USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Swanzey > The history of Swanzey, New Hampshire, from 1734 to 1890 > Part 21
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1771 Joseph Hammond.
1789 Calvin Frink.
1772 Samuel Belding.
1790 Calvin Frink.
1773 Jonathan Hammond.
1791 Calvin Frink.
1774 Jonathan Hammond.
1792 Calvin Frink.
1775 David Belding.
1793 Calvin Frink.
1776 Samuel Belding.
1777 Samuel Belding.
1816 Elijah Belding
1817 Elijah Carpenter.
1818 Elijah Carpenter.
1780 Elijah Belding.
1781 David Belding, jr.
1782 Elijah Belding.
1821 Jonas Blodgett.
1783 Daniel Warner.
1822 Jonas Blodgett.
1784 Jonathan Whitcomb.
1823 Jonas Blodgett.
1778 Samuel Belding.
1779 Samuel Belding.
1819 Elijah Carpenter. 1820 Jonas Blodgett.
1865 Josiah Parsons, Stephen Faulk- ner, Thomas T. Wetherbee.
ner, Thomas T. Wetherbee.
Eaton, Norris C. Carter.
1888 Frank S. Faulkner, Joseph L. Starkey, Norris C. Carter.
1889 Frank S. Faulkner, Joseph L. Starkey, Norris C. Carter.
214
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
1824 Jonas Blodgett.
1858 Enoch Howes.
1825 Jonas Blodgett.
1859 Enoch Howes.
1826 Jonas Blodgett.
1860 Enoch Howes.
1861 Joseph Hammond, jr.
1827 Elijah Carpenter. 1828 Elijah Carpenter. 1829 Elijah Carpenter.
1862 Enoch Howes.
1830 Elijah Carpenter.
1864 Enoch Howes.
1831 Elijah Carpenter.
1865 Enoch Howes.
1832 Elijah Carpenter.
1866 Enoch Howes.
1833 Elijah Carpenter.
1867 Enoch Howes.
1834 Edward Goddard.
1868 Enoch Howes.
1835 Edward Goddard.
1869 Enoch Howes.
1836 Edward Goddard.
1870 Enoch Howes.
1837 Edward Goddard.
1871 Enoch Howes.
1838 Edward Goddard.
1872 Enoch Howes. 1873 Enoch Howes.
1840 Edward Goddard.
1874 Enoch Howes.
1841 Elijah Carpenter.
1875 Enoch Howes.
1842 Elijah Carpenter.
1876 Enoch Howes.
1844
1845 Amos Bailey. 1846
1847 Henry Baxter.
1881 George E. Whitcomb.
1848 Enoch Howes.
1882 George E. Whitcomb.
1849 Enoch Howes.
1883 George E. Whitcomb.
1850 Lyman Parker.
1884 George E. Whitcomb.
1851 William Read.
1885 George E. Whitcomb. 1886 George Carpenter.
1853 Henry Baxter.
1887 George E. Whitcomb.
1854 Elijah Sawyer.
1888 George E. Whitcomb.
1855 Elijah Sawyer.
1889 George E. Whitcomb.
1856 Amos Richardson.
1890 George E. Whitcomb.
1857 Willard Adams.
SWANZEY MEN ELECTED TO STATE AND COUNTY OFFICES.
SENATORS.
Elisha Whitcomb, 1793,-94-96-97-98- Elijah Carpenter, 1843.
99-1800-1801. Benjamin Read, 1867-68.
Elijah Belding, 1820-1840-1841.
COMMISSIONERS.
Willard Adams, 1860.
Alonzo A. Ware, 1872-73-74.
1852 Elijah Sawyer.
1879 George E. Whitcomb.
1880 George E. Whitcomb.
1843 Elijah Carpenter.
1877 Obadiah Sprague. 1878 Alonzo A. Ware.
1839 Edward Goddard.
1863 Enoch Howes.
215
APPROPRIATIONS.
APPROPRIATIONS.
DATE.
TOWN CHARGES.
SCHOOLS.
HIGHWAYS.
DATE.
TOWN CHARGES.
SCHOOLS.
HIGHWAYS.
