USA > New Hampshire > Coos County > Stratford > History of the town of Stratford, New Hampshire, 1773-1925 > Part 13
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BENJAMIN STRONG.
Stratford, May 25, 1794.
A plan of said Island is given as surveyed by Jeremiah Eames.
The Beach House was built by Peletiah Nichols, and licensed as a tavern in 1806. The exact date of building is not known; but in 1808 Edmund Alger came down from Eaton, P. Q., to complete the inside finish. Behind him rode his daughter Huldah, who had come to use the waters of Brunswick Springs, after an illness which affected the use of an arm. She rode home again trium- phant, to return again ten years later as the bride of Elisha Baldwin. In 1816 Thomas Beach was licensed as an innholder and for a generation the Beach place stood, a fine type of the old- time tavern. Mr. Beach came of old Connecticut stock, and had a large family. His son Lawrence succeeded him in the business,
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and when on account of the ill health of his wife he was obliged to return to Connecticut, Stratford lost one of her best citizens and first families. Later the place was sold to Reuben and Lucius Hartshorn; but the advent of the Grand Trunk Railway soon rendered the need of such taverns unnecessary. For another gen- eration the old house stood, and served for a home, with another large family of children to fill it. Mr. Lucius Hartshorn was sheriff, and did much public business. In the '70's he moved to Iowa, and the house was again without an occupant. Its next owner was W. L. Baldwin, and it remained in the Baldwin family until about twenty years ago, when it came into the possession of Henry E. Forrestall of Colebrook, and has since been called "the Forrestall place." After Mr. Hartshorn left, the old house was used as a farmhouse, with occasional tenants. Year after year it fell into decay; one building after another, which had formed a part of the original plant, disappeared; and in 1920 the old frame- work was taken down to make room for the new industry.
At the Center still stands the old Porter place, which represents more of the former public life of the town than any other building now remaining; for there the town meetings were held for over thirty years. Previous to that time they were called at the homes of different citizens, beginning in 1780 at the home of James Curtis. This old house, which stands just south of the cemetery, was li- censed by Isaac Stevens in 1806. How much of the original building still remains, it is hard at this date to determine. Older residents remember an ell built of brick which was used by the innkeeper's family, the larger part of the house being reserved for guests. This ell was taken down many years ago, and the house has been re- modelled for family use; but much is still left of this historic build- ing-the old dance hall which witnessed so many merry makings, the halls, and the old porches which made it a distinctive feature to the passer-by. Mr. Stevens purchased the land of Elijah Hin- man, an original settler here. In 1809 it was leased by Frank Wil- son, and in 1817 by A. M. Faulkner, Frank Wilson was manager in 1819-20-21. Samuel Porter, a young man from Colebrook, bought of Mr. Stevens in 1812. Mr. Porter was to pay yearly a stated amount of family supplies. Mr. Stevens from this time lived north of the cemetery, in a house which he had built. Then Jonathan Rolfe lived in this house and made a home for Mr. Ste- vens. The building of a meetinghouse at the Center in 1828,
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which was used for a townhouse after 1830, released the tavern from use for town meeting purposes. J. B. Crown bought of the Porter heirs in March, 1842, and sold in 1854 to Joseph and W. S. Johnson. Joseph sold his half to Chase and Hoskins, and Hoskins transferred his part toSeth Chase. It remained in the possession of Mr. Chase until his death in 1900. The present owner is Hazen Blodgett.
The next tavern on the highway was the Hall Tavern, at the junction of the Percy and River roads, at the top of the Hog-back. This tavern was particularly active during the building of the Grand Trunk Railway. The name of Asa Hall appears first in 1805, when he was chosen moderator of the town. The next year he served as selectman, and the two years following as town clerk. In 1866 Abner Martin purchased the place of Mrs. Hotchkiss. At that time much of the original plant was standing, a large ram- bling house with barn attached. The building was in such poor state of preservation that a part of it was soon removed. After the death of Mrs. Martin, in 1893, the house had various occu- pants, and was destroyed by fire a few years later.
At the top of the hill at Stratford Hollow stands what remains of the Dennison Inn, a house famous in its day. It was built early in the last century by David Gaskill, Jr., whose name first appears as a taxpayer in 1813. William Curtis, Jr., bought of him and kept a tavern, selling to D. B. Dennison, whose name appears in the tax list of 1855. Mr. Dennison sold to William McIntire, and from him it passed to Mrs. Hiram Wright, October 26, 1866. This house was long known as "the Wright place," a home famed for its hospitality. After the death of Russell Gamsby the Wright family moved to his house. The old inn has now for its occupant an Englishman familiarly called Jack Wright.
