USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Sandwich > Sketches of Sandwich, New Hampshire, past and present > Part 3
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This was about fifty years ago, around 1875. at the time when
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Lower Corner was the busiest part of the town, with two blacksmith shops, a wheelwright's, steam mill, and a general store run by Arven Blanchard, which employed three clerks. This steam mill which turned out shovel and fork handles made of ash was located where Herbert Weed's garage stands today. Later this mill was burned and rebuilt, being changed into a saw mill where lumber and lathes were sawed.
In 1883 the Sandwich Reporter was started at Lower Corner by Charles E. Blanchard, in a house opposite J. A. Sullivan's house. This paper was printed there for fifteen to twenty years, then moved to North Conway, where it is located at the present day.
One of the earliest mills in West Sandwich was owned by Dr. White and located on Red Hill River; this was a grist and saw mill. Another mill used for the same purpose, run by Levi Smith, was lo- cated in this part of the town, on the brook running from Dinsmore pond. A third mill of this sort was located near the outlet of Guinea Pond. This was the first steam mill in Sandwich. At Cowen's mill on the outlet of Bearcamp Pond, products such as lumber and shingles was turned out.
In 1808 Jacob Webster owned a mill on Bear Camp River, where grain was ground, lumber sawed and there was also an iron foundry here. Later, Frank Plummer bought the mill. Today Clarence Plummer owns the mill, and occasionally lumber is sawed here.
About the middle of the last century Sandwich ranked first in the state in the production of maple sugar, and second in hay produc- tion. Forty-five tons of maple sugar and syrup were produced in one year. The dried apple industry is one which should not be over- looked. There were many tons of dried apples made each year and sold to storekeepers and to people out of town.
This only shows a bird's eye view of some of the industries of yesterday, but it is easy to see that Sandwich was busy and thriving within the memory of some residents still alive.
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D
Book Shelves of Sandwich
MAURICE A. PIERCE, '28
Among the many bequests to Sandwich, the Samuel H. Wentworth Library is one of the most important. In considering this library we naturally would like to hear about its donor first of all.
Samuel Hidden Wentworth, the youngest of twelve children, was born in Sandwich in 1834, in a house located west of the present Wentworth home. He was named for a preacher in Tamworth in whom his father and mother were very much interested at the time of his birth. This is the same Samuel Hidden who was ordained on the famous Ordination Rock, which is a well-known land mark in Tamworth.
Samuel Wentworth remained in Sandwich until the age of twelve and then went to New Ipswich Academy. From here he continued his studies at Harvard College.
Mr. Wentworth was a great lover of music. While at Harvard he played the chapel organ, and several years later became the musical and dramatic critic for a Boston daily newspaper. A sera- phin, a small musical instrument similar to a small piano, was given to him by his mother when he entered Harvard. This is on exhibition at Wentworth Library to-day. He kept it with him practically all his life and played it frequently.
After he graduated from Harvard College, he began the study of law, making Boston his permanent home. His first office and only one was located in what was known as the old Rogers Building, in which he worked for fifty-three years. Most of his time was on pro- bate work dealing with deeds and wills. He was especially well- fitted for this, for he was very painstaking and exact.
He was sent to the Massachusetts Legislature for a term of one year, from 1877-1878.
In Mr. Wentworth's will he left $17,000 for the purchasing of land in Sandwich and the erection of a library upon it. The only conditions stated in his will were that it should be built of brick or stone and as nearly fireproof as possible, that it should be at least fifteen feet from all other buildings, and that it should be used for a library and no other purpose.
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His forethought is clearly shown by the definite provisions that he made for payments on the construction of the library. The first payment should not be made until the land had been selected and the town was ready to build, the second when the underpinning was done, and the other payments when the executors thought best. The last payment of $1,000 should not be made until the library and grounds about the building were in perfect order. He also left to the town $1,000 to be spent on books of religion, science, and history. If Sandwich had not accepted the gift it would have gone to Harvard and Dartmouth Colleges, as a scholarship fund.
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The Samuel H. Wentworth Library
In connection with the construction work itself, Mr. Larkin D. Weed was the contractor, while J. Randolph Coolidge gave his serv- ices as architect.
Since Mr. Wentworth lived in Sandwich for only twelve years, it seems peculiar that he should give nearly all of his entire fortune to the welfare of Sandwich. In fact, he had no idea of giving a fund for establishing a library until the latter part of his life, and even when he made his first will in 1900 he gave nothing to Sand- wich. The idea came to his mind after he reached the age of sixty-five.
