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 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9
When the country was first settled, and its geography but little known, a certain Mr. Carr, wishing to proceed from Ellsworth to Warren, attempted to cross the mountain. At the time he left Ellsworth the sky was free from clouds, and every appearance gave sign of pleasant weather. But he had proceeded but a short dis- tance in the woods before there arose a terrific shower, common to mountainous regions, and after raining a short time, instead of clearing away, a thick fog set in, and a long rain ensuing,
123
CARR MOUNTAIN.
it did not lift itself from the mountain for three days. At the commencement of the shower Mr. Carr crept under the trunk of a large tree which had fallen across a knoll; and as it did not cease raining, but continued to fall more violently, he concluded that he should be obliged to remain in his present situation during the night. The log over his head was an immense hemlock, and peeling some of the loose bark from the trunk, he sat it with sticks of rotton wood against the sides of the tree, more effectually to shield him from the falling water. He had no means of lighting a fire ; and as he had gained a consider- able elevation, as night came on he began to feel the effects of the cool air. He had taken provi- sion enough for his dinner, but nothing more ; and as he sat, hungry and shivering, the scene to him was a solitary one. The rain, as it fell upon the large green leaves, or sifted through the evergreen boughs of the hemlock and spruce, kept up a confused, pattering, sifting noise ; and as it grew dark, he laid down and tried to sleep, listening to its doleful music. But this was al- most impossible, for as a drowse would steal upon him, some great owl overhead would scream out suddenly; and then, as its rough music died away, the other inhabitants of the forest took up the strain ; and he heard the hoarse howl of the wolf, and the long-drawn halloo of the bear,
124
HISTORY OF WARREN.
echoing from every part of the forest. Thus the night passed away-its long hours seeming like weeks, until at last the dark, misty light of morn- ing began to dawn around, and reveal the huge, gnarled trunks of the trees through the thick fog. Numb with cold, he arose and resolved to make an effort to find his way out of the woods. He started on as he thought up the mountain, and traveled until he imagined he had reached the top. He then descended until he arrived at the foot, and began to have hope that he should find the settlement ; but he was doomed to dis- appointment, for he had traveled but a short distance before he began to ascend again. He then tried to retrace his steps, but it was of no avail, and after wandering about for a long time he found himself standing upon the shore of a small pond. It still rained, and the descending drops, as they struck upon the smooth surface of the little mountain lake, made strange music for the ear of Carr. He now made up his mind, as it was near night, to remain here until the following day. He built himself a slight camp by the side of a rock, and sitting down passed a much more dreary night than the first. Cold and shivering, as he lay by the side of that sheet of water he heard the hoarse croaking of the frogs, mingling with the voices of his serenaders of the previous night ; but exhausted nature
125
MR. CARR'S ADVENTURE.
would at times overcome these difficulties, and sleep for a few moments steal upon him; but even then his anxieties would not leave him, and he would awake unrefreshed to a true sense of his situation. The night, though a long one to him, at last passed away. It had ceased raining, and although foggy, he was able to distinguish the position of the sun when it rose, and by it to learn his points of compass. Two nights had passed and he had not tasted food, and hunger was now oppressing him severely. To satisfy it he proceeded to a small stream near by, that ran from the pond, in hope that he might catch some fish ; but after a few ineffectual attempts he gave up the design, and proceeded back to the pond. As he stood looking at the water, he saw swim- ming about and hopping along the shore numer- ous frogs-his last night's serenaders. A hungry man will do almost any thing to satisfy his crav- ing appetite, and Carr, after catching and killing a number of frogs, cut them up with his knife, and made quite a meal upon the raw flesh .- Feeling now much refreshed, he resolved once more to make an attempt to find the settle- ment. Taking a westerly course, he at last again found himself upon the top of the mountain. The clouds hung thick around, making it impos- sible to distinguish any object a few feet distant ; and once more Carr found himself in a critical
126
HISTORY OF WARREN.
position. But proceeding cautiously he at last began to descend, as he believed upon the oppo- site side. For a number of hours he slowly de- scended the mountain, crossing in his course sev- eral furious torrents, until at last, reaching the level country, after traveling for some time, final- ly began to think that he should be obliged to spend another night in the woods ; but as he commenced to look around for a convenient camping place, the sharp ringing of some settler's axe greeted his ear. Instantly relinquishing his design of camping, he proceeded towards what was to him the joyful sound, and soon emerged into a recent clearing. In the centre stood a snug cabin, and he quickly found himself within its hospitable walls. Here he was generously provided for, and after somewhat recovering from his fatigue, related his adventure in the woods. Gradually the story circulated through the neigh- boring settlements, and the people gave his name to the mountain upon which his adventure hap- pened.
