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 29
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opened a tavern that year supposedly in this house. During the next 30 years, several owned or were interested in this farm, viz .: George W. Stearns of Brookline, Mass .; Joseph Bellows, of Walpole; John Bel- lows of Boston; William Cochran of Boston; Oren Shelley was living . here, 1838; Charles Emerson, 1839. Soon after, Jonathan and Samuel Robinson held a claim several years. Apr. 8, 1859 Samuel sold to Mr. and Mrs. Abijah Benton who had then been living on the place several years. Rebecca Benton sold to Charles Augustus Blake Apr. 16, 1861; 50 acres. After his death the farm fell to his son, Henry Moses Blake. The latter sold to Arthur Birch, 1899, and he sold Sept. 4, 1904 to Mr. and Mrs. Oscar B. Deane,-to date. The following places have been severed from this farm since 1870: Nos. 31, 32, 234 and 235, also a woodlot at west side. Formerly this farm was bounded on the north by the old Westmoreland Leg and Gilsum town line, and from the road this line ran West 10° North, 137 rods. From 1801 to '03, Abraham Wheeler lived here.
34. Woolston Brockway, one of the Proprietors, owned this place, Aug. 4, 1761. He died 1789 then his son John moved here from No. 38. John died 1799, his widow lived on the place until about 1805. Abel Monroe carried on the farm; in 1800 he took out a license and kept tavern. A fire destroyed the house, June 21, 1805, and possibly the barn as an advertisement under date of Nov. 6, 1806, states there was a good barn and a house partly finished. The Brockway family scattered about 1806. Samuel Robinson bought the place and sold to Ichabod Ballou, July 10, 1826. Ballou built on 16 feet on the south end of the house, and 1836 sold to Jonah Carter who died 1849, when his son-in-law, Joshua D. Blake received the place. Then his son Charles H. was here till his death, 1903. Charles G. Crain, 2nd, lived here a few months. George A. Hall bought the property and moved here Feb. 1906-to date. Two families have lived here at times, some of whom were: Chandler Wilbur, James O. Hudson 1854 (?), Hiram Hudson 1853/8, William Gage, Hiram Britton, 1856, etc. The well into which the old Whipping Post was cast at an early date mentioned in a survey of the highway, 1803, is about 35 feet deep and across the road nearly opposite No. 34.
35. Tradition says, when the first house was built at the end of "Gauntlet road" or "Love lane" it stood by the bridle road up Surry valley. Nathaniel Dart lived here 1777; Mar. 21, 1780 he sold to Frederick Reed "one home Lott of Fifty acres" bounded east by highway, north by John Marvin, west "on the common Land," south by Joshua Dart. Nathaniel regained the property and sold to John Willey, his son-in-law, 1798. July 14, 1820, Willey sold to Theodore Monroe "all except the blacksmith shop and shoe shop standing thereon." Monroe sold to David Carpenter, 1822, all except the shops. Aug. 16, 1823 David sold to Thomas Adams of Keene this farm of 77 acres, but "reserving, how- ever to myself and my heirs the exclusive right in and to a certain spring of water situated near the west end of said premises." Oct. 13, that year, David sold this spring right to four men living in the village as noted elsewhere in this work. Adams lived here until death, then his widow sold to Elijah Norris, "an Iron Smith," 1828. From
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1829 to 1831, Emerson Ross, Boardwin Brown and Thomas S. Hurlbert had an interest here. Mar. 18, 1833, Norris sold to Asahel and Phil- ander Stone. The latter lived and died here, 1865. 1866, Joshua D. Blake bought property and sold to his son Lewis F. Blake, 1879. After death of Lewis it fell to his son Orman L. Blake. 1914, W. R. Porter of Cheshire Natl. Bank of Keene held claim on farm. Soon after the wood and timber were cut off and the farm divided between Carl H. Adams and Clark A. Knapp both of Keene. Frank B. Kingsbury bought property and removed here, May 1920. The old house was torn down while J. D. Blake owned property and the present dwelling erected on the old site, during the winter, 1877-78. A partial list of those living here between 1820 and 1920: Asa Britton; Rev. Joseph Allen; Hiram (Horace) P. Bigelow, 1872 (?); Henry L. Wilbur, 1873 (?) ; John A. Cushing; Mason A. Carpenter, 1878; George B. Britton, 1878, while building his new house at No. 30; Ira J. Robbins, 1877 (?); Enos Sweeney, 1915; William H. Rollins, 1919.
