USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Wilton > History of the town of Wilton, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, with a genealogical register > Part 17
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The county judges, Hon. Jacob Whittemore of Antrim and Hon. Jesse Carr of Goffstown, at that time had the superintendence of all matters relating to the county paupers. For the purpose of lessening the expenses to the county of maintaining the paupers, in the latter part of the year 1849, they purchased of Noyes Poor, Esq., of Goffstown, a farm for which was paid $10,000. In Febru- ary, 1850, the judges notified the several towns that the establish- ment was ready to receive paupers. The first report of the justices was dated September 3, 1850, the institution having been occupied about six months. During that time there had been 176 paupers at the farm, 88 having been the largest number at any one time, and 77 being the average number. From the same report we obtain the following :
Paid for repairing and titting up the buildings. 483 73 Paid for stock, farming tools and furniture. 1,678 91
Cost of farm, 10,000 00
Total outlay. $12.162 64
At the session of the Legislature of 1851, the representatives of Hillsborough County met in convention for the purpose of examin- ing the financial affairs of the county, and the following resolve was passed :
Resolved, that Jonathan D. Clement, of Weare, be and is hereby ap- pointed in behalf of this convention to make examination into. and thor- oughly investigate. the financial affairs of the county for the last five years. and to make and report to the next county convention a general statement of the affairs of each of said years, and a full and particular statement of said affairs in detail. for each of the two last years, and that said Clement have power to send for persous and papers in making said investigation : which resolution, having been considered by the conven- tion, was, on motion, adopted by a unanimous vote.
Mr. Clement submitted his report to the convention of repre- sentatives of Hillsborough County at the session held in June,
Increase Inannor Lemoon
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THE COUNTY POOR FARM.
1852. From that report we obtain the following statement of the expense of the county for paupers for the years named in the report :
Paid in fiscal year ending April. 1847, ..
..
1848, 1849,
.. 1850,
$ 9.710 66 10,030 01 12,660 31
14,073 47
1851. 85,048 80
Paid for support of county farm same year. 5.122 93
10,171 73
The law passed by the Legislature in 1855, remodelling the ju- diciary, abolished the offices of county justice and road commis- sioners, and created the office of county commissioners, with the duties and powers previously belonging to county justices and road commissioners.
. The report of the commissioners. dated December, 1857, gives the expenses for paupers, during the previous year, as follows :
At the county farm. $4,546 33
Paid to towns for support of county paupers, 5.544 73 To pay special contracts, New Hampshire Asylum, &c., 614 32
$10,705 38
Whole number of paupers at the farm, 281: average number, 1043 ; number of weeks' board of paupers, 5,434.
The Legislature in 1860 or 1861 passed a law making void all. settlements gained prior to 1840, which threw the support of most of the paupers upon the county and caused the sale of the town farms, on which paupers had been previously supported.
Late in the year 1866 the buildings at the farm in Goffstown, with the exception of the barn, stable and corn-barn, were destroyed by fire.
The representatives of the towns of Hillsborough County, in con- vention at Manchester, in January, 1867, instructed the county commissioners to sell the County Poor Farm at Goffstown, and such parts of the personal property connected with the farm as they deemed advisable, and authorized them to purchase the Whiting farm in Wilton, at an expense not exceeding the sum of $12,500. and to erect such buildings thereon as might be necessary for the accommodation of the county, at an expense not exceeding $10,000.
The county took possession of the farm April 1st, 1867, and a suitable building was erected of wooden material. eighty-two by forty feet, three stories high, with a cellar under the whole having a cemented bottom. The farm, proper, contains 436 acres, and is bounded on the west by Temple, while the north line is one-half of
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HISTORY OF WILTON.
a mile from the south line of Lyndeborough. It also includes a lot of 100 acres, situated northeasterly from the buildings, which is bounded on the north by the Lyndeborough line. Since the farm · was purchased by the county, the expenditure for building, includ- ing the cost of boiler-house and boilers, has exceeded $20,000. In 1884 a wind-mill, with the necessary apparatus for raising water to the buildings, was put in at a cost of $521. The method was suc- cessful.
