USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Stratford > History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925 > Part 10
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"Petition of Nathan Barlow, formerly Lieut. Col. of Militia in New Hampshire was with father (Joseph Barlow) in Stratford at commencement of Revolutionary War. He entered the frontier service under Col., afterwards Gen. Bailey, as volunteer, then received commission as ensign from Pres. Mesech Weare, and served the remainder of the war as a subaltern officer. Although appointed to join- the main army, he with the aforesaid Col. Bailey, was directed by Gen. Geo. Washington to remain in command of that frontier as being a good woodsman and acquainted with that section of the country, to prevent incursions of the Indians." Later Barlow was appointed Captain Major and Lieut. Col. commandant of the 2nd Regiment of New Hamp- shire.
Beside the Stratford men already mentioned as doing military service must be mentioned: Elijah Hinman, David and Richard Holbrook. Elias and David Chamberlin, and David Rich were also private soldiers in Captain Ebenezer Green's company of Col- onel Bedel's regiment in 1776. Josiah and Thomas Blogget and Nathan Barlow were in Whitcomb's Rangers in 1777. Nathan Caswell was in Captain Young's company in Bedel's regiment;
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and James Lucas, also credited to Stratford, is on the same roll. Isaac Stevens had this record on the original muster roll:
1775 served from June 23 to Dec. 31-6 mos. 9 days in Capt. and Col. Bedel's Rangers. 1775 Dec. 31 to last of may 1776, 5 mos. in Capt. Charles Nelson's Co. in first place & afterwards in Capt. D. Wilkins Col. of Col. Bedel's Regt. 1778 from Dec. 15, 1777 to last March 1778 one month or more as Corporal in Capt. Sam'l Young's Co. Col. Bedel's Regt.
Haines French of Maidstone, belonging to a family which after- wards became prominent in Stratford, was one of Captain Eames' scouts, and in 1776 enlisted with Major Whitcomb's Rangers, serving until December 1779. The pay which Captain Eames' scouts received was : captain, £6 per month ; sergeant, 48 shillings; private, 40 shillings.
Following is a copy of the record of William Curtis, which is given in full because of the interesting data it furnishes:
WILLIAM CURTIS' WAR RECORD, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
William Curtis was born July 17, 1758, at Stratford, Conn. While a resident of Stratford, Coös County, New Hampshire, he enlisted, July 15, 1775, as a private in Capt. John Parker's Co., Col. Timothy Bedel's Regt., and was at the seige of St. Johns and was discharged Dec. 16, 1775.
He enlisted at Stratford, Conn., in 1776, and served as a private for three months in Capt. Geo. Benjamin's Con- necticut Company.
He enlisted in July, 1776, and served as a private for about six months in Capt. Jeremiah Eames' New Hampshire Company.
He enlisted in April, 1777, in Capt. Coe's Company, Col. Whiting's Connecticut Regiment, and was wounded in the thigh at the battle of Ridgefield.
He enlisted at Stratford, Conn., in Dec. 1777, and served about three months as a private in Capt. Elnathan Nichol's Connecticut Company of Light Dragoons.
He was called out at various times in 1779 when the British landed at Bedford, New Haven, Fairfield, and Norwalk.
He enlisted in Feb. 1780, and served as a private about nine months in Capt. Hoogland's Company, Col. Sheldon's Continental Regiment of Light Dragoons.
He enlisted in March, 1781, and served about ten months as a private under Lieut. Phelps in the Dragoons, Gen. Waterbury's Brigade on guard at Horseneck.
He was allowed pension from March 4, 1800, and died January 1, 184I.
CHAPTER VII
AFTER THE REVOLUTION
We have learned from the various State Papers of the general destitute condition of the Stratford pioneers at the close of the Revolutionary War; but they evidently did not consider these privations a sufficient reason for abandoning their hardly won acres, nor for leaving the little homes they had so zealously de- fended. The pioneer spirit was theirs. Some one has said, "Neither Indians nor hardships have ever stayed the onward march of white men who were land hungry."
