USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > Meredith > Old Meredith and vicinity > Part 6
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Thomas Eastman, who settled near Steel Hill in Sanbornton, is buried in the Eastman yard just across the Meredith line, but he spent his last days on the Meredith side with his son. Fred F. Eastman of Laconia tells us that he was so small a man that he could find shelter in a barrel. He reached home with no money, with only a worn-out pair of army shoes and a brass kettle for which he had spent his last dollar.
GILFORD
In the James yard, a beautiful spot on Cotton Hill, lies Major Jabez James who died in 1846, Ag. 86. This yard is on the farm formerly owned by Leland M. James and is splendidly kept. In the same locality, in a field opposite the house now owned by Judge Young, commonly known as the Blaisdell place although it is said to have been built by Folsoms, is the Rowe and Folsom graveyard. This yard is small and there are many trees within its walls and a weeping willow on its iron gate. A rough stone is marked J. X. Folsom 1814, and at the top where it is crumbling off is what looks like 90, which may have been the age. This cross in the name does not necessarily mean that the middle name began with X, as we are told that it was often used. We find in the records a number of soldiers by the name of Folsom whose first name begins with J, but have no proof that this was one of them.
In the Weeks yard, between Cotton Hill and Liberty Hill, no soldiers' graves were found.
Taking the road leading from Laconia to Gilford Village and turning easterly at the "Four Corners," not a very long distance over on the right, we find the Hoitt yard. This is a neighborhood graveyard, evidently, as there are a number of graves marked with names other than that of Hoitt. We have located the graves of five Revolutionary soldiers here and feel sure we shall find one or two more.
The older part of this yard is so grown up to trees and vines that it is hard to find the graves, but the newer section is well cared for by relatives of those lying there.
Turning to the left from the Hoitt yard and going up a long hill, we find at the top a large graveyard, in a pine grove and opposite the schoolhouse. This is known as the Weeks yard and contains a great many old stones, and must be a very old cemetery.
Quantities of these rough stones have no lettering whatever, while some have initials and what appear to be numbered graves, such as B. V. W .- No. 7. and
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L. R. W .- No. 8. The oldest marked stone found here was "Nath'l Sibley, D -July 23, 1794." Also one marked "S. W. 1797," and no doubt many of the unlettered stones were set much earlier. We are told that some of the bodies have been moved from this yard, and so far we have not been able to locate any soldiers' graves here.
Pine Grove Cemetery in Gilford Village, although not an old graveyard, contains the grave of one soldier of the Revolution, Jeremiah Bartlett, who died in 1853, Ag. 96. Thirty-three soldiers of the various wars are buried in this yard.
A very handsome bank wall with an arched gateway separates this graveyard from the street. This wall was built and given to the town of Gilford by Fred Weeks of Providence, R. I., whose boyhood days were spent in that town.
Going down the "Mountain Road," which leads from Gilford Village toward Alton and joins the Lake Shore road just below West Alton, we find on the left the old Buzzell farm. There are no buildings here, but in a corner of the field there are a number of graves. One of these graves is decorated each year and is said by older inhabitants to be the grave of Ichabod Buzzell's father, who was a Revolutionary soldier, but whose first name we have not been able to learn.
Just below this yard on the right is the Grant yard which contains graves of the soldiers of the Civil War but none of the Revolution. A little below this yard we turn sharply to the left and, on reaching the Mooney schoolhouse, turn to the right, going on to a side road, which forms a sort of ox-bow and comes back to the Mountain Road farther down. On this side road and on the Lamprey farm is what is known as the Lamprey graveyard. This yard is quite a distance from the road in the field on the left. Elder Abel Glidden, who at one time had charge of a church organization that held its meetings in this same Mooney school- house, is buried here and his wife Rebecca is buried with him. A soldier of the War of 1812 and one of the Civil War, both named Frohock, are in this yard.
The next yard in the town of Gilford is the Coleman yard just above Ames on the Lake Shore Road. So far as is known, no soldiers are buried here, although there are a number of unlettered field stones in this yard. On the hill near Lake Shore Park is the Carr Cemetery. There are no very old graves here and the yard is kept neat and trim. An interesting fact in connection with this yard is that the gate leading into it hangs on the original cedar posts that were set there in 1830.
