USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Jaffrey > Jaffrey centennial : proceedings of the centennial celebration of the one hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of Jaffrey, N.H., August 20, 1873 > Part 3
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They wanted highways. This need of facilities for intercom- munication, and for intercourse with other portions of the coun- try, must have impressed itself upon them, by the inconvenien- ces which they suffered, in a manner to assure an energetic use of their powers in this respect, - and the town incorporation, with its power to divide into districts for this purpose, and by the appropriation of money or labor, to be expended under surveyors interested to do a good work, soon rendered travel safe, and even convenient. The great rocks have disappeared, one after another, under the persevering application of the high- way tax, until the " drives " have, as you know, become very at- tractive.
The then existing modes of travel and transportation did not require roads of the most perfect construction. Chaises had not been introduced. The light Dearborn wagon had not been in- vented. The single horse had no difficulty in picking his way, and by skilful " hawing and geeing," the oxen and cart were enabled to avoid the more formidable obstructions. Personal transportation was mostly on horseback ; but the cart was made the carryall when several persons were to be conveyed. The side-saddle furnished a healthful means of locomotion for the women, and when it became necessary to ride double, the pilli- on, no longer known alas, formed a very comfortable seat for the lady. As it was necessary in order to keep the seat proper- ly, that she should pass her arm around the side of the gentle- man, this was, in some cases, a very acceptable mode of trans- portation to the junior portion of the community.
No system of general legislation could provide for all these local wants and necessities, according to the exigencies of partic- ular cases.
But the general laws enabled these small communities, acting as municipal corporations, to provide each for itself, in relation to these and other matters, according to its own views of what it needed, and what it could perform ; it being premised that it had needs upon some subjects, to some extent, and must perform to that extent, at least,-with liberty to do more, which it usually did .- Thus it must raise a certain amount of money for the sup-
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port of schools, -and might raise more if deemed expedient.
The powers and privileges which the towns possessed were not talents to be wrapped in a napkin, and buried in the earth, nor did the people belong the class of slothful and unfaithful servants who seek to escape from their duties.
There were other duties and rights attached to these incorpo- rations. The duty of supplying the needs of the aged, and in- firm, and incompetent, who were unable to supply themselves ; so that want and destitution should be alleviated, and starvation unknown, was deemed a common duty of each community, - and could best be performed by these incorporations.
Through them, also, the inhabitants were primarily to enjoy such political rights as were conceded to the people in the days of the Province, and the more extended and exalted powers which were conferred by the acquisition of Independence, the organization of the State, and the adoption of the Constitution of the United States. - All the rights of suffrage were to be ex- ercised within the town incorporation, the electors being sum- moned thereto by its warrants for such purposes. - Again, - the meetings held for these purposes gave opportunity for the full consideration and discussion of the measures required for the public good, and for the expression of the opinions of the inhab- itants respecting them. How many of the specifications of the Declaration of Independence originated in the Resolutions of the towns we cannot now know. - Although no trace may be left, we know that there must have been arguments for and against the adoption of the Constitution of the United States, when the Delegates were chosen to attend the Convention which ratified it by a small majority, proposing divers amendments, - most of which were adopted immediately afterwards. Some voted against the ratification, fearing that such amendments would not be made, - perhaps so instructed by their constituents.
Nothing could have been better adapted to the execution of all these purposes than these " little Democracies," as De Toc- queville has called them.
The social privileges connected with the organization must not be overlooked. It made the inhabitants of the small tract of terri-
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tory within its limits, a brotherhood, - promoting the welfare of each other and of the whole community, by the meeting-house, the school-house, and the highway, -and in these, and other ways, establishing good order, social intercourse, and a kindly feeling towards each other.
The Town was the efficient means which secured the prosper- ity of the household. The several families, farmers, mechanics, laborers, and professional persons, needed, for the development of their resources, and the greatest enjoyment of their privileges, something beyond their isolated households, - something beyond even the mutual support of each other in their various neighbor- hoods, and they found it in the Town. It enlarged, while it concentrated, their sympathies, formed and moulded their opin- ions, and gave expression to their united will. Lastly, the mil- itary company organizations were mostly within the Town, - two Communities sometimes uniting to furnish an extra article in this line. From these companies the ranks of the army have been recruited in time of war,-being liable to draft if necessary.
