USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Newmarket > Old Newmarket, New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 7
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Modern fire engines, unfailing water supply, good roads and competent firemen have given us a safety unknown in old Newmarket. Then, hand engines driven by man power were quick to respond to a fire alarm; but the speed of their going was regulated by the condition of the roads and the number of men at the rope pulling desper- ately to reach the water supply nearest to the fire. There were no hydrants then. Do you remember the excitement of an old time fire alarm? The double line of men pulling the engine and hose cart over the roads? The shouts of encouragement, mingled with the clanging of the bells? The aggregation of sounds quickened the speed toward the fire. Crowds of townspeople hurried along ready to help, if needed, but if the building must burn not unwilling to
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witness the spectacle. When near the fire, a line of hose was laid to the nearest water supply. With brakes fully manned the captain shouted the order, "Brake her down." This was answered by rythmic action at the brakes. In the hands of those old time firemen the hand brake engines were wonderfully effective. For close work, ladders, axes and leather buckets were a part of the fire department equipment. Much depended upon the men at the brakes. They frequently encouraged themselves with a chorus, hearty and strong, rhythmic, in time with the required pumping of a steady flow of water through the line of hose. The songs were nicely adjusted to the work in hand. The burning of No. 2 Mill in 1857 was accompanied to the tune of "Charming Nellie Gray."
From time to time we have alarms of fire; but within the memory of persons now living only one very serious conflagration has occurred. On the morning of February 6, 1866, about ten o'clock in the forenoon, the town bells signalled a fire. The fire started in Depot Square near to or on the site of the present home of Bela Kingman. It was found to be well under way before the alarm was given. The fire force of the town was directed to saving the surrounding houses, when a second alarm was sounded for a fire at the corner of Main and Water Streets. In a very short time this fire had gained great headway, and the two engines at Depot Square had lost control of the fire there. Other buildings in that vicinity were burning, while all the buildings on the east side of Main Street from the corner of Main and Water Streets to Creighton's brick block were blazing unhindered. Here truly was cause for panic. Help came from Exeter, Dover and Portsmouth,
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but the fire had made such headway that all efforts were directed toward saving the adjacent buildings. All the buildings from Tasker's Lane to Depot Square, a connected line of them, burned to the ground. Burning shingles borne on the air were a constant menace to buildings distant from the fire. Creighton's brick block caught fire three times. The horrors of that day are indescribable. Strangers flocked into town, attracted by the fire, and the general thirsty condition seemed to lead directly to the saloons, of which there were many. The exhausted firemen were energized for a brief time with liquor freely served as they worked. A barrel of rum with the head removed, and tin dippers, hung at the rim, stood on Chapman's wharf, accessible to all. Darkness came, early hastened by the smoke-filled atmosphere. The flare of flames was the only street light. The village was crowded with strangers and townspeople, with drunken men and hysterical women. No arrests were made that day, even when a cry of murder cut the night air and a woman sought protection in the crowd. Her husband, axe in hand, pursued her; but the crowd discouraged him. The woman was given shelter by a neighbor. A little argument convinced the drunken man that he was tired and needed sleep. This event seemed a climax to a hectic day. Santa Anna, for so he was called, was given a bed where he could not disturb his wife or the public. All night the ashes of the destroyed buildings sent up flares. All night the streets were patrolled by policemen and watchful citizens. The origin of the fire was never known. On that day the weather was mild with no wind save that caused by the flames. With- out the help given us by engine companies of neighboring town we would have been helpless to stay the flames.
SCHOOLS
In 1831 Dr. William Folsom, then a young man, was teaching school in District No. 2, South Lamprey River Village. He was the father of Hon. Channing Folsom, who has in his possession the school report of the above year. The term was for twenty-four weeks. The number of pupils registered was one hundred and thirty-six, average attendance seventy-five; ages from two to seventeen years. Reading, writing, arithmetic, surveying and natural philoso- phy were taught. This school report was published in the "Newmarket Advertiser" March 27, 1925. A reprint would interest many, as the names are reminders of old citizens whose descendants are still with us. It would also prompt the question, Where was South Lamprey River Dis- trict No. 2?
