USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Warren > History of the town of Warren, N.H., from its early settlement to the year 1854: including a sketch of the Pomigewasset Indians > Part 2
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25
DEPARTURE OF THE INDIANS.
hunters and straggling parties of Indians, on their way to the English settlements upon the frontier.
CHAPTER II.
CIVIL HISTORY.
Bur little thought was given to the settling of the northern section of New-Hampshire until 1752. At this time the most northern settle- ment on the Merrimack river was Bakerstown, (now Salisbury and Franklin,) and upon the Connecticut there was none above Charlestown. During the season it was proposed to establish a fort and garrison at Haverhill and Newbury, and a party was sent up to view the country. But the Arosaguntacooks, hearing of the design, re- monstrated, and threatened war if the settlement was commenced. This threatening being com- municated to the governor of New-Hampshire, threw such discouragement on the project that it was laid aside.
Early in the spring of this year, David Stin- son, John Stark, (afterwards Gen. John Stark,) ' William Stark, and Amos Eastman, were hunting near a small pond, in the northeast corner of Rum-
26
HISTORY OF WARREN.
ney. Here they were surprised by a party of ten Indians, under the command of Francis Tit- agaw. John Stark and Amos Eastman were immediately taken prisoners and bound. Wil- liam Stark was upon the opposite side of the pond, and John Stark shouted to him to make his escape, which he did. Stinson, at the time of the seizure of young Stark and Eastman, leaped into a canoe, and pulled for the opposite shore. The Indians called for him to come back, but he heeded them not. This exasperated them, and they fired upon him. The balls rat- tled around him; but, not taking effect, he still pulled resolutely on, when one, taking more sure aim than the rest, sent the fatal bullet on its mission. A shriek, a maddened leap upwards, and he that was David Stinson fell into the pond a corpse, and those clear crystal waters were stained with his blood. From this circum- stance it received the name of Stinson pond. Jolın Stark received a severe beating for calling to his brother, after which he and Eastman were carried to the head quarters of the Arosagunta- cooks. Here they endured many cruelties, but were redeemed before autumn by Capt. Stevens, and on their return gave an account of the great goodness of the lands lying upon the upper waters of the Connecticut and Merrimack rivers.
In the summer of 1754, by order of govern-
27
CIVIL HISTORY.
ment, several companies were sent up to explore this section, and prepare for its speedy settle- ment. But the Indians again remonstrated, and the French War breaking out shortly afterwards, all efforts to discover new territory ceased; for in those times each individual had as much as he could conveniently do to retain what he then had. In a few years this war was brought to a successful termination-the Indians were sub- dued and conquered, and the frontier settlers no longer feared the dreaded tomahawk and scalp- ing knife.
During the war numerous bodies of troops had passed and repassed these vallies, and ad- mired the beauty and fertility of them, and now that peace was restored, eagerly sought them for the purpose of settlement and speculation. Gov. Wentworth and his council immediately caused a survey of the country on the Connecticut river to be made, and six ranges of townships to be laid out; three on each side of the river. Applications for grants were made in rapid suc- cession, and the governor reaped a rich harvest by the fees which were paid him. Besides the fees and presents for these grants, which were undefined, a reservation was made for the gov- ernor of five hundred acres in each township, and of lots for public purposes. These reservations were clear of all fees and charges.
28
HISTORY OF WARREN.
On the petition of John Page and sixty-five others, the following charter of a tract of land lying in the second range of townships on the east side of Connecticut river, and upon the head waters of Baker river, was given them, viz :
PROVINCE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
George the Third, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c.
To all persons to whom these Presents shall come, greeting .- Know ye, that we, of our special grace, certain knowledge, and mere motion, for the due encouragement of settling a new plant- ation within our said province, by and with the advice of our trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., our governor and commander- in-chief of our said province of New-Hampshire in New-England, and of our council of the said prov- ince, have, upon the conditions and reservations hereinafter made, given and granted, and by these presents for us, our heirs and successors, do give and grant in equal shares unto our loving subjects, inhabitants of our said province of New-Hamp- shire, and our other governments, and to their heirs and assigns forever, whose names are entered on this grant, to be divided to and amongst them
29
CHARTER.
