USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Hillsborough > The history of Hillsborough, New Hampshire, 1735-1921, Volume 1 > Part 41
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Oxen, 28
..
. .
. .
. .
3,725.00
Cows, 342
.
. .
. .
. .
. .
26,889.00
Neat stock, 193
. .
..
. .
10,640.00
Sheep, 63 . .
. .
. .
. .
. .
441.00
Hogs, 3 . .
..
. .
. .
.
..
. .
150.00
Carriages and autos,
..
.
. .
52,150.00
Portable mills,
. .
. .
. .
3,300.00
Wood and lumber,
..
27,300.00
Stock in trade, .
123,049.00
Money at interest, .
. .
..
21,334.00
Stock in banks, . .
50,000.00
Mills and machinery,
186,400.00
Real estate,
. .
1,098,845.00
Total valuation of the town
$1,639,518.00
Valuation of village precinct
$1,147,713.00
Valuation outside of precinct ..
$491,805.00
POUNDS.
The necessity of caring for stray animals seemed to demand early action on the part of the town, owing to the fact there were few fences in those days. The clearings were limited in extent, too, so it became the custom to a considerable extent to allow cattle and horses to graze along the highways. At the first annual meeting held March 25, 1773, it was "Voted not to build a pound, but to make the Est Lenter of Isaac Andrews Barn be the pound for this year." At the annual meeting in 1774 it was "Voted to set the pound as Near the meeting House as would be convenient : Voted Elijah Fuller keeper of the pound, he being the first regularly chosen officer for that position. In 1776 a part of Cap- tain Bradford's barn was used for a pound, which would indicate that the former vote had not been carried out.
The matter of building a pound, however, had become of such importance that a special meeting of the legal voters of the town was called for August 12, 1778, for this purpose and to fill a vacancy in the office of highway surveyor.
"3ly to see if the towne will build the Pound upon thire one Labor or allow the Seelect men to Duit whan and whare."
..
.
.
95.00
Fowls, .. . . . .
480
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Upon this article it was "Voted to buld the Pound by thair one Labor. 4thly Voted to Set the Pound at the Northwast Corner of Esqr Andrews Hupyard the one Half upon Esqr Andrews the other half upon Mr will Jones and So the Meeting' Desolved."
For a number of years what was known as a "night pasture" was set apart to keep stray cattle, sheep and hogs in. This was abandoned at some unknown date.
POUND KEEPERS.
The list of pound keepers contains the names of some of the leading citizens of the town, to wit .: In 1774, Elijah Fuller ; 1775, Isaac Andrews ; 1776 to 1781, Lt. Samuel Bradford ; others of equal note to 1825; to 1855, John Gilbert ; 1856-1859, Ben- jamin Priest; 1860, Langdon F. Gay; 1861, Parker Kimball; 1862-1863, Henry Andrews; 1864, David G. Gould; 1865, Ben- jamin Priest; 1866, Oramel Danforth; 1867-1869, James H. Ray ; 1870-1872, David B. Gould; 1873, James H. Ray; 1874, Parker Kimball, last chosen.
Left to neglect the pound became overgrown with bushes, the wall broken down and the place almost lost to recognition. Considering it an object worthy of preservation as a relic of early days, the Eunice Baldwin Chapter D. A. R., carefully restored the historic spot at the Centre to its old appearance ; the wall was rebuilt, a new gate furnished, trees and bushes removed from about the place, making it very attractive. A marble slab was cemented into the wall upon a natural shelf of rock with the following inscription :
The Pound built 1774 Elijah Fuller Pound Keeper Erected by Eunice Baldwin Chapter, D. A. R. "THE HARD WINTER."
Frequent mention is made of "the old-fashioned winter" of snow and cold weather, when "the eaves did not drop for thirty days." It does seem true that to those who can remember when winter snows of cold weather set in almost generally at Thanks- giving week, and lasting until into March, a contrast to the
Photograph by MANAHAN.
CAPTAIN CARR HOMESTEAD, LOWER VILLAGE.
-
Photograph by MANAHAN.
THE OLD POUND.
481
THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER.
winters that we have now, as if the seasons had changed or modified in a marked degree. Then, too, as a sort of a counter- balance to the rigors of winters, the summers had more excessive heat.