The town had been incorporated (16 November, 1779) by the state, itself disorganized. The proprietors, directly interested in the little colony, began to hold their meetings, and in September, 1784, we find that a very important one was held at the home of John Holbrook in Stratford, where much business was transacted towards the development of the town. This comprised the lay- ing out of roads, the division of lands, the assessment of taxes, and "the laying out of three lots of 300 acres each for the public uses, viz. : one for the first settled minister in the town of Stratford, one as a parsonage for the benefit of the ministry, one for the benefit of a school in said town as near the town platt as the quality of the land will admit." They also voted to send to Connecticut for the Proprietors' Book.
We find in the next records that the book has been brought, and a committee was chosen to buy a new book, and a sum voted "To defray charges of transcribing the records lately brought from Connecticut according to the law of the State." [This book was in existence during Mr. Prescott's preparation of his history, but cannot now be located .- ED.]
Another item reads, "To see if the Proprietors will raise a Sum of Money to Defray the charges of the late war;" and we find that they voted to raise £315/16/9.
The records for the next years are matters of land divisions, new pitches, taxes to be assessed and collected, grants and ad- justments of mill privileges.
Several new names now appear in the town records: Baldwin, Fuller, Gamsby, Hinman, Strong, Webster. These are signed to
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a petition in 1791, asking that the town, with others in the Upper Coös, may be set off in a new county.
Very brief are the records of the first twenty-five years of Stratford's history, and we must depend upon family traditions for their story. In the Baldwin family we know that the journey from Newtown, Conn., in March, 1788, took three weeks to ac- complish, and four oxen and two horses were required to move the family; that a little three-year-old girl was so homesick she started back home. We have heard of the forlorn aspect of the new home that greeted them, the walls and floor of the little cabin wet and stained with the snows of March, and the courage and cheer of that great-grandmother, Judith Baldwin (of whom her descendants are so proud), as she bustled about, spreading her white cloth for the food she had prepared, tying a white apron over the soiled dress of her daughter-in-law, and bringing to her tired, homesick children the dainty touches of refined living to which they were used in the old home. She lived to the good old age of ninety years, and her home was always one of refinement and hospitality.
Those who belong to the first families who came about that time to Stratford could probably repeat similar stories of the journeys of their ancestors here.
By 1800 we find Platt, Blake, Schoff, French, Merriam, Mar- shall, Burnside, and Day. Isaac Johnson, who had been here in 1772 and 1773, returned after the war, bringing his family with him. Some of these settled first in Northumberland and Bruns- wick, but rivers and town lines are arbitrary boundaries, and it is almost impossible strictly to separate this little group of settlers who gathered in this section of the valley, and who did not always decide at first upon their permanent location.
TRAVEL IN EARLY DAYS
The difficulties of travel in the pioneer days were great. Some idea of the task may be gathered from this account, taken from the History of Coos, describing the passage of "Fifteen-Mile Falls," that formidable stretch of river beginning at Dalton and extending twenty miles, which marked the boundary between the Upper and the Lower Coös:
Taking the fifteen-mile falls, now known to be twenty miles, with a fall of three hundred feet, we can imagine the
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difficulty of passing over these rapids, especially in the winter, with sleighs or ox teams frequently falling through the ice. High water for ascending and low water for descend- ing was considered best, the boats being let down by ropes and steered by poles from rock to rock by one person in the bow and one in the stern to steer. In this way the wife of David Page was carried down the river to friends below, when she was aged and infirm.
