringing the sad tidings that in burning a little brush on the farm of Moses Colby, in the south part of Bradford, the fire became unmanageable, and was then sweeping with irresistible fury down towards the villages ; and unless it could be checked at some point on the hills above the villages, only the waters of the Contoocook could stop it.
The people turned out en masse, equipped with buckets, pails, axes, shovels, and hoes, and hastily ascended to the top of the hill north-westerly from the village, where a dreaded sight was seen. The fire was sweeping down over all the range westerly of Ammi brook, away beyond Nathan- iel Clough's, the present residence of Levi B. Davis. Mr. Clough's buildings were yet standing, and thither hastened a large force of men. When they reached the house, the goods were being taken out, with the expectation that it could not be saved. It was immediately suggested by Ed- mund Mirick that the goods be placed back in the house, and counter fires be set in the fences near by, which sug- gestion was immediately carried into effect. In addition, several barrels of water were placed near the house, in case they should be needed. The counter fires operated success- fully, and in two hours the house was safe, but standing in a burned space, with nothing to be seen on either side save the blackened track of the fire. The fire now swept away to the eastward and southward, running close to Eliphalet Day's saw-mill, in the edge of Warner, on the Bradford road, and thence down both sides of Ammi brook, burning up a
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
saw-mill and house situated on the brook a little north-west of the junction of the Bradford road, and the road leading to Mink hills, belonging to Mr. Clough. Onward swept the fire ; the forests crackled and hissed, as great maples sever- al feet in diameter were licked up like so much chaff, and the huge pines fell with a crash as the fire king loosed them from the stump. The stock in the pastures, consisting of cattle, horses, and sheep, were running before it in all direc- tions,-some into the woods, only to be suffocated with the smoke ; others were overtaken by the devouring flames, and soon became lifeless. It was most truly a scene of terror. The fire was now extending several miles in width, and sweeping on through the pastures, from hill to hill, laughing at all efforts to check its career.
At this time the people in the village began to be serious- ly alarmed for their safety. The people who went to the assistance of Mr. Clough had gone around the flames to the westward and joined the force upon the top of the hill in the rear of William Bowman's house (present residence of Wesley Felch), where it had been determined to make a stand, and, if possible, to stop it from going down the hill into the villages below. At this point hundreds of men, women, and boys had assembled. Teams were immediately set to work hauling water in barrels from the river and brook near the present residence of Warren S. Childs. Trenches were dug, the ground wet with water, and hand- brushes prepared in case they should be wanted. Still on came the fire, with its roaring, its hissing, and its terrific heat; but as it approached it only quickened the labors of the people, who were determined to be able to say to it "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther," when it should come up with them ; but as it came nearer and near- er, the stoutest hearts began to doubt their ability to check it. Just as the danger seemed the most imminent, a glad sign appeared. To the eastward, the fire, having reached some low ground upon the Ammi brook, had slackened its
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THE GREAT FIRE.
pace and its fury. The belt of fire was narrower, and al- though it was still burning fearfully in some places, it soon became apparent that it was losing its force. With an im- petuous will, the heroic multitude, with deafening cheers, rushed forward, met the fire, and gave it fight, contesting every inch of the ground, until at last their efforts were re- warded by seeing its advance checked and stopped, but not until the fire could be seen from both villages on the south- erly side of the hill.
But although checked, the fire was not subdued. It still lay in the woods, in stumps of trees, and in fences, ready to break out again at the slightest fanning. The road from this town to Bradford had been built but a few years. In many of the low places the road-bed had been "corduroyed" by placing logs and covering them with earth. These logs took fire and burned for days, entirely consuming the road wherever they had been lain. Mr. Clough's house and saw- mill, which were burned, were unoccupied. These were the only buildings destroyed. On the night of the fire many a thankful prayer was offered up in the villages that all was safe again with them.
