USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Newport > Tales from the history of Newport > Part 7
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But his name joins those of our great benefactors, and not only that but leads them in the extent of his benefactions. Vive! Wheeler.
The Rowells
The well-known Rowell family of Newport comes from an incident which happened in our neighboring town of Croydon about 150 years ago. Wheeler says, in speaking of Stephen Rowell born in 1802, "when an in- fant, sleeping in his mother's arms, she was killed by lightning, while he (Stephen) escaped unharmed." Ste- phen's sons, Franklin P. of Newport and Irving C. of Sunapee, were both industralists and men of strong un- derstanding. It was Judge Franklin P. (he of the bright red cape and tall silk hat) who gave Newport its current playground and it was his son, Jesse R. Rowell, who has represented Newport more terms in the two branches of the Legislature, than has any other man. It was he also (F. P.) who many years ago furnished Newport with the
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handsome stone drinking fountain which still adorns our public square.
Speaking of Jesse R. again, it was he who has re- cently given the town a new and needed parking lot near South Main St.
I well remember hearing some prominent citizens urging Judge Rowell (although not a lawyer, he was judge of our Police Court for many years) - urging the Judge to make this gift on the ground that he could do it without cost to himself (income tax deductions) and at the same time benefit the town.
Jesse's son, Mac Rowell, has for a long time been one of our most highly skilled band and choir leaders. The town owes quite a good deal to the Rowells; the family has also been prominently identified with our industrial life, as Judge Rowell was one of the five men who established the Brampton Woolen Co. somewhere around the turn of the century.
While the name Richards heads our list of benefac- tors, it by no means ends it. A great many others in various degree, have also been generous; Judge Rowell with his fountain and playground; Mr. Wilmarth with his handsome Pine Grove; the Haserlats with their me- morial picnic area; the various benefactors of the Carrie Wright or Newport Hospital and West Newton, Mass. and finally the half million dollar bequest of George B. Wheeler of The Argus to be divided between the schools and the hospital.
Back-tracking a little in time, we find that near the end of the century, Newport, then struggling with the problem of adequate schools, accepted a surprise offer of Dexter Richards to give the town a new and modern upper-grade and high school - to be called The Richards School. Dexter appropriated $25,000 for the purpose, his wife added $2,500 to give the building white trim- mings of granite. A site was secured on what was then "Chase St." now School. Like the library, the school was built in the style of the day, with a big black roof, seemingly too big for the building. You can see dozens of these anywhere about the country.
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The Lewises
A man who had a finger in most every conspicious pie for a good many years, was George E. Lewis - chief of the Fire Dept., Town Moderator and, when he had nothing else to do, treasurer of the Newport Savings Bank. It can probably be truly said that no man ever had the interests of the town more closely at heart than did George Ellery Lewis.
His influence was felt far outside of Newport too, for in his capacity as an "Odd Fellow" he laid the corner stone of the Odd Fellows Home in Concord, and always took care of its welfare.
Out of all these activities, Mr. Lewis' real consum- ing interest was in the Fire Dept. of which we was a member for more than 50 years, and Chief for about 25. He was a member of the legislature several times and kept close tab on its activities. His house was the first to be built on Belknap Ave. - the one now occupied by Bert Teague.
Mr. Lewis loved to travel, was one of the few New- port men to visit Chicamauga Park during the Spanish War and usually managed to get wherever he desired to go. "Bank Business!" This was not wholly imagin- ary as most eastern banks at that time held western mortgages and these required occasional visits. He was president of the N. H. Saving Bank Assn. in 1932 (the worst year of the great depression) was also a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1930.
In later years when anyone asked George his age he would reply "I was born the year Fort Sumpter was fired upon," well knowing that this answer would en- lighten his listener but little.
Col. Sam DeWolf Lewis
Many people thought of George E. and Sam D. Lewis as brothers. Matter of fact they were cousins, the latter was cashier of the First National Bank, which is housed with Newport Savings. Sam D. was noted less as a banker than for his interest in building. Evi-
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dence of his handiwork meets the eye almost anywhere you look in Newport. The DeWolf block he built in 1894.
He was also our most widely traveled business man, for he inspected the Panama Canal in 1913, and attend- ed the great Dewey reception in Washington in 1899, this time as a Colonel on Governor Quimby's staff. He was elected selectman in 1905. He was also chief archi- tect of our highly artistic Episcopal Church. Col. Lewis died Sept. 13, 1943, his death antedating that of his only grandson, Lewis Sibley, killed at Remagen Bridge on the Rhine in Germany. His wife, Maude I. Lewis, was the first president of the Newport Womans Club and his daughter, Goldina Lewis Sibley, is the present president of the board of trustees of Newport Hospital.