A number of years since, the establishment was made a County House of Correction, which adds to the number of those that are able to work. While Captain Bumpus was the superintendent, twelve acres of the pasture west of the buildings towards the inter- val were cleared of rocks; and since the present superintendent, Mr. Charles A. Stiles, has had charge, twenty acres north of the buildings and ten acres east of the road have been cleared of rocks, which with two acres begun, but not finished, will make forty- four acres changed from rough pasture to smooth fields. The old walls have also been cleared off, making but one field on the west side of the road. On the southerly part of the farm is a large or- chard of Baldwin apple trees, from which, in 1883, were taken twelve hundred barrels of marketable apples.
We extract from the report for 1873 the following statistics :
Number at the almshouse January 1. 1872. 108; admitted during the year, 146; deaths during the year, 11 : weekly average of inmates during the year, 118; number at the almshouse January 1. 1873. 120. Of the one hundred and forty-six admitted during the year. twenty-nine were seu- tenced to the house of correction.
Cost of support of paupers at the farm, . $9,287 80 Paid for support of panpers away from the farm. 5,791 52
Total cost of supporting paupers from Jan. 1. 1872. to Jan. 1. 1873. . .
$15,079 32
From the report for the year ending April 30th, 1884, we take the following statistics :
Number at the almshouse May 1. 1883. 244: admitted to May 1. 1884, 253 : discharged to May 1. 1884. 243: supported and partially supported. 497 ; births. 11 : deaths. 27: weekly average of immates during the year. 266; number at the almshouse May 1, 1884, 254.
Cost of support of pauper- at the almshouse. . $23,430 45 Paid for support of paupers in towns and cities. 13,673 12
Total cost of supporting paupers from May 1, 1883, to May 1, 1884. .
$37,103 57
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THE COUNTY POOR FARM.
Rev. I. S. Lincoln, former pastor of the Unitarian Church, says :
Since the establishment of the County Farm in this town in 1868, there have been officially connected with it two very able and successful super- intendents, with their cooperating wives; namely, Captain G. G. Bum- yus and C. A. Stiles, Esq. There have been also three chaplains, two of whom were worthy Baptist preachers. One, the Rev. S. C. Fletcher, was my predecessor, and the other, the Rev. George Trow, is my success- or and the present incumbent. Myself, a Unitarian preacher, held the office of chaplain for ten years, more than half the time. The following is my closing report for the year ending April 30, 1883 :
CHAPLAIN'S REPORT.
To the Honorable Commissioners of Hillsborough County.
GENTLEMEN :- I have the honor to report that my official duties at the County Home have been the past year performed with increasing inter- est; both the officers and inmates of the institution have manifested a most kindly interest in my appropriate work as their chaplain, and also because I feel quite sure that my official influence has a direct bearing on the best interests of humanity. The Christian religion, which it is my duty and highest pleasure to preach and practise, is the Divine charter that guarantees to all beings their rights and true interests. And this fact furnishes the most searching test of genuine religion, hence an emi- nent elergyman onee said "that person's religion is worthless whose dog and eat are not better for it." Solomon. in his wisdom, has truly said " 1 . righteous man regardeth the life of his beast." If this is characteristic of a righteous man to kindly treat animals, how much more readily will he so treat all classes of human beings? For our Savior says on this point. "How much better is a man than a sheep." Now this religion. this Christian principle and spirit. are needed everywhere. but very specially in almshouses and reformatory institutions ; needed as a governing spirit. in the hearts of all concerned in the management of those establishments ; for these are the strong ones, clothed with power over their weak depend- ents. Without this guiding spirit, or without the restraint of civil law or eireumstances, their weak dependents are liable to suffer from an invasion of their rights and a disregard of their true interests.' These institutions are built, or should be, in the interests both of the inmates and the com- munity. In these institutions the poor, the diseased, the insane, ignorant, homeless children and criminals find a temporary home. where provision is made to meet their needs. Here certain classes of criminals are sent for a limited time ; such establishments should be made. as far as possi- ble, homes of reform, that, under certain influence, they may, through re- pentanee and reformation, lay aside all their bad habits and form all those good ones that shall fit them to be good citizens, so that when their sen- tence expires they may not return to the dens of iniquity from which they came, only relieved of certain physical burdens brought with them, or cured of disease at the public expense. No, these institutions should be made reformatory under the application of Christian influence to far
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HISTORY OF WILTON.
greater extent than what they are. This is essential to the highest well- being of all classes of the community. These institutions should be so pervaded and controlled by Christian inthences, felt and yielded to, that the angels of earth and the angels of Heaven shall here have abundant occasion to rejoice over the repentance of sinners. In conclusion. let me say that I have not been led into the preceding trains of thought by way of criticizing this institution, but because I have recently learned that some other institutions of a similar character are open to very sovere crit- icism on account of the manner in which they are managed. From the bad examples of others similarly situated with ourselves, it is well for u- to take warning and thus shun evil. The oldl maxim still holds good : " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."
