USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Peterborough > History of the town of Peterborough, Hillsborough county, New Hampshire > Part 15
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
ren Nichols' house to Contoocook River and across the river, by the house of the late Robert White's place, to the intersec- tion of the roads near the Capt. Wilson house.
A road from Thomas Steele's to Hancock line, over the Bal- lard hill, beginning at said Steele's south line, at the road formerly laid out through Hunt's farm, thence north to Will- iam Stuart's land, and past the west end of his buildings, to James Gregg's south-west corner on his line near the river, thence across the brook, thence as near the river as the land will admit till the river turns to the right, thence to Antony Bullard's south-west corner, thence to William Bullard's house, then, as it is now travelled, past Abraham Moore's house, and through his land to Mr. Dennis' wall, within ten rods of Han- cock line, then, bearing to the left, supposed to be Hancock line. Width, three rods, Nov. 8, 1811.
A road from Bartholomew Thayer's (John Little place) to the great bridge. No transcript can be found of this road but this vote of the town, March 5, 1799: "Voted, that the selectmen lay out a road from Bartholomew Thayer's over the hill to the great bridge, and cause it to be made in the place where it has been proposed." The road was built, and there was much legislation in town in regard to damages to Mrs. Morrison, supposed widow of Rev. John Morrison, who owned land. Road discontinued.
A road from bridge near Reuel Richardson's, or Spring's bridge, so called, to Dublin, near to where the line between Peterborough and Dublin crosses said road, thence north, bounding on Dublin line, through land of Abijah Richardson till it intersects the road, as now travelled, from John Rich- ardson's past Abijah Richardson's to Dublin meeting-house. Width, two and one-half rods. To be opened one year from date, Oct. 1, 1816.
A road from Stephen Pierce's (the Jewett place) through West Peterborough, across the river, south to the old road from Peterborough to Dublin. Width, three rods, Sept. 20, 1823. The road to be opened for travel, June 1, 1824 .- Town Records, Vol. 2, p. 51.
189
HIGHWAYS.
A road from great bridge to Presbyterian Meeting-house at Gordon's Corner. Beginning at the east end of the great bridge, near the house of Samuel Smith, Esq., thence north on said Smith's land twenty-four and a half degrees, ninety-eight rods, thence on land of said Smith till it strikes land of Capt. Moses Dodge and land of Rev. Elijah Dunbar, in front of the Presbyterian Meeting-house. The said road to be opened and made passable on or before the first day of November next, July 1, 1824 .- T. R., Vol. 2, p. 81.
A road from north-east corner of Asa Carley's land, near Abel Weston's house, to the Street Road, near Deacon Sam- uel Maynard's house. Said road to be opened and made pass- able on or before Nov. 1, 1828. Width, two and one-half rods, March 1, 1827 .- T. R., Vol. 2, p. 86.
A road from South Factory to Smith's Village. Beginning at the south-west corner of Capt. Henry F. Cogswell's. land, thence running east forty-three degrees, north seventeen rods, " on said Cogswell's land, to land owned by the second Peter- borough cotton factory corporation, thence by the land of said corporation and Samuel Morison, and land of Robert White, to land of James Wilson, in various points of compass, till it reaches Goose Brook, to land of Samuel Smith and land of the Phoenix factory corporation to the road near the tavern house, now occupied by Charles Whitney (the site of the Town House). This road to be opened and made passable on or before Nov. 1, 1827. Width, three rods, July 1, 1826 .- T. R., Vol. 2, p. 88.
A road to Greenfield by Holmes' mill. Beginning on the east side of the road between Asaph Evans' and David Wil- son's, fifty rods west and twelve degrees south of Calvin Washburn's, thence on land of Calvin Washburn, John Steele, Mary Dickey, Samuel Straw, Jonathan Cudworth, to Green- field line. Width, three rods, -, 1828. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 100.
A road from the paper-mill of Morrison, Hoit & Blodgett to the village. Beginning at the turn of the road west of the paper-mill, thence east three degrees, south twenty rods, to
.
190
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
within half a rod from the north end of the paper-mill, thence on land of Isaac Hadley, William Scott, Jacob Flint, George W. Senter, and Samuel Holmes, in various points of compass, to the Priest house (the old Evans tavern house). Width, three rods, June 20, 1832. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 134.