It was back in the late 1880's that Seth Mason Richards, son of Dexter, bought the spacious lot on which stood the old Edmund Burke house, moved it down onto the then new Belknap Ave., and set about erecting a new and beautiful house for himself and four daughters.
Finally in 1962 Mrs. Louise Rollins, second daugh- ter of Col. Seth M. Richards and widow of Dartmouth notable D. Sidney Rollins solved the problem of what disposition to make of a place obviously too big for any modern size family, by giving it to her grandfather's old charity for modern-day library purposes.
It was a most happy solution. The house is big enough to provide ample space on the ground floor for the Richards Free Library, and still provide plenty of living space above for Mrs. Rollins herself. She also provided the answer to doubting critics who wondered how much such an expensive place could be supported, by also providing an extra endowment.
The old library was adequate for a town of New- port's 1890 size with about 12,000 volumes, but it is in no respect adequate for our 20th century requirements. So the old library has been sold to a bank to make room for a new building to cost maybe a quarter million dol- lars.
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CHAPTER XIII CIVIL WAR
Now that we are actually launched on the task of reviewing the great events of the American Civil War, "the war between the states" as polite northern folks say down South, trying to avoid any reference to the "rebellion," let us tell how all these matters were re- ceived here in Newport.
After months, even years of smouldering fire, the country was electrified by the firing upon Ft. Sumpter in the harbor of Charleston, So. Carolina, garrisoned by 70 federal artillerymen, and commanded by Major Robert Anderson. This was the event which set every- thing aflame. Newport and its sister towns, be it re- membered, were pretty far back communities, telephone and telegraph lines existed, to be sure but no branch reached back this far.
"Sumpter's walls said to be crumbling," said one report, "Steamer 'Star of the West' turned back," said another. "Lincoln calls for 75,000 men for three months," said final dispatch. Crowded war meetings became the focus of all interest. Patriots were vocifer- ous - "every man should enlist" shouted a loyalist from the Pike Hill district.
"Well, why don't you enlist, Ole feller ?" shouted a heckler from the gallery of the old town hall, the scene of all these exciting meetings. "Oh! I'm too old to learn military ticktaks," replied the patriot from Pike Hill.
A young lawyer, son of State Senator Levi W. Bar- ton was the hero of the moment, having been appointed recruiting officer, and true to the usage of the moment, he soon completed the roster of his company, and was appointed Captain.
He was a born soldier, and soon became Lieutenant Col. Later in the war he raised a regiment of field artil- lery under Col. Long of Claremont. He is always re- ferred to as "Ira McL. Barton" but what the "McL." stood for seems to have been lost. He liked the army so
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well, he was later commissioned in the regular establish- ment, and became provost marshal of some place in Arkansas.
The remains of one of Capt. Barton's men named Woodbury, were returned here, probably the only man to be thus honored, a memorial service was held by the Rev. Paul S. Adams, then pastor of the Baptist Church, who in a redhot prayer asked that "all Rebels be sent to Hell."
The year 1860 started off with a bad fire, which in three hours reduced the handsome Newport House to ashes. Two New London men were afterward indicted for arson. The day after the fire, the energetic Cross Brothers, proprietors of the Newport House, moved into the closed Eagle Hotel and continued business. The Newport House was immediately rebuilt and reopened on Dec. 19, with a party and dance for about 200 people.
The School Board authorized formation of a com- pany of Cadets, which afterwards furnished a good many officers for the Army.
For better or for worse, the long expected "War to preserve the Union" was on. Newport was heavily involved. Town meeting after Town meeting passed votes providing $60, $200, and finally $600 relief money for enlistee's and their families. The town emerged after four years of this, with a total loss of 30 men and a war debt of something over $72,000. With a total population of little over 2,000, this was a pretty severe burden.
There are some matters connected with the Civil War which modern young people or even veterans of later wars, will find difficulty in understanding. Old soldiers tell us that when a man became dissatisfied with his own outfit, it was not unusual for him to wan- der off and join some other. Sometimes he was listed as a deserter, sometimes his name was simply removed from the company rolls. But sometimes on the contra- ry, he was shot.