In 1838 Valentine Webster was paid by the town for "making good the underpinning of the North District School-house." This was the Spring Pump School-house, so called. It stood near the northwest corner of Spring Street and Piscassic Road. The north boundary line between Newmarket and Durham was near by.
In the spring of 1841 the town voted to build a school house. For this purpose Benjamin Wheatland, Benjamin Battles, Benjamin Tuttle, Dr. George W. Kittredge and
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Henry Baker were chosen as a building committee. The Manufacturing Company gave land for a school site and playground on Zion's Hill, conditionally, as were all land gifts to the town from the Company. If not used for the purpose specified in the deed the land would revert to the Company. The committee decided to build this school house of stone. They may have been impressed by the appearance of the Universalist meeting house near by, new and imposing, built of stone. The contract for the stone work on the school house was given to William and Robert Channel. The brick work and plastering to Augustus Bradford. The seats, desks and blackboards to Jewett Tasker, with the instructions that the desks and seats were "to be made of the same kind of wood and of like workman- ship as the pews in the Methodist meeting house."
On the first day of May, 1842, this school house was ready for use. P. Payson was engaged to teach the first term of eleven weeks, for which he received ninety-six dollars and sixty cents. He was succeeded by Schoolmas- ter Bruce. The teachers in the other schools in town for the year 1842 were: Eliza Creighton, Martha West, Han- nah Wood, Martha Towle and Elizabeth Garland. For this term of eleven weeks their pay ranged from fifty-five to seventy dollars.
The present primary school building was intended for a high school. The upper story was so used until 1874 (when the brick school house on the southeast side of Zion's Hill was built and high school established there). It was built after the Somersworth School Act of 1848 became a law, whereby "any school district where the num- ber of scholars exceeds one hundred, may vote to keep such
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high school or schools as the interests of education may require."
A very small school house stood in the corner of the present primary school playground in 1817. Beside it was a one story store with the sign "W. Cheswell" over the door. On a map of Lamprey River Village, made the above year, this school house is plainly marked, and no other school house is found on the map. A map made in 1832, by Seth Walker, of Durham, gives this school house and a school building on Spring Street at Piscassic Road. In 1849 the small school house on Main Street was moved over the creek to a site near the Caswell home. The store that stood beside it was moved across the road and was, successively, a work shop, a store, the office of Dr. George N. Towle, the music studio of Helen Leavitt, the Saunders grocery store, and much enlarged, it has been for years Matthew T. Kennedy's grocery and shoe store. The Dr. Towle mentioned, practiced his profession here before the Civil War. He was with the Fifteenth Regiment, New Hampshire Volunteers, as surgeon, under Dr. Horchs, of Dover. His family resided in the house now owned by the Saunders sisters.
The removal of these two small buildings from the present primary school playground in 1848, may have indi- cated preparations for the building of the brick school house on this lot. The exact date of its construction is not known. When it was completed the upper story was "High School;" the lower story was "Primary School." The lower floor of the stone school house on the hill was "Intermediate School," and upstairs was "Grammar School." Physical growth rather than mental attainment decided the grade.
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In years long past, discipline in the primary schools was somewhat severe for little folks. Children frequently began school life at the age of three or four years. Stand- ing on the top of the high air-tight stove, twisting the little ears, snapping whispering lips, and wearing a dunce cap were dreaded punishments; but to be a Tag-tail was the worst of all. Teacher wore a black silk apron with long silk ends that tied behind. The naughty child was tied to the teacher's apron strings and tearfully followed her leader up and down the aisles and to and fro in front of the desk. At recess or after school this punishment took on a new form as the shout "Tag-tail" greeted the child. Tears were of no avail, for "Cry-baby" then increased the misery of life. Pulling a child's ears, pinch- ing, rapping knuckles, long periods of standing in the floor, these and other small brutalities have long since been ban- ished from primary school discipline.