Widening and straightening the road in village, from Brown's store or the stone bridge to Bernard Whittemore's, east and opposite upper hotel. Beginning two rods north of the north bounds between Moses Chapman's and Phoenix corpora- tion, thence east five degrees, south sixteen rods, across the bridge, thence from first-mentioned bound west nineteen de- grees, north thirty rods, the point being forty-seven feet south of Riley Goodridge's store, the width of the point to be three and a half rods wide, thence west fifteen degrees, north fif- teen rods, the width of which is three rods, thence west twenty degrees, north five rods, thence west thirty degrees, north seven rods, the width of which, to last points, to be two and a half rods wide, March 6th, 1834. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 156. .
Diamond road. Beginning at a stake in the bars on the south side of the road leading from the Street Road to the East Mountain Road, and about twelve rods easterly of the bridge, and running to a stake standing on the line, being the north line of said Diamond's land, and the south line of Asa Carley's land. Width, two rods, Sept. 11, 1835. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 174.
Alteration of road round Capt. Alexander Robbe's hill, run- ning south of his house, and laid out by the County Com- missioners. At a town meeting, March 10, 1840, voted to raise four hundred dollars for the purpose of building the above road. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 242.
Alteration of road over the mountain from the woods east of Samuel White's to the Richey house.
April 5, 1836, " Voted, That the selectmen be authorized and directed to lay out the road beginning at east side of the woods east of Samuel White's, from thence up the mountain until it intersects the old road near the Richey house, and cause the same to be built the present year." - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 183.
1
(
K
191
HIGHWAYS.
A road to North Factory from the village. Beginning at the centre of the small stone bridge north of the village cemetery, thence north sixteen degrees, east twenty-two rods, and, by various points of compass, on land of William Follansbee, Guy Hannaford, Ethan Hadley, Elihu Thayer, Timothy and Norton Hunt, Archelaus Cragin, and Robert Day, to old road between Timothy Ames' and Samuel C. Oliver's house, on the east side of the small bridge, Feb. 16, 1835. Width, three rods. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 463.
The widening and straightening the road, laid out by a court's committee, round the Wilson hill, so called. Begin- ning at a stake easterly of Capt. William Wilson's, thence on his land till it strikes the old road near Locke's bars, so called. Width, four rods, June 24, 1839. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 284.
A road from William Pratt's to School-house No. 10. Be- ginning at the corner of the wall near William Pratt's, thence north thirty-three degrees, west fourteen rods, and, by various points of compass, to the old road near the School-house No. IO. Width, three rods, May 25, 1843. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 284.
A road from Eri Spalding's to Cyrus Blanchard's (called slab road). Beginning at a stump on highway at Bowers' mill, so called, and running to the old road near School-house No. 6. To avoid the "mill hill," so called, Aug. 26, 1843. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 290.
A road from Eri Spalding's to brick-yard near North Fac- tory. Laid out by the Road Commissioners for County of Hillsborough. Beginning at a point in the old road, at a stake on Eri Spalding's land, thence south forty-one degrees, west, and by various points of compass, through land of William M. White, Watson Washburn, the Swan farm, so called, Carter and White's land, Elihu Thayer's, to a point on the old road . opposite to Carter's brick-yard, so called. Width, three rods, Aug. 27, 1844. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 301.
A road from Nahor's to Hancock line, laid out by the County Commissioners, Apr. 8, 1817: In town meeting, "Chose a committee to view the land the road was laid out on, and re- port to the town the probable expense of making the road,
192
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
and the probability of getting rid of making said road, if con- tested." No report of said committee is found, but three hundred dollars is raised for the Hancock road, April 7, 1818. April 6, 1819, the further sum of five hundred and eighty dol- lars was raised to pay damages on Hancock road and build it. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 13.
A road to School-house No. I, in village. Beginning at a stake on the east side of the road leading from the village to the South Factory, near Brockway's store (now W. G. Living- ston's), said stake being in the middle of the road ; thence south sixty-six degrees, east and continued thirteen rods and twenty- one links to a stake and stones in the wall near the south-east corner of the Phoenix garden. Width, eighteen and a half feet. By another transcript, March 31, 1846, the road is laid out two rods wide, June 26, 1845. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 317:
A road from Main Street to Joseph H. Ames'. Beginning from a stake on the north side of the road leading through the village, forty-four feet east from the south-east corner of the yard in front of the Unitarian meeting-house, thence north three degrees, east eight rods eleven links, and in a northerly direction to a stake in the old pass-way of Joseph H. Ames' house, passing through land of Job Hill and others, the same to be three rods wide, May 22d, 1847 ; by a special vote of the town, passed March 30, 1847. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 350.
A road from Reuel Richardson's to West Peterborough. Laid out by the Road Commissioners, and damages awarded as follows : Union Manufacturing Co., $107.50; Frederick Liv- ingston, $75.00; Ivory Wilder, $128.60; Reuel Richardson, $90.00; Charles R. Richardson, $145.00, Dec. 10, 1850. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 384.
