USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Newport > Tales from the history of Newport > Part 8
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Nobody ever knew just how this fire started - or if he did know, wouldn't tell. But it was generally agreed that it started in the attic of the Nettleon Block, three doors and two buildings away from the Town Hall. There always seemed to be a bit of mystery as to just what did happen. Some people referred darkly to the beer par ties that used to take place up in the top of the Town Hall. But the fire didn't reach that point for two hours. I should expect, as a real fact, that the loft over The Argus office was full of rubbish - fire inspections hadn't yet been heard of. Anyway the alarm was raised about one o'clock a.m. No hydrants, also no fire alarm, and wouldn't be until after the Eagle Mills burned seven or eight years later. No, anybody who discovered a fire
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just stuck his (or her) head out and yelled. And who- ever heard the yelling ran to the nearest bell-rope and clanged the bell. In this case it was the Town Hall bell, followed by the Unitarian, just across the street, then the bells up and down and to the east took up the clamor. Newport soon found out that big trouble was afoot. And turned out in force.
Right back of the Town Hall there used to be an engine house, and I guess it was there in 1885. But old Dexter used to be kept in a little house on the South side of "Court House Common," and it may have been there when this fire broke out. Anyway, both pieces were on the scene as soon as the members could make it, and started in their work. No rivalry this time - everybody knew that Newport had the fight of its life on hand.
But before any one knew what was happening, and at a moment when available pumpers were about played out, it was discovered that the fire had somehow bridged the gap between the various buildings and was actually nibbling at the Town Hall itself.
That was the signal for a wild scrambling around. The Nettleton Block and the Bank building became minor concerns, but our new Town Hall! Scramble, boys and make it fast. Soon about 20 men were busy inside, removing stuff from the top floor halls. There was a new concert Chickering grand piano in the main hall. The effort upstairs soon had to be abandoned. The Chickering was eased over to the head of the fire escape, but just then, with a horrid roar, the roof started caving in. Fire Chief Martin Whittier jumped. Others in the gallery jumped to the floor. One or two hopped out through the three Main Street entrances. Others never knew just how they did escape. The new Chickering con- cert grand, left to its own devices, rolled majestically down the inclined plane of the fire escape, and landed all in one piece, at the bottom. Nobody was seriously hurt. Many, including several Civil War veterans still in the fire department, got the scare of their lives. The next Argus said it was a miracle a half dozen or more men were not killed.
The loss was summed up in the next issue of The Argus, (which had to be printed on the Claremont Eagle presses) as being about $75,000. This did not take into
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account, however, loss to the County of Sullivan of real estate records, restoring of which so far as possible was a considerable item of expense to the county for years and years. Neither did the estimate include value of the files of The Argus, 60 years worth, including some of the years when it was published in Claremont, res- toration of which consumed many years. It was a thing not easily reckoned in money. The proprietors did res- cue a copy of their subscription list - any newspaper's most valued possession - and did save their account books. As those were days in which cash settlement of accounts took place, usually, but once or twice a year, this doubtless saved quite a heavy loss. Losses without doubt finally came to the not inconsiderable figure of $100,000.
It was three years before all losses were adjusted, plans drawn up and the new Town Hall (our present one) built. Citizens who are inclined to be discouraged over present day lack of public interest in public affairs, will be interested in the fact that four town meetings had to be called before enough attendance could be secured to get a legal vote to use the insurance money, $20,000, to rebuild. With the hall in ruins, just what did the town do for a meeting place? They went down Pearl St., and met in the roller skating rink opposite Calvin Brown's summer hotel. The building is now used to house some of Rowell Bros.' supplies. So a new build- ing at last appeared. Built on the same foundation as the old one, and on somewhat the same lines - only better. The town did not again try to stretch a point and provide halls above the auditorium. Main St. en- trances were reduced to one. The architect was Hira R. Beckwith of Claremont.
Newport must have heaved a sigh of relief when the last brick was in place, for it was confidentially expected that now the Court House was destroyed, Claremont would renew the old contest and try to secure the status of County Seat. In fact Claremont did try it out, but the attempt was somewhat half-hearted, and the effort "died aborning."
