USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Rochester > History of the town of Rochester, New Hampshire, from 1722 to 1890, Vol. I > Part 13
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and gloomy, as the record attests. His Excellency Gov. Went- worth, to manifest his sympathy and benevolence, made the town a present of nine pounds, for which they passed a vote of thanks. The heavy tax for new roads continued for many years. When absent from home, at work on the road, the men often camped out for days or weeks together, and at inclement seasons of the year. For shelter at night, they built a hut of poles or bark with one side open to the air. Wrapping themselves in blankets, lying with their feet towards a large fire in the center of the hut, they rested comfortably and rose refreshed for their day's labor. The roads were of a very primitive order. Little more was done than to cut away the trees and bushes close to the ground, and build rough bridges where streams could not be forded. The food of the workmen was salted pork and beef with Indian corn bread, and their drink largely spirit. It was their custom to invite
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passing travelers to drink, expecting some gratuity in return. Alcoholic drinks were then freely used, especially upon such occa- sions as funerals, weddings, huskings, raisings, and trials at court. Watering the jury was well understood by those who had much law business. The farmers early planted orchards, and the apples were largely made into cider which became their common bever- age. While the men engaged in these outdoor labors, the women spun and wove the flax or wool, and attended to the clothing of the family.
In addition to the afflictions of the husbandman already enumer- ated, wild animals were numerous for many years, and often pillaged his crops and robbed his sheep-fold. They sometimes ventured into the most thickly settled parts of the town. Mr. Main once discovered near his dwelling a very large black bear, which was killed and brought in by the assistance of his neigh- bors. To check the depredations of these animals a bounty of ten shillings was voted in 1751, to any inhabitant of the town who should kill a grown bear or wolf, within the bounds of the town, to be paid upon his producing the head of the animal with both ears on. During the first year, bounties were paid, under this vote, for " bar's heads " to John Place, Daniel Wingate, Matthew Macafee, Charles Rogers, John Mialles, and Samuel Wingate. Other bears were killed in years following, and within a short period bounties were paid for five or more wolves. Besides the town bounty, the Provincial Assembly allowed a discount upon the Province tax to every person who killed one of these animals. Bears were especially destructive to crops of Indian corn. Their mode of operation was to station themselves between two rows, and with their paws break down the stalks of four contiguous hills, so that the ears might lie near together. then having devoured them pass on. Thus, in an incredibly short time, they would lay waste a whole field of this valuable grain. They were sometimes killed by placing loaded guns with lines extending across the field so that a bear striking against one of them would discharge a gun and shoot himself. Oftener they were caught in log traps. Wolves made great havoc among sheep, and were common in New Hampshire long after this period. They were taken in various ways; sometimes by log traps, sometimes by binding fish-hooks together dipping them into melted tallow till a ball was formed
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as large as an egg. These balls being scattered near some carcass were readily devoured by the animals.
Plenty of deer tested the skill of the hunter. From 1758 to 1764, at the annual meetings for election of town officers, two or more persons were regularly chosen "to search out who kills deer contrary to law." A law of the Province prohibited the killing of these animals at certain seasons of the year, yet deer were so much sought after, that it was necessary to adopt strin- gent means to check their wanton destruction. Ichabod Corson and William McDuffee constituted this committee for five years. Rattlesnakes abounded. It is recorded that a number of people went to mow a meadow in Rochester, but found it so full of these venomous reptiles, that they set fire to the grass and quit the place.
Coming down to a later period, let us picture to ourselves the Rochester of seventy-five years ago. Seventy-five years! How long, - how short the time! How long when we think of two generations passed away ! How long when we think of the changes which have taken place within that period! And yet how short ! How short even the whole period of our town existence! How few the years since our beautiful village was but a wilderness untracked save by the Indian and the bear ! Only last Christmas,* was buried in the eastern part of the town, Mrs. Dorothy Tebbetts aged 101 years, who though she was born and passed her life in Rochester yet was for ten years a subject of Great Britain. The years of her life ran back beyond the Revolution, to within thirty years of the formation of the first church and the settlement of the first minister, - to within thirteen years of the first school, - to within twenty years of the horrible massacres here perpetrated by the Indians, - back to within thirty-seven years of that winter when the ringing of the white man's ax was first heard in our forest. Thus one human life has embraced almost the whole period of our existence as a town. Returning to the picture of our village at that time, -let us banish our large woolen and shoe factories from every part of the town, -our railroads, our banks, our printing-offices, our post-offices, our daily mails, our newspapers. The people with few exceptions are farmers. These exceptions are a minister to attend the wounded in spirit, a phy-
* December, 1866.
