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 73
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A charter was granted by the Legislature of New-Hampshire in 1812, incorpo- rating John L. Sullivan and his associates, by the name and style of the " Mer- rimaek Boating Company."
The first boat up the river arrived at Concord in the autumn of 1814. The locks on the river not being completed, she brought but a small cargo, consist- ing of general merchandise.
Rev. Eph'm P. Bradford, New-Boston,
1821.
Rev. Nath'l Porter,
Conway,
1824.
Rev. James Miltimore,
Stratham, 1806. Rev. Phinebas Cooke,
Rev. Nath'l W. Williams, Concord,
1827.
Rev. Wm. F. Rowland,
Exeter,
741
MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS.
In June, 1815, the locks on the river, and the warehouse near Concord bridge being in order, the boats commeneed running regularly.
The rates of freight between Boston and Concord were as follows : viz.,
Upward, $12; downward, $8 per ton of 2240 pounds.
1819 to 1822.
66
10
7
66
.
1822 to 1824.
¥
8
6
5
66
2000
66
1836 to 1837.
6
4
66
66
1837 to 1841.
5
66
4
1841 to 1842 - 1st class.
5
4
16
1841 to 1842 -2d class.
4
The mode of propelling the boats up the river was by means of setting-poles. In going downward they used oars, but when the wind was fair, sails were used, both in ascending and descending.
The company suffered severe losses occasionally by the upsetting or swamp- ing of boats. In one instance a boat, by imprudently attempting to run over Goffe's falls, was capsized, and one of the men drowned. This was the only instance of any one being drowned from the boats. It was customary in high water to use oxen to tow the boats over some of the rapids. At the head of Amoskeag falls was one of these rapids. A boat, with a full cargo of miseel- laneous goods, having ascended the locks, the team was made fast to her to tow her over the rapid ; by some misunderstanding the team was started before the men on board had got the boat in the proper position. This gave her such a " shear" out into the current that the whole force of it came against her broad- side, and it was impossible for the men to " round her to" in season to save her, and it was found that she must go over the falls " in spite of fate," and for a time it seemed that the men and team must all go with her, but fortunately the men, by leaping overboard, made shift to reach the shore in safety, and by dex- terously cutting the rope just as they were being drawn into the river, the oxen were saved. The boat went over the falls, and was, of course, dashed in many pieces. A portion of the cargo was picked up below, very much damaged. This happened in 1840, and caused a loss to the company of about $2500.
The company was under the general management and control of John L. Sullivan, Esq., from its commencement up to 1822, when his interest in it ceased.
The business of the Boston Landing was under the care of the late David Dodge, Esq., from its commencement to 1823 ; from that time to its elose Mr. Reuben B. Sherburne had charge of it ; at Concord, the late Samuel Butters had charge up to 1819 ; from then to its close Theodore French was in charge. The number of boats employed during spring and autumn was about twenty ; in summer, a less number ; capacity of boats, twenty tons - manned by three men. The greatest amount of freight charged in any one season was in 1839 - $38,169. The average from the commencement to the close of the business was abont $25,000 per season.
In addition to their freighting for others, the company brought up and sold large quantities of salt, lime and plaster on their own account.
In 1823 the corporate name of the company was, by act of the Legislature, changed to the " Boston and Concord Boating Company." They continued to do a prosperous business until superseded by the Concord Railroad, in the fall of 1842.
FREE BRIDGES. (See p. 469.)
The first free bridge ever built over any part of Merrimack river, it is believed was built in Concord, in 1839. In this undertaking persons residing in the Main village, and near the center of Main street, took an especial interest. The first meeting for consultation on the subject was called by Mr. John Gass, and was held at the American house, in the fall of 1838 ; Hon. Isaac Hill was chair- man ; a committee was then appointed to obtain subscriptions for the purpose, in Concord, and in towns eastward, and $4380 were subscribed. At a subsequent meeting, Nathan Call and John Gass, of Concord ; Bailey Parker, of Pembroke,
1824 to 1830.
1830 to 1836.