At all events, you may be sure that the morning of June 28, 1885 would have been a poor time to attempt borrowing a few thousand dollars in Newport. The bot-
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tom had pretty much dropped out. And it took quite a lot of work to get it back in. Six years were to pass by before the immense bill board, which covered the ruin of the old bank building was to give way to new construc- tion. Seven long years. Then Col. Sam. DeWolf Lewis determined to build a three story block to be called the DeWolf. Several of the people afterward known as El- lenbergers - refugees from Ellenburg, N. Y. - had their first employment here helping build this new build- ing. Just why the opportunity to buy the site and avoid having another building so close in, was not taken advan- tage of, deponent knows not. I suppose it was then re- garded as too expensive. It now must be looked upon as one of Newport's major errors.
AFTERMATH
The consequences of this catastrophe were varied and far-reaching. The most obvious one may have been the building, the very next year (1886) of the Lewis Block, which still holds an important place in the village scene. Fred'k Lewis, cashier of the First National Bank, was a half-owner, and he bought the interest of Mrs. Bela Nettleton, who owned the other half, and which, so the press informs us, was uninsured, and lost little time in replacing the building, this time using brick, which still endures.
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CHAPTER XVI SPANISH AMERICAN WAR
Mexican Border Service at Laredo, Texas
The Spanish American War of 1898 caught New- port, like the United States as a whole, in a state of al- most total mental unpreparedness for war. There had been no large scale preparation in more than a quarter century. But it was well prepared in that it had lately enlisted a brand new company of militia entitled Co. "M" 3rd. N. H. Inf. with Capt. Ira Stowell, a hardware merchant, as commander.
Company "M" was officered by well trained men, Capt. Stowell having been a lieutenant in an older militia company and his lieutenants, Glynn and Lewis, having acquired more or less military lore; the NCO's also were men of military experience.
The battleship MAINE was blown up in Hayana harbor, and war soon followed. Company "M" was draft- ed into Federal Service as Company "M", 1st N. H. Vol- unteers, a composite of the three N. H. Regiments. It did not go to Cuba, but suffered all the discomforts of poor engineering and poor sanitation at Chicamaugua Park, where typhoid and other needless diseases were rampant, and where Capt. Stowell and one private died. The body of the captain was returned here and received with full military honors. The band played "Onward Christian Soldier" as interment was made in Maple St. cemetery. Company "M", was, unofficially, known as "The Stowell Guards" for many years.
Mexican Border Service
The Stowell Guards remained in existence for a good many years. In February, 1913 a vacancy occurred, and Samuel H. Edes became C. O., with Vincent J. Bren- nan Jr. and Harry C. Hastings, as first and second lieu- tenants. In a few months, the company was called into Federal Service again by President Woodrow Wilson to
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help police the Mexican Border, which was then being plagued and threatened by "Pancho" Villa and other desperadoes. The outfit wound up at Laredo, Texas, camping in an onion patch under a hot sun, 99° of heat. Here the regiment remained all summer and into a cool- ing Fall. "M" and another company took up the patrol at Perron's Ranch, 35 miles up river. Lieutenants John Taylor and Charles Bowen, (afterwards Adjutant Gen- eral of New Hampshire) had joined by this time and served with M until the end of the campaign.
The company was mustered out at Manchester and returned home just in time to participate in the first Newport Winter Carnival, Washington's Birthday, 1916. Diplomatic relations had already been severed with Ger- many, and our men returned to civil life with their fingers crossed, momentarily expecting to be called back into uniform. Nor were they disappointed.
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CHAPTER XVII THE WORLD WARS
Newport's contingent of the National Guard, en- route from several months' duty on the Mexican Border, was wending its way homeward, when the train, some- where near Binghamton, N. Y., was met by the news that President Wilson had severed diplomatic relations with Germany and the central powers. The men had had several months of military life, and were all set for returning to family and regular occupations. The out- fit was given a rousing welcome home, but delayed re- suming regular occupations. New tables of organization were received showing that a "company" of infantry, instead of having less than 100 men, would henceforth consist of six officers and 250 enlisted men - in short that a "company" would become nearer of battalion strength, and, while the commander would still be a captain, he would have the duties and responsibilities of a major.
