USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Canaan > The history of Canaan, New Hampshire > Part 2
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Feb. 23. 1769.
J' WENTWORTH.
Attached to the charter are the names of sixty-two men as original grantees, and among them all it does not appear by any record that more than ten or twelve of them ever saw their "grants"-Amos Walworth, Ebenezer Eames, George Harris, Daniel Harris, Samuel Meacham, Thomas Gates, Thomas Miner,
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
James Jones, Samuel Dodge, Ephraim Wells, Jr., Josiah Gates, and possibly Thomas Gustin, whose name was discovered as a witness to a deed executed before William Ayer in Canaan. These men appear to have made explorations and to have per- formed various labors, and they left honorable names upon the records of the town. But there were other men than those named in the charter, to whom Canaan is indebted for opening up high- ways into the wilderness which developed all her hills and val- leys. But few authentic documents exist relating to the early settlement of this town. No diaries detailing the events of that early life have ever been discovered, showing the hardships en- dured or the dangers avoided by those men and women whose resting place among us at this day is perhaps an obscure mound of earth without a stone to indicate whose bones have there de- cayed. Nor are there any letters to friends detailing the fate or prospects of those who came here. But little information is to be gained from the public records. These record the ap- pointment of officers and of committees to perform certain duties, whose reports being "accepted," no more can be learned from them. They show that money was "raised" for building roads, laying out pitches, and for other purposes, but it does not ap- pear how this money was expended, no one being held account- able for it.
Nor for sixteen years after the first settlement of the town, is there to be found in the town archives a list of the taxpayers. There is a partial list of the taxpayers for the year 1782 and a more complete list for the year 1786 in the handwriting of Ezekiel Wells, and which is a copy of the original record. The list for 1782 contains the names of forty-seven, three of whom were non-residents, that of 1786 contains seventy-eight names, three were non-residents. Not until 1793, more than twenty- six years after the settlement of the town, appears the first com- plete recorded list and it embraces 124 names. The old set- tlers are dead, their children are dead and their grandchildren, except here and there, one whose memory has become obscured by years, and whose recollections of the times of their fathers are little to be relied upon. With these difficulties in view at the starting point it will be seen that the task of the annalist be- comes almost one of imagination. Of course it is of little con-
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THE CHARTERS OF CANAAN.
sequence whether the history of Canaan be written or unwritten, like the man whose lineage ran back into obscurity, from whence little light is visable.
Years before the events described occurred, this country with all its ponds and streams, had been explored by trappers and hunters whose success always equalled their industry. It was related to me by Ensign Colby, that an ancestor of his from Haverhill, Mass., with a partner named Tribble, was one of the earliest explorers here, and that the reports these men made upon the natural products of the soil, influenced many persons in Haverhill, Amesbury, Plaisted, etc., to seek new homes here. On one occasion Colby and Tribble arrived on the shores of Hart Pond late in the afternoon, weary and discouraged by their toilsome journey through the forest. Dense woods lined all the banks, no trace of human life visible anywhere. They struck a fire and ate their scanty meal. Tribble weary and in ill humor, told Colby it was useless to trap in such a place. He didn't be- lieve there was any game in this region. For himself, he was going to sleep, if Colby choose to set the traps, he was welcome to all the skins he could catch. The traps were set, and in the morning the trapper was rewarded by finding each one sprung, and holding fast a beaver, otter or a mink. Tribble apologized for his ill nature and unbelief of the night before, saying: "Hereafter the meaner the country looked the greater would be his expectations of game." It is fair to state, that Colby in the division of the furs, took no advantage of his partner's unbelief of the night before. They continued to trap some three weeks, with various success, about the pond and on Mascoma River, near the present village, always camping on the shores of the pond at night. One day, the sun about an hour high, they heard or supposed they heard, the report of a gun fired in the direction of their traps on the river, believing it to be a signal gun of the Indians and that they had discovered their traps. Without stopping to ascertain the truth, they took counsel of their fears, seized their skins and guns and hastily and fearfully took the trail that led to the settlements. They continued their flight through a wild forest for forty miles, to a place now called Boscawen. Here they sat down on the brow of a hill for rest and refreshment. Upon reflection they concluded they had
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
fooled themselves out of their property, so they took the same trail back, to reclaim their traps, and were not surprised to find them all safe, many of them being sprung. Nor were there any indications of Indians to be seen.