By night and by day, for three weeks, were men constant- ly on duty watching the fire and keeping it under control ; and glad were the hearts of all when the autumnal rains be- gan to descend and smother the fires that were yet defying the efforts of man to extinguish them. The country over which the fire ran presented a desolate scene. " Blackness of darkness" was written upon every visible thing. The pastures were bare, the feed all destroyed. The forests were leafless ; and the bodies of great trees, stripped of their branches, stood like so many sentinels, their heads towering above the desolate scene around them. The rains of the next season, however, caused the grass to spring up luxuriantly ; but for long years the track of the fire was distinctly visible. Even now, after the lapse of fifty years, some tokens of that terrible fire are to be seen. A portion of this district has
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
been burned in several places since, but none of the fires have been anything when compared with the great fire of 1829.
$25 REWARD.
Oliver Noyes, one of the old settlers of the town, was of- ten annoyed by some persons who he supposed were not very friendly to him. At one time this amusement upon the part of the doer was carried so far as to call from Mr. Noyes the following, which was printed in the New Hamp- shire Patriot, Jan. 14, 1828 :
$25.00 REWARD.
Whereas, the subscriber, on or about the first of November last, tied his horse, with a carriage, at store near Centre Bridge in Henniker, for the purpose of transacting some business at said store. Then and there, some evil-minded person, on ac- count, as I have reason to believe, of my political or religious opinions, so cut and damaged my harness as to endanger my life and property in an imminent degree, having a high-spirited horse, and with much difficulty made my escape unhurt ; and this being the second time I have been injured in the same way by evil-minded persons near said store. The above reward is offered to any person who will furnish evidence, so that the person or persons may be brought to justice.
Oliver Noyes.
Henniker, Jan. 8, 1828. COOKING-STOVES.
The first cooking-stoves were brought into this town dur- ing the fall of 1830. There were four of them, and they were purchased by David Cogswell, Rev. Jacob Scales, Page Eaton, and Timothy Emerson. The stove was called " Moore's Patent." It was the invention of John Moore, who was formerly a resident of this town, living in a little red house that stood where the present residence of Geo. Cogswell stands. The stoves proved to be excellent ones. Some of them are still in existence, and compare favorably with those of more modern invention.
369
GREAT WHIRLWIND.
FIRST BARREL OF FLOUR.
The first barrel of flour exposed for sale in this town was during the autumn of the "poverty year," or 1816, by John Gibson, who kept a little store in the house occupied so long by William E. Cogswell. The barrel was placed upon its side and sawed into two halves. David Cogswell bought one half, paying therefor eight dollars. The other half was sold in small lots to different purchasers. The people of the town were much excited over the affair, and adjudged Mr. Gibson insane for daring to bring flour into town for sale. From this small beginning the trade has increased, until at the present time several hundred barrels are annually dis- posed of by the traders of this town.
GREAT WHIRLWIND, SEPT. 9, 1821.
The month of September, 1821, was a season of uncom- mon storms and tempests. A terrible storm raged on the Atlantic coast the 3d of the month. The day was dark and gloomy all over New England, with a large amount of rain. This storm was the most violent that had occurred in this state up to that date. But a more terrific one was yet to follow. The 9th day was very warm and sultry. The wind blew from the south-west during the afternoon, until about 6 o'clock, when a very dark, angry cloud was seen rising in the north-west, illumined with incessant sheets or flashes of lightning. The tornado commenced near Lake Champlain, and entered this state at Cornish, thence into Croydon, where it did considerable damage; thence into Wendell (now Sunapee), doing a large amount of damage, blowing down buildings, killing persons, and accomplishing most wonderful feats. A feather-bed was found in Andover, be- longing in Wendell; bricks were blown 100 rods ; cart- wheels were dashed to pieces, one wheel having only two spokes left in it. One piece of timber of forty acres was entirely prostrated, not a tree being left standing. From Wendell it crossed the lake to New London, taking a course
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
four miles wide to the north-west of Mt. Kearsarge, thence into Warner. In this town the damage was fearful. The air was filled with timbers, boards, and splinters of demol- ished buildings. Hives of bees were whirled through the air ; legs, wings, and heads of fowls were lying in all direc- tions ; acres of corn and potatoes were swept clean ; trees were split literally into basket-stuff. The tornado passed into Boscawen, and there terminated its ravages. For these facts, I am indebted to Historical Collections, N. H., vol. I.