About this time he came up to Sandwich, and visited many of his old-time friends. When he returned to Boston he talked a great deal about the town and its needs. Two years before his death there was talk in town about a library building. On Old Home Day this matter was brought up and pledges were started. Mr. Wentworth questioned his nephew, Joseph Wentworth, about the library, but gave no hint of his plans in connection with it at this time. However, he sent for Mr. Charles Hoyt and laid the plans of his last will before him.
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Mr. Wentworth was very thrifty and never spent more than was necessary. From the year 1885 until his death he received $500 annually from his brother, John, who at one time was mayor of Chi- cago. He saved this money as it came in, and from this the library fund probably materialized.
Even at that, his gift meant a real sacrifice to him. The last months of his life he was taken ill and needed a nurse. When ques- tioned by members of his family as to why he did not secure one, he said that if he had a nurse he would not be able to do what he wished. Only two weeks before his death he said he hoped his end would come soon, for if it did not his main wish would not be carried out.
It is easy to understand the real value of this gift when we con- sider the early library organizations that existed in Sandwich and compare them with our library to-day.
In 1882 a meeting was held at David Hill's house, now occupied by Moses Brown. At this time the first library association was formed, and the building used for this purpose was located between Frank Hanson's Hotel and Emma Gilman's.
In 1896 the library organization passed from an association to a town organization known as the Sandwich Free Library, the head- quarters being the lower part of the Masonic Hall. The bookshelves remained here until the erection of the Wentworth Library in 1914. At this time the library had something like four hundred books.
The spirit behind the gift made by Samuel Hidden Wentworth is well interpreted in the speech made by Paul Wentworth, the nephew of the donor and the father of Joseph, the present owner of the Went- worth estate, in August, 1915, at the time that the Wentworth Library was dedicated and the keys presented to the town.
"In boyhood days, walking frequently with others past this little eminence, on our way to and from Daniel G. Beede's School, I did not suspect that I would ever see a structure of this kind built upon it. Around its base were houses and in front a main highway, but its top was barren of any building. It belonged then to an individual and its destiny was unknown, but it is now clear-it is owned by no single inhabitant but by all Sandwich, and on its top there stands this library, to be dedicated to the dissemination of the seeds of instruction, pleasure and knowledge in conjunction and hand in hand with the churches and the schools.
"Particularly do I hope we may be able from time to time to get books that will attract the attention and perusal of our young people between the ages of twelve and eighteen, for outside of its temporary usefulness the habit of reading in early life is in itself and of itself of immense value.
"Whether this library is looked upon merely as a piece of art or studied as a gift of love, it belongs to the town of Sandwich and is equally for the use of all.
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"While we cannot thank in person to-day the donor-who had this library so near his heart and sacrificed so much to be able to give it to his native town-we can thank him though absent in body as yet present in soul; and when we are gone and our children and grandchildren come here and read these books, they, too, will thank him.
"The church, the school, and the library are all co-workers and friends and are at the foundation of all that tends to make real Amer- ican citizens, and where they are lacking the citizenship is bound to be deficient."
We, the people of Sandwich, cannot appreciate this gift too much nor the sacrifice that Mr. Wentworth made in his later days to establish an institution that has become so useful in our everyday life.
The Higher Step ROSEALIE E. QUIMBY, '28
Probably the factor which plays as big a part as any in the prog- ress of a town is its system of education. Although Sandwich has been without a secondary school during some periods, it has, in the greater part of its history, had some system of higher education.
It is interesting to note the comparatively short time which elapsed between the chartering of the town of Sandwich in 1763 and the beginning of the first secondary school,-the Sandwich Academy in the year 1824. This academy was located on the estate which is now known as Chestnut Manor, belonging to Mrs. Alfred H. Moor- house. The exact site of the building was the area around the spot where the statue now stands, southeast of the house.
The first session of the Sandwich Academy was held in the autumn of 1837, with Charles Cochrane as principal. The school was very progressive; its enrollment included students from practi- cally every state in the union at that time. During the last term, which was in 1849, Aaron B. Hoyt was principal. The spring term of 1850 was started by him, but on account of illness he gave up his position. Two years passed without any school. Then, by the terms of the deed of gift the academy land reverted to former owners who, in 1852, sold it to Isaac Adams. Very soon after the transaction the building was moved and used for the parsonage of the church at Lower Corner. The building, remodeled greatly, still stands beside Mr. Sullivan's store.
Even though the academy failed, there was an interval of only a few years before the Beede Normal School was started by Daniel G. Beede, a man who was anxious to see the younger people of Sandwich receive an education higher than that obtained in the first eight grades.
