USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Some things about Coventry-Benton, New Hampshire (town history) > Part 5
USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Benton > Some things about Coventry-Benton, New Hampshire (town history) > Part 5
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burned the Ursiline convent in Somerville. After his re- turn to New Hampshire he became prominent in the organ- ization of the Native American, or Know Nothing party, and was frequently on the stump in behalf of his party, and later of the Republican party. He was appointed by Presi- dent Lincoln mail agent between Littleton and Boston, a position which he held for seven or eight years. Moody be- came a resident of Haverhill, where he took a prominent part in politics, being as uncompromising a Democrat as his brother. Jesse was Whig, Know Nothing and Republican. Amos C. spent the early part of his life at sea, but later mar- ried for his second wife, the widow of Benjamin F. Hutch- ins, and lived for several years on the John C. Brown farm on the Tunnel Stream at the foot of the path leading to the summit of Moosilauke. Samuel, disappointed in a love affair, left home suddenly, and nothing was heard of him for nearly twenty years, during which time he served in the army during the Mexican war, being bearer of dispatches for Gen. Zachary Taylor, afterwards going overland to Cal- ifornia with the forty-niner's. In the early fifties he return- ed home, having long been regarded as dead, and married his former sweetheart, Sarah Bailey, of Newbury, Vt., and resided for some years on the Hinkley place, just over the Benton line, in Haverhill, removing later to Benton to the farm now owned by his nephew, Orman L. Mann. James A. married Hannah, daughter of William and Mary Whitch- er, and lived for a time in Newbury, Vt., removing about 1848 to Woburn, Mass., where he died in 1874. His chil- dren and grandchildren still reside in Woburn, Medford and Arlington, one daughter, Mrs. Abbie Kendrick, living in Northern Michigan. Edward F. died in early manhood, and George W. lived in Benton until his death in January,
EDWARD F. MANN.
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COVENTRY-BENTON, N. H. .
1901. He married first, Susan, daughter of William and Mary Whitcher, who bore him five sons, Ezra B., Edward F., George Henry, Orman L., and Osman C. Ezra B. entered the employ of the Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad, married Ellen S., daughter of George W. and Sa- rah (Glazier) Bisbee, of Center Haverhill, and settled in Woodsville. After several years service on the road as freight conductor he purchased an interest in the drug store of George S. Cummings, which business he has since con- tinued, and has also been the active promoter of every en- terprise which has led to the rapid growth and depelopment of that village. He has served the town of Haverhill on the board of , selectmen, has represented it for two years in the legislature, and has been, and is, one of the recognized leaders of the North Country Democracy. He is president of the Woodsville Aqueduct and Electric Light Co., a trus- tee of the Woodsville Savings Bank from its beginning, and is a large owner of real estate. Edward F. also entered the employ of the railroad before reaching his majority, and at his death in August 1892, was the general superintendent of the Concord and Montreal R. R. system. He was one of the leading Democratic politicians of the state, represent- ed Benton twice in the House, the Second Senatorial district twice in the Senate, and when a candidate for Congress on the Democratic ticket ran largely ahead and was defeated by a narrow majority. No railroad man in recent years enjoy- ed more the confidence of his associates or greater popular- ity with the traveling public. He married Elvah G., daugh- ter of Chase and Sarah (Royce) Whitcher, who still resides in Concord. George Henry followed the example of his two brothers and early entered the employ of the railroad, where he was for nearly thirty years freight and passenger conduc-
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tor, leaving some two or three years since to engage in mer- cantile business in Woodsville, where he still resides. He represented Haverhill for one term in the Legislature. Os- man C. died in 1870 in his 18th year, but his twin brother, Orman L., is a prosperous and successful farmer in town. He has been active in town affairs and has filled with credit to himself the various town offices. George W. Mann mar- ried second, Sarah Bisbee, of Haverhill, who bore him three sons and two daughters. Melvin J. resides in Woodsville, and has for several years ยท been a conductor on the Air line express train, his run being between Concord and Woods- ville. Hosea also entered the employ of the railroad, and was a passenger conductor until the spring of 1898, when he left the road to engage in the furniture business in Little- ton, where he still resides. Moses B, graduated from the New Hampshire State College, and began the study of law, but at the beginning of the first Cleveland administration was appointed to a clerkship in the naval office in the Boston Custom House. He was subsequently appointed inspector, a position which he still holds. He is married and resides in Malden, Mass. Susan is a successful teacher, and Min- nie is the wife of Sims Nutter, and since the death of her father, has resided in Woodsville. George W. Mann spent his entire life in Benton after his father moved there in 1835. He was in his religious faith an ardent Universalist, and in politics a democrat, of whose orthodoxy no question was ever raised. He represented his town in the Legisla- ture several times, and filled all the various town offices. He received his education in the district schools and in New- bury seminary, and was for many years superintendent of schools He was also for several years, by the appoint- ment of the governor, a member of the State Board of Ag-
GEORGE W. MANN.