Upon the east side of this mountain, situated in what might be called an immense horse-shoe basin, are three small, beautiful sheets of water, called Glen ponds, two of which are in Warren, and the remaining one in Ellsworth. There is no settler within several miles of these little lakes, and the persons who visit them-as many
127
GLEN PONDS.
do to obtain from their waters the beautiful trout with which they abound -see the same appear- ances that have characterized this vicinity for ages anterior to the settlement of the country by the white man. No house or field is visible, nor no clearings upon the distant hill-side are seen. The steep mountain sides show nothing but the dark foliage of the spruce and fir, with here and there a scraggy stump peering above it. The little rill that unites the waters of the two ponds murmurs on in solitude at noonday. The low blueberry bush and the brakes grow thick upon its banks, and here the owl finds his day retreat, and at night, attracted by the bright camp-fires of fishermen by the shore, sallies forth to startle them with his loud To whoo ! To whoo ! and make their repose any thing but agreeable. Well may they be called by the name they bear,
for here is always the shaded glen. On its northern slope rises Carr brook, and not far from the head waters of this stream, from several springs situated near the summit, and more than three thousand feet above the ocean, Patch brook, receiving its name from the circumstance that Mr. Joseph Patch first erected his cabin upon its south bank, near its confluence with Hurricane brook. From its fountain it flows along for a mile or two through dark ravines, shaded still darker by the heavy growth of spruce
128
HISTORY OF WARREN.
and hemlock, among which until very recently the axe of civilized man never made an opening, -just before leaving the forest it rushes madly down several steep precipices, forming a number of beautiful cascades. This cataract in the spring of the year, when the snow is melting, or a large freshet has occurred, to fill the stream with water, is a most magnificent water-fall, and tum- bles, by a series of successive leaps, over the rocks the distance of one hundred feet. At the foot, the water, all white with foam, rushes madly around the circling eddies, as if frightened by the wild leaps it had taken. The old forest, composed of gigantic hemlocks and spruces, in- termingled with birch and maple, shuts out all but a few straggling rays of the sun, giving a twilight mildness to the scene.
From this place it flows on, a sluggish stream, receiving in its course the waters of many a sandy-rimmed spring, and at last unites with Ba- ker river near the south line of the town.
A little east of Patch brook, and situated be- tween this stream and Hurricane brook, which receives its name from the circumstance of a ter- rific whirlwind once occurring along the ravines through which it flows, and in which it forms several beautiful water-falls, is Peaked Hill .- This is a beautiful conical eminence, and its sides are covered with a fine growing wood, while its
129
PEAKED HILL.
summit is in summer a green pasture, and in winter presents a white snow cap to the forest below. A view from the top is picturesque and beautiful. Around are all the various features of nature's beauty and grandeur: the forest- crowned height, the abrupt declivity, the shel- tered valley, the deep glen, the grassy glade, the silent grove. Here are the lofty maples, the beach that wreaths its old fantastic roots so high, the rustling pine, the waving birch, and the ever- green, with its perennial shoots. Here, too, is the thick shrubbery, and the wild flower creeping up the moss-covered rocks. All around there rests a beautiful calm, disturbed only by the breeze that murmurs through the waving top of the forest, or the notes of the warbler pouring forth its joyful song. To the east we behold, towering heavenward thousands of feet above, the blue, forest-clad Mt. Carr, while on either hand are distant hills and lofty mountains. Turning and looking down a thousand feet below is seen wind- ing slowly at times, and then coursing madly along over its seemingly white, rocky bed, the sparkling waters of the Baker. Winding slowly along to unite with it are seen Patch brook and Hurricane brook, while farther off Black brook, its ponds adding lustre to the scene, and Cold brook, a tiny stream, running with a purling, joyous noise from its sandy rimmed spring, which
7
130
HISTORY OF WARREN.
gushes up so gaily from its pebbly white bottom. Along upon the sides of the old road, north and south, are seen the prosperous farm houses of the thrifty husbandmen ; the fine blue smoke, curl- ing up gracefully from the weather-beaten chim- neys; while upon a slightly elevated spur of land stands the pleasant little village, with its white cottages and sombre-hued station houses, and heavy iron track, leading to and from ; over which the huge iron horse so proudly courses. The beautiful and white painted churches upon the green, while upon its borders, casting a beau- tiful shade, are the vigorous growing maples. The busy workshops, the mills, with their musical water wheels; the opening vistas, are all before us, and we breathe amid the fresh and varied labors of men.