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sician to attend the wounded in body, and a lawyer to attend those wounded in property or personal rights. In the days of which we are speaking, Rochester was no insignificant town. With the exception of Portsmouth its population exceeded that of any town in the State. A few years later, after losing two thirds its territory to Farmington and Milton, its population was about the same as that of Dover, and still maintained its rank as one of the principal towns. The village of "Norway Plains," or " the city" as it was respectfully called by the rural people, con- tained eighteen or twenty houses, and soon after this at least, could boast of the only brick building in the county, -an object of fame and curiosity to the people many miles distant. At a later period, children were allowed to believe that the houses in "the city " of Rochester were so near together that a man might walk from roof to roof. A view of the appearance and business of our village as it then was, may not be uninteresting. On the next page is presented a rough sketch of its buildings and streets as they were about 1788. Though not a perfect map it may aid in forming an idea of the appearance of the village at that time. The bounds and courses of the streets and mill-common are accord- ing to a survey of the Selectmen in 1785. The location and de- scription of the buildings are mostly from a memorandum made by Joseph Hanson, who moved into town in 1788, and made this record for the information of those who might be interested in such matters after he was dead. There were then twenty buildings in the village, including two or three unfinished dwellings, a log house, a clothing-house or fulling-mill, a blacksmith's shop, an inn, and the meeting-house. Most of the buildings were small one-story houses. Of these buildings there now remain, the Moses Hurd house, the Knight house, the Jabez Dame house, and the Harford house, besides two or three others that have received additions and alterations so as to be hardly recognized. The Harford house then stood where Feineman's store now is, and the following incident is told of its removal : As a defaulting Collector, Paul Harford had caused the town great trouble. When he moved this building, he left it in the road near its present location, and arming himself and barricading the building swore he would never move it out of the street. The militia was called out under Gen. Furber, but Harford had provided himself with tubs of hot water,
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Dame & MeDuffee's Frame.
COVE
BRIDGE
Josiah, Folsom's House.
Peter Cushing's House
Cloth Mill.
RIVER
MILL COMMON.
Old Log House.
Josiah Wentworth's House.
Paul Harford s House
- B Rollins's House
Small House where the Hale Garden is .. ..
House where Hayes's Block now stands
Morris Ellis's House.
Cole House.
Mary Place's House
Hatevil Knight's House.
Tristram Heard's House Frame.
4
Horse Shed.
Meeting House.
Goodwin House.
TEWK" N.H ENG CO
J. Cross.
NORWAY PLAINS, 1788.
Josiah Wentworth's Blacksmith Shop.
A Small House.
--
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LIFE OF EARLY SETTLERS.
with which he kept them at respectful distance till it was all spent, when he was compelled to surrender. In the town account for 1789, we find this item : - "Paid Capt. Storer for rum when Harford was put out of his house £1-1-0."
The log house was where is now the corner of Market and Bridge streets, and served as a connecting link between two periods of our history. It stood as a memorial of the hardships of an earlier generation, while in strong contrast, marking a great ad- vance in comfort and luxury, could be seen the Knight house, the building of which had just commenced. The clothing-house, where the Norway Plains Upper Mill now is, represented the manufactures of the town; while the meeting-house and the inn at the lower end of the village direct our thoughts to the morals and social customs of their day. The log house was, of course, the earliest style of architecture. After the erection of saw-mills, these gradually gave way to a more finished and comfortable structure, - a one-story low-posted house, containing but few rooms and those small. Before the Revolution a two-story house came into fashion with a double or gambrel roof, like the Louis Mc- Duffee house, and the Ephraim Whitehouse house on the Neck road. Still later appeared hip-roofed dwellings like the Dennett Cottage roofs, piazzas, brackets, etc., distin- and Kenney houses. guish the latest style. Thus with a little attention any one can determine with tolerable accuracy the period to which each house belongs. An aged citizen says that the first paint he ever saw upon a house was a gaily colored red and white door in Josiah Folsom's house, and the first green blinds were on the Joseph Otis house or some house near by.