Newport, therefore, was faced with a considerable task of recruitment and supply. Surrounding towns were solicited for men, and so good was the response that when the "company" left town on July 15, 1915 there were about 175 men in the ranks. They were a wild and woolly looking outfit, too. Every man was furnish- ed with some piece of equipment, hats, rifles, shirts - but only a few really had a complete outfit.
But neither the Kaiser, nor any other man knew that here was as valiant and light hearted a body of men as ever marched from any town. Their uniforms may have been a mess but their courage was a steady light.
The old regiment had served alongside the 2nd Maine down at Laredo and now the two regiments were combined to make up the new 103rd Infantry, 26th di- vision, which was afterwards called the YD division, General Clarence Edwards commanding. Gone were the state insignia. Proudly every man wore the "U.S." on collar and cap. Whenever in any authorized grade, the number of men showed an excess, the residue were
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transferred into the new 1st Army Headquarters Regi- ment, designed chiefly as military police.
The main body joined forces with the men from Augusta, Maine, spent a few weeks at Westfield, Mass., then moving under secret orders, entrained for Newark, N. J., transferred to a White Star Liner, and sailed for Halifax. After a two-weeks' voyage zigzaging pretty much all over the North Atlantic, they arrived in Eng- land, spent an uncomfortable 10 days near Aldershot, England and boarded a Thames River side-wheeler which after an all-night dash to the French coast landed them at LeHarve. Here began our doughboys' experi- ence with the French Forty-et-eight - the standard French box car, which, according to the Americans, is always equipped with square wheels. Anyway they crossed France, skirting the large cities, and arrived at Neufchatteau, up in the Vosges.
Quartered mostly in barns, the Americans remained all winter, training with the French troops, whose phil- osophy of warfare was mostly incomprehensible to the Americans. Eventually they reverted to their own stan- dards. From here they served in most of the well-re- membered French sectors. Their great moment came when the Germans started their last drive on Paris. The 103rd occupied the very hinge position of the forces op- posing them, and after a tough scrap in front of Bel- leau Wood sent the Germans reeling back toward North- ern France. This was the last German effort to move upon Paris. Soon after, the war came to a halt, with the armistice of Nov. 11, 1918.
That was the end of hostilities, but the forces could not yet be demobilized. It was spring before many troops actually moved toward home. This is the trying part of any war - all objectives are removed. Many men yield to the temptation to go AWOL. Discipline be- comes difficult. Eventually, however, the trip toward home begins. Again we march on an embarkation point, board a liner - this time a transformed German - and eventually come into a home port. There was a gigan- tic review in Boston, a short delay at point of discharge, and HOME.
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The 103rd YD regiment was disbanded, and so re- mains except that now, these men hold an annual re- union for recalling old times and common experiences. Newport has had the honor of hosting one of these re- unions, recalled by the membership as one of the best to have been held.
Something over a year after the National Guard in New Hampshire was reorganized, Newport again found itself on the military map. But this time the new regi- ment was to be anti-aircraft, and Newport was sched- uled to head the machine-gun part of the regiment, with firing batteries in Berlin, Keene, Franklin and Nashua. Newport furnishing the headquarters detail, about 20 men. . Capt. Edes with Capt. Shepard as adjutant, was to command. Newport got a WPA appropriation for a new National Guard armory, which, appropriately enough, was placed on Belknap Ave. This was the ar- rangement up to the beginning of World War II.
World War II found Newport with a small but com- plete outfit and heading a Battalion of machine guns, one-half a regiment of Anti-aircraft. This was known as the 197th Anti-Aircraft. The regiment was assigned to duty at Palatious, Texas, where it continued training until Pearl Harbor. Declaration of war soon followed, and the 197th had to back-track to help in the Anti- Aircraft defense of New York City. But this was only the beginning of its travels. Action in the South Paci- fic was indicated, and the regiment picked up its big guns and headed for San Francisco and Australia.