Leaving Peaked hill, which receives its name (although it deserves a better one) from its con- ical form, we pass through the valley of Baker river across the railroad, and that wild stream, and find ourselves upon the western hill-side from the village. Here the ground is rocky, and broad strips of stone peer out on the surface. Upon the top of a high, jutting rock, we find cut four concave holes, representing the four points of compass. How long these have been formed no one at the present time happens to know, and some date their formation back to the time of
131
TARLTON POND.
the red sons of the forest, and say they were made by the Indians. Be this as it may, they perhaps will always remain a mystery. From this point the land rises gradually to the top of Sentinel mountain, so called from its isolated position. This mountain, which is twenty-five hundred feet in height, is covered with a fertile soil, and is wooded upon its summit, while upon its sides are located many fine farms. Near the top rise two small streams. One of them, which runs south into Wentworth, is called Leathers' brook, from a man by that name who lived near it, and it is said he descended from a Gipsy tribe. The other is a branch of. Bowls' brook, which runs into Black brook, and is so called from Charles Bowls, who lived by it.
This range of mountains was termed by Dr. Dwight the Lyme range, and, as said by him, af- forded some of the most beautiful scenery to be found in this section of New Hampshire. Upon its northern slope is Tarlton pond, which lies partly in Piermont and partly in Warren, al- though much the larger portion of it is in the former town. This sheet of water is two miles in length and nearly one in bredth, and receives its name from a family by the name of Tarlton, who, in the early settling of the town, cleared a farm upon its shore. It discharges its waters through the town of Piermont into the Connect-
132
HISTORY OF WARREN.
icut river. A boat ride upon it in a summer day presents a very picturesque view. To the east is seen the towering summit of Moosehil- lock and the other dark and sombre hued moun- tains that cluster around it, while in the west Cross' hill, and further off in the distance the green, variegated sides of the far off mountains of Vermont are visible.
To the south of this pond are two others in Piermont, and between these and the first named runs the old Turnpike. Upon this road, near the height of land, a Mr. Samuel Flanders was once traveling; and as he was passing a piece of woods had his attention attracted by the cack- ling of a goose, and looking up saw an enormous wild cat, who had caught it and was now strip- ping off the feathers, preparatory to making his supper. The cat was too fond of poultry to have a prudent regard for his own safety, and Mr. Flanders not having a thought of the danger he would be in, with a large goad stick in his hand attacked the cat, and with a well directed blow stretched it upon the ground and succeeded in dispatching it.
North-east from Tarlton pond, and situated in the north part of the town, near Benton line, is Webster Slide. In viewing it from day to day one beholds its same sharp outlines and precipi- tous face, which its hard rocks have sustained
133
WEBSTER SLIDE.
since its upheaval. A view from its summit is very picturesque. On the south lies at its base a little lake, surrounded with green woods, receiv- ing the many purling rills which gush from its side and trickle over its moss-covered rocks .- Beyond, the towering summits of the eastern mountains are seen, with the valley of Baker river intervening, and in the west several sheets of water, while farther off in the distance several conical peaks of granite mountains are in full view.
In the early settlement of the town an inci- d'ent occurred upon this mountain, from which originated the name it now bears. A certain Mr.' Webster in the fall of the year was out hunt- ing for moose. He started one in Piermont, and followed him by Tarlton pond into Warren .- - Here he took an easterly course, evidently de- signing to cross over the lower ranges of moun- tains, and make for Moosehillock. When he reached the summit of what is now called Web- ster Slide, the dogs came up with him and pressed upon him so hard, that he took a southerly course upon the top of the mountain, and arrived upon the edge of the precipice without noticing the critical position in which he was placed. The dogs were close upon him, and as he turned they attacked him, and in the encounter a quantity of loose stones and earth, upon which they stood,
134
HISTORY OF WARREN.
chanced to give way, and the moose and one of the dogs were precipitated down the steep side. As Mr. Webster was following on, he met the re- maining dog returning, and with it proceeded to the place where they encountered the moose. Webster cautiously approached the edge of the precipice, and looking down saw the track of the slide. He then descended upon one of the sides which was not so steep, and following round near the base, he at last found near the foot of the mountain the dead bodies of the moose and dog.