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riculture. Of his family of ten children but one, Orman L., now resides in town.
Major Samuel Mann, when he came to town in the latter part of 1834 or 1835, purchased his farm of his brother-in- law, Nathaniel Howe, who died in the latter year. Major Mann was a man of marked peculiarities. He never went with the tide, but in most matters flocked by himself. Coventry-Benton-was a Democratic town ; Major Mann was, therefore, a Whig. Nearly all the people of the town attended religious services, Major Mann remained at home. In 1840 the town voted nearly unanimously for a change of name from Coventry to Benton, Major Mann casting one of the two negative votes. He never drifted with the current, but always used two oars and rowed up stream. He was interested in political affairs, but was never a candidate for office. Of his six sons who grew to manhood, and lived as all did to good old age, three, Jesse, Moody and George W. were born politicians and ardent partisans. In caucus- es, conventions and campaigns they were in their natural el- ement, They were party men ever and always, never ques- toning the party label and always voting the straight ticket.
George W. Cogswell lived in town but a few years, but he became more closely identified with the life of the town than many who spent an entire life-time within its limits. He was schoolmaster, teacher of writing schools, farmer, man of business and preacher. During his residence in town, to which he came from Landaff, he resided on the farm now owned by George Bailey. He was ordained a minister of the Free Will Baptist denomination, and by his preaching in barns, farm house kitchens, and school houses gained many adherents to his denomination, and after his return to Landaff was the minister to the Free-Will Baptist
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society, which he was more instrumental than any other in organizing, for a period of more than twenty years. He knew nothing of theological schools, was unacquainted with systematic theology, but he knew the people of Coventry and Benton and suited his preaching to their circumstances in life and to their environment. He used plain Anglo- Saxon speech of the homely sort. He illustrated his topics with incidents from the daily life of the people whom he ad- dressed, and his hearers were never at a loss to understand him. He frequently took a round about way to get at the point he wished to make, but he usually arrived. He was quaint, original, and what was of great importance with his Free Will Baptist hearers, he had the sing-song, plaintive minor utterance, which was known among his brethren as "the heavenly tone." Some of his sermons were long re- membered. On one occasion he discoursed for an hour or more on the text ; "I would not live always." He dwelt at great length on the dissatisfactions, griefs and disappoint- ments of earthly life and gave reason after reason why long continued existence upon this sublunary sphere was unde- sirable, but finally he summed it all up by saying : "Now brethren, I want to be honest with you, the chief reason why I would not live always is because I know I can't." During the Millerite excitement some of his flock became partial converts to that delusion, causing the Elder great concern. Among these were Deacon Winthrop G. Torsey, who absented himself from the Elder's ministrations for a year or more. At last the Elder was called upon to offici- ate at a funeral, at which nearly all the people of the town were present, including Deacon Torsey. The Elder did not follow the usual line of remarks customary on such occasions, but proceeded to just "do up" the Millerites in general, and
AMOS WHITCHER.
CHARLES H. WHITCHER.
1
JAMES E. WHITCHER.
WINTHROP C. WHITCHER.
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as everybody recognized, Deacon Torsey in particular. Af- ter the services he was questioned by one of the citizens of the town as to why he had adopted this unusual order of ser- vice, and his reply was, that somewhat long experience had taught him that "the best time to catch bears was when they was raound." He returned after a few years to Landaff and later to East Landaff, now Easton, where he died at an ad- vanced age. One of his sons, John, is a physician in New Hampton, and others reside in Landaff and Lisbon, where they are influential citizens.