into seventy-two equal shares: all that tract or parcel of land, situate, lying and being within our said province of New-Hampshire, containing by admeasurement twenty-two thousand acres, which tract is to contain almost six miles square and no more; out of which an allowance is to be made for highways and unimproved lands, by rocks, ponds, mountains and rivers, one thousand and forty acres free ; according to a plan and survey thereof, made by our said governor's order, and returned into the secretary's office, and hereunto annexed, butted and bounded as · follows, viz .: Beginning at the north-westerly corner of Rumney, thence running north twenty- four degrees east, five miles and three quarters of a mile; thence turning off and running north fifty-eight degrees west, six miles and one half mile, to the south-easterly corner of Haverhill ; thence south twenty degrees west five miles and three quarters of a mile, then turning off again, and runs south fifty-nine degrees east six miles, to the corner of Rumney begun at ; and that the same be and hereby is incorporated into a township by the name of Warren; and the in- habitants that do or shall hereafter inhabit the said township, are hereby declared to be enfran- chised with, and entitled to, all and every privi- lege and immunities that other towns within our province by law exercise and enjoy ; and,
30
HISTORY OF WARREN.
further, that the said town, as soon as there shall be fifty families resident and settled thereon, shall have the liberty of holding two fairs, one of which shall be holden on the
and the other on the
annually ;
which fairs are not to be continued longer than following the said
the respective ; and that as soon as the said town
shall consist of fifty families, a market may be opened and kept one or more days in each week, as may be thought most advantageous to the inhabitants ; also, that the first meeting for the choice of town officers, agreeable to the laws of our said province, shall be held on the second Wednesday of February next, which said meet- ing shall be notified by John Page, Esq., who is hereby also appointed the moderator of the said first meeting, which he is to notify and govern, agreeable to the laws and customs of our said province ; and that the annual meeting forever hereafter, for the choice of such officers for the said town, shall be on the first Wednesday of March, annually : to have and to hold the said tract of land, as above expressed, together with all privileges and appurtenances, to them and their respective heirs and assigns forever, upon the following conditions, viz. :
Ist. That every grantee, his heirs or assigns, shall plant and cultivate five acres of land within
31
CHARTER.
the term of five years, for every fifty acres con- tained in his or their share or proportion of land in said township, and continue to improve and settle the same by additional cultivation, on penalty of the forfeiture of his grant or share in the said township, and of its reverting to us, our heirs and successors, to be by us or them re-granted to such of our subjects as shall effectually settle and cultivate the same.
2d. That all white or other pine trees within the said township, fit for masting our royal navy, be carefully preserved for that use; and none be cut or felled without our special licence for so doing, first had and obtained ; upon the pen- alty of the forfeiture of the right of such grantee, his heirs and assigns, to us, our heirs and successors, as well as being subject to the penalty of any act or acts of Parliament that now are or hereafter shall be enacted.
3d. That before any division of the land be made to and among the grantees, a tract of land as near the centre of the said township as the land will admit of, shall be reserved and marked out for town lots, one of which shall be alloted to each grantee, of the contents of one acre.
4th. Yielding and paying therefor, to us, our heirs and successors, for the space of ten years, to be computed from the date hereof, the rent of one ear of Indian corn only, on the twenty-
32
HISTORY OF WARREN.
fifth day of December annually, if lawfully de- manded ; the first payment to be made on the twenty-fifth day of December, 1763.
5th. Every proprietor, settler or inhabitant, shall yield and pay unto us, our heirs and suc- cessors, yearly, and for every year forever, from and after the expiration of ten years after the abovesaid twenty-fifth day of December, namely, on the twenty-fifth day of December, which will be in the year of our Lord 1773, one shilling, proclamation money, for every hundred acres he so owns, settles or possesses, and so in proportion for a greater or less tract of the said land, which money shall be paid by the respective persons abovesaid, their heirs or assigns, in our council chamber, in Portsmouth, or to such officer or officers as shall be appointed to receive the same, and this to be in lieu of all other rents and ser- vices whatever.
In testimony whereof we have caused the seal of our said province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Benning Wentworth, Esq., our governor and commander-in-chief of our said province, the 14th day of July, in the year of our Lord Christ, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, and in the third year of our reign.
L. S.
B. WENTWORTH.
By His Excellency's command, with advice of Council.
T. ATKINSON, jun., Secretary.
33
GRANTEES OF WARREN.
Province of New-Hampshire, January 28th, 1764. Record- ed in the book of charters, No. 3, page 78, 79. T. ATKINSON, JUN., Secretary.
THE NAMES OF THE GRANTEES OF WARREN.