To one travelling from place to place, every change in position presents a new scene, and there is consequently ever passing before the eye a beautiful picture, beholding which gives delight to every lover of nature's scenes. So in passing from Webster Slide to the shore of Mead- er pond, one finds himself by the side of a sheet of water, surrounded by thick woods, scarce yet disturbed by civilization. Looking across the surface of this little lake, he sees before him the sharp, precipitous face of the mountain rising up almost perpendicular out of the water. Upon the high top among the huge rocks are growing a few solitary clumps of stunted firs and spruces ; while in the numerous crannies thrive the hare- bell and blueberry bush. On either side, except a little pasture near the foot of the mountain,
135
BLACK BROOK.
is the dark, old evergreeen forest, with its huge hemlocks and spruces mingling their branches with other kinds of wood. Paddling out upon its surface one sees rising into view the tops of the distant hills and mountains, but in no direction is human habitation visible.
This is the largest sheet of water wholly with- in the town, and receives its name from Paul Meader, who settled near it. It contains about fifty acres, and it is said when first discovered its waters were destitute of fish ; they not being able to pass up Oak Falls. But this is believed by many to be a mistake, for in the short space of two years after a Mr. Heath and Mr. Johnson had put some very small ones into it, several were captured, each of which weighed from five to eight pounds.
From Meader pond runs Black brook. This stream for a short distance meanders through the heavy growth of wood ; then, flowing on in the open field until it arrives at the top of a high, precipitous bank, about three-fourths of a mile from the pond. Here, in falling down, it forms a beautiful cascade, known by the name of Oak Falls. Standing at its top, and looking down, one sees the white foaming waters beneath, shad- ed upon either side by the thick growth of wood. At the foot, two hundred feet below, stands an old mill fast falling to decay, and a little farther
136
HISTORY OF WARREN.
off is the deep railroad cut, upon the Summit. Looking up, the towering peak of Moosehillock mountain is seen, while on the right Mount Carr, with its sides covered to the top with green woods, looms up against the sky. On the left, Black mountain in Benton, and Owl Head, with its steep granite face, fills up the picture.
Here once occurred a tragical A Mr. Meader with several others were rolling logs down the steep bank near the falls. They had rolled down several during the day, and had nearly finished their work, when one of the men with the team hauled a very large one to the edge of the precipice ; some of them immediate- ly took hold to roll it off, and among them Mr. Meader. Something obstructing it, he let go, and, taking up a lever, with a hook attached, fastened it to the log. They then all lifting suc- ceeded in starting it, and then stepped back out of the way, except Mr. Meader, who, in attempt- ing to disengage his lever, stumbled, and having a firm hold of it, was thrown over in front of the log. His companions heard one unearthly scream, and, looking over, saw the huge stick thundering far down the precipice after its pred- ecessors, while Mr. Meader laid but a short dis- tance below, a mangled corpse.
From the cascade the water, after flowing a mile and a half, supplying in its course a motive
137
BLACK BROOK.
power for machinery upon its banks, assumes a sluggish, black appearance in the meadows, which formerly must have been the bed of a large pond containing a number of hundred acres, but which now comprises several beautiful farms. At the place where must have been the mouth of this now runaway pond, was built the first saw-mill ever erected in Warren. Half a mile below this it receives, in a large mill pond which it forms, a part of the water of Baker river, through a canal and an underground passage. Half a mile from this place, after turning numerous water wheels, it unites with Baker river a short distance below the village. From the blackness which has always characterized the waters of this stream, it has borne the name of Black brook since the settlement of the town.
Upon the right hand of Black brook, as one fol- lows along by its running waters, or rides after the swift steam horse from the Summit, is a large swell of land, upon which are located many excellent farms, which the owners are every year improv- ing and making more beautiful. Upon the east- ern side of this ridge runs Berry brook, which rises upon the north-west side of Moosehillock, and flows on the same level with the Oliverian, within one half a mile of that stream. They then take opposite directions-the Oliverian flow- ing west, and emptying into the Connecticut, and 7*
138
HISTORY OF WARREN.
the Berry brook south, through a large hollow, shaded by a high jutting spur of Moosehillock ; at one time meandering along in its solitude and then swiftly rushing over some rapid fall, for two or three miles, when it reaches the open country and unites with Baker river near the centre of the town.