Among the old-time taverns should be classed the Hinman House at North Stratford, which was opened to the public by Harvey Hinman about the time the railroad was completed. The site of the Hinman House was occupied first by Edwin W. Gaskill with a shanty and boarding accommodations, while the railroad was building. Gaskill, with others, conducted it until succeeded by W.H. Crawford and Harvey Hinman, who purchased the land in September, 1853. The main part of the Hinman House was erected about this time. Crawford would not sell to Mr. Hinman, and C. P. True purchased his interest in the property, August I,
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1854, and deeded it to Mr. Hinman the same day. Mr. Hinman re- paired and refitted the house, and opened it to the public the same season under the name of the "Hinman House." This was the only public house in North Stratford until the building of the Willard House in 1858. As has been said elsewhere, North Strat- ford, after the opening of the railroad, became the distribution center for the freight of the north country, and the Hinman House was always popular with that long line of teamsters who carried on that work. Large stables accommodated the horses required for this thriving business. Further mention of the Hinman House will be made in the sketch of North Stratford Village.
These taverns had their day-Wayside Inns. Their landlords dealt out good cheer and hospitality to travelers. They were centers of life and activity, lounging-places for the lazy and the news peddlers. In winter long trains of teams, one- and two-horse, frequently numbering thirty or forty, were on the road going to and from Portland or Portsmouth. So it often happened that these accommodations were tried to their utmost capacity. Re- turning visitors from the city, bringing back their family supplies, farmers from the upper country, laden with pork, butter, cheese, herdsgrass and clover seed, to be exchanged for the year's stock of groceries and spices, found in them a temporary home for the night, a shelter if detained by severe storms. At these times the neighbors came in, a log of extra size was rolled on, and the fire- place gave out its cheerful light, and good cheer flowed; stories were told and listened to; while it is feared New England rum or toddy was not forgotten nor neglected. The taverns are gone; the long lines of teams have disappeared; country landlords and farmer teamsters have passed to their account. Costly hotels and eating houses have replaced those old-time hostelries. The tourist of today is either borne at ease through the town behind puffing engines with their trains of cars, his goal some hotel equipped with luxuries and conveniences undreamed of in the inn of a century ago; or he is whirled over a hard-surfaced road in his high-powered motor car in quest of a costly caravansary where he can gratify his luxurious taste.
These are the favored few to whom Stratford is but a country town, a passing incident, a town that lies in their route. But there are others who love to linger among her hills; and again travelers are seeking admission into the homes that lie along her highways.
CHAPTER XII
FARMS AND RESIDENCES
Joshua Lambkin and Archippus Blodgett moved on to the Judson lands (lots 5, 6, 7, 8) comprising the farms of Dan Burn- side and Charles D. Platt. They first built near the river, where traces of the foundation are now plainly seen. Blodgett then moved to the knoll, and afterwards to the flat above; and Lamb- kin built a log house just north of Dan Burnside's barn. Opposite is the first cemetery in town. This was somewhat disturbed when the railroad went through.
David Platt (a grandson of Judson) had charge of this property for many years, until Guy C. and Clem A. Burnside bought the lots of the Judsons. Guy C. built the house that has been the home of the Burnside family since, and his brother built the house now occupied by C. D. Platt, which was purchased from the widow of. Clem A. Burnside in 1872.
Next came the Curtis family (lots 9 and 10) later where James Curtis pitched in 1773. The land was purchased by Charles Grandison Platt from James Curtis' heirs. The old brick school- house stood upon this farm, and the trading post.
On these lots were the three brothers, James, William, and Aaron Curtis, and the property was handed down from father to son, for many generations.
David Platt built the square-roofed house about 1809, and afterwards he and his son Donald built the smaller one. The row of maples were set out in 1827 by C. Grandison Platt and James Curtis, Jr.
Capt. John Holbrook settled next north (lot II), and sold to Joseph Daniels, and he to Abijah S. French. On this farm, and James Brown's, were the first framed barns built in town.
Richard Holbrook went to Portsmouth for rum for the raising, and arrived too late for that; but the men put up the frame and started to meet him, and soon divided the load. This farm remained in the French family until the death of Sydney French in 1909, and is now owned by Earl Brown.
