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 44
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A considerable shock of an earthquake was felt in this town and vicinity, for twenty or thirty miles around, on Tuesday morning, August 25th, about five o'clock.
The foundation for a new brick school-house, in district No. 10, for which $3.200 had been appropriated, was laid early in September.
A man named Scales, a tailor, at the west parish of Concord, last week presented a note for eight hundred dollars, signed by himself as principal, and two sureties, to the cashier of the Mer- rimack County Bank, and received the money therefor. It was afterwards found that the names of the sureties had been forged. Scales was arrested, five hundred dollars recovered, and then he escaped.
Mr. Abel Hutchins raised a musk-melon in his garden, this season, four feet and two inches long! At the age of 83, Mr. H. is industrious, and as active as most men of 60.
A fire occurred Saturday, September 26th, in the house of Mr. Samuel Palmer, on Green street, corner of Warren street, which took from the pipe of a boarder, setting fire to a bed on which he lay down to take a nap after dinner.
Died in this town, October 5th, at the house of his daughter, Mrs. Susan Webster, in the East village, very suddenly, Stephen Ambrose, Esq., aged 75. His disease was dropsy in the chest. Mr. A. rose at the usual hour in the morning, nearly completed dressing himself, and had been called to breakfast by his daugh- ter, to which he answered. In about fifteen minutes afterward she opened the door of his room, and found him sitting in an upright posture in his arm chair- dead ! For more than forty years he was extensively known as a trader at the East village. He represented the town in the Legislature several years, and filled various important offices of trust and responsibility, with ability and credit. He was an ardent politician, embracing the
479
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
Whig cause, and was highly esteemed as a kind neighbor and an enterprising and useful citizen. At the failure of the Concord Bank he was its president .*
Lieut. Joseph H. Potter, a son of Thomas D. Potter, Esq., of this town, who graduated at the West Point military academy in 1843, was wounded in the battle of Monterey, September 21, 1846. In a letter to his friends here, dated September 27th, he says : " I was shot through the leg about two inches below the knee - the ball passing between the two bones of the leg and out on the opposite side. I was wounded while storming a bat- tery on one of the hills back of the town. We had three days hard fighting."
AN AGED MAN. Capt. John Palmer, who died in Canterbury in October, 1846, at the age of 102 years and 5 months, was for many years a resident in this town. He was born in Marble- head, Mass., in May, 1744 ; followed the sea, in the East India trade, about thirty years, and in the Revolutionary war he was a lieutenant and captain of a privateer. About 1790 he moved to Hopkinton, N. H., where he went into trade ; thence he moved to Concord, in March, 1794; from Concord to Canterbury, in 1800, and remained in the latter place till 1816, when he again returned to Concord and lived with his son, Capt. John Palmer, Jr., in the house built by the latter on the Mountain, so called. In 1844 he returned to Canterbury, where he remained till his death. Capt. Palmer was small in stature - about five feet and four inches - but very spry and quick in his motions. Unfor- tunate in business, he was reduced in his circumstances, and disheartened. For a few years he was somewhat irregular in his habits ; but afterwards he became strictly temperate in drink and rather abstemious in food. In his old age he was industrious and active - working at the cooper business, which was his trade, in a little shop near his son's residence, on the Mountain, on the west side of the road. He continued to work till near one hun- dred years of age. He retained his faculties of sight and hearing, and also his memory, till within a week of his death.
[1847.] A meeting of teachers, and others interested in the improvement of schools and education generally, assembled at
* See lists of officers, &c.
480
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
the Court-room, Friday afternoon, January 1st. Josiah Stevens, Esq., presided ; Asa McFarland and Arthur Fletcher, Esqs., officiated as secretaries. In the evening Prof. Haddock, of Dartmouth College, the State School Commissioner, delivered an address. After he had concluded, Rev. Mr. Bouton introduced a series of resolutions, which, after a full discussion, were unan- imously adopted.
One hundred and ten couples attended the stagemen's ball in this town, on Friday evening, January 15th, and had a jovial time of it. The music and entertainment are said to have been excellent .*
A meeting of the citizens of this town was held on Tuesday evening, February 23d, to take into consideration such measures as it might be deemed expedient to adopt for the relief of suffer- ing caused by famine in Ireland. At this meeting a committee was appointed, who issued the following notice :
" The undersigned individuals, having been appointed a committee to receive and transmit to Ireland such contributions of money, pro- visions and clothing as may be made for those suffering from famine in that country, hereby give notice that they will receive and trans- mit contributions for this purpose, made by the citizens of Concord and other towns, to Boston, free of expense, whence they will be transmitted free of expense by the committees in Boston to Ireland. Persons making donations in provisions or clothing are requested to forward them to the care of Gilmore & Clapp, in Concord, and dona- tions in money to the care of E. S. Towle or George Minot, cashiers.