1766
£200
£100
1801
1767
60
100
1802
1768
60
70
1803
1769
60
1804
1770
62
£8
30
1805
1771
72
S
60
1806
1772
S8
12
1807
1773
31
100
1808
1774
20
20
1809
1775
20
40
1810
1776
20
1811
1777
63
140
1812
1778
56
8
400
1813
1779
167
900
1814
1780
1000
4000
1815
1781
130
7000
1816
$600
$500
$700
1782
60
260
1817
750
700
1783
235
83
76
1818
850
500
800
1784
66
30
100
1819
500
500
800
1785
85
100
1820
700
500
1786
130
130
1821
650
500
800
1787
69
60
1822
450
550
800
1788
66
80
1823
800
550
1000
1789
69
180
1824
600
550
1000
1790
60
80
1825
500
550
800
1791
34
61
100
1826
800
600
850
1792
45
161
135
1827
800
1793
45
80
120
1828
500
1000
1794
1829
400
100 L.F.
1000
1795
1830
400
654
1000
1796
1831
400
600
1000
1797
1832
1500
700
1000
1798
1833
1000
675
1400
1799
1834
200
571
1000
1800
1835
1000
675
1000
250
216
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
DATE.
TOWN CHARGES.
SCHOOLS.
HIGHWAYS.
DATE.
TOWN CHARGES.
SCHOOLS.
HIGHWAYS.
1836
1000
570
1000
1864
1000
1294
1000
1837
2000
1000
1000
1865
1000
1320
1000
1838
3000
688
1000
1866
6000
1300
1038
1839
3000
647
1000
1867
6000
1351
1000
1840
2000
700
1000
1868
5000
1576
1726
1841
1500
775
1000
1869
1000
1500
1000
1842
2000
872
1000
1870
950
1500
1000
1843
1500
900
1000
1871
1400
1640
1200
1844
800
900
1000
1872
1000
1633
1500
1845
2000
900
1000
1873
1000
1655
1500
1846
3000
900
1000
1874
1000
1600
1500
1847
1500
800
1000
1875
2000
1754
1500
1848
2500
1000
1000
1876
2000
1752
1500
1849
1200
1000
1000
1877
2000
1773
1800
1850
2000
1000
1000
1878
1500
2206
2000
1851
1800
1000
1000
1879
1000
2562
1500
1852
1500
1000
1000
1880
1000
2345
2000
1853
1500
1000
1000
1881
1000
2210
2000
1854
1200
1200
1000
1882
1000
2120
1500
1855
2000
1200
1000
1883
1000
2276
1500
1856
2000
1200
1000
1884
1000
2175
1500
1857
2500
1290
1000
1885
800
2918
1500
1858
2500
1288
1000
1886
1000
2861
1500
1859
2500
1288
1000
1887
1000
2800
1500
1860
2200
1288
1000
1888
1000
2846
1500
1861
1000
1288
1200
1889
1200
2829
1200
1862
1000
1290
1200
1890
1200
2963
1200
1863
1000
1288
1000
VOTES FOR GOVERNOR.
Under the Constitution of 1783, the chief magistrate of New Hamp- shire was styled President ; and since the adoption of the Constitution of 1793 he has been called Governor. Although in the early days of the republic, party distinctions were little known, yet the politicians of those days are usually classed as belonging to the party with which they were subsequently allied. The general distinction of parties up
HON. ASA S. KENDALL.
غار غو
217
VOTES FOR GOVERNOR.
to 1824 was Federal and Republican. At this time the Federal party ceased to exist, and for about ten years the political forces of the na- tion were known as Adams men or Jackson men, taking their names from their candidates for the presidential office. From 1834 to 1855 the rival parties were designated as Democratic and Whig; but in 1841 the Abolition or Free Soil party was organized, drawing voters from both the Whig and Democratic parties, but principally from the former. In 1855 the American or Know Nothing party suddenly appeared in New Hampshire, electing its Governor by the people, as it did the next year by the Legislature. Since 1856 the principal par- ties throughout the nation have been known as Republican and Demo- cratic.
The following gives the votes in Swanzey for the principal candi- dates for the chief magistrate of New Hampshire. Those marked with a * were elected.
The political character of the town may be determined by its votes for Governor and Presidential Electors.
Date.
No. of votes. Date.
No. of votes.
1784 *Meshech Weare,
10 1788 *John Langdon, Rep., 4
George Atkinson, Fed., 21 1789 *John Sullivan, Fed., 22
John Sullivan, Fed., 2 John Pickering, Rep., 25
1785 *George Atkinson, Fed., 50 1790 John Pickering,
16
1786 George Atkinson, Fed., 45 66 Joshua Wentworth,
11
66 John Langdon, Rep., 30
*Josiah Bartlett, 0
1787 John Langdon, Rep.,
76
1791 *Josiah Bartlett, Rep.,
30
* John Sullivan, Fed.,
6 1792 *Josiah Bartlett, Rep.,
43
1788 John Sullivan, Fed., 34
GOVERNOR.