5
4
1815 to 1819.
742
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
and Cyrus Tueker, of London, were appointed a building committee. It was built of wooden piers, where the free bridge now stands ; a road opened across the interval on both sides of the river, and through the gulley, eastward ; and road commissioners then laid out the road, assessing one half the cost upon the town. In January, 1841, the bridge was carried off by a great freshet, but rebuilt as soon as practicable, at a cost of about $3000. Still, it was materi- ally injured again and again by freshets ; when, in 1842, a powerful opposition was raised against it by inhabitants in other sections of the town. At a meet- ing, April 11, 1842, it was voted, "that, in the opinion of the legal voters of the town of Concord, the free bridge over Merrimack river is, in its concep- tion, location and construction, impolitie, unequal and oppressive, and ought not to be continued at the expense of the town." The question of sustaining it was also carried into court, at a considerable cost to the parties .* In 1850 a board of selectmen was chosen, who were in favor of a free bridge, and who were instructed to procced to rebuild it in a substantial manner. This was accordingly done in the course of the year.
At the present time, 1855, the " Concord Bridge," which was built in 1795, is the only toll bridge in the bounds of the city.
COST AND ESTIMATED VALUE OF BRIDGES.
WHEN BUILT.
ORIGINAL COST.
PRESENT VALUE.
Free Bridge, Federal Bridge,
1849-50
$16,753
$12,000
1850-51 .
15,950 12,000
Two Bridges at Fisherville,
. 1849-50
. 5,150
4,000
Horse-hill Bridge,
1852 .
2,676
2,000
Sewall's Falls Bridge, town paid, 1852
1,735
Sewall's Falls Bridge, city paid, 1853
6.335 8,000
$38,000
COL. BENJAMIN GROVER'S HOUSE. t
Col. Grover's house, an elegant view of which he has furnished, by particular request, for this History, is the latest and best specimen of architecture to be seen in the city. It stands on Pleasant street, near the new Baptist church, on a lot 80 by 175 feet, which cost, in 1850, $900. The house was built in 1854 - G. M. Harding, then of Concord, architect ; Colby and Dow, of Concord, build- ers. The sketch was drawn by Mr. Nathan Brown, of this city, and engraved by Kilburn & Mallory, of Boston. The cost of the house without the land was about $7.500. A view of this elegant structure, with other beautiful houses in its vicinity ; also, others on " Kent's," or " Holt's Hill," some towards the south end of Main street, and the northerly part of State street, together with the sub- stantial dwelling of Hon. Francis N. Fisk, at the "north end," may give us a just idea of the progress made since the log-house period, not only in architect- ure, but in the comforts of domestic and social life
CARRIAGE MANUFACTURE.
Mr. Lewis Downing, in answer to a request from the anthor, says: "I com- menced business in Concord, May, 1813, nearly opposite the Merrimack County Bank. When I began, my whole capital consisted of my tools and about $60 in cash, in all, $150. The first year I worked entirely alone. At that time every part of the work was done by hand labor ; no power machinery. In the fall of 1816 I moved my shop to the south end of the street. After the first year I employed from three to six hands, for ten or twelve years ; after that, I enlarged my shop, and started all the different branches connected with carriage business, such as blacksmith, painting and trimming, &c., and commeneed building chaise and coaches, &c., and employed from thirty to forty hands up to 1847. At that time I built new shops in the center of the street, and took my
* See Town Records. t For a view of it, see next page. # Compare p. 514, &c.
- MALLARE. BOSTON -
RESIDENCE OF COL. BENJAMIN GROVER.
744
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
two sons into the business with me. Since 1847 have employed from forty to seventy hands ; now seventy hands, and could sell the work of twice that number, but my practice has ever been to do no more business than I could see to, per- sonally."
