USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Keene > History of the town of Keene, from 1732, when the township was granted by Massachusetts, to 1874, when it became a city > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
The annual town meeting in 1766 chose Capt. Isaac Wyman moderator, and adjourned from the meetinghouse to the house of Benjamin Hall. Ichabod Fisher was elected town clerk and Michael Metcalf "Saxton."
After transacting other business the meeting adjourned to the second Tuesday in April at the meetinghouse, when it was "Voted that Benjamin Hall be agent to represent the Town in Behalf of a Shear Town."
1 Breed Batcheller, a surveyor, was the first settler of Packersfield, in 1765 -afterwards noted as a tory.
.
151
TOWN AFFAIRS.
"Voted that the money Given to the Town by Capt. Nathaniel Fairbanks Deas'd The interest of which was for the use of the school in this Town That the Security of said money be Delivered to the Care of the Town Treasurer and his susesors [successors] in said office for the Time Being.
"Voted to Give the Priveledge of the Pew which shall be made at the Right Hand of the Pulpit in the meeting House (That is) adjoining to the Pulpit Stairs to the use and For the Service of the ministers Family in this town for the Time Being Said Pew to be made at the Cost and Charge of the Town.
"Voted to give the Privelege of the Pew Ground in the meeting House to those Persons in this Town who have Paid the Largest Taxes upon Real Estate for Three Last years Past and said Persons shall have Their Choice of Said Pew Ground by Succession according to The Value of the Taxes they Paid in sd Term and shall build their Pews within Six months from this Date and if any of the Said Persons Refuse or Neglect to build their Pew or Pews in Said Term Then the Next highest Payers of the Rates Shall have the said Refusers Property.
"Voted that Benjamin Hall David Nims and Josiah Willard be a Committe to Examine and Determine who are the Persons That have Paid the Larges Taxes in this Town on Real Estate for the Three Last Years Past."
On the 7th of October, the town "Voted to Build a New Bridge Over the River on the Road Leading to Ash Swamp"-to be completed by the first of April following. James Guild was the master mechanic, and Benjamin Hall, Nathan Blake, Simeon Clark, Jesse Clark and Joseph Blake were the committee to oversee the work. Thirty pounds, lawful money, was raised to defray the expense, and men were allowed 2/6 per day for work on the bridge.
On the 10th of November, the town: "Voted for the Better accommodation and Satisfaction of Sundry Persons -That Twelve Persons more being the Next Highest in the Taxes in Real Estate for the Three Last years Past be added to the Former Twelve and may have the Privelege with the former Twelve in the Pew Ground or Pews already made Provided they will Pay their Equal Part to the Satisfaction of those on whose Charge the Pews were Built." The article "To see if they will Do anything about Finishing the meeting house" was dismissed.
152
HISTORY OF KEENE.
The annual meeting of 1767: "Voted to Pay unto Pricilla Ellis the sum of Three Pounds Thirteen Shillings and One Penny Lawful Money for her Service in keeping the School." Article 6th of the warrant: "To see if they will Do anything Further about Finishing the meeting House," was dismissed; but, on the 21st of April, Abra- ham Wheeler, Benjamin Archer and Josiah Ellis were chosen a committee to lay the gallery floors, and build the stairs and "Breastworks" of the gallery in the meeting- house. At the same meeting six pounds were appropriated to purchase standard weights and measures, new books for the town records and "a Law Book for the use of the town."
Down to this time all public business in the province had been transacted at Portsmouth, but the convenience of the people required the establishment of counties. It was proposed in the assembly, in August of this year, that the portion of the province lying east of Merrimac river should be divided into three 'counties, and that all the towns and settlements west of the Merrimac should constitute a fourth county. In a postscript to a letter on this subject written by Rev. Daniel Wilkins of Amherst to Hon. George Jaffrey of Portsmouth, an influential member of the council and treasurer of the province, Mr. Wilkins said :
"Amherst Oct ye 1st 1767.