In stronger contrast than these every year occurrences were the cold seasons that came now and then and afforded ample topic for conversation for years to follow. The winter of 1779-1780 passed into history as a "hard winter." There was the proverbial six weeks of cold, when Boston harbor froze over so sleighs could drive over the glassy surface, when rivers of New England were ice-blocked, and the snow lay five feet deep on the level, and many times that depth where the wind had furrowed it into drifts. The only way to get about was on snow shoes. It was nothing unusual to find one of the log houses of the frontier to look no more than a huge white wart on the whitened surface of the country. It is needless to say that with many families the suffering for food was felt severely, and the firewood had to be drawn on handsleds in cases where the father was in the army by the children or the overworked mother. It is related that at one place in New Hampshire a flock of nearly one hundred sheep were storm-bound, to be dug out of a huge snow bank in the spring by their owner, the few living having subsisted upon the wool of their dead companions. The Journal of the New Hampshire Legislature has this entry March 8, 1780, in proof of the in- clemency of the weather :
"Resolved to enable the Court of Common Pleas in the County of Hillsborough to take up and finish sundry matters pending at said Court at their next term, the last term being lost by reason of the stormy weather."
The members of the scattered homes in Hillsborough shared with others the hardships of this trying period.
THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER.
The year 1816 was known throughout the United States as the coldest then experienced by any person living. January and February were mild, and March was not severe, but the first of May there was a temperature like the first of winter, with plenty of snow and ice. Ice formed on ponds and rivers to the thickness
1
482
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
of half an inch, and of course corn and other crops were killed. Birds were frozen to death and the last day of the month all vegetation had been killed by the cold. In June crops were re- planted to be killed by the frost; and another attempt was equally as vain. In fact nothing susceptible to the cold would grow. A snow storm on June I covered Stow Mountain with a mantle as deep almost as in winter. This gradually melted away in the exposed places but on the 16th the temperature fell below zero, and then moderated on the 17th, when a terrific snow storm set in, the wind piling the white fluffy mass in deep drifts at places.
Some of the farmers had turned their stock out to pasture, but the great change in the weather made some of them anxious for the safety of the young cattle. A Mr. Starling, living at the foot of the mountain, started out to drive his flock in, but the storm raged so bitter that he lost his way and wandered in the woods all the afternoon and evening unable to do more than to keep from freezing. It was not until daylight the following morning, more dead than alive, he reached his home to find a searching party about to start to look for him.
July came in with snow and ice, killing the last planting of corn and eliminating the last hope of the farmers. Then August followed, if possible, in worse form than the preceding months. The only corn raised in town, and this small and poorly ripened, grew on sunny hillsides and was protected from the inclemency of the season by forest. Fish and game were the principal food of the inhabitants.
THE DARK DAY.
May 19, 1780, dawned with usual brightness, but before ten o'clock a peculiar darkness began to close down upon the earth, and deepened until it became so intense that a person could not distinguish an object any distance. The birds sang their evening songs and flew to their nests in the woods; the domestic fowl hurried to their roosts ; the cattle in the clearings made a rush for their stalls, while the sheep huddling together made piteous bleat- ings. Women and children, and men, too, were frightened, many believing the end of the world had come. A local physician made
483
INCLEMENT WEATHER.
quite extended inquiries to learn that the greatest darkness prevailed in western Maine, in southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts. It extended westward into New York state, but in Rhode Island and Connecticut it was not so deep. It will thus be seen that Hillsborough was in the belt of the extreme darkness, and as long as the inhabitants lived they never forgot that day of 1780.
THE YELLOW DAY.
While differing in some phases from the Dark Day of 1780 the Yellow Day of 1888 was almost as memorable. The extra- ordinary appearance of the sky, the deepening yellowish haze which overspread the earth was unlike anything in the memory of the oldest person. At first it was thought to portend a storm: of unusual violence, but as the day wore on this fear vanished, but generally work was suspended. In Hillsborough most of the schools were closed, and lamps were lighted in the homes. The birds flew low and the insects sounded their evening notes. The atmosphere had a yellowish tint, at times more dense than others, as if a great smoke cloud was rolling overhead. The following day was as clear as usual.
COLD FRIDAY.