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In their carefree way Newport earned an unex- plained record of 30 deserters. Actually but one New- port man was a known deserter, and he afterward died in a hospital. But the more puzzling thing was the draft law. If a man was drafted, it was considered a perfect- ly honorable thing to furnish a "substitute." This was sometimes done by the town responsible for a certain number of recruits - more often by the draftee at his own expense. This system resulted in a great deal of unnecessary expense to the towns, but more important, was the presence in the army of many undesirable men. This explains Newport's 30 "deserters." "Substi- tutes" - as one town history remarks, "a reproach to the Army and a disgrace to the human race."
The news of the taking of Ft. Sumpter was received here on April 15, 1861, and on the 22nd a big war meet- ing was held at the Town Hall. This would mean the building now called the "Grange Hall," in the rear of the County Records Building. The Town Hall was on the ground floor - the County Court room above. This latter had a gallery which was closed for many years, but was finally reopened for Grange use.
The meeting, referred to, voted to raise $1,500 "to outfit" our volunteers. Whether this meant, in the local view that volunteers were expected to appear "armed and equipped," like an old fashioned muster, nobody knows. Anyway on April 27, Captain Barton and his men departed for Concord. Even the disband- ed Columbian Artillery Company, under S. H. Edes, long inactive, was called into being and voted "to go ahead" - 20 men enlisted.
On June 29, we had the two military companies from Goshen here to train; the Newport and Acworth bands were here to assist and somebody served all hands a dinner. There were speeches on the Common, and said our unknown recorder, "it was a fine display." An- other note says "the Republican - Wide-Awakes, 140 strong" paraded. Of course these events were in the early days of the war. Later war became less a matter of display. Of the 30 men Newport lost, about half
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were lost through camp diseases, and the rest through enemy action.
Through all these war years, Bradford was New- port's rail head. Everybody had to "stage it" to Brad- ford, regardless of the weather or season. This state of affairs continued until 1872.
ADMIRAL BELKNAP
Rear Admiral George E. Belknap was Newport's ranking "sea Soldier." He was graduated from Annapo- lis in its third Class, fought in China and Formosa, saved the Hawaiian royal family in a riot and made surveys for the first Pacific cables. Belknap Ave. is named for him. At its head, on Pine St., stands a boul- der supporting an 8-inch cannon ball. This was fired from Ft. Fisher at Belknap's ship, the Cannonicus iron- clad, and striking the inclined sides, bounded high in air and came down through the deck. It was mounted in its present position by Reprisal Chapter, D.A.R. The six big oak trees on the street, were a gift to the town from the Admiral.
Admiral George E. Belknap
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CHAPTER XIV
A CIVIL WAR DIARY
Some of the events on the Home Front
This diary of the Civil War years, 1860 to 1866, cannot be credited, inasmuch as we do not know for certain, who the diarist was. However, the items, evidently a copy of the original, were found in an old tattered copy of Wheeler's History of Newport, and most probably Edmond Wheeler, himself, was the writer.
Beginning with the big Newport House fire, he appears to be impressed by Edmond Burke's generos- ity. This was the man who had been a congressman 15 years before, and Commissioner of Patents in Washington. The Joel Kelsey, who died March 6, was one of the Killingworth settlers and was a soldier of the Revolution. He was a prisoner of war in the infamous Old Sugar House prison in New York. His grave is in the old Pine St. cemetery.
The war meetings were said to have been held in the "Town Hall". This refers, of course, to the "old" town hall, now more or less known as the Grange Hall. A newer Town Hall was built after the war in 1877, burned and was replaced by the present building in 1888.
Under date of Oct. 6. The band referred to was composed of 18 pieces, and was assigned as a brigade band. This was a nine-months organization, and broke up after its discharge.
In 1864, it will be noted that Abraham Lincoln received 260 votes to Gen. McClellan's 242. This was almost exactly the party vote in 1860, showing that the electorate of that day stuck pretty strictly to party lines.
What An Observer Saw In Newport During The War Years: 1860
Friday, Jan. 6. Fire alarm at midnight. "New- port House" in ashes in three hours. Edmond Burke gave Landlord Cross a check for $50. Following day
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Mr. Cross moved into "Eagle Block." Mrs. Boothe has a party with "Bean Porridge" for lunch.
Jan. 18. Two men from New London were tried and bound over for setting fire to the Newport House. Gov. Colby and six others are bondsmen.
March 6. Joel Kelsey died aged 100 years. (See note above)
March 8. Map of Sullivan County delivered.
March 10. Last day of town meeting. Raised money $4,000, highways $1,500, reservoir, $200 engine house, etc. $75. Selectmen may buy a town farm for $1,500.
March 22. Cost of new school house in District No. 2. $475.
May 19. Heard this evening that Abraham Lin- coln was nominated for President and that A. Hamlin for v. President.