Amos Whitcher, the fourth son of William and Mary Noyes Whitcher, became a voter in 1833, and for more than forty years was an active and useful member of the commu- nity. He married Polly Young, of Franconia, and they were the parents of Lucinda C., who married Horace W. Gordon, of Landaff; Amarett A., who married Emery B. White, of Landaff; Charles H., Winthrop C., James E., Florence, who married William C. Young, of Bath, and Albion G. The two eldest daughters removed with their husbands to Stoneham, Mass., and were followed later by the sons. Charles H. was a carpenter and wood worker, and served the town as town clerk for several years before leaving Benton. He married Minerva, daughter of David Bowman, of Benton, and both are deceased. Winthrop C. is a merchant in Stoneham. James E. was a prominent cit- izen of that town, serving on the board of selectmen, and represented the town for two terms in the Massachusetts Legislature. He died a comparatively young man in 1891. Albion G. lived in Stoneham for several years, but now lives in Barre, Vt. Amarett is still living, the oldest of the grandchildren of William Whitcher. Lucinda C. died in 1871, and Florence V. resides in Bath, the only one of
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Amos Whitcher's family now living in New Hampshire. Amos removed with his wife to Stoneham in 1878 or 1879, and died there in the early part of 1880, his wife surviving him a few years. In his early life he followed the trade of cooper, was a captain of the militia. He afterwards became a carpenter and builder, and superintended the erection of numerous large farm buildings. dams, saw mills and potato starch mills. He had great skill in effecting cures of scrof- ulous and fever sores, was in great demand as a nurse, and was for several years the undertaker for the town, manufac- turing the plain pine coffins used before the day of caskets. He was for more than twenty-five years postmaster, and served for several years as town clerk. If there were sick he visited them, if there were mourners he essayed to comfort them, if there were those in trouble he had sympathy for them. He was a Baptist, a "Free Willer" in its most em- phatic sense. Other denominations were perhaps well enough in their way, but the one true apostolic church was the Free Will Baptist. He magnified his office of deacon, and never gave countenance to false lights. His keenest en- joyment was found in attendance upon the quarterly and conference meetings of his denomination. His home was a free hotel for Free Will Baptist ministers. He never suffer- ed business, even though most pressing, to interfere with what he regarded his religious privileges and duties. It is perhaps needless to say that he never became a rich man, or even possessed of a modest competence, but that never troubled him. He laid up treasures in heaven.
The year 1835 may be taken as bringing to a close the settlement of Coventry. Thereafter the growth and devel- opment was mainly from within. There were some new. comers during the next period of thirty-five years, and there
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were also those who went to Massachusetts or went west, but the life, social, political and religious, of the town for the next generation was determined for the most part by the families of the first settlers and those who succeeded them in the next generation.
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CHAPTER IV.
COMING AND GOING.
The period from 1835 to 1870 was perhaps the most im- portant one in the history of the little mountain town. It was the period of growth and development, and the period in which there was also the beginning of a decadence. The real growth was for the most part from within. There were large families, and the sons of former settlers made homes for themselves near their parents. There were a few new comers who came to stay, but the most of those who came to town came for a brief stay, being properly classed as transients. Immigration was also followed by emigration, and in this latter event the town lost some of its best, most enterprising and substantial citizens. Roads were improv- ed, school houses were erected, a meeting house was built, religious societies were organized, support was given to stated religious worship, manufacturing industries were es- tablished, chiefly those of the lumber industries, a semi-week- ly mail gave the north part of the town postal facilities, but at a certain point growth ceased and retrogression began. The reasons for this are not far to seek. The opening of the Boston, Concord & Montreal railroad gave better facil- ities for marketing the products of the farm and forest, es- pecially the latter, and brought the people more into con- tact with the outside world, and gave the more energetic of the younger element the idea of bettering their fortunes. Then the railroad, which only crossed the town for a short distance on the south-west corner, did not come near enough to its water power to encourage the establishment of manu-
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facturing industries aside from those of saw mills and potato starch mills. Benton was still "a back town" and yielded to the fate of back towns. But the chief reason for first a halt, and then decadence, lay in the fact that by the years 1835- 50 all the land suitable for agricultural purposes and for the establishment of farm homes had been taken up and much of that which had been cleared was found to yield unsatisfac- tory results for the toil and labor expended. Even the lum- ber industry was not largely profitable. The forests and the water power sawmills were miles away from the railroad, and their products had to be hauled long distances over hilly and poor roads. It was not easy for lumbermen to compete with those in other localities where the railroad ran through virgin forests. The older families, however, clung for years to their homes, and while some were emigrating there were also immigrators, and there was a healthy growth and de- velopment until the years just after the war of the rebellion.
