USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Salisbury > The history of Salisbury, New Hampshire, from date of settlement to the present time > Part 28
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If the Grantors appointed an agent with powers to run the line and fix the bounds,-& he with the Proprietors of Salisbury did run the line and fix the bounds, the line & bounds so made are conclusive on both parties, unless the agent exceed- ed his powers.
The neglect of the agent to report his doings to his employers, or their neglect to record the same will not vacate what was done; but the same may be proved by the testimony of witnesses.
If the Proprietors of the Gore seeing the bounds which Salisbury had made to their grant, and the occupation of the land to those bounds, neglected for more than 20 years to make an entry on the land, and have brought no action to try the title, it is believed that such neglect will amount to such an acquiescence as will put an end to the claim of the Proprietors of the Gore.
Question 2. Will not the Proprietors of the Gore hold the land west of the line as lately established by the General Court's committee?
Answer. The doings of that committee have no effect on the right of soil. They have no more effect on the question between the two parties, than the flying of a bird thro the air would have.
The General Court have not power, & could not give power to their committee, to determine the bounds of the land & thereby bind the two sets of Proprietors in respect of the right of soil.
The right of soil remains & ever will remain precisely the same as if that com- mittee had never been appointed.
The Proprietors of Salisbury are one body.
The town of Salisbury as a corporation is another.
The rights of these two bodies are as distinct, as the rights of any two persons can be.
The only effect that the doings of that committee can have if they have even so much, is to determine the line of jurisdiction of the Town of Salisbury as a cor- poration.
The right of the Proprietors of Salisbury to the soil has no connection with, nor dependence on, the line of jurisdiction which the General Court has assigned or may assign to the town of Salisbury.
Signed, PARKER NOYES.
May 6, ISI8.
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TOWN BOUNDARIES.
SALISBURY, May 8, 18IS.
A. Bowers, Esqr.
Sir, I have endeavored to answer the questions put by the committee of the Proprietors of Salisbury by Mr. Pettengill & by you.
If the answers are not sufficiently explicit, I will at any time add any thing I can to make them more so.
I am respectfully, Your Obed't Servant,
Signed,
PARKER NOYES.
QUESTIONS BY MR. BOWERS.
Question 1. If Salisbury Proprietors hold the land that is lotted, will they of course hold the Common between the disputed lines?
Answer. I Doubt, but incline to think they will. There is no doubt, if the line, run by Gerrish & the Proprietors of Salisbury, be established.
Question 2. What effect has the law quieting all the claims of disputed land within the curve line claimed by the Masonians on this case ?
Answer. That law does not meet this case. It was merely an extinguishment of the claim of the State in favor of the [ not legible ] on the lands between the two disputed head lines of Mason's patent.
Question 3. What would be the effect of Mr. Garland and Mr. Marston and others testifying that a beech stub more than a mile east of our claim was shown to them by the Selectmen of Salisbury as the northwest corner bound & that one selectman had repeatedly preambulated to the same as such?
Answer. The doings of the officers of the Town of Salisbury could not affect the rights of the Proprietors of Salisbury to the soil. That might be evidence of the extent to which the town of Salisbury claimed jurisdiction at that time but would not bind the Proprietors.
( Signed ) May 7th, ISIS.
P. NOYES.
CHAPTER XXIII.
MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
" High curled the smoke from the humble roof, with dawning's earliest bird, And the tinkle of the anvil, first of the village sounds, was heard ; The bellows' puff, the hammer-beat, the whistle and the song,
Told, steadfastly and merrily, toil rolled the wheels along."
"Labor is rest,-from the sorrows that greet us ; Rest from all petty vexations that meet us, Rest from sin promptings that ever entreat us, Rest from world-syrens that lure us to ill."
SAWMILLS.
Benjamin Chase, in his History of Chester, gives a clear and condensed description of the old-time sawmill, which we copy preliminary to our record of mill building in Salisbury :
"The early saw-mills were built with flutter or undershot water wheels, with heavy rims, and at least three feet and a half high, and about four feet wide, with a wrought-iron crank, from six- teen to eighteen inches long. The water was brought on in a tangent of about forty-five degrees. The gate hoisted perpen- dicularly. The saw-frame run in rabbets in the fender-posts, secured by wooden knees called 'hook pins.' The pitman, to connect the crank to the saw-frame, was all of wood. The saws were of iron, so that when the breast was worn hollow they could heat the saw and strike the back on an anvil and straight- en it .* The carriage run on pieces of plank, called 'nogs,' about two feet apart, set perpendicularly in timbers, the corners cut out to receive the carriage. Only one carriage side was cogged. Reel dogs were used both ends, so that the dogs were drawn every run. To feed, a roller went across the mill, in front of the saw, resting on wooden bearings on the plates, and a head
*The historian is doubtless mistaken, for an iron saw would be useless. The saw was recut, not heated and bent back.