In the time of the Revolution, when the ordinary mode of supplying the army seemed likely to fail, requsitions were made upon the towns to furnish ammunition and provisions, and were promptly answered. They were often the storehouses of am- munition.
If any one who does not know, would seek an exemplification of the utility of the Town incorporations, let him look at Jaffrey today, and study her history.
An admirable result of the Town organization was, that the Revolution, which followed almost immediately upon the incor- poration of this Town, did not place the country in a state of disintegration. The Town organization remained, - its efficien- cy necessarily somewhat impaired,- but the town officers, having been elected by the people, still retained their confidence and support. Such powers as could be exercised only in the name of the king, or under the royal authority, were at first suspend- ed, and then abrogated ; but the same powers were immediately exercised under the authority of the people ; and the towns dur- ing all the time served to a great extent the purposes for which they were established.
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A Revolutionary Convention, called by the Committee of Cor- respondence, in 1775, recommended that those who had been chosen into office in the usual manner should, as formerly, be considered the proper officers, and that the town, selectmen and other officers proceed in the usual manner in granting and col- lecting monies, &c., unless some particular direction was given ; -adding this significant paragraph :-
" If any, inimical to their country, or inattentive to the ruin which must ensue upon a contrary conduct, should refuse, we trust that all the friends of the country will effectually strength- en the hands of the selectmen, constables and collectors."
It is not supposed that any one here by his refusal rendered it necessary, even to hint at a resort to the peculiar strengthen- ing plaster, thus indicated.
February 13, 1775, the town voted unanimously to visit Mr. Williams, of Keene,-a very extraordinary civility on the face of the vote. Williams was a lawyer, but the call on him was not for professional advice. - He was a tory, and this unusual dem- onstration had reference to that fact. The further proceedings in relation to the proposed visit are not of record. - It is a fair presumption that there was no tory in Jaffrey who might be visited with much less trouble.
No other system could so well have supplied civil govern- ment, under such circumstances.
It was more difficult to deal with matters of which the Courts of Justice had jurisdiction. The Courts, on recommendation of the Convention, adjourned.
Justices of the Peace could not well issue compulsory process under the royal authority, in the existing circumstances. The collection of debts by suit was suspended, and the natural con- sequences were, in one instance at least, exemplified here. In the files of the Convention of 1775, is a memorial. or represen- tation, address to the ." Honorable Provincial Congress " signed by Jethro Bailey, William Turner and Roger Gilmore. Com- mittee of Correspondence, setting forth that Benjamin Nutting of Peterboro' Slip, so called, had entered a complaint to them against John Davis, Junior, of Jaffrey, that upon the second day
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of October, instant, as he came to the house of John Eaton, on some business, he was assaulted by said Davis, and abused in the most "solem" manner, as appears by sundry evidences,-that not- withstanding Davis was notified to attend and hear the evidences examined, he refused, - that he had often been requested to settle the matter, but remained obstinate, and persisted in his villainy, with insolence.
The Committee enclosed the depositions and earnestly desired the Convention to take the matter into consideration, and either determine it between them, or invest the Committee with a prop- er authority to act, with instructions how to proceed in the case. It does not appear that any action was taken upon the subject.
On the fifth of January, 1776, a " Form or Plan of Civil Government " was adopted by a Convention, or Congress, which met for the purpose, under which the affairs of the towns were again transacted in legal form. The Form of Government was limited by its terms to continue " during the present unhappy contest with Great Britian," but served as a State Constitution for many years, and has been said to be the first State Consti- tution. But this is a mistake, North Carolina having formed one a few days carlier.
This caused no change in the organization of the Town, or in its proceedings, except that the latter were now conducted, once more, under what proved to be a sufficient legal authority.
A few items in relation to the increase of the population, and the rate of taxation, may serve to show the comparative progress with the other towns.
The Convention of 1775, ordered a survey to be made of the . people in the several counties, for the purpose of determining the ratio of representation in the Assembly, from which it ap- pears that Jaffrey had 351 inhabitants. Of thirty towns in the County, ten or eleven had a larger number. She had sixteen men in the army. This is a very strong delegation for such a small community, just organized, - larger than any of the towns not having more inhabitants. Keene had 756 inhabitants. Chesterfield, Westmoreland and Richmond a still greater num- ber.