James Brown pitched on lots 12 and 13. He built first on Fort Hill. An underground passage was constructed from his house to Stratford's fort. All of these earliest settlers first built on the
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meadows, and were driven back to the uplands by high water. The first road was also run across the meadows. James Brown afterwards built a little south of the Brown's present farmhouse. He was succeeded by his son Samuel, and he by his son, Samuel Clark, then William Riley, and Loyal P. Brown, the present owner, representing five generations of that family.
Elijah Hinman pitched upon lot 15; he transferred land to John Smith in 1790. A suicide was committed here, probably by his son Phileas, early in the century, and the place was long looked upon with great dread.
Thomas Blodgett's wife lived on the Wellington Brown place; Roxana Brown Platt, where Hoskins lives; Isaac Brown, near S. P. Connary's residence, and Cinderella Blodgett, the house occupied later by her son, Loyal B. Blodgett.
On the west side of the road at the top of the hill, Lewis Curtis, son of William, settled and spent his days here. The house was moved from the north, being originally built by Isaac Stevens for his daughter, who married Barney Tourtelotte, so this house and the Isaac Brown house just north are among the oldest houses in town. (Ruth Stevens, wife of Tourtelotte, was born in 1791, but we cannot find date of marriage.) (Isaac Brown was born in 1790.) The exact age of these houses is not known.
Charles Lucas built the house known as the Judge Day place. It was owned later by Samuel Day, and George Ockington, and was later destroyed by fire.
Jabez Baldwin pitched upon lot 18, and his son Heth lived there, and to that farm he brought his family in 1788, but he was dissatisfied, and built in a year or two, on lots 45 and 46, the present site of Baldwin homestead. Noah Hatch soon became owner of the first pitch, and he and his sons possessed it for many years, selling to George Partridge, and he to Thomas Connary. David Stone, Warren Dowse, and Edward Howe have owned it successively since the death of Joseph Connary.
A little north of the Connary farm, lot 20, Joseph Barlow settled as early as 1773.
William Johnson built on the eastern side of the road in 1855 (the Henry Curtis place).
The next place was known for generations as the Porter place.
Elijah Hinman, first sheriff of Stratford, built here, sold to Isaac Stevens, and from 1805 for many years this was the place
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for town meetings. For fifty years, this was a noted tavern, and its old hall was the scene of many junkets and stately balls. The Porter brothers, Frank Wilson, and others kept tavern here. John B. Crown, William Johnson, Seth Chase, and Samuel Hoskins, and Hazen Blodgett have owned it.
Mr. Stevens moved to the place just north. Jonathan Rolfe lived here, buying of Elisha Barlow, son-in-law of Mr. Stevens. Rolfe was succeeded by his son-in-law, Prescott Mason, who married Samantha Rolfe. After Mr. Mason's death, Buzzell King bought.
This place was first settled by Samuel Stone; Mark was born here. Stone exchanged this farm for one in the eastern part of the town, where he cleared a larger farm from the wilderness.
The cemetery lot is part of the Stevens farm, and was given by him for that purpose, also the site for the church (now the town- house, which stands on the other side of the street) after the church (first built on meetinghouse hill) had been taken down and set up in a more desirable location.
Hezekiah Fuller settled next north, another farm which has remained in the possession of one family.
Isaac Johnson did not bring his family here until after the Revolutionary War, and then settled on the farm so long asso- ciated with the Johnson name. The farm was sold to D. E. Rowell, and by him to Warren Dowse, then to Hazen Curtis, the present owner.
E. H. Mahurin settled the Frank Curtis place, now William Dennis'. Where Isaac Crown lives, Benjamin Strong built. His first pitch was lot 53 (the Beach place). He sold to Peletiah Nichols in 1805. Mr. Strong married one of Isaac Johnson's daughters. Elisha, son of Isaac, lived here, succeeded by his son Madison.
The Marcus Johnson place was first settled by Amaziah Chase, who lived on the meadow. Mr. Johnson purchased the place of Isaac Stevens, Jr., who built the old house which was torn down in 1865, when the Marcus Johnson house was built.
Peter Gamsby on the next farm north, building on the meadow. Jonathan Rolfe bought of him, and sold to Elisha Johnson. After Mr. Johnson's death the place was bought by E. F. Bucknam. During his occupation the buildings erected by Mr. Johnson were burned. O. J. Blodgett was the next occupant.
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Victor Gamsby and George Gamsby settled next north. The next old pitch was Ahaz French (lot 39 and 40). The place was owned by Elisha Baldwin for many years; H. B. Hinman, N. W. Baldwin, and others in late years.