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Mr. Beede lived in the house which is the present home of Miss Lilla Frost, and kept school on the second floor of the building now occu- pied by the tin shop of Mr. Charles Smith. The school building was then located in front of Miss Frost's barn. As Mr. Beede was an excellent teacher in mathematics and English, students were edu- cated especially well along these lines, and the enrollment was as. high as one hundred pupils, some of them coming from as far dis- tant as Boston. The students became very much interested in de- bating in connection with their English work. Many of the men and women present here tonight are graduates of the Beede School and can vouch for the excellent training offered.
A number of the students would have been unable to attend school had it not been for the financial aid of Mr. Beede who paid their tuition out of his own pocket and took them into his own home to live, permitting them to do what work they could in return.
Mr. Beede gave his entire life to the school, teaching until he was unable to move from his chair. Then Mrs. Beede and their daugh- ter continued the work for fifteen years. One of the best evidences that Mr. Beede was a man of good educational standing is the fact that he was appointed State Supervisor of Public Instruction in 1873.
For a number of years after the closing of the Beede School students were obliged to go out of town in order to secure an education higher than that obtained in the elementary schools. In the year 1922 it was suggested by the Trustees of the Alfred Quimby Fund that some of the money from the fund be used to start a high school. Upon the first suggestion the townspeople were not in favor of this idea, as they thought that a suitable high school could not be started. Finally the trustees decided to try this plan, and in September, 1923, another high school of Sandwich,-"The Quimby School," began, with an enrollment of twenty students.
It was not considered wise to build a high school building for a few years until the trustees could see whether the school was going to prosper or not, so the sessions were and still are held in the Town Hall and in the Quimby Buildings which the trustees bought. There were two courses offered,-Home Economics for the girls and Agri- culture for the boys.
Since the school began, many improvements have been made. Some of the rooms in the Quimby Cottage have been remodeled, but the room which we enjoy the most is the Agricultural Room which, together with the workshop, was remodeled from the barn during the summer of 1927. It is in this room where we have our social gath- erings and enjoy our noon lunches.
One of Quimby School's greatest achievements is the editing of the "Quimby Seekon," which during its two years' existence has won two prizes at the Interscholastic Press Association Convention held in New York City.
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The life at Quimby School is not all work. This year extra- curricular activities have been introduced into the school. A number of the students have been interested in the mandolin or music club which has been started. The Kitchen Mechanics course offered the girls has been worthwhile and interesting. The girls were taught the correct way to pound nails, solder, make bread boards, and sewing screens. Other clubs of the school are: the Junto, the Fourteen Seek- ers, and the Bee Club. We all feel that Quimby School is progress-
Alfred Quimby
ing, and we hope it will keep up its good work. Although many stu- dents have left school since it opened, there is an enrollment of twenty- eight students this year, and the third graduating class numbers six.
For the financing of this school we are indebted to Mr. Alfred Quimby, who left the money which supports it. Before we can really appreciate Mr. Quimby we should know a little about his life.
Alfred Quimby was born in Sandwich on December 10, 1833. His birthplace was what is now called the Charles O. Blanchard Place on Maple Ridge. Maple Ridge was given to Mr. Quimby's grandfather, Aaron Quimby, in return for his services in the Revo-
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lutionary War. The property came down from generation to gener- ation to John M. Quimby, Alfred's father.
Mr. Quimby, the youngest of twelve children, was brought up and educated in the public schools of the town. At the age of seven- teen he left home, going to Stoneham, Mass., to work with his brother, George, in a shoe shop. This work did not satisfy him; consequently his stay there was short. His next work took him to Lawrence, Mass., where he became clerk in the bookstore of George P. Cutler. Mr. Quimby was so courteous to people and faithful in his position that he soon won the friendship of his employers and prospered in his work.
It was in the year of 1860 that Mr. Quimby heard of the fast- growing city of Manchester, so, during that year he moved there where he set up a business of his own in a small store on the site of the present Amoskeag Bank Block. Mr. Quimby was very shrewd and had his eyes open for business all the time. At this time the Civil War started and there was much excitement abroad. People wanted newspapers to read. "Here is a chance to make good," thought Mr. Quimby. By special arrangements with the publishers of the Boston Journal, Herald, and Star, he purchased bundles and bundles of the papers each day. Mr. Quimby started for Boston at two o'clock in the morning, folding his papers on the way home while on the train. The people's demand for the papers was so great one day that he was forced to climb a tree that grew at the corner of Hanover and Elm Streets and sell them from its crotch.
Alfred Quimby was greatly assisted in his business by his wife, Carrie Augustine Davis, whom he married on September 10, 1868. Not only did Mr. Quimby deal in newspapers, but he also sold popular articles in the stationery line, which included dime novels and school supplies. His store was the headquarters for theatre tickets also. Mr. Quimby's ambitious and hustling spirit laid the foundation of his fortune which was later increased by wise investment.