The roar and tumult of this terrible whirlwind were dis- tinctly heard in this town. People held their breath in si- lence, as the terrible cloud came nearer and nearer, fearing lest its great power should be felt here. The cloud is represented by those who saw it as being of a very brassy complexion, accompanied by incessant flashes of lightning and terrific peals of heavy thunder. The roar was like that of the continued discharge of an immense number of heavy artillery. Great was the joy of the people of this town as they saw the cloud pass to the eastward, although their sympathies went out strongly for those who they knew must be suffering from its terrible ravages. Many fearful gales have since been experienced, and many heavy showers witnessed, but nothing so severe as this.
In 1803 the town received of Michael Archer, "for profane swearing, 33 cents." This was in conformity to a law for- bidding profanity.
A town standard for weights and measures was purchased in 1804. Sum paid, $45.
In 1807 the town paid Samuel Wilson $76 dollars for powder, rum, cider, and provisions for the soldiers at muster.
In 1808 the town paid the following bills :
For muster.
Darling & Proctor's Bill.
To 29 lbs. 15 ozs. Powder at 56 cts. per lb., 16.77
94 Gallons W. I. Rum, 6s. 9d. per Gall,
10.41
II lbs. White Havanna Sugar, 2.00
$29.18
371
POTASH.
The troops mustered at Cork Plain. In 1809 the town paid the following bills :
Paid William Livingston and R. M. Wallace for victual- ling 147 men at 20 cts. apiece, $29.40
William Wallace for Rum for the Soldiers, 2.47
William L. Woods, 12 Galls Rum,
14.00
The same year the town paid James Wallace,-
For Rum and Sugar at Mr. Thomas Stone's funeral, $4.54.
POTATOES.
The first potatoes were brought to this town in 1765, by Annas Campbell. The seed from which they were raised was brought to this country from Ireland to Londonderry by his father, Alexander Campbell. They were a great cu- riosity to the few settlers then residing here, for nearly or quite all of them had never seen one before.
The great wonder with all was what they were good for. Upon being asked that question, Mr. Campbell replied that they were most excellent to eat with fish. Still the old set- tlers had not much of an opinion of them, for although they began to be raised in different parts of the township, many years elapsed before they were raised in any quantity. From one to three bushels was considered a very large crop, and until it was found that they were excellent for fattening hogs, and for the health of the stock generally, but few were raised. The soil of the town has been found to be well adapted to the raising of them, and there is no one thing now raised upon the farm that would be more missed than the potato.
POTASH.
The manufacture of potash was carried on quite exten- sively in the earlier settlement of the town. It was manu- factured from ashes, which were procured by burning large piles of logs. They were then gathered and leached, and
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
the lye boiled. It required a good deal of skill to make good potash. At the right moment trusty hands were employed to dip off the lye, which was done with strong ladles, hold- ing about two quarts, into large cast-iron kettles or pots. After cooling in them it was cut out, broken up, and packed in barrels, ready for transportation. Each barrel contained about 200 pounds. It was freighted to Boston and other large places, and exchanged for goods needed at home.
The first potash manufactory was near the log meeting- house, and was owned by Jacob Whitcomb. Gideon Adams had a large manufactory near his store, in the south part of the town. Edward Whitman, Sr., had another near his store on the "Scales hill." Maj. Timothy Darling, and afterwards his son Joshua, had one in the field south of the present site of Gilbert D. Gould's tannery. Edward Whit- man also owned one situated near the late residence of James Straw. James Wallace also owned one situated in the field now owned by D. Warren Cogswell, and near the present site of his blacksmith shop. There were others in different parts of the town, quite a large one being owned by Jason Kemp, and which was situated near the present resi- dence of S. R. Rogers. Judge Robert Wallace had a large one near his residence, in the south-west part of the town. These are the more important ones that were in successful operation in the early days of the town. The ashes, after being leached, were hauled upon the land and spread upon the grass, or ploughed under, and proved a very valuable fertilizer for many years.
BRIDGE-BUILDERS.