The raising of a house frame was in those days an event of general interest and excitement. As soon as the ridgepole was fairly in its place, it was customary to celebrate the completion of the job by a " christening." A bottle of rum was dashed upon the ridgepole, a name given to the frame, and sometimes a few verses of doggerel repeated. This frequently fell to a droll and original character named Thomas Hanscom. The last celebration of this sort, of which we have any account, was at the raising of the Methodist meeting-house. This house was built near the spot where David Barker's house was burned. Only one stanza of Hanscom's poetry on the occasion is preserved.
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" The flames were sent by Heaven's command To purify this promised land ; Near where the traveler found a bed This lofty building rears its head."
At the raising of the Woodman mansion, now known as Man- sion House, April 20, 1799, Hanscom read the following verses : -
. "On the twentieth of April, in the year '99 Our frame we got up in a suitable time. It's a very fine frame, the flower of the Plain, The timber substantial and strong; The stories are high, it is forty feet wide, And forty-four feet it is long.
Not a long time ago this timber stood in trees, But the workmen have tried the owner to please,
Got it up at the time without any neglect, And we hope it will suit in every respect. As for the owner with his loving mate, We hope they 'll live long at a plentiful rate. Their frame of itself is a picture to see ; When fixed and moved in it, happy may they be. As they are about their native place to forsake, May they have cause to rejoice in the bargain they make. With good neighbors united happy days may they see, And long live together in prosperity.
So, long may they live, happy may they die, With every good thing may they always comply; Many years may they live to enjoy their cage, And to heaven may they go in an honest old age. The 'Flower of the Plain' is the name of the frame,
We've had exceeding good luck in raising the same ; May God direct and instruct us in all that is right ; It's the last day of the week, and late at night."
Another illustration of this custom occurred about 1812. Nehe- miah Eastman had sold the March house to Josiah Edgerly. As Edgerly proposed to move the house whole, Eastman found that it must be moved through his garden (the thought of which he could not endure), or the front poplar trees which he highly prized must be cut down, or his shed must be torn away. He tried to buy back the house, but in vain. Of the three evils he chose that which seemed the least, and decided to tear down the shed. When the new house was framed, Ned Chamberline, the poet of the neighborhood, was called upon for the christening ceremony. But Ned unfortunately was drunk. He was brought up, however, and being allowed to support himself over a brace, began as follows : -
" As for Nehemiah, he is both lawyer and a squire, But the moving of his house he did dread, And, without any discretion, he fell into a passion, And swore he would tear down his shed."
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LIFE OF EARLY SETTLERS.
At this stage of the proceedings, Eastman made his appearance with a green hide in his hand, and quickly put to rout the drunken poet, and ended the ceremony. It is said that this was the first house built in this part of the country without being named.
It was the ancient custom to build houses on a north and south line, which accounts for the fact that so many of the old dwellings stand corner to the road. This custom had a sensible reason in the daily convenience of the inmates. Clocks then being too ex- pensive for general use, the house was thus made the timekeeper. Its shadow told the hour of noon, and thus the good housewife knew when to get her dinner, and when to sound the horn to call the hands from the field. Clocks were probably introduced about the time of the Revolution. They were the old-fashioned English brass clocks extending from floor to ceiling, usually occu- pying one corner of the room, whence the broad white face with its long pointers looked gravely down, and the slow and measured tick admonished the family that their lives were constantly jogging away. Few families could afford them for they were very costly. Afterwards came a cheaper clock of wood, sold for about $20. Agents went from house to house insisting on putting them up on trial till they came again, and when they returned were willing to take almost anything in payment, and often took the cattle from the barns. In this manner they were generally introduced and were soon considered indispensable. In 1807 Edward S. Moulton commenced the manufacture of clocks here. After some years he was succeeded by one of his apprentices, James C. Cole. The clocks were of brass after the English pattern. Mr. Cole carried on an extensive business cutting the wheels with steel dies. He employed several journeymen and apprentices, and a cabinet-maker to prepare the cases. These clocks were carried far into the country for sale, and attained a wide reputation. It is not un- common, even in towns far back from Rochester, to find at this day, these old time-pieces bearing Mr. Cole's name.
