USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Concord > The history of Concord : from its first grant in 1725, to the organization of the city government in 1853, with a history of the ancient Penacooks ; the whole interspersed with numerous interesting incidents and anecdotes, down to the present period, 1885 > Part 29
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JONATHAN WILKINS."
Mr. Wilkins was a native of Marlborough, Mass. ; graduated at Dartmouth College, 1779. Declining the "eall" to settle in the
* The town voted "that one half of the money raised to defray the expenses of the town, be appropriated for supplying the pulpit."
295
LOCATION OF MAIN STREET.
ministry, he became a resident in the place, and relinquished preaching. In 1787 he married Miss Sarah Hall, daughter of Jeremiah Hall, and grand-daughter of Dea. Joseph Hall, senior. He owned a farm at " the Eleven Lots," and lived in the house still standing at the crotch of the roads, west side, near the house of the late Countess of Rumford." In 1797 he was clerk of the church ; in 1802, appointed a Justice of the Peace ; was one of the selectmen in 1801, 1803, 1804, and 1805 ; at several times was moderator of the town meetings. On the 6th of September, 1811, he was chosen deacon of the church, which office he held till his death, March 9, 1830, aged seventy-five years.
LAYING OUT MAIN STREET.
June 23, 1785, Capt. Benjamin Emery, Lieut. Joseph Hall, Lieut. John Bradley, Capt. Reuben Kimball, and Mr. Joseph Farnum, were appointed " a committee to lay out Main street." In the original survey of house lots, (on Main street,) space was left for a street ten rods wide ; but the tradition is, that liberty was given to the settlers to advance two rods on each side, leaving six rods width for the street: but in using the liberty given, some advaneed a few feet, or a few inches over the line, and erected buildings. Hence it became necessary to fix the bounds of Main street, which the above committee did do, by a careful survey, and establishing bounds that remain to this day. The committee, however, did not complete their work and make a final report till 1798. They then presented a plan of Main street, which is found in the second volume of the Town Records, page 238, and of which, on a reduced scale, the annexed engraving is a copy - the explanations being given on the opposite page.
* See Family Register of Wilkins and Hall.
296
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
MAIN STREET,
AS LAID DOWN ON ENGRAVED MAP, AND DESCRIBED ON THE ORIGINAL PLAN IN TOWN RECORDS.
EAST SIDE - beginning at the north end :
Judge Walker's barn - the north side of it 184 rods from the Great Elm.
Mr. Herbert's store* - 77 rods from the Great Elm; two feet six inches on the road -about thirty-two feet front.
Maj. Daniel Livermore's houset -57 rods from the Great Elm; abont nine inches on the road - forty feet front.
The Great Elm -opposite Capt. Ayer's tan-yard.
Mr. Aaron Abbot's-9914 rods from the corner - seven feet on the road - twenty-four feet front.
Barber's shop- 8712 rods from the corner - eight feet on the road -fourteen feet front.
Mr. Wilkins's house -8512 rods from the corner- eight feet on the road - twenty feet front.
Mr. Hough's printing office - 6812 rods from the corner- three feet four inches on the road - twenty-four feet front.
Esq. Green's house - 67 rods from the corner - six feet three inches on the road -twenty fect front.
Mr. Green's office -eighteen inches on the road -fourteen feet front.
Mr. Hutchins's shop - 62 rods from the corner- two fect three inches on the road -twenty-two feet front.
Mr. Thorndike's store-10 rods from the corner-fourteen and a half feet on the road - twenty-eight feet front.
Mr. Dustin's bark-house - three rods from the corner to the south side - seven and a half feet on the road- twenty feet front.
Brick drove into the ground one rod and one link westerly of the north-west corner of Mr. Dustin's shop.
Mr. Butters's corner stone - four and a half feet west of willow tree.
WEST SIDE - north end :
Stone - twenty-six feet from the north-east corner of Jacob Abbot, Esq.'s, house, and 123 rods from the Great Elm.
Mr. Gale's honse -50 rods from the corner ; 7016 feet front ; north side 1012 feet on the road ; south-east end, five feet seven inches on the road.
Mr. Wait's store -44 rods from corner -seven feet six inches on the road - twenty feet front.
Mr. Manley's store-30 rods from the corner- six feet four inches on road - thirty-six feet fron'.
Corner, north of Capt. Chandler's.
Birch pole - 2 rods and six feet from an oak stump in Mr. Jos. Abbot's land.
School-house -85 rods from stone at Shute's corner.
Mr. Ladd's shop-41 rods from stone at Shute's corner.
