USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Richmond > History of the town of Richmond, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, from its first settlement, to 1882 > Part 12
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
-
THE OLD WAKEFIELD TAVERN.
MRS. HOWE'S TAVERN.
165
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
Cheney place, now owned by St. Clair, was prob- ably designed and used as a tavern by Capt. Oliver Capron, as his son Oliver was licensed as inn-keeper to sell liquors in 1796.
Nathaniel A. Bowen had a store, and was licensed also as taverner from 1800 to 1815.
Joseph Cass, who lived on the Henry Ingalls place, was an inn-keeper previous to 1827; also David Holbrook, who owned the farm next north of the Peleg Taft place, had an inn-keeper's license.
STORES AND STORE-KEEPERS.
It is quite probable that the first store in town was kept by Daniel Cass, sr., in his house, which was large and especially arranged for store purposes.
1. Nain
JUSTARD
FRONES
RAISIN'S
.
SUGAR
100
Jazaniah Barrett, who became his successor in 1793, carried on an extensive business there until he sold to Peregrine Wheeler, about 1803, and he removed to Danby, Vermont. The old house was demolished about 1828 to give place to the house now occupied by Jonas Wheeler.
James Cook established a store quite early in the north part, in the house afterwards occupied by James
166
HISTORY OF THE
Buffum, and removed by Edson Starkey, Esq., to make room for his present residence. This store was well patronized until about 1800. William Cook, the father of James, probably, preceded him in the business.
The first store in the middle of the town was established about 1796, by Jedediah Buffum, with his son William in charge, who became insane about 1805, when the business was continued by Josiah Rawson until 1808, and by Jonathan Rawson, Esq., and Uberto Bowen until Jan. 9, 1853, when the same was burned and has never been rebuilt. For more than fifty years this store was the centre of a large trade, and was always well stocked with desirable goods. The first store was one story, and was enlarged by Rawson, when he built the house adjoining.
The old store on the Crooker place, built by Lemuel Peters about 1795, was by him kept until 1805, when Capt. Benjamin Crooker came in posses- sion, and continued the business in company with Job Bisbee for a short time. Moses Potter afterwards was licensed to sell liquors there.
Nathaniel A. Bowen had a store and was a licensed inn-holder on the Varney Gaskill place. The old house was removed about 1828, and stood on the spot now occupied by Edwin Bolles' house. Bowen car- ried on business here from 1800 to 1815.
Nathan Cass had a store at the Roscoe Weeks place, which he sold to James Ballou, jr., in 1803. Mr. Ballou carried on the business until his death in 1808.
The old corner store, at the Four corners, now occupied by Mr. Norwood, was built by Major Jonas
167
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
Robinson of Fitzwilliam soon after the Ashuelot turnpike was made, about 1815. It has had various owners and occupants since, and for nearly seventy years has been kept open, and has received a liberal amount of patronage. It has been occupied by Job Bisbee, Dr. Parkhurst, N. Naromore, Enos Twitch- ell, Elon Holbrook, Stephen Wheeler, Brown Nourse, Tyler & Bassett, D. & D. Tyler, S. Cook, jr., Bryant & Wright, A. Piper, C. H. Lyon, and Charles Norwood.
Sylvanus Wakefield, in connection with his hotel, built an ell for store purposes in 1817. He remained in the business but two or three years, and the room was unused for the sale of goods until re-opened by Obed E. Adams in 1865.
Henry B. Swan and John Parkhurst, jr., opened a store in 1841, in the building now used for a house by Richard Fisher. The business was discontinued after a trial of four or five years. .
The Union store, at the middle of the town was built in 1855, and was owned by a joint stock com- pany. The business done here, although consider- able, proved in the end disastrous to the stockholders, caused either by mismanagement on the part of the directors, or else by the incompetency of the agents employed. It was closed in 1872.
MILLS AND MILL-OWNERS.
Seventeen saw-mills, on as many different sites, have been built in various parts of the town, pro- pelled by water power, and two the motive power of which was steam. Of the former, five have been demolished ; and of the latter, one has been removed.
168
HISTORY OF THE
Sprague's Mills.
The mills known to the older inhabitants as Sprague's mills, and now owned by Andrew Ama- don, were first built by David Cass about 1765, and by him sold soon after to Azariah Cumstock, and by
the latter conveyed to Obediah Sprague about 1793. These consisted of a saw and grist mill, and until a recent date were the main reliance of the people in the south-west part of the town for their sawing and grinding. The grist-mill is now dispensed with, and the works are used for sawing lumber, staves, etc.
Martin's Mill.