The Indians, one hundred and more years ago were suffici- ently numerous and hostile to cause the settlers to be extremely watchful. Evidence exists of two Indian camps in this town. One of these was situated upon the shores of Hart Pond, upon land now owned by Mr. George E. Cobb. Another has been located near the outlet of Goose Pond. Various rude imple- ments, such as axes made of stone, jugs, etc., have been un- earthed at these points, which confirms the belief in their former existence. The tribe is not known nor their language. They have disappeared like the trees, and few in our generation will care to inquire whence they came or whither they went. They probably belonged to the great family of Abnakis who inhabited this part of New Hampshire and northern Maine. But as our settlers had little to do with Indians, neither have we.
Wild game was in abundance, and the rivers were full of fish. Venison was plenty in the humble houses of the settlers. Bears and wolves were troublesome; besides serving to frighten crying children into silence, they often made sad havoc among the flocks. Moose, deer, rabbits, foxes, partridges, with beaver, otter, martin, mink, etc., abounded, and in their way each served to settle and open up this town to the institutions of civilization.
CHAPTER II. THE FIRST AND SECOND SETTLERS.
The story of the first settlement of Canaan is legendary and has been brought down to us by generations. There are no docu- ments to offer as proofs of its truth, and if any ever existed, they have been carefully gathered up and sold for paper rags. But the legend runs, that in the wintry December of 1766, the old man Scofield, who had been knocking about the country in search of a home while wandering in the neighborhood of Leb- anon, from passing trappers and woodmen, heard of the rich intervals, the huge trees, and game in abundance, to be had in the wilderness, where as yet, no man had settled for a longer time than was needed to take up his traps. He started for the new region on snowshoes, hauling his effects on a handsled, fol- lowed by his wife and four children, two young sons and two daughters and settled here, the first white man, among the great pines and maples, the black bear and wolf his only neighbors. The old man must have possessed a stout heart and infinite faith in himself, for I take it, no man even in these devout days would go forth into the wilderness upon snowshoes and a handsled with simply a trust in God. Such a trust might do in the summer time, when the earth is generous in fruits and flowers, and a bed of grass or leaves is easy for the bones of the weary; but when the frost cloud descends and settles upon the earth, and feathers of young frosting give a nap to all things, a stern reliance upon self is a safer trust. Faith in God may do for a man in the agonies of inexorable death when he knows it is unsafe to post- pone faith any longer, but it will never prevent his freezing with the mercury at zero and below. And so thought old John Sco- field, for he brought his axe and shovel, removed the snow, felled trees, built him a great fire and a brush house and left a name in the local ananls that will live forever.
It is related that the next morning after his arrival, the old man left his family, and set out for Lebanon for such of his goods as he had been unable to bring the day previous, intending
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
to return the same evening. But a heavy rain occurred which swelled the Mascoma so as to make it impassable. He arrived on the banks of the river after dark, but was unable to cross it, re- maining there all night. And this was in the month of December, 1766. The experiences of that lonely traveler as he struggled to shelter his family from the inclemency of those December days, partake very little of romance, but they were common to the people of those days.
John Scofield was an Englishman, born in 1715. He had been a resident of Norwich, Conn. He was not a very social man, liked to have his neighbors so far away that when he visited them they would be glad to see him; would "welcome the com- ing, speed the parting guest." Early in the spring of 1766, find- ing himself embarrassed with near neighbors, he traveled up the river leisurely looking for a place to set up his family altar. After many hardships he reached Canaan in the manner before stated. Here he found land and space enough to satisfy his most lonely desires. He erected his first brush house in the valley, about twenty-five rods north from the schoolhouse in the old District No. 10, and afterwards built one of logs in the same place. The rocky remains of the old cellar are still to be seen there, overgrown with briars and bushes. There was also an oven built oval of stone, which was standing within forty years. It was taken down many years ago by Nathaniel Wilson and the stones laid into a wall in the vicinity. It was from this place he heard the report of Thomas Miner's gun on the eventful morning in the following spring, and which was a signal to him that he was no longer to live alone. Some time after this event, and before the lands were pitched upon by the slowly arriving grantees, he built a house nearer to the river, where he spent the remainder of his life. The field where his remains now lie was his own property, deeded to him by the proprietors. He cleaned it and dedicated a portion of it for a burial place. Several young persons were buried here before his own death. Mrs. Sarah Scofield, his widow, who died in 1794, is supposed to have been the last person buried there.