Ezra Lambkin next north, and then came Richard Holbrook, Joshua Marshall, George Johnson, and James Carr.
Elisha Alger Baldwin built the house opposite the mill site, now owned by Fred A. Hinman, late in the forties. Jabez Alger lived there for many years, having charge of the grist mill. On Mr. Alger's removal to the West, the place was purchased by Henry Mason, and he sold it to Fred Hinman in 1918.
The little house opposite the cemetery was built about the same time by Mr. Baldwin, and was often occupied by the Baptist pastors of the town.
Samuel Curtis pitched lot 44. George Gamsby and son Russel built the old house, taken down recently. J. M. Baldwin bought the place, late in the fifties, and built the present farmhouse in 1868. The farm was sold to Fred Hinman in 1889. He sold to True Martin in 1918, and to William Kennedy in 1919. Warren Dowse, the present owner, bought it in 1921.
Jabez Baldwin erected the first framed house in town about 1789 on the site of the Baldwin homestead. This is a farm that has been owned by one family since the town was incorporated; the present house was erected by Elisha Baldwin July 4, 1843. The house is now owned by the heirs of Lucia Baldwin Thompson, youngest daughter of Elisha.
Nathan Baldwin owned the farm north, buying of Wales Hol- brook, son of Joseph Holbrook, who first settled on what was Granite State Stock Farm, sold to James Stone by Dr. D. O. Rowell, and by him to the New Hampshire Stave and Heading Mill Company. Nathan Baldwin built the old farmhouse now occupied as a boarding house, and the farm which possessed the famous Mineral Bow so much coveted by farmers, and known for so many years as the Judge Baldwin place, is now covered by mills and bungalows of the New Hampshire Stave and Heading Mill plant. Judge Baldwin left Stratford an old man of ninety for a home with his daughter in the West, early in the sixties, and the farm was purchased by Cyrus Hartshorn; he sold it to D. O. Rowell, reserving the old homestead.
Benjamin Strong pitched on the big farm above. Peletiah
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Nichols licensed the "Square House" in 1805, purchased by Thomas Beach in 1816, known as Beach's and a famous tavern for many years. Reuben and Lucius Hartshorn built on the removal of Lawrence Beach to Connecticut. Lucius Hartshorn was an occupant for many years. On his removal to the West the farm was bought by W. L. Baldwin, then by Henry Forristall, and is now part of the New Hampshire Stave and Heading Mill plant.
The Schoff farm, next above, has been in the possession of that family since 1800 at least, for we find that a meeting was held at the house of Henry Schoff in that year. The first house was built on the hill just north of the road leading to the reservoir, and was long known as the "Grandma Schoff" house, occupied by the widow of Henry Schoff. The present farmhouse was built by Seneca Schoff, son of Henry, about the time the road was changed (1855). His sons Nathan and then William held the farm; William, the last years of his life, making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Henry Jonah, the present owner of the farm.
George Kimball came to Stratford after the War of 1812, in which he was engaged, and settled first on the hill near the Ray Fuller farm, then to the farm owned by N. W. Baldwin.
The old road went over the hill past the Kimball homestead, and Luther Fuller's, who lived on the farm adjoining. The vil- lage of North Stratford was built on the meadow of the farm.
Still further on Andrew Martin and H. D. Blake settled, Kimball, and Abner Norcott. (Now the John H. Hinman farm.)
Seneca Schoff settled on the Ray Fuller farm. The house was built by C. D. Waterhouse, the barns enlarged during the ownership of the Connecticut Valley Lumber Company.
Eliphalet Day, after leaving Northumberland, purchased the farm (lot 66, George Marshall) long known as the Day place. Eliphalet was succeeded by his son Abner. Nahum D. Day, Jr., was the last occupant of that family. Now owned by Don W. Stevens.
Joseph Martin built the next house, now owned by Mrs. Fred Martin. The Severy place was known as the Wallace farm in the sixties. Mr. Merrill, and Frank Marshall before Mr. Severy.
On the Percy Road, which was laid out from "Barlow's Mill to Percy," lived Joseph Blodgett, Anderson Curtis, and Daniel
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Anderson, while on the corner lived Deacon Hall, son of Asa Hall, the town clerk of early days.
Thomas Curtis first lived on the school lot.
Benjamin B. Ockington built the house lived in later by A. G. French.
Grant Lambkin lived back on the hill on land owned later by S. F. Brown.
