USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > Landmarks in ancient Dover, New Hampshire > Part 24
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OYSTER RIVER POINT. This was the original name of Durham Point, but it is sometimes incorrectly given to Oyster Point, as March 17, 1720- 21, when two grants to Wm. Will- iams "att the mouth of the creek below Oyster river Point, on the east side of Oyster river," were re-bounded for his son John, beginning at the mouth of the creek, then running 65 rods by said river down to the freshet, and thence 27 rods to a great rock in the gully, then 100 rods n. easterly or northerly to the Rocky Hill, etc.
PACKER'S CREEK and POINT. Pack- er's brook or creek is mentioned Nov. 20, 1723, when James Hains con-
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veyed to Joshua Hains land in Green- land that belonged to his father Joshua, bounded westerly by the country road leading from Packer's brook, so called, to Greenland meet- ing-house, north by the land of Clem- ent March, etc. Packer's bridge is mentioned July 28, 1714, in connec- tion with the line between the par- ishes of Greenland and Newington. (N. H. Town Pap., 12: 66.)
Packer's Point is on the shore of the Great Bay, between the mouth of Winnicot river and that of Packer's creek. It is so called on Phineas Merrill's map of Greenland in 1806. The name is still retained. It was derived from Thomas Packer, who acquired part of the Champernowne lands in 1714. (See Greenland and Champernowne's creek. ) Packer's Point, and the lower part of Packer's creek, fell within the limits of ancient Dover.
PACKER'S FALLS. These falls are in that part of Lamprey river which flows through the southern part of Durham. The name is now confined to the falls just below the bridge on the road to Newmarket-the first falls below Wiswall's ; but it originally comprised the whole series of falls or rapids along this portion of the river. These falls were in early times gen- erally called " the second falls," a name that included the falls where General Sullivan afterwards estab- lished his mills. (See Sullivan's Falls and Second Falls.)
The name of Packer's falls was derived, not from Thomas Packer, the sheriff who hung Ruth Blay, but from his father, Col. Thomas Packer, also of Portsmouth, who was at once physician, judge, lieutenant-colonel,
and member of the governor's coun- cil. The town of Dover, Ap. 11, 1694, " granted to Capt. Packer, Jonathan Woodman, James Davis, Joseph Meder, and James Thomas, the hole streame of Lamprele River for the erecting of a sawmill or mills, that is to say, the one half to Capt. Thomas Packer, the other half to the other fower men befour mentioned." With 50 acres of land to Capt. Packer "on the south side of the aforesaid falls or elsewhere for his conveniency, leaving eight rods of land by the river for a highway." And fifty acres also on the south side of the river, adjoining Capt. Packer's, were grant- ed to Jonathan Woodman, James Davis, Joseph Meder, and James Thomas. These grants were con- firmed Ap. 16, 1694. Capt. Packer conveyed to Philip Chesley of Oyster River, Dec. 1, 1711, fifty acres of land adjoining Lamprey river, which had been granted him by the town of Dover, together " with ye privilege of erecting a mill or mills upon ye said river."
Packer's Falls are so called as early as 1718. (See Long Fulls.) They are again mentioned Dec. 18, 1724, when James Basford of Dover sold James Gipsen one sixteenth part of the sawmill standing on Lamperel river, on ye falls called Packer's falls, which sd Basford bought of John Tasker. Samuel Chesley, March 1, 1727-8, sold Samuel Linsey one eighth part of the sawmill at the falls in Lamperel river " commonly called Packer's falls." Abraham Bennick conveyed to his son Abraham, May 23, 1737, one half of a corn-mill, now standing on Lampereel river, at a place commonly called Packer's falls,
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
in Durham, together with one half the stream and privilege belonging to said corn-mill. (See Shad Falls.) And May 10, 1739, Joseph Smith, of Newmarket, conveyed to Abraham Bennick, Jr., of Durham, all right and title to ye mill-dam, and falls, and land, granted John Goddard, late of Dover, deceased, at yt place called or known by ye name of Pack- er's Falls.