Before the settlement of the country this stream abounded with ponds formed by the beavers' dams, and the remains of many of them are still to be seen. Here, generation after gen- eration sported in its waters or fashioned their neatly finished mud domicils. It was a secluded place, and their habitations were in but little danger of being disturbed. But as the lower section of the country grew more populous, this vicinity was considered a rich hunting ground, and numerous were the hardy individuals who traversed it. A short time before its settlement a young man by the name of Berry came to this section on such an excursion, and captured many beavers upon this stream. From this circum- stance it received its name.
There is also much other fine scenery, and beautiful rides in every direction. Hundreds of smaller eminences overlook the landscapes and views that would adorn the canvas of the paint- er, and here the seeker of pleasure and rural life finds all that can attract and charm the mind.
139
CHAPTER VII.
TOWN OFFICERS, &c.
SINCE the organization of the town by the State, it has had its board of officers regularly chosen with but very few exceptions. In the commencement, when the town contained but a few inhabitants, it classed with several other towns for representation; consequently there would sometimes many years intervene between the representation of the people of Warren by one of its own citizens. From 1800 to 1828, as the representatives were not chosen at the annual town meetings, the town clerks were negligent about recording the names of those who represented the town ; consequently some of them may possibly be omitted.
Selectmen from 1779 to 1854.
1779.
Obadiah Clement,
Joshua Copp,
Israel Stevens. 1780.
Joshua Copp,
Thomas Clark,
John Whitcher. 1781.
Joshua Copp,
Stephen Richardson. 1788.
Obadiah Clement, William Butler,
Isaiah Batchelder. 1782.
Joshua Copp,
Ephraim True, Simeon Smith, Joshua Merrill. 1783. Obadiah Clement, Joshua Merrill, William Butler. 1784. Obadiah Clement, Stevens Merrill, Samuel Knight. 1785. Obadialı Clement, Stevens Merrill,
Joseph Patch. 1786.
Joshua Copp, Stephen Richardson,
William Butler. 1787.
William Butler,
Joshua Copp,
Ephraim True,
Nathaniel Knight.
140
HISTORY OF WARREN.
1789. Nathaniel Knight, Samuel Knight, Moses Copp.
1790. Nathaniel Knight, Jonathan Merrill, Stephen Richardson, Abel Merrill.
1791. Joshua Copp, William Butler, Stephen Richardson. 1792. Ephraim True, Joseph French, Samuel Knight. 1793. Jonathan Merrill, Joseph French, Jonathan Clement.
1794. Jonathan Merrill, Thomas Boynton, Aaron Welch.
1795. Jonathan Merrill, Thomas Boynton, Joseph French. 1796. Jonathan Merrill, Abel Merrill, Elisha Swett.
1797. William Butler, Jonathan Merrill, Joseph French.
1798-99. Jonathan Merrill, Abel Merrill, Elisha Swett.
1800.
Jonathan Merrill, Ezra Bartlett, William Butler. 1801. Jonathan Merrill, Ezra Bartlett, Abel Merrill.
1802-3.
Jonathan Merrill, Abel Merrill, Elisha Swett.
1804.
Ezra Bartlett, Abel Merrill,
Elisha Swett. 1805. Abel Merrill, William Butler,
Daniel Patch.
1806. Jonathan Merrill, Daniel Patch,
Jonathan Fellows. 1807.
Abel Merrill, Joseph Patch, Elisha Swett.
1808. Joseph Patch, jr., Aaron Welch, Ebenezer Barker. 1809. Jonathan Merrill, Joseph Patch, jr., Jonathan Fellows. 1810. Jonathan Merrill, Abel Merrill, Amos Tarlton. 1811.
Abel Merrill, Joseph Patch, jr., Amos Tarlton. 1812. Jonathan Merrill, Benjamin Merrill, Joseph Merrill. 1813.
Joseph Patch, Thomas Whipple, Stephen Flanders. 1814. Jonathan Merrill, Abel Merrill, Joseph Patch, jr. 1815-16. Jonathan Merrill,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.