This town has furnished some of the most competent and most successful builders of bridges of any town in the state. Horace Childs, being at work at his trade as a carpenter in Hopkinton, in 1832, was induced by Col. Long-who had been for some time an officer in the regular army, but who upon retiring from such service invented a bridge, upon
373
BRIDGE-BUILDERS.
which he secured a patent-to enter upon the work of placing these bridges across rivers, for railroad and other travel. Mr. Childs constructed nearly all the bridges upon the line of the Providence & Worcester Railroad, at its con- struction, using Pratt's patent for the purpose. Previous to this, and the first bridge he ever erected, was one across the Connecticut river, at Haverhill, N. H. He immediately se- cured all the business he could well attend to, and built all the bridges upon the Northern Railroad from Andover to White River Junction. These bridges were all built upon a patent of his own, and have proved to be some of the best railroad bridges of the kind ever constructed. He had been building upon Pratt's, Burns's, and Long's patents, Howe's Spring Patent, and Town's Lattice, none of which proved to be suited for heavy teams. He invented the one mentioned, which proved a perfect success. He built the bridges upon the line of the N. H. Central Railroad, at its construction. He also built quite a number of very heavy bridges across the Connecticut river, between this state and Vermont. One of them was a very long one across the river at White River Junction, and also one near it across White river. He built large numbers in Maine and in Connecticut, some for rail- road and some for highway travel. He built the first bridge of the kind in this town, across the river at West Henniker, in 1835. This was carried away by the ice knocking down one of the piers. He also built the one now standing near the Lower mills.
Mr. Childs employed quite a number of skilful workmen from this town, and had associated with him at one time his brothers, Warren S. and Enoch L. Frederick Whitney, Dutton Woods, and Thomas Livingston were among his best workmen. Mr. Whitney built the present covered bridge at West Henniker, and, in company with Dutton Woods, built all the bridges upon the line of the Concord & Claremont and Contoocook Valley Railroads. They constructed bridges for many years, when Mr. Whitney retired from the busi-
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HISTORY OF HENNIKER.
ness. Mr. Woods has been employed for a long series of years by the Concord Railroad Company in building and repairing the bridges upon the line of their road. He also constructs some outside of the road, and is noted as one of the most competent builders in the country.
DEAF AND DUMB EXHIBITION.
A very pleasing exhibition was given in the Congrega- tional church in 1824, by a few of the students from the asylum at Hartford, which was just coming into notoriety. Thomas Brown, of this town, was one of the number. They were under the direction of Azro Kimball, of Hopkinton. A large blackboard was suspended in front of the pulpit, upon which the students wrote answers to questions asked them by any one in the audience, the same questions being given them in the sign language by Mr. Kimball. The ex- hibition proved very satisfactory, and it was indeed a marvel to all that such proficiency should be shown by these stu- dents.
ESTRAYS.
The following was the manner of dealing with stray ani- mals in olden days :
ESTRAY.
Taken up as a Stray or Damage Feazant, a Red Horse about thirteen years old ; whoever has lost said Horse, by applying to me the Subscriber, shall receive him. Said horse is pretty well shod, trots & paces, & Taken up Monday April 28, 1806.
Henniker, May 3d, 1806. Eli Howe.
ORDER.
Henniker, March 16, 1805.
Mr. Bela Butler, Collector for 1804.
Please to pay Mr. James Wallace two Dollars and 16 cents, it being for rum, powder, and iron for centre Bridge ; the same shall be allowed you on settlement.
Noah Rice, Selectmen for Jasper Temple , Henniker for 1804.
375
GRASSHOPPER YEAR.
POVERTY YEAR.
The year of 1816 was known for a long while afterwards as the " poverty year." Snow fell in June, and the season was one of uncommon coldness. The frosts in the autumn came early and often, and were very severe. But very little corn came to maturity. The crop of English grain was very good, and this saved the people from much of the suffering that must have otherwise taken place. The most exorbitant price was paid for corn, and the poorer classes suffered in- tensely. Corn being scarce, but little pork was fattened during this or the following years. As a substitute for pork, a very large amount of salted mackerel was used, and to such an extent that this year and the one following were called the "mackerel years." Scarcity of provisions, add- ed to the terrible scourge of spotted fever, which had just visited the town and caused mourning in so many families, rendered the situation not a very enviable one. Still the strong-hearted, industrious men and women of the town toiled on bravely, trusting and hoping that brighter days were in store for them, and in God's own time would be theirs. And they waited not in vain.
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