South-east corner of Mr. Shute's house, six and a half feet on the road.
Mr. Shute's shop on the road twenty-two feet.
* Mr. Jonathan Herbert's store still standing, occupied as a dwelling-house.
t The late residence of Dr. Bouton,
JUDCE WALKER'S BARN
2 -
JUDGE WALKER'S HOUSE
0
MAIN STREET, 1798.
STONE
N.21 30'W. 184 RODS
HERBERT'S STORE
MAJOR LIVERMORE'S HOUSE
S
STONE
ELM
GREIAT 1 A
N 5°30'W 145 RODS. 9 FEET
AARON ABBOT'S
BARBER'S SHOP
A WILKIN'S HOUSE
HOUGH'S PRINTING OFFICE
GREEN'S HOUSE
GREEN'S OFFICE HUTCHINS SHOP
MANLY
THORNDIKE'S STORE DUSTIN'S BARK HOUSE
STONE CHANDLER'S H
2
BRICK
SCHOOL HOUSE
N 25.30 W. 136 RODS 15 LINKS
LADO'S SHOP
JOHN SHUTE'S
STONE
SHOP
BENJ. GALE'S HOUSE
WAITS'
SCALE 64 RODS TO AN INCH
298
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
1786 .*
PAPER MONEY.
About this time a great excitement existed in various places through the State on account of the scarcity of money. Some were in favor of paper money ; but, at a meeting called agreea- ble to a recommendation of the General Court, to consider the subject, the town voted " not to make paper money on any plan whatever."
During the June session of the Legislature which met in Con- cord this year, an attempt was made to call a convention to petition that body in favor of a plan for a paper currency, but the attempt was defeated in the following singular and ludicrous manner :
At the first sitting of the Assembly, in June, when only five members of the proposed convention were in town, some wags, among whom were several young lawyers, pretended to have been chosen by the towns in which they lived, for the same pur- pose. In conference with the five, they penetrated their views, and persuaded them to post an advertisement, requesting all the members who were in town to assemble immediately, it being of the utmost importance to present their petition as early in the session as possible. By this means, sixteen pretended members, with five real ones, formed themselves into a convention, choos- ing one of the five their president, and one of the sixteen their clerk. They carried on their debates, and passed votes with much apparent solemnity. Having framed a petition, complain- ing in the most extravagant terms of their grievances ; praying for a loan of three millions of dollars, funded on real estate ; for the abolition of inferior courts, and a reduction of the number of lawyers to only two in each county ; and for a free trade with all the world; they went in procession to the Assembly, (some of whom had been previously let into the secret,) and with great formality presented their petition, which was suffered to lie on the table. The convention then dissolved - the petition was withdrawn - and when others, who had been really chosen by
* Voted, March 7, " That Richard Flanders be released from paying for the use of the School Lot in future ; " and " to abate Andrew Stone his rates that are due, and exempt him from paying taxes for the future." Andrew Stone at last came upon the town of Bow for support.
299
MONEY DIFFICULTIES.
the towns, arrived, they were exceedingly mortified on finding their views for that time so completely frustrated. The pro- ceedings of this mock convention were for a long time subjects of sport and ridicule .*
The public excitement, however, did not stop here. County conventions were called ; petitions presented to the Legislature, and the ferment at last subsided in the arrest and punishment of the rioters at Exeter .¡
The following extract of a letter from Hon. Robert Bradley, of Fryeburg, Maine, gives a vivid idea of the extreme scarcity of money at this time :
" The same year that the Legislature was surrounded and held as prisoners at Exeter, [1786,] by a mob demanding paper money, my father was elected a representative ; and the next day gave me a letter to carry to Timothy Bradley, living on the mountain, (so called.) On my way in the woods I met Mr. Bradley, gave him the letter, and was instructed to say to my father that the dollar - the only one on the east side of the river - which he had the promise of, had gone. A case of life and death had made it necessary to send to Andover for Dr. Kittredge ; but there was a rich maiden lady in Canterbury who had a crown, and he would go the next day and see my father about it. He did so, and afterwards obtained the crown piece and an old pistarcen of Miss Clough, which was all the money that was to be found. My father then went to Judge Walker, who took care of the honor and interest of Concord, who fur- nished him with the means to pay his board at Exeter; and he was the only one of fourteen boarders who paid their landlord, (a man by the name of Clifford,) their expenses in full.
