USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 21
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NUTE'S POINT. A point of this name is mentioned on Whitehouse's
map, on the east side of Dover Neck, half a mile below Morrill's Ferry. The Nute point of the present day is at the lower side of Little John's creek.
NUTTER'S HILL. This name is given to the hill on Dover Neck where stood the old fortified meeting- house. So called from Elder Hatevil Nutter, whose house was on the east side of the main road to Dover Point, about fifteen rods from the N. E. corner of the meeting-house, in a northeasterly direction. The cellar can still be traced. This hill is men- tioned Dec. 5, 1652, when Richard Waldron, in consideration of certain grants, bound himself " to erect a meeting-house upon the hill near El- der Nutter's."
NUTTER'S ISLANDS. These are two small islands at the mouth of the brook which empties into Laighton's cove, in Newington. The largest is mentioned June 25, 1664, when An- thony Nutter conveyed to Thomas Roberts a piece of marsh in Harrod's Cove, bounded by a small trench straight down to the middle of a small island. It is singular that after more than two hundred years this islet should still have two owners, one half being now owned by Mr. Frink, and the other by Mrs. Coffin of Pitts- burg, Pa., a descendant of the Nut- ters.
Limmy's Ledge, an islet on the Durham shore of Great Bay, is called Nutter's island on Smith's map of 1805.
NUTTER'S LANE. This lane ran from Nutter's Hill, along the upper side of Richard Yorke's lot, to Nut- ter's Slip. It is mentioned May 4, 1706, when Richard Pinkham con-
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veyed to Nicholas Harford seven acres of land on Dover Neck, bound- ed N. by Nutter's Lane, E. by high street, S. by Thomas Tibbets' land, and W. by low street. And again May 19, 1708, when Philip " Cro- mell," in his will, gives his son Sam- nel " Cromwell " a lot between Wm. Hereford's land and the lane former- ly called Nutter's lane, on the north side of the meeting-house.
NUTTER'S SLIP is mentioned June 26, 1716, when John Hall conveyed to Thomas Kenny one share in the calves pasture, lying between ye lane running from ye low street to Nutter's Slip and Pinkham's spring, bounded by Back river on the west, and low street on the east, with all the privi- leges thereunto belonging, as granted by the town to his grandfather John Hall. This slip was, of course, on the eastern shore of Back river.
OAK SWAMP. Mentioned Ap. 30, 1735, when four acres were laid out to Lieut. John Ham " at a place called the oak swamp, beginning at a birch tree on the S. W. side of the road that leads to the Ealware," one cor- ner joining said Ham's other land. Nov. 23, 1735, ten acres were laid ont to Isaac Watson " at or near a place called oak swamp, joining to the N. E. corner of John Ham's marsh." Four acres were laid out to Timothy Hanson, March 30, 1739, at a place " formerly called oak swamp." (See Ham's Marsh.)
OLD BOWSPRIT, otherwise OLD BOLD SPIT. Mentioned Dec. 22, 1720, when Tobias Hanson's sixty acre grant was laid out " between fagote bridg and the old bold spit," on the east side of Wm. Pomfrett's grant. And again June 25, 1739, when a
road was ordered to be laid out from John Heard's to the Rochester line, running near the old Bowsprit, as the way now goes. This name has not been retained, and its derivation is uncertain. It may refer to one of the tracts of woodland reserved in former times for bowsprits and other shipping purposes. (See N. H. Prov. Pap., 18 : 143.)
OLD BRIGG. Mentioned Aug. 29, 1740, when James Hall of Somers- worth conveyed to Thomas Hodsdon of Berwick, York Co., province of Mass. Bay, all right, title, and inter- est in the saw-mill at Quamphegan fall, commonly called ye old Brigg (which part was three days in each month of the year), purchased by him of his father John Hall. The origin of this name does not appear. It may have been derived from the old bridge or boom at the Quam- phegan mill. Brig or brigg is the Scotch form of bridge. The "auld brigg of Ayr " is sung by Burns, and the ballad of Gil Morice has the lines :
"And when he came to broken briggs, He slacked his bow and swam."
