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 25
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At the annual meeting in 1786, upon the petition of Joshua Osgood and others living in the northeast part to be set off "from this town to be a distinct Society by themselves in conjunction with some parts of other towns," Benjamin Hall, Jeremiah Stiles and Nathan Blake, Jr., were chosen a committee to consider the petition and report at some future meeting. Notwithstanding the opposition of this and the other towns concerned, the town of Sullivan was incorporated the following year, taking 1,920 acres of land and several families from Keene.
Complying with a requirement of the legislature, the selectmen made the following return:
"Pursuant to the within resolve We the subscribers have taken an account of the Inhabitants of the Town of Keene and find their number to be eleven hundred and twenty two. 1122. May 30th A. D. 1786.
"The number of the Inhabitants on the East side of the river is 614-on the west side of the river there is 508=1122.
Danl Kingsbury ) Selectmen Jeremiah Stiles , of Keene." May 31, 1786, the town "Voted-to purchase of Capt" Richardson 1/2 acre of land to set the new meeting house on; and that Asa Dunbar, Esq' Baker & Lieut. Balch be a committee for that purpose to agree with Capt" Richardson, determine the shape & dimensions of said 1/2 acre & procure a deed of the same." This was in addition to the site of the old house. On the 20th of June, Capt.
Richardson deeded to the "Inhabitants of Keene" * "one acre more or less," lying on the east side of his garden, and including that part of the present park which was north of the site of the old meetinghouse. The con- sideration named in the deed was seventy pounds.
On that spot, its north side about on the north line of
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TOWN AFFAIRS.
the present park enclosure, the new meetinghouse was built, with form and dimensions as voted by the town, Dec. 21, 1784. The architect and master-carpenter was Benjamin Archer, who had been a sergeant in Capt. Stiles' company at the battle of Bunker Hill, and had seen other service in the Revolutionary war. He lived on the "Old Walpole Road," four miles from town, where the Goodnows after- wards kept tavern, now the residence of Mr. E. A. Win- chester. The frame was raised on the 28th, 29th and 30th of June, and it was a season of great interest and hilarity. According to the custom of the times, there was a large gathering of people, including many from out of town; and the town provided refreshments for the multitude, in- cluding a bountiful supply of the indispensable rum. The belfry and steeple were on the west end, the porch on the east, each with entrance doors, but the main entrance was at the middle of the south side, the "broad aisle" leading thence to the high pulpit opposite-built in the form of a huge wine glass-accessible by circular stairs on either side. Over the pulpit was the large, dome-shaped sound- ing board, to aid the minister's voice. A broad gallery extended across the south side and both ends, reached by stairways in the porch and belfry. On the floor of the house and around the galleries next to the walls were the pews, about seven feet square, seating eight persons, the partitions topped with a spindle-balustrade one foot high. It was the custom to stand during prayers, and the seats, placed along the sides of the pews and divided into short sections, were hung on hinges to turn up for that purpose; and at the close of the prayer, each worshipper would drop a seat, with a clatter like a scattering volley of musketry. Beneath the front of the pulpit were the "deacons' seats," and in front of those, a hanging table for communion ser- vice, to be let down when not in use. Across the area in front of the pulpit were long seats designed for elderly people, and others of defective hearing, called the "old men's seats;" but women never sat there. No provision was made for warming the house-such a thing was un- heard of then; it could not be done with fireplaces, and stoves had not yet come into use-but later a makeshift
.
280
HISTORY OF KEENE.
chimney was built from the attic and a single stove was set in the middle of the broad aisle. But that proving merely a suggestion of warmth, two were afterwards put .
in, one on each side of the pulpit, in front of the old men's seats.
North of the meetinghouse just in front of where Ball's block and the church now stand, was a long row of horse- sheds running east and west; and between those and the church edifice was a large stone horseblock for the con- venience of women and children in mounting. On the south lay the broad, open common, with Main street in its quiet village aspect extending beyond, completely grass- grown with the exception of a narrow roadway in the middle, and a still narrower one on each side, with grass between the ruts.
Peter Wilder was the sexton, chosen by the town, and he was succeeded by Dea. Abijah Wilder, who for a long term of years had the care of the meetinghouse and the courthouse.
"It was a great work to build that house in the day of small things; as will be seen from quoting a few extracts from the records of the building committee. Most of those who bought pews, in anticipation of its being built, paid in cattle, that were sold at great discount, after being driven to Boston, Wrentham, or Providence. Besides, there were other obstacles, as will be seen by the follow- ing quotations.