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
hanging down, from which there was a pole some ten feet long, with a pawl or hand on the end, to work the rag-wheel. They had no apparatus for raising the hand, but always had to be there, to take it up and lay it on a pin. They had no negro, or jig-wheel, but run the carriage back with the feet; and to have it go easier would have the mill incline a foot and a half or two feet in the length."
It is generally understood that the first sawmill in the town was the Webster or Proprietors' mill, located on Punch brook. We have accepted this as the fact-but the following letter, found among the Masonian papers, at Portsmouth, will show an anterior claimant for the enterprise :
March ye 16th, 1748.
To the Gentlemen, Proprietors & Purchasers of Capt. John Tufton Mason, Esqr., his right in Lands in ye Province of New Hampshire. I, the subscriber, humbly shew that in or about ye year 1743, being a proprietor in the Grant of a Township called Bakers Town, did in my own right, & in ye Right of ye other Proprietors, build a saw mill, and cleared and sowed an acre of Ground, and also built a meet- ing house for ye said Proprietors; but now understanding ye right of land is in you, I earnestly request that I may be a Grantee in said tract of Land called Bakers Town and that I may also have ye benefit of the Mill I built upon such Conditions and Terms as the said Tracts of Land shall be Granted and disposed of by you and you will oblidge
Your very Humble serv't STEPHEN CHASE.
This Stephen Chase was a descendant of Aquilla Chase, of old Newbury, and was one of the grantees of the Massachusetts charter of " Baker's-Town," perhaps the only one who had the fortitude to come up and remain in the new country. No action appears to have been taken in regard to his petition. There has been found a rough sketch of Bakerstown, bounded on the east by the Merrimack river, with a sawmill located on Punch brook. On the intervale and near the banks of the river, at a bend in the stream, is indicated what at that day was called a meeting house. The location appears to be northeast from the spot where the Salisbury fort afterwards stood.
A rude outline of New Breton and Stevenstown, made by William Brown Clough, in 1753, or previous to that date, locates a sawmill at the Hancock falls. But it is not certain that any
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
mill then existed in the town, except on paper. The first saw- mill, so far as our authority warrants, was-
THE WEBSTER OR PROPRIETORS' MILL.
To advance the settlement it became necessary to construct a sawmill, and at a meeting of the proprietors, held at Kings- ton, March 22, 1759, it was voted "that Deacon Elisha Sweatt, Lieut. John Huntoon, and Ephraim Collins are chosen a com- mittee to lay out to Capt. John Webster one hundred acres of land, that is granted to said Webster," for building a sawmill. The committee reported that they had attended to the duty assigned, as appears by the record. Peter Sanborn, Capt. Elisha Sweatt, and Capt. John Webster were chosen to locate the sawmill, make all necessary arrangements and have the work completed by the first of October, 1761.
The mill was erected on land belonging to Ebenezer Web- ster. During the year there was raised, at different times, five dollars on each right, to defray expenses of building the mill and laying a road to it.
Voted, "to give four men that go to Stevenstown to work on the sawmill four pounds O. T. per day."
Kingston, Sept. 29, 1761. Voted, "the one-half the use of the sawmill to Capt. John Webster for three years, he, the said Webster, sawing the proprietors' lumber at the halves when supplied with water, keeping said mill in good repair, and at the end of said three years to leave said mill in as good repair as when he, the said Webster, received said mill, except from fire. If the mill should burn down he would not be under obli- gations to rebuild."
Likewise voted, "to Ebenezer Webster and Eliphalet Gale, each of them one-quarter share of said sawmill on the same conditions above-mentioned."
The foregoing was signed by John Webster, Ebenezer Web- ster and Eliphalet Galc.
November 3, 1764, after the expiration of the lease, it was voted, "to give Ebenezer Webster the use of the mill for three
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
years from this date, he to saw the proprietors' lumber at the halves and keep the mill in good repair."
Mr. Webster subsequently purchased the mill and run it, whenever there was a supply of water. After he removed to his intervale farm he sold it to Stephen Sawyer, who continued to run it, and also a grist mill in connection with it. At a later day he erected a clothing mill a little way down the stream.