"P: S: Sr I must beg leave to tell your Hont that Mr. Willard a son of Coll Willard of Winchester and one Mr. Hall was at my House the Last Evening as agent for Keen and other towns towards the great River to desire that the Shire Town might be Amherst and likewise that there is a general uneasiness of its being at Merrimack and also Walepole as that every town save two would be greatly Discommoded if the Court was had at Walepole and not at Keen and also beg the favour of its being established at Keen as Keen will much best commode the People in General or at least that his Exelency with your Hon's would grant them Liberty to bring Down the minds of the People.' "D .: W."
November 17, the town chose "Josiah Willard agent to act in Behalf of this Town Respecting the Setling a New County ; " and " Voted to Have a School Kept in the Town."
-
153
TOWN AFFAIRS.
(Probably this was a re-election of Capt. Willard, as Mr. Wilkins called him an agent in October previous.)
The first regular census of the province was made this year by order of the general assembly, with an inventory of the ratable estates and the number of polls, and on the 7th of October the selectmen made their return of the number and description of the inhabitants in Keene as follows :
Unmarried men from 16 to 60 51
Married men from 16 to 60.
66
Boys from 16 years and under 84
Men, 60 years and above. 4
Females, unmarried. 149
Females, married. 68
8
Widows.
Total 430
(Provincial Papers, vol. 7, pages 168-9.)
The assembly established the proportion which each town should pay on £1,000 of tax. The number of polls in Keene1 was 106, the valuation of the ratable estates £4,000, and its proportion of tax to £1,000, was fixed at £9 10s.
The annual town meeting of March 1, 1768, ad- journed to the 7th, in consequence of the extraordinary flood of waters whereby some of the principal inhabitants could not attend the meeting at that time. The meeting was then held at the house of Benjamin Hall, adjourned from the meetinghouse. "Chose Josiah Willard Benjamin Hall and Ichabod Fisher a Committe to Transcribe the Town Records into a New Book and Rectify Mistakes in said Record if any be Relating to Mr. Sumners Sallary."
At a legal meeting on the 9th of May, Capt. Josiah Willard was chosen representative to the "General Assem- bly " at Portsmouth-the first representative from Keene
1 Swanzey
returned ..
.. 74 polls, estates valued at
£3,000
Winchester
.108
..
4,000
Westmoreland "
94
2,700
Walpole
75
..
..
..
2,900
Charlestown
.100
..
4,500
Rowley Canada (Rindge) 65
New Ipswich
..
.150
..
..
..
5,000
Exeter
..
.390
..
..
13,000
Dover
..
.384
..
..
..
..
14,700
Portsmouth ..
.910
..
..
32,339
(Provincial Papers, vol. 7, page 166.)
2,200
154
HISTORY OF KEENE.
to the legislature of New Hampshire. His father, Col. Jo- siah Willard, represented Winchester at the same time.
November 17 the town "Voted the Sum of Ten Pound Lawfull Money for Defraying the Charge of a School."
The annual meeting of 1769 was opened at the meet- inghouse but adjourned " to the House of Leut. Benj" Hall." After this for a long term of years the town meetings were held at the meetinghouse.
This meeting "Voted to Raise the Sum of Sixty Three Pounds Six Shillings and Eaight Pence Lawfull money For the Rev'd mr. Sumners Sallary the Present year-
"Voted the Sum of Ten Pounds Lawfull money for Pro- cureing Mr. Sumners Firewood: and each Person to have Liberty to Pay his Propotion of the above Sum in Good Marchantable Firewood at Five Shillings pr cord to be De- liv'd at Mr. Sumners Door at or Before the First Day of February Next;" or in default thereof the money was to be collected. "Choose Benjamin Archer Collector to Collect said Fire wood or the money for Procureing the same."
"Voted to Build a Bridge Over the North Branch upon the Road Leading to Joseph Browns." Mr. Brown lived in what is now Roxbury and this bridge was on the pres- ent Roxbury road-the first at that place.
"Choose Capt. Ephraim Dorman and Leut. Benjamin Hall and Jeremiah Stiles a Committee to Perambulate the Town Lines." The first perambulation had been made in 1760 by "Lieut. Ephraim Dorman, Ensign William Smeed and Lieut. Seth Heaton."