"The following are the charges of one of the commit- tee, viz :
'To a journey in Feb., 1787, to Sutton, Frank- lin, and Boston, to purchase oil, glass, and vane
£ s d
1 4 0
'To a journey down with 27 head of cattel to Wrentham, Dec. 1787; also, a journey to Providence, to buy the glass for the meet- ing-house; and expense of keeping said cattel,
5 3 10
' May, 1788 .- To a journey to Providence after the glass; to carting glass from Providence to Wrentham; also, a journey from Provi- dence to Boston,
0 19 1"
"And the following are quoted from the same book :
' Paid for cattel more than they sold for in cash,
16 18 5
-
.
ABUJAH FOSTER'S STORE, WEST KEENK. BUILT BEFORE 1787.
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TOWN AFFAIRS.
'To cash to defray the expenses of Samuel Heaton down to Wrentham after the glass for the meeting-house-wagon and two horses,
1 18 4 đ
'Paid Mr John Ward & Co., Providence, for glass,
38 5 4
'The pews sold for
941 5 0
'Raised by tax, 400 00
'The sum total that has been paid, in cash, for meeting-house matters, is 120 13 9'"
(Annals, page 111.)
In attempting to relieve the financial distress of the people, the legislature had submitted to the voters a plan for issuing paper money. A town meeting was held, November 28, 1786, to consider the question, but the plan was rejected by a unanimous vote; and it failed by a large majority in the state.
Dr. Thomas Frink, who for nearly thirty years had been a prominent physician and magistrate in town, died this year.
At the annual town meeting in 1787, Capt. Jeremiah Stiles was elected representative, but at an adjourned meeting he declined to serve, and Lieut. Benjamin Hall was chosen. Asa Dunbar, town clerk and first selectman, died on the 22d of June; and a town meeting on the 10th of July chose Capt. Stiles to succeed him in both offices.
In May of this year, William Lamson established a tannery in rear of the site now occupied by Lamson block and the Five Cents Savings bank, and he and his son carried on a successful business there for many years. At that time there were only about forty families living in the vicinity of Main street. One of the principal stores of the town was in the west part, kept by Abijah Foster, on the west side of the road a few rods north of Jesse Clark's tavern,1 west of the mill pond, where Clark also had saw and grist mills. Joseph Brown built and opened another store, nearly opposite Foster's, about that time-the little old building still standing at the turn of the road-and built the present house of Sidney C. Ellis. There was a
1 That house was the first built in this vicinity by the "square rule," and people came from far andinear to see the frame.
281
282
HISTORY OF KEENE.
blacksmith's shop at. the branch of the roads near the mills, a pottery northeast of Brown's store; and other mechanics found employment there. Both Foster and Brown were enterprising men, and each carried on a large general business; and that locality, with the plains to the eastward, was expected by many to be the site of the future town. But the new meetinghouse had been built on the "common," as already described, and stores and shops began to spring up near it, and gradually the business of the town centered there.
Col. Isaac Wyman still kept his tavern at the lower end of Main street as in the days of the Lexington alarm, and the veteran Capt. Dorman, 77 years old, still lived where he did when the messenger came to him on that morning of the 20th of April, 1775. Some of the busi- ness still clung to that end of the "Street." Samuel Wads- worth had had a blacksmith's shop and his residence in the old fort, and other mechanics were still in that neighbor- hood; a schoolhouse stood next north of Capt. Dorman's, and a new building was put up opposite Col. Wyman's tavern which was occupied the next year by the printing office.
In September of this year James Davenport Griffith, son of John Griffith, an eminent school teacher of Boston, having had two years' experience in the publication of the Continental Journal of that city, came to Keene and started the New Hampshire Recorder. The printing office was in a small, one-story, wooden building which stood on the west side of Main street, near the north line of the residence lot of the late Edward C. Thayer, a little back from the street. The office was moved the next year to the new building across the street as stated above. The first number of the Recorder that has been preserved, so far as is known, is No. 1 of the second volume, dated Sept. 9, 1788, and an incomplete file from that date to Feb. 24, 1791, bound in one volume, is in the public library.
Alexander Ralston's tavern stood on the west side of Main street, in front of what is known as the Gen. Wilson house (now Mr. Isaac J. Dunn's). The jail " of hewn logs,"
283
TOWN AFFAIRS.
which had stood just above that tavern, had been removed a few years before, across the street and farther down; and in 1785, a new one of wood had been built on Prison street, as already stated.