In 1764, Capt. John Webster built a saw mill on Chance Pond brook. The mill and a barn stood just north of the residence of Mrs. Dudley Ladd. He also built a low log house. These were the first buildings erected in what is now Franklin West Village. The old name of "Pemigewassett River Falls," or the "Carrying Place," was changed to "Webster's Falls," and later was called "Eastman's Falls." Capt. John Webster sold to Enoch Bartlett, and years after, Bailey Bartlett, who inher- ited it, sold the whole mill property to Ebenezer Eastman, for $775.00.
In order to secure more power, he built an aqueduct to bring water down over the road, from the Carter grist mill into his mill. In 1805 the old mill ceased running, and Gardner Colby remodelled it into a forge-shop, and made horse shoes and a variety of iron implements.
Jeremiah Tilton had a clothing mill on the upper end of the dam, and James Garland owned the premises when the build- ings were swept away in a great freshet.
About the year 1805, a dam was constructed across the falls in the Pemigewasset river, in the rear of Joseph Brown's house, in Franklin West Village, then known as Salisbury East Village.
A saw mill, one hundred feet long, was crected soon after- wards, some fifteen rods southcrly of the dam. Water was con- ducted to it by means of a flume on the west side of the river. At the same time was built "The Mill House."
These works were constructed and owned by an incorporated company, under the style of the " Pemigewassett Canal Com-
22
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
pany." Among its stockholders were Col. Moses Lewis and Col. John Greeley. Thomas W. Thompson was the President and Treasurer, and Edward Blodgett was the Clerk.
Accompanying is a copy of a certificate of stock issued to Joshua Fifield.
PEMIGEWASSET CANAL.
[SEAL.]
SHARE NO. 51.
This certifies that Joshua Fifield of Salisbury in the County of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire is the Proprietor of Share Number Fifty one in the PEMIGEWASSET CANAL; which Share is transferable by making an Assignment on this Certificate, and causing the same to be entered in a book, kept by the Clerk for that purpose.
In Testimony whereof, the Seal of the Corporation is hereunto affixed, this Sixth day of November in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and seven.
THOMAS W. THOMPSON, President.
Attest :
EDWARD BLODGETT, Clerk.
Mr. Fifield was the agent in buying and selling and had the direction of the mill. The lumber manufactured was sent to Newburyport, and was a source of profit to the proprietors and a benefit to the town. But after a few years, in consequence of restricted sales, the company suspended operations. The property passed through several ownerships, including those of Skinner & Hurd, who, in 1816, sold to Ebenezer Eastman.
In 1823, Eastman left this location and operated mills near the site of the present grist mill, further up Chance Pond brook.
John Hancock had a saw mill half a mile up the brook, which was built as early as 1801. On the opposite side of the brook Joseph Noyes had a grist mill and a clothing mill.
Capt. Winthrop Fifield tapped Punch brook north of the new road leading from Shaw's Corner to Franklin, and built a canal, evidences of which may be seen at the present day, where it crosses the Franklin road west of Punch brook bridge. He extended the canal to the rear of his residence, where he erected the largest saw mill in the town. He was accustomed
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
to run the mill by night, in season of abundant water. The canal cost more than $1,200, and at that day was a great undertaking.
GRIST MILLS.
In 1764, a committee was chosen to select a site for a grist mill, and the next year it was voted, "To give 200 acres of common land to Benjamin Sanborn and Ebenezer Webster, living in Stevenstown, to provide a privilege, build a mill and keep it in repair for fifteen years, for which they shall have the land."
Voted, "Capt. Trueworthy Ladd, Col. John Webster, and Lieut. Matthew Pettengill are chosen a committee to lay out said land and receive the obligations of said Sanborn and Web- ster for building said grist mill."
The parties discharged their obligations, and for many years this was the only grist mill in the settlement. The mill stones were brought up on an ox sled by Col. Ebenezer Webster, in the winter of 1765, and are still in the vicinity of the mill site. In 1766, the proprietors voted to give Joseph Bean, Jr., and others, a privilege to erect a grist mill, for a term of fifteen years, but the offer was not accepted.
Jacob Carter erected the first grist mill on Chance Pond brook. His wife, Sarah, was a sister to Ebenezer Eastman, who succeeded Carter in the ownership of the mill. This mill stood where James Taylor's foundry is located.
The first saw and grist mill erected in the west part of the town was built by Capt. Samuel Elkins, of Epping, who removed to Salisbury between 1781 and 1785, building the house now occupied by John Colby. He constructed a dam and erected mills on the site of the D. S. Prince mill. He was a captain in the Revolutionary war. His wife was Esther Robinson, of Poplin, (Fremont.) From Salisbury he removed to Andover, where he died in 1823.