On the same day, March 7, the proprietors held a meeting and voted to grant another division of land- twenty-five acres to each right-the distribution to be made in the same manner as that previously adopted, except that each proprietor was given the right to lay out ten or less of his twenty-five acres adjoining his own land.
The annual meeting of 1770 "Voted to Seat the meet- ing House" and chose "Thos Frink Esq. Thomas Baker Leut Benjamin Hall Dan Guild and Abraham Wheeler" a committee for that purpose.
"Voted further to give Liberty to Jeremiah Stiles Thos Wilder Samuel Wadsworth Robert Gillmore Benjamin Archer Jotham Metcalf Elisha Briggs Silas Cooke Eben" Carpenter Eben' Newton Amos Patridge and Daniel Kings-
155
TOWN AFFAIRS.
bury to build Four Pews in the front Gallary and two more Pews over the mens & Womens Gallery stairs said Pew Ground to be Devided amongst them as they shall agree among themselves."
Article 10, "To se if they will Do anything Relating to a School," was dismissed.
The proprietors met on the 27th of April, chose David Nims moderator, and appointed a committee consisting of Lieut. Seth Heaton, Major Josiah Willard and Lieut. Benjamin Hall "to make Search and See what money is due to Coll1 Bellows for the Charter." The meeting then adjourned to the 30th of May, when it "voted to Elisha Briggs Liberty to Lay out forty acres in any of the Com- mon Land in this Township he the said Briggs Discharg- ing the Proprs and Grantees from what Coll1 Bellows Requires of the Proprs and Grantees for the Charter of this Town which Sum is Sixteen Dollars and Three Quar- ters 1 which offer Mr Briggs accepted and Ingaged to bring a Discharge in the space of a month from the Date above."
On the 13th of December, 1769, Gov. John Wentworth granted a charter to Dartmouth college, to be established at Hanover. Towards the close of the following summer Rev. Eleazar Wheelock, with his family, in a coach-the gift of a London friend-his servants, his laborers and some students, numbering in all seventy persons, with cattle, swine and carts loaded with furniture, clothing, books and implements of husbandry and the arts, made their long and tedious journey of 200 miles from Lebanon, Conn., to Han- over, N. H.2 Doubtless they passed through Keene, as the best route must have been through Deerfield, Northfield and Winchester, and here they would strike the military road opened by Col. Goffe in 1759 through Keene to No. 4; and a military road had also been opened from No. 4 through Hanover to Haverhill, N. H.
The following advertisement appeared in the Connecti- cut Courant, published at Hartford, October 16, 1770:
"DARTMOUTH COLLEGE, in Hanover, Oct. 11, 1770.
"WHEREAS a meeting of the honorable corporation of Dartmouth College, was appointed to be on this day in
1 Showing the value of the best common land to be about 42 cents per acre.
2 Sanborn's History of New Hampshire, page 154. McClintock's History of New Hampshire, page 517, and address of Nathan Crosby.
156
HISTORY OF KEENE.
this place, but by some means the advertisement of the same, which was sent to be published in the New Hamp- shire Gazette miscarried, which makes another appointment necessary.
"These are therefore to notify all concerned that a meeting of said corporation is now appointed to be held at the house of Mr. Wyman, innholder in Keen, on mon- day the 22nd instant, at nine o'clock in the forenoon.
By Eleazer Wheelock President of said College."
"Captain Wyman's tavern in Keen," which he had then kept for seven years, was noted far and wide as an excellent inn.1 It was a convenient rallying point for the trustees, who were scattered from northern New Hamp- shire to Connecticut, and they met there according to notice, in the northeast room of that house-now the residence of Mrs. R. S. Perkins, 339 Main street. "Rev. Dr. Eleazer Wheelock presided and Rev. William Patten was clerk," and the administrative work of Dartmouth college was begun in that room.