On Aug. 19, 1787, a remarkable tornado swept over all this part of the country. Many people were killed and many more were injured. The Recorder reported that "The destruction of houses, barns, cattle, etc., is beyond conception." The cattle were killed and injured chiefly by the falling of trees.
On the 7th of January, 1788, the town chose Rev. Aaron Hall a delegate to a convention to act upon the federal constitution for the government of the United States proposed by the national convention. The state conven- tion met at Exeter on the 13th of February, and chose Gen. John Sullivan president. He was also president of the state at that time. The opposition to the proposed con- stitution was so strong that its friends did not dare risk a vote on its adoption, but carried an adjournment to gain time; and the convention met again at Concord, on the 18th of June. On the 21st, the vote of adoption passed by 57 to 47, New Hampshire being the ninth state to ratify, thus giving the required two-thirds majority of states for the final adoption of the constitution of the United States. On the 30th of June, the inhabitants of Keene celebrated that ratification. No account of the cere- monies has been preserved, but there were religious services in the meetinghouse, and Rev. Aaron Hall preached a sermon which was printed by request, for sale and distri- bution.
At the annual town meeting the committee previously appointed to adjust the claims of those who had served in the late war but had not been settled with in a former average of pay, made their report, recommending that those persons be paid certain sums. The town accepted the report so far as to grant them two-thirds of the respective sums recommended, and raised 106 pounds to pay this and the former average. The follow- ing are the names mentioned and the sums granted to each :
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HISTORY OF KEENE.
3
S
d
3
S
Simeon Clark,
2
2
4 Timothy Ellis, 3d, 1 1 2
Jonathan Pond,
2
2 4 Lieutenant Wright, 2 10 2
Maj. Davis Howlet,
2
2
4 Abraham Wheeler, 0 17 2
Thomas Field,
2
2
4 Royal Blake,
4 14 0
Adin Holbrook,
2
2 4 Captain Richardson,
1 4 0
Capt. Stephen Griswold,
2
2
4 Benjamin Willis,
2 1
2
Joshua Osgood,
1 12 0 Isaac Esty,
1 8 10
Jonathan Dwinell,
1
1
2 Maj. Josiah Willard,
1 16 8
Gideon Ellis, 1
1
2 Samuel Hall,
2 2 4
In the legislature a convention of both houses chose Capt. Josiah Richardson, representative from Keene, to fill a vacancy in the state council for the year ensuing.
On the 26th of June the town "voted to Rase the sum of Two Hundred pounds Lawful Money for the use of Finishing the New Meetinghous;" and on the 18th of September " voted to Impower the Committee to Give and Convey the old Meeting Hous to the County of Cheshire for a Court hous for the use of said County-Provided the said County will accept of the said Hous for the use aforesaid and moove it to the North west Corner of the Meeting Hous Common in Keene and permit the Inhabi- tenc of said Towne to hold their Towne Meetings in said Hous;" and the conveyance was made in accordance with that vote. For several years efforts had been made and articles inserted in the warrants for town meetings to have the town appropriate money for instruction in church music, but the town had persistently refused to take such action. At this meeting on the article in the warrant, "To see if the Towne can Devise any Method to encour- age the art of Singing-as it is almost neglected in our Congregation "- Abijah Wilder, Capt. Jeremiah Stiles and Dea. Daniel Kingsbury were chosen a committee to "Incurige the art of Singing without any Cost to the Towne."
About this time Mr. Samuel Cooke, "improved" (erected) a building for stores south of the present Eagle Hotel. That part of Main street from the hotel to Water street was occupied by several shops and places of busi- ness, and was called "Federal Row." Mr. Cooke was in trade in connection with Capt. Samuel Wetherbee, of Col. Wyman's regiment in the war, but was soon succeeded by Moses Johnson, who had occupied a store and lived where
-
RESIDENCE OF SAMUEL DINSMOOR, SR. BUILT BY PELEG SPRAGUE IN 1793.
.
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TOWN AFFAIRS.
Gurnsey's block now stands. Johnson soon afterwards joined Mr. James Mann, who had built the store subse- quently occupied by A. & T. Hall (or it is possible the firm of Johnson & Mann built it), where Buffum's block now stands. Johnson also had pot and pearl ash works, and a distillery on what is now Castle street, and on the ridge north of it, and a store in Walpole in connection with his business here. He did a large general business, and was public spirited and very active in advancing the interests of the town.