In these early times there was no post-office and no mail. But few newspapers found their way into the town. On March 4, 1768, the following advertisement appeared in the "New Hamp- shire Gazette," printed at Portsmouth : -
"WANTED, an honest, sober man who is able to keep two good Horses to ride as Post or Carrier through the towns of Kittery, Berwick, Somersworth,
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Rochester, &c., to begin the first of April. Any Person inclining to undertake this business is desired to apply immediately to the Printers hereof and they will no doubt meet with Encouragement to their Satisfaction, as a great Num- ber of People in the above said Towns are very desirous of having the News Papers in case some Suitable Person constantly rides."
Before the close of the month it was announced that a post-rider would immediately begin to ride through these towns, by whom all persons might be supplied with the " New Hampshire Gazette," etc., etc., for nine shillings lawful money per annum, carriage in- eluded, and all who inclined to encourage so useful a person as a post-rider were desired to give in their names at the printing- office. We can easily imagine the appearance of the post-rider passing from town to town and from inn to inn with his bag of "Gazettes " strapped behind him. The poet has already made us familiar with his description : -
" He comes, the herald of a noisy world, With spattered boots, strapped waist, and frozen locks, News from all nations lumbering at his back. True to his charge, the close-packed load behind, Yet careless what he brings, his one concern Is to conduct it to the destined Inn, And having dropped the expected bag, pass on. He whistles as he goes, light-hearted wretch, Cold and yet cheerful."
In 1792 Josiah Paine advertised to ride Post from the printing- office in Dover through Rochester, Wakefield, Wolfeborough, Mid- dleton, New Durham, and The Gore to Gilmanton, and back through Barnstead, Barrington, Northwood, Lee, and Durham, once a week.
A post-office was established in Rochester March 26, 1812; William Barker, innkeeper, being the first postmaster. The revenue of the office for the first three months was $5.07; for the next six months $7.99, making an average for the first nine months of not quite a dollar and a half a month. In 1826 the receipts for one quarter were but $25.76, and the postmaster's commission was only $8.51}; yet at this time there were sixty dwellings in the village, a cotton factory with four carding-ma- chines doing a large business in dressing country cloth, a scythe factory with a trip-hammer, besides two potteries and several stores; and the town was one of the county seats where the Court of Common Pleas held regular sessions. The annual rev-
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enue of the office is now (1867) $1,225; there being also two other post-offices in town. Still the whistling post-boy continued his rides, and as he entered our village near the common, he com- menced to blow lustily his tin horn to announce to all the people the safe arrival of the latest news foreign and domestic. Many now living remember him. As late even as 1822, there was no stage except the mail-carrier above described, -then Robert Clark, familiarly called duck-legs, rode the following circuit : - starting from Plymouth on horseback, Sunday evening or Monday morn- ing, he passed through Center Harbor, Sandwich, Wolfeborough, Middleton, Farmington, Rochester, Dover, to Portsmouth, thence returning to Rochester, he took a different route through Milton, Wakefield, Ossipee, Tamworth, Conway, to Plymouth, where he arrived in season to commence the same circuit the following week. In 1825 a two-horse stage was started running twice a week each way between Dover and Wakefield. The business men of Roch- ester, Moses Hale, J. H. Woodman, and the Barkers, were con- cerned in this enterprise. Failing of success the owners, after a year or two, persuaded Jonathan T. Dodge, who as a stable-boy had saved a small sum of money, to buy out the line. In 1829 we find him with a partner advertising in the "Dover Gazette" a stage from Dover to Conway, three days each week, returning alternate days; and promising as attractions of the route "a view of the sublime and interesting scenery of the White Mountains" and also of " the lead mines of Eaton." Mr. Dodge was engaged in this business most of the time till the opening of the railroads. At the latter part of this period, he had seventy-seven horses and was running four and six horse coaches daily each way between Dover and Ossipee. The stage business had become immense, - "the great thoroughfares" of travel from northern New Hamp- shire converging to this village as a focus, - and when the heavily loaded six-horse coaches arrived from Wakefield, and from Con- way, and from Wolfeborough, and from Sandwich, with others less grand from Farmington, and from Gilmanton, our village presented a lively, business-like appearance. With the completion of the railroads to the towns above Rochester, these lively scenes passed away to return no more.