William Howe came to town in 1835, but shortly after removed to Colebrook, where some of his descendants are still living. Francis Oakes established himself in the east part of the town and remained several years, later removing to Haverhill, and later still to Landaff where he was killed in a brawl by a neighbor, one LaFayette McConnell, about 1859, the assailant being indicted for manslaughter, but se- curing acquittal on the ground of self defense. Of the sons of Francis Oakes, Harvey and Frank rendered good service in the war of the rebellion, both dying of wounds or disease ; Hollis and Nathan are deceased ; William is a reputable cit- izen of Easton, while Philemon P., after various domestic and legal vicissitudes, entanglements in the law, etc., is also a farmer, trader and general utility man in the same town of Easton. "Phil" Oakes has had a varied and somewhat
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checquered career, but somehow he has always come out safely trom predicaments which would have discouraged anyone else. He is something of a poet, and on town meeting oc- casions, both in Benton and Easton, he has rendered valu- able services to the faction, whose cause he, for the time be- ing, espoused.
Among the new voters in 1836 were : Abijah Wright, his son, Alvah C. Wright, Samuel Whitcher, Joseph Annis, Alfred Tyler, James Blake, Rextord Pierce, James A. Mann, James Norris and Daniel Emerson. Abijah Wright settled in the High Street neighborhood, and his two sons, Alvah C. and Gilbert P., became prominent in the affairs of the town. Alvah C. lived for several years on a farm to the west of Enos Wells' sawmill, adjoining the Stow place, was collector of taxes for several years, and in political affairs exercised considerable influence. Gilbert P. Wright, who became a voter in 1837, married Phebe, daughter of Jona- than and Phebe (Howe) Marston, and cleared a farm to the east of that of Winthrop G. Torsey, and adjoining that of Israel Flanders. He subsequently moved to a house he built on the road leading from Bartlett Marston's by the Da- vid Clough farm to the Stephen C. Sherman place on the East road, where he lived until he removed to Haverhill about the year 1875. He had a large family of children, none of whom are now residents of Benton. David L. re- mained in town for several years after his father removed to Haverhill, and another son, Newell C., is a resident of Haverhill, with something of prominence as a Democratic politician, and a veteran of the Spanish war. Gilbert P. Wright was a man of marked peculiarities. Like Moses of old, he was slow of speech, measuring his words with rhythmi- cal precision, but when he had once spoken there was no
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doubt as to his meaning. Ira Whitcher used to look after the subscription of his neighbors to that orthodox Democrat- ic organ, the New Hampshire Patriot. Gilbert had given Ira the funds to pay a year's subscription, but the paper, for some reason, did not arrive, and this was the message he lett one day at the home of Mr. Whitcher: "I want the Squire-when he goes to Concord-to call at the Pa-triot office-and tell them-if my paper does not come-I will not take it-and if they do not send it right away-I-will -stop-it." Gilbert's "Pa-triot" came the next week, and ever thereafter, so long as he kept his subscription paid. He was a member of the Free Will Baptist church, served as selectman, and was an industrious, useful citizen.
Samuel Whitcher was the fifth son of William and Mary (Noyes) Whitcher. He purchased what was after- wards known as the Stephen C. Sherman farm, and in May 1840, married Emily Quimby, of Lisbon. He resided in Benton until about 1845, when he removed to East Landaff, now Easton, where he died in October, 1879. Of the chil- dren of Samuel, Lydia is the wife of W. Harvey Polley, of Quebec, P, Q. ; Betsey S. is the wife of William Kendall, of Benton ; David S. died in early manhood at Littleton, where he was engaged in the practice of law ; Daniel J. is a leading citizen of Easton, a member of the New Hampshire Legislature 1878-79 ; Charles O. lives in Woodsville ; and Susan E., was the wife of George H. Clark, of Benton, and died in April, 1900.
Joseph Annis came from Bath and settled on the William Coolidge farm which had subsequently been owned by Moses Knight. He died Jan. 5, 1859, at the age of 76, and his wife, Betsey Currier, of Bath, died in 1865, aged 77. Of
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his children, Samuel C. Annis was a life long resident of the town, dying in 1899, at the age of 84. Of the children of Samuel C. and Mary F. (Smith) Annis, George W. lives in the west ; Milo H. is a veteran locomotive engineer in the employ of the Boston & Maine R. R., residing in Woods- ville ; and a daughter, Anna, is the wife of Paul M. Howe, of Haverhill. John S. Annis, another son of Samuel C., died in Benton in 1902, in his fifty-first year. Perley M. An- nis, son of Joseph and Betsey, resided in Benton until 1856, when he removed to Stoneham, Mass. William H. Annis died at the age of 65, in 1897 ; and George G. Annis re- moved to Groton, Vt., soon after attaining his majority. One of the daughters of Joseph Annis, Betsey J., married Wil- liam F. Morse and removed with her husband to Thornton in 1854. There were other daughters, Ruth, Rachael and Mary, who removed from town early in life.