The first time the name of Packer's falls appears in the Durham records is June 13, 1750, when a road "to Packer's falls, so-called," was pro- posed. But it must be remembered that there are very few Durham rec- ords prior to 1750, and none before 1733. The following item is entered in 1763: "Pd Mr. Nicholas Doody for building Pucker's Falls bridge- £111. 5s." This was the Nicholas Doody who afterwards changed his name to Durell. "Packer's Falls way" is mentioned the same year. As a locality, the name of PACKER'S FALLS has long been given to the southwestern part of Durham, on both sides of Lamprey river, extend- ing to Newmarket at the south, and to Lee at the west.
The first mention of Packer's Falls as a school-district is Oct. 7, 1783, when £10,16s. were paid John Smith " in lawful money, in full, for his son Daniel's keeping school in the Pack- er's falls district" during the year 1782. There was, however, without doubt, a public school here before the Revolution, as there certainly was in Durham village and at Durham Point. PAGE'S POND. See No-Bottom Pond.
PAGE'S SPRINGS. These springs supply, in part, the reservoir belong-
ing to the public Water Works in Dover. They are above Garrison Hill, on the Waldron land acquired by Mr. Taylor Page Ap. 24, 1833. The city of Dover completed the purchase of these springs in 1889, but work had been begun at the pumping station Aug. 3, 1888, and on the receiving basin the following October.
PALMER'S HILL. This hill, so named from Mr. Wm. Palmer, is in the southwestern part of Lee, on the road to the railway station.
PAPPOON HILL. This hill is at Quamphegan, on the road from St. Alban's cove, below the turnpike road. The name is derived from a neighboring family of last century.
PARSONAGE POND. This is a little pond or pool in a pasture that once belonged to Parson McClary of Dover, who was installed May 7, 1812, and dismissed Ang. 6, 1828.+ It is on the western side of the back road to Dover Neck, about half a mile below the road to Campin's rocks. It is sometimes called Blood- sucker's Pond.
PARSON BUSS's PULPIT. This is a recess in the steep, rocky bank of Oyster river, on the southi side, a short distance above Burnham's creek, where, according to tradition, the Rev. John Buss used to retire for contemplation and prayer in his de- clining years. He was the third min- ister at the Oyster River settlement, and in the Indian attack of 1694 he lost his house and valuable library, and being reduced to a narrow habi- tation and encumbered with a large family, he might well be glad to take refuge in this niche of pleasant out- look across the swiftly running stream,
Mr. Colary afterwards preached hi Cornish, where he died afait Is, 1835; His raciais wine brought bactito Dons.
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
and here taste the sweets of solitude. He doubtless lived a short distance below Cutt's hill, on a grant of twen- ty-five acres from the town, adjoining the parsonage lands, on the north side of the road leading to Durham Point. The rock that formed the seat of the pulpit has been carried away by irreverent boys, but the niche remains, looking like a chair of state, hewn in the side of the cliff.
PARSONS' HILL. This hill is west of Wheelwright's Pond, in Lee, about half a mile above Peter's Oven, on the same road. The cellar of the Parsons house thereon can still be traced.
PARTRIDGE HILL. This hill is in Somersworth, on the line of the Elec- tric Railroad, near the corner of the road leading to Rochester from the Dover road to Great Falls. The land adjoining the highway at this point is owned by Mr. Andrews and the heirs of Isaac Chandler on the east side ; and on the west by Messrs. Bickford, Johnson, etc. The name was derived from the coveys of partridges on this hill in former times, when it was covered with underwood on both sides of the road.
PARTRIDGE POINT. Mentioned Ap. 2, 1694, when 30 acres were set apart for the use of the ministry between Partridge point and John Winget's, running from the commons on the west side of the road to Coche- cho, thence west to an asp tree, thence towards Partridge Pt., then to a red oak upon the sandy hill by the roadside, and by the road to the first bound. A highway to be allowed from said road to Winget's Marsh.