He was one of the first men of Manchester to take up the idea of making his own money called "shin plasters." This money was in the shape of paper scrip. It is said that he never paid back any small change when he could avoid it; instead he used this scrip. The "Quimby shinplasters" had quite a large circulation, and some of them are even now in existence.
During the latter part of his life Mr. Quimby gave up his store and turned his attention to real estate. At this time he owned con- siderable stock in the Amoskeag Corporation and was the director of the New Hampshire Insurance Co.
Mr. Quimby's death on Feb. 15, 1918, was a great shock to the people of Manchester, as he had been such a good business man and was so well liked. He was a man who possessed many admirable
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characteristics. He liked to travel in his own country, and fre- quently took trips to California and Florida. His interest in national affairs at Washington was great. He had been known to sit in Con- gress for hours watching the important men of this country and lis- tening to their debates. His shrewdness in business affairs and in- vestments contributed greatly to his wealth. It is said that a penny was never wasted. Probably his outstanding method of accumulating wealth was his saving a definite sum each week, beginning with as small a sum as fifty cents when he first was earning money.
Mr. Quimby's wealth at the time of his death amounted to about one quarter of a million, of which the greater part or $200,000 plus the $10,000 which he left to the Free Will Baptist Church was given to Sandwich.
At the time of the bequest ironical views of the town's fortune were expressed by several. Among them was one clipped from the Boston Traveler on Feb. 28, 1918.
"WINDFALL SETS WHOLE TOWN SPECULATING AS TO BEST USE"
"SANDWICH, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ALL A-FLUTTER OVER $170,000 QUIMBY BEQUEST. WANTS TO MAKE ITSELF AS ATTRACTIVE IN WINTER AS IN SUMMER."
"Up to a week ago, this was an A-1 champion all-around hard luck town in New England. Over night it has become the proud rival of New York, London, Paris or at least Boston.
"No more hand tubs, ice water pumps, kerosene lamps or stage for Sandwich. 'The best's none too good for us now' say the see- lect-m'n gathered in the postoffice to discuss the auspicious catas- trophe that's befallen the town. $170,000. That's the whole story. Alfred Quimby, who died in Manchester, Feb. 14, has willed most of his fortune to his birthplace."
This comment is far from true. The Quimby fund, which is administered wisely by its three trustees, has been put to lasting and beneficial uses such as building roads, installing the town's electric light system, aiding the library and organizing the school which seems to us most important.
Thus, we can see that the sacrifice and forethought of a few very public-spirited men is responsible for the systems of higher education in Sandwich. As we look over Sandwich's field of sec- ondary education we see the Sandwich Academy, the Beede Normal School to which Mr. Beede gave his life, and Quimby School made possible through the love of Alfred Quimby for his home town.
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Memoirs
DORIS E. WATSON, '28
Oh Sandwich; with your mountains and scenery so fair, What gave you to the world, of men, who in your care Received their first instructions and started on their way? The small town proudly answered. "Oh much", it seemed to say.
Did you send forth men, courageous, to labor in the world, Who worked and toiled and hurled their triumph to the skies? And from all the hills and vales comes back the far-flung answer .. "We did", they seem to cry.
In some distant cities, far from Sandwich Dome Are lawyers at their desks, who sit And dream of this fair home; Of childhood days within it And pleasures now outgrown.
And teachers in the classroom, from the window look and see Not the scenes which lie before them, But their old academy. But this has long departed ; Another takes its place. Will we carn the right to fill it and carry on the race And make it live eternally? We'll do our best in any case;
And, Sandwich, in the days of old among your craggy mountains What industries abounded And sent their smoke up through the trees Like spray from giant fountains? What sounds of busy life From the great peaks resounded?
Hark! We hear the echo in answer to our question. From high up in the hills the tales come floating down Of industries and life Which in the days of yore this lonely land did gown. The brook its answer babbles; The aged pine sighs and frowns; This life is gone forever that once these peaks did crown.
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The trees, the brooks, and hills all repeat the story Of the days when industries abounded And mills and .farms surrounded Old Sandwich in its glory. "The cattle grazing on the hill, The farming, and the logging mill Belonged to me and honored me", Says Sandwich Notch so tearfully.
But now these mills are shut And all their doors are barred ; No more such life we see. Let's wake them up, e'en though 'tis hard. It's up to you and me!
HECKMAN BINDERY INC.
DEC 99
Bound -To-Pleas® N. MANCHESTER, INDIANA 46962
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