Daniel Newcomb, who for ten years had been the prin- cipal lawyer in town, had his office where Gurnsey's block now stands. Peleg Sprague came in 1787, and soon built and lived in what is now known as the Laton Martin house, and had his office north of it, in his yard, where the brick house now stands. At first his office was on the site of Gurnsey's block.
David Simmons, the "shoemaker from Boston," lived on the east side of Main street, toward the lower end, and removed his shop from there "to Cooke's building in Fed- eral Row." He was father of David A. Simmons, who left the Simmons fund to the town of Keene.
Capt. Josiah Richardson was still keeping tavern in the house which he had built on Pleasant street, on the site of the present Y. M. C. A. building; and Rev. Aaron Hall was living in his new house, built by the town, on the same street.
Main, Pleasant and Prison streets (Washington), Walpole road (School street), Packersfield road (Water street), and Boston road (Baker street), were nearly the same then as now, and Cross street was laid out that year, but none of the other streets had been opened, except that Roxbury street and one or two others had been used with- out a formal lay-out.
Aaron and Luther Eames, who were keeping the Ral- ston tavern in 1786, had now succeeded Dr. Ziba Hall in his tavern, on the east side of Main street, where the small engine house now stands, near the railroad; and Lemuel Chandler "opened a new Tavern, nearly opposite the meeting-house, at the sign of the Lyon and the Blue
286
HISTORY OF KEENE.
Ball." That was called the Chandler House, and was on the site of the present Cheshire House. Chandler died the next year, and the property came into the hands of Dr. Thomas Edwards, who had married Chandler's sister, and the house, known as Edwards's tavern, was kept by him for many years. Capt. Reuben Partridge also kept a tavern on the old Surry road, near his mills-afterwards Hol- brook's-on the outlet of Goose pond; and there were others along the main roads in town.
At each of these public houses spirituous liquors were sold under a license from the state; and from the confes- sions of "One late of the club," published in the Recorder, it is evident that there was "a set of gamblers"-a club for that purpose, in fact-in Keene, even in those days of Puritan piety. But Col. Wyman informs his friends and the public, by an advertisement in the Recorder, "that he shall not in future vend any liquors-but would be glad to serve Travellers with Boarding and Lodging, and the best of Horse-keeping;"-a pioneer temperance man.
Ephraim Cummings and Richard Stratton had cloth- iers' works at West Swanzey and advertised, "That their customers may be accommodated with colours of every kind (except scarlet), particularly Blue in its highest per- fection." Benjamin Balch also had a fulling mill and clothier's works on the north branch of White brook near the old Westmoreland road, four miles from the village; and Capt. John Warner, then or soon after, had similar works where "Mill creek "-from the mills on West street -joins the river, near the present greenhouses of Ellis Brothers.
The Recorder of Dec. 30 says: "We are happy to inform the Friends to American Manufactures that the use of Spinning Wheels and Looms has never been so prevalent at any period since the late revolution as at the present day. Several pieces of elegant and fashionable Broadcloths have lately been manufactured in this town, the texture, colour, and duration of which are by no means inferior to European Guinea Cloths." Joseph Newell had a tailor's shop in town, and made fine garments.
Goodale & Homer had one of the stores in a long,
287
.
TOWN AFFAIRS.
narrow building on the east side of Main street, below the Chandler House. They afterwards removed to the old one-story wooden store on the opposite corner (now Elliot's), built by Capt. Josiah Richardson. Ichabod Fisher still kept his small store in the little old yellow house, already mentioned; and Dr. Jonas Dix had a "Medicinal Store" on the west side of upper Main street.
On the 9th of October, 1788, the town "voted to seat the New Meeting Hous," and chose Capt. John Houghton, Capt. Jotham Metcalf, Daniel Newcomb, Esq., Col. Timo- thy Ellis, and Samuel Bassett a committee for that purpose.
"Voted that the Pew in the frunt Galery bee appro- priated for the use of the Singers in Keene and for their use only."
On Wednesday, October 29, the new meetinghouse was "consecrated to the Divine Being" with appropriate exer- cises, in which Rev. Mr. Olcott of Charlestown, and Rev. Mr. Fessenden of Walpole, who had formerly preached here, assisted. The pastor delivered "a pertinent and com- prehensive discourse," and the exercises closed with an anthem and a benediction.
The Recorder said: "The zeal and unanimity which the Inhabitants of this Town have discovered in the com- pletion of an elegant structure, which perhaps is not infe- rior to any of the kind throughout the state, must re- dound to their immortal honor."