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The Census, in 1790, gives Jaffrey a population of 1235. There were then only six towns in the County with a popula- tion greater than this, and these, with the exception of Keene, lay on the South border, or on the Connecticut River, and so were more easy of access. Keene had 1314 inhabitants.
In 1800 the population was 1341. Eleven towns had a larg- er population, mostly much more favorably situated. Keene had 1645.
By an Act of the Assembly in 1777, determining the propor- tion of each town for every £1000 of the State taxes, Jaffrey's proportion was £5-9s .- 5d. There were nine towns in the County having a greater valuation, -that of Keene being £10- 5s .- 9d., - twenty-two having less.
When, in 1780, a requisition was made for a hundred and twelve thousand weight of beef for the army, the proportion of Jaffrey was 7326 pounds ; the proportion of Keene 11,309. The same year a new proportion of taxes gave Jaffrey £6-10s .- 10d., Keene £10-1s .- 11d.
Another proportion in 1789 shows a comparative increase, fa- vorable to the prosperity of Jaffrey,-that is, supposing that the duty to pay a larger proportion of taxes indicates in fact a larg- er ability to perform the duty, - which probably is not always the case. Jaffrey is set at £7-12s .- 5d., Keene £9-19s .- 6d.
Another proportion in 1794 gave for Jaffrey £7-9s .- 8d., Keene £9-14s .- 6d. But in this year the valuation of Chester- field, Walpole and Westmoreland, lying on the Connecticut Riv- er, each exceeded that of Keene.
It is not my purpose to refer in detail to the proceedings of the town, in the exercise of its rights and the performance of its duties. This is the special province of the future historian, and to him, whoever he may be, I remit it.
But a few brief notes, having reference to some of the subjects which have been mentioned, may find a place upon this occasion. The first meeting under the act of incorporation was for the choice of town officers only. It was called by Jonathan Stanley, specially authorized by the Charter, August 27. 1773, and was held September 14.
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Another meeting was held September 28, to raise money for the building of roads, and the support of the Gospel.
April 26, 1774, it was voted to build a meeting-house ; and July 6, to build one of larger dimensions, - to let the building at public vendue, - that it should be raised by the middle of June next, at the town's cost, - with several other votes on the subject.
It was voted in March 1775, that the Committee to build, provide all things necessary to raise the house at the cost of the town. But March 30, 1780, there was a vote to make allow- ance to Captain Henry Coffin for the barrel of rum which he paid for, to raise the meeting-house. The Captain it would seem, intervened patriotically, to supplement the deficiency of the provision made by the Committee, and waited a long time for reimbursement.
There is a tradition that the meeting-house was raised on the day of the battle of Bunker Hill, and that the guns of that bat- tle were heard here. But this must be a mistake. When the matter is examined, the probabilities are against it. It is hard- ly probable that guns fired at Charlestown could be heard here, with the New Ipswich hills and the forest intervening, even on a quiet day, when there was no meeting-house to raise. More- over, the battle was on Saturday, which was as good a day for a battle as any other day, but would hardly be selected as the time to raise a meeting-house, lest there should be some work remaining which ought to be performed the next day.
The conclusion to be derived from the improbabilities is forti- fied by direct hear say evidence. I received a letter a few days since from Dr. Jeremiah Spofford, of Groveland, Mass., in which he says, " My father, Jeremiah Spofford, as a master carpenter, framed that church. He was employed to do it by Captain Samuel Adams, whose wife was his sister. Jacob Spofford and Joseph Haskell went up with him, to work on the frame. My father often related, seventy years ago, that they raised the house, and that ending his job, they set out for home the next day, travelling " ride and tie," three men, with one horse to car- ry tools and ease the men in turn ; - that coming down through
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Townsend, in the forenoon, they heard the roar of cannon, which proved to be the cannon of Bunker Hill, and coming over the Westford Hills, in the evening, they saw the light of Charles- town burning. Captain Adams was one of the contractors to build the house, and was a carpenter himself."