John Martin, sr., as early as 1764 or 1765, built the mills which have been in the family name most of the time since, the same now owned and operated by his great-great-grandson, Leason Martin. Robert Works, an early settler, bought the mills of John Martin in 1784. Darling Sabin had them from 1805 to 1813, when they were bought by Robert Martin.
169
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
These served the town for sawing and grinding more than a century. The grist-mill was removed a few years since to make room for other works. The mills are now used for manufacturing bail-buckets, staves, and lumber.
Wooley's Mill.
Nathan Wooley built a saw-mill on the brook be- low the Sprague's mills very early in the settlement of the town. Tradition says this was the first mill built in town. Some signs of the old mill may still be seen above the bridge on the road to Whipple hill.
John Cass' Mill.
The saw-mill built by Deacon John Cass about 1766 was located on the brook now called the Tilsey, where Holbrook's trip-hammer shop formerly stood, and was removed to make place for the latter. The water-power here has been utilized for the manufac- ture of pails and staves. The works since Hol- brook's ownership have been operated by N. G. Woodbury, J. Nutting, and Naromore & Sons.
Norwood's Mill.
Francis Norwood was the builder of what has gen- erally been known as Thornton's mills. These were sold to Laban Thornton about 1790, and by him run for a number of years ; but after his death they were little used, and finally went to decay. Mr. Augustus Arnold rebuilt the mill about 1848, and sold it to Joseph N. Brown in 1864. The mill is now owned and operated by William C. Putney.
170
HISTORY OF THE
Cook's Mills.
The saw and grist mills at North Richmond were built by William Cook about 1780. The same were repaired by Paine Aldrich in 1830. John M. Sawyer became proprietor in 1833. David B. Aldrich man- ufactured pails here in 1848. Since then the works have been operated by Starkey & Garnsey, Sylvester Aldrich, Elbridge G. Bemis, and others. The grist- mill was removed years ago.
Aldrich Mill.
Ananias Aldrich built the saw-mill in " Activity," which for many years was called the Aldrich mill, and is now owned by David W. Williams.
The Wing Saw-mill.
The first saw-mill on Tully was built by John or Joseph Wing quite early in the history of the town. James Boyce rebuilt the same about 1830, and soon after put in a grist-mill near by, which was run a short time. These became the property of Bowman Howe about 1845, and have recently been owned by Edwin N. Bowen. The mill is now gone.
Bowen's Mill.
Nathan and Richard Bowen built a saw-mill on the Tully, nearly west of their residences, about 1840. This was run by Nathan for the manufacture of chair stuff until about 1870, when the works were removed.
Handy's Mill.
George Handy erected a saw-mill about 1848 on the Tully, above the Howe mill. This mill, in con-
I71
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
junction with a steam mill, was operated by Edwin N. Bowen until the latter was burnt in 1881. The property is now owned by Mr. Young.
F. O. Bowen's Mill.
This saw-mill was built on the Tully by Jacob Whitcomb, jr., in 1848, and by him operated until his death in 1855, and since by the present proprietor, Mr. Bowen.
Harkness' Mill.
The mill now owned by Orrin B. Howe on Fall brook, the outlet of Cass' pond, was built by Dennis Harkness in 1850.
Naromore's Saw-mill.
Nathaniel Naromore, sr., and Dr. Parkhurst built in 1824 a saw-mill on Fall brook, above the location of the Harkness mill. This mill, from want of sufficient power, did but little business, and soon passed away.
Fassett's, now Taylor's, Mill.
On the site of the mill now owned by George H. Taylor was a saw-mill erected in the early time by Samuel Fassett. This was probably one of the first built in town.
Hewes' Mill.
This mill was located on Norwood's brook, above William C. Putney's mills, and was used in the early time for making hoes and scythes.
Allen's Mill.
Lilburn Allen, jr., erected on Boyce brook, about a half mile south-east of the residence of Nathaniel
172
HISTORY OF THE
Hill's, a saw-mill in 1845. This was soon given up for want of power.
The Great Steam Mill.
About 1855 Asa Piper, together with his brother, Porter Piper of Leominster, erected on the Fitzwil- liam road, near the Four corners, a large and sub- stantial steam mill for the manufacture of lumber, pails, staves, and woodenware, including also a grist mill in the same. The works were run by Asa, who became sole proprietor for about ten years, when the business was discontinued, and the building was finally removed to West Swansey in 1882, after re- maining unused about seventeen years.
New Steam Mill.
This mill, built in 1882 by Joseph Abbot, Esq., Leason Martin, and Oliver J. Nutting, for the manu- facture of lumber, pail, and box stuff, is located about one mile east of the Four corners, on the farm recently owned by Henry Rice.