In reply to inquiries of Messrs. J. S. & E. A. Abbot, who are also engaged in the manufacture of carriages of various kinds, they say : " In 1854 we sent car- riages into every State, Territory and Province in North America, (except Del- aware ;) also, Mexico and South America. We employed averaging one hun- dred and ninety men ; delivered six hundred and twenty-five carriages, and used three hundred thousand feet of Inmber, two hundred and fifty tons Cumberland coal, six thousand five hundred bushels charcoal. We cannot now name the exact amount of iron, but about two hundred and fifty tons."
CONTEST BETWEEN THE "NORTH" AND THE "SOUTH-END- ERS" ABOUT AN OLD GUN !
[COMMMUNICATED BY MR. CHARLES K. WEST, OF CONCORD.]
At the close of the war of 1812-15 there were two small cannon in Concord- one belonging to the south and the other to the north end-and to manage them, two companies were formed : that at the north end commanded by a son of David George, and that at the south by Col. William Kent. About 1817 a sham fight occurred between them, on the Court House hill, in which both com- panies became greatly excited, and began to load with gravel, when the town authorities interfered. From that time an enmity continued between the boys of the north and south ends, until both guns were out of the way. "The fate of the south gun," says Mr. West, " I never knew." "About the year 1818, on the 4th of July, the south-enders took the north-enders' gun from them, after a hard conflict. Before winter the gun was recaptured, dismounted and kept till the spring of 1819, when the south-enders again took the gun, while it was firing one evening on the hill back of the Court House, and hid it in Major Chandler's jewelry shop. The north-enders keeping themselves well drilled and armed with suitable cudgels, with spikes in the end, appointed a committee to prepare tools and break into Major Chandler's shop in the night and get the gun, while a sufficient number should stand by to carry off the prize. After commencing operations, however, they desisted through fear that they might be taken up for stealing ; but the Major soon after ejected the gun from his shop. It was then placed by the south-enders in the loft of the Phenix stable, chained to a beam, fastened with a padlock, and guarded by a faithful dog. Before a month passed away the dog was bribed, the gun taken, and let down through the attic window on to the dung heap, where it struck hard, but noiseless ; thence it was triumphantly borne off upon a wheel-barrow, and fired once that night at the north end ! It was never fired but a few times after that, and but once at a time. I kept the gun in my possession till 1826, occasionally changing its hid- ing-place. When about to leave town, as I could get no one to take charge of it, and the excitement was still kept up, finally, rather than the gun should go into the hands of the south-enders, (with the help of only one of the faithful to assist me,) I took the gun to Horse Shoe pond and sunk it, where I have every reason to believe it still remains-a north-ender !"
INDIAN REMAINS-REMARKABLE DISCOVERY.
Just as this chapter of our History was going to press, an interesting discov- ery was made of Indian remains. The third week in November inst., (1855,) Mr. Cyrus W. Paige, in digging a cellar for a new dwelling-house west of Rich- ard Bradley's, and on land recently sold by him, came to human bones, which, from their position and quantity, greatly excited his attention. Before remov- ing them he called on Dr. William Prescott, who, after carefully examining them, expresses the opinion that without doubt they are the remains of Indians long since interred there. Dr. Prescott says, in a communication which I have
745
DOCUMENTARY AND STATISTICAL.
the honor to acknowledge : " The whole number found thus far is nine, and all were comprised within a space of about ten by fifteen feet. Three of them were adults - one male, of a very large size, and two females ; the others were children and yonth. Considering the time that must have elapsed since they were interred, the bones were in a tolerable state of preservation. Two of the craniums were nearly perfeet - that of the adult male and one of the adult females. They were each enshrouded in a thick envelope, consisting of several thicknesses of pitch pine bark - the only exception being what appeared to be a female between two infants, all being enclosed in one general envelope. The skeletons all lay upon the right side, in a direction north and south, the face looking east; the lower limbs somewhat flexed upon the trunk, the knees flexed at about right angles, and the elbows completely flexed, the head resting upon the right hand.
I have the honor to be, Very respectfully, Your friend, WMI. PRESCOTT."
No. 8.
DOCUMENTARY AND STATISTICAL CHAPTER.