A transcript is also found on the Town Records, p. 398, of a road from Reuel Richardson's to land of Reuel Rich- ardson, through land of C. D. Richardson, and damages awarded to him of $185.00, a supposed amendment of the road as laid out by the County Commissioners, Dec. 10, 1850, being all merged in one, Sept. 10, 1851.
A road from Benjamin Hosmer's (the Robert Swan place) to
193
HIGHWAYS.
where it intersects the old road near where the School-house No. 5 stood. Width, three rods, Nov. 19, 1851. - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 403.
A road from Eri Spalding's to Greenfield line, laid out by the County Commissioners, March 13, 1855. In town meet- ing, "Voted, That the selectmen be authorized and instructed to borrow money to pay damages, and build the road laid out by the Commissioners from Eri Spalding's to the Greenfield line, if necessary." - T. R., Vol. 2, p. 443.
A road from Mitchell's Corner to near the house of Joseph H. Ames. Beginning at a stake in the highway at the foot of Mitchell's hill, so called, thence easterly and southerly trhough land of Norton Hunt and others, to the present highway, east of J. H. Ames' dwelling-house. The highway to be three rods wide for the first seventy-six rods, and for the next two hundred and eleven rods it is to be four rods wide, the remainder of the road to be three rods wide, April 8, 1855. -T. R., Vol. 2, p. 445.
A road from bridge near Barker's Mills to Sharon line. . No transcript found ; supposed laid out by a court's commit- tee. The following article is found in a warrant for town- meeting, March 8, 1842 (T. R., Vol. 2, p. 268) : "To hear the report of same committee, on the petition of Samuel Nay and others for a new road, commencing at the Jaffrey Road (so called), and extending to the Sharon line, and act there- on." "Voted [p. 272], that the petition of Samuel Nay and others be accepted; also voted at the same meeting to raise $450 for the Sharon Road."
A road from Spalding's Corner (so called) to the inter- section of the road with that leading from Barker's Mills to Sharon line, not far from the bridge; said road laid out by the commissioners, after a public hearing, Aug. 10, 1859; probably built in 1.860.
A road from Gulf Road, near Nathan Gould's, to where it intersects the old road leading from Timothy Hovey's to James Smiley's. Width, two and one-half rods; transcript, Oct. 3, 1859 .- T. R., Vol. 3, p. 86.
25
194
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
A road from South Factory to Jaffrey line. It was ven- dued to various persons, Nov. 16, 1840, to the amount of $1,688.93.
Granite Street, beginning at the intersection of the road leading from bridge near Monadnock Railroad to N. H. Mori- son, Esq.'s; by first transcript, Nov. 30, 1868, to Amzi Mayo's house; by second transcript, Sept. 20, 1870, to Sam- uel Knight's house; by third transcript, Nov. 14, 1871, from Samuel Knight's house to Pine Street. The road built and made passable in 1872. Width, two and one-half rods.
A road to School-house No. I, from Main Street, between Baptist Meeting-house and Asa Davis' store; transcript, Dec. 23, 1863. Width, three rods.
CHAPTER XVII.
MANUFACTURES.
Bell Factory. - Phoenix. - Eagle. - South. - North. - Union Manufact- uring Co. - Paper Manufacture. - Woollen Manufacture. - Peg . Mill. - Stone Grist-Mill. - Basket Shop. - Manufacture of Barome- ters and Thermometers. - Manufacture of Hand-Cards for Cotton and Wool. - Machine Shop and Foundry. - Marble and Granite Works. - Briggs' Manufactory of Portable and Patent Piano-Stools.
BELL FACTORY .- The first Peterborough cotton factory, known as the "Old" or "Bell" Factory, called the "old" from its being the first incorporated factory in town, and the "bell" from the circumstance of having introduced the first bell ever used in town, was erected in 1809, 'IO. It stands on the spot on which the first saw and grist mill was built in town, in 1751, on the north side of the Nuba- nusit River, at the head of a small fall of the same in the Centre Village. The privilege and lands connected with the same were purchased of Asaph Evans, Jan. 2, 1809. It was incorporated Dec. 20, 1808.