When our first settlers came here there was no road this side of Haverhill, and untilafter the Revolutionary War there was no road this side of Lancaster, except for persons on foot and for horses and drays. The dray consisted simply of two poles sufficiently long for runners and thills, and a board fastened across the runners. A journey from Connecticut then would be equal to a trip to Europe and back now. In 1782 the proprietors of Dalton offered two 160-acre lots to the person who would build a road from Haverhill to Lancaster sufficient for a one-horse wagon and two persons. Moses Blake of Dalton undertook the job, and in time cut away the trees and made the road. When Mr. Prescott first came to Stratford, in 1855, persons were then living who had made the long journey from Connecticut on horse- back.
The following sketch, taken from "Dorothea," written by Mrs. Marcus D. Johnson, and published by her son, Charles D. Johnson, in the Coös County Democrat, of which he was editor and publisher, give a vivid idea of travel in those days. This lady, who was Mrs. Dorothea Imeson, and grandmother of Mrs. John- son, had spent the period of the war in Canada, having accom- panied an uncle, who, being a Tory, had left Boston with the English. During this time her father, John Gamsby, who had remained in the vicinity of Boston, had come to Stratford with his family, and had built the first mill in town, on the site of what has been known for years as "the Ockington mill." After the close of the war she had sailed from Halifax to Boston, for the purpose of visiting her father's family. Arriving there she learned for the first time that the family had moved to northern New Hampshire. In the course of weeks a letter had come to them there informing them of the arrival of the daughter and sister in Massachusetts. Some weeks after, her brother, John Gamsby, accompanied by Mr. Hyde of Maidstone and Mr. Rich of Northumberland, had gone to
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Boston to bring her to the Upper Coös. Her interesting narrative is as follows:
Our travelling carriage was a long, strong lumber wagon, capable of holding up a ton or two. A shelter in front was made of stout sheeting, while the rear of the wagon was loaded with barrels and bags filled with a medley of things needed in the new settlement, and a box of provisions for use on the road, and on the top, a hammock for Margaret strung up among various articles of furniture, and all covered with canvas to exclude the rain. This Noah's ark was drawn by two stout horses, one a new one bought by Mr. Rich to make our progress surer, for he had declared the young lady and baby should "go through slick as a new- licked mouse," and come out better than they started.
Our first day was fine, and the view of the beautiful resi- dences, cultivated gardens and fields was a source of pleasure. The next day was rainy and dull, and, tired and chilled, we put up at a farmhouse and were made comfortable. The road, which had been good so far, now began to be rough; but after striking the Connecticut River by the route over which we have followed Capt. Powers and his men, we found good farms and less frequent and long stretches of woods, although often very hard, bad roads occurred, and each day became more dull and tiresome.
At Lancaster we were compelled to leave our wagons, for now there was absolutely no road that we could get over, and we were to be guided by blazed trees along a slight track made by the feet of men and beasts. I must ride on horse- back behind one of my companions and another must carry the child. Mr. Hyde said his horse was very gentle and used to carrying two, so he fixed his already heavy load in a shape to make me a comfortable seat behind him. John had a kind of drag made of two poles attached to the harness of one horse like shafts, the largest ends resting on the ground, and the ends kept in place by braces. Posts driven into these prevented the load from sliding off. On this primitive contrivance he lashed such a load as one horse seldom draws, and on the other horse as much as he could carry. It was a comical looking conveyance, and tipped about over stones and hillocks without restraint. We had about fifteen miles to ride, but it was a bright June day. Lancaster was a small hamlet of log cabins. I found my seat on the rump of Hyde's horse very precarious, and held to him with both hands when I should have held by the crupper. Rich carried Margaret before him. Our way led through interminable forests, which usually shut out the grand moun- tains on our right and the river on our left. The birds sang
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and breezes played in the lofty tree tops above us, and flowers bloomed on every side. They pointed out one mountain which they said was called Cape Horn by the settlers, while to the northeast were Stratford Peaks. Then came the Ammonoosuc, a wild mountain stream, but the largest we had met today, and that must be forded. The hind part of John's drag was raised to the shoulders of another horse, and we passed safely across. . We encountered Bog Brook next, but here we found a bridge and another hamlet of log cabins, and this I was told was home.
