USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Surry > History of the town of Surry, Cheshire County, New Hampshire : from date of severance from Gilsum and Westmoreland, 1769-1922, with a genealogical register and map of the town > Part 2
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From the top of this boulder a splendid view is obtained in all directions : the Richmond hills in the south, grand Mt. Monadnock and the city of Keene in the southeast, Nelson hills and Surry Mountain easterly, and Alstead hills at the north; and then, turning to the northwest, west and southwest one can trace the Green Mountain range in Vermont from near the middle of the state until it is lost in northwestern Massachusetts. In the west, and overtopping the whole, is seen Stratton Mountain, from which echoed the boom of the cannon at Bennington on Aug. 16, 1777.
BOULDER ON JOHN COLE PLACE
In the wood lot, on the farm now owned by Frank E. B. Mason, about fifty rods southwest of the old John Cole place, is a red colored boulder of consid- erable size, the nature of which differs from other rocks in town. It rests almost wholly above the surface of the soil, is twenty feet in length, twenty in thickness, and fully twenty in height. Several fragments, broken from it, lie close at hand.
A later period than than of the "glacial period" is thus described by the late Rev. Josiah L. Seward:
"If a birds-eye view of the vicinity of Keene in what geologists would call a recent geological age, could be reproduced for us, it would disclose a vast lake covering the beautiful valley of what is now Keene. It ex- tended on the north to the hills of Surry, with a bay reaching to the high lands of Alstead. Surry Mountain was a beautiful promontory jutting into this lake from the northeast, which a bay reaching up what is now the Beaver brook valley separated from Beech hill. The western shore was on what we call the West Mountain and the hills of West- moreland and Surry. The outlet was by way of what we call the valley of the Ashuelot, into the valley of the Connecticut. The lake must have been a most beautiful sheet of water, about fifteen miles in length and from three to five miles in width. Evidences of its existence have been repeatedly discovered and described. Gradually the soft earth at the outlet was worn away and, little by little, the lake disappeared, until only traces of it were left."
*U. S. Signal Station established on this boulder about 1880.
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HISTORY OF SURRY
* ASHUELOT RIVER
The earliest inhabitants of the valley which succeeded the lake described above were the Ashuelot (?) Indians, who, it is said, gave their name to the river which flows through this town in a southerly course.
Ashuelot river is by far the most important stream, and the only river in town. In its course of about fifty miles it has a fall of nearly 1200 feet, and is regarded as one of the most important rivers of its size in the state as re- gards power for manufacturing purposes. Its head waters are in several small ponds in the town of Washington; flowing in a southwesterly direction to the Connecticut river, it passes through Marlow, Gilsum, Surry, Keene, Swanzey, Winchester and Hinsdale. In Surry it varies in width, but gen- erally is from three to four rods wide. For the first mile after entering town, owing to its descent, the current is somewhat rapid, the river bed rough and rocky, but below Scripture's milldam the fall is slight, and the stream flows gently onward into Keene. Hence, but few opportunities are afforded from which to develop water power; two only have thus far been utilized.
LILY POND
Upon the summit of Surry Mountain, near its center, is a notch in which lies Lily pond, a body of water covering a few acres, and, from its altitude, it is looked upon as a natural curiosity. It has its outlet in a sparkling brook which rushes down the mountain side to unite with the Ashuelot. This pond, seven hundred and fifty feet above the meadows, and in the hollow of the mountain, is probably eighty feet deep in some places. It is not an uninter- esting spot, although still and lonely, yet it is neglected even by the birds, who do not for some reason care for the sameness of its shores, which are for the most part swampy and thick with underbrush. Fallen trees, doubled by their own reflection in the water, point their long tapering trunks far out over the pond, and the ground, covered with bright green moss, trembles as one passes along. Following the pond's outlet on the west side down the mountain side are many beautiful cascades leaping over the lichen-covered rocks.
BROOKS AND SPRING
Lily pond brook, mentioned above, comes down the west side of Surry Moun- tain, and is an outlet of Lily pond, from which its name is derived.
Benton brook, so named as early as 1799 and later called "Cannon" brook, has its source in the south part of Alstead, and enters Surry at the northeast corner, then flowing south enters the Ashuelot not far from the Gilsum line.