JOSEPH B. WALKER,
NATHAN STICKNEY,
GEORGE MINOT,
JOSEPH A. GILMORE,
STEPHEN BROWN,
EBENEZER S. TOWLE,
MITCHELL GILMORE, JR.,
SAMUEL G. BERRY.
Concord, February 25, 1847."
The following donations were sent in :
From citizens of Concord,
$1.293,02
" Pembroke, 5,25
" Gilmanton,
6th school district in Canterbury, 5,62
14,00
citizens of Concord, 100 bushels of grain.
" Pembroke, 168 "
* N. H. Patriot, January 31.
481
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
Died at Loudon, February 13th, Thomas Haines, a Revolu- tionary soldier, aged 87, well known in this vicinity as " old soldier Haines." He entered the army at the age of nineteen ; was at Ticonderoga in 1777, and in the retreat from that place was shot at and his woolen frock pierced in several places with bullets - he being only slightly wounded. IIe escaped the pur- suit of Indians by hiding in a deep ravine. He was in the battle at Bemis's Heights, near Saratoga, and was shot down and lay among the dead more than forty-eight hours. When found, it seemed doubtful whether the breath of life was in him. He was wounded by a ball passing through his cheeks, from side to side, nearly cutting off his tongue and knocking out most of his teeth. His face bore the marks of mutilation till his death. In the latter years of his life he received a pension from government. Soldier Haines lived many years in a small house about four miles from Concord Main street, towards Chichester, and near the corner of the road leading to the mills on Soucook river, known as Dickerman's mills. IIe often came into the main village, and was highly respected. He removed to Loudon only a few months before his death.
In answer to a call* signed by one hundred and fourteen citizens of Concord, a large meeting of those " in favor of a vig- orous and determined prosecution of the war with Mexico," was held at the Town Hall, on Monday evening, February 8th. The meeting was called to order by Col. Josiah Stevens, and was organized by the choice of Jonathan Eastman, president ; Isaac Dow, Moses Shute, Francis N. Fisk, William Low, Nathan Call, vice-presidents ; Joseph B. Walker and John M. Hill, secre- taries.
The meeting was addressed by Gen. Charles H. Peaslee, Franklin Pierce, Joseph Low, Charles F. Low, and a letter was read from Lieut. Joseph H. Potter, who was wounded at Monte- rey, but was then in town.
At this meeting Franklin Pierce, Joseph Low and William Butterfield were appointed to procure subscriptions "in aid of the citizens of New-Hampshire who are attached to the regiment
* See names in llill's N. H. Patriot, February 11, 1847.
31
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
of volunteers" under the command of Col. Caleb Cushing. A subscription from seventy-three individuals amounted to $310 .*
Hon. Franklin Pierce having received the appointment of brigadier-general in the United States army for the Mexican war, on Monday evening, May 10th, an elegant sword was presented to him by ladies of Concord. In behalf of the fair ones, Mrs. N. B. Baker, in presenting the sword, addressed Gen. Pierce in a very happy and appropriate manner, to which the General responded.}
A beautiful horse, lately purchased of Col. Fox, of Nashua, by gentlemen in this town, and intended as a present to Gen. Pierce, died last week from the effects of a sudden and severe cold. Since that event several gentlemen, distinguished for their liberality, have purchased and presented to Gen. Pierce the fine black horse which has been owned by William Walker, Esq., the proprietor of the Eagle coffee-house .;
Messrs. Fisk & Norcross, of Lowell, have employed the last winter about one hundred men, in cutting and drawing timber in the vicinity of the White mountains. In the month of May they had upwards of thirty thousand timber logs scattered along the Merrimack river, between Thornton and Concord. These logs are to be carried to Lowell and sawed into lumber for building purposes, in the steam saw-mill of Fisk & Norcross.
* The following are the names of the subscribers and the amount subscribed for the " Vol- unteer Fund :"
Gen. Joseph Low, $20,00 | Jacob Carter,
3,00 | True Osgood, 5,00
Franklin Pierce,
20,00
John Lull, 1,00
Atkinson Webster,
3,00
Allel Baker, . 5,00 J. Blodgett, 1,00
R. G. Wyman, 1,00
J. M. Hill, . 5,00 Joseph Robinson, 10,00
William Butterfield, 5,00
Nathan Call, 5,00 | Samuel B. Larkin, 3,00
W. P. Hill, 5,00
L. S. Noyes, . 2,00 Cyrus Hill, 10,00
5,00
chester,) 3.00
H. Langley,
2,50
Isaac Dow,
1,00
S. G. Sylvester,
2,00
M. S. Judkins,
,50
R. T. Leavitt,
2,00
Emery Burgess,
5,00
John McDaniel, .