Respectfully submitted.
1. SUMNER LINCOLN. Chaplain.
REPORT OF C. A. STILES, SUPERINTENDENT. AUGUST. 1887.
Insane. $7 : pauper -. 319: criminals. 32: children. 63: those in school. 35: the teacher. Alice Green. The expenses of the establishment are $20,000 annually. Chaplain. Rev. D. Donovan. The productions of the farm in 1887 were 140 tons of hay. 35 acres of hoed crops. of ensilage corn. 12 acres, potatoes. 123. 3 acres sweet corn. 2 acres cabbages. 3 acres garden truck, &c. ; 70 horned cattle, 8 horses. 100 hogs, 100 hens.
INSANITY.
Comparatively few instances of insanity or idiotism have occurred in town during its long history of a century and a half. Contrary to the usual opinion among scientific men. that the farmer population are peculiarly subject to mental aberration. the experience of our little commonwealth proves that no class is less liable to this ca- lamity than the hardy sons of the soil. Mrs. Alvah Russell, Israel Holt. Abner Flint. Simon Sheldon. Mrs. Joseph B. Howard, Alvin Avery, Mrs. Taylor and Joseph Melendy. Jr., are the principal names that occur in this connection. In some instances the de- rangement was only temporary, and soon yielded to proper hospital treatment. There have been some other cases of mental disorder, but these are the prominent ones.
The Asylum for the Insane at Concord. erected under the inspi- ration and zeal of Miss Dorothea L. Dix. lately deceased. is open to the unfortunate. The pauper insane of the county are placed at the county farm in Wilton.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.
In the time of our fathers whipping was a common punishment for minor offences, such as petty larceny, and assault and battery. Public sentiment, however, in process of time has revolted against its brutality, and it is now inflicted in but few communities. The cat-o'-nine-tails has been thought, in this country and in England, to be the proper infliction for that contemptible class of criminals called wife-beaters, and in some states of the Union the whipping- post has been reestablished. In general, however, cruelty begets ermelty, and barbarous punishments do more to harden than to re- form the transgressor. Probably to prohibit liquor-making and liquor-selling would do more to diminish crime than the enforce- ment of the severest laws.
At the county court held in Amherst in October, 1771, Jonas Stepleton was sentenced to be whipped twenty stripes on the naked back for theft, and to pay a fine of ť44, or ten-fokl the value of the goods stolen and the costs of court, or, in default of payment, to be sold as a slave for seven years. An oak on the Wilton common was in the early times the whipping-post. A culprit, condemned to undergo this punishment for stealing clothes hung out to dry, made his shrieks heard across the valley a mile away. An old lady re- lates that at a later period a whipping-post, eight or ten feet high, stood at the southeast corner of the common. Here justice was ad- ministered on violators of the law and disturbers of the peace of the community. The same post was also used as a bulletin board for public notices.
The worst crimes have been very rare in the history of our town. Instances of graves being robbed occurred at one time many years ago, but the offenders could not be identified, though certain individuals were suspected of being guilty. A detective agent was
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HISTORY OF WILTON.
employed, but no arrests were made, and the criminals were never brought to justice. In 1865 a supposed horse thief, passing through town, was arrested and indieted under the name of W. J. Hunter, alias George Brown, but the evidence was not sufficient to convict him, and he was discharged. Some years ago an altercation took place on the public street in East Wilton on Sunday, in which Thomas Broderick of Milford struck a man by the name of Doyle on the head with the edge of a board. Doyle fell and died in a few minutes. Broderick was convicted of manslaughter, and sen- tenced to the State Prison for a term of years. After about one year's imprisonment he was pardoned by the Governor on a petition signed by a large number of the citizens of Milford. About the year 1868 two young men, named Newgent and Howard, commit- ted several burglaries in East Wilton and were arrested in Peter- borough. They were tried, convicted and sentenced to the State Prison for three years. Less than a month elapsed between their crime and their sentence. About the year 1870 a man by the name of Barry was convicted of committing a burglary in East Wil- ton, and sentenced to the State Prison for two or three years.