This was at the Ockington place, and the road ran past here and over the hill near to the James Curtis place, and the spot where the first church stood.
Of mail facilities the same writer says, a year or two later, "The road had been so much improved that a man on horseback, with a tin horn hung on one of his buttons, came through from Haver- hill bearing the mail and dispatches to such as would pay for them, and talking much news that never was printed. A blast or toot of his horn called out every member of every hamlet or village he passed through." With no road above "Number Four" we can hardly realize what it meant, in 1772 or 1773, to make a trip of be- tween two and three hundred miles from Long Island Sound to Upper Coös. We must remember that it involved the taking of utensils for housekeeping, clothing, provisions, cattle, horses, indeed everything necessary for life; for their destination was without even homes; it was the unbroken wilderness. After weeks of wilderness and weariness no homes or comfort awaited them; trees must be felled and log cabins erected. Heroic souls they were, especially when wives and children accompanied them.
As every pound of weight had to be carefully considered, the significance of what these settlers brought with them should be noticed. We are not surprised to find that James Brown was a leader in the religious life of the town when we know that he brought in his saddle-bags a religious commentary. These books show the character and intelligence of these pioneers, and we can under- stand how they were able to bequeath to later generations an in- tellectual and moral fibre that has manifested itself in the men and women who have contributed so much to the life of Stratford.
STRATFORD'S CITY
It will be remembered that one of the requirements of Strat- ford's charter was that a "Town Platt" was to be laid out in the
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center of the town. Stratford was but three years old when the proprietors proceeded to carry out this injunction. In May, 1776, it was voted "that James Brown, James Curtis, John Hol- brook, Joseph Barlow, Abel Hull, Josiah Walker, Archippus Blodgett, be a committee to survey and lay out a Town Plot upon the hill called Meeting House Hill in proper & convenient lots to each Proprietor, with necessary highways, reserving a con- venient and spacious parade not less than six acres in extent." This work was done and a report made November 20, 1780, by Archippus Blodgett and James Curtis for the committee. The plan contained 184 acres, and was one mile in length. The end lines ran north 67° west, and south 67º east, 100 rods. A broad street ran through the middle, and was eight rods wide. The other streets were four rods in width. Each lot contained two acres and forty rods. The parade was laid out on the hill back of the present Curtis place, and was the site of the first meeting- house. The parade and streets occupied thirty-six acres. After such elaborate preparations nothing was ever done to create or build a village. Mr. Prescott says:
Stratford's city was upon paper. This city is not excelled by even Philadelphia in the regularity of its streets. They are like lines on a chess board, crossing each other at right angles. A parade ground of six acres, with public squares, shade trees, and street straight as an air line, presents a fine and inviting aspect. The locality has always been called "The City." When asked the reason for that name the answer was, "Because there were here in the early days five log houses along in a row." This would be in the days when only here and there, or occasionally, there was to be seen the smoke of the dweller in the woods. Five dwellings would make a village, and with only a small degree of imagination it might receive, in earnest or in jest, the title of "city." But we think this city on paper, and the record of these ambitious first settlers, will show the origin of this well- remembered name, "The City." We have present the town plot, its streets, shade trees, parade, squares, survey, and names of lot owners. It will be well to remember that those men lived in a "howling wilderness"; the country they left behind had been settled upwards of one hundred years, and they had memories of homes, villages, and scenes of a century's growth.
This story of Stratford's "city" reveals much of the hopes and ambitions of these early settlers, and will explain in some degree
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why they did not abandon the field during the war. A handful of men, the same names appear (with a few additions) on every public work, clearing their lands and providing for their own fam- ilies, and at the same time making surveys, and building roads and bridges on such a large scale. We can clearly see that they were men of great energy and large ambitions. We wish we knew why that "city" did not materialize. Perhaps the population of the town did not increase as rapidly as they had expected. It numbered 41 in 1775; in 1790, 146; in 1800, 281 ; in 1810, 339; in 1820, 335; in 1880, 1,016. Perhaps the gradual lack of interest and the abandonment of their northern settlement by the major- ity of the proprietors hindered the growth of the town. Some of them transferred their interest to those who wished to remain; and, as the years passed, we find that large tracts of land belong- ing to the non-residents were sold from time to time for non- payment of taxes.