A lone grave on the old Gilford Town Farm near Lake Shore Park, now owned by Robert Morrill, holds the body of George Bean, a Civil War veteran, who lived in the house owned by Charles Boynton of Glendale, and who died of small- pox, which was probably the reason for his being buried in this isolated spot.
Several miles farther on towards Lakeport on the right is the McCoy cemetery. This yard contains the largest number of graves of soldiers of the Revolution to be found in any one yard in this vicinity. Twenty-two have been located here and no doubt there are still more to be found later.
A few of these graves have no markers, excepting the bronze markers set by the Daughters of the American Revolution. Some have rough stones, while others have stones or monuments in good condition. This yard is taken care of by the
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Cemetery Association and has some endowment funds. It has a very nice bank wall that separates it from the road.
The Wilkinson yard on the road from Gilford Station to the Weirs has no soldiers buried there. On Governor's Island is the family graveyard of the Davis family, who formerly owned the island, when it was called Davis Island, but we find no soldiers there.
LACONIA OR OLD MEREDITH BRIDGE
There used to be an old graveyard on Water Street in Laconia, but as the town grew and developed, this land so near its center was needed for other purposes and these bodies were moved to other yards. Some bones were left, however, as they were found when the foundations were laid for the Moulton Block (O'Shea's).
The old Riverside Cemetery in Laconia contains the graves of Timothy Somes, Jacob Jewett and Enoch Osgood, all Revolutionary soldiers. This is an old and interesting yard, and we are told that in one corner a number of un- identified bodies were buried when they were removed from the old Water Street yard. For a long time little trellises marked these graves, but a fire at Cook's Lumber Company spread across to this corner and these were burned.
In this yard is the Bowman tomb, where the members of the Bowman family, who lived at the corner of Court Street, where Gen. William F. Knight now lives, were buried. Back of Mr. Knight's house may still be seen a yet earlier tomb, doorless now, where children used to play, calling it a cave. This tomb was mentioned in old deeds, and so was kept, after the new one was built, to help establish boundary lines.
On the Academy Street side of Union Cemetery near the gate are many graves with their headstones taken from the old Water Street Cemetery. Among these are John A. Harper and Samuel Ladd. There are seven Revolutionary soldiers buried now in Union Cemetery.
MARY BUTLER
Mary Butler, for whom the Laconia Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was named, is buried in the neighborhood graveyard on theright- hand side of the road leading from Laconia to Gilmanton and located in the latter town. In the corner, on the right-hand side of the yard, can be found her grave and that of her husband, Lieut. Ebenezer Eastman, with three of their children, including little Abigail, the infant that Mary Butler Eastman took with her on horseback when she rode to Charlestown to ascertain the fate of her husband, after the battle of Bunker Hill.
In returning to Laconia we pass the grave of Jeduthan Farrar on the old Farrar farm, and the grave of John Folsom at the Lamprey corner. By crossing to Plummer Hill we pass the yard where Eleazar Young is buried, and near the Belmont Road Josiah Rundlet's grave may be found not far from the road. These men also fought in the Revolutionary War.
CONCLUSION
In writing of the old graveyards in this immediate vicinity, of which there are many, it is possible to give but a brief sketch of each. Unfortunately, many of
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the older inhabitants have died, so that it is hard to obtain any definite informa- tion in regard to the many graves marked by unlettered stones, and consequently the graves of many Revolutionary soldiers will forever remain unknown and unmarked.
At the present time, when it is so easy to communicate with the whole world, it is hard to understand the difficulties that stood in the way of recording events both during the Revolutionary War and later.
We are told that many times the officers had nothing to keep their records on but a piece of birch bark and only a burnt stick with which to write, and these records were often lost. And our ancestors, pioneers, surrounded by the wilder- ness, with dangers ever near, struggling to build their cabins and take care of their families, found that it was possible to perform only the most necessary tasks, and when they had buried a loved one and placed a common rough stone at the grave, they had "done what they could."
Their farming implements and building tools were very primitive and they probably had no tools with which to letter these stones, even if they had had the time and knowledge to do so, and on the first stones that were lettered, the work- manship is very crude.
The oldest gravestones found are the small rough stones with no lettering on them. Next, we find the same style of markers with one or two initials carved on the face. Then the larger stones, still rough but with names and dates put on very irregularly and unevenly.
Slate stones came later, well marked and with weeping willow and other orna- mentations thereon. Then the very tall marble stones, on which it was thought necessary to inscribe the history of the deceased with a verse or two of poetry added. Some of these ancient epitaphs are very amusing.