John Page, Esq.,
Ebenezer Morrill,
Philip Tilton,
Jona. Greely, Esq.,
Trueworthy Ladd,
Nathaniel Fifield,
James Graves, William Whitcher,
Andrew Greely,
Joseph Blanchard, Esq.,Ebenezer Collins, Jacob Currier,
Capt. John Hazen,
Ebenezer Page,
Samuel Dudley,
Ephraim Brown,
Samuel Page,
Joseph Tilton,
Joseph Whitcher,
Moses Page,
Francis Batchelder,
Reuben French,
John Page, jun.,
Joseph Greely,
Samuel Osgood,
Ephraim Page,
John Batchelder,
Thomas True,
Enoch Page,
Jacob Gale,
David Clough,
Benj. French, jun.,
Abraham Morrill,
Daniel Page,
Aaron Clough, jun.,
Jeremy Webster,
Joseph Page,
Silas Newel,
Belcher Dole,
David Morrill,
Reuben True,
Nathaniel Currier,
Nathaniel Barrel,
Stephen Webster,
Benj. Clough,
Samuel Graves,
John Darling,
Henry Morrill,
John Marsh,
Capt. John Parker,
Jacob Hook, Esq., Josiah Bartlett,
Moses Greely, of Salis- bury,
Enoch Chase,
Peter Coffin, jun., Andrew Wiggin, Esq.,
Lemuel Stevens, William Parker, jr. Esq. James Nevins, Esq.,
Abel Davis,
Ebenezer Stevens, Esq., Capt. Thomas Pierce.
Capt. George Marsh,
Dier Hook,
The Hon. Theodore At- kinson, jun.,
Jona. Greely,
His Excellency Benning Wentworth, a tract of land, to contain five hundred acres, as marked B. W. on the plan, which is to be accounted two of the within shares. One whole share for the incorporated society for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts. One share for a glebe for the church of England, as by law established. One share for the first settled minister, and one 3
34
HISTORY OF WARREN.
share for the benefit of a school in said town forever.
Province of New-Hampshire, Jan. 28th, 1764.
Recorded in the book of charters, No. 3, page 80. T. ATKINSON, JUN., Secretary.
At the first meeting of the proprietors, holden at the inn of Col. Jonathan Greely, in Kingston, N. H., agreeable to a provision of the charter for the same, Jeremy Webster was chosen clerk ; Jeremy Webster, Col. Jonathan Greely and Lieut. James Graves were chosen Selectmen. After transacting some other business of minor importance, the meeting was adjourned without taking any measures for the settlement of the town. But another meeting was immediately called, and was holden at the same place, on the seventh of March, 1764, and a committee cho- sen, consisting of John Page, Esq., Lieut. James Graves, Col. Jonathan Greely, Capt. John Hazen, and Capt. Stephen Webster, to run the line round about the township.
A part of this committee came to Warren in the year 1764 or 1765, and fulfilled the duty for which they were chosen. At that time they came into a dense wilderness. There was no road, and above Plymouth not even as much as a spotted line of trees for them to follow. They carried their provision upon their backs, in knap- sacks, and when night came on kindled a fire
35
JOSEPH PATCH.
and laid down beside it to sleep, with nothing for a covering but the blue firmament, out of which shone the rays of the twinkling stars and the pale light of the moon. If it happened to rain, each peeled the bark from some large spruce or hemlock, and enveloping themselves with it, laid down upon some dry knoll, where. the water would more easily run off.
1138975
They found the north-west corner of Rumney, and commenced and marked the trees in course about the whole town. While doing this, and when they were on the south line, they took oc- casion to pass up the river and view the land, after which they finished the line, and returned to their homes in Kingston. For their services, Jeremy Webster, Col. Jonathan Greely and John Page, received, by a vote of the proprietors, at a meeting held in October, 1765, at the inn of Col. Jonathan Greely, the sum of sixty-four dollars. At the same meeting, Col. Ebenezer Stevens, Col. Jonathan Greely, Jacob Hook, Esq., Samuel Page, Joshua Page, jun., John Page, Esq., and Capt. Ephraim Brown, were chosen a committee to see to clearing a public road through the town. This committee proceeded to the business for which they were chosen, but did not finish it; conse- quently the proprietors, at an after meeting, chose another committee to finish the clearing of the road. Before this committee had commenced
36
HISTORY OF WARREN.
their operations, which was in the spring of 1767, the first settler of Warren took up his residence in town.