A correspondent in the same paper suggested that a bell and a pall be immediately procured by subscription ; and he urged the fencing of "the burying ground at the lower end of the Main street," which was exposed to the invasion of cattle.
On the 16th of October, Mrs. Sally Hall, "the amiable consort of Rev. Aaron Hall," died. The funeral was at the meetinghouse, Rev. Mr. Fessenden officiating.
The first town meeting to vote for electors of president and vice president of the United States, and for three mem- bers of congress, under the new federal constitution, was held at the old meetinghouse on the 15th of December.
There had been opposition to the constitution and some would not act under it, but all the votes cast in
288
HISTORY OF KEENE.
Keene, thirty in number, were for the electors who voted for George Washington and John Adams. Samuel Liver- more, Benjamin West and Nicholas Gilman had thirty-five votes each for members of congress.
At the annual election, March 3, 1789, Gen. John Sul- livan was chosen president of the state, Keene casting fifty-four votes for him to twenty-six for John Pickering.
Capt. Jeremiah Stiles, Capt. Jotham Metcalf, Major Davis Howlett, Lieut. Benjamin Balch and Eri Richardson were chosen a committee "to see what school houses are wanting (in the several districts) and how much money is wanting to build school Houses."
"Voted to Fence the Several Buring places in this Towne and Chose a committee of Four for that purpos and chose Major Willard Michel Metcalf Levi Partridg and Capt. John Houghton who are hereby Directed to Call on their Neighbors to Turn out and Do said work without any Cost or charge to the Towne."
"Voted that the Select Men Provid a Pall or grave Cloath at the Expence of the Towne." The pall was pur- chased in 1792-the first one used.
At an adjourned meeting, on the 31st of March, the committee appointed at a previous meeting to examine the accounts of the building committee, reported that two hundred pounds was the sum needed to finish the meeting- house; and the town voted that sum, to be assessed immediately. It also authorized the building committee to sell the pews in the new house not already disposed of at public vendue to the highest bidder.
"Voted to purchas a Peace of Land of Capt. Richard- son to set horssheds on-ten feet wide and to Extend from the Northeast corner of the Common to whare the old meeting hous Now Stands and to pay for the same out of the Towne Treasurey." All the inhabitants of the town were granted the privilege of building horsesheds on that land under the direction of a committee. Court street had not then been opened, and the old meetinghouse stood where that street now enters the square.
One of the articles in the warrant was: "to See if the Towne will Hire a School Master for a year provided the payment Can be made easy." The town voted not to
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TOWN AFFAIRS.
hire. But Israel Houghton was teaching a private school here at that time; and a "Mr. Willard," (doubtless Lock- hart, son of Major Josiah, who was then 26 years of age) taught a school for both sexes in "Free Masons' Hall." He and his pupils gave public exhibitions which were highly commended. To the second one, held in August, were sold "Tickets of admission, half a pistareen each." (A pistareen passed for seventeen cents.)
In May, "Jonathan Houghton from Boston" opened a store on the east side of Main street below the Chandler House. He was succeeded the next spring by John Patten, who advertised for "Fifteen or Twenty Tons of Flax, to be paid for in goods,"-to counteract a similar advertise- ment for the same amount by Daniel Ashley of Winchester. Patten also offered "Cash for Salts, and Goods for Ashes, or clean Cotton or Linen Rags," and added, "Pearl Ash Manufactured on the shortest Notice given."
The Recorder copied from Boston papers an account of a pair of oxen brought to that market which "exceeded all, for fatness and weight, ever known in the thirteen states." The live weight of the pair was 3,586 pounds. Three years later a Concord paper published a paragraph headed "Great Oxen," stating that a pair had been brought down from Plymouth which weighed 2,616 pounds and sold for $180. Many persons still living remember a pair that Elijah Blake of Keene raised and sent to market by his son, Justin S. Blake, in 1866, which weighed 5,302 pounds, and sold for $600.
On Oct. 6, 1789, there was a muster at Keene of part of Gen. Chase's brigade-the Sixth regiment, Col. Whitcomb of Swanzey; the Twenty-Second, Col. Aldrich of Westmore- land; the company of cavalry, Capt. Isaac Wyman of Keene (son of Col. Isaac); and the company of artillery, Capt. Butterfield. Luther Eames of Keene was brigade major. The whole formed in Main street and "marched into the training field," where they were reviewed by Maj. Gen. Bellows of Walpole, and Brig. Gen. Chase. The cav- alry and artillery were in new and brilliant uniforms, and all made a fine appearance. Refreshments for the troops were provided by the general officers.
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