Col. James Norris was the eldest son of Abraham and Polly Norris, the only one of the Norris sons who was a life long resident of the town. Abraham Norris died in 1840, in his fifty-ninth year. James learned the trade of carpen- ter and joiner and followed this occupation until shortly be- fore his death in 1890, at the age of 77. In his early life he was interested in military affairs, and attained the rank of Colonel in the militia. He served for two years as town clerk and was for many years collector of taxes. He mar- ried when in middle lite, Miss Georgianna S. Dean, of Lan- caster, but the marriage was an unhappy one, ending a few years later in divorce, the cause being the total unfitness for each other of two very excellent people. In his later years his older sister, Martha, who died in 1888 at the age of 82, was his housekeeper. Martha Norris was for some years the tailoress of the town, visiting the various families in
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turn, and constructing from the homespun of the day, gar- ments for the boys of the family. This was before the days of "store clothes." Martha was not an expert in styles. She had one pattern which she adapted as best she could to the boys of various ages and sizes. The cloth was strong, and she took honest stitches. There are now old boys who remember with mingled emotions the garments they wore in their boyhood, fashioned and constructed by the honest hands of Martha Norris. They had tremendous wearing qualities. David M. Norris, another son of Abraham and Polly passed most of his life in town. He was thrice married. By his first marriage he had twin daughters, Harriet and Helen, who inherited many of the peculiarities of the Norris family. David had a quick, jerky manner of speech, and his opinions were expressed in a manner not to be misunderstood. One winter there had been quite protracted revival services with many conversions, but David, though attending many of the meetings, was unmoved. In the following spring he was at work for Ira Whitcher engaged in cleaning forest lands. He was found one evening by his employer standing apparently in deep meditation before a huge pile of burning hardwood logs. Turning and pointing to the blazing heat he said : "According to some folks tell, Ira, I s'pose hell's just as much hotter than that as you can think, but d-d if I believe it. A man couldn't live in it two minnits." Merrill Norris, another son of Abraham, emigrated to Michigan. Joseph Dean Norris married a daughter of Sewell Waterman, of Bath, and established himself as a carpenter and builder in Swiftwater, Bath, where he lived until his death in 1901.
Nathan Howe died early in 1835, at the age of 42. His wife was Rachael Coburn, twin sister of Nathan Coburn, who removed from town with his sister in the autumn of
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1835. Mrs. Howe subsequently married Isaac Bickford, and died in 1862, and was buried in Benton, in the west cemetery by the side of her first husband. Their children were : Nathan Coburn, born Sept. 17, 1817 ; Stedman Wil- lard, born Apr. 21, 1822 ; Ira Goodall, born May 19, 1826 and Kimball Tyler, born May 19, 1828. All removed to Massachusetts, where they died, leaving families, except Ira G., who, in 1843, at the age of seventeen, went west to grow up with the country. He went into the valley of the Wabash, settling at Lafayette, Ind. It was a heavily tim- bered, well watered section with a rich and fertile soil, well covered with oak, beech and black walnut. The river was the dividing line between the timber lands of Indiana and the prairie country extending westward across the Mississip- pi to the Rocky Mountains. The locality was then but thin- ly settled, most of the land still belonging to the govern- ment ; now it is one of the finest farming and manufacturing sections in Indiana, many of the farms being worth from, $100 to $150 per acre. Mr. Howe found employment in a store until he reached his majority, when he entered into mercantile business, both his partner and himself becoming very successful. His partner subsequently founded Purdue University. At the age of fifty Mr. Howe gave up this bus- iness, engaging in farming, which he has since continued, and now in his 79th year still has the oversight of his 2700 acres of well stocked farms. In 1856 he married Nancy Jennings, of Framingham, Mass. They have two children, a daughter, the wife of William A. Shipley, of Lafayette, and a son, who is in business with his brother-in-law in La- fayette, the firm name being Howe & Shipley.
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