The author had designed to publish in this chapter all the documents referred to in the body of his History, but is compelled by the limits of the work to abridge in this particular. Those of more general interest, and essential to illustrate and confirm the statements in the History, are, however, herein eon- tained ; while the others have been carefully labeled and marked, so as to cor- respond with the pages referred to, and may be found filed in the archives of the N. H. Historical Society, where they will be accessible, upon application to the librarian, by persons who desire more particular information.
DOCUMENT FOR CHAPTER II., p. 56.
PENNECOOK, March 22, 1722.
March 19, Capt. Frie and Lieut. Barker with thirty men moved from Ando- ver, to go to Pennecook. Ye Ist day was Stormy, but we went to Nutfield, and lodged there that Night. The 2d Day we came to Amiskege, and lodged there. The 3d day we Came to Suncook, in Pennecook, and built four Casys, and lodged there. The 4th day we came to Pennecook Plains, att ye Intervale Lands, about 11 of the Clock. There we found five of those men which came from Ireland. Mr. Houston was one of them. They came to us, and we chose Capt. Frie to discourse them with 4 men. They say they have a Grant of this Pennecook on both sides of the River. They call us Rebbels, and commands us to discharge the Place, both in the King's name and in the Province's ; and if we don't, in a fortnight they will git us off : We therefore desire you, Justice Stevens, with the Committe, to send us word whether we have any Encourage- ment to Stay, or else to draw off. Butt Capt. Frie's Courage is So that he will Stay allone rather then Let them userpers drive us off.
A true copy of ye Journall Sent from Pennecook, and of Their Treatment when they got there .*
* Furnished by Hon. C. E. Potter.
746
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
DOCUMENTS REFERRED TO IN CHAPTER III.
No. 1, pp. 63, 64. The Endicot or Sewall farm.
No. 2, p. 81. Expenses of committee sent to Penaeook to notify " Massachu- setts gentlemen to withdraw themselves."
No. 3, p. 91. Forfeiture of rights.
DOCUMENTS IN CHAPTER IV.
No. 1. " An Aet for subjecting all persons and estates within this Provinee, lying to the eastward or northward of the northern and eastern boundary of the Province of the Massachusetts Bay, (not being within any township,) to pay a tax, (according to the rules herein prescribed,) towards the support of this Gov- ernment."
DOCUMENTS FOR CHAPTER V.
No. 1, p. 152. Petition of Benjamin Rolfe, Esq., April 30, 1745, for aid against the French and Indians.
No. 2, p. 152. Petition of Capt. Ebenezer Eastman, March 12, 1746, for the same.
No. 3, p. 152. Petition of the Inhabitants of Rumford, July 13, 1747, to the Governor, Couneil and Assembly, for the same. This petition signed by sixty- two persons.
No. 4, p. 152. Petition of Capt. Ebenezer Eastman, Sept. 23, 1747, for the same.
No. 5, 153. Col. Benjamin Rolfe's muster roll of two companies, June 8, 1745, viz. : of " Capt. John Chandler, leader of a scout," of ten men ; and of Capt. Jeremiah Clough, " leader of a scout," of five men.
No. 6, p. 156. Capt. Daniel Ladd's muster roll, of sixty-five men, Aug. 11, 1746.
No. 7, p. 156. Contains a petition from " Capt. Daniel Ladd," March 31, 1747, "asking remuneration for losses sustained while in command of his " volunteer company," in 1746. He says : " Your petitioner was obliged to carry two horses for the said service, and lost one of them. I had one gun also taken from me by the Indians, when they killed Jonathan Bradlee, and some others of my company-said Bradlee having my gun with him at that time."
No. 8, p. 174. " A muster roll of the company in His Majesty's service, under command of Capt. Ebenezer Eastman," 1747. In this company, consisting of sixteen men, were Rev. Mr. Phinehas Stevens, of Boscawen, and James Scales, Esq., of Canterbury.
No. 9, p. 174. A muster roll of a company under command of Capt. Eben- ezer Eastman, in Nov., 1747, in which were thirty-five men.