" Col. David Page, who represented Conway the same year, told me he left home with two shillings and sixpence in money to pay expense to Exeter by way of Alfred, Maine. He informed me that he had a small sum due him from John Pierce, Esq., of Portsmouth, for which he received a guinea, and paid all of it towards his board, save two shillings and sixpence, to pay for bread and milk on his way home. The representatives offered
* Moore's Annals.
t See Belknap's account of the insurrection, in Ilist. of N. II., 1786; also, vol. III., pp. 117 - 122, of N. H. Ilist. Coll.
300
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
the whole of their State scrip for their services, to the landlord, who preferred their private securities. About ten or twelve of them returning home, took lodgings at the Gambrel Roof, [Esq. Bradley's house,] about one half of the number on couches on the floor. My impression is, they had not a dollar amongst the whole of them."
1787-8.
On the 19th of March the town voted " to fence the burying- ground with a post and board fence." In October, Col. Peter Green, Col. Timothy Walker and Lieut. Joseph Hall, were chosen " to forward to the Secretary's office a particular account of all bounties, for raising men for the Continental Army, or the mili- tia called into service during the late war." In January, 1788, Col. Walker was appointed to petition the General Court for a new County, that should include the town of Concord, and any other towns that may petition for the same.
ADOPTION OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
Capt. Benjamin Emery was chosen to the convention which was called to meet in Exeter on the second Wednesday of Febru- ary, 1788, " to take into consideration the proceedings of the late Federal Convention ;" in other words, to discuss and act upon the adoption of the Federal Constitution, which had been proposed by a convention of delegates in Philadelphia, from all the States except Rhode-Island, and which had already been adopted by eight States. To give the Constitution effect, or " to set the political machinery in motion," it was necessary that nine States should adopt it. On the decision of New-Hampshire, there- fore, great consequences were depending. The convention for this important purpose first met at the court house in Exeter, Feb- ruary 13. His Excellency, John Sullivan, was chosen President, and John Calfe, Esq., Secretary. The convention continued in session at Exeter ten days, then adjourned to meet in Concord on the 18th of June following. The convention met at the meet- ing-house, (now the Biblical Institute,) and was composed of a large number of the most respected and honored men in the State - men who, having fought for liberty and independence,
301
RATIFICATION OF THE FEDERAL CONSTITUTION.
were jealous of their rights, yet desirous of securing for themselves and for posterity all the blessings of a National Union .*
When the final vote was taken on the Constitution, with eer- tain amendments which had been proposed, there were fifty-seven yeas and forty-seven nays. Our delegate, Capt. Emery, voted in the negative! The Constitution, as amended, was adopted in the name of the people of New-Hampshire, in the following words :
STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
In Convention of the Delegates of the People of the State of New- Hampshire, June 21st, 1788 :
The Convention having impartially discussed and fully considered the Constitution for the United States of America, reported to Con- gress by the Convention of Delegates from the United States of America, and submitted to us by a Resolution of the General Court of said State, passed the fourteenth day of December, last past; and acknowledging with grateful hearts the goodness of the Supreme Ruler of the Universe, in affording the People of the United States, in the course of His providence, an opportunity deliberately and peaceably, without fraud or surprise, of entering into an explicit and solemn compact with each other, by assenting to and ratifying a new Constitution, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to themselves and their posterity - do, in the name and in behalf of the people of the State of New-Hampshire, assent to and ratify the said Constitu- tion for the United States of America.
Resolved, That the assent and ratification aforesaid be engrossed on parchment, together with the recommendation and injunction afore- said, and with this Resolution ; and that John Sullivan, Esq., Presi- dent of the Convention, and John Langdon, Esq., President of the State, transmit the same, countersigned by the Secretary of Con- vention and the Secretary of the State, under their hands and seals, to the United States in Congress assembled.
JOHN CALFE, Secretary.
The adoption and ratification of the Constitution was the oc- casion of great joy to all the friends of union throughout the
* For the particulars of the interesting proceedings of the convention, reference must be had to the original record in the Secretary's office. The names of the members from the several towns in the State may be found in the New-Hampshire Annual Register, 1853, pp. 20 -25.
302
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
country. It was announced to Gov. John Hancock, of Massa- chusetts, in a letter, by President Sullivan, as follows :
CONCORD, June 21, 1788.
SIR : I have the honor to inform your Excelleney, by favour of Mr. Reed, who is obliging enough to forward this letter, that the Convention of this State have this moment adopted the New Consti- tution - yeas, 57; nays, 46, [47.] The amendments recommended, nearly the same as in your State.
With every sentiment of respectful attachment,
I have the honor to be Your Excelleney's
Most obedient servant, JOHN SULLIVAN.