So far as known, no one ever suffered at the old "Whipping Post" which about stood at the time of the Revolution at the east end of "The gauntlet road," or lane. In the south-east corner of the field, just north of the Post formerly stood a blacksmith shop and shoe shop. Old Mr. James Britton was a shoemaker here and set out about 100 years ago the two elm trees now standing. The smith shop is mentioned in sev- eral deeds; the last time, Dec. 23, 1830.
36. Lewis F. Blake built a small blacksmith shop on the ledge, 1882 (?) which stood about 25 years.
37. An old cellar hole marks where John Still lived in 1770, over the Ashue- lot river. John Marvin lived there at a later period. The early records speak of the "Pent road" leading to John Still's. A search for this site has been made without success, although it was seen in 1887.
38. Woolston Brockway sold Apr. 12, 1783, to his "loving son John" this part of his home farm, at which time there was "a mansion house standing thereon." This house torn down by William Carpenter, 1865, was built of plank, one story high; weatherbeaten; side to the road and the floor boards were fastened down by half inch wood pins. Two families fre- quently lived at the same time in this house. John sold Apr. 17, 1788 to Benjamin Kimball. 1789, Kimball to Peleg Sprague of Keene. Sprague to Samuel Smith and Jonathan Robinson. 1792 Cushman Smith held ownership, then Eldad & Sylvester Skinner, John Emerson and Calvin Hayward prior to 1809. That year Joab Daggett bought and sold to Otis Daggett Apr. 11, 1810. 1820 Otis sold to Enoch Whitcomb who lived here till 1838 when he sold to Amos Adams. Feb. 22, 1842, Amos sold half interest to his son Benjamin W. Adams. Jan. 15, 1848 the Adams family sold to Elijah Holbrook who soon after conveyed the same to Caleb Wright. Apr. 2, 1850, Caleb sold to William Carpenter. John W. Conley owned this place, 1891-1899, otherwise it has been owned (the buildings and a few acres of the original farm) since 1850 to the present, by Carpenter, his daughter Marietta and Edward H. Wright. William C- built present house 1865 on the site of the old dwelling.
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The following lived here prior to 1870: Bellows Emerson; Luther Smith, 1853; Mrs. Electa Morton Adams; Charles A. Britton; Samuel White till his death. William Carpenter moved here from No. 41 in 1871.
39. Nov. 18, 1842, Rev. Elihu Smith bought of Philander Stone for $100 one acre of land with a building thereon. From the purchase price the "building" must have been a shed or barn, as Mr. Smith bought the old Willard Smith house (No. 17) tore it down, using the material to build this house, 1842/3. It was considered "the parsonage" for several years. Rev. Lorenzo Draper here, 1850; Ichabod Crain, 1853 till his death, 1866, then his widow who later married Emery Bragg. Joseph H. Stickney, 1880/81; Mrs. Ann G. Fawcett; John Anderson, 1890 (?). Edwin K. and Helen M. Seabury of Walpole received the property by the Bragg will and sold same Jan, 2, 1893. Melville C. Lewis lived here 1915. Francis F. Field and son Theodore lived here until the death of the former in 1923.
40. Aug. 6, 1900, George B. Britton sold to Mrs. Marietta C. (Daniels) Wright this lot from his farm. She erected the house and the barn a year or two later; the garage built, 1922. For a few years it was used as a parsonage and occupied by Rev. W. F. Whitcomb, and Rev. M. W. Hale. Mrs. Flora A. Garvin, owned and occupied it summers between 1911 and 1916, when Mrs. Wright repurchased the place, and her hus- band is the present owner. Rev. H. S. Kimball, Ernest W. Carpenter, P. L. Pressey and Geo. L. Perham have also lived here in recent years.