"Cold Friday," January 19, 1810, was a memorable day in the history of Hillsborough, when the entire town was locked in the frozen arms of winter. Wednesday and Thursday preceding had been excessively cold, but the temperature reached its lowest point on Friday. There was no snow on the ground, in fact no snow fell that winter until the 20th of February, but a biting wind swept over the frost bound earth making it seem even colder than it might had a deep snow covered the ground. The cold was so intense that several persons perished though the records do not show that any died in town. The severity of temperature ex- tended all over New England, and passed into history as "Cold Friday," with a record that has not been broken or even rivaled since.
AN OCTOBER SNOWSTORM.
October 7, 1804, a sudden change in the temperature was followed by a fall of snow in town of over a foot. Little
484
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
harvesting had been done, so the greater part of the potato crop and much of the corn was covered by snow. Winter did not set in immediately, the snow melted away slowly, but in secluded places where the sunlight did not penetrate it remained until spring. Acres of potatoes in town were not dug until the plow turner them out the next spring. Most of the apples were so chilled that they perished early in the winter.
SHOOTING STARS.
On November 13, 1833, occurred the "night of shooting stars," as a certain display of the lights of the heaven were denominated. In the early morning there was a meteorical event that both interested and startled the beholders, some of whom anticipated the end of the world was near.
MARRIAGE CEREMONY.
The marriage ceremony was usually performed at the house of some celergyman, after which the newly married couple mounted upon horse and rode away to their new home, to begin life anew without further ado. Frequetly, among the Scotch- Irish people, as they rode along they were saluted from the dwell- ings of their friends by the firing of muskets. At their home they would be met by a party of their friends, who had prepared a sumptuous repast and the evening would be passed amid the scenes of festivities.
THE STORY OF A SIMPLE LIFE.
The following simple recital found among the papers of the late Dr. Goodell seems too good to be consigned to the waste basket, so it is given place here in the words of the narrator, whose identity is unknown to me.
Hannah Hackett died January 14, 1868, aged ninety-eight years. "Asleep in Jesus." This simple inscription upon a modest stone, erected by a friend in the cemetery upon the Turnpike, marks the resting-place of one of whose early history but little is known, except by tradition. She is said to have been of Portuguese descent, her father supposed to have been an officer in the Navy of that country.
She was brought to this town from Portsmouth when a mere child by Thomas Murdough, who commenced the settlement of the present town farm and was brought up in his family. She repaid the care and protection given her in childhood by tenderly nursing Mr. and Mrs. Murdough in their declining years.
485
ANECDOTE.
She acquired so good a knowledge of the rudiments of education that she used to keep school and also engaged in trade in a small way in Windsor, where she kept for sale a few groceries and small wares. Also the universal New England beverage, New England rum. The writer has heard many old people speak in high terms of the delicious aroma of the toddy she mixed.
By industry and economy, she accumulated a small sum of money and afterward bought the law office built by Esquire McFarland at the Upper Village, where she made her residence for many years. She was extremely indignant that "a poor old woman should be taxed," and used to appear upon the highway with her hoe in hand and insist upon her right "to work out her highway tax as others did." When from age she became incapacitated for work, she used to visit for weeks at a time among the descendants of the families in the west part of the town where her active life was spent. Finally, when too feeble to do this, she surrendered the remnant of her fortune to the town farm where she was tenderly cared for by Mrs. David B. Gould who was then matron. She spent the last years of her life upon the very spot where she was reared, her mind was clear and active, she was quick at repartee and replete with reminiscence. When she told a story her small black eyes would sparkle and her quiet chuckle of a laugh was infectious. How many times when a boy have I teased the old lady to tell the story of the bear which was as follows: When Mr. Mur- dough first came to town he was obliged to pasture his cow in summer on the farm now owned by Henry Andrews and Mrs. Murdough used to go daily, by marked trees, to milk. She was accustomed to take the child then not more than six years old with her and used, some times, to leave her on the way to pick berries. On one occasion a large black bear came out of the woods and reared himself upon his hind legs. Hannah was too frightened to run but caught off her old calico sun-bonnet and swinging it in the air began to scream for help which so frightened the bear that he took to the woods again.
She was a Christian woman and never married. Rest to her ashes.
ANECDOTE.