In the " Salem Mercury" of the 24th of June the event was thus announced :
"THE NINTH PILLAR UP ! Laus Deo !"
On the arrival of the news at Salem a procession was imme- diately formed of the military, the clergy, physicians, merchants, seamen, mechanics, and school-masters with their schools. Sa- lutes were fired in the evening; the front of the court-house was illuminated, and an emblematical painting exhibited, representing Justice, Peace and Liberty, (Fame over the whole sounding her trumpet,) on an arch supported by nine columns - four others lying in the back ground, ready to be introduced into the va- caneies left for them. Under the whole were the words,
"FEDERAL CONSTITUTION."*
In Portsmouth the celebration of the glorious event was grand and imposing. After the people of that and the neighboring towns had assembled on the parade, about cleven o'clock, of the 27th, " an armed ship was espied from the State House, bearing down under full sail. Being hailed on her approach, she proved to be the ship UNION, Thomas Manning, Esq., commander, from Concord, out five days, bound to the Federal City, all well and in good spirits. About a quarter past eleven she dropped an- chor, and, having received a pilot on board, got under way and joined the procession."f
* Salem Mercury, June 21, 1788. ¡ See Salem Mercury, July 1, 1788.
303
SETTLEMENT OF A MINISTER.
The procession was composed of all classes of citizens, with appropriate banners. Among them were the scholars of the schools, with the insignia of their studies ; a terrestrial globe, rectified for New-Hampshire, and decorated by young ladies, was carried by two lads in uniform. In the decorations each State was distinguished - New-Hampshire in the zenith, and Rhode-Island in the western horizon, in mourning !
MOTTO.
" Where the bright beams of Fed'ral freedom glow, The buds of science in full beauty blow."
There is a current tradition that Col. Timothy Walker, who was zealous for the adoption of the Constitution, apprehending that the vote would be a close one, invited certain members of the convention who were opposed to its adoption to dine with him on the day that the question was to be taken ; and that he treated them with such liberal entertainment and good cheer, that the vote was taken and decided in the affirmative before they made their appearance in the house.
1789.
The Rev. Israel Evans, who had been a chaplain in the army under General Washington, had been employed to preach in Con- cord as a candidate for settlement ; and on the 1st of Septem- ber, 1788, received a call to settle, with the offer of ninety pounds as a salary annually, " during his performing the work of the ministry in this town," together with the use of the parson- age, and two hundred pounds, (in materials for building a house,) as a settlement. Capt. Reuben Kimball and Capt. Benj. Emery, Mr. Robert Harris, Mr. Henry Martyn and Mr. John Kimball, were appointed a committee " to estimate the pieces of materials that shall be provided for building a house."
At a subsequent meeting it was voted to give Mr. Evans " fifteen pounds annually, in addition to the ninety pounds in lieu of the settlement," to which Lt. John Chandler and Lt. Robert Ambrose entered their dissent.
The terms of the call were in some respects unsatisfactory to Mr. Evans ; but, March 17, 1789, he made answer in the affirm-
304
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
ative .* A committee was appointed to " superintend the ordina- tion of Mr. Evans, and to provide entertainment for the minis- ters and delegates who shall attend;" and it was also voted, "That the town concur with the church in appointing the first Wednesday in July, 1789, as the time for the ordination services."
In 1789 an act was passed "to authorize and empower the proprietors of Rumford, alias Concord, to collect a certain tax." This was in answer to a petition by Thomas Stickney, setting forth, that in settling the controversy between the proprietors of Rumford and of Bow, "in 1771, they came to an agreement, which was that the proprietors of Rumford should have the whole of said township, except one hundred and sixty-two acres of land, which was to be laid out by them in some part of the town ; and the proprietors of Rumford were to pay ten pounds to said proprietors of Bow, for each hundred acre lot which was laid out by said Bow in said Rumford ;" that thereupon Thomas Stickney, Andrew McMillan, Esq., and Abiel Chandler (since deceased) were appointed a committee by the proprietors of Rumford, " to receive a quitclaim deed from the proprietors of Bow, and give them a bond, upon interest, for the ten pounds for each hundred acre lot." Moreover, "that the proprietors of Rumford, in 1773, voted to raise the sum of £600 by assess- ment on the several divisions and the common rights in said township of Rumford," which was supposed to be sufficient to pay the proprietors of Bow, and to give £60 to the Masonian proprietors for their pretended right to part of said land."
The above assessment not being all collected, Timothy Walker was appointed and empowered to collect the remainder of said assessment, in order to discharge fully the said bond.
1790.
SCHOOL LOT - TOWN HOUSE.