Thompson brook was known by that name as early as 1805, taking the name from Dr. Samuel Thompson, who, at that time, lived near its banks. The
This name appears in the early records, as follows :- Ashawhelock, Ashawelloc, Asheurlit, Ashewelot, Ashewillot, Ashuellot, Ashuellott, Ashuerlot, Ashulott, Ashurlott, Ashuwelot, Ashwilit, etc. The name Ashuelot "was originally written Nashue lot; the Indian word nashue signifies in the midst, and was applied by them to a point or angular piece of land lying between two branches of a stream or other water; ut means at. The application of the word is here plain. The natives called the triangular peninsular formed by the bend of the Connecticut and touched on the east by the smaller stream, nashue ut, and the settlers, without inquiring into the specific meaning of the word, made it the name of smaller stream. By omitting the initial n and with the introduction of I before the termination, it makes a most musical appelation. The regret is that our fathers did not retain more of those apt and significant Indian names." Temple and Sheldon,
from Keene History, page 15.
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HISTORY OF SURRY
brook rises in Alstead and flowing southward into Surry enters the Ashuelot river near Shaw's corner.
Mack brook, another small stream from Alstead, enters Thompson brook a few rods north of the old Holbrook tavern.
Scovell brook rises in the edge of Walpole, flows in an easterly course in Surry and empties into the Ashuelot a mile south of the Alstead line. Henry Scovell settled near its banks as early as the spring of 1784.
Harvey brook rises in the southeast corner of Walpole, flows easterly through Surry and enters the Ashuelot above "Whoppanock" hill, receiving its name from Capt. Thomas Harvey, who settled in that part of the town about 1766.
Fuller brook, a small stream rising northwest of the village, flows in a southeasterly direction and crosses the farm where Joshua Fuller settled several years before the Revolution, and enters Harvey brook east of the highway.
Beaver brook, so named as early as 1790, is a small stream that flows through the marshy meadow land southeast of the village. Here was once the home of beavers.
Smith brook crosses the highway at the foot of Sand hill, east of the old home farm of Col. Jonathan Smith, Jr.,-M. D. Carpenter place, 1922-flows s. e., and empties into the Ashuelot.
John S. Britton brook in the south part of the town, has its source near Mine ledge and empties into the millpond at the south part of the town. It was named from John S. Britton, who lived near this stream, on the old Gilbert road. This was known as "Hayward's brook" in 1805.
Black brook has its source in the southwest part of Surry, and enters the west part of Keene south of the old John Cole place.
Cole brook rises in the south part of the town, flows southerly near where John Cole lived, and joins Black brook on the edge of Keene.
Of the springs in town but one is worthy of special mention, the one which supplies the village with a good quality and quantity of pure spring water. This spring is located west of the late Lewis F. Blake place, and natural gravitation carries its waters to different parts of the village. In place of the "old .oaken bucket" many of the people now living in town have spring water piped to their buildings.
HILLS AND LAND-MARKS
Wilbur hill is in the south part of the town; named for Amasa Wilbur, and is situated largely on his farm.
Arrow hill is in the southwest corner of the town. Some 60 years ago an Indian bow and arrow were cut in the ledge on the hill by William Mason.
Mine hill, or Ridge hill, is also in the southwestern part of the town. Here the Spaniards began excavation work before the Revolution.
Hedgehog hill, above and separated from the last named hill by the "gulch" through which the Pollard road was built, was the home of the bear, and also. the porcupine.
Gilbert hill was named for Ebenezer Gilbert who early lived in town on the Gilbert road-now Cottage street.
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HISTORY OF SURRY
McCurdy hill is a short distance north of where Samuel McCurdy settled before the Revolution. This hill is conical in form, about 150 feet high, and is composed largely of rock with several small boulders on top.
Kingsbury hill is on the main road between Surry and Keene, and was named from William Kingsbury who lived near the foot of the hill. Dinah's rock is by the roadside about half way up this hill.
Sand hill, also called Carter's hill. The first name has ever been appropri- ate owing to the large amount of sand over which teams must pass. The Carter family at one time lived at the foot of the hill, and their name was given to it for several years. Smith brook crosses the road near the foot of the hill.
Bear-Den hill is a conical shaped rocky hill about three quarters of a mile southwesterly from the village. It is perhaps 300 feet high, and near its sum- mit is a natural cave in which it is said bears took refuge in early times. Several boulders have found lodgement on this elevation. Tradition says it was named about 1850.
Meetinghouse hill is the highway just north of the old meeting-house.
Fuller hill was where Joshua Fuller settled north of the village, now the Hollis W. Harvey homestead.