On the stream running from Tucker's pond to the Black- water, Nathaniel Greeley, many years ago, had a saw mill On
340
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
Mill brook, back of the Maloon house, Silas Elkins had a shin- gle mill, which was built by Israel and John Bean.
James Currier early erected a grist mill on Blackwater river opposite the John Shaw mill, the canal being in front of Thomas Whittaker's. A plank walk was built across the river to give access to the mill.
Samuel Dunlap, Jr., purchased the Deacon Amos Pettengill saw mill and built a small grist mill on the site of the John Shaw mill. In May, 1834, he sold the property to D. C. & Cyrus Gookin, who removed the old mill, and erected the present convenient flour mills. For many years it received patronage from the neighboring towns.
Francis Stevens bought out the Gookins in 1858 and run the works until 1867, when James Shaw went into partnership with him. In 1872, John Shaw bought Stevens's interest. The Shaw Brothers continued it until the death of James, in 1873. Since that time it has been run by John Shaw.
OIL MILL.
Wilder & Bowers erected, before the close of the last cen- tury, a large flaxseed oil mill, on the site south of William Holmes's saw mill. It was the first mill built on Stirrup Iron brook, and for a number of years it did a good business. As the cultivation of flax ceased, they closed business, and the mill was swept away by the freshet of 1826.
Henry and Samuel Calef bought the privilege, put in a grist mill, run it for a time, and were succeeded by John Emerson, who put up a tannery there.
WOOLEN MILLS.
The first woolen mill in Salisbury was erected by Aquilla. Pingree, on Punch brook, soon after 1783. He was succeeded by his son, Solomon Pingree. Capt. William Pingree, near the close of the last century, erected a fulling and carding mill in the west part of the town, on Blackwater river.
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
POTASH MANUFACTORIES.
In clearing the land, large quantities of wood were burned on the ground, the ashes of which, with those from the fire places, were collected by the farmers and sold to the potash makers, at prices varying from six to nine pence a bushel. They were leached and the lye boiled to the required strength, when it was dipped out with wooden ladles into large cast iron kettles. After being cooled, it was taken out, packed in barrels, and transported to the larger towns.
Andrew Bowers had the first potash manufactory in town. It is said to have been first located near his residence, and traces of a building are found there. But it is certain that Mr. Bowers carried on the business on the north side of the road, opposite the academy, which was afterwards operated by John White. John C. Gale, at the North road, also made potash. Jonathan P. Webster, at the Centre road, had potash works about 1820, the old pump which was used still remaining to mark the location. Stephen Sawyer had another manufactory just north of the Webster saw mill.
TANNERIES.
The first tannery in East Salisbury, or Pemigewasset Vil- lage, was built by Mr. Leavitt on the site of the present one. He sold to Jeremiah Green and Ira Greeley.
At the foot of the hill on Cross range road, not far south of Centre Road Village, Herschel Green had a tannery which he run for several years.
It was in a small, artificial pond, near by, made by throwing a dam across the brook, that the first baptism by immersion took place in the town.
William Haddock, at one time, had a tannery at the Lower Village.
John Emerson, as already mentioned, changed a grist mill on Stirrup Iron brook into a tanning and currying mill. This he sold to David F. Kimball, of Boscawen, who took Moses Sawyer as a partner and converted it into a grist mill. Joseph
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
O. Hall purchased it, and while it was in his possession it was destroyed by fire. Henry and Parker Weeks bought the land and sold it to William Holmes.
CARPENTERING.
When it became the custom to build framed houses, there was an increased demand for carpenter work. The work was very laborious. The sawing of boards into different widths and all planing of boards was done by hand. Doors and sash were made by the same slow process, as were cornices, mould- ings and brackets. Nails were also made by hand, and of wrought iron. The first carpenter in the settlement was, evi- dently, John Fellows. Of the same occupation, and good workmen, were Samuel Greenleaf, Annaniah Bohonon, Na- thaniel Noyes, and Thomas and Eliphalet Williams. Several of these mechanics took the contract to build the old Dart- mouth Hall at Dartmouth College. They walked from Salis- bury to Hanover and carried their tools on their shoulders.
pres
BLACKSMITHING.
Andrew Pettengill was the first blacksmith in the town. His shop was on the South road, just west of T. D. Little's residence. He was a skillful workman and made all the iron articles required by the people.