It does not appear that John Scofield's intention to set apart this spot as a burying place was ever completed. It was never enclosed, nor was there ever any record made of the fact. And
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THE FIRST AND SECOND SETTLERS.
when the farm was sold to Capt. Daniel Pattee in 1799, no reser- vation was made in the deed in reference to these graves, al- though it was well known that they were there. The practice of using it was doubtless abandoned from the inconvenience of getting to it. And the present graveyard on the sand knoll at West Canaan was substituted for it. The circumstances attend- ing the laying out of the burying ground on the Street were similiar in their nature. The land was given to the people for a burying place by the then owner, Nathan Messer, but when afterwards he sold it to Mr. John Fales, he neglected to reserve the graveyard in the deed. Then Mr. Fales laid claim to the enclosure and threatened to plow it up, and plant potatoes upon the graves, if it were not paid for. The town paid him thirty- seven and one-half dollars, and in the deed a reservation was made of two rods square as a burial place for the Fales family. There was a stone wall around the original lot which was re- moved on the east side by Franklin P. Swett in the '60's and a picket fence built in its place. The town has bought four addi- tions. A small strip was added by G. H. Goodhue and the tomb of William D. Currier was accepted by the town.
Mr. Scofield brought with him to Canaan a wife and four chil- dren : Delight, who afterwards married Gideon Rudd; Eleazer, aged twelve years; John, Jr., aged ten; and Miriam, aged eight years. The latter afterwards married Maj. Samuel Jones, who came in early from Connecticut. The old man was strong- minded and self-reliant; he had early nerved himself to make his own path in the world, and here we find him on that De- cember night, the only man in Canaan, with his axe and rifle, making a brush house to shelter his little family and keep them from suffering. He was fifty-one years old at that time and had been accustomed to the comforts of social life, but he left all these to build himself a home in these wild woods. That his labors and virtues were appreciated, is evident from the fact that when the proprietors awarded sixty dollars to those pioneers who had contributed most to effect the settlement of the town, Mr. Scofield was the first of the four among whom it was di- vided, his proportion being rated at twenty-six dollars. The early settlers of Canaan were men of brave patience. Words fail in describing the reality to the occupants of comfortable homes
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
at this day. They were rich only in stout hands and strong faith, and they conquered the wilderness of swamp and forest because they wanted a home. The earth which bore such trees would yield rich crops of grain and fruit. They set themselves down in the wild wood, it made little difference where, and attacked the trees. There was another man into whose life a good deal of romance was crowded, and as his appearance here was almost co-equal with Mr. Scofield, their relations to each other render it proper that we should refer to him now.
Thomas Miner, named a grantee in the charter, was the sec- ond man who came to this town. He resided at Norwich, Conn., and at the date of the charter was eighteen years of age. Not- withstanding his youthful years, his name appears as one of the grantees. He was a restless man, full of energy and activity all his life, a poor writer and not much of a scholar and not al- ways mindful of the courtesies of life. This temperament led him at an early age to seek excitement in the varied career of a sailor. This life ever full of danger and hardship, at length it became dull and monotonous to him and he sought change in in- land adventure. His ventures at sea had been fortunate, he had laid by a sum sufficiently large to secure him independence of labor. He married Eleanor Lamb in Norwich, 1765, at the age of 22, and his first child, named Allen, was born in September of the following year, 1766. He was at this time out of business, somewhat disgusted with the restraints of the Blue Laws that governed the civilization of Connecticut, and waiting for some exciting event to shape his course in the world. While in this frame of mind, it occurred to him that he was joint proprietor of a wild uninhabited tract of land in New Hampshire, which he had never seen. He was one of the sixty-one proprietors named in the charter. He could learn but few particulars con- cerning this land. Emigrants to the Upper Cohos had passed through it by the foot trail, but could give no description of it, except that it was covered with goodly trees, plenty of stone for fencing purposes ; the waters abounded in fish, and the woods with game,- some of it dangerous. He resolved to explore that wild land, even if he had to go alone. This scheme just suited his present state of mind. He had explored the ocean whose waste of waters left no trace behind. Now he would explore the
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THE FIRST AND SECOND SETTLERS.