3,00
Daniel Poor, .
5,00
William Hopkins, 1,00
Cyrus Barton,
5,00
Jonathan Eastman,
3,00
Ebenezer Symmes,
3,00
Jonathan Currier,
1,00
H. N. Ilarvey,
1,00
John Gass,
5,00
Samuel G Berry,
2,50
W. Johnson,
1,00
J. E. Lang,
3,00
C. A. W. Folsom, 5,00
T. P. Treadwell,
5,00
J. B. Walker,
5,00
Joseph Greeley, 5,00
Josialı Minot,
5,00
F. N. Fisk,
5,00
Ezra Carter,
5,00 Jehn L. Tallant,
5,00
Cash, ,50
Franklin Low,
5,00
H. Houston, 2,00 Philip Sargent, .
2,00 1,00
Perkins Gale,
3,00
Charles 11. Peastee, 10,00 Parker West, (Manches- W. II. Wyman, George Jones, (Bradford, ) 2,00
J. F. Brown, .
2,00
5,00 J. C. Duncklee, . 1,00 ter,)
G. W. Morrison, do. 5,00 |J. S. Hatchman, 1,00 Total, $310,00
1,00
William Low, 3,00
L. M. Kimball, (Ililisbo- rouglı,) .
1,00
George Minot,
5.00
Nathaniel Rolfe, 3,00
D. G. Fuller,
2,00
L. Runlet, (Manchester,) 5,00
J. A. Gilmore, 20,00
N. B. Baker, . 5,50 John Pettengill,
2,00 2,00
William Prescott, Abiel Walker, 5,00
3,00
J. A. Potter,
5,00 Josiah Stevens,
S. C. Badger,
E. A. Bodwell, (Man-
Benjamin Grover, 10,00
John II. George,
t N. II. Patriot, May 13, 1847.
483
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
On the first of July, 1847, JAMES K. POLK, president of the United States, visited the capital of New-Hampshire, and was received and entertained in a manner worthy of the high station he occupied.
Patrick Hart, of this town, a young man in the employ of the Concord Railroad, as brakeman, was so severely injured near Lowell, on Monday evening, August 30th, that he survived the accident but a few hours.
The Ancient and Honorable Artillery, of Boston, under com- mand of Gen. J. S. Tyler, celebrated their two hundred and eleventh anniversary on Thursday, September 9, by a visit to the capital of the Granite State. This corps, accompanied by Flagg's brass band, arrived by the noon train. Disembarking a short distance below the village, they formed in column and marched to the foot of Main street, at which point they were received by the Concord Light Infantry, Capt. Charles A. Davis, attended by the Fisherville band. After the usual ceremonies of reception by the military, Gen. C. H. Peaslee, in behalf of the citizens, welcomed this time-honored corps to the hospitalities of Concord.
Lieut. Charles F. Low, son of Gen. Joseph Low, of this town, sailed for Vera Cruz from New-York, on the 17th of September, with eighty-five recruits of the ninth regiment.
Died in this town, October 6, Mr. Andrew Willey, aged 96 years ; the oldest man in town.
Sergeant John C. Stowell and Henry F. Carswell, both of the ninth regiment, and both lately printers in the N. H. Patriot office, died at the camp near the city of Mexico about the first of September. The former was very severely wounded in the battle of the 20th of August. Carswell died of fever.
Died in this town, November 7, Col. John Carter, a revolu- tionary pensioner and colonel in a regiment in the war of 1812, aged 88 years and 5 months. Col. C. was a native of Concord, and at the time of his decease was the second oldest resident of the place. He was always a firm and consistent democrat, and lover of his country .*
On Thursday night, December 2, about eleven o'clock, the * N. H. Patriot, November 11.
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HISTORY OF CONCORD.
cabinet shop of Mr. Charles E. West, adjoining the foundry, on Warren street, was discovered to be on fire. It had made such progress before it was discovered that the building was nearly consumed before it was extinguished. Loss about $1.500. Four young men, Messrs. Pettengill, Bickford, Ricker and Marden, mechanics employed in the shop, lost their tools, valued at about $200.
[1848.] On Wednesday, January 19, the large and nearly new dwelling-house and barn of M. N. Brown, situated in the north-eastern part of Concord, were entirely destroyed by fire, together with most of his household furniture, thirty or forty tons of hay, a large quantity of grain, farming tools, and a young horse, &c., amounting in value to about $2.500. Insured for $775.