Harvey hill, on the Harvey road, was where Capt. Thomas Harvey settled in 1766. E. H. Joslin now owns the Harvey lands.
Carpenter hill, on the Carpenter road which went nearly to the Walpole town line, was where Jedidiah Carpenter settled about 1778.
Marvin hill in the northwest corner of the town was where John Marvin settled.
Bald hill from its altitude and form may be classed next in importance to Surry Mountain. It is an immense granite cone about 500 feet in height; on its top was once a boulder a few feet in diameter.
Wilcox hill on which Asa Wilcox was an early settler is in the north part of the town.
TREES
The town was originally heavily wooded; some of the principal forest trees are the oak, sugar or rock maple, white maple, beech, birch, bass wood, ash, elm, cherry, spruce hemlock, and pine. For more than seventy-five years wood and timber from Surry Mountain and wood lots have been hauled into Keene; this has contributed largely to the wealth of the town. Fruit trees were form- erly more abundant than in recent years; the higher land in the west part is considered especially adapted to fruit culture. Of the smaller fruits the blackberry, raspberry, blueberry and strawberry are usually plentiful in their season.
A TREE CURIOSITY
West of the Town hall, beyond the bridge which crosses the brook a few rods from the steep bank and a rod or more south of the Harvey (or Joslin) road, is a group of fine oak trees, each over one foot in diameter, and all ap- parently coming from one root. These trees spread so as to form a cup shaped hollow in which there is water through nearly all the summer months.
.
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HISTORY OF SURRY
When full the surface of the water is two feet across and about the same distance from the ground, and the pool is eighteen inches in depth.
WILD ANIMALS
The early settlers found wild animals in plenty. Especially numerous and of great annoyance were the black bears. Wolves were often seen in early days, also lynx and wild cat, deer and moose, raccoon and foxes, as well as muskrat. Beavers, mink and otter were occasionally found.
Surry, like other towns in this vicinity, had its "experiences" with Bruin, and several "bear stories" have come down to us. Frequently feeling the pangs of hunger or the desire for a meal of fresh pork, bears would enter a farm yard and attack the pig-sty, and attempt to carry off its occupant. In three instances, at least, Bruin was unsuccessful, and in two instances it was the bear that paid the "extreme penalty."
HENRY SCOVEL AND THE BEAR
About 1790 when Henry Scovel was living on the Streeter road, a bear came and took his pig and started for the hill northeast of the house. Mr. Scovell, hearing the "squeals," ran and rescued his pig, but was obliged to climb a tree for his own safety. Here he remained for several hours, closely guarded by Bruin, till, by his whistling, he finally succeeded in calling Ezra Carpen- ter's dogs who kept the bear on the defence, while he clambered down from . the tree, secured his gun and dispatched the brute.
MOSES D. FIELD, HUNTER OF BEARS
Moses D. Field was quite a hunter and killed several bears. A very large fat bear was discovered one day, and he and others followed its tracks on the mountain and in the meadow. Several shots were fired, none of which ap- peared to take effect, but finally in trying to climb the steep bank east of Mr. Field's house (about 40 rods north of the old toll-gate) the beast fell. Mrs. Field coming with more bullets she had run, another charge finished the killing, and the bear was rolled down the hill to the meadow.
OTHER BEAR STORIES
It is said that bears in early times lived on Hedgehog hill southeast of the Everett E. Wilbur place; that a bear came there and got a pig from the pen. Bruin was making all haste to get away, walking on his haunches, with the "squealer" clasped to his breast, when discovered.
When Benjamin Merrifield was living in the southwest part of the town- where Mrs. George L. Britton now lives-Mrs. Merrifield, an elderly woman, went to the barn one day, and finding a bear there, killed it with a fire shovel.
Eight bears were killed by Jesse Dart and Capt. David Fuller one fall. John Merriman, who settled in the edge of Walpole before the Revolution, owned a 50 acre lot in Surry on which is a natural den or cave; he is said to have killed several bears in this vicinity.
Probably the last bear seen in town was the one owned by James Davis
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HISTORY OF SURRY
when he was living at the present C. H. Hodgkins' place. For a while he had a cub chained to a tree near the road; sometime in 1844 he swapped for a colt with a Mr. Sparhawk, whose father soon after was seriously injured by the bear springing at him. The timely arrival of Mr. S. with a sled stake and a "finish" of the cub was a finish of this incident.