land and leave trace of himself that should make him famous in local story.
Many of the grantees were residents of Norwich, Colchester and the adjoining towns, the Harrises, George, Gibson, and Daniel; Dr. Ebenezer Eames, James Jones, Amos Walworth, Josiah Gates, Jedediah Lathrop, Samuel Meacham. Then there were Joshua and Ezekiel Wells, John and Samuel Jones, and others who were proposing to migrate. Mr. Miner made known to many of these men his intentions, but at first got little en- couragement. Meeting Mr. Harris one day, he said to him : "Mr. Harris, I've got tired of this humdrum sort of life in a vil- lage, where everybody has to be so proper and religion is a pre- tense for a great deal of meanness. And I don't want to stay any longer in a place where I'm not allowed to kiss my wife on Sunday. I'm going to get out er this, and try the bears and wolves for neighbors, and live on fish and venison. Come along, and let's look after our six miles square."
To this Mr. Harris replied: "No hurry about it, Mr. Miner, it's a long way, and a hard way, on foot or horseback, it's slow traveling, but few places to stop at. You are young and active, with a young wife and child. You don't want to leave them be- hind. We'll get ready this fall and winter, and in the spring we can go in company; and others will go along too. In that way we shall be able to defend and support one another, and on that long road there will be need enough of it."
"Well," says Miner, "I did think of starting out alone, be- cause you see, I've been used to doing that. I thought I'd leave my wife here and run up there and spend the winter looking round. Now I'm a poor writer and a worse scholar, and the bad of it is, that I should have to write to my folks. You're a scholar and understand all about these land voyages. Your ad- vice is good. We'll spend the winter in getting ready and start out early in the spring, and build us a home up there where 'tain't unlawful for a man to say 'damn it,' if he's strongly tempted."
It was intended to start out a company of several families, and take along such conveniences as could be transported. But when spring came they were not ready. Some of them hesitated -that the journey was too long-they wanted to learn some-
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
thing more of the country, and they would wait longer. Mr. Miner's temperament was not of the waiting kind. When the spring came and he found the company still undecided, he took his wife and child and such implements and conveniences as he could pack upon a horse and with a compass in his pocket, to guide him when he became uncertain of his way, he started out for his territory driving a cow. His journey through Connecticut and Massachusetts was comparatively easy. There were many settlements and roads had been laid out. After getting into the Connecticut valley the woods seemed to close in upon them in long stretches, the clearings were few and very small and the roads dwindled down to a single trail, at times only discernible by the blazed trees which marked the way.
In all western New Hampshire but four towns had been in- corporated. In each of these towns a block house or fort had been erected and they had attained prominence from the fact that being on the frontier they were often exposed to attack by the Indians from Canada. At these places he stopped for rest, and to hold intercourse with the people. His journey was a quiet one, unmarked by any disturbing incident. He and his young wife enjoyed the constantly varying scenery, which roused within him new impulses, and thoughts to which his life had heretofore been a stranger. In some of the reflective moods which fell upon him he would say: "Wife, I've loved the sea and was never afraid when the strong winds lashed it into fury, but it was a desert without a flower or tree and all that fell into it was swallowed up and disappeared forever. But this new road we are traveling is dotted all along with fragrant flowers, and the great trees, always stretching their long arms out before us, are calling us to a new destiny. We are started upon the long road. We are young, and life which a few months ago, seemed like an old wornout coat, now rises up all before us. Whatever may be our fate, we will have confidence in one another, and trust in God." And so they passed leisurely along on their way, past all the settlements, until they approached their land of promise and stopped to rest upon the rising land afterwards called "South Road," that gave them a bird's-eye view of much of the northern part of the town. Here they rested and decided to pitch their camp. Not a house in sight, not a smoke, not a clearing; no sign of civilization.