82
1825 David L. Morrill, Adams,
190
120
1826 *David L. Morrill, Adams, 73
158 Benjamin Pierce, Jack., 119
61 1827 *Benjamin Pierce, Jack., 141
167 1828 Benjamin Pierce, Jack., 138
1818 *William Plumer, Rep., Jeremiah Mason, Fed., 51 *John Bell, Adams,
1819 *Samuel Bell, Rep., 142
1829 *Benjamin Pierce, Jack.,
175
1820 *Samuel Bell, Rep.,
176 John Bell, Adams, 101
1821 *Samuel Bell, Rep.,
217
1830 *Matthew Harvey, Jack.,
188
1822 Samuel Bell, Rep.,
236
Timothy Upham, Adams,
81
1823 Samuel Dinsmoor, Rep., *Levi Woodbury, Rep.,
185
1831 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Jack.,
196
66 Ichabod Bartlett, Adams,
101
1824 David L. Morrill, Adams,
151
1832 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Jack., 191
66 Jeremiah Smith,
34 Ichabod Bartlett, Adams, 29
66 Scattering,
8
1833 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Jack., 204
1808 John T. Gilman, Fed., John Langdon, Rep.,
1817 *William Plumer, Rep., Jeremiah Mason, Fed.,
156
32
218
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
1833 Arthur Livermore, Adams, 2
1853 James Bell, Whig,
52
1834 *William Badger, Dem.,
229
1854 *Nathaniel B. Baker, Dem., 240
1835 *William Badger, Dem.,
200
James Bell, Whig, 45
1836 *Isaac Hill, Dem., 205 Jared Perkins, F. S., 84
George Sullivan, 49 1855 Nathaniel B. Baker, Dem., 226
1837 *Isaac Hill, Dem.,
180
*Ralph Metcalf, 210
1838 *Isaac Hill, Dem.,
239
1856 John S. Wells, Dem.,
232
James Wilson, Whig, 124
66 *Ralph Metcalf, Am.,
201
1839 *John Page, Dem., 251
1857 *William Haile, Rep.,
207
" James Wilson, Whig,
128
66 John S. Wells, Dem.,
209
1840 *John Page, Dem.,
238
1858 Asa P. Cate, Dem.,
233
Enos Stevens, Whig,
112
*William Haile, Rep., 201
1841 *John Page, Dem.,
225 1859 Asa P. Cate, Dem.,
228
66 Enos, Stevens, Whig, 111
66 *Ichabod Goodwin, Rep.,
166
1842 *Henry Hubbard, Dem., John H. White, Ind. D., 48
231
1860 Asa P. Cate, Dem.,
244
66 Enos Stevens, Whig,
30
1861. George Stark, Dem.,
215
66 Daniel Hoit, F. S.,
18
*Nathaniel S. Berry, Rep.,
184
1843 *Henry Hubbard, Dem., 219
1862 George Stark, Dem.,
207
66 Daniel Hoit, F. S.,
20 1863 Ira A. Eastman, Dem.,
1844 *John H. Steele, Dem.,
218
*Joseph A. Gilmore, Rep.,
142 230 135 13
Anthony Colby, Whig,
53
Walter Harriman, Ind. D.,
.. Daniel Hoit, F. S., 37
*Joseph A. Gilmore, Rep., 1865 Edward W. Harrington, D., 211
167
Daniel Hoit, F. S.,
43
*Frederick Smyth, Rep.,
135
1846 Jared W. Williams, Dem., 217 1866 John G. Sinclair, Dem.,
$227
*Anthony Colby, Whig, 78 *Frederick Smyth, Rep., 137
Nathaniel S. Berry, F. S., 36 1867 John G. Sinclair, Dem.,
229
1847 *Jared W. Williams, Dem. 245
*Walter Harriman, Rep., 148
180
Nathaniel S. Berry, F. S.,
38
248
1848 *Jared W. Williams, Dem., Nathaniel S. Berry, F. S.,
116
" *Onslow Stearns, Rep., 142
1870 *Onslow Stearns, Rep., 153
1849 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Dem., Levi Chamberlain, Whig, 77 John Bedel, Dem., 207
Nathaniel S. Berry, F. S.,
34
1871 *Onslow Stearns, Rep., John Bedel, Dem., 207
153
1850 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Dem.,
228
50 1872 *Ezekiel A. Straw, Rep.,
148
38 James A. Weston, Dem., 242
1851 *Samuel Dinsmoor, Dem., 214 1873 James A. Weston, Dem., 202
Thomas E. Sawyer, Whig, 68 " *Ezekiel A. Straw, Rep., 106
66 John Atwood, F. S., 62
250
1874 Luther McCutchings, Rep., 134 " *James A. Weston, Dem., 224
1852 *Noah Martin, Dem., Thomas E. Sawyer, Whig, 74 1875 *Person C. Cheney, Rep., 154
66 John Atwood, F. S., 62 Hiram C. Roberts, Dem., 238
1853 *Noah Martin, Dem., 244
1876 Daniel Marcy, Dem., 241
John H. White, F. S., 73 Person C. Cheney, Rep., 167
Anthony Colby, Whig, 45
*Nathaniel S. Berry, Rep., 66
1864 Edward W. Harrington, D., 238
1845 *John H. Steele, Dem., 183
66 Anthony Colby, Whig,
52
66 Anthony Colby, Whig,
89 1868 *W alter Harriman, Rep., John G. Sinclair, Dem.,
236 1869 John Bedel, Dem.,
214
66 Levi Chamberlain, Whig, Nathaniel S. Berry, F. S.,
243
*Ichabod Goodwin, Rep.,
191
219
ELECTORAL VOTES.