In 1790 the building erected in 1775 on the hill back of Capt. Emery's, for a " pest-house," was removed into the town street, for a school-house, and located near the present hay-scales, at the head of the strect. The lot,f belonging to the school right,
* See Doc. No. 1, for Chap. X. t See engraved Plan of House and Home Lots.
305
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE GENERAL COURT.
originally laid out on the south side of the road that runs west- erly by Richard Bradley's, was exchanged by the town for a lot adjoining the burying-ground, owned by Licut. Robert Davis, containing one acre and one hundred and twenty-eight rods.' There was no legal conveyance of the lot thus exchanged at the time ; but in 1842 the burying-ground was extended so as to embrace the aforesaid premises ; at which time Gen. Robert Davis, having inherited the land, by will of his grandfather, gave a deed of it to the town. Lt. Robert Davis, who deceased in August, 1823, was buried in this field, and his grave was enclosed with a chain fence, which stood alone till 1842.
On the 30th of August this year the town voted to raise " one hundred pounds for building a house for the accommodation of the General Court ; and that the house be set on the land of Mr. William Stickney, near Dea. David Hall's." Capt. Reuben Kimball was appointed agent to build the house. The dimen- sions were eighty feet long, forty feet wide, and fifteen feet post.
This action of the town was preceded by a subscription of $555,00 for the same object. The following is the copy of the original :
CONCORD, June 21, 1790.
We, the subscribers, being desirous of accommodating the General Court with a convenient house, and in order to encourage the same, do hereby engage to pay the several sums annexed to our names in labour or materials for building, provided said house is set near Mr. William Stickney's dwelling-house, in Concord.
NAMES.
DOLLARS.
NAMES.
DOLLARS.
Timo. Walker,
100
Thomas Stickney, 40
Peter Green,
100
Benja'n Hannaford, . 40
Benj. Emery, .
40
John Bradley, 30
* In the warrant for the annual town meeting, 1786, was an article to see if the town will exchange the house-lot belonging to the school right, with Lt. Robert Davis.
On this article the selectmen were appointed a committee, who, in 1790, reported as follows :
In exchange of the school-lot with Lt. Robert Davis, we have the following piece, adjoin- ing the burying-yard, bounded as follows, viz. : Beginning at a stake and stones, at the southwest corner of the burying-yard, running west seventeen degrees south, by Capt. Ben- jamin Emery's land, twelve rods, to a stake and stones ; thence north, twenty degrees west, twenty-four rods, to a stake and stones; thence east, nineteen degrees north, twelve rods, to a stake and stones ; it being a bound of James Walker's land ; thence by said Walker's land and burying-yard, twenty-four rods, to the bound first mentioned, containing one acre and one hundred and twenty-eight rods.
20
306
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
NAMES.
DOLLARS.
NAMES.
DOLLARS.
Robert Davis,
30
George Hough, .
20
Joshua Abbot,
30
Joseph Hall,
30
John Kimball,
30
James Walker,
20
Enoch Coffin, .
20 |John West,
25
THE TOWN HOUSE.
The house was built as soon as practicable, and called the Town House. Originally it was one story ; stood length- wise to Main street, and had .. ... a door in the middle, with a spacious entry. The interior contained two rooms - one for the House of Representatives, TOWN HOUSE. on the north side, and the other for the Senate, on the south - with several small committee rooms on the back side. A stair-way led to a small gallery for spectators. In the centre of the building outside was a cupola, or dome, sur- mounted by a vane, which was invented by the mechanical genius of Mr. Ephraim Potter, and hence received the name of " old Potter." The land on which the building was erected was given for the purpose by Mr. William Stickney, on condition that if the town shall neglect or refuse to keep a public building on the premises for the space of three years, it should revert to him or his heirs .*
When this building was raised, Benjamin Rolfe, brother of Nathaniel, and father of Mr. Benjamin Rolfe, now living on State Street, had a finger caught in a mortice, in putting on the south plate, and so badly jammed that it was necessary to ampu- tate it. Dr. Carrigain - celebrated for surgical operations - was immediately called, and directed Mr. Rolfe to lay his finger on a block. With a chisel and mallet the doctor cut the finger square off at a single blow ; but the stump was a sore trouble to Mr. Rolfe as long as he lived, for the end of the bone was always visible, and in cold weather the flesh about it would recede from the bone and crack.
* See original Deed. A quitclaim Deed of the same land was given to the city in 1854, by Nathan Stickney, Esq., for the erection of a City Hall and County Court House.
307
REVISION OF TIIE CONSTITUTION.
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