Abel Morrill was the first blacksmith at the Lower Village, locating there in 1785.
James Proctor was a native of Unity ; learned edge tool mak- ing at Claremont ; removed to Salisbury East Village in 1809, and built a shop and run a trip hammer north of Mrs. Dudley Ladd's, on Chance Pond brook. He died February 1, 1847. His wife was Abigail Ladd, a native of Unity, who died June 17, 1873.
In 1811, Robert M. Adams, having completed his appren- ticeship with Mr. Morrill, opened a shop on Cash street, but afterwards removed to East Concord and carried on the busi- ness there for forty years.
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
Isaac Cole came to Salisbury in 1821, having, with his son, John A., put up a foundry the year preceding. It was located on the north side of the dam, opposite to Ebenczer Eastman's grist mill, on Chance Pond brook. The building is still stand- ing. This foundry was the second established in the State, the first having been built in Dover some years before. Mr. Cole was the son of a Revolutionary soldier who lived in Methuen, Mass., in 1768 ; married Harriet Atwood, of Atkin- son. He conducted a successful business until 1827, when he sold to Dudley Ladd, and moved to Lake Village, where he built a foundry and continued for many years, selling to his sons, B. J. Cole & Company. Their stoves were found in many village stores throughout the State.
TAILOR SHOPS.
The town has had several residents engaged in the tailoring business. The earliest was Caleb Judkins. Deacon William Cate was also a manufacturer of custom made clothing. In June, 1795, he bought land of Abel Elkins and built the house in which Edward Shurtleff now lives. He usually had several apprentices, among whom was M. P. Thompson, who succeeded him. Cate married, March 13, 1796, Polly, daughter of Joseph Fifield. He was an active member of the Baptist church, and continued to reside in town for many years. He was at one time a member of the firm of Dearborn & Cate.
HAT SHOPS.
The first hatter in town was Caleb Morse. Charles Ayer was in the business in 1824 and subsequently, residing where Moses B. Calef now lives. He afterwards removed to Man- chester, where he died. Thomas R. Greelcaf was the largest manufacturer of hats in this section.
COMB FACTORY.
Previous to the incorporation of Franklin, Eli Bootman came into town and made horn combs by hand, in the house in
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HISTORY OF SALISBURY.
which Marcus French now lives. The finishing was done by Mrs. Chase and her children, who came to Salisbury from Bradford, Mass.
BAKER AND BOOKBINDER.
Kendall O. Peabody had a bakery opposite A. K. Moore's hotel, in Republican or Pemigewasset Village. He kept sev- eral teams on the road, selling gingerbread, cakes, crackers, and similar articles made in his shop.
Christopher Page had a bookbindery at the South road in 1823, but the patronage did not warrant its long continuance. He came from Sutton and on leaving went to Nashua.
CHANCE POND BROOK BUSINESS PLACES.
When Franklin was organized the following were the places where industrial pursuits were carried on upon the banks of Chance Pond brook : Ebenezer Eastman run a grist mill ; below the foundry, on the opposite side of the brook, was James Proctor's scythe factory ; on the east side of the road was the woolen and satinet factory, occupied by Benning Moulton ; opposite was the comb factory, and Deacon James Garland's cooper shop and mill for sorting wool.
STORES, OR PLACES OF TRADE.
Major Stephen Bohonon had the first store in town. His dwelling-house stood where the parsonage house is now situ- ated, and he kept a small stock of goods in one of the front rooms. He sold to Andrew Bowers, who moved the house back, making an ell to the present house, which he built about the year 1806.
Nathaniel Noyes had the second store and was engaged in trade from about 1785 to 1808. His store was located at the South Road Village, on the north side, near the junction of the old turnpike and the South road.
In the year 1793 there were six stores in the town, con- ducted by John C. Gale, William Hoyt, Luke Wilder, Andrew
1
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MILLS, WORKSHOPS, STORES AND HOTELS.
Bowers, Nathaniel Noyes, and Dr. Joseph Bartlett. The en- tire valuation of these stores did not exceed £1,000, though they were undoubtedly inventoried much below their real value.
William Hoyt was located at the Lower Village, now Lower Franklin. His house was on the lot where B. S. Hancock's house stands. After Hoyt's death, William Haddock opened a small store near by.
The first store building at Republican, or East Village, was erected by Ebenezer Eastman, who was first taxed on his goods in 1803. Edward Blodgett probably bought him out. The building stood on the site of the "Gerrish Block," and is the same building that now stands opposite Richard Judkins's house.
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