It took up various positions in Australia, and then took ship for New Guinea, where it did the same until orders arrived for the invasion of the Philippines. The regiment was by this time in a high state of training and spear-headed the invasion of Leyte, South Philip- pines. In this action the battalion covered the landing of the forces, and got well commended for the efficiency of its action.
When peace came, the battalion found itself half a world away from home, but the return was commenced
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without undue delay, and finally the men found them- selves again at the home fireside, having traveled more than the circumference of the earth - a travel record equalled by few units in the whole Army. This some- what detailed history of the 197th AA (Coast Artillary) is given here since it was Newport's only really organ- ized unit. It went out under Lt. Barton of Claremont, who remained with the army and is now a full colonel. Capt. Shepard became disabled through an accidental dose of bad vaccine, from which he has never recovered. Major Edes after a term with the 20th CA was retired for age before the regiment started on its wanderings.
[
COMPANY M.
NEWPORT, NI| JULY 17 19/7 CURRIER PHOTO
Off to World War I-Company M, First New Hampshire, July 27, 1917, Capt. S. H. Edes, commanding. Nuts to you, Kaiser Bill!
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CHAPTER XVIII VETERANS' ORGANIZATIONS
Revolutionary Veterans Never Organized
The first record we have of any public appearance of war veterans as such, is found in the illuminated Baldwin Book now unfortunately not available, lo- cally. In it, Samuel Baldwin of the Argus recalls that at the reception to the Marquis de LaFayette "a long line of Revolutionary veterans appeared and were af- fectionately and tearfully individually greeted by the great French hero. Young Baldwin was not favorably impressed. He thought this honor, instead of going to this line of "shabby old men" should have been accorded to the spruced-up young militiamen of the Columbian Artillery, with their red coats, who, it seemed had also been mustered for this great occasion.
This account, however, lacks any hint that these Revolutionary veterans represented any organized ef- fort. There never was any such organization, here or elsewhere. It was only with the coming and pass- ing of the Civil War, that the time had arrived for an organization of veterans-and this took the form and title of "The Grand Army of the Republic," a well organized force, which bent the nation to its wishes for a matter of more than 50 years.
Locally, this outfit was known as "Fred Smyth Post No. 15, G.A.R." Fred Smyth and wife came here once and presented a handsome picture to the post. Mr. Smyth was toward its end, a war-time governor of New Hampshire. However, the precedent was set, and when the War with Spain ended, Newport promptly organized "Capt. Ira Stowell Camp, United Spanish War Veterans," which lasted throughout the first half of the twentieth century.
Scarcely had the echoes of the Armistice of 1918 which terminated World War I, rolled away, than the returning veterans, under the leadership of Capt. Harold P. Shepard and Sgt. Charles F. Aiken, took up what by then had become established custom and organized a post of the American Legion under the title of Claude J. Brewster Post No. 25. Brewster
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was the first Newport boy to lose his life in the con- test. After World War II the post name was changed to include, also the name of the first World War II casualty, Robert Gould, son of the the postmaster of Newport, Robert E. Gould. He was a member of our Na- tional Guard group, serving in Texas.
There was in existence at this time another or- ganization called the Holt-Farmer Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars. But as this organization could not admit those many veterans who did not serve over- seas, the Legion was preferred and still exists these 44 years later having received a strong reinforcement from the hundreds of young men and women who represented Newport in the later war, and also several from this and nearby towns who served in The Korean struggle.
Once organized, these bodies proceeded to set up one of our notable and very useful institutions, The Newport Veterans' Club, owning and operating the well known Lewis property on Cheney St. This club represents an investment of more than $30,000, all raised by voluntary subscription. No municipality in the state has been more generous.
Besides carrying on the regular work of a. vet- erans' organization, Brewster-Gould Post has organized and managed three state-wide conventions, organized and financed two championship musical organizations, (drum-corps) has maintained an annual ministrel show for more than 40 years, maintained the Civil War tra- dition of an annual observance of Memorial Day, saw that the last of the Grand Army and Spanish war veterans were buried with suitable honors, as well as some 20 other veterans whose remains were received here. They have participated and forwarded all com- munity patriotic enterprises, such as street decora- tion and school exercises; the presentation of the na- tional colors to schools and to the local hospital. In all these matters the Legion and its Auxiliary have been assisted by the "40 & 8", the VFW and its Aux- iliary and finally by the Veterans of World War I. The American Legion is pledged to a career of "use- fulness to community, State and Nation," and it cer-
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tainly seems that through many years, it has been faithful to this pledge.