It may be objected that " unlucky " Friday, was as little like- ly as Saturday to be selected as the day to begin such a work. But the explanation seems easy. The town had voted to raise by the middle of June. The contract would naturally specify that as the time of performance. There would be a desire, and time enough, for compliance. The fifteenth of June was Thurs- day. If we suppose that to be the day selected, and that there was some unfinished work to be done on Friday, to complete the job, we shall have the carpenters on their homeward way on Saturday, in the localities in which Mr. Jeremiah Spofford placed them.
We may give up the tradition without a sigh. Neither the meeting-house, nor the battle will suffer by the loss of it.
There was some delay in settling a minister. Several candi- dates were hired. There was a vote that young men supply the pulpit ; and some others indicating that the services of some of the candidates were not quite satisfactory. But June 1st, 1780, it was voted to hear Mr. Caleb Jewett more, if he can be ob- tained; and September 4th, a vote to concur with the church in giving him a call. Why he did not accept, does not appear .- Perhaps from the insufficiency of the salary offered. He was, I think, a graduate of Dartmouth, of 1776, a native of Newbury, Mass., and afterwards settled in Gorham, Maine.
In 1782, they settled the Rev. Laban Ainsworth, a native of Woodstock, Connecticut ; - a graduate of Dartmouth College in 1778.
The first vote for a salary was for £70 " while he supplies the desk,"-which was afterwards changed to " while he remains the minister of the town." Choosing with deliberation. they are en- titled to the credit of having abided by their determination .- Mr. Ainsworth lived to the age of more than a hundred years, -officiated without a colleague until 1832,-and remained as
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the pastor of the church until his death, but his labors were dis- continued a few years earlier. As many of you knew him well, I need not speak of his appearance or services. A withered right arm was probably the reason why he did not write his ser- mons. If, as has been said, he sometimes looked up his text on Sunday morning, after breakfast, the fact will serve to show his confidence in his powers of discussion.
The tales respecting the jokes, practical and otherwise, pass- ing between him and Father Sprague, are numerous, many of them probably fictitious. But there was, unquestionably, a suf- ficient encounter of wits to lay a good foundation for some of them.
In the infancy of such a settlement, the difficulties of estab- lishing and maintaining a school or schools would necessarily be very great. If the means of support had been abundant, the facilities for the attendance of the scholars must have been quite limited.
The first appropriation of £8 was made April 13, 1775.
Soon we find votes for the division of the money, indicating schools in different parts of the township, - then a division in- to districts.
That the interests of education have received full support here, may be inferred from the fact, that twenty-four young men have graduated at the different colleges. Twenty of them at Dartmouth.
It is not surprising that they deemed expenditures upon the roads as of the first importance. - Will you think it strange when I say that they appropriated much larger sums for high- ways than they did for the support of the gospel and the schools ? Will you be astonished that at their second meeting they voted £80, lawful money, to be worked out on the roads, and only £6 . to procure preaching, and that this disparity increased so that April 13, 1775, when they voted £8 for the school, they again voted £6 for preaching, and £130 for the roads ?
We must recollect that the efficiency of their maintenance of preaching depended upon their first mending their ways.
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It may be said, that roads lay at the foundation of their pros- perty, spiritual, as well as temporal. Without roads the settle- ment could not succeed ; and if that failed, the support of relig- ious teaching, and the school failed with it. As the roads were made better, settlements were encouraged, the ability to support the institutions of religion was enlarged, and the appropriations were enlarged also.
It is with great regret that I refer again to my inability to give some better account respecting the earliest inhabitants.
Perhaps my recollections of a later date may possess some in- terest, and serve with those of others, to fill a page of local his- tory.
In the early part of the present Christian century, there was clustered in the vicinity of the meeting-house, which then had no steeple, the house of Rev. Mr. Ainsworth at the Southeast corner of the Common,-Danforth's Tavern, where Cutter's Ho- tel now stands,-the store of Joseph Thorndike, Esq., and Da- vid Page's store, on the East side, Cragin's Saddlery Shop on the Northeast corner, and on the North a large pile of buildings belonging to Joseph Cutter, Esq., of which only the main dwell- ing-house now remains. He kept a tavern, and had very ample accommodations for his customers. He was, I think, much the largest landholder in the township, and had an ambition to set- tle each of his numerous sons on a farm, which he accomplished to a great extent. At the Southwest corner of the burying ground was a school-house. East of Danforth's Tavern was his blacksmith's shop, North of which was the dwelling-house of Capt. Samuel Adams.