Mr. Joseph Patch, from Hollis, N. H., a young man of strong constitution, and almost passion- ately fond of the solitary wilds of the wilderness, had several times traversed this section of the country in hunting excursions. In this vicinity to a greater extent than in many others, moose, deer, and other game abounded in the recesses of the heavy forest growth, while the rapid, gliding mountain streams were filled with the speckled trout and golden salmon. This, and the fineness of the land, induced him to lo- cate his residence in the valley of Baker river, near the foot of Carr and Moosehillock moun- tains. He chose the land now owned by Mr. William Clough, and built his cabin near Mr. Clough's house, upon the opposite side of. the road, near the bank of Hurricane brook. The place where he dug his cellar, the old pine stump on which he built his stone oven, and the first apple tree which he planted, are still to be seen.
If we will go back eighty-seven years, if we wish we shall see him an inhabitant of one of those rude cabins that were then thinly scat- tered through the wilderness. We observe him felling the forest, or tilling the soil which had never been touched by white hands before.
1
37
MR. MILLS.
There will be found around his cabin unbroken silence, save when the stroke of the axe awakens the echo, or the howl of the wolf disturbs the dull ear of midnight. Weeks come and go, and no one is here for a companion, save when a few solitary individuals, passing by on their journey to other settlements, or the committee for clear- ing the road, are in town. Winter comes, but still we find him alone, with nothing to break the dull, monotonous solitude, but the excitement of the chase, when he hunts the heavy moose and nimble deer. But spring comes at last, bringing its beautiful flowers and fresh green leaves, and also cheering neighbors.
The proprietors this spring voted to give to each individual who should settle in town prior to October 1st, 1768, fifty acres of land and six pounds in money, or one hundred acres of land without the money. The proprietors also chose another committee to finish clearing the road. This committee was also to lay out twenty-five lots of land, in such places as they thought proper, and that each family who should settle agreeable to the said proposition should have one of the lots; that the first settler take the first choice, and so each in their order.
These offers had the desired effect to induce individuals to settle the town. Before this, the proprietors had offered little or no inducement
·
38
HISTORY OF WARREN.
for settlement ; and, consequently, as other pro- prietors had been much more liberal to first set- tlers, this town was not in so forward a state of settlement as others around, and the reason of the proprietors offering the above bounties was that they were in danger of forfeiting their char- ter by not fulfilling the requirements of the same.
The first settlers in the spring of 1768 were Mr. Mills and his family, from Portsmouth, N. H. They traveled on horseback, as did all the first settlers, and in this way transported their house- hold effects, of which it may be imagined there was no inconsiderable variety and quantity. In- deed, the state of the roads would admit of no other mode of conveyance, for they were noth- ing more than marked ways, with the fallen trunks of trees chopped off and rolled from the path.
Mr. Mills, having the first choice of the lots of land laid out by the committee, chose the second one north of the lot where Mr. Patch located himself, and which is now owned by Mr. Augustus K. Eaton. He built his cabin a few rods north of the dwelling where Mr. Eaton now resides. It was a frail habitation, but it served for a shel- ter during the summer. Upon one side he built a stone fire-place, and a chimney of small sticks and mud. As he could bring no very heavy articles of household furniture, he was under the
39
EARLY SETTLERS.
necessity of constructing a few. He made a table by splitting a large ash tree into several thin pieces, smoothing them with an axe, and then pinned them, side by side, to two other pieces, which ran in an opposite direction in the form of cleats. This he fastened to one side of the cabin, supporting it with small posts driven into the ground. But he had a more novel mode of making chairs, and it was generally practiced by the first settlers. The top of a spruce or fir tree was procured, upon which several limbs were growing; this was split through the middle, the' limbs cut off the proper length, and after smoothing to suit the fancy, the chair was com- pleted. These were durable chairs, and the in- stances were rare in which it became necessary to send them to the cabinet-maker for repairs, especially to have their legs glued in. Bedsteads were made by boring two holes into the walls of the cabin, about four feet apart. In these were driven two sapling poles, the other ends of which were supported by posts. For cords, elm bark was used. All the other household utensils which they needed were made in the same rough man- ner.
After finishing his rough cabin, he immediately commenced to clear the land around. Upon the brook now known as Patch brook, which runs through the place, was a meadow of considerable
40
HISTORY OF WARREN.
size, formed by the beavers flowing it for a pond. Here a large quantity of grass grew wild, and he improved his opportunity of harvesting it for use the ensuing winter. Several other individ- uals came into town and settled during the season.