Gen. Pierce arrived in this town, on return from Mexico, Jan- uary 27, and was received with distinguished honor. It was estimated that between three and four thousand persons were at the railroad dépôt to greet him. At the Dépôt Hall he made a public address. In the evening, a public levee was held at the State House, where he received the congratulations of his friends.
The body of a child, enveloped in a napkin and handkerchief, was found May 1, by some young people who were out " May- ing," in the woods west of the village, near what is known as the New Colony. From appearances when discovered it had proba- bly laid there nearly a week.
Died in this town, May 19, Capt. Samuel Davis, in the 90th year of his age. He was a Revolutionary soldier, and for several years the oldest native of the town. His life was characterized by industry, integrity, and a faithful discharge of life's duties. He spent much of his time in old age in reading the Holy Scrip- tures.
A beautiful monument has lately been cut from Concord gran- ite, at Mr. Luther Roby's stone-yard, at the north end of Main street, to be erected in West Cambridge, Massachusetts, on the spot where Jason Russell and eleven other American citizens were killed by the British army on the 19th of April, 1775.
On Tuesday, September 12, Charles West, son of Hazen K. West, of this village, was struck, at the north end of Main street,
485
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
by a boy named Quinn. There had been some controversy be- tween them in the former part of the day; and upon meeting, towards night, the latter boy struck West several blows with a stake over the head. He died the next morning. The boys were about 15 years of age. Quinn ran away.
Mr. Theodore A. Hall died in this town on Thursday, Octo- ber 12, under the following circumstances : Being employed in the wood-shop of the Northern railroad company, on the Saturday previous, he received a severe blow from another workman, which took effect in the region of the chest, or stomach. No bad con- sequences were apprehended at first ; but he soon became very ill, and died in five days after receiving the injury. No malicious intention was imputed to the person who struck him.
On Friday morning, November 24, about two o'clock, as Gen. Joseph Low was returning from a visit to a sick friend, in passing the block opposite Gass's hotel he heard something resembling the cry of an infant in an entry-way next door to S. E. Brown's store. Proceeding to the spot he found a little male infant, apparently about two weeks old, lying on the floor, upon its face, nearly stifled. Gen. Low took the foundling home, and gave it proper care until provided for by the town.
Died in this town, on the 28th of January, of paralysis of the left side, after an illness of about ten days, Hon. David Law- rence Morril, aged 77 years .*
The building owned by Capt. Ebenezer Symmes, and occupied as a bakery and confectionery establishment, was discovered to be on fire on Tuesday morning, February 13. The night was intensely cold, and the fire had made considerable headway at the time of the discovery; yet, by judicious management, it was extinguished. The fire took from ashes which had been thrown out near the building, communicating to a flight of outer stairs, and thence running to the building itself.
On Tuesday evening, February 13, at half past ten o'clock, the quiet of our usually peaceful village was broken by the cries of fire and the ringing of bells. The extensive coach manufac- tory of J. Stevens Abbot, Esq., (formerly Downing & Abbot,) was found to be on fire, which had made such progress before its discovery as to baffle the exertions of the fire department. The
* See Biography.
486
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
entire establishment, with the exception of a large blacksmith's shop, (a fire proof building,) was in a few hours laid in ashes.
An Irishman, named Michael Storan, committed suicide in this town on Tuesday morning, April 8, by drowning himself in the Merrimack river.
Died in this town, March 30, Isaac Emery, Esq., aged 80 years. Mr. Emery was a native of this town, and was for many years the well known landlord of a public house on the east side of the river. He had been twice elected a member of the Leg- islature, and had held a number of important stations in the gift of his fellow-citizens.
In the evening of March 17, Mr. Henry Larkin, an Irishman of this village, drank by mistake - supposing it to be brandy - a quantity of poison, (tincture of aconite,) enough to kill fifty men ; and was immediately thrown into the most dreadful convul- sions, and died in about twenty minutes.
The presentation of the sword voted by the Legislature of the State of New-Hampshire to Gen. Pierce, took place June 27, at half past four o'clock, P. M., in front of the State House. The sword was presented by Gov. Samuel Dinsmoor, in presence of a large number of the members of the Legislature and of citizens.
A serious accident, resulting in the death of one individual and the serious injury of two others, occurred on the Concord and Claremont railroad upon the occasion of its opening to War- ner, on Friday, September 21. Mr. Matthew G. Gould, of Sutton, aged about 20 years, was accidentally thrown from the platform of a car near Farnum's crossing, and his legs were shockingly crushed, so that death ensued.