A legal meeting on the 29th of October voted to divide the town into four school districts corresponding nearly to the four territorial quarters of the town, and each district was required to build a schoolhouse. Fifteen pounds were raised for the support of the four schools, each district to have its proportion according to the tax it paid.
At the annual meeting in 1771, upon a petition of some of the people living on the east side of North branch, they were set off into a school district by themselves;
1 The statement has been made that Dr. Thomas Frink had previously kept this same tavern, but that is found to have been an error. Dr. Frink preceded Capt. Wyman as the principal tavern keeper at that end of the town, but not in the same house. From the registry of old deeds in the state library at Con- cord we learn that in 1757, while still in command of Fort Massachusetts, Capt. Isaac Wyman bought of Joseph Fisher, of Dedham, Mass., the original house-lot No. 47, "on the West side of the Town street" in Keene, (where the "Old Wyman Tavern" still stands) ; but there could not have been a house of any value on it then, for he paid only "one hundred Pounds Lawful Money" for that and the adjoining lots Nos. 46 and 48, and thirty acres on Beech hill. In 1761, while still at Fort Massachusetts, he bought of Rev. Jacob Bacon, then of Plymouth, Mass., the four lots at the south end on the same side of the street,- with some exceptions, as the east end of lot 54-Nos. 51 to 54. The town records of 1762 show that he was then living in Keene, a man of com- parative wealth, owning a large amount of property in the town. The records also show that in March, 1763, he was keeping the same tavern that he kept in 1775, and until it passed into the hands of Wm. Ward Blake, who married his daughter Roxana. The inevitable conclusion is that he built the costly (for those days) tavern-house on lot 47 in that first year of his residence here, 1762. It was built specially for a tavern, having a hall over the south half, wine closets, and other tavern conveniences, and the southeast room was the all-im- portant tap room. Dr. Frink never owned lot No. 47, but did own lots 49 and 50, on which were a "Dwelling House and Barn," buying them in December, 1761, and selling them to Col. Josiah Willard in 1765.
WYMAN TAVERN. BUILT 1762.
157
TOWN AFFAIRS.
and Elijah Blake, and others on the west side of the river, in the northwest quarter, were set off in the same way.
A meeting on the 15th of May chose Lieut. Benjamin Hall representative to the "General Assembly;" and "voted to Glaze the meeting house and Choose Josiah Richardson Leut. Timothy Ellis & Elijah Williams com- itte to carry on sd Business."
In all these years the people in this part of the prov- ince had suffered the expense and inconvenience of going to Portsmouth whenever they had business before the courts. For many years the subject of establishing coun- ties had been agitated, and in 1769 an act passed the legislature and was signed by the governor dividing the province into five counties-Rockingham, Strafford, Hills- borough, Cheshire and Grafton. The first three and the last were named by Gov. Wentworth for English noble- men who were his personal friends. Cheshire was named after the English county of that name, and included the present county of Sullivan. Keene was made one of the shire towns of Cheshire, and Charlestown the other.
But the operation of the act was suspended until the king should approve. His assent having been obtained, the act went into effect in 1771. From that time, for several years, the warrants for town meetings were headed "Cheshire s.s.," and for three years longer they were issued in "His Majesty's Name." The first meeting for the choice of jurors in Keene was held on the 2d of September. Grand jurymen were chosen by the voters; petit jurors were "drawn and appointed " by the selectmen.
"His Majestys Superior Court of Judicature" was held for the first time in Keene on the "Third Tuesday of Sep- tember;" "His Majestys Inferior Court of Common Pleas" on the "Second Tuesday of October;" and the "Court of General Sessions of the Peace" on "the Thursday follow- ing the Second Tuesday of October." Thomas Baker, Jo- seph Ellis and Eliphalet Briggs were "chosen " grand jurors, and Nathan Blake, Michael Metcalf and Thomas Wilder were drawn as petit jurors for the several courts.
Major Josiah Willard of Keene had been appointed
-
158
HISTORY OF KEENE.
"Recorder of Deeds & Conveyances of Real Estate" in March, and he held that office until 1776.