The transportation of heavy merchandise through this town was carried on to an extent almost incredible. These streets were
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then alive every winter from December to March with long pro- cessions of single and double pungs and sleighs, from carly morn till late at night. Like caravans in length, an unbroken line could frequently be seen from half a mile to more than a mile in extent. They brought produce from Vermont and even from Canada across the frozen Winnepisseogee, and passed on through Rochester to Dover and Portsmouth. There they exchanged their hogs, butter, and cheese, for iron, salt, rum, and molasses, and then made their toilsome journey back. The building of the Concord and Montreal Railroad and the roads through Maine, has diverted all this business into other channels. But these are events of comparatively modern date, within the memory of many people by no means old. Returning to the times of 1785 let us- look within the dwellings. The work of the men was mostly out of doors. The women prepared food and clothing for the family. Cotton was bought unginned and the seeds were picked out by hand, after which it was washed and spun and used with flax in making shirts and summer clothing. The cultivation of flax and the manufacture of linen were universal. It is doubted if a bushel of flaxseed has been raised in town for many years ; yet some of our older traders can remember when the chambers of their stores were filled with it, and hundreds of bushels were annually bought and sold. Every farmer set apart a portion of his land for flax. It was an indispensable crop, and the manufacture of oil from the seed became a profitable business. It was carried on for many years at Gonic by William Currier, and after him by N. V. Whitehouse. The flax was carefully pulled up by the roots and stacked in the field till thoroughly dry, when the seed was thrashed out. It was then soaked in water several days and spread on the ground to be rotted, frosty nights helping to whiten it. After a suitable time it was stowed away till spring, when it was brought out to be dressed by use of the brake, the hatchel, and the swingle. By this means the flax was thoroughly bruised without cutting, and the tow and coarse woody parts separated from the finer fibers of true linen. It was then combed to complete the separ- ation and was ready for the wives and daughters to spin and weave into garments. Woolen garments also were made at home. The wool was carded into rolls by hand. The first carding- machine was introduced by Eliphalet Horne in 1811. It caused
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much excitement, and set the old people to shaking their heads and asking what the girls would have to do now. The business now carried on by our great factories was then all performed in the hundreds of homes through the town. Manufacturing in all its different stages, from the wool on the back of the sheep, and the flax waving in the field, was conducted at home. There were made all their garments, not only for every-day wear, but the go-to-meeting dresses of the women, and the breeches for the men, even the suits that the minister wore into the pulpit, and Mr. Upham to Congress. Every house had cards and great wheel and little wheel, reel and swifts and dye-tub in the kitchen, and scarn, warping-bars, and loom in chamber or garret, and the women all understood the art of making cloth.
At a later period, the cloth woven by the women was carried to the village, and colored and finished at Dame & McDuffee's fulling-mill, where a large business was carried on, a number of apprentices and journeymen being constantly employed. Home- made cloth became a staple article of trade at the stores, and rolls of cloth finished here often found their way back many miles into the country. Dame was a popular man. So when the winter teams came down to break out the roads from Chestnut Hills, the hands would strike into the growth then standing just at the upper end of the village, and with their axes quickly load the sleds with logs which they took to Dame's mill, who in payment took the boys to the store and gave them what rum they could drink. Thus by exchange of fuel his fires and their fires were both well supplied.
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