41. May 26, 1838, Amos Adams purchased this land of Samuel Robinson and soon after built the house now standing. In 1842 Amos sold one undi- vided half interest to his son Benjamin W. Adams, after which they owned this place and No. 38. Jan. 15, 1848, Elijah Holbrook bought this farm and on 14, Apr. 1849 sold to William Carpenter-about 60 acres. Carpenter lived here, Feb. 1850 until 1871. Mar. 1872 he sold to F. D. W. Carpenter who lived here till Mar. 1875, then sold to Elbridge W. Britton. Jan. 3, 1881, L. M. Carpenter bought and sold to William Mar- tin Dec. 20, 1895, whose family have since resided here. George N. Conley, Arthur M. Carpenter, Geo. E. Crosby have lived on the farm.
42. Tradition says a blacksmith shop stood here prior to 1840 and for over half a century only the plowshare has revealed its site. Who owned and operated this shop is unknown, unless, possibly Otis Daggett.
43. Jonathan Mack of Lyme, Conn., drew three 50 acres lot in that part of Gilsum now S., viz .: L. 1, R. 4; L. 1, R. 5; L. 1, R. 6. He sold to his son Josiah and the latter sold to John Marvin, Sr., Oct. 30, 1766, who appears to have moved into town from Lyme, and the next year erected the first buildings on this land, probably near the site of the present Post Office. In the spring of 1786 Marvin transferred to his son John Marvin, Jr., who swapped farms with Delevan Delance in the north west part of the town. These lots were three deep-from east to west-and the width of one lot from north to south. The south line is the fence a few feet north of Francis F. Field's house (No. 39). The late George
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B. Britton told the writer the original north line ran through the build- ings where Ichabod Ballou. formerly lived, No. 66. Now having estab- lished the size of this land we find the cemetery and all buildings on the west side of the "village street" between No. 39 and 66 stand on land first owned by Jonathan Mack.
Mar. 21, 1797, Delance sold to Thomas Smith, whose son Cushman bought in 1799, built a store and kept tavern in 1802. The ell of the present house occupies the site of the old house which was removed and stood in the door yard for several years while John A. Cushing and others lived in it, finally George B. Britton tore it down 1908. Tradi- tion says when Otis Daggett built the front portion of the present house, 1840 (?) he moved the store off its site making it into the ell. Cushman Smith became involved in financial matters in 1806/7 and left town, after which Calvin Hayward and others held interests in the property. From Apr. 24, 1809, until Feb. 20, 1847, the Daggett family -Joab, Ira, Marcus and Otis-all appear to have held an interest in the place, and possibly Enoch Whitcomb for a short time. Otis Daggett was a blacksmith and his shop stood near his house till removed, about 1846. Benjamin M. Britton bought of the Daggett heirs in 1847 and after his death, 1891, his son George B. and family, have lived here. Since 1901 the Post Office has been in this house.
44. Nov. 17, 1851, Benj. M. Britton sold an acre of land to Holland Stevens who erected the house now standing. He sold to Esq. Sylvester Smith who lived here till his death in 1863. The following have owned the property or lived here: S. Harrison and George P. Porter before 1860; Charles A. Britton; Rev. Joseph Allen; George H. Rand after his fire at No. 173; Alonzo F. Wilbur; George H. Joslin; Mason A. Carpenter; Merrill E. Flagg, 1874 (?) ; John A. Blake; Joseph W. Caldwell; Edwin A. Kenion at the time he was merchant; Gilbert Crane; Frank P. Crane; C. H. George; Harry Maxwell; William Ingerson, 1916 (?); also Wil- liam H. Wright; Arthur E. Salley; Dean Tyler at time of his death, 1854; Hiram F. Newell till his death, 1922, and probably others. Her- bert R. Crane, the present owner, has lived here twice.
45. Aug. 16, 1854, William Carpenter sold to Mrs. Nancy M. Britton (wife of James) a lot 4 x 10 rods deep from off the north-west corner of his home place. She bought the old school house No. 113, had it moved and made into a dwelling house. It is now the west end of the present build- ings. After the death of Mr. Britton she married Holland Stevens; both lived and died here; since then Mason A. Carpenter has had an interest in the original and additional property. The size of the old school house building was 20 x 28 feet.