But the greatest shock ever given to the public morals and the honorable repute of the town was by the repeated crimes and the execution of Elwin W. Major. Major was a native of Goffstown and about thirty years old. He had removed with his parents at five years of age to Randolph, Vermont, thence went to Manchester, New Hampshire, when nineteen years old, and worked there for some time, and then removed to Iowa. He returned east, worked for a time in Goffstown. then went to Wilton to work in a mill and cabinet shop. Afterwards he worked on a farm, and married the daughter of the proprietor, and lived in Wilton Centre. On the 20th of December, 1874. his wife. Mrs. Ida Major. was taken sud- denly and violently ill, and on the evening of the same day she died. She was buried, but her sudden and strange death, coupled with other circumstances, awakened strong suspicions of foul play, and led the town authorities to investigate the case. The result was clear ; strychnine had been purchased and administered and was the undoubted cause of death. Further investigation led to the strong belief that Major had been guilty of several other murders. He was arrested and imprisoned, and after two trials he was convicted of murder by the court, and sentenced to be hung. He was trans- ferred from the county jail to the State Prison at Concord, and on January 5, 1875, was executed, protesting his innocence to the last.
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CRIME AND PUNISHMENT.
Some attempts at burglary in East Wilton have occurred, which have been prevented by the timely interference or resistance of the citizens. George Peacock in 1878 or 1879 was convicted of burg- lary and sentenced to the State Prison for three years, but after one year's imprisonment he was pardoned out by the Governor on petition.
The old meeting-house was destroyed by fire, and investigation resulted in the belief that it was the work of an incendiary. But there was not sufficient evidence to produce conviction at law, and no arrests were made.
So far as is known none of the above criminals were natives of Wilton. If this chapter of the history is short, therefore, it speaks well for the morality and intelligence of the town, and of the sur- rounding community.
CHAPTER XIX.
FIRES, FLOODS AND CASUALTIES.
Wilton has not escaped the destroyers which attack our modern civilization. Her losses by fire. especially, have been comparative- ly very great. Besides the destruction of single houses, barns, or mills, in the three notable instances, in 1874, 1881 and 1885, ex- tensive conflagrations have swept over the business centre of the East village, laying waste the principal stores and public buildings. But the sufferers have uniformly rallied with fresh courage and en- ergy to repair their losses, and have rendered the place more bean- tiful than before. New stores and dwellings have filled the vacant lots, and a substantial and elegant Town House now occupies the site of the once spacious Whiting House, destroyed by fire.
But it has become a serious question how the ravages by fire can he stayed. We have exhausted all the appliances and inventions of modern times to arrest the fearful devastation. such as steam fire engines, paid fire departments, fire extinguishers, hydrants. fire signals. but millions upon millions of property and scores of lives are destroyed every year in our land. This waste of society is alone sufficient to account for much of our poverty and misery. It partially explains why the average gain per capita is so slow, not- withstanding the immense enterprise and industry of the American people. A more efficient cure for this evil must probably be sought, not so much in improved methods of putting out fires, as in im- proved methods of constructing buildings which shall prevent them, or. at least, shall greatly retard the progress of flames. He will be a true benefactor to society who shall devise and introduce a mode of building reasonably secure against fire and not too costly to be generally adopted.
.
orge Brown
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FIRES, FLOODS AND CASUALTIES.
FIRES.
The following buildings have been burned : Hezekiah Hamblet's house on the west side of the road southeast of Abiel Flint's house : James Dascomb's barn. 1774, on the south side of the road north- east of Mrs. Francis Whiting's buildings ; Uriah Smith's grist mill and clothing mill, 1781 or 1782, near the site of Samuel Smith's knob shop ; a school house near where Mrs. Henry Newell's house now stands : Deacon John Flint's house, April, 1810, northeast of Mrs. Charles White's barn : Colonel Dascomb's shop, March 21, 1829 ; John Parker's house, May, 1833; the factory of the Wilton Company, February, 1839 : J. Newell's first store in East Wilton : Deacon Ezra Abbot's house, 1840 ; Deacon William Sheldon's shop and dry house at West Wilton, 18444; second fire, July 21, 1864 ; Theron Russell's house, John F. Russell's house, Joseph Holt's house, the Batehelder house on the hill east of Joseph W. Stiles's, David Whiting's Barrett house, Henry Putnam's house and Mrs. Charles Howard's house and barn ; Abiel Fisk's cider mill, farming tools and grain, May, 1853 : Jonathan Snow's house, 1853.