OTIS' BRIDGE. Mentioned Ap. 15, 1702, when Edward Cloutman's grant of thirty acres was laid out " between holmes bridg and Otises bridg, begin- ning at a red oke upon a poynt be- tween two gullies." One bound was the road to Salmon falls. Joseph Twombley, Jr., conveyed to Gershom Wentworth, Aug. 5, 1719, 60 acres in Dover, " near a place callª Otises bridge," being one half of six score acres granted Ralph Twombley, not yet divided. (See Twombley's Brook.) Samuel Randle conveyed to Benjn Roberts, Jr., March 12, 1734, 30 acres
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of land in the parish of Somersworth, beginning at a pitch pine by Thomas Nock's, and running southwesterly 50 rods to Otis his bridge. This bridge was across the " Fresh creek brook," now called Rollins' brook. The name is no longer in use. (See Holmes' Bridge.)
OTIS' HILL. Mentioned in Job Clement's will, Oct. 8, 1716, in which he gives his daughter Margaret three score acres of land which his father bought of Thomas Pain, "lying on ye back side of Otis his hill in Coche- cho woods." When Thomas Payne sold Job Clement (Sr.) the above tract of land, the 29th. 4 mo., 1665, it was stated to be " at the northern end of Richard Otis his hundred acres, northeast from Cochecho marsh."
Farmer and Moore's Gazeteer of N. II. (1823) speaks of Otis hill as the highest in Somersworth, about a mile above Garrison Hill. It is also mentioned in Hayward's New Eng- land Gazeteer of 1839. It is other- wise called Ricker's Hill, from the former proprietors. It is now owned for the most part by the Rollins fam- ily, and is sometimes called Cupt. Ichabod's hill, or Capt. Ich's hill, from Ichabod Rollins, who first ac- quired a part of it Jan. 14, 1771, when Levi Ricker and his sister Ju- dith conveyed to said Ichabod all right and title to the homestead of their honored father, George Ricker, Jr., deceased, who, it is stated in the deed, lived at Otis' Hill, so called. Mrs. Baer, in one of her pleasing sketches, speaks of the " pine-clad side of Capt. Ich's hill," its clumps of savin with their agreeable odor, and
the broad-spreading oaks on the summit. This hill is also sometimes called Crummit's hill, otherwise Cromwell's. The Cromwell lands in this vicinity are mentioned in 1733, when, in a deed from James Guppy to Thomas Downs, "the brook yt runs out of Cromwell's land into Fresh creek," is spoken of.
OYSTER POINT. This name is given to the point of land between Oyster river and the upper side of Bunker's creek, Oct. 10, 1653, in a grant to Wm. Follet and James Bunker. (See Bunker's Neck.) Another Oyster Point, mentioned on Smith's map of Durham, is on the opposite shore of Oyster river, at the lower side of Stevenson's creek, now Mathes's creek. At these two points were the old Oyster Beds, from wh.ch Oyster river derived its name. The upper Oyster bed is mentioned Nov. 18, 1727, when Wm. and Mary Clay conveyed to Samuel Smith a tract of land previously Joshua Davis's, "on the N. W. side of the high way that leads to ye Oister bed, and so by ye way by Nathaniel Lomaxes,1 and joining to Joseph Jenkins his hun- dred acre Lott yt was formerly Wm. Storey's, and so by sª lot to Amos Pinkham's land." In the deed of this Pinkham land (7 acres) from Joshua Davis to said Amos, Oct. 3, 1720, the above road is spoken of as "leading from James Bunker's into ye main road that goes to Cochecho, being part of the land that was James Bunker's, deceased." (See Oyster River.)
OYSTER RIVER. This river, so called as early as Ap. 3, 1638, (see N. H. Prov. Pap., 1 : 135) rises at
1 This name, generally called Lummocks or Lumax in early times, is now written Lamos.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
Wheelwright's pond in Lee, and emp- ties into the Pascataqua river at the mouth of Little Bay.