Abraham Nute, only son of James Nute, Sr., in consideration of a
house on the west side of Back river, conveyed to him by John Drew, con- firmed nnto said Drew March 16, 1698-9, a tract of marsh and flats on the east side of Back river, adjacent to Partridge Point, " beginning at said point, and so down by ye Back river side three score and two rods to a sandie hill." One fourth of this tract was conveyed to Thomas Canne of Dover Ang. 11, 1744, by John Drew of Somersworth, who says it was given him by his grandfather John Drew in his will. John Canne of Dover and wife Love, Nov. 29, 1762, conveyed to Francis Drew of Madbury a parcel of salt marsh on the easterly side of Back river, a little below Partridge Point, contain- ing one fourth of the marsh and thatch bed in that place, being all that part which his honored father Thomas Canne of Dover, deceased, bought of John Drew of Somers- worth, deceased, Aug. 11, 1744.
Partridge Point is about half a mile above the month of Little John's Creek. The name is said to have been derived from the number of partridges in this vicinity.
PASCASSICK RIVER, otherwise Pis- CASSICK. This name was originally given by the Indians to Lamprey river, or to the lowest falls in that river. " Ye Riuer called Pascassokes " is mentioned in the patent of 1631 to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and others. The name is now given to the chief tributary to Lamprey river, on the west side. The lower part of this stream fell within the limits of ancient Dover, but since 1870 has belonged to Newmarket. A " mill on the Pis- cassick river, at the Dover line," is mentioned May 22, 1719. There was
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
one here as early as Ap. 14, 1657, when, by an agreement between Do- ver and Exeter, Thomas Kemball, Wm. Hilton, and Robert Smart had their right confirmed to the owner- ship of the mill at the lower fall of the Piscassick, with the neck of land on the east side, down to Lamprey river, except six poles along the river side. Also 60 acres for tillage on the west side, adjacent to the mill. This land fell within the limits of Dover. The inventory of John God- dard's estate, June 27, 1667, men- tions & of Piscassick mill. Robert Smart, Sr., of Exeter, conveyed to Capt. Peter Coffin of Exeter, mer- chant, March 10, 1695-6, "all my part of the neck of land which lies within the line belonging to Dover, and which was granted to me by the town of Dover, as I was parte owner of the mill called pocassett mill, which land lieth between Pocassett river and Lamprill river." The bounds between Dover and Exeter, as de- fined Sept. 18, 1718, began at a picked rock in Lamprel river, at the lowest fall, and ran to the Piscassick river, about two rods south of the great mill, etc. William Smart, son of John, conveyed to Thomas Tash, Feb. 1, 1754, twenty acres of land, " beginning at ye north of Passcassick brook, at Dover line, and thence run- ning up ye middle of said brook 40 rods."
A road was laid out by the town of Durham, July 20, 1763, across Lamprey river through the Packer's Falls district, extending to " the pis- cassick mill privilege, then on said privilege S. 10 deg. W. over the bridge to the dividing line between Newmarket and Durham 18 rods,
leaving the highway westward of said line." The Durham accounts of 1764 have the following entry : " pd for Building percasset Bridge £.23, 10s."
Around the Nut and Bolt factory erected by Mr. Lafayette Hall near the mouth of the Pascassick, on the Durham side, but now a part of Newmarket, is a small village gener- ally called Hallsville.
The names of Washucke and Watchic are sometimes given to the Pascas- sick river. (See Washucke.)
PASCATAQUA BRIDGE, otherwise PISCATAQUA. This bridge extended across the river Pascataqua from Meader's Neck in Durham to Fox Point on the Newington shore. It was chartered June 20, 1793. The land at the Durham terminus was conveyed by Andrew Drew to the proprietors of the bridge Nov. 7, 1793, for the sum of five shillings, " to encourage the building of said bridge, and in consideration of other advantages " he might derive there- from. It was one acre in extent, "to be laid out in a square form, at the place the proprietors should deem most advantageous, provided that the bridge be commenced within two years, and completed according to the act of incorporation."