And finally, we have the stones and monuments of the present day, mostly granite, with their plain straight lines and simple inscriptions. Verily the world progresses, and a few years hence will it be, as some predict, that graveyards will be a thing of the past, and that all bodies will be incinerated and their ashes scattered to the four winds of heaven? Who can tell?
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ARRS
INN
1825
OLD TAVERNS
Laura E. Varney
THE CARR TAVERN
Anybody who remembers Lake Shore Park Inn will recollect the old portion of it. That was the old Carr Tavern, kept by Robert Carr as early as 1823. There were two signs on this tavern-one over the front door reading "Entertain- ment & spiritous liquors by R. Carr 1823." The other swinging at the corner read "R. Carr's Inn."
Mrs. Sadie Carr Curtis, a great-granddaughter of Robert Carr, has these two signs. She has also the tall clock which stood in one corner of the barroom. This clock was bought by Robert Carr in 1786 for forty dollars. It had been pawned for liquor. Mrs. Curtis also has the money box used in the tavern. It was always kept on the corner of a shelf and never locked.
In the palmy days of this tavern it sheltered many travelers from the northern part of the state and Vermont who were on their way to Dover and Portsmouth with produce and meats to exchange for groceries, etc. The charge for over night with supper and breakfast for a man and two horses was one dollar. Very often people brought their own food, then Grandma Carr would warm it for them in the tin baker before the fireplace.
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Entertainment $ Spiritous Liquo BY R. CARR, 1825
THE DAVENPORT TAVERN
On Meredith Parade, where Clarence Jones now lives, was the old Davenport Tavern. The first landlord at this tavern, so far as known, was Richard Boynton, who moved from Rowley, Mass., about 1795. He is said to have died there of spotted fever (1802).
"Tom" Davenport was the next in authority, a character and a hard one, if stories are true. His real name was Currier-pronounced "Kyer " in those days. His people lived on the cross road from the Province Road to Meredith Center. He kept a store across the road from the tavern that is now the ell part of the house. The partition between two rooms up stairs was so made that it could be raised so that the two rooms formed a dance hall.
One night Tom reached home with a load of goods among which was a barrel of rum. He said to two men who were present, "Carry that barrel of rum down cellar." One of them said, "I can do that without any help." That man was James Pike whose father afterward ran the tavern. After having told the men to dispose of the rum, Davenport went out and was not seen again till they found him behind the door in his store hung by the neck with an ox chain. It is said that to close a deal with a man named Wadleigh he kept him full of rum. The man died and the authorities were so hot after him that he evidently decided to do the hanging himself. His initials "T. D." are still to be seen on the capstone of the well on the place.
In 1850 Capt. William Pike took possession of the tavern and was the last to keep tavern there. It was sold to John Blaisdell in 1856, and its days as a tavern were over.
THE ISAAC FARRAR TAVERN
Where Frank L. Cawley now lives on the Province Road on Meredith Parade, not far from the old Davenport Tavern, was conducted the old Farrar Tavern.
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The Farrars cleared the land which is the farm of today and built the house which still is on the place and Isaac Farrar "kept tavern" there till 1860. In this house is a secret room back of the front entry about seven by eight feet. In the palmy days of the tavern it was furnished. It can be reached only from the attic by climbing down the old chimney which in its descent makes good steps. From this room-it is said-one could hear much that went on outside. Rumor has it that this secret place was used as a hiding place for persons and also for smuggled goods.
The old sign is in the attic now.
YOUNG'S TAVERN
The house which afterwards became Young's Tavern was probably built by Lieut. John Gilman, at whose house town meetings were sometimes held. The first tavern keeper, so far as known, was Allen Peabody who was granted a license to sell spirituous liquors in Meredith in 1793. The next proprietors were William Peabody and Eleazar Young, and finally Eleazar Young became sole owner. Tom Davenport finally bought both sides of the road, 226 acres in all. After he died his widow married a Mooney and lived on high land at Meredith Center. From her new home she could see the Davenport Tavern but not Young's, so she sold the latter and it was moved to Lake Village and continued existence on "Brimstone Corner." For many years it harbored a saloon under its roof, hence the name "Brimstone Corner."