Commencing at the Common, the road to the Northeast, lead- ing to Peterboro', and to the Southeasterly part of Dublin, passed by a small house on the corner, at the left, no longer there, - which was occupied at one time by Mr. Cummings, afterwards by Dr. Johnson, and by Jonathan Lufkin,-there turning North the road extended, by the place where the Melville Academy now stands, less than a quarter of a mile, where it forked, the di- rect road proceeding Northerly towards Dublin, by the houses of Mr. Newton and Thomas French, -the Easterly fork, which
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was the principal road, running over the hill by a house occu- pied by David Smiley, Esq., Attorney at Law.
This house has gone, and the road over the hill has gone with it. The more modern route, Northeast, by Mr. John Cutter's tannery, and Easterly of the meadow, entered this old road at the foot of the hill, on the East.
Nearly a mile East of the village was the house of Widow Bryant.
The road forked a few rods Easterly. On the Northerly branch, which branched again, lived Samuel Cary, Benjamin Lawrence, Deacon Jesse Maynard, Azael Gowing, Moses Stick- ney, Samuel Stickney, Silas Pierce, Jacob Jewell, Benj. Frost.
Proceeding a short distance, the Easterly branch appeared to run into a North and South road, but the Northerly part was the main road to the Northeast. A few rods to the South was the house of Alpheus Crosby. In front, that of Asa Sawyer.
Pursuing the main road, at a distance of about half a mile, on the right side,-was the house of Lieut. Thomas Adams, which has disappeared. Another was built near, on the left side, many years since, occupied by Daniel Emery. Not far beyond, at the place where a road now leads off to the East village, there came into this road from the West a short branch road on which lived Mr. Bates. At this point came another fork. On the Northerly branch which has been slightly changed at its commencement, a quarter of a mile brought the traveller to another fork, the Westerly road being merely a local branch, terminating at the house soon after owned by Samuel Pierce. On the Easterly or main branch, we came next to the school-house of the district of my early boy- hood,-and in the field some quarter of a mile Southeast was the house of Ebenezer Burpee.
Miss Hitty Brooks was one of the teachers of the summer school, a most estimable young lady, whose kindness dwells in my memory. She afterwards married Samuel Pierce.
The old school-house has disappeared, and a few years more will carry all its memories with it. A few of its inmates at a later date still remain.
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Starting once more upon our way, we find next where was the house of Whitcomb Powers, at the base of the hill, on the left. It is no longer there. There was none a little onward, where the residence of my late friend Levi Fisk, Esq., has stood for many years. On the Northerly branch of a fork of the road a few rods further running to Twitchell's mills, in the Easter- ly part of Dublin, was the house of his father Thomas Fisk. At the fork last mentioned was formerly the shop of John Pushee, of which nothing but the ruins remained so far back as I can re- collect. I have the impression it had been burned.
Thence, pursuing the Easterly branch of the highway, next came the house of my father, who came here from Pepperell in May, 1780, settled in the unbroken forest, and cleared his farm himself, with such assistance as he could obtain. Some of you know the place. I am not aware of the particular inducement which led him to settle there. Probably a representation that it was a nice bit of land, dog cheap; - and cheapness was a consideration not to be despised .* It proved rough and rocky, and admitted of any amount of hard labor. Twenty-five years of patient, persevering industry had made a difference in the appearance of things. There were rods of stone wall, requiring some knowledge of the mysteries of compound addition, to say how many. There were cattle and sheep, - hay in the barn,- a patch of flax in the field ; - and a little wheel, and a great wheel, and a great loom in the house.t The wood pile, would have deemed itself neglected if it had not extended a hundred feet, "more and not less," along the wall, with an indefinite breadth, and a height which no one undertook to measure. The fire-place in the common working-room, received back logs two and a half feet in diameter. I am tempted to put on the other half foot, but refrain. From the great brick oven, by the side of fire place, there issued, from time to time, baked pump-
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