John Drew of Barnstead conveyed his right to said land July 24, 1794, and Mark Meader conveyed his right Aug. 20, 1794.
The land at the Newington termi- nus was conveyed by Richard Down- ing Nov. 12, 1793, for the sum of five shillings, but " more especially for the encouragement of building a bridge over the Piscataqua river at and from Fox Point." It consisted
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
of one acre, to be laid out in a square form upon any part of his farm at Fox Point, then occupied by his son Bartholomew, wherever the proprie- tors should think proper to build, on condition that his deed should be null and void if the bridge were not begun within two years, and com- pleted as directed by the act of in- corporation.
The bridge was begun in April, 1794, and was so far completed as to be opened for travel November 25, the same year, with a toll-gate at the Durham end. It was 2,362 feet long, and 38 feet wide. It had three sections. The first was horizontal, and built on piles from Fox Point to Rock island. The second was an arch from Rock island to Goat island. And the third, built like the first, was from Goat island to the Durham shore. There was a draw for the passage of vessels. Thomas Thomp- son, and John Pierce of Portsmouth, were the agents for its construction. Timothy Palmer, of Newburyport, Mass., was the architect. Enos Whiting, of Norwich, Conn., had charge of the pile-work and draw. There was a planking surface of nearly half a mile in length. Three thousand tons of oak timber, 2,000 tons of pine timber, 80,000 four-inch plank, 20 tons of iron, and 8,000 tons of stone were used in its construc- tion.
This bridge was considered a mas- terpiece in its time, on account of the difficulty of its construction across a current of great rapidity, and for the most part fifty two feet deep at high tide. Mr. Gilmor of Baltimore, who visited it Aug. 19, 1797, speaks of it as " the only one of the kind in
America, and a surprising work." He made a sketch of the bridge, in- cluding the tavern on Goat island, probably the earliest ever made. (See the Gilmor Memorandums, re- cently printed by the Boston Public Library, which contains a cut repro- duced from Mr. Gilmor's sketch.)
This bridge opened a new highway to Portsmouth, and for fifty years greatly contributed to the prosperity of that town by directing thither a portion of country trade. especially after the opening of the First New Hampshire turnpike road. The N. H. legislature, by an Act of Dec. 12, 1803, granted a lottery for rais- ing $15,000, to repair and maintain Piscataqua bridge. Ten thousand first class tickets at $5 each, were issued and advertised in the N. H. Gazette (Portsmouth) of Jan. 17, 1804. Some of these tickets are still to be found.
This bridge gave way March 8, 1830, and again in the autumn of 1854. In the latter instance it was repaired by the Messrs. Frink of Newington, who had recently bought it for $2,000, though it originally cost $65,947.34. This decrease in value was owing to the construction of railways, which had diverted travel in other directions. Consequently, when 600 feet of the bridge on the Newington side was carried away by the ice, Feb. 18, 1855, the owners could not afford to repair it, and the por- tion left was removed not long after.
The name of Pascataqua Bridge is still given to the neighborhood around the Durham terminus, though only the old abutments of the bridge now remain. And the school district in this part of the town is generally
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
called the Bridge or Pascataqua Bridge district.