46. Jonathan and Samuel Robinson owned this land prior to 1816. Josiah Knight bought a small plot of land and probably built the house about that time and the store (No. 47) soon after. June 19, 1818, Josiah sold to Dr. Jonathan Knight of Westmoreland, but appears to have con- tinued living on the property, until it was sold June 15, 1819, to Ephraim Searls of Boston, and he sold to George Whiting of the same city. May 1, 1822, John May a merchant of Boston bought this and
19
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.
the store property, but he, too, apparently was unsuccessful, for on June 29, 1825, the property was attached in favor of Joseph Stuart of Boston. In November of the same year May gave satisfaction by giv- ing Stuart a deed of a plot of land 4 x 10 rods just south of his house which he (May) "had developed as a garden." After the death of John May, 1826, his widow sold to Mrs. Sarah F. Wheelock of Keene at which time there was on this land a dwelling house, store, shoeshop, shed and barn. July 7, 1837 Capt. Almond Stevens bought this place of the Wheelock heirs. Capt. Stevens lived here and ran store, and died 1865. The following have owned or lived at this place: Marshall B. Britton, 1867; George A. Stevens; Joseph W. Caldwell; David S. Aldrich; John A. Blake; Jerry Rogers, 1874 (?); Henry L. Wilbur; Merrill D. Car- penter; Wesley F. Wilbur; Luman M. Carpenter, Arthur M. Carpenter, George N. Conley; Ernest W. Carpenter, twice; C. D. Fitzgerald, etc. Frank P. Crane bought the property and sold it Jan. 1913 to the Church Society for a parsonage. Since then it has been occupied by Rev. Henry S. Kimball, Rev. Fred'k C. Hunt and E. W. Carpenter. For several years the post office was in this building.
47. Site of the village store, which as previously stated, was moved to No. 32 in 1905. It is supposed to have been built by Josiah Knight, about 1816/17. He was in business here, then "Hough & Redding" in 1819; John May, 1822-25; Arvin Britton; Capt. Almond Stevens between 1837 and 1856, he was postmaster in 1854; S. Harrison and his brother George P. Porter; Marshall B. Britton, 1872; "Shelley & Streeter" and possibly others. Mrs. James Cheever bought the property and made it into a dwelling, living here several years. Others living here between 1882 and 1905: Wesley F. Wilbur; Herbert N. Gunn; Ezekiel O. Whit- comb; Mrs. Emma F. Weeks; George N. Conley; Arthur M. and Ernest W. Carpenter.
48. Sept. 2, 1812, Jonathan Robinson sold his property to his son Samuel; the . farm extended from No. 38 to 60 on east side of the village street. Jan. 5, 1821, Samuel Robinson sold a lot 121/2 rods on the street to George Whitney, a. Boston merchant, for $500.00. No buildings are mentioned, yet from the price, there must have been more than just land. How Whitney disposed of the property is unknown as the records are obscure. We believe, however, that the land where No. 46 and 47 are were a part of this property. July 7, 1837, Sarah F., Andrew C., and Emily Wheel- ock, heirs of Lynds Wheelock sold to Capt. Almond Stevens. In a mort- . gage deed, to Dea. Crain, 1837, there was a house, barn, store and other buildings. Sept. 21, 1843, Capt. Stevens sold this part of his property to Holland Stevens; Oct. 4th of the same year, Holland bought more land of Elijah Holbrook, all of which he sold Feb. 21, 1844, to Joseph Allen who moved here from No. 106. After his death his widow and Horace Gould, Sr., and heirs. Cyrus Kingsbury bought place and his widow sold to Otis W. Kingsbury about 1916. Mr. K. died and the place was sold at auction Apr. 21, 1919 to Mrs. Erich H. Raabe of Bridgeport, Conn., formerly of No. 54, who has since made numerous repairs, and resides there part of time.
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49. This house was moved by Herbert R. Crane from No. 104, and has been remodeled ?? Luman M. Carpenter; Francis F. Field; Fred S. Blake; Clifton Chambers; George N. Conley; Lewis C. Buntlin and perhaps others lived here prior to 1911, when Buntlin sold to Mrs. John Anderson. She and her son Anders now own the place.
50. July 5, 1839, Otis Daggett sold a lot for $110.00 to Dea. Ichabod Crane which extended south from the village school house lot 142 feet and ran "70 feet west from the wall." On this lot was erected the "Crain
SURRY VILLAGE, LOOKING NORTH.