One thing that greatly retarded the development of the coun- try was the lack of roads. The Connecticut River was the prin- cipal route, on ice in winter and by canoes in summer with numer- ous "carries." The early roads were cut about eight feet wide and "corduroyed," passable on foot or horseback, or to drive cattle along them.
JUDD'S SURVEY
Boundary lines and divisions were as yet not fully determined, and in 1788 Dr. Eben W. Judd began the survey of the town. In a petition by the selectmen of Northumberland and Guildhall, dated 1791, in regard to raising funds by lottery for building a bridge across the Connecticut at the falls, we find his name as a selectman of Guildhall. He surveyed all the northern towns on both sides of the river, and by 1789 all the towns had approved his allotments, and the bona fide settlers were established in their homesteads. He kept a very full and accurate journal of his pro- ceedings which were published in "The Vermont Historical Journal" of 1861. Quite a long extract from this journal will be found elsewhere which is of interest in giving localities and the names of persons then living in Stratford, also in the Vermont towns of Guildhall, Maidstone (chartered in 1761), Brunswick, Bloomfield (first called Minehead), and Lemington (1762). Many of the localities bear the same names as today: Mineral Bow, Bog Brook, Nash Stream, Jonathan Pond. "Wait's" is
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frequently mentioned, and was probably his headquarters. The three daily meals are regularly recorded, also the weather.
We give here a few extracts particularly referring to the survey of Stratford :
September 3, 1788, began to survey Stratford. Began at an ash bush marked "No. 5, 1788." Run north 75° east about a mile to Gamsby's mill pond, house, etc. Sept. 8, Trained our utensils for Minehead, set out for the same at Two o'clock, P. M. Our company mess: Shadrich Osborn, Mr. Mitchell, Eben Strong, Jere Eames, Ben Strong, John Gamsby. Carried out of my own provisions I lb. chocolate, 4 lbs. Sugar, II oz. Tea. Camped at the mouth of Nulhegan River. Sept. 29, Rainy this morning, we run over Goback mountain. Oct. 4, Came to Nash stream. In camp. Rainy all the afternoon and night. Snow fell on the hills as to look white. Oct. 5, Eat dinner in an old dead swamp. Tone went home after gun and sugar. Oct. 9, Run up part of the great Mountain. Climbed a tall tree and viewed the Land in Stratford, and judged that about one-forth of the land of the town will admit of cultivation. Oct. 14, Breakfast at Wait's, one-half pint of Rum drawn. Survey. Oct. 16 & 17, Survey. · 18, Eat supper at Capt. Lamkin's, Lodged at Curtis's.
Here follows his experience with Bowback or Goback Mountain :
Nov. 3, Breakfast at Wait's, traveled to lot 142. Nov. 4, Good Weather this morning. No. 139, Range 9, a Hack- matack tree about 6 ft. S. E. of Stake, good land facing south, this lot one of first rate. No. 135, Range 5, a Hackmatack tree near the top of Goback Mt. which faces south. Rocky & stony, this lot not worth }. 134, Hack. tree on high mt. land facing west, this lot rocky and stony, almost not worth lotting, only it lies so could not lot the rest without lotting this. Have no camp, and lay on the Mt. all night in the rain. 133, Range 3, a Fir tree on side hill facing S. this lot moun- tainous & bad, worth no more than } penny per acre. 130, this will be a good one of first quality. Thurs., Nov. 6, went to Wait's, eat supper. Nov. 8, went into the Woods with Ben Strong. Camped back of Baldwin's. Snow all night, worked on Stratford plan.