The VFW Post was named in memory of Grant Holt, son of Mrs. Minnie Holt and of Frank Farmer, son of Frank M. Farmer afterward a Newport representa- tive at the General Court. Both were war casualties and National Guardsmen. The post finally became "Newport Memorial Post, V. F. W."
James B. McGregor in his 108th year after voting Nov. 3, 1908, at the Town Hall, Newport, N. H.
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Has Newport ever in its long history had a Gov- ernor? That is, has any Newport man while living here, ever been the state's chief executive, and known as such ? ? ?
This seemingly simple and clear question can be an- swered in several ways, none of them quite satisfactory. Let's take the case of Ralph Metcalf, who was elected Governor in 1854 and '55. He was elected as from Con- cord where he had been for about seven years Secretary of State. But sometime in 1856 he built a house on Broad Street in Claremont, which casts some doubt as to what town he was actually elected from. His party, the "American," was popularly known as "The Know- Nothings." It actually was a kind of secret society, members of which were wont to say, when queried about it, "I don't know." He died in Claremont in 1858. His residence in Newport was the fine old house on South Main Street, which was built by the merchant James Breck; was in modern times known as the "Bostwick" or the "Dunton" place, afterward as "The Lafayette," and has since become a second-hand shop. It was here that Lafayette was entertained in 1825. You'll find an account of that visit in another chapter. Our claim to Metcalf's being a Newport man is reinforced by the fact that in 1845 he married a Newport woman, Martha A., daughter of Captain John Gilmore.
Governor Metcalf was a native of Charlestown, stu- died law in Claremont, was admitted to the bar in New- port, and first practiced here, having taken over the office and practice of the much-lamented David Hale, husband of Sarah Josepha Buell Hale. He was not of the well-known Metcalf family which produced Henry Harrison Metcalf, sometime state historian, and his son, Harry B. Metcalf, owner and editor of The Argus.
Newport's next brush with the Governorship hap- pened a few years after the Civil War. This came about through the fact that Col. Walter Harriman, a native of Warner, had been for about two years, one of the brilliantly intellectual pastors of the Universalist Church
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here. Col. Harriman had acquired an enviable record as commander of the 11th N. H. Volunteers in the Civil War and was breveted a Brigadier General. He entered politics and was N. H. Secretary of State for several years, finally becoming Governor. He was a man of com- manding presence, six feet two, of very noble carriage and with what has often been described as "contagious enthusiasms." His name has usually been associated with his birthplace, Warner, nevertheless Newport comes in for a share of his fame.
We seem to have had no further adventures in con- nection with the Chief Magistrate's office until very near the last decade of the century, when the Hon. Dex- ter Richards, as related elsewhere in this work, was mentioned as being practically sure of election if he could be persuaded to offer himself as a candidate. This, however, he did not choose to do. After long consulta- tion with his wife, he took what money the party man- agers wanted him to put up and built for the town a much-needed school, housing the five higher grades and the high school. This fine school, first occupied in 1898, with two additions, still (1963) well serves the children of Newport. So, for the third time, Newport almost contributed a name to the list of governors but just failed to score.
The history of our fourth contact was a story some- what in reverse of the others. It was a case where a Newport man actually became Governor in fact, but never assumed the title.
In 1917 Jesse M. Barton, Judge of Probate for Sul- livan County, was not only elected a member of New Hampshire's Senate, but also became its President. By the terms of our Constitution he thereby became next in line in case the Governorship became vacant. It also happened that the then Governor, Hon. Henry W. Keyes of Haverhill, because of illness became unable to finish his term. Mr. Barton was immediately sworn in as act- ing Governor, but did not, it seems, assume the title, although he did draw the pay. He was acting Governor for the remainder of the term. I do not remember that he has ever been known as "Governor Barton." How-
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