Mr. John Aiken settled upon the place now occupied by George Bixby; he built his cabin east from the railroad depots. Mr. Aiken lived upon the place until 1776, when it was proved that he had not a good title to his land, and be- ing dispossessed of it, he moved to Wentworth.
Joshua Copp, Esq., from Hampstead, commenc- ed on the M. P. Merrill place, and built his cabin on the old Coos road. This was the road laid out by the committee chosen by the proprietors in 1767. From the south line of the town it kept upon the west bank of Baker river till it arrived at the mouth of Black brook. Crossing this stream it followed along upon its east bank, keep- ing upon the ridge of land to the spot where the depot is now located. At this place it passed down the steep bank, traversed the land now occupied as the bed of a pond, and when it arrived where the bridge now spans the water, south of Mr. Stephen Lund's, it again crossed the stream and kept upon the west bank until it arrived nearly opposite where Esq. Weeks now resides. Here it crossed Bowl's brook, a branch of Black brook, and proceeded some distance to
41
FIRST SAW-MILL.
the eastward of the old Coos turnpike, before winding up the hill long known as the Height of Land.
At the time of Mr. Copp's settlement the in- terval, upon which are now located those three beautiful farms, owned respectively by James M. Williams, E. R. Weeks, Esq., and Col. Charles Lane, was one large meadow, formed by the beavers. Here, in some places, where it had not grown up to alders, the grass grew spontaneously and in great abundance, and Mr. Copp cut and stacked a large quantity, and with his neighbors drew it away upon hand-sleds the ensuing win- ter.
Mr. Ephraim True settled upon the place where Mr. Ira Libbey now lives, and erected his cabin a short distance from Mr. Aiken's.
The first settlers suffered much for the want of roads, bridges and mills. They had to go to Haverhill and Plymouth for their provision, and not unfrequently would travel to Haverhill and bring home upon their backs a bushel to a bushel and a half of meal, for the road at that time was almost impassable for a horse. The ensuing spring two settlers moved into town.
John Whitcher settled on the place where John Whitcher now lives. He was born in Salis- bury, June 19, 1749, and married Sarah Marston. John Morrill commenced on the place now 3*
42
HISTORY OF WARREN.
owned by Mr. Otinatus Simpson, of Wentworth. In a few years he sold his place to Mr. Joseph Kimball, and commenced upon another in a dif- ferent portion of the town.
For the erection of a saw-mill to supply the inhabitants with boards, the proprietors the pres- ent year paid Mr. Joshua Copp a bounty of thirty pounds. The mill was built upon the stream known as Black brook, and was situated about one third of a mile below Esq. Copp's house, on the road that leads from Mr. Ezra W. Keyes' to Mr. Stephen Lund's, and was the only saw-mill in town for many years.
Here the first settlers hauled their timber, which was very plenty, and considered by them of very little value, and soon, instead of their rude log cabins, which were almost akin to the wild Indians' wigwams, they had comfortable dwelling houses for those times. Of these we have a few remaining amongst us, silent moni- tors of the past. One of these stands just at the foot of that steep hill known as the Blue Ridge, and is probably the oldest framed dwell- ing house in town. This was the dwelling built and occupied by Mr. Joshua Copp, and formerly stood a quarter of a mile west of its present location, near the spot where he first erected his humble cabin. The first and the oldest framed building in town stands near the house occupied
·
43
SECOND CHARTER.
by Mr. Joseph Homan, and is used by him as a barn. It was erected by Mr. Joseph Patch, upon the place now occupied by Jonathan M. Eaton, and near the place where he first settled.
This year the proprietors petitioned Gov. Wentworth for a new charter, as, according to the conditions of the one they now had, they had incurred the penalty of a forfeiture.
In 1770 Gov. Wentworth, after being well paid by the proprietors, granted them another; they, the proprietors, having set forth that in the sur- veying and plotting the said township a mistake was made which deprived them of a considerable part of the land granted, by its interfering with other grants; and they also representing the dif- ficulties they had encountered in cutting the roads for the transportation of provisions and other necessaries for its settlement and cultiva- tion. The new charter contained the same con- ditions, reservations and duties as expressed in the original charter, and the penalty of forfeiture which the grantees had incurred, was suspended, and they had four more years from the date of the second charter to fulfil their contracts in rela- tion to the settlement of the town.
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