The first proprietors were as follows: Charles H. Atherton, Joseph Cushing, David Holmes, Frederick French, Samuel Bell, Edmund Parker, of Amherst; and John Smith, Samuel Smith, Jonathan Smith, John Steele, John Scott, Asaph Evans, Samuel Evans, John Field, George Duncan, Daniel Robbe, William Pettes, William Wilson, Edmund Snow, Na- than Scott, Hugh Miller, Nathaniel Morison, James Fergu- son, Samuel Alld, Nathaniel Holmes, Matthew Templeton, of Peterborough. The stock was divided into one hundred shares, one-half of it owned in Peterborough, the other half in
196
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
Amherst. The first assessment of $3,500 was made in 1809; and in 1810 $10,000 was assessed, and four dwellings for boarding-houses, thirty by twenty feet, were built on the south side of the river opposite to the factory.
The first machinery of this mill was constructed at Peter- borough under the charge of John Field, of Pawtucket, R. I., known here then, by the importance of his trust as Judge Field. He was one of the workmen employed by Samuel Slater in the erection of the first cotton factory in the United States. Mr. Field was considered one of the best workmen known; and the company gave him what was then called extravagant wages, three dollars per day, and in addition kept his horse, and furnished him with half a pint of rum a day ! Mr. Field built his machinery the exact pattern and type of that in Pawtucket, for which he brought models and exact measurements with him. It was even better than its pattern, and did good service for many years. The Phoenix Factory, built by Samuel Smith, was an exact imitation and reproduc- tion of the first factory.
The machinery of the Bell Factory was put into operation in 1810; the first cotton was purchased by John Smith, Esq., at thirty-two and one-half cents per pound; in 1815 the average cost of cotton was twenty-six and one-half cents per pound; and the highest price paid was, in 1816, forty-one cents per pound. At first the yarn was divided among the proprietors ; and at one time, by a vote, the distribution was made every week. The cost of the cotton, and the expenses of manufacturing, must have been met by assessments. Dur- ing 1812 the yarn was sold at the factory prices, which were increased in 1814 seven cents on a pound of yarn up to No. 15, and five cents above that number. After the close of the war of 1812 there was a great depression in the value of yarn, and it was sold at a discount of twenty-five, fifty, and even seventy-five per cent. from factory prices.
In April, 1817, an addition of a brick building was made to the factory, and looms added to the establishment under the superintendence of John H. Steele, and the first cotton cloth woven by water-power in New Hampshire was manufactured in this mill in May, 1818.
Bufford's Lith Boston
Jonas Livingston
197
MANUFACTURES.
Mr. Steele had serious difficulties to encounter from a want of experience, with no aid from those who had already begun to weave by water-power. The irregular speed of the mill, no regulator as yet being invented, the newness and the breaking in of new machinery, were serious difficulties; and he says: "Never did I more sensibly feel the truth of the saying that patience and perseverance will accomplish all things, than I did in setting that loom in motion. My future prospects depended on my success; and accordingly all the patience and perseverance I could command were exerted. Three days, the longest and most toilsome I ever spent, were consumed before the purpose intended was accomplished." The difficulties of the undertaking are well expressed by the anecdote that Mr. Steele used often to tell, of the boy whose curiosity attracted him to the scene of action. Being unable to make out what was going on, he asked his sister, who was in attendance, what Mr. Steele was doing. " Why?" said she. "Because," said the boy, "it sometimes looks like cloth, and sometimes like the harness."
Mr. Steele remained in charge of this mill till 1824, when he resigned to take the superintendence of the building of the Union Mill in West Peterborough. It was then under the direction of various agents till purchased in part by Frederick Livingston in 18-, who superintended it till he sold out, in 1865, to Ammidown Lane & Co., of New York City, who are now the owners of the same. After they pur- chased the mill, it underwent an enlargement and thorough repair under their agent, A. J. Aldrich. It is now leased by E. B. Hill, for the manufacture of "curtain hollands," who employs between eighty and ninety hands, and has a monthly pay-roll of $2,000.
