USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Salisbury > The history of Salisbury, New Hampshire, from date of settlement to the present time > Part 24
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THE CENTRE ROAD, occupying the rangeway limits very fully, was surveyed by Mr. Calef in 1768, the year in which the town was incorporated under the name of Salisbury. It commenced in the eastern section at the river, by the Webster cemetery, ex- tended west over Searle's hill, was subsequently crossed a little southeast of the Centre Road Village by the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike, and then extended on towards the west- ern boundary of the town. Commencing at the eastern ter- minus, in 1770, the building of this road was continued west- ward as rapidly as settlements took place." The people of Perrystown (Sutton) built for their own accommodation a road to connect with it, and for a long time were accustomed to bring their grain over this Salisbury road to the Webster mill, on Punch brook.
The road corresponding in part with the NORTH RANGEWAY was surveyed in 1763-fourteen years after the grant of Stev- enstown was conferred-by William Calef, who at that time was always employed by his townsmen for similar work. Only a few sections of it were ever built, and even portions of those
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have been discontinued, so that but little of the original range- way is now used for a highway.
As early as 1774 a road commenced at the eastern bound of Dr. Joseph Bartlett's home lot, on the South Road, and ran northward to the Centre Road, just west of the old meeting house on Searle's hill, and connected with other roads on the north. There is no accessible record of the discontinuance of this road, or of several others that now exist only on a few well-worn record books. That section between Parsons's Cor- ner and the location of the Thompson school house was called "Cash street," because many of the residents were obliged to pay cash for their purchases.
A highway, called the NORTH ROAD in some of the town papers, was constructed in 1770, between Shaw's Corner and the residence of Benjamin Huntoon, and soon afterwards was extended north to the Andover line. This was the second highway leading to Andover, the other being along the Pemi- gewasset. This was for many years a great thoroughfare for the northern section of the country.
THE BOG ROAD was built as a substitute for that by Dr. Bartlett's, above described. It connected the South Road with the Centre, before the existence of the College Road or the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike, leaving the South Road east of the Village, and intersecting the Centre Road at Thomp- son's Corner. A continuation of the Bog Road extends north of the Thompson school house, and north to Stevens's Corner, where it intersects with the North Road.
RACCOON HILL ROAD extends from north of the Thompson school house, the whole length of Raccoon Hill, where it inter- sects the rangeway between Andover and Salisbury, at what is known as Rano's Corner, by Eliphalet Shaw's. This range road runs east and west for a long distance, intersecting several other roads. It was built in 1781.
THE MILLS ROAD extends westerly from the Centre Road Village, past William Dunlap's store, continuing to Prince's mill, where it turns slightly to the north and terminates at the foot of the hill west of Frank Whittemore's. In former times
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it continued on to the Frazier place. At the foot of this Whittemore hill the North Range Road again begins and con- tinues west. A branch of this Mills Road turns south at Prince's mill, extends by the residence of C. C. Rogers, and intersects the Centre Range Road at Frank P. Rand's. It then continues south, past the Union meeting-house, where it is known as the Couch Road, and leads into Webster. An- other branch of the Mills Road commences south of Daniel Colby's, goes past the Glines place, and comes out at the South Range Road, east of Blackwater river bridge.
A road begins just west of Alpheus B. Huntoon's house and continues over Beach hill into Andover.
BAYS ROAD extends from Shaw's Mill, in West Salisbury, around the eastern shore of "The Bays," crosses the Turnpike Road south of Blackwater river bridge, and intersects the old College Road eastwardly.
A cross range road begins at the south range, just east of D. C. Stevens's, and continues north until it intersects the Centre Range Road, at Harrison Heath's.
THE NEW ROAD to Franklin begins on the Bog Road, one- half mile north of the Thompson school house, and extends eastward to the North Road, which it intersects just south of the "Birthplace." It was laid out in October, 1869. The route was surveyed by Thomas D. Little. The land damages amounted to $275.