Some old records make a distinc- tion between Oysterriver and " Oyster river freshet,"-the former being the tidal stream that comes to a head at the lowest falls in Durham village ; and the latter the fresh-water stream above these falls to its source. " The landing-place at the head of Oyster river " is spoken of in the Dover records of May 17, 1703, meaning at the head of tide water. The name of this river was derived from the oyster beds found by the early pioneers towards the mouth. These beds are often mentioned in the old records. One is on the upper side of the river, at the month of Bunker's creek, mentioned Ap. 9, 1703, when a road was laid out, " be- ginning at the wading-place at the oyster bed," and running along the west side of Follet's rocky hill to the head of Bunker's creek. " The par- sonage lott near the Oyster Bed, where the old meeting-house formerly stood," is mentioned in the Durham records March 20, 1762. This bed is on the lower side of the river. (See Oyster Point.)
" The neighborhood of Oyster Riv- er" is mentioned the 3d, 12 mo., 1640, implying that a settlement had been made here some time previous. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 1 : 141.) Strictly speaking, this settlement formed part of Dover, but it was a distinct one, and had a separate history from the first. In the old records, and in the early history of New Hampshire, it is gen- erally spoken of as " Oyster River," which name it bore for nearly a hun- dred years. It is called " Oyster
River plantation" in 1651, when George Smythe, administrator of George Webb's estate, conveyed to Oliver Kent " an acre and a half of land in Oyster river plantation, heretofore in possession of said George Web." It is sometimes called the "Precinct of Oyster River," as in a remonstrance against its incorpora- tion as a town, addressed to Gov. Burnet May 14, 1729. The dividing line between this precinct and Dover proper was, as stated Dec. 21, 1657, a straight line from the first rocky point below the mouth of Oyster river, on the north side, to the path at the head of Thomas Johnson's creek, and thence to the end of the town.
Oyster River settlement was made a separate parish May 4, 1716, and was incorporated as a township, un- der the name of Durham, by an act of the General Assembly, passed May 13, 1732 ; and signed by Gov. Belcher two days later. These dates are from the copy of the Charter in the Durham records. But according to the Journal of the House (N. H. Prov. Pap., 4 : 784), the vote for making Oyster River a town passed the House May 11, 1732, and " his Excellency was pleased to give his consent " thereto, May 12. The bill was still further sanctioned by the Governor and Council, May 15, fol- lowing.
OYSTER RIVER BANKS. Descend- ing Oyster river from the bridge at the foot of Durham falls, are the half-ruined wharves on both shores, where many vessels were built and launched in more enterprising days. At the right, immediately above the first wharf, rises the steep hill where
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stood the meeting-house, built in 1716, beneath which the gunpowder from Fort William and Mary was for a time stored in 1774. Just below is Gen. Sullivan's house, its terraced garden extending to the very shore. Farther down is a small creek ; then comes the Sea Wall, built a century or more ago to protect the bank from the encroaching tide. Near it is an- other creek, no doubt the upper bound of the Ambrose Gibbons grant, laid out to Robert Burnham in 1661. Below is Nigger Point, then comes Burnham's Point, with Parson Buss's Pulpit at the lower side. Well cove is on the upper side. A short dis- tance farther down is Burnham's creek, into which empties Cutt's brook, otherwise Sandy brook. Then come the Burnham Oaks and the Old Wo- man's Sliding-Place, where the bank, generally steep, slopes down eighteen or twenty feet to the river, and is always bare. Here, in the river, is the Roundabout, well known to boat- men. There is no bend in the river itself, like the Roundabout in the Squamscot,1 but the name is given to a deep groove or furrow in the very bed of the river, which, off the Burn- ham Oaks, sweeps around towards Ledge wharf on the opposite shore, forming a deep curve, and then re- turns toward the lower bank. Below the Oaks are two small creeks. Then comes Mathes's creek, formerly Stev- enson's, with Oyster Point on the lower side. Here is one of the oyster beds, from which the river derives its name. In early times there was a ford across Oyster river at this place, easily traversed at low tide by people
on horseback, then the usual mode of travelling. This ford is mentioned in 1703 as the "Wading-Place." A path or road led to the main thor- onghfare across Long marsh to Exe- ter, and from the opposite side to- wards Dover.