The Intermediate School on the first floor of the stone school house on the hill seems to have been favored with teachers who made discipline a specialty. Hannah Wood and Melissa Young are so remembered. When the boys were promoted to the upstairs grammar school, a strong reaction took place under a placid teacher. The boys quickly became expert interior decorators, devoting their skill to overhead work. Noiselessly the spit balls sped upward to join a sort of milky way. The ever increasing constellations won the admiration of the school. The idle boy, looking up to see where it hit, often took punishment not rightfully his; while the teacher's good boy, diligently frowning over a problem in fractions, unmindful of his surroundings, was unsuspected though guilty. One gram-
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mar school teacher was generally liked by the scholars but not by the prudential committee. We all felt sorry and resentful at his dismissal. Our respect for the new teacher was not increased by these conditions. He came from the town of Stratham and his name was Scammon. He was a rather short, stout, young man, and he made his first appearance at school wearing a tall hat, gloves, a cane and much dignity. It was the custom to ring the Baptist Church bell at quarter of nine every schoolday morning. The teacher was expected to do this and to keep the key to the church in his possession. The boys had a plan well made. They offered to ring the bell the first day of school. The offer was accepted with thanks. The next morning Teacher Scammon came down the hill, high-hatted and gloved, to ring the church bell. The school was fully represented as he unlocked the church door, took the rope from its hook on the wall and, hand over hand high up on the rope, gave a mighty pull. It lifted him to the overhead and battered his tall hat well down over his chin, a close fit. The group about the church door quickly scattered. But the good boys, Herbert Folsom, George Leavitt, Ira Dockum and Martin Durgin, came to his rescue. After that day he wore a cap and left his cane at home. Within a week he gave up the school.
In those days the wide, hardwood ruler was in daily use; but for discipline it was not effectual. An appeal to a youth's honor was unthought of, and the boy who could get the best of his teacher was something of a hero. Many tried and failed. One who always succeeded in that old time grammar school became in after life a very success- ful educator.
PACKETS, GONDOLAS AND A RAILROAD
As soon as the mills were in operation the Company established a regular packet service to and from Ports- mouth. Keel boats, thirty feet in length and ten feet beam, brought cotton and supplies and freighted the woven cloth to market. These boats at different times in the service of the Company were the Fox, Greyhound, Lion, Monroe, and Factory Girl. All these packets were short, tubby craft of fifteen tons capacity with slight keel and a lanteen sail that could be lowered to pass under bridges. Two men on each boat were all the crew needed; but these two, like all our resident sailors, very well knew their course. Long had they been familiar with the tides and shoals of the Piscataqua, Great and Little Bays and the salt water of Lamprey River. All along the water way from Portsmouth to our wharf, the near or distant shore gave to these mariners natural land and water signals of danger or safety: Boiling Rock, the Drifting Elms, Lang- staff Rock, Sunken Ledge, High Point Flats, the Sukey, the bow in the channel off Moody's Point, the Lower Narrows, Coy Rocks, Upper Narrows, Jimmy Nick's Rock, and all the other perils in the approach to this port.
Sailors of Salt River and Great Bay could doubtless tell us legends of Bear's Garden and all the above men-
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tioned nautical locations. The story of Jimmie Nick's Rock may have lost its tragic features with the lapse of years. It is not recorded nor does tradition tell us that the experience of James Nicholas wrought any great change in his life or character; but from that time and that event this particular rock acquired distinction. It is a river mark that warns inexperienced or befuddled sailors where not to go. A natural phenomenon of the Bay has been known to all our sailors time out of mind. In all kinds of weather, wind and tide, from all points of the compass, sailing craft always find "a fair wind to Pickering's."
Bear's Garden is a location that should have history or incident to prove its right to a name so suggestive of a bear's terrestrial Eden. Years ago this location was dark with tall pine trees and rocks were plenty. It looked like a good place for bear tenants. The early records of Lamprey River mention a "tide mill near Bear's Garden." The river gives quick access to beautiful Great Bay. The Bay has always been appreciated by hunters, fishermen and pleasure seekers.