PASCATAQUA RIVER, otherwise PIS- CATAQUA. Judge Potter defines the name of this river as " a great deer place," from the Indian words, pos, great ; attuck, deer ; and auke, a place. Sanford and Evert's Atlas says the Piscataqua river was so named by Capt. Martin Pring, from piscatus, fish, and aqua, water, from the abundance of fish he found when he ascended this river several leagues in 1603. Thoreau, in his " Maine Woods," says Piscataquis signifies, according to the definition of an in- telligent Indian, "the branch of a river." Mr. Hoyt, in his notes to Tuttle's Historical Papers, p. 101, says the word Pascataqua means "a divided tidal place," the river of this name being divided at the mouth into two streams by the island of New Castle. It no doubt does signify a divided or branched river. The Pas- cataqua is, in fact, a forked river, with two great branches-one coming down from East Pond in the north- east corner of Wakefield, and the other from Great and Little Bays. These unite at Hilton's Point, whence this confluent stream flows eastward to the Atlantic, seven miles distant.
The Hon. C. H. Bell, in his His- tory of Exeter, aptly compares the Pascataqua and its tributaries to " a man's left hand and wrist, back up- wards, and fingers wide apart. The thumb would stand for the Salmon Falls or Newichwannock river, the forefinger for Bellamy river, the sec- ond finger for Oyster river, the third for Lamprey river, and the fourth for Exeter or Squamscot river ; while the palm of the hand would represent
the Great Bay, into which most of those streams pour their waters, and the wrist the Pascataqua proper." A branched river, indeed, as the name signifies.
Different names are given to differ- ent parts of the Pascataqua. Ac- cording to Belknap, the eastern branch, from its source to the lower falls at Berwick, is called the Salmon Falls river. Then it assumes the name of Newichawannock, which it bears till it meets with the Cochecho. The early settlers on Dover Neck called that part between the mouth of the Cochecho and Hilton's Point by the name of Fore river.
Dr. Quint thinks the name of Pas- cataqua should be confined to the western branch. At the head of this branch is Great Bay, the waters of which empty into Little Bay at the Narrows. The lower bound of Little Bay is Fox point, opposite which is Goat island below the mouth of Oys- ter river. Cedar point is just below the Durham end of the old Pascata- qua bridge, with Royall's cove at the east. Beyond is Clement's point, at the mouth of Back river, on the west- erly side. Between Back River and Newington are the Horse Races, where the current of the Pascataqua is rapid and turbulent. At Hilton's Point, otherwise Dover Point, this western branch unites with the New- ichawannock, forming what the old records often call the Main river, which flows thence in a direct course towards the Atlantic ocean. This straight portion of the river, between Dover Point and the Narrows, below Boiling Rock, is called the Long Reach.
The chief points and coves along
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
the Newington shore, beginning at the Greenland line, and proceeding in the direction of Fox Pt., succeed each other as follows. First comes Pincomb's or Pinkham's creek, near the line-the upper boundary of the old Pickering grant. The lower boundary is called Swadden's creek, otherwise Mill creek. Off this shore is Swadden's island, now often cor- rupted to Swan island. Farther
down is Fabyan's Point, formerly Starbuck's, at the upper side of Laighton's cove. At the lower side of this cove is Long point, otherwise Woodman's. Off shore is Nanney's island. Below is Small point. The cove below is no doubt the ancient Hogsty Cove, at the lower side of which is Furber's point, at the Nar- rows, which separate Great and Lit- tle bays. Below Furber's point, or ferry place, is Welsh Cove, otherwise Welshman's, with Dame's point at the lower side, sometimes called Joshua's Point. Then comes Dump- ling Core, with the " Sow and Pigs" off shore, to be seen at low tide. Farther down is Bald Head, just beyond which is Fox point, the most prominent headland on the Newing- ton shore. At the lower side is Hen island. We are now in Broad cove. Midway along the shore of this eove is Rocky point, otherwise Carter's Rocks. At the lower side of Broad cove is Stephen's point, now Bean's. Below is Coleman's creek. Then comes Zackey's point, otherwise Orchard point, with Trickey's cove at the lower side. Below is Nancy Drew's point, a subdivision of Bloody point, formerly the landing-place of Knight's ferry. Just below is the point to which the name of Bloody