Grist Mills.
In addition to the grist-mills already alluded to, viz., Sprague's, Martin's, Cook's, Boyce's, and Piper's, there were at one time two other small mills on Tully brook, one near the Nathan Cook place, built by David Cobleigh, and the other north of the old turnpike, built by William Hills, and afterwards owned by John Harkness; and also one on Norwood's brook at the old Hewes mill, and one built by Noah Aldrich. These, and one near the Wyman Thayer place, have long since passed away,
173
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
and at the present time there is no grist-mill in the town.
TANNERIES.
The town has had within its limits at least four tanneries. The first two evidently were quite small and were built during the early settlement. One of these was on the Jonathan Gaskill farm, now owned by Jesse Bolles, and the other was owned by Abner or William Cumstock, and was on the place formerly owned by Elisha Brigham, below Sprague's mills. About 1794, William Bassett, sr., put in a yard and built a currying-shop on the old road south of his house leading to the Sweet place. Business was
carried on here about thirty years. Darling Sabin had a yard north of Martin's mills, and Amasa Aldrich also had one near the Nathan Aldrich place. Daniel Bassett and Elisha Harkness, in 1817, built at the Four corners, on the place now owned by Cyrel Amadon, one of the largest tanneries then in the county of Cheshire. This was operated most of the time by Daniel Bassett and his sons until 1852, when the business was finally given up, and the buildings were soon after removed.
MECHANICAL INDUSTRIES.
The town has never presented an inviting field for the manufacturer whose business depended for its success upon permanent water power. The topog- raphy of the town is such, its position so elevated, as to be the source of several small streams, which diverge in different ways, emptying into the Ashuelot and Miller's rivers. These have afforded considerable
174
HISTORY OF THE
power for saw and grist mills, except in the summer season, when most of them failed to furnish a supply for these purposes; hence no factories requiring large and continuous power could herein find suitable sites for their operations, but some of the lesser in- dustries have been carried on with considerable suc- cess. Of these, such as have been connected with working up the timber necessarily takes precedence.
Pine Timber.
The town originally abounded in large quantities of pine timber, and considerable quantities escaped the levelling axe of the first settlers. These were largely cut into boards and carted to Northfield, and from thence floated down the Connecticut. Price about $8 and $10 per 1,000 feet, delivered.
Hard Wood.
The first attack on the hard timber was the split- ting and shaving of chair-posts from beech and maple timber. This industry commenced about sixty years ago. These posts were cut about three feet long and two inches in diameter. The price was about $15 per 1,000 feet, delivered in Gardner.
Shooks.
Red-oak timber was quite abundant formerly. This came into demand about fifty years ago for making shooks, which was a bundle of staves suffi- cent to make a hogshead all dressed and ready to be set up in the West Indies. These, before the ex- tension of railroads in this vicinity, were transported to the Connecticut, and then floated down that stream. The price was $12 per 1,000 for staves.
175
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
Chair Stuff.
Large establishments for the manufacture of chairs created an increased demand for the material for that purpose. It was found profitable after a while to cut up hard-wood timber in the mills here by patterns for chairs. This business was carried on by Nathan and Richard Bowen, Jacob Whitcomb, jr., and others.
Scythe Snaths.
Large quantities of scythe snaths were formerly made here by the Garnseys, William and Cyrus, and by Robert Swan, Nathan Aldrich, Luke Harris, Reuben Bourn, and James Buffum.
Wooden Ware.
Several mills were engaged in making wooden ware, such as clothes-pins, pail and mop handles, bobbins, and various other things.
Pails and Buckets.
The manufacture of pails commenced about 1845. David B. Albrich is believed to have been the first in the field in this enterprise. He carried on the busi- ness at the mills in North Richmond, then called "Guinea", until about 1852, and was succeeded by Edson Starkey and Sanford Garnsey & Co., and they, in turn, by Sylvester Aldrich.
Nathan G. Woodbury, who had bought the Enos Holbrook trip-hammer shop for the purpose of work- ing up sapling pines, erected a pail factory, which he successfully managed for several years, and finally sold the premises to John Nutting, who, with his sons, Oliver P. and John F., continued the business
941
HISTORY OF THE
there until the spring of 1882, when their factory was burned, and they sold to the present owners, N. Naromore & Sons, who now make pail stuff, hoops, and wooden ware.
About 1850 Uberto Bowen and Joseph N. Taft erected a pail-shop on the old Crane place, above the road. They sold to Robert A. and Z. A. Boyce, sons of Robert Boyce, who continued the business a short time. The business has since been given up, and the mill is gone.