Fatal accidents have not been frequent; but one that occurred about sixty years ago left a lasting impression upon the town. One beautiful day in August a large party of townspeople, with employees of B. F. Haley's tailor shop, sailed down the river in the packet, Factory Girl, to picnic at Adams' Point. The sail was delightful. At the grove the pleasures of the day were well under way when threatening clouds sent the entire party to the packet for shelter from the rain. A sudden squall struck the packet. The sail was set and sheet made fast. Without a moment's
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warning the packet capsized. The party was large and but few of them could swim. The wonder is that so many escaped drowning. Three much loved young women were drowned. Gloom settled over the town. The bodies were recovered two or three days after the accident. The sol- emn burial service at sunset, the tolling of the village bells, and the general grief of the community left impressions that time can not efface from the memory of those then living. The Factory Girl was the last of the packets. This was her last cruise.
Gunlows, as we call them, took the place of the pack- ets. It would be foolish to give to so ugly a craft the name of gondola. These gunlows were large, flat bot- tomed boats that were poled out of the river at high tide. A lateen sail like those of the packets, and a lee board helped navigation below Shackford's Point. Returning, loaded, a tug usually pulled them along. At the water- side were storehouses having projections overhanging the tide and especially adapted for handling water-borne car- goes. The freight of the Newmarket Manufacturing Com- pany was conveyed by rail as soon as the Boston and Maine Railroad was in operation.
The coming of this railroad was an important event in the history of the town. The rails were brought from England to Boston. There they were loaded on water craft that could navigate Exeter River to the landing at South Newmarket on the high tide. Five two-masted schooners were unloading rails at the wharf which saw more activity then than it ever did before or is likely to see again. Steadily the rails were laid each day, slowly advancing nearer Lamprey River Village. On the twenty-
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eighth day of July, 1841, the first passenger train came down the line, halting where Exeter Street Crossing now is, amid the ringing of church bells, the shouts of the crowd of witnesses and the unusual sound of a locomotive whistle. It was a great event, more astonishing than air mail service is today, for now we expect inventions to come to us as swiftly as the need dawns on an inventive mind.
The first railroad station was built at Exeter Street crossing where now the gateman's hut stands. In the early days of railroading accidents were frequent and fatal.
For some years railroad travel was not so very com- fortable. A letter received in March, 1850, proves this. Doubtless this Hudson River Road was as progressive as any of our New England railroads. A part of this letter is given here: "Going from New York to Albany upon the well conducted Hudson River road I found every seat was taken and the stoves were going full blast. Presently the overpowering odor of toasted trousers and sizzling apple parings, mingled with the breaths of closely packed human beings, filled the entire car. I endured it until I could stand it no longer. I opened the window beside my seat and gave my lungs fair play. In less than three minutes the people around me began to look furious and to pull up their coat collars. I knew what was coming, but determined to hold on as long as I could. The cool refreshing air came into the car. The passengers farther away were reminded that something unusual had occurred. They looked around at me and the open window as if they had been personally insulted. I knew they were saying to themselves 'What under heavens do I want of fresh air!' Then the crisis came. A man rose from his seat and walked up the aisle.
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All eyes followed him. Severely he looked at me and said 'Had you just as leave shut down that window, sir? Ladies in this car are taking cold.' Without hesitation down went the window. My passage money from New York City to Albany was three dollars, and it took six hours to get there. Why can't the railroad sell us a guarantee of fresh air with our tickets and charge us a half dollar more for the service. I would like to suggest that a car be reserved for drunken persons and rowdies. May be this will come in time."
HARDTIMES
The need of a Town Hall, which had long been felt and talked about, became so imperative in 1847 that an article in the town warrant called for a decision. A majority vote to build, settled the question. John Webster, Joseph Elkins and Thomas J. Haines were chosen a building com- mittee, John Webster, chairman.
Seth Walker, of Durham, drafted the plan for the Town Hall and agreed to look after the work as it progressed, for the sum of twenty dollars. On the morning of August 20, 1847, digging for the foundation was begun. Everybody was satisfied with the location and enthusiastic over the work. It would seem that contracts were impartially awarded. Job Thompson, Samuel Plummer Dow and J. S. and E. Bennett furnished the lumber, John Mathes the brick.