CROSS RANGE ROAD was so called because its general direc- tion nearly north and south, and it crossed the South and Cen- tre rangeways. The northern terminus of the road was on what is now known as the turnpike in Centre village. Tradition says the northeastern bound was "a pile of bricks," near the southwest corner of D. J. Mann's housc. It run south by the Baptist church cemetery, and continued southward by the old Archelas Adams place, now J. H. Smith's, west of J. M. Gree- ley's and on the height of land in a circuitous route towards Corser Hill. The southern section is usually called Battle street. Changes were made many years ago so that now, at the Centre, this road intersects the turnpike several rods further
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east, by the former residence of the late Dr. Job Wilson. Changes have also been made in the southern section, that por- tion by Mr. Greeley's having been discontinued and a new piece constructed further to the west. The northern extension of this road leads to the highlands known as Racoon Hill.
MUTTON ROAD. This road extends from the South Road Vil- lage in a southerly course to Corser Hill, in Webster, and was designed to afford better facilities for reaching Hopkinton, then a half-shire town. It was built about the year 1819. Ensign John Webster owned most of the land in Salisbury through which it passed. The name was given it from the fact that some residents upon it helped themselves to "mutton" that did not belong to them.
WATER STREET, east of Mutton Road, commences near the academy and runs in a southerly direction towards the west part of Boscawen, where it is continued under the same name.
A road not now much travelled leads from the turnpike a lit- tle south of "Water Street" over Calef Hill into Water Street in Boscawen.
THE NEW ROAD, as it has been called for the want of a legiti- mate name, leads from the vicinity of Holmes's Mill to North Boscawen, where it connects with the River Road. It was built in 1849.
The road from the South Road to the M. H. & G. W. Fellows place was built in 1787. Moses Fellows gave the land and the town built the road.
The new road leading from Shaw's Corner to Franklin was built in 1823-24.
The building of the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike through Salisbury proved detrimental to the interests of the people of Hopkinton. As soon as they perceived it, the leading men of the town, Roger Perkins and Gen. Davis, petitioned the court for a highway from the Potter place in Andover through the western part of Salisbury to Hopkinton. They were so confident of success that immediate action was taken and some portion of a road built through the town of Salisbury. It is not known what action the town took, but the court rejected their petition,
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mainly through the efforts of Ezekiel Webster, who never for- got nor forgave the hostility of the people of that town towards him in the trial of an important case in which he was personally interested. The ground taken by the court was that portions of the road ran over established highways.
THE COLLEGE ROAD.
A hundred years ago, in the early days of Dartmouth Col- lege, it was considered necessary that good roads should be constructed from different points to Hanover. Governor John Wentworth, in the days of his administration, caused such a road to be made from his mansion in Wolfeborough. Roads were built along the borders of the Connecticut, and from other locali- ties highways were opened, to facilitate travel to the seat of learning, which a few years previously had been established in the wilderness.
Among others one was proposed which was to commence .on the Merrimack, in Boscawen, and extend through Salisbury to the Connecticut river at or near Dartmouth College. A petition was presented to the General Court in 1784, represent- ing the necessity of such a public highway.
At the November session of that year, the petition received favorable action, and an act was passed authorizing Timothy Walker, of Concord, Ebenezer Smith, of Meredith, and Henry Gerrish, of Boscawen, to lay out a road in accordance with the petition.
At the next session of the General Court, the committee having performed the duty assigned them, made the following report :
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
In the House of Representatives, October 28, 1785.
The Committee appointed to lay out a public road from the River road in Boscawen to Connecticut River at or near Dartmouth College, reported the follow- ing returns, viz: Beginning at Dartmouth College thence southeasterly nearly as
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THE COLLEGE ROAD.