A certain trader at the Lower Village in the halcyon days of the country store kept his account on a door, and as soon as they were settled, erased them. His good wife in cleaning up the store, made a hasty day of settlement by washing out the whole record, without dreaming of the mischief in this style of book- keeping she might be the innocent cause. Upon discovering what she had done, her husband, with a sharp reprimand, began to
486
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
restore the accounts, saying after he had labored a long hour at the work :
"Wal, I am a leetle uncertain about the names, but I've got the sums big enough, if I ain't got the names right I've got better men !"
COUNTERFEIT MONEY.
While engaged in tearing down the old Barden house the workmen discovered above the door and in the cornice in rat's nests what purported to be paper money of the old state bank denomination. Upon a more full examination they proved to be counterfeit two-dollar bills. Although badly mutilated yet enough could be distinguished amounting to nearly a hundred dollars. The criminal history of our county shows that once men lived here who dealt in the "queer" and could we recall the voices of the past they would explain.
When the old bridge at the falls was torn down a consider- able sum of counterfeit money was found stowed away in a niche in the wall, while a room had been cut out of the embankment that was evidently used as a rendezvous for these outlawed financiers. This business, if it can be called such, reached a width and scope of action which involved some of the leading citizens of this and adjacent towns a fact that is attested to by a list of persons the writer has been able to obtain, but which is not pub- lished for obvious reasons.
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
The saw mill erected by Gershom Keyes in 1738 was the first mill on the Contoocook. It was of necessity a rude affair, with an up and down saw, capable of cutting out not over two thousand feet a day.
The first barrel of flour brought to town and placed on sale was at the time of the ordination of Rev. Stephen Chapin, by Silas Dutton and Luther Barnes, traders at the Centre in June, 1805. The flour was sold in small quantities to families who had none for the particular occasion near at hand.
The big rock, which stood as a monument by the first house built in Hillsborough was blasted in 1824.
Voted taxpayers shall make oath to taxable property in 1824.
487
ITEMS OF INTEREST.
The elm tree near Horace Marcy's house was set by Perkins Coolidge and William Hartwell in April, 1836, for Captain Ben- jamin Bradford.
First action taken in regard to a town farm by voting against such movement, 1823.
The first rock cart in Hillsborough was built by Moses Bennett of Massachusetts for George Nelson in 1835.
At the annual meeting in 1841 the town voted that the select- men "erect suitable post guides at all angles of the roads in town." At the same meeting it was voted to dismiss the article to cease ringing the meeting house bells in town.
First town meeting held at Bridge Village was in the vestry of the Congregational Church March 9, 1876.
In the summer of 1883 Mr. Edmund Wood, a prominent citizen of Deering and living on a farm four miles from Bridge Village near the Henniker Line, after coming to this village to do some trading in the evening returned to his home, and was found in his barn next morning murdered by an unknown person. Hillsborough has fortunately been free from scenes of murder, no crime of this kind having been committed within its territory.
The first potato bug arrived in Hillsborough on special train and in full uniform in May, 1883, and he has remained faithfully on duty ever since, a loyal scout.
"Aurora," the steamboat owned by Walter J. Farrah, and which plied for several seasons on the Contoocook river, was sold by him in July, 1890, to a man of Farmington to run on Lake Winnepesaukee.
March 31, 1891, the stately elm that stood on Bridge street by the residence of John L. Farwell, was cut down. It was one hundred years old, measured three feet in diameter and afforded three cords of wood.
August 6, 1893, a furious hailstorm passed over the town doing considerable damage to the crops. Loss estimated to be more than a thousand dollars.
First notice of direct primary September 6, 1910.
488
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
THE BIG ASH.
A white ash standing on the John L. Shedd lawn measures fourteen feet in circumference. From this site one can look into six towns, Henniker, Deering, New Boston, Francestown, An- trim, and, of course, Hillsborough. The ell section of this house built in 1780, has been in the family for 140 years.
CASUALTIES AND FATALITIES.
Accidents do not make pleasant reading; neither do wars. If it is true there is a skeleton in every closet, a tragedy in every life, certainly no community, possibly no life, has escaped its ills of flesh. "Safety first" is indeed a good motto to place upon your street cars ; ay, upon your cellar door, for ninety-eight per cent. of accidents might have been averted. So, under the ap- plication of the same rule, we may have lost many of the good things of life. Dropping the word accident which neither has a meaning nor an explanation, we find there have been several untimely deaths in Hillsborough resulting from falling trees, drowning, burning to death and being killed by lightning.