On the 15th of January, 1848, the Town Hall was fin- ished. Even at that time no one suspected the business depression that within a few weeks swept over New Eng- land and in Newmarket reduced wages, and closed for a time the mills, and which resulted in confusion and party dissension.
A period of business depression came to Newmarket early in 1848. At a meeting of the directors of the Com-
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pany it was Voted: "In consequence of the low prices and slow sale of goods and the large stock on hand with the present business prospects it is necessary to reduce the cost of production in the rate of wages." Voted: "That the Agent, so soon as may be, reduce the rate of wages now paid in the three mills so much as can be done without losing the best overseers and a considerable proportion of the best help, and to otherwise curtail expenses as much as possible." Voted: "To stop Number Two Mill until fur- ther notice."
In November of the same year the Directors Voted: "To make such reduction in rate of wages and in the price of board as will correspond with the present prices and prospect of sale of goods, and with the low prices of subsistance."
In addition to hard times that year in Newmarket, town politics were in a turbulent condition. The minority party claimed a reckless expenditure of the town's money in building a Town Hall, in the management of the town poor-farm, and in work on the highways. The outlying school districts claimed they had not received their just share of school service. All town difficulties have to be settled at the polls. On town meeting day both parties were well represented and in fighting mood. Verbal and fistic arguments were frequent. A "free for all" seemed imminent when the polls were closed without having voted any money for school purposes. So, in due time, the schools closed.
In June of that year Miss Pickering, a young lady from Greenland, rented the one story two room little house that stood at the corner of Main Street and the old Exeter Road
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and there opened a private school for small children. Rev. B. Van Dame, a native of Holland, had been in New Hamp- shire some years, teaching successfully in this part of the State. He was often a preacher, but always a teacher, much loved and respected, a good man. At this time he opened a school for somewhat advanced tuition pupils in the second story of a building that stood on the east side of Main Street between the store of Nathan Harvey and the corner store at Main and Water Streets. About twenty pupils attended this school. Some years ago one who attended this school sent to the "Newmarket Adver- tiser" the names of a few remembered classmates : Rebecca Durell, Sarah Cheswell, Harriet Richardson, Lydia French, Eben Davis, Constantine B. Mathes, Levi Davis.
In 1850 the population of Newmarket numbered 1930. This was after the town was divided; for South Newmarket was set off from Newmarket by Act of the Legislature approved June 27, 1849.
In 1856 the selectmen were David Murray, Ingalls Bunker, and George Watson. Paul Chapman was town clerk as he had been for thirteen consecutive years. Miles Durgin was deputy sheriff, Jeremiah Winkley and Samuel Plummer Dow representatives at Concord, James Madison Chapman postmaster. He held this office for many years. When the Creighton brick block was finished the south- west street floor was rented for the occupancy of the New- market post office. Levi B. Tasker was superintendent of schools and Baptist minister. Rev. C. R. Harding preached at the Methodist Church, and Rev. James M. Palmer at the Congregational Church. The physicians in town were Dr. William Folsom, Dr. George W. Kittredge, Dr. John R. Sanborn and Dr. N. B. Chase.
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Up to this time the Manufacturing Company had given land for three churches, a parsonage, three school houses, an engine house, a Town Hall and three streets: Central, Chapel and Church.
The Newmarket Savings Bank was incorporated in 1832. James Madison Chapman was its first cashier. He resigned to accept the office of postmaster, and David Mur- ray was chosen as his successor. Mr. Murray was a man of strong character, of which honesty and kindliness were prominent traits. He was for many years a citizen of Newmarket, respected and honored by all. After his death the Savings Bank was removed to the National Bank, and Samuel Abbott Haley was chosen cashier.
The Newmarket Bank was incorporated in 1855 as a state bank with a capital of $80,000. The first president was Z. Dow Creighton. He was followed by Joseph Law- rence, a resident of Wadley's Falls, and in succession by Hon. William B. Small and Joseph C. Burley. The bank was reorganized in 1865 under the United States banking laws and became a national bank. At its incorporation in 1855 as a state bank Samuel Abbot Haley was chosen its cashier, which office he held until his death in 1891, at which time depositors in the savings bank found they had lost the savings of years.
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