THE EAGER TAVERN
On the Meredith side of the Winnepesaukee River, just above the present court that leads down to the News and Critic office, stood the old "Eager Tavern" kept by Mr. Asa Eager. Of this "village tavern" Mrs. Obear (1828 Taverns) quaintly and probably truthfully says: "At Mr. Eager's Tavern both strangers stopping for the night with mine host and ruddy nosed citizens in the barroom mingled jest and song with the steaming flips the bartender's hot poker sent bub- bling to their lips. Many were the farms that went slipping down those thirsty throats, while their owners sat long and late unconscious of the scores accumulat- ing on the books."
Eager's Tavern was afterwards "Have" Robinson's Tavern or the White Mountain Pavilion. "Have" Robinson's Tavern stood endwise to the street and was two and a half stories high. On this same site Richard Gove afterwards kept a jewelry store. After his death the business was carried on by his nephew, A. S. Gordon.
In 1838 Meredith Bridge is credited with three taverns-Winnepisiogee Coffee House (Old Willard), "Farmer's Hotel" (on this site was afterwards the "Wono- lancet," "City Hotel," and now the "Chertok" occupies the site) and "Have" Robinson's was the third one.
STRAFFORD-BADGER'S-TREMONT
In a deed dated July 16, 1808, Dorothy Sanborn conveys to Horatio Gates Prescott "That stand for a Tavern situate in said Gilmanton and near Meredith
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Bridge so called being the same which I have occupied as such for a number of years past and which is now occupied by said Prescott, consisting of the Dwelling house & other buildings, and about one half of an acre of Land, be the same more or less, said land is bounded westerly by the Province road, southerly by the road leading to Gunstock so called [now Union Ave.], easterly by land owned by Daniel Kimball & northerly by Winnipissiokee River."
April 14, 1837, we find one Asa Gove, keeper of the "Strafford Hotel," which was the same stand, warning innholders to "beware of a certain lazy, lounging, decent looking fellow by the name of Smith P. Watson, known in Exeter and Thornton and by many individuals in this place to their sorrow. Put up at my place for 6 or 7 days, absconded between two days without Paying His Board Bill, or even saying 'good morning!' This is to suggest to Brethern of my Profession the necessity of keeping an eye on such Rascals."
At one time this was called "Badger's" and in 1842 Lyman B. Walker offers the same property for sale as the "Tremont." However, he did not sell it, but occupied it himself and those who remember visiting there tell of its splendid furnishings, a worthy setting for the Attorney General of the State, as he later was. When he rode the country round he sported a negro coachman. The land is still owned by his descendants.
The house was of the type so often seen in the old part of Portsmouth, three stories, first story with long windows, second story with shorter windows and the third story with short windows. Mrs. Obear-under 1828-states that the Free Masons held their meetings in this tavern and that Mrs. Ladd usually kept her infant school here, sometimes having as many as 60 children. "Friend" Ladd's wife seems to have been fifty years, at least, ahead of her time. Her son, William H. Ladd, who was for many years principal of the Chauncy Hall School in Boston, wrote in her obituary, "My mother's methods of teaching were very modern," and as we know that the little tots carried each his or her own little arm chair in which to sit instead of on benches with feet dangling in air, it makes us feel that we are not so much after all with our boasted kindergarten methods.
THE OLD WILLARD
Its first existence was as the dwelling house of Mr. Dudley Ladd somewhere in the '30's. Not long after his son-in-law, Mr. Eben Lawrence, fitted it up and called it the "Winnipisseogee Hotel." In 1844 John Tilton, the father of the late Daniel A. Tilton, was running it under the same name, having come to Laconia in 1842. It was at this time that the Fernald family lived in a little house back of the hotel.
At one time it was called the "Coffee House"; in the '50's it was "Young's Hotel" of which a picture is still extant. It next appeared as "Willard" and so continued till our day. It is now owned by the I. O. O. F. of Laconia.
DAVID BOYNTON
David Boynton came to Meredith about 1791. He built the old red house that stood on the land now occupied by the home of Mrs. Joseph W. Pitman. That he was a tavern keeper for a time is proved by the following: November 14,
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(YOUKES
HOTEL
YOUNG'S HOTEL, OLD WILLARD
1792, Company Boynton and Horton is licenced to keep a tavern one year in the town of Meredith. On August 26, 1793, John Horton is licenced to sell spiritous liquors at his store in Meredith, and on November 30, 1793 David Boynton is again licenced to keep a public tavern for one year in Meredith. At the "Red House," so called, there was a distillery, so all things were convenient for guests who might patronize Boynton's Tavern.