Among the fatalities that have occurred in town there have not been many if any that was a greater shock to the community than the fatal incident that happened on the railroad at "long woods" at five o'clock, Tuesday, August 19, 1884. A fire had been raging in the forest since Monday noon, and early this morning the call was made for help, and Messrs George H. Prichard, George A. Nichols and Frank J. Smith, started for the scene upon a handcar. After investigating the fire they started to return to the station at Bridge Village. They did not turn the car, but started it backwards towards their destination, and upon reaching the down grade above the woolen mills, the car car- ried on by its own power, Nichols and Smith, who were working the crank, ceased labor, and the car shot rapidly forward into a fog that lay upon the track so dense that the mills could not be seen.
Suddenly the puffing of an engine was heard, and the three realized the deadly peril into which they were running. Smith shouted to his companions to jump for their lives, and attempted
489
FATE OF JOHN M'NIEL.
to save Nichols, who was standing beside him. But the latter seemed too dazed to move, while the former sprang out over the track and escaped serious injury. Prichard was seated in the front part and could not leave the car in season to save himself.
Engineer Pillsbury, upon the engine, who had been sent to see if the track was clear above, reversed his lever and brought the engine to a stop within two rods, but the handcar kept on at its terrific speed and the impact was terrible. Nichols was thrown ten feet into the air and fell into the river, from which his body was later brought to land, but he was dead. Prichard was im- paled on the handcar, receiving fatal injuries about the head. The density of the air from the smoke of the fire made it impossible to see but a very few feet ahead, otherwise the accident might have been avoided, or might not have been so fearful in its results. Mr. Prichard was about fifty-four years of age, and Mr. Nichols about thirty-four. The latter left a wife and a daughter.
John McNiel, a former townsman, met his death at Win- chester, Mass., on the evening of April 8, 1885, in crossing the railroad track, he was struck by a passing express train and in- stantly killed. He was born in Hillsborough in 1822, son of Solomon McNiel. For years he lived on the farm in Hillsbor- ough formerly occupied by his grandfather and father. He studied law with Hon. Tappan Wentworth at Lowell, Massachusetts, and afterwards practiced law in Antrim, New Hampshire. He represented the town of Hillsborough in the Legislature in 1864-1865. In 1868 he moved to Concord, this state, where he and his family resided for several years, then moved to Winchester where he lived at the time of his death. He was a prominent member of the Fish and Game League of Massa- chusetts, and several years ago at its annual meeting, he delivered an address of such marked ability, that the suggestions it con- tained have been adopted from that time by the fish commis- sioners of the state. It was an address replete with practical thoughts and showing a complete mastery of the subject. His remains rest in the little plot of the family by the side of his father and mother, near the old house around which clusters so many pleasant memories.
490
HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH.
Humphrey Jackman, working in the Contoocook mills, had his arm caught in a picker and fearfully mangled, December 12, 1883. Lockjaw ensued and he died, December 15, 1883.
Lydia, wife of Aaron C. Smith, fell into a fire and died from the effects of the burns in 1872. Her brother, Abner Codman, was burned to death in his house in 1865.
Manassa Stow was killed while felling trees on the "Warren Spaulding farm" June 27, 1790.
On February 28, 1898, Edward, the four year old son of James Clark, was drowned in the Contoocook river just above the Woolen Mill dam.
Irving P., son of Harrison and Harriet Washburn, born in Middleboro, Massachusetts, was so terribly gored by a bull July 12, 1906, that he died four days later, aged about thirty-six years. He had lived in town about ten years.
SPOTTED FEVER.
An epidemic of "Spotted Fever" (Spinal Meningitis, as we should call it now) pervaded this town and vicinity in 1812. It was of unusual severity, and many persons died from the disease. Many of those who recovered, only after a protracted illness, suffered from its effects during the rest of their lives.
FIRES.
Very fortunately Hillsborough has never suffered from a serious conflagration, though she has had her share of small fires, each one of which meant loss to some one. Among these I have been able to collect the following list, arranged in chronological; order :
1822. Buildings of Samuel Lacy burned, the event being made peculiarly sad from the burning of his mother's body lying in the house at the time.
In July, 1831. James Jones lost a valuable barn which was struck by lightning and burned to the ground with its contents of hay, and many of his farming tools.
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