Point is now confined. It is the ter- minus of the Dover Point bridge. In the river below, perhaps thirty rods from the shore, are the Lang- staffe Rocks, dangerous to shipping, with a wrecked schooner now lying near. On the neighboring shore is Pickering's Cove, otherwise Whid- den's, and a creek which once divided the Bickford and Carter lands, and ran a mill. Below is Birch Point, no doubt the Pine Point of early times. Farther down is Uncle Siah's cove, properly Downing's cove, just above Patterson's Lane. Off shore is Shag Rock. Ragg's point, other- wise Beetle's, is on the shore of the Rollins farm. Farther down is the Upper Huntress landing-place, now owned by Miss Mary Huntress. Below is Paul's Creek, the Kenny or Canney's creek of early times. Then comes Hill's cove, no doubt the old Pine Cove. A short distance below begins the Gosling road, which sep- arates Newington from Portsmouth. At the lower side is the landing- place called the Lower Huntress. A ferry once ran from this point to the Eliot shore, at Paul's ship-yard, whence another road led into the country. Boiling Rock is off the Eliot shore, a little below. Beyond are the Narrows. Here is Cutt's eddy, the worst in the river. On the shore is Wentworth Point, better known as the Pulpit, so called from a rock that hangs out from the shore, where sailors in passing formerly " made their manners " for the sake of good luck, and still do so to some extent. An anecdote is related in Brewster's Rambles of General Sul- livan's refusing to pay the customary mark of respect in passing the Pulpit,
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Landmarks in Ancient Dover.
and the means used by the boatmen to make him doff his hat. President Cutt, in his will, gives his wife the use of land at ye Pulpit till his son Samuel should be of age. It was here Madam Ursula Cutt retired after his death, and was killed by the Indians in 1694. The Pulpit is now owned by the Hon. Frank Jones. Below is Cutt's Cove, with Freeman's Point beyond, for two hundred years called Ham's Point, from William Ham, who had a grant of land here in 1652, and built a house on it before 1654. On the Kittery shore, opposite, are Adams Oaks.1
Going up the Long Reach, the river boatmen, after passing Frank's Fort, used to sing out, " Barn Door !" as soon as they canght sight of a barn on a distant hill, the doors of which were never known to be shut. This was the signal for a dram, and the men would flat their oars and take their grog, the better to stem the strong current of the Long Reach. Another dram was always found necessary at the Horse Races, after entering the western branch of the Pascataqua, where the current is very swift and powerful. And the Oyster river boatmen took' one at Half-Tide Rock, on entering the month of that stream.
The name of Pascataqua, variously written Pascataquack, Piscataway, etc., was in early times, not only given to the river itself, but to the entire settlement on both shores, from the month upward.
PASCATAQUA ROCK. This rock is mentioned in the following convey- ance of June 17, 1674 :- " I, Wil- liam ffurbur, Sen', for ye entire affec- tion I bear to my son Will : ffurbur, my first-born son, do by these p'sents give to him & his heirs for- ev' all my now dwelling house, both ye old and new one, wth my barn and all out housing, wth all my Land from Piscataq Rock to the north End of Anthony Nutter his land to ye north of this line," etc. This was the farm at Furber's ferry. March 2, 1704, Jethro ffurbur, of Portsmouth (son of Jethro, deceased, mariner), out of love and affection, conveyed to his loving cousin, Jethro ffurber, son of William of Dover, his uncle, twenty-five acres of land at or near Great Bay in Portsmouth, fronting the river between Pascataqua Rock and Small Point, adjoining Wm. ffurber's land, said land having belonged to Jethro's father, also named Jethro, who intended to give it to Jethro, son of William. This land is now owned by Mr. J. W. Hoyt.
Pascataqua Rock, which separated the ferry farm from Jethro Furber's farm, was, according to tradition, the terminal bound of the old Dover line from Canney's creek to Hogsty Cove. It was a large slaty rock near the shore, which was gradually broken up by the frost, and carried away by the ice and strong tides.
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