May 22. Republicans drew flag poles.
May 20. Alman Tandy's buildings burned. Two barns at Sunapee struck by lightning and a Mrs. Hastings killed. Also Elija Rider's barn was burned. June 4 and 5. Republicans raised flag poles with two streamers and fired 32 guns.
Sept. 5. Prof. Donaldson walked the wire across Court House yard. Large attendance.
Oct. 21. Republican "Wide Awakes" 144, out to drill, and a torchlight procession.
Nov. 5. ELECTION DAY. Lincoln, 278, Doug- lass 216, Breckenridge 15, Bell 15.
Nov. 8. Republicans celebrate Lincoln's election with parade and supper.
Dec. 14. Dedication of the Newport House, 200 guests ; bands played.
1861
Jan. 3. Dedication Ball at Newport House.
Jan. 24. Georgia seceded from Union today.
March 9. An attempt to rob the bank.
March 12, 13 and 14. Town meeting required three days.
April 12. Fort Sumpter attacked at 4 o'clock.
April 13. Walls at Ft. Sumpter giving way.
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April 14. Was told that Ft. Sumpter was taken. April 15. War news confirmed. Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers.
April 22. Big war meeting in town hall. Voted to raise $1,500 to fit out our volunteers.
April 27. Volunteers started for Concord.
May 4. Old Columbian artillery called out by S. H. Edes. Resolved to go ahead. Got 20 signers. June 29. Military out training tonight. The Engine Co. invited the two military companies of Goshen to train. Served them a dinner. Had New- port and Acworth bands. A fine display. Speeches on the Common.
July 8. Big ride to Sunapee Lake from Newport and Claremont.
July 22. Bad news. Battle at Bull Run. Fed- erals repulsed.
Aug. 10. Reception of volunteers. Band, Fire Co., supper at Cross' (Newport House). Speeches at town hall.
Aug. 27. Was told that James Breck was worth $42,000 when he left town. (See story on Eagle Hotel-Editor).
Sept. 1. A novelty: a young lady called wearing high heeled shoes.
Sept. 20 Part of Claremont volunteers were here this evening.
Sept. 26. National Fast Day. John Wildsh (?) made an abolition speech and Rev. Paul S. Adams prayed that the Rebels might be all sent to Hell.
Sept. 29. Rev. Adams preached to the soldiers in the evening at the South Church.
Sept. 30. Soldiers started for Concord; about 75. Were cheered when they started off.
Oct. 26. Men here buying horses for Vermont cavalry. Bought several.
Oct. 30 Sunapee band and company out. 25 en- listed.
Dec. 23. George E. Belknap of U.S. Navy mar- ried to Ellen Reed. Paul J. Wheeler, Edmond Burke, and Aiken were there. The following evening the band gave them a concert and a band dance was given in
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the town hall in the evening. (See Belknap story - Ed.)
1862
Jan. 19. Rev. P. S. Adams preached a sermon at the North church on a Mr. Woodbury, a soldier in Barton's Company, whose body was brought here.
May 29. George Hall came to town. He was on board the Cumberland when the Merrimack sunk her. June 28. Fuss in the school about the itch. Sent scholars to Dr. Swett to be examined.
July 26. War meeting at Town Hall. Voted to raise $50 a piece for volunteers. P. J. Wheeler pledged himself to give $10 apiece to the first 25 when mus- tered into service.
Aug. 1. War meeting at Claremont. The band and republicans went out. War meeting at Town Hall. Capt. Cooper and Ed Kelsey enlisted.
Nov. 19. Daniel Muzzey and a Mr. Dunham were buried up in F. W. Lewis' ditch on Sunapee St. by a slide. Were both dug out alive although buried some three feet underground for some time.
Nov. 25. Town Meeting. Voted that the Select- men provide substitutes to fill the town's quota under the new law: $300 apiece.
Dec. 11. Edes started his new aqueduct water for the first time. One "right"-a pint a minute. $2 a year.
1863
Jan. 16. Great freshet. William Endicott and son got into the water all over on the intervale.
March 11. Bells all rung at 6:30 p.m. guns fired.
March 12. Fired cannon at 4 a.m. and bells rung. On news of capture of Richmond. Evening intelli- gence-Richmond was not taken.
Aug. 16. Town meeting. Voted to raise $50 (each) for volunteers and $200 for the Soldiers Aid.
Aug. 20. Meeting at Town Hall. Voted to raise the bounty another $50.
Aug. 21. Town Meeting. Voted to pay the drafted soldiers $300 apiece.