MRS. HILLS' TALES OF WOLVES
Some of the most authentic tales of conditions as they existed in town be- fore 1800 have come from the lips of Mrs. Lucy (Thompson) Hills, who was born about 1766, and was a daughter of John Thompson who lived on the farm of the late Charles W. Reed. The dwelling house at that time was standing in the field some rods east of the present barns on this farm, and was just over the line in the town of Alstead.
In her old age she took much delight in relating some of the incidents of her childhood to the younger generation, and the younger generation have passed those same stories down to us.
It was never safe at that time for one to travel at night without taking a fire brand along to keep off the bears and wolves; both were plentiful and numerous, and a source of much annoyance and danger. The adjacent hills provided a safe retreat for all wild animals. One day a cow came running and bellowing to the Thompson house with a bear clinging to her back; the women came out and drove the brute off.
When a child, Mrs. Hills went one day to a neighbors (where Leon A. Hodgkins now lives), and, upon returning home at dusk, heard steps in the path; on looking back, she discovered a wolf close at her heels. She began at once jumping up and down, flapping her skirt and screaming at the top of her voice; all this caused the creature to withdraw a little, and she repeated it every few rods until reaching home with the wolf at her heels, she burst open the door and fell in a faint across its sill.
On another occasion she and her sister were berrying on the hill northeast of the house when she saw fresh bear tracks. Her desire for the berries being greater than her fear of a bear, she continued filling her pail, and, after re- turning home without meeting his bearship, she told her sister what she had seen, and the sister was greatly frightened.
FRESH BEEF OR WOLVES!
This incident also had its happening in the north part of town toward the close of the eighteenth century. A man and two boys were returning home with a load of hay on which they had a quarter of beef. A pack of wolves, scenting the meat, gave chase; to keep them at bay it was found necessary to cut off and throw small pieces of the meat to the wolves. This was kept up till they reached home in safety, but with the loss of a good portion of the beef.
LYNX AND WILD-CAT
About 1851 William Kingsbury, the famous "fox hunter," shot a large Canadian lynx on Surry Mountain, and received a state bounty.
A girl living, in the days of "long ago," in the north part, (now the Hodg-
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HISTORY OF SURRY
kins place) on going out of doors for chips, discovered a young lynx near the buildings.
While Benjamin Carpenter, Sr., was living on the late S. H. Clement farm, his daughter shot a wild-cat from off the ridge of the barn.
BIRDS
The migration of flocks of wild geese, going north in spring and south in the fall, is occasionally seen at the present time, but their number has dimin- ished yearly. It is not known that they made this town their home during the summer.
The wild turkey was a valuable bird, and once lived in this vicinity. They were usually found where they could feed upon nuts, the south side of a hill being their haunt in winter. They have been extinct for fully seventy-five years.
Wild pigeons were once numerous. In the spring they came north in great flocks, and during the summer were found in dense forests more generally than elsewhere. Late in summer they would again congregate, and return south. As late as 1840 great flocks would be heard in flight several seconds before they could be seen. Now, so far as known, not one remains in the United States. Early settlers of this town killed great numbers of them for food; during the fall of 1816-the cold year-they were of special value owing to the almost total failure of crops.
Partridges have been hunted for years, and. although never very plentiful, their numbers do not seem to decrease.
Other birds once found here were the eagle, hawk, cat owl, lark, blackbird, wren, robin, cat-bird, martin, bobolink, king bird, song sparrow, swallow, whip-poor-will, and several others.
FISH
Nearly all our streams formerly abounded with the fish common to the waters of this vicinity, but, owing to dry seasons and other reasons, few of the finny tribe now remain. The varieties found were the brook trout, pick- erel, perch, shiner, sucker, minnow and cat-fish or horned pout. The common eel was once quite plentiful in the river.
CHAPTER II
INDIAN HISTORY
The Indian history of this town is exceedingly meager. What we here give is largely from the pen of early writers in this vicinity; a few trustworthy traditions that have been handed down, though possibly not wholly accurate, are in general, fairly reliable.
The name of the tribe of Indians formerly inhabiting the Ashuelot valley was Squawkheag-some times called "Ashuelot Indians." The territory oc- cupied by the tribe extended northward to the headwaters of the Ashuelot river, easterly to Mt. Monadnock, south to Miller's river, and several miles west of the Connecticut river. This region was abandoned by the Indians some years before the landing of the Pilgrims and it is not definitely known where they went when they left here, but they probably joined with those higher up on the Connecticut river, or went to the St. Francis' tribe in Can- ada. It is not known that there is any deed in existence by which the Indians conveyed away this land, neither is it known that they ever complained of losing their possessions.