the road is now trod about three miles to where a bridge formerly stood over Mink brook on Eleazer Hill's Land, thence South about eighteen degrees East to Leban- on line as now spotted, thence nearly on the same course to the road by Clapp Sumner's House- thence easterly as the road is now trod to Col. Payne's House - thence nearly on a straight course to the road between Phillip Paddleford's House and Barn in Enfield, thence as the road is now spotted to Col. Payne's House in Enfield, thence on the road as now trod to Elijah Paddleford's House,-thence South sixty-eight degrees East to the road as now trod,-thence in said road to the spotted line about fifteen rods from Nathaniel Hovey's Sugar camp,-thence on said spotted line to Mascoma River in Canaan- thence nearly on a straight course to the bridge over Mud Pond Brook, thence as the road is now trod about ten rods - thence on a straight course to the road by Eleazer Scofield's House, thence in said road as now trod to Grafton line, thence on a straight course to a stump three rods to the South of Joseph Bean's Barn - thence straight to a stump four rods to the North of Resolve Matterson's House-thence straight to the road as now trod -thence in the road to the path that leads to Cardigan-thence on a straight course to the road by Jonathan Nichols's House- thence nearly as the road is now trod to Capt. Joseph Hoyt's House -thence nearly as the road is now spotted through Alexandria and New Chester to Benjamin Scilly's House in Andover - thence straight (leaving John Sawyer's House three rods to the North ) to the road as now trod - thence by said road to the bridge over Ragged Mountain Brook - thence nearly on a straight course to a stake three rods to the South of Simeon Connor's Barn-thence on a straight course to the road by Jeremiah Scribner's House,-thence in said road to a beech tree marked E- thence straight about seventeen rods across Lieut. John Roe's Land to the road, thence in said road to Benjamin Huntoon's House in Salisbury - thence on a straight course to the road between John Gale's House and Barn -thence in said road about twenty rods- thence on a straight course by the side of Anna Fifield's House to the road - thence in said road to a stake opposite Joseph French's House-thence on a straight course to the road between Samuel Scribner's House and Barn, thence in said road to a stake four rods to the East of Lieut John Pearsons's House,-thence straight to Andrew Bohonon's House,-thence following the old road East of Jacob Bohonon's House to the road as now trod -thence in said road about ten rods-thence straight to the Bridge over the Mill Brook -thence in said road to the bridge by Abel Tandy's House - thence nearly as the road formerly went by the West end of Simeon Wadley's House, thence southeasterly about eighteen rods to a stake by the road as now trod- thence in said road to a stake twenty-five rods short of Edward Eastman's corner - thence on a straight course ( leaving said Eastman's House to the West ) to the road as now trod - thence in said road to the easterly side of John Bowen's land - thence southerly on said Bowen's Land by Lieut. Robert Smith's Land thirty-eight rods- thence southeasterly on as straight a course as the land will admit of to Stirrup Iron meadow Brook nearly as the road is now spotted -thence by said spotted road to Boscawen line- thence as the road is now cut out to the River road in Boscawen near Col. Henry Gerrish's House-Said Road to be four rods broad.
Concord October 26, 1785.
Signed,
TIMOTHY WALKER, EBENEZER SMITH,
Committee. HENRY GERRISH,
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Voted, "That the foregoing report be received and accepted."
The above committee were paid thirty-nine pounds ten shil- lings for their services.
The report was accepted and the road surveyed. The General Court, by resolution, instructed the selectmen of the several towns through which the road was to pass to assess a tax on the rateable polls, agreeably to the laws of the State, for the construction of highways and bridges. "And for the more effectual carrying this act into execution," a committee was chosen to call on the selectmen of the respective towns to build the road and keep it in condition safe and convenient for public travel. The committee was empowered and directed "to see that the same is seasonably and effectually completed." This duty was committed to Col. Elisha Payne, Capt. Joseph Hoyt and Lieut. Robert Smith.
This legislation having been insufficient, the committee the ensuing year was further directed, after giving reasonable notice to the selectmen, to cause the road to be built through such towns as had neglected to comply with the instructions of the Legislature, and to present the bills for the expense of the same to the General Court for approval. In case towns then refused payment, the property of such towns was to be attached and sold, by process of law, to satisfy the claims and costs.
This road was built, but not on the exact route laid out by the committee. There was a road answering nearly to the descrip- tion of this once existing. It commenced on the River Road, originally called the Coos Road, at the farm of Henry Ger- rish, in North Boscawen, now the Merrimack County Farm, west of the location of the county buildings, and continued on the base of the high ground nearly the whole distance to Salis- bury. There are now to be found evidences of this in the vicin- ity of the old Angell mill, in Boscawen, also in several places in Salisbury, and there is no doubt that it passed by the Col. John C. Gale place into Andover.