Those who have climbed Bowback Range will appreciate this description.
CHAPTER VIII
EARLY TOWN RECORDS
After the little settlement of Stratford had passed, twenty-five years of frontier life town records began to be more fully kept. The settlers had been too busy clearing homes in the wilderness, and in defending themselves during the seven years of war that soon followed, to write out full accounts of those eventful years. Before 1800 we are almost wholly dependent upon the Proprie- tors' Records for our information.
Stratford was not incorporated as a town until November 16, 1779; but the settlers had held meetings and chosen officers for the transaction of business before that time. As early as the 30th of December, 1773, James Curtis, James Brown, and Joshua Lamkin were elected selectmen at a proprietors' meeting. For- tunately the record of the first warrant and town meeting has been preserved us :
(Book of Records for the Town of Stratford in the State of New Hampshire, April 18, 1780.)
State of New Hampshire: Whereas I the subscriber am authorized and impowered by the General Court of the State, as expressed in the incorporation of Stratford, to notify a Town meeting agreeable to said order, I do hereby notify all the inhabitants and free-holders of the Town of Stratford to meet at the dwelling-house of Mr. James Curtis on Tuesday, the eighteenth of this instant, at one of the clock in the afternoon, to act upon the following articles, firstly to choose a moderator to govern said meeting, second to choose all necessary Town officers.
Stratford, April ye 5th, 1780.
JAMES BROWN.
At a legal Town meeting held at the house of James Curtis on the 18th of April, 1780.
First Voted James Brown Moderator.
Second Voted James Curtis Town Clerk.
Third Voted Archippus Blodgett and John Holbrook and James Brown selectmen for ye ensuing year.
Fourth Voted James Curtis to be Constable.
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We insert here, intact, Mr. Prescott's story of the finding and the description of Stratford's earliest town record :
TOWN RECORDS FROM 1780 TO 1784
The following record was found by Charles Mahurin, Esq., in this way :
Mr. Mahurin was performing attorney duties for Alexander Brown to obtain a pension for Mrs. Hannah Brown. All the evidence required had been secured except the proof of Hannah Lamkin's marriage to James Brown. The town records had been searched in vain and nothing could be found. Enquiry was made of Alexander Brown for his father's papers. The reply was that they were consumed when the house was burned. But is there nothing left? Yes, in a box upstairs. The box was examined and in it a small paper book was found. This book is made of paper folded and sewed, and is square in form 52 by 52 inches. The paper is coarse, the book has no covers and is worn, soiled, and has every mark of age. It contains the warning of the first town meeting held in Stratford. It will be seen that James Brown was authorized by the General Court to call this meeting, and did call it to meet at the dwelling-house of James Curtis on Tuesday the eighteenth of April, 1780. It contains the warning for three successive years, and the record of the four following years, 1781-82-83-84. It contains the record of James Brown's marriage to Hannah Lamkin. The book is all in the same handwriting, viz., the warnings, records of yearly meetings, and the marriage; and it will be seen that James Brown was chosen town clerk with the exception of the first year (1780), when James Curtis was elected. It will be seen that the following names are all that appear in the records of these five years, viz., James Brown, James Curtis, Archippus Blodgett, John Holebrook, Joseph Barlow, Joshua Lamkin, John Smith, Elijah Blodgett, and Gideon Smith. These probably are the names of the greater part of men who permanently remained here after the close of the Revolu- tionary War. Isaac Johnson, one of the very first settlers, did not remain here permanently or bring his family until after this. It will be noticed that no mention is made of swearing in the officers until 1784, the fifth annual meeting, and that the first provision for a school was in this same year, when the then ample sum of £20 was voted. Here are the records of the first meetings, the first officers, the first marriage, and the first birth, Anne Brown, March 17, 1776, as in the last part of the book is the family record of James Brown and Hannah Lamkin, which is also inserted.
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