No. 10, p. 174. A muster roll of a company under command of Capt. Moses Foster, 1748. In this company were twenty-seven men, among whom was Rev. Mr. Whittemore, of Pembroke.
DOCUMENTS FOR CHAPTER VI.
No. 1, pp. 190, 191. From this document, which is placed on file at length, it appears that Capt. Eastman's company marched from " Stephenstown," which was also called " Bakerstown" - now called Franklin - about the last of July, 1755. On the 16th of August they were at Deerfield, Mass. "Then our com- pany took allowance of bread, meat and rhum ; part of our bread we took at Northfield, 2 days before, but we took no pease." On the 24th of August they were at Albany. "This day we took allowance of bread, meat, and Aug. 25th we took allowance of pease ; all which allowance we took for 8 days, and our rum we took every day." On the 6th of Sept. they were at Fort Lyman ; and on the 8th of Sept. at Lake Sacrament. "We fought with the enemy, and Timothy Eastman was wounded." Sept. 13, " we took 12 pint of molasses each." Sept. 19. " From the 30th of Aug. until now, we took no rum, except
747
DOCUMENTARY AND STATISTICAL.
12 a gill each at a time, when 16 of us came from 'ye Lake, from fighting, to Fort Lyman, and 12 a gill each at 'ye Lake, twice ; and a gill cach, since ; and 18 of us received a pint each, in order to go to scouting; and Sept. 18, ten of our men went to scouting, and received a pint each and 20 ounces of ginger at once ; and no flour since Sept. 6, nor molasses, nor no sugar since we came from Albany. Sept. 18 and 19, we rec'd a gill and a half of rum, in all, each, and a quart of molasses for 'ye siek in our company." [These extracts may give us some idea of the privations and sufferings of the "ranger life."]
No. 2, p. 192. Depositions of Amos Eastman, John Stark and William Stark, as to their capture by the Indians at Baker's river, &c. Dated Penacook, May 23, 1754. [Copied from Secretary's office.]
DOCUMENTS FOR CHAPTER VII.
No. 1, p. 206. Charter of Bow, copied from records in Secretary's office.
No 2, A, p. 208. Petition of Benjamin Rolfe, Esq., to the Governor and Conneil of New-Hampshire, for the incorporation of Rumford by its original bounds.
No. 2, B, p. 208. A counter petition by the Selectmen of Bow.
No. 3, p. 208. Writ of ejeetment against Dea. John Merrill.
No. 4, p. 213, A and B. Power, by the inhabitants of Rumford, to Rev. Tim- othy Walker and Benjamin Rolfe, Esq., Feb. 12, 1753, to " represent to the King's most excellent Majesty, the manifold grievances they labor under," &c .; and also by the proprietors, to the same, to represent " their manifold griev- ances" to the General Court of Massachusetts.
No. 5, p. 216. Petition of Clement March, Daniel Peirce and Zeb. Giddings, July, 1754, to Benning Wentworth, &c., for a grant of £100, to aid in carrying on the suit against the proprietors of Ruinford.
No. 6, p. 219. Petition of Daniel Peirce, &e., "for accommodation and agree- ment," February, 1757.
No. 7, p. 214. Jeremiah Stickney's letter.
DOCUMENTS FOR CHAPTER VIII.
No. 1, p. 239. Petition of Joseph Baker and Philip Eastman, representing the difficulty of colleeting taxes, May 1, 1764; and petition and complaint of Edward Russell, Solomon Heath and Thomas Chandler, setting forth their burden of taxes, &c. June 12, 1764.
No. 2, p. 239. Petition of Rev. Timothy Walker, for an incorporation by " their former known bounds," April 11, 1764.
No. 3, p. 240. Act of incorporation of a Parish in Bow, by the name of Con- cord. May 25, 1765.
Anno Regni Regis Georgii Magne Brittania, Francie, Hibernice, Quinto .*
SEAL. An Act setting off a part of the town of Bow, together with some lands adjoining thereto, with the inhabitants thercon, and making them a Parish ; investing them with such privileges and immunities as towns in this Province have and do enjoy.