On the east road, Mark Young lived on the Johnson and Merriam farm. T. Buzzel and William Banfield lived where George Curtis lived later. Next came Philander Blodgett, and opposite on the hill, Richard and Oren Holbrook.
Walter Kimball came next, and on the hill lived a Mr. Chase. Thomas Curtis once lived back on Potato Hill, and Hall and Tucker made homes for themselves under the shadow of Sugar Loaf. Elijah Blodgett, and his son Darius, also lived back on Potato Hill. Lewis Curtis first settled on Stone Hill. Ephraim Mahurin first lived where Ezra Barnes built his octagon house.
[Mr. Prescott prepared the above which I have tried to bring down to date, hoping it would be of value and interest to some one .- ED.]
BALDWIN HOMESTEAD MARKER
CHAPTER XIII
STRATFORD'S SCHOOLS
There is no record of any public school in Stratford until 1784, when the little settlement, in its pitiful destitution after the Revo- lutionary War, made an appropriation of $20 for school for one year. Elijah Blodgett was chosen to collect the school rate, and was undoubtedly the first school officer in town. There were about a dozen families, all comprised in one school district; and a little log cabin, whose site is now marked by its granite boulder, housed Stratford's first public school. "Master Bradley," an Englishman from Bermuda, and a highly esteemed teacher, was probably the first of Stratford's teachers. His widow married James Curtis in 1801, which would place his residence here at an early date. In Lancaster records, mention is made of a Mr. Bradley who taught there in 1789-possibly the same man.
What we have been able to gather in regard to those pioneer schools is extremely meager, as unsatisfactory to the reader as the schools themselves must have been to the settlers, who had come from old Connecticut, where schools and churches had flourished for over a hundred years. Perhaps no privation was felt more keenly than the loss of school privileges. Schools and teachers had been left behind; books were now a luxury hardly to be known. There is in existence a little letter written to Lucinda Baldwin, over which the ten-year old girl shed many tears, because her schoolmate in Newtown, Conn., had opportuni- ties for learning of which she was now deprived. Her brother, Nathan Baldwin, who came here at fifteen, a man of great intel- ligence and capacity, who served the town in many public offices, led an embittered life through his ninety years because he was shut away from the education he craved.
In Jabez Baldwin's family a Dartmouth student was hired for the winter months of 1803. Elisha Baldwin in his old age would tell of the eagerness with which the young students of the family seized the coveted opportunity, rising very early and hurrying through their home tasks that they might have the more time for their beloved studies. Later he went to Lancaster to a school taught by Parson Willard, of beloved memory. The academies of
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STRATFORD'S OLDEST SCHOOL BUILDING PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING, NORTH STRATFORD SCHOOL BUILDING, STRATFORD HOLLOW
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HISTORY OF STRATFORD
Colebrook and Lancaster afterwards became the alma maters of many Stratford boys and girls.
That many of these early settlers were men of intelligence and capable of fine scholarship is shown by the value they placed upon the books which they brought into the wilderness; and these treasured volumes of our forefathers, with their worn covers, should be a precious heritage to their descendents, for they reveal much of the sterling character and strong mentality of these pioneers.
The next recorded action looking to school privileges was in 1800, and was "to see what instruction the town will give the selectmen in regard to the school lot." In 1805 a state law was passed, empowering towns to divide into school districts, and giving to each district the right to raise money for school purposes. This greatly increased the number of schools, and led to the build- ing of schoolhouses more conveniently situated.
In 1806 the legal voters are called to meet at the house of Isaac Stevens on the 15th day of May, "To vote and lay a tax in order to support a yearly school in said town." They met and voted to divide the town into districts, the first district to contain all the inhabitants east of William Curtis' land; second, from the south line to Little Bog Brook bridge; third, from Little Bog Brook bridge to Bissel Brook bridge; the upper district to extend from Bissel Brook bridge to the upper line of the town. In 1809 the school lot, which had been laid out in a part of the town incon- venient for schools, is leased for $1.50 per acre annually.
In 1808 it was voted to raise $150 to build schoolhouses, and in 1809 voted to raise $150 for repairing and building schoolhouses. Agur Platt, Esquire Strong, and E. H. Mahurin were appointed school visitors. In 1812, "Voted that the non-resident school money be divided between each district according to the number of scholars which they have of both sexes which are unmarried from three years to twenty-one." In 1816 the school tax was $132.63. In 1819 it was voted to set up the school lot at auction ; and it was sold to Frank Wilson for $17.16 per year.
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