Two sharp rocks lie off this shore, avoided by boatmen. Farther down is Drew's Point, where the Durham packet to Portsmouth used to stop for passengers. At the lower side is another small inlet, formerly called Wakeham's creek. Jonas' Point is be- low, at the mouth of the river. It is a subdivision of Durham Point, which name, in a general sense, is given to the whole neck of land between Little Bay and the lower part of Oyster river.
Returning to the upper shore, the first inlet below Durham falls is Beard's creek, with Butler's Point on the upper side. Farther down is Ledge wharf and two or three little creeks not named. Some distance below is Jones's creek, otherwise Johnson's. The next inlet is Bunk- er's creek. Here is the upper oyster bed, and the upper end of the old ford, whence a road was laid out to- wards Dover at an early day. Gil- more's Point is not far below,-so named from James Gilmore, who lived in Durham at the Revolutionary period. At the mouth of a creek farther down, between the old Smith and Davis lands, is Barnes' Island, otherwise Bodge's. Passing another small creek called Davis's creek, yon come, at the mouth of the river, to Half-Tide Rock, so called from its being covered when the tide is half
1 The beautiful Roundabout in the Squamscot river, winding through a verdant meadow, is in full sight of the Boston and Maine R. R., between Exeter and South Newmarket, at the east
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
wayup. Below is another rock, called by the boatmen "Half-Tide, Junior."
OYSTER RIVER FALLS. The first falls in Oyster river below its source are at Layn's mills in Lee, where a sawmill seems to have been erected before 1712. (See Newtown Mill.)
The second falls are also in New- town, between the present residences of Mr. H. B. Snell and Mr. C. H. Jones. A grist-mill was built here in the middle of the last century, called the Snell mill, from Thomas Snell, to whose wife "Johannah" was conveyed, June 27, 1737, by her parents, James and Elizabeth Pink- ham, one half of a grant of 35 acres, " laid out on both sides of ye freshet of Oyster river, near Wm. Clay's land."
Below was another dam for a brief period, where stood a mill on Solo- mon Emerson's land, now owned by Mr. James.
The next falls are on the borders of Lee, near Madbury. They are called Dishwater Falls-not from any turbidness of the stream, but from the scarcity of water at certain seasons of the year ; about enough for domestic purposes, in fact. A mill here is mentioned March 10, 1777, when Zachariah Edgerly con- veyed to John Demerit "one six- teenth part of a saw-mill in Lee, known by the name of Dishwater mill." This seems to be the " Emerson mill" mentioned on the State map of Lee in 1803. Capt. Smith Emerson, Sol- omon Emerson, Moses Emerson, John Demerit, John Demerit, Jr., Isaac Chesley, and Simon Randall, by an indenture of Feb. 3, 1801, agreed to provide their share of tim- ber and rebuild the saw-mill in Lee,
" where the old mill now stands, known by the name of Dishwater mill." It is called the "Demeritt mill," Ap. 23, 1839, from the chief owners at that time. This mill is still stand- ing, and now belongs to the heirs of the late Hopley Demeritt.
Below the Mast road, in Durham, the remains of a dam may be seen, where a mill once stood, on land originally granted to Henry Marsh, and con- veyed by his children, Hezekiah and Dinah, to Jonathan Thompson, Feb. 7, 1737-8. This mill-site is now owned by Mr. Frank Bunker. On the opposite side of the river is the land of Moses Davis, who was slain by the Indians in this vicinity in 1724.
A little farther down, in a wild, picturesque spot near Blacksnake hill, are the best natural falls in the river, but too narrowly enclosed by hills to afford suitable mill facilities.