Whereas, there are sundry arrearages of taxes now due, which the inhabitants aforesaid apprehend they cannot levy for want of sufficient authority, and several of them praying they might be erected into a town or parish, and enjoy the common privileges of other towns in this Province :
Be it enacted, Therefore, by the Governor, Council and Assembly, that the inhabitants who are settled on the lands hereafter described, viz. : Beginning at the mouth of Contoocook river, (so called,) which is the southeast corner of Boscawen, from thenec running south, seventy-three degrees west, by said Bos- cawen, four miles ; from thence running south, seventeen degrees east, seven miles and one hundred rods ; from thence running north, seventy-three degrees
* In the year of the reign of George, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, the Fifth.
748
HISTORY OF CONCORD.
east, about four miles, to Merrimack river ; then crossing the said river, and still continuing the same course to Soucook river ; then beginning again at the mouth of Contoocook river aforesaid ; from thence running north, seventy- three degrees east, six hundred and six rods from the easterly bank of Merri- mack river, or till it shall come to the south-east line of Canterbury ; from thence sonthi-east, on said line, two miles and eighty rods ; from thence down the said river, till it comes to where the line from Merrimack river strikes Sou- cook river.
And that the polls and estates within the aforesaid boundary be, and hereby are, set off and made a parish by the name of CONCORD, and invested and en- franchised with all the powers, privileges and authorities which any town in this Province doth by law enjoy, excepting that when any of the inhabitants of the aforesaid parish shall have occasion to lay out any road through any of the lands that are already laid out and divided by the said town of Bow, that appli- cation shall be for the same to Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for the said Province, as in other cases.
And that the said inhabitants of said parish are hereby subjected to the same duties, pains and penalties the law subjects the inhabitants of other towns in this Province.
And that their first meeting for the choice of town officers be held on the third Tuesday of August next, which officers shall stand and continue till the next March following ; which meeting shall be notified by Samuel Emerson, Esq., who is hereby directed to post the same, together with the time, place and occa- sion thereof, in some public place in said parish, fifteen days beforehand, who shall also govern said meeting until a moderator shall be chosen by the major part of such inhabitants as the law directs in such cases ; and that their annual mecting for the future for the choice of town officers be held on the first Tues- days [of March, ] annually.
And that the officers that shall be chosen in virtue of this act are hereby in- vested with the same powers which other like officers have in other towns in this Province, and under the same duties and penalties of other like officers.
And whereas the Province tax for the year 1763, which arose and should have been paid by the said town of Bow, as their proportion thereof, amounting to eighty pounds ten shillings sterling, and ninety-six pounds twelve shillings new tenor ; and for the year 1764, the sum of ninety-six pounds two shillings new tenor :
Be it therefore enacted, That the selectmen that shall be chosen in consequence of this act the day the first meeting shall be held for the choice of town officers, as aforesaid, together with John Noyes and Edward Russell, Esqrs., or the major part of them, shall assess the polls and estates of the inhabitants living within the aforesaid limits, as also the other inhabitants within the remaining part of Bow, (exclusive of such as are already set off' to Pembroke and New- Hopkinton, ) with the said tax that arose and became due in said year 1763, to- gether with the current charges that shall arise on said Bow for the year 1765, and order the same to be paid into the treasury of said Province by the 25th day of December, 1765 ; and the selectmen that shall be chosen in said parish for the year 1766, together with the said Jolin Noyes and Edward Russell, or the major part of them, as aforesaid, shall assess all the inhabitants that shall be within the said boundaries and the aforesaid town of Bow, excepting as aforesaid, with the sum of ninety pounds twelve shillings, new tenor, together with the current charges of the year 1766, and order the same to be paid by the 25th day of De- cember, 1766 ; and that the selectmen that shall be chosen annually for this parish, together with the aforesaid John Noyes and Edward Russell, as afore- said, shall annually assess the inhabitants aforesaid with the current charges of the government that shall be due from the said town of Bow, as their part of the Province tax, until a new proportion of the same shall be made.
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