But what is known as the College Road by the older citizens -we are told-had its starting point on Water street, and extended north over Calef Hill to the road known as the turn-
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pike, passing the Levi Bean place; thence with a slight turn eastwardly it continued on to the south rangeway, turning sharp to the west by Gilbert Eastman's house, and after pas- passing through the South Road Village, by Eliphalet Little's house, it turned to the north and continued on past Dennis Lauder's-the Ensign Moses Garland house-when it turned sharp to the west again at the centre rangeway, and continued on westerly to Parsons's Corner; thence on the line of the future turnpike through Centre Road Village to a point just east of Moses C. Webster's residence, when another turn north was made, and the road run just east of M. P. Thompson's house, east of O. M. Tucker's barn; thence west, crossing the line where the turnpike was afterwards laid out, then turned north and passed just east of S. P. Webster's house, continuing north down the hill, crossed again the turnpike line by the guidepost, continuing north to what was called "the switch," in Andover. From this point, with the view to a direct route, a partial survey was made over a portion of Ragged Mountain, terminating near the location of the railway station in Danbury.
We have endeavored to follow this road through its windings and angles in the town of Salisbury, with a steady head; and if the reader has maintained his equilibrium in pursuing the same tortuous and angular way, he will not regret his release from further efforts in the same direction.
THE FOURTH NEW HAMPSHIRE TURNPIKE.
In this State the turnpike road is a thing of the past. If it were not there would be no necessity for the historian to des- cribe it or to explain its workings and advantages. It is a road built by a company of men, under special authority conferred by the legislative branch of the government, by what is termed an act of incorporation.
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The company thus incorporated is allowed to use a given amount of capital, raised in equal shares, the grantees or those associated with them being permitted to take as many shares as the members composing the company may determine. The management of such corporate bodies is regulated by the terms of the charter given by the incorporating power.
The term turnpike signifies a pike or set of pikes, fixed to a bar or pole, that is made to swing on a pivot or pin, so as to obstruct the passage of carriages. A turnpike road is one with pikes or gates, erected for the purpose named. As the benefit to the builders of this class of roads is derived from specified tolls, to be paid by those who pass over the roads, the company is authorized to stop travellers and require payment.
Turnpike roads were very common early in the present cen- tury, not only in our country, but among most civilized people. Fifty or more such roads were chartered by our State authori- ties, during a few years immediately preceding and directly after the commencement of the nineteenth century. The first turn- pike was incorporated in 1796, and extended from Piscataqua bridge, in Durham, to the Merrimack river in Concord, passing through Lee, Barrington, Nottingham, Northwood, Epsom and Chichester, a distance of thirty-six miles.
In the year 1800, Messrs. Elisha Payne, Russell Freeman, and Constant Storrs asked the Legislature for an act of incor- poration, authorizing them and their associates to construct a turnpike road from some point in Boscawen or Salisbury to the Connecticut river, opposite the mouth of White River, in the town of Lebanon, and also a branch from Lebanon to Hanover.
The petition was read and action postponed until the next session, which was held in the autumn of the same year, when the following Act was passed :
State of New Hampshire, in the year of Our Lord, one thousand eight hundred.
An Act to incorporate a company by the name of the Proprietors of the Fourth Turnpike Road in New Hampshire.
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Senate & House of Representatives in general court convened, that Elisha Payne, Russell Freeman and Constant Storrs and their associates and successors be, and they are hereby incorporated and made a body
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corporate and politic under the name of the proprietors of the Fourth Turnpike Road in New Hampshire, and in that name may sue & prosecute, and be sued and prosecuted to final judgment and execution, and shall be and hereby are vested with all the powers and privileges which by law are incident to corporations of a like nature.
SEC. 2. And be it further enacted, that the said Elisha Payne, or Russell Free- man shall call a meeting of said proprietors by advertisement in the newspapers printed at Concord & Hanover, to be holden at any suitable time and place at least thirty days from the first publication of said advertisement, and the proprietors by a vote of the majority of those present or represented at said meeting, accounting and allowing one vote to each share in all cases, shall choose a clerk, who shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of said office, and shall also agree on the method of calling meetings, and at the same, or at any subsequent meetings may elect such officers, and make and establish such rules and by-laws, as to them shall seem necessary and convenient for the regulation and government of said corporation, for carrying into effect the purpose aforesaid, and for collecting the tolls hereinafter established, and the same by-laws may cause to be executed, and annex penalties to the breach thereof ; provided the said rules and by-laws are not repugnant to the constitution and laws of this state; and all representations shall be proved by writing signed by the person to be represented, which shall be filed with the clerk, and this act and all rules, regulations and proceedings of said corporation shall be fairly and truly recorded by the clerk in a book or books provided and kept for that purpose.