OTHER INDUSTRIES.
Scythes and Hoes.
Enos Holbrook was a successful manufacturer of these articles, which had a ready sale in the sur- rounding country. He was engaged in the business from about 1805 to 1830.
Spinning Wheels.
The demand for these was quite large when the country was first settled, as every family had to be provided with these indispensable articles for working wool and flax. Rev. Maturen Ballou and his son David worked at this business, as did some others. Old Paul Jillson and his son Silas also made them.
Chairs.
Old-fashioned kitchen chairs, with basket-stuff bot- toms, were made by Luther Cook and his son Nicholas. Moses Tyler, Esq., also worked at the business a part of the time, as did his son Moses. James Lovett, who resided at North Richmond
177
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
several years, made dining-chairs of a fine pattern and finish, which found a ready sale for furnishing the " square rooms." His shop was over the clothing works. Oliver Perry also was a chair maker.
Hats.
The town was always well supplied with hatters. Considerable quantities of these goods were made here from forty to fifty years ago, and sold to stores in the surrounding country. These were mostly black felt, but fur hats could always be ob- tained on order, and were warranted to fit. The principal ones engaged in this industry were Robert Buffum, Alfred Saben, Isaac Work, Richard Weeks, and Jonathan Pickering.
Furniture.
From the earliest times there were some cabinet- makers who supplied the home demand. Among these was Samuel Hunting, of Revolutionary times, and, later, Samuel Griffith, who worked a while at Levi Wheeler's. The Cooks, Luther and Nicholas, also did something in this line.
Curled Hair.
Hon. Joseph Weeks and his son Roswell prepared for market considerable quantities of curled hair for upholstering purposes.
Lamp-black.
Jacob Sweet at one time made from white-birch bark considerable quantities of lamp-black in a small log-house made for the purpose in the birch woods west of his house.
12
178
HISTORY OF THE
.
Sheep Shearing.
Many of the farmers employed adepts in the art of clipping. Chief among those thus employed, per- haps, may be recorded Mordica Cass, who sheared ninety-nine in one day, and offered a dollar to any person who would furnish another and make in round numbers one hundred.
Wheelwrighting.
Deacon Amos Garnsey is named in the early records as a wheelwright. Later, Liberty Aldrich had a wheelwright shop, the same afterwards used by Ellery K. Aldrich. Also Luther Cook and Moses Tyler worked some at the business. Of late years Harvey Martin has been the principal one engaged in it.
Palm-leaf Hats.
The braiding of palm-leaf hats has probably con- tributed more to the prosperity of the town than any other mechanical industry, with the exception, pos- sibly, of the manufacture of pine lumber. This business has been extensively carried on for more than fifty years. Nearly every family has been more or less engaged in it, and this has been the means of furnishing many a family with their chief means of support. The amount earned in this industry during this period, if the same had been saved and put on interest, would have been sufficient at the present time to more than pay for all the real and personal estate in the town.
Hand- Weaving.
Large quantities of cotton-yarn were woven into cloth in the hand-looms before the power-loom was
179
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
operated. Silas Jillson, Nathaniel Boorn, and others, brought up from Rhode Island the yarn, and put out the weaving about 1820. Many of the women were employed in this industry. It was mostly a blue-and- white check.
Coopering.
About 1830, Stephen Wheeler built a cooper's shop on the corner near Jerry Allen's barn, and made for some years large numbers of fish-barrels. These were made of red oak, and were transported to Bos- ton by Benjamin Kelton and others on enormous racks prepared for the purpose.
Brick-Yards.
The first brick-yard of which we have any account was owned by Grindall Thayer. Most of the brick used in town were from this yard. Those used in building the brick meeting-house were here manufac- tured, as also were those for the old brick school- house at the Four corners, and for the house of Enos Holbrook.
Stephen Buffum, about 1825, made a brick-yard near the middle of the town, just south of the cemetery. The business here was soon given up.
Wool- Carding and Cloth-Dressing Establishments.
The first fulling-mill and cloth-dressing establish- ment appears to have been built by Robert Works, who early became the owner of Martin's mills. This was located above the mills near where the reservoir now is. Joel Abbot was probably the last that operated the works, about 1813. The first mill, on the site of the one now owned by Danford W.