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THE FIRST AND SECOND SETTLERS.
This young man of twenty-three years, who thought he had already enjoyed and exhausted the pleasures of the sea, and had found the charms of social life unsatisfactory, stood thereon that evening, the past all behind him, facing the new present, and looking through the great trees at a future .crowned with fruit- ful fields and houses filled with comely faces. He stood there like a prophet and "viewed the landscape o'er." There was fearless resolution in his heart, and he turned to his wife who was near by caressing the boy, and said : "Wife, this is a goodly place. I think we'll build us a home here. This seems to be a great point in our lives. You know I'm not much of a hand a-praying, but we'll begin now, and thank God that we are here, and pray that he will give us strength and grace to accomplish the labors that are before us, and length of days that we may see the generations that are to subdue and utilize these forests and streams." And it was right here and on this occasion that all the romance departed out of his young life. The sun was setting in crimson and gold. His wife and boy were resting upon the ground, the horse and cow weary with their long journey, were turned loose to graze. The scene was not a rural one; it en- gendered a feeling of insecurity which called for immediate ac- tion. The past glimmered for an instant before his mind, with all its religious and social opportunities, but it was only a gleam that flitted rapidly away and left him standing there on the brow of that hill, filled at once with the resolves of ripe man- hood. Henceforth there was to be only work, not a mere struggle for existence, but earnest active labor that the years to come would be proud of.
His reveries were disturbed by his wife, who said: "Well, Thomas, the sun is getting low. Where shall we make a bed ? The little boy is tired ; he must have his supper and go to rest." Thomas seized his axe, and in a short time had cleared away the brush and arranged the branches of the trees, so as to form a shelter from inclement weather. Then with flint and steel, he struck a fire and while his wife mixed the coarse bread and baked it before the fire, he milked the cow, and they sat down at their first frugal meal, not far from the spot where he after- wards erected his dwelling.
On awakening, the next morning, it is related that his horse
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HISTORY OF CANAAN.
was not to be found. After making hasty preparations, Mr. Miner seized his hat and coat and started out in pursuit, follow- ing the trail by which he came back as far as Charlestown, or No. 4, where he found his horse secured in the stable of a man who three days before spoke with the travelers as they passed along, and who, supposing the horse had strayed from his owner, secured him in his stable. Mr. Miner hastily retraced his steps to his camp, where he found his wife safe, but in much anxiety of mind lest he might be waylaid by evil-minded persons. After relating their mutual experiences while separated, she said to him: "Thomas, I think we are not alone here. While you were away I heard sounds resembling the chopping of an axe, followed by other sounds as if large trees had fallen and one time I thought I recognized the report of a gun, and these sounds all came from the direction of the valley yonder. Shan't we be glad to have a neighbor ?"
"Indeed you surprise me, wife; I thought I was' the first and last man here. But we'll rest tonight, and in the morning I'll beat about in the valley cautiously, and see what discoveries I can make; can't be that Mr. Harris, or any of the others down home have stolen a march on us! We'll soon see."
On waking the next morning his ears were greeted with sounds as of an axe in the valley below. The idea of an axe im- plied a white man, of course. So he discharged his rifle and waited the effect. This was soon answered by the report of an- other gun. He felt sure then that he had a neighbor, and in due time he found himself in the presence of our first settler and oldest inhabitant, John Scofield.
When he had made himself known the two men greeted each other with friendly salutations. Mr. Miner exclaimed: "It's good to see you here, my friend! Thought I was 'monarch of all I surveyed,' but I'm willing to divide with ye!" "How is it," said Mr. Scofield, "about those other men that are down in the charter, if they ever come in they'll about fill up the town; and if I'm going to be crowded here, I'll go off to Canada, where I've had my eye for a long time ?"
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