At a legal town meeting held on the 14th of February, 1772, it was "Voted by the Majority both of the Church and Congregation that it is the mind of the Town that the Revd Mr Sumner be Dismissed from the Work of the Ministry in this Town."
A council of elders and delegates from the churches of Cornish, Northfield and Warwick was convened here on the 29th of April, at Mr. Sumner's request, which recommended his dismissal, and a town meeting on the 30th accepted the recommendation and he retired from the pastorate, but re- mained an estimable citizen of the town. At the close of Mr. Sumner's ministry of eleven years a very large propor- tion of the citizens were members of the church. The cause of the dissatisfaction with Mr. Sumner was said to be "the misconduct of his children."
The annual meeting of 1772 not having been legally held, ten citizens of the town petitioned "The Honble Elisha Marsh Esq' one of his majestys Justices of the Peace" to call a meeting for the choice of town officers, etc. That meeting was held on the 24th of March-Thomas Frink, moderator-and voted thirty pounds for the support of schools for the year. Various sums were also voted to in- dividuals for labor and materials furnished in finishing the meetinghouse.
A meeting on the 5th of June " Voted to Dispose of the Towns Land to pay the Towns Debts," and chose a com- mittee for that purpose, but no record of sales with that object in view has been found.
The annual meeting of 1773 raised forty pounds for the support of schools. In July, 1772, a committee had been chosen to provide a suitable person to preach the gos- pel. The meeting in 1773 made it the duty of the selectmen to engage the minister, and " Voted the Sum of Sixty pounds for the Charge of preaching the Gospel the year Ensuing." A "Mr. Porter" and a "M" Nathaniel Niles" had been employed for some months in that capacity, and a meet- ing on the 23d of March, 1773, "Voted to Hear Mr Nathaniel Niles Preach upon probation in order to Settle
159
TOWN AFFAIRS.
in the Ministry among us." In December, the same year, the town " Voted to hear Mr. Augustine Hibbert [Hibbard] preach further upon probation."
In September the town "voted to allow Josiah Rich- ardson to alter the Road Leading from the meeting house to Ichabod Fishers and to Remove Said Road and to Turn out on the South Side of the meeting house with a Stait line to Ichabod Fishers in the place which the Said Richardson has choesen." The meetinghouse then stood on the south side of what is now Central park.
THE RICHARDSON TAVERN.
Josiah Richardson had built, and then kept tavern in, the colonial house which was replaced in 1893 by the Y. M. C. A. building, and this change opened the present line of West street from the Square. It had previously turned west from Main street, diagonally, about where Lamson block now stands, and was called Poverty lane. With this change it was given the name of Pleasant street.
In October, Gov. John Wentworth requested a census of the population of the province, to be taken by the selectmen of each town. The return for Keene was:
160
HISTORY OF KEENE.
"Unmarried men, 16 to 60 yrs 65
Married men under 60 yrs .. 96
Boys, 16 and under 140
Men, 60 yrs. and upward 11
Females unmarried 217
Females married 105
10
Widows.
1
Male slaves
645
David Nims, Eliphalet Briggs, jr., Benjamin Hall, Selectmen." (State Papers, vol. 10, Census, 1773.)
The total population of the province was given as 72,092; whole number of slaves, 674; slaves in Cheshire county, 9.
In those years of peace and prosperity and rapid growth of the towns and the provinces, the mutterings of the ap- proaching storm of the Revolution began to be heard. A young monarch, George III, had come to the throne; the colonists were loyal to their sovereign and regarded the mother country with devotion; but the abundant evidences of prosperity in America had led the home government to believe that a large income might be drawn from that source, and thus relieve the over-taxed people of England. To make the taxes as little burdensome and irritating as possible, they were levied chiefly in the form of duties on foreign sugar, molasses and other commodities which came in competition with colonial products, and by stamps on all legal and mercantile papers. But even these softened measures were felt to be an assumption of the right to seize and dispose of the property of the colonists without remuneration or representation, and aroused a determined spirit of opposition. Neither the petitions of the colonists for redress nor the arguments of powerful advocates of their cause in parliament produced any effect. The government persisted in its blind folly. The people became greatly excited, and acts of violence followed the attempt to enforce the obnoxious laws. The stamp act was to go into operation on the first day of November, 1765. On the last day of October the New Hampshire Gazette, published at Portsmouth, appeared with a mourning border. The next day people came in from the towns around, the bells were
161
TOWN AFFAIRS.
tolled, and there was a mock funeral of the Goddess of Liberty. Similar demonstrations were made in Massachu- setts and other colonies.