Near the Boston & Maine railway one comes to a series of little falls or rapids, extending nearly to Durham mill-pond, one of which was granted May 30, 1699, to Lieut. James Da- vis, Samuel and Philip Chesley, and Wm. Jackson, for erecting a saw- mill, at a rent of 50s. a year. This is spoken of as " Chesley's mill " as early as June 6, 1701, when a road was ordered to be laid out from the mast path to Chesley's mill on Oys- ter river, and over the freshet to the old way into the commons, and so on to Lamperel second falls. This is the well known " mill-road " to Pack- er's Falls, which, however, has greatly changed its course since first laid out, June 24, 1703. This mill was afterwards converted into a grist- mill, which fifty years ago was run
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
by Elijah Willey. And for a time there was a fulling-mill here, oper- ated by Mr. William J. Chesley. To- wards the middle of this century this mill and the water privilege, owned by the Chesley family nearly 150 years, were acquired by Mr. McDan- iel ; and the grist-mill was, for a time, run by Stephen Kendall, from whom it was sometimes incorrectly called Kendall's mill. This mill is now gone, and the water privilege here is now owned by the Boston and Maine Railroad Co.
Below Chesley's mill, near the so- called " string-piece," a dam was built, and a mill erected by Joseph Hanson in the early part of this centu- ry. Both are now gone, and only a hollow in the bed of the stream is left to attest the power of the fall. This hollow is often called " the Pool."
The lowest and chief falls in Oyster river are at the head of tide water in Durham village. They are often mentioned in the early records as " Oyster river falls," or "the falls," and at a later period as " Durham falls."
Valentine Hill1 and Thomas Beard had a grant of "the fall of Oyster River " the 19th, 9 mo., 1649. Mr. Hill built a sawmill here before the 14th, 5 mo., 1651, and the following vear this water privilege was con- firmed to him and his heirs. Na- thaniel Hill, son of Valentine, for- mally renounced " all right to Oyster river falls and freshet" Sept. 13, 1697, and the mill privilege here was granted, March 25, 1699, to Capt. John Woodman, Lieut. Nathaniel
Hill, and Ensign Stephen Jones, at a rent of £7 a year. Complaint hav- ing been made of this sum, and of the damage done by the mill above (Chesley's), the rent was reduced to £3 a year.
Nathaniel Hill of Oyster River parish, out of love and affection to his oldest son Valentine, conveyed to him, May 10, 1735, half of his share in ye saw-mill and grist-mill, and half of his homestead and other lands not given his younger son Samuel, or otherwise disposed of, and the re- maining half at the death of said Valentine's parents. Jonathan Wood- man conveyed to his sons John and Jonathan, Jan. 10, 1749, all his in- terest in the saw-mill and grist-mill on Oyster River freshet, so called, in the town of Durham, with all privi- leges, etc. The grist-mill here is again mentioned June 27, 1752, when Shadrach Walton conveyed to Elipha- let Daniels a quarter of an acre of land "near the falls where ye old grise mill stood," bonnded northerly by "Oyster river or freshet."
In the middle of this century the saw-mill and privilege on the west side of these falls were acquired by Mr. Samuel Randlett, who built the present saw-mill and grist-mill in 1860. At the other end of the dam is a machine shop, run by water power, belonging to the heirs of the late Ephraim Jenkins.
The name of Oyster River Falls was often given in former times to the village which began to spring up around these falls in the first part of the last century. This village is so
1 In Hurd's History of Rockingham and Strafford Counties (1882) this name is incorrectly given as " Valentine Smith." The same mistake is made in Sanford & Evert's Atlas of Straf- ford County (1871). There were no Smiths at Oyster River in 1649.
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Landmarks in Ancient 'Dover.
called May 5, 1744, when Joseph Nutter (son of Henry Nutter of New- ington) conveyed to Shadrach Wal- ton a lot he purchased of " Volen- tine " Hill at " a place called Oyster River Falls, in the township of Dur- ham." In the town records of 1747, mention is made of "the meeting- house at Oyster River falls," "the meeting-house at Durham Falls," and " the Falls meeting-house." The neighboring farmers to this day often speak of " the Falls," when they mean Durham village. (See Falls Hill.)