George E. Farnum, aged 15 years, eldest son of Dea. Benja- min Farnum, of this town, was fatally injured on Tuesday eve- ning, September 18, by falling from a scaffolding to the lower floor in his father's barn, thereby fracturing his skull and breaking his right thigh, causing his death in two or three days.
The clothing store of F. C. Edmunds, in this place, was broken open on the night before Thanksgiving, and about one hundred dollars' worth of clothing stolen therefrom. A small trunk, con- taining papers of little value, was taken, but was found the next morning near the Free bridge.
487
INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
On Friday, December 14, about half past twelve o'clock, the large three story wooden block on Main street, next south of the Eagle coffee-house, called Butterfield's block, was discovered to be on fire, and before men enough to resist it had assembled, the fire had made such progress as to render it impossible to save the building, and it was entirely consumed, together with the two story building next south, owned and occupied by Abraham Prescott & Sons, for the manufacture and sale of musical instru- ments. Next to that were two "ten footers," and then a two story dwelling-house, all owned by Col. Benjamin Grover - the first of which was nearly burned up and the others considerably injured.
Died in this town, December 22, Mrs. Mary Abbot, aged 85- just three weeks after the death of her husband, Mr. Samuel Abbot. They had lived together in wedded life sixty-three years, and in their death were not long divided.
[1850.] Mr. Peter Jenness, of Chichester, was instantly killed, on Saturday, February 9, at the crossings of the railroads and Free bridge road. He was coming into the village with a horse and sleigh, just as the eleven o'clock train on the Concord and Claremont railroad was starting out, and either supposing the train had not started, and wishing to cross before it, or for some other reason, he whipped his horse into a very fast gait, and just as the horse had cleared the track, and the sleigh had got square upon it, the engine struck him and killed him in- stantly - cutting, tearing and mangling his body in a horrible manner. Mr. Jenness was a respectable farmer, about 53 years of age, and has left a wife and children.
Daniel Prince, residing on Pleasant street, committed suicide by cutting his throat with a knife, on Saturday evening, March 23. He survived until Tuesday morning. He was 67 years of age, and leaves a wife. The only cause assigned for this act was the fear of pecuniary troubles, which had no real foundation.
Died in this town, in May, Mr. Nathaniel Ewer, aged 77. He ate his dinner as usual, and, going out of his house, suddenly fell and died.
The grocery and provision store of W. Odlin & Co., in this village, was broken into one night last week, and about twenty-
4SS
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
five dollars in money stolen therefrom. It was probably entered by means of a false key."
On Friday, November 15, upon the Poor Farm in this town, two men were engaged in blasting rocks, and while one of them was charging a seam from a keg of powder which he held under his arm, the charge exploded, igniting the powder in the keg, and very seriously injuring and burning both of the men. Nei- ther of them were fatally injured, but it is a wonder that both were not killed. Their names were Sullivan Davis and - Corliss.
Another horrible accident occurred on the Concord and Clare- mont railroad on Tuesday morning, attended with the loss of two lives. As the morning train was coming through the cut at Farnum's ledge, about two miles above this village, where the highway crosses the track diagonally, it came in contact with a two horse wagon, containing a gentleman and lady coming into town. The horses had barely crossed the track, and the wagon was upon it, when the engine struck the wagon, staving it in pieces, and passing over the bodies of its occupants, horribly mangling and instantly killing the lady, and so injuring the man that he soon died. The persons were William Coult and wife, of Manchester, aged about 55 years. They had been on a journey to Vermont and Western New-York, and were just re- turning home, when thus suddenly called to another world.
[1851.] On Monday night, November 3, between eleven and twelve o'clock, the dwelling of Mr. David Tandy, near the Sand hill, so called, was assailed by several young men, and violence committed. The assailants on reaching the house com- menced calling for the sons of Mr. Tandy, threatening violence if they came out, and that the house would be demolished if they remained within it, accompanying their threats with a volley of oaths. The sons, David and Calvin L., went out to resist the assault, when they were saluted by stones, one of which struck Calvin L. Tandy in the forehead, just above the right eye, and fractured his skull.
MISSIONARY CONVENTION. A convention was held at the North church, in this town, on the 4th and 5th of November,
* N. II. Patriot, September 19, 1850.
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INTERESTING INCIDENTS.
the object of which was to obtain more full information respecting the state of nations unenlightened by Christianity, and to awaken and diffuse more of a missionary spirit in churches. The con- vention was well attended by ministers and others from different parts of the country ; and great interest was given to the meeting by the presence and addresses of Rev. Mr. Goodell, a returned missionary of the American Board, who has spent about thirty years in the service, and of Dr. Pomroy, one of the secretaries of the Board.
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