PHOENIX FACTORY .- This factory stands on the site of the large building of two hundred feet in length and two stories high, erected by Samuel Smith, in 1793, '94, situated in the Centre Village, on the Nubanusit, some thirty rods above its junction with the Contoocook River. The water that drives this mill is used for various purposes of manufacture on its
198
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
passage to the Contoocook, at the west butment of the stone bridge. In 1812 the north part of this building was converted into a cotton factory by Samuel Smith, and put in opera- tion in 1813 or '14, under the direction of his son, Freder- ick A. Smith; and was changed to weaving, under the direc- tion of John and Robert Annan, in 1822; and sold to Samuel May and others in 1823. The new company was organized this year, held their first meeting in Boston, and divided their stock into thirty-two shares, which were owned by D. D. Rogers, Samuel Smith, Samuel Appleton, Pickering & Nichols, Samuel May, Samuel Greele, Isaac Parker, Sewall Williams & Co., and Jeremiah Smith. This company was incorporated under the name of the "Phoenix Cotton and Paper Factory"; but by an additional act of the Legislature in 1832 this name was changed to that of "Phoenix Factory," by which it is now known. Under the new act the shares were divided into one hundred instead of thirty-two shares. The paper-mill was kept in operation for some years after the cotton factory was built. It was not till 1823 that the paper-making was given up, and the original building, south part, was taken down, and a new brick building erected. This new building was" fitted up and put in operation by Samuel G. Smith, then the agent of the company, during this same year. This same building, with all its valuable machinery, was destroyed by fire, Dec. 18, 1828. This was the largest and most.destruc- tive fire that had ever occurred in town. It took fire from a small stove in the attic. The engine of the factory just west of the building, after some delay caused by its not having been used since the preceding. October, and by the bursting of the hose from the hurry and inexperience of the men, was finally got into successful operation, which, together with the engine from the Union Manufacturing Co., continued to throw a large quantity of water for four hours, and greatly backened the fury of the flames, and preserved the north half of the building, -a wooden structure, only separated from the burn- ing building by a brick wall. It was a terribly cold day; water was easily congealed into ice, and many present who came in contact with the water were covered with a coating
199
MANUFACTURES.
of ice from head to foot. The loss was estimated at $32,000. This mill was soon replaced and filled with machinery; and the north half of the establishment, which occupied the old wooden structure erected by Samuel Smith, was removed and a brick building erected in its place.
Samuel G. Smith resigned his agency in 1830, and re- moved to Baltimore. He was succeeded by John H. Steele, who superintended it many years, till he was succeeded by Frederick Livingston in 1834, Edward O. Abbot having held the office one year in the meantime. Jonas Livingston, having succeeded in purchasing a majority of the stock of the company, took possession and the superintendence of the factory in 1865, which he now manages. He has greatly enlarged and improved the establishment, so that it is now the most extensive manufactory in town.
EAGLE FACTORY. - This building was erected in 1795 by Daniel Abbot, and was for many years occupied by him as a cabinet-shop, chair-factory, and dwelling-house. It was con- verted into a cotton factory by him and others, under the name of Eagle Factory, in 1813, and the machinery for it was built by Harris & Dodge, of Peterborough. It was many years under the charge of Thomas Baker, and finally was purchased by Joseph and Abisha Tubbs. In 1833 it was sold by them to Moore & Colby, who, in the summer of that year, removed the old buildings and built their machine-shop, where the business of building machinery has been carried on ever since.
SOUTH FACTORY. - This factory was erected in 1809, on the west bank of the Contoocook River, in the South Village. It was put in operation in 1810, and was owned by Nathaniel Morison, Jonathan Smith, Jonas Loring, Nathaniel Holmes, Samuel Morison, William Smith, and Jacob Putnam. Benja- min Chamberlain was first employed, as master-workman, at two dollars per day, but, being found incompetent, Jacob Put- nam was engaged to continue the work. It was finally com- pleted by Nathaniel Holmes, Jr., and John H. Steele. It was
200
HISTORY OF PETERBOROUGH.
in view of the high prices paid for labor at this mill that Samuel Morison, a sagacious observer of mankind, used to say that "Give a man fifty cents a day and he will work like a hero, give him one dollar a day and he will do tolerably well, but give him two dollars or more, and he will do noth- ing."
This property was purchased by Nathaniel Morison in 1814 or '15, and carried on by him for a few years, at such a loss as to prove his financial ruin. It was then sold to Barry, Senter & Brown, and subsequently by them to Stephen Felt, and was destroyed by fire, Nov. 29, 1849, and has never been rebuilt.
NORTH FACTORY. - This factory was built in 1813, and is situated on the Contoocook River, at the North Village, one and a half miles north of the Centre Village. It was started in 1814, and looms were introduced in 1823 under the direc- tion of Stephen Felt. It continued in operation till 1860, when it was sold to Charles Wilder, and converted into a shop for the manufacture of barometers and thermometers.
UNION FACTORY. - The first mill was erected in 1824, also the same year a machine-shop, both under the care of John H. Steele. The first owners of this factory were Samuel May, Parker Blanchard & Co., Samuel Billings, and John H. Steele. The cost was $ 100,000. It has always manufactured very fine goods, - sheetings, of yarn as high as No. 40. In 1856 the original subscription was increased, and a new fac- tory building, mill No. 2, erected and filled with the most modern machinery (for sheeting and shirting), under the care of Frederick Livingston. It was not put into operation till 1858.
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.