1876 Asa S. Kendall, Temp., 9 1882 *Samuel W. Hale, Rep., 99
1877 Daniel Marcy, Dem.,
222
John F. Woodbury, Gr'back,48
66 A sa S. Kendall, Temp., 15 1884 John M. Hill, Dem., 201
*Benjamin F. Prescott, Rep., 163 *Moody Currier, Rep., 149
1878 *Benjamin F. Prescott, Rep., Frank A. McKean, Dem., 167
172
. George Carpenter, Gr'back, 59
1886 Thomas Cogswell, Dem., 172
1879 *Natt Head, Rep.,
153
*Charles H. Sawyer, Rep., 140 George Carpenter, Gr'back, 32
1880 Frank Jones, Dem., 228
1888
Charles H. Amsden, Dem., 228
66 *Charles H. Bell, Rep., 196 *David H. Goodell, Rep., 181 Warren G.Brown, Greenback, 28 1890 Charles H. Amsden, Dem., 163 *Hiram A. Tuttle, Rep., 130
THE FOLLOWING ARE THE VOTES FOR PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES SINCE 1816.
ELECTORAL VOTES.
1816 James Monroe, Rep.,
Fed.,
63
S. A. Douglas, Dem., 195
1820 James Monroe, Rep.,
98
J. C. Breckenridge, Dem., 18
1824 J. Q. Adams, Whig,
72 John Bell, Whig,
1
Henry Clay, Whig,
25
1864 Abraham Lincoln, Rep.,
154
66 Andrew Jackson, Dem.,
49
Geo. B. McClellan, Dem.,
260
1828 Andrew Jackson, Dem.,
155
66 H. Seymour, Dem.,
235
1832 Andrew Jackson, Dem., Henry Clay, Whig,
116
1872 U. S. Grant, Rep., Horace Greeley, Dem., Scattering,
198
1836 Martin Van Buren, Dem.,
139
3
1840 M. Van Buren, Dem.,
244
R. B. Hayes, Rep., Scattering,
178
1844
W. H. Harrison, Whig, James K. Polk, Dem.,
211
1880 W. S. Hancock, Dem.,
228
66 Henry Clay, Whig,
81
J. A. Garfield, Rep., Weaver, Greenback, Scattering,
28
1848
Lewis Cass, Dem.,
217
1884 Grover Cleveland, Dem.,
196 1
66 J. G. Birney, Lib.,
72
James G. Blaine, Rep.,
161
1852 Franklin Pierce, Dem.,
232
Benj. F. Butler, Greenback. 55 St. John, Prohibition, 3
66 John P. Hale, Free Soil,
62
1888 Grover Cleveland, Dem., 228 Benj. Harrison, Rep., 183
J. A. Streeter, Greenback, 22
66 Millard Fillmore, Whig,
2
Clinton B. Fisk, Prohibition, 2
151
W. H. Harrison, Whig,
45 1876 Samuel J. Tilden, Dem.,
251
66 J. G. Birney, Lib., Zachary Taylor, Whig,
33
55
1
66 Winfield Scott, Whig,
57
1856 James Buchanan, Dem., 229 John C. Fremont, Rep., 216
143
2
159 1868 U. S. Grant, Rep.,
168
J. Q. Adams, Whig,
197
198
150 1860 Abraham Lincoln, Rep., 214
66 Frank A. McKean, Dem., 169
1882 Martin V. B. Edgerly, Dem., 244
CHAPTER IX.
Swanzey Industries.