Church," so called, which was dedicated Wednesday, Oct. 9, 1839. Ser- vices appear to have been held nearly all the time until 1875, then for 15 years, only cocasionally. The church was revived under the pastor- ate of Rev. W. E. Renshaw in 1890 and since, preaching has been pretty constant. See Ecclesiastical chapter.
51. May 5, 1830, Otis Daggett sold to school district No. 2 (the village) a lot 40 x 40 feet where the present school house was soon after erected. Ac- cording to the records, the south-east corner of said lot was "30 feet north of an elm tree," which is still standing. See Educational chap- ter.
52. Fred B. Marshall moved the old blacksmith shop and built a small house 1895, using material from an unfinished blacksmith shop he built at No. 60. He lived here a short time, then George N. Conley, and Charles F. Britton. Mrs. Edward H. Wright bought the place about 1908 and since Nov. 1911 it has been occupied by George H. Joslin.
53. Apr. 19, 1851, Elijah Holbrook sold a lot four rods square to Mrs. Nancy (Cram) Benton who had a small cottage erected in which she lived several years then sold to Warren Carpenter who added it to his home farm. The building stood till about 1889 when it was moved to the back
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part of Carpenter's land and finally went to decay. The following lived here: Charles A. Britton, 1856 (?) ; Alanson D. Comstock; J. Langdon Britton; George Wilcox; James Cass; Chas. Milan Carpenter; Char- lotte Cram; Rev. Pettigrew; Frank A. Poole; Nicholas Vincellette; David Y. Kenyon; Lewis Castor, etc. It usually has been known as "The Benton house"; nothing now marks its site, but a small elm tree.
54. Warren Carpenter built this house in 1874, placing it on land belonging to his hotel property, No. 55. Mar. 16 (?), 1888, a barn standing near this house was burned, and at the time the hotel buildings were de- stroyed, 1907, this house was saved only by heroic effort on the part of the village citizens. Warren and C. Milan Carpenter; Daniel B. C. Hill; Lewis Castor; Charles W. Carpenter; Mrs. H. R. Emmons and Mrs. F. A. Garvin, who sold 1910 to Erich H. Raabe who built an addition on the north side and opened the "Triple Elms" house. Nov. 1, 1918, Thomas J. Kelley bought place. Samuel E. Howard opened a store Oct. 1920, being succeeded by Mr. Kelly.
55. Jonathan Robinson, the Revolutionary soldier settled here prior to 1790 and soon after opened a tavern. He enlarged his buildings from time to time; opened a store in 1799 and subsequently, in company with his
THE VILLAGE HOTEL.
sons, Jonathan Jr. and Samuel, became extensive dealers in real estate in this town.
In 1819 (?) he sold to his son Samuel who continued business as farmer and tavernkeeper, until Nov. 22, 1842, when he sold 250 acres land and buildings for $2200.00 to Elijah Holbrook his son-in-law. This land was bounded on "Whoponock Hill." Mr. Holbrook built a large ell and ball room, 1850 (?) and sold out the business to Warren Carpenter
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Dec. 10, 1855. Mr. Carpenter moved here from No. 166 and carried on business for about 20 years and sold Jan. 15, 1874 to James D. Cheever. The ownership and proprietorship were varied and quite numerous from 1880 until Feb. 4, 1907, when a young man applied a match to the build- ings, and the barns, sheds and hotel were swept clean from this spot.
Mrs. H. R. Emmons now owns the old site.
The following have owned or kept the old hotel: Capt. Almond Ste- vens, 1854/55; Gilman D. Ordway, 1888; Capt. Thomas L. Harmon, 1884 (?); Ephraim B. Newton; Daniel B. C. Hill; Mr. Blackmer; Win- field E. Wilbur; A. J. Belden and Charles F. Britton owned property at time of fire.