Nathaniel Hill conveyed to Wm. Odiorne, Esq.,1 Aug. 9, 1745, half an acre lot in Durham, " lying at a place there called the Falls," begin- ning at a notch cut in the middle of a log " in the bottom of the fence by the country road by the way that the logs and other lumber is halled up from the mill Pond," thence running S. 64 deg. W. 5 rods, 3} ft. to "a large rock standing in the edge of the Mill Pond," etc. (See Durham Falls.)
OYSTER RIVER GARRISONS. There appear to have been at least four- teen garrisons, or fortified houses, at Oyster River before 1694, though only thirteen have heretofore been mentioned.2 Ten of these formed a line of defence along each side of the river itself, below the head of tide- water-that is, below the falls in the present village of Durham. On the north side stood the following, in the same succession :
I. The MEADER GARRISON. This garrison was at the very mouth of Oyster river, overlooking the Pas- cataqua. It was built by John Meader, who was taxed at Oyster River as early as 1656, and had a house here before Sept. 20, 1660, on which day Valentine Hill and Mary, his wife, conveyed to John Meader a corn-field and orchard adjacent to " his now dwelling-house." John Davis's land is spoken of as " on ye west." John Meader, Nov. 18, 1686, conveyed to his son Joseph his plan- tation near the month of Oyster river where he, the said John, then dwelt, which he bought of Mr. Valentine Hill, together with 20 acres adjoin- ing, part of a four-score acre grant from the town of Dover, with the houses thereon, etc.
In the Indian attack of 1694, when the Oyster River settlement was nearly destroyed, it is stated that no house below Jones's creek was con- sumed except that of John Meader, whose family had been sent off by water, and the house abandoned-no doubt because insufficiently manned, or because ammunition was lacking, as was the case at several of the gar- risons. John Meader was then about sixty-four years old, but he was still alive Jan. 30, 1712. If his garrison was destroyed on that occasion, de- fences must have been immediately set up, for one soldier was quartered at " John Meader's garrison " from July 18, 1694, till the 24th of Novem-
1 Wm. Odiorne, son of Judge Jotham Odiorne, was a ship-builder and a commissioner for the preservation of forests in N. H. He married Avis, daughter of the Rev. Hugh Adams of Dur- ham. Their daughter Hetty Odiorne became the wife of James Sullivan, governor of Massa- chusetts in 1807. (See Durham Falls Bridge.)
2 Belknap, in his History of New Hampshire, mentions only twelve garrisons at Oyster River (Huckins's garrison had been destroyed in 1689) when this settlement was attacked by the Indians, July 18, 1694, on which occasion five garrisons and many other dwelling-houses were destroyed, and nearly a hundred persons killed or carried into captivity.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
ber following. And other soldiers were stationed here from Nov. 2, 1695, till March 6, 1696. (N. H. Prov. Pap., 17 : 645, 657.)
March 27, 1730, Joseph Meader gave his nephew Daniel, son of Nathaniel Meader,1 eighty acres of land " whereon I now dwell, lying near the mouth of Oyster river, which was formerly ye estate of my honored father, John Meader, deceased, bounded west by the land of James Davis, Esq., (son of the above John), south by the river, or salt water, with all the houses, privileges," etc. Dan- iel Meader, as will be seen, was liv- ing here Oct. 18, 1748, when Colonel James Davis made his will. At his decease he divided this homestead between his sons, Joseph and Lemuel. Lemuel Meader, son of Daniel, Aug. 21, 1771, sold his share (forty-five acres) of the homestead farm, given him in his father's will, to George, son of John Knight of Portsmouth, with the dwelling-house thereon, and all right, title, and privilege of the ferry-place heretofore used across the river between said premises and Fox point. This became known as Knight's Ferry, but must not be con- founded with the ferry of the same name between Bloody Point and Hil- ton's Point. Lemuel's portion of the Meader homestead now belongs to Mr. Samuel Emerson, and Joseph's to Mr. J. S. Chesley.2
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