In 1766 the stamp act was repealed, greatly to the joy of the colonists; but there were other laws which bore harshly upon them, and this was only a lull in the storm of resentment and opposition. The martial spirit of the people, aroused and stimulated by the French and Indian wars, had not died out, and while there was no thought of separation from the mother country, the trained veterans of those wars were not disposed to submit to any imposi- tions, or any encroachments on their rights.
The militia had been kept up, not at the expense of the government, or of the province chiefly, but of the citizen soldiers themselves. John Wentworth had succeeded his uncle, Benning Wentworth, as governor of the province. He was only thirty years old, was fond of military dis- play, and he gave his personal and official influence to the improvement of the militia. The number of regiments was increased to twelve, and the 6th covered the southwest corner of the province as in 1760. Josiah Willard of Win- chester was still its colonel, Benjamin Bellows of Walpole lieutenant colonel, and Josiah Willard, Jr., of Keene and Breed Batcheller of Packersfield, majors. Keene had a company of 117 officers and men, and an alarm list (of the older and not fully able-bodied men) of forty-five.
"The following muster-roll has been handed to the compiler, by a veteran of the Revolution :
"A LIST OF THE FOOT COMPANY IN KEENE.
"Lieut. Benjamin Hall, Joseph Gray,
Ensign, Michael Metcalf,
Samuel Hall,
Clerk, Simeon Clark, Jesse Hall,
Serj. Elijah Blake, Serj. Thomas Baker,
Peter Hubbert,
Seth Heaton, Jr.,
Serj. Isaac Esty,
John Houghton,
Serj. Jedediah Carpenter,
Joseph Hills,
Corp. Dan Guild,
Davis Howlet, Ziba Hall,
Corp. Joseph Blake,
Jonathan Heaton,
Corp. Abijah Metcalf, Benjamin Archer,
Luther Heaton,
Jonathan Archer,
Nathaniel Kingsbury,
Asahel Blake,
Daniel Kingsbury,
162
HISTORY OF KEENE.
John Brown,
Elisha Briggs,
John Balch,
Benjamin Balch, Jr.,
Jonathan Metcalf,
Luther Bragg,
Moses Marsh,
John Burt,
Eli Metcalf, Daniel Metcalf,
Nathan Blake, Jr., Obadiah Blake, Jr., Royal Blake, Naboth Bettison,
William Nelson,
David Nims, Jr.,
Ebenezer Newton,
Thomas Baker, Jr., John Pray Blake,
Cephas Clark,
Zadoc Nims, Alpheus Nims,
Seth Clark,
Joshua Osgood, Benjamin Osgood, Jr.,
Eliphalet Carpenter,
Ebenezer Carpenter,
Amos Partridge,
Samuel Chapman,
Jonathan Pond,
Silas Cook,
Abiathar Pond,
Isaac Clark,
Nathan Rugg, Josiah Richardson,
Simeon Clark, Jr.,
Jonas Clark, John Day, Jr.,
Eleazer Sanger, Abner Sanger,
John Daniels,
Robert Spencer,
Reuben Daniels,
Jeremiah Stiles,
John Dickson,
Richard Smith,
Addington Daniels,
Ebenezer Day, Jr.,
Jacob Day,
Joseph Thatcher,
James Dean,
Abraham Wheeler, Jr.,
Gideon Ellis, Jr.,
Oliver Wright,
Simeon Ellis,
Jedediah Wellman,
Timothy Ellis, 3d,
David Willson,
William Ellis, Caleb Ellis,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.