The old meeting-house at the Centre, the second built in town, was burned December 8, 1859. A juvenile concert had taken place the same evening. The fire was generally believed to be set by an incendiary, and it broke out about midnight. . "Our holy and bean- tiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, was burned up with fire, and all our pleasant things were laid waste." The following buildings were burned at different times : Mrs. Chandler's house, opposite Gardner Blanchard's ; Stock's house, in which two children were burned : Nahum Child's building, where the butter factory now stands: the factory of the Wilton Company, March, 1872 ; Peter II. Putnam's store-house ; W. P. Duncklee's shop, on the site where C. A. & H. L. Emerson's shop stands ; Spalding's cooper-shop : John Herlihey's house : Freeman's mill, built and for- merly owned by Philip Putnam ; Mrs. O'Neil's house and barn, 1873.
On December 2, 1874, a destructive conflagration swept over the principal street of East Wilton. Beginning at a store and dwell- ing, it laid in ashes Masonic Hall, the Public Library, Whiting's Hotel, stores, houses and other buildings. The cause of the fire was supposed to be the spontaneous combustion of oil and painters' rags. The loss amounted to about $105,800, the insurance to $55.000. J. Newell's and S. N. Center's buildings were burned
186
HISTORY OF WILTON.
March 15, 1876 ; JJohn H. Frye's stable, opposite the depot, and Jeremiah Driscoll's house and barn in 1879.
On January 20, 1881, East Wilton had a second great fire, de- stroying many of the newly erected buildings, Masonic Hall, the Bank, the Public Library, and houses and stores along the most thiekly settled part of Main Street on the same site as that of the great fire of 1874. The losses were estimated at $50,000, and the insurance at about $30,000. In 1882 the Goss Mills, formerly the French Mills, were burned ; on June 27. 1883, Harvey A. Whiting's barn and in the same year his house.
But these misfortunes were not to be the last, as will be seen by the following extract from the Wilton Journal of December 8, 1885 :
Wednesday evening. December 2, 1885. will long be remembered as a most unfortunate one for this enterprising New Hampshire village. Though accustomed to a certain extent to reverses of this nature, the cou- flagration of last week will long leave its dreadful impress upon the busi- ness interests of the town of Wilton. For the fourth time a portion of the business street has been laid in ashes. Shortly after ten o'clock. tire was discovered in S. A. Spalding's meat market. in the office located in the rear of the market. limmediately the alarm was given and the whole town was aroused. The firemen responded quickly, but there was some delay in getting a stream of water on the fire, and ere this was accom- plished the fire had gained such headway that it was evident that it could not be subdued. The buildings being constructed of wood. the fire was quickly communicated to the blocks on either side, and soon all adjoining buildings were a mass of flames. To stay the progress of the fiendish elements was an impossibility, of such combustible materials were the buildings composed. The firemen worked heroically ; barring the delay at the ontset, no criticism could be offered.
The tire gradually, but surely. worked westward, and soon Ring's Veg- etable Ambrosia manufactory. S. K. Foster's tin shop and the stable occupied by F. P. Kent were enveloped in flames. In the meantime Ramsay's Block, in which the fire had originated and which was occupied by S. A. Spalding and S. N. Center. 2d, was being burned to the ground. It was indeed most fortunate that no wind prevailed at the time, else the destruction would have been threefold. Several buildings were more or less endangered, and for a time the destruction of the railroad bridge seemed imminent. Aid was in consequence simoned from Nashna, and was promptly sent. but its services were not needed. the local department assisted by the Messrs. Colony's hydrants affording sufficient protection. The fire was under complete control by 12 o'clock. The loss is variously estimated, but probably $20,000 will cover the amount ; A. A. Ramsay's bnikling. loss $5000. insured for $2000; S. N. Center, 2d, groceries, loss $3500, insured for $2250: S. A. Spalding's meat market. loss $2000, in- sured for $1000; P. Ring's Ambrosia manufactory. loss 83000, insured for
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