180
HISTORY OF THE
Martin at North Richmond, was evidently built by William or Nicholas Cook about 1780, and was operated by Lowell Clapp about 1815. This was built and used for dressing cloth. Clapp re- mained until 1818, and was succeeded by Alpheus Capron, who died there in 1823. Capron was suc- ceeded by Willard Randall, and he in turn by Oliver Puffer and Martin Sawyer. These latter put in a wool-carding machine. This, however, may not have been the first operated in town. Puffer con- tinued the business until he removed from town. The carding machine was afterwards used by Nelson Thayer. Cloth-dressing was carried on to some ex- tent at an early date by Grindall Thayer. His mill was near the Wyman Thayer place. Robert Swan had a wool-carding machine in the mill west of the old Crane house. This may have been operated previously by Crane.
BLACKSMITHS.
Reuben Parker.
From the first settlement the town was well pro- vided with blacksmiths, much better in fact than in these latter days, when it is difficult to get a horse
I81
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
shod in town. The first shop was evidently on the Thomas Wooley farm, the place now occupied by Andrew Amadon. Reuben Parker, who married a daughter of Mr. Wooley, carried on the business there about seven years, and afterwards continued the business on the hill where he settled, and the same was continued by his sons, Jacob and Samuel.
Azariah Cumstock.
On the place where Mr. Cumstock first settled, near the junction of the old road with the Sprague road, was a blacksmith shop. After his removal to the Obediah Sprague place he probably continued the business. George Harkness occupied the old shop about 1810.
Francis Norwood.
For the accommodation of the west part, Francis Norwood had a shop, where he continued the busi- ness for twenty years or more. This was near the big rock, on the road to Winchester.
Daniel Cass.
Mr. Cass, who probably was not a blacksmith, evidently had a shop, and the business after his re- moval was carried on by Jazaniah Barrett, his suc- cessor, and continued there a while by Peregrine Wheeler.
James Kingsley.
James Kingsley, who was the first on the farm known as the Benjamin Man place, was a blacksmith. This place was on a travelled way before the building of the Ashuelot turnpike.
182
HISTORY OF THE
Aaron Cumstock.
Mr. Cumstock, who was an early settler on the south part of the Henry Rice place, had a shop near the old house spot. He remained there but a few years, and the business was then discontinued.
Levi Aldrich.
Levi Aldrich was a blacksmith, and had a shop on his place which was a great convenience to the people in the north part. He had in connection with the shop a trip-hammer and a small foundry. His son Noah afterwards carried on the business there.
Ebenezer Cole.
Near the town pound was formerly a blacksmith shop, built by Mr. Cole about 1766. He continued in the business until about 1777. Captain Bryant, and perhaps some others, worked there afterwards.
Royal Ormsby.
Royal Ormsby had a blacksmith shop near the brook north of Leason Martin's. It was given up about 1813.
Foel Cass.
Joel Cass, son of Deacon John Cass, had a black- smith shop on the road westof the old tavern. It was ยท given up about 1800.
Chandler Bryant.
Chandler Bryant was a blacksmith, and had a shop on the Rufus Whipple place.
Ferahmeel Allen.
Mr. Allen had a shop near his house, on the north side of the old turnpike, and did considerable busi- ness there until a shop was built at the Four corners.
183
TOWN OF RICHMOND.
George Harkness.
George Harkness first carried on the business at the old Azariah Cumstock shop. He removed to the Four corners about 1814, and there built a shop nearly opposite the residence of Mr. Southwick. From thence he removed to the old Jos. Wing place, and again he moved to the John Pickering place, and in each of these places he built a shop, but in none was the business continued after he left, except at the Four corners. Nathan Newell of Troy succeded him at the latter place, and continued there until about 1834 ; and he, in turn, was succeeded by Abial L. Smith and Charles Roper. Willard Ran- dall engaged in the business in 1838, and has con- tinued there until the present time. He built a new shop some years ago a few rods west of the old loca- tion.
Jedediah and Esek Buffum.
Jedediah Buffum was a blacksmith, and had a shop by the side of the road east of his house. His son Esek also carried on the business when he lived on the Corey place. He continued the business at the old shop after his return to the old homestead about 1808.
Henry Ballou, Sr.
Henry Ballou, sr., was a blacksmith, and had a shop when he lived on the place now owned by Mrs. James A. Mellen; also, a shop on the Jonathan Sweet place, where he lived at the time of his decease.
William Hunt.
William Hunt carried on blacksmithing in a shop near where Calvin Martin now lives.
184
HISTORY OF THE
Alvah Keyes.
Alvah Keyes had a shop at the middle of the town. It stood where Julius M. Whipple's barn now is.
Amos W. Newell.
Amos W. Newell continued business in the Keyes shop, but finally built a new shop on the common east of the old Baptist church.
Amos G. Bennett.
Amos G. Bennett built a new blacksmith shop on the Pickering place, near the Four corners, about 1855. This has been occupied by various parties since Mr. Bennett removed to Swansey.
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.