RICHARD BOYNTON
Richard Boynton, brother of the above-mentioned David, came to Meredith about 1795. He bought fifteen acres of the minister's lot from Simon Finley Williams on the Province Road up on the Parade. The cellar can still be seen. The Proprietors held their meetings in Meredith in 1796-97 and 98 at the dwelling house of Richard Boynton, innkeeper. In 1799 and 1800 the Proprietors' meet- ings were held at his house, but he is not called "innkeeper," but Esq. is added to his name. It seems quite certain that he kept at one time the tavern which was afterwards Davenport's.
FOGG TAVERN
Just over the line from Meredith in New Hampton, where Clarence Gordon now lives, was the old Fogg Tavern.
OLD FOLSOM TAVERN
Recently the old signboard of "Folsom's Tavern 1813" was on exhibition in a window on Main Street, Laconia (old Meredith Bridge). It is now safely har- bored in the Laconia Library. This tavern was kept by Jonathan Folsom in the building which is now 135-137 Pleasant Street. This was later bought by Rev. Joseph P. Atkinson and was owned by his descendants until two years ago. After he had sold the old tavern Mr. Folsom spent the rest of his life in a house
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POLSOM
Taver
18
FOLSOM'S TAVERN
just above his old home. He had owned many acres in that part of the village, his land running down to Winnisquam and north as far as the point where Main and Pleasant Street meet.
GEORGE PEABODY
F There is a rumor that in the long ago some tavern in old Meredith Bridge was honored over night by the presence of George Peabody, merchant, banker and philanthropist. His biography says that at the age of fifteen he went to Thet- ford, Vermont, and stayed a year with his grandfather and went from there to Newburyport to clerk for his brother. It was on this trip-on foot-that tradi- tion says he sawed wood for his keep at a tavern in Meredith Bridge. Which one ?
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OLD POUND
THE OLD POUNDS
Abbie V'. Smart
In the days of the early settlers the building of a pound followed closely the building of churches and schoolhouses and these pounds were often located in their immediate vicinity. They were generally built, as to size, from thirty to thirty-six feet square and seven or eight feet high, in order that any stray domes- tic animals might be kept there with perfect safety, awaiting the arrival of their owners.
The pound shown here is located on the Old Province Road, now commonly called the Meredith Parade Road, on the farm now owned by Clarence W. Jones, whose house was formerly the Davenport Tavern. It is directly opposite the Town Cemetery, and the plot of land where the old meeting-house stood, and is without doubt the one that the town meeting of Mar. 9, 1789 (held at the house of Capt. William Ray), voted to build. The town records say of that meeting: "Voted to build a pound near the meetinghouse, thirty-six feet square."
The material to be used was apparently not specified as on a previous occasion, but it is plain to be seen that the wall facing the road is of split stone, making a facewall. The three remaining walls are of ordinary field stones. As seen in the picture, the walls of this pound are very uneven, many stones having fallen from
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them, but the city of Laconia is repairing it and the face wall on the front has already been relaid.
The old stone gate posts have been put in position and a new gate as nearly like the old one as possible, made of old weathered oak, and hung on the original hinges has been donated by Mary E. Neal Hanaford, who has also given, in memory of her two grandfathers, Jeremiah Smith and Joseph Neal, the granite marker at the right hand side of the gate, bearing the inscription
OLD MEREDITH POUND 1789
An earlier pound than the one previously described is that which the town meeting of April 3, 1775, voted to build. From the town records: "Voted to build a pound and set the same in the crotch of the way near Reuben Marston Junr."
John Kimbel was hired, for 1 pound 16 shillings and ninepence, to build this pound of pine, oak or hemlock timber, a "sutible size," thirty feet square and seven and a half feet high, to be completed the following July 1. Probably the Battle of Bunker Hill interfered with this work, as on April 1, 1776, this same vote was passed again and Lieut. John Kimbel was given until the July 1 following this meeting to complete the pound.
As "Reuben Marston Junr" lived in a small house which was removed when the new house was built in which Mrs. Blaisdell and her son now live, it is very certain that the location of this first pound was in the "crotch" of this road, at the top of Mead Hill, just beyond the Crockett schoolhouse. Reuben Marston Jr., was poundkeeper every year until the new stone pound was built "near the meeting-house," in 1789.
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