SEC. 3. And be it further enacted, that the said corporation are empowered to survey, lay out, make and keep in repair, a turnpike road of four rods wide, in such route or tracts as in the best of their judgment and skill shall combine shortness of distance with the most practicable ground from the east bank of Connecticut river in the town of Lebanon, nearly opposite to the mouth of White river, east- wardly to the west bank of Merrimack river in the town of Salisbury or Boscawen ; and also to survey, lay out, make and keep in repair as aforesaid a turnpike road four rods wide, from the east abutment of White river falls bridge in Ilanover, southeastwardly till it intersects the road first mentioned and to be a branch thereof.
SEC. 4. And be it further enacted, that if said proprietors and the owners of land over which the road may run shall disagree on the compensation to be made for said land and the building or buildings thereon standing, and shall not agree in appointing persons to ascertain such compensation, the judges of the superior court of judicature, holden within and for the county in which said land lies, upon the application of said proprietors, or of the owner or owners of such, reasonable notice of such application having been given by the applicants to the adverse party, shall appoint a committee who shall ascertain the same in the same way as compensation is made to owners of land for highways as usually laid out, & execution, on non-pay- ment, against said proprietors, shall issue of course.
SEC. 5. And be it further enacted, that the corporation may erect and fix such & so many gates or turnpikes upon and across said road as will be necessary & suf- ficient to collect the tolls and duties hereinafter granted to said company from all persons traveling in the same with horses, cattle, carts, and carriages.
SEC. 6. And be it further enacted, that it shall and may be lawful for said cor. poration to appoint such and so many toll-gatherers, as they shall think proper, to
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collect and receive of and from all & every person or persons using said road the tolls and rates hereinafter mentioned; and to prevent any person riding, leading or driving any horses, cattle, hogs, sheep, sulkey, chair, chaise, phæton, coach, chariot, cart, wagon, sley, sled, or other carriage of burden or pleasure from passing through the said gates or turnpikes, until they shall have respectively paid the same, that is to say, for every mile of said road, and so in proportion for a greater or less distance, or greater or smaller number of sheep, hogs, or cattle : viz., for every fifteen sheep or hogs, one cent; for every fifteen cattle or horses, two cents; for every horse and his rider or led horse, three fourths of one cent; for every sulkey, chair, or chaise with one horse or two wheels one and an half cents; for every chariot, coach, stage- wagon, phæton, or chaise with two horses and four wheels, three cents; for either of the carriages last mentioned with four horses, four cents; for every other carriage of pleasure, the like sums, according to the number of wheels and horses drawing the same ; for each cart or other carriage of burthen with wheels, drawn by one beast, one cent; for each wagon, cart, or other carriage of burthen drawn by two beasts, one and an half cents; if by more than two beasts, one cent for each additional yoke of oxen or horse; for each sley drawn by one horse, three fourths of one cent; if drawn by two horses, one and an half cent; and if by more than two horses, half a cent for every additional horse; for each sled drawn by one horse, half of one cent ; for each sled drawn by two horses or a yoke of oxen, one cent; and if by more than two horses or one yoke of oxen, one cent for each additional pair of horses or yoke of oxen ; and at all times when the toll-gatherer shall not attend his duty, the gates shall be left open ; and if any person shall with his carriage, team, cattle, or horses, turn out of said road to pass the said turnpike gates, on ground adjacent thereto, said ground not being a public highway, with intent to avoid the payment of the toll due, by virtue of this act, such person shall forfeit and pay three times so much as the legal toll would have been, to be recovered by the treasurer of the said cor- poration, to the use thereof, in an action of debt or on the case; provided that nothing in this act shall extend to entitle the said corporation to demand toll of any person who shall be passing with his horse or carriage to or from public worshp, or with his horse, team or cattle, or on foot, to or from any mill, or on their common er ordinary business of family concerns, within the town where such person belongs.
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