INDUSTRIES OF WEST SWANZEY-FACTORY VILLAGE-EAST SWANZEY-WEST- PORT-SPRAGUEVILLE-SWANZEY CENTER-GRAVES' PLACE-WILCOX SHOP-LANE MILL-ON BRIDGE BROOK-OTHER MILLS-STORES-HOTELS -BRICK-MAKING-TANNERIES-PALM-LEAF HATS.
W HILE agriculture has always been the leading pursuit of the people in Swanzey, the manufacturing interests, in some re- spects, have been hardly less important. The streams of water are well adapted to furnish the propelling power for machinery and the pine forests have always supplied abundant material for the manufac- ture of wooden ware.
This chapter is principally devoted to a detailed statement of man- ufacturing in the different localities in town.
WEST SWANZEY.
One of the first measures the proprietors of Lower Ashuelot took into consideration after the township had been organized was to have a saw-mill built at the Upper "Great Falls" at West Swanzey. At a meeting of the proprietors held at Concord, Mass., March 16, 1736, the following vote was passed : "That two hundred acres of land ad- joining to the Upper Great Falls in the Great River, to lay as con- venient as may be to said falls, be laid out to Ephraim Jones his heirs and assigns at his or their cost, upon condition that he the said Ephraim Jones, his heirs or assigns shall build a good saw-mill at said falls on or before the 15th day of August next, and maintain it ten years at least, and to saw for and sell boards to the proprietors at the same price they generally are at other places. Said land to be laid out by the committee and surveyor which shall be chosen to lay out the next division of land, and to include said falls ; reserving free liberty for the setting up a grist-mill at said place when the proprietors shall think it necessary. If he, the said Ephraim Jones, his heirs or assigns (who are to have the liberty before any other) shall decline it, and
(220)
221
SWANZEY INDUSTRIES.
if at the end of said ten years or any time forward said Ephraim Jones, his heirs or assigns, shall neglect or refuse to keep up and maintain a saw-mill at said place, then the privilege conveniency for a saw-mill at said place to revert to the proprietors."
Mr. Jones built the saw-mill on the east side of the river, at the low- er part of the falls. The dam was a number of rods below where the present one stands, and some part of the old structure can be seen at each bank of the river.
At a proprietors' meeting held the sixth day of November, 1738, the following votes were passed to encourage Mr. Jones to build a grist-mill near his saw-mill. " Voted to raise the sum of forty shillings on each right, or the sum of one hundred and twenty pounds for en- couragement towards building a grist-mill upon the Great River near to where the saw-mill now stands in said township, to him or them that shall appear to enter into bonds to build the same, on or before the first day of Sept. next ensuing. Voted and chose three men to be a committee to agree with John Shepard who appears (in the name of Ephraim Jones of Concord) to enter into bonds to build a grist-mill as above mentioned.
Voted, That Samuel Gunn, Thomas Cresson and Benjamin Brown be a committee to give bonds to said John Shepard to pay him the money that was voted to be raised for encouragement towards build- ing said grist-mill, and to take a bond of said John Shepard to oblige him to build said mills on or before the first day of September above said."
We have no knowledge how long it was before the mills were de- stroyed but probably they were burned in 1747 by the Indians at the same time they burned the buildings at the Center.
It is not known that any other buildings were erected at West Swanzey, besides the mills, before the township was abandoned. The fact that there is no evidence that the proprietors built a fort there for the protection of inhabitants, goes to show that none had estab- lished themselves there permanently. The laborers in the mills and such as had commenced to improve their land depended upon repair- ing to the forts at the Center for protection in case of danger.
Ephraim Jones, who built the first mills, never lived permanently in the township. Before the settlers commenced to rebuild where their buildings had been destroyed he had died, and his possessions revert- ed to the proprietors as he had not maintained his mills long enough to give his heirs a clear title.
After the abandonment of the township nearly thirteen years
222
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
elapsed before successful efforts were made by the proprietors to re- build the mills.
Joseph Whitcomb and his son Joseph had settled in the east part of Swanzey previous to 1760 ; probably they had obtained the right to the falls at West Swanzey previous to a meeting of the proprietors held March 4, 1760, to act upon the following article : "To see if they will grant to Capt. Joseph Whitcomb, and to any that shall join with him, four acres of land upon his or their own right for a mill yard."
The action of the proprietors upon the article was as follows : " Voted To Capt. Joseph Whitcomb and his partners four acres of land to lay out upon his or their right, on condition that he or they shall build a saw-mill within two or three years from this time."
The above grant may have been included in the land on each side of the falls, on the east side of which Capt. Joseph Whitcomb and his oldest son Joseph immediately erected a saw-mill