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Aug. 24. The band returned this evening and played as they went through the village. The band given a reception at Cross'.
Aug. 28. All stores and shops were shut up at 5 o'clock for a grand military parade for helping en- listments.
Sept. 3. Town Meeting. Voted to pay volunteers $100 bounty.
Sept. 13. The band enlisted for the war.
Oct. 6. The nine-months soldiers drilled.
Oct. 8. The band gave a farewell concert at the town hall.
1864
Jan. 16. Limb of tree fell and killed Carroll W. Peabody in Dexter Peabody' woods.
Sept. 3. Town Meeting. Voted to pay soldiers $600 for one year, $700 for two-year men, and $900 for three-year men. This adding $16,000 to the debt of the town.
Oct. 7. Republican mass meeting. 40 ladies and 75 men rode horseback.
Oct. 8. Democratc mass meeting. Fine display through the village. The cannon burst.
Oct. 20. Republican mass meeting at Claremont 45 teams went from Newport.
Nov. 2. Grand Democratic mass meeting at Clare- mont, 15,000 present and six bands.
Nov. 8. Town Meeting. Lincoln 260. McClellan 242.
1865
April 4. Celebrated the fall of Richmond tonight. April 15. News of President Lincoln's death came to town.
April 16. Bells all tolled and flag trimmed on account of Lincoln's death.
April 17. Meeting at Town Hall on account of Lincoln's death. Passed series of resolutions to be put on file. Speeches.
April 19. Funeral of Lincoln services at South Church, whch was trimmed with flags and in black,
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CHAPTER XV TOWN HALL FIRE
Conflagration of 1885 Destroyed Five Buildings
Pay attention to me now, my children, because I'm going to take you back into a Newport that you do not know. The year is 1885. The month is June - June 27 to be exact. Eight years earlier the town had moved a residence from the Town Hall site, down onto Ash St., (where it still. stands, furthest North of the houses) to make room for the new building, designed to house the County offices on the first floor, the Town Hall above, and, on the third floor, two halls. One was for the Odd Fellows Lodge, the other to care for our Civil War veterans, then organized as the Grand Army of the Republic.
Just North and very close to this building stood a private residence, called, I believe, the bank building, because it was the original home of the First National Bank of Newport, and its companion, the Newport Sav- ings Bank. At this time the house was occupied by the growing families of Ashton W. Rounsevel, A. D. Howard and a Mr. Harris. This is the present site of The DeWolf. Moving north again we find the present Lewis Block ground taken up by a large wooden building called the Nettleton Block (1854). This extended clear up to the corner of Sunapee St., then eastward along Sunapee, we find first, the American Express office and then a livery stable, occupied by one Prescott. Main St. here is wide, which was fortunate; Sunapee St. is fairly wide also. Out in the middle of Main St., opposite the New- port House, was a large reservoir, which is still there.
Newport's fire-fighting equipment at that time con- sisted of two hand tubs, The Dexter, engine 1, and the Torrent, engine 2. There were, of course, no fire hy- drants, and wouldn't be for another seven years. There existed then, a keen rivalry between Engine 1 and En- gine 2. In fact in their keenness to be first at some fire, Engine 1, on one occasion took a wheel off No. 2, in or- der to get in where they wanted to be. These old hand pumps did a very respectable job of pumping water, but at great expense of man-power, frequent relays of men
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being required to man the "brakes" as the long poles were called, running the length of the contraption on either side, with eight or 10 men each to pull them up and down - which action furnished the power necessary to throw the stream.
Certain men were designated as "fire wards." They were provided with six foot poles, painted red. The fire wards had power to order any citizen to take his turn on the brakes. This he did by touching him on the shoulder with his wand. Pumping the engine came under the head of hard work.
June 27, a Saturday, was graduation night for New- port's High School. It was the ninth graduation, and the school was turning out a class of eight. Graduation was a bigger community event than it now is, and the hall was packed. All went off successfully, and finally the Rev. Halsey Leavitt of the Baptist Church pro- nounced the Benediction. These solemn words were the last to be spoken in the old Town Hall. Unofficial re- marks, later of some of the firemen, may have sounded the same but were actually, less pious.
Over in the gabled Nettleton Block, upstairs, was located the town's newspaper, called at that time the New Hampshire Argus & Spectator. Some law offices were also located there, including that of the Hon. Albert Scripture Wait, whose library was accounted one of the finest in the state. It was insured for $3,000. On the street floor were stores, including that of E. L. Nelson afterward a noted 5 & 10 cent store operator.
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