At the great bend of the Connecticut river in the town of Hinsdale, near the mouth of the Ashuelot was the "spearing place," an Indian village of the Squawkheag tribe, from which place they ascended the Ashuelot river to its source.
In Swanzey there is conclusive evidence "that there was once a large settle- ment of Indians at the Sand bank, on the southeast side of Ashuelot river near Sawyer's Crossing. Traces of an irregular fortification inclos- ing several acres of ground," existing in 1890-Swanzey, N. H., History. July 22, 1882, while Henry M. Darling was grading about his new set of buildings (588 Court street in Keene), in removing a small knoll a few rods west of the present barn, three Indian skeletons were unearthed, buried in a sitting position, facing toward Grand Mt. Monadnock. This was three miles south of Surry town line and 60 or 70 rods east of Ashuelot river.
An Indian arrowhead was found in the pasture northwest of W. F. Gates house (in Keene) about 1900-a few other Indian relics have in earlier times been found in towns farther up the Ashuelot valley.
The only Indian camping place in Surry of which we have any record was at the extreme east point of the "plain," about 70 rods easterly of the village cemetery, commanding a good view of the valley north and south. Since the early history of this town this spot has been known as "Whoppanock," and is mentioned in deeds as early as 1781.
There can be no doubt that they (the Indians) were well acquainted with all these hills and streams, hunting bears and wolves and deer from Surry Mountain to Bear-Den (in Gilsum), and fishing up and down the Ashuelot river. A few arrow-heads and other relics have been occasionally found. . -From Gilsum History, 1881.
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HISTORY OF SURRY
It is quite probable, that at a date prior to the settlement of this town, these wandering sons of the forest made excursions over these hills and followed up the streams, fishing from ponds and hunting in the woods; but there is no evidence that they ever lived here for any great length of time. Indian relics, such as arrow-heads, have been found. -From Washington History, 1886.
WHOPPANOCK
"Far among the mountains spreading wide By woodland and riverside, The Indian village stood; All was silent as a dream Save the rushing of the stream And the bluejay in the wood."
--- Longfellow.
Early in the morning of April 23, 1746, a party of Indians-supposed to be about 100-appeared at the settlement of "Upper Ashuelot" (now Keene) ; Mrs. McKinney and John Bullard were killed near the fort; Nathan Blake taken prisoner to Canada. The Indians surrounded the fort and the battle raged until noon, nine of their number being killed. * Mr. Blake after being pinioned was conducted by an Indian into the woods, and after travelling up the valley about three miles, they came to a stony brook, the Indian stooping to drink. As Blake's hands were not confined, he thought he could easily take up a stone and beat out his brains. "He silently prayed for direction; his next thought was, that he should always regret that he had killed an Indian in that situation so he refrained. No particulars of his journey to Canada have been obtained, except that he passed by Charlestown; at Mon- treal he with another prisoner of the name of Warren, was compelled to run the gauntlet." Mr. Blake was conducted through Surry, then over the hills in what is now Alstead to old No. 4, from thence along the usual route taken by the Indians, both before and after this period, which was to cross the Connecticut river near the mouth of Black river, ascending that stream to its headwaters; crossing over what is now Mount Holly, taking up the head- waters of a branch of Otter Creek that descended to Lake Champlain; thence by water to Montreal-about 235 miles from Keene.
Early in the spring of 1755 the Indians again began their ravages in this valley. "So free from these raids had the country been for several years that people had pushed out into the wilderness and taken up lands beyond the protection of the forts. These advanced settlers, some of them miles away from any fort or neighbors, were now in great peril." Several families in this vicinity among them Mr. Peter Hayward an early settler of what is now Surry, and Ebenezer Day his neighbor, hastened to the fort in Keene.
On the 30th of June following, an attack was again made on the fort at
*Taken from Keene History-1904. The small stony brook where the Indian took a drink was on the farm of Harry F. Knight's about 40 rods east of his buildings where a spring of good water comes out of the bank and flows down to the river. This farm is on the east side of Surry west road, about 125 rods north of Four Corners in Keene, formerly owned by Henry Ellis, Samuel P. and Calvin H. Ellis.
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