56. Elijah Holbrook while running his hotel bought a small lot where No. 52 now stands and built a blacksmith shop, 1848/9. It stood in line of and south of the horse sheds until Fred B. Marshall moved it westerly sev- eral feet where it has since been occupied as a barn for No. 52. Frank- lin B. Benton gave up business at his shop, No. 109 to take charge of this shop for Holbrook in 1850. Jan. 1, 1857 Samuel H. Poole bought the shop and ran it several years. A complete list of those who have labored here is not at hand; we mention the following: Fred B. Marshall about 1882 and again 1895 (?) ; Merrill D. Carpenter; Frank E. Alexander of Gilsum; John Albert Blake and others.
57. Nov. 12, 1831, Otis Daggett sold a lot 181/2 x 90 feet between the south- west corner of the meeting house and the school house lot to the follow- ing ten men for the sum of $10.00: Peter Hayward, Eliphaz Field, Eli- phalet Dort, Jonathan Robinson, George Crehore, Hollis Wilcox, Horace B. Shaw, Jonathan Harvey, Jr., George Wilcox and Nathan D. Reed. Mr. Daggett stipulated in the sale that they should be used for "Horse sheds and for no other purpose."
58. The old meeting house, now, Town Hall, is the most interesting building now standing in town. Erected in 1771, though not fully completed un- til 1792; a house of worship where our ancestors assembled on the Sab- bath until nearly the middle of the last century, and where they have annually gathered in town meeting since July 13, 1772. In 1858 the building was remodeled for a Town Hall; a floor on the second story replaced the old gallery which extended around three sides of the room; the box pews were removed, and the steeple was enlarged. A select school was kept in 2nd story a term or two. In 1866 the lower floor was used for a time by Alanson Bingham & Son for the manufacture of chairs. It was then rented by Geo. W. Britton and Edwin A. Kenyon for a "General Store," under the firm name of "Britton & Kenyon." In 1880 a partition was put in and the west half finished for "The Reed Free Library," which was opened Jan. 1, 1881.
59. Mrs. Hattie R. Emmons erected in 1914 a house which she has since oc- cupied a portion of each year. So far as known this is the only building on this site.
60. The first public building in Surry was erected on or near this spot. At "a Speshell Town meeting" held at the house of Jonathan Smith's "on
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wensday the forth Day of October at one of the Clock in the after- noon," 1769, Voted: "to Buld a House Sufficient to hold all public meet- ings in and for a Schoole House." The size of said house, 22 feet long and 18 feet wide. Also "Voted to Buld Sd House on the East Side of the Highway against the Buring Yard Bars." The town clerk in recording the minutes of this meeting has left us very important information : the date, location, size and use of this building. The house was standing here Mar. 13, 1804, when a committee consisting of Maj. Nathan Hay- ward, Judge Lemuel Holmes and Lieut. Levi Fuller was chosen to in- spect a piece of land east of the meeting house where the school-house now stands. At an adjourned town meeting it was voted, not to move the school house from where it now stands. Tradition says the build- ing was moved about 1835 to No. 67. About 1884 Fred B. Marshall built a blacksmith shop on the same spot, taking Frank D. W. Carpen- ter, on whose land the new shop was erected, into partnership. The shop was never fully completed and after a number of years was moved and is now No. 52.
61. Thomas Pitkin, Jr., drew 50 acres; L. 1, R. 7 and in 1763 sold to Jona- than Smith who settled here before 1764. His first dwelling doubtless was a log cabin; within a few years he built a commodious house. Sev- eral are living who remember this squatty appearing one story dwelling standing side to the road in what is now the garden of No. 63, with its front door extending from the ground to the eave. Mr. Smith was called an "innholder" as early as 1773 and possessed those social qualities which made his home a nucleus for many Proprietor meetings, as well as Town meetings after 1769. It was a common thing after the meet- ing house was built-cold and unheated-to adjourn to the warm hos- pitable home of Jonathan Smith to transact the town's business. His land was on the opposite side of the village street from John Marvin's and originally extended between No. 38 and 67. Apr. 3, 1781, Jonathan sold his farm to his son, Capt. Samuel Smith, bounded partly "on Whoppanock Hill." Stephen Chase of Keene bought this farm for his son Ziba, prior to 1830, known as the Skinner farm. Ziba farmed a little and leased to Horace Baxter, also to Elijah Turner and Seth Mor- ton. He sold about 1840. Levi Durrell bought in 1845 (?), lived here until he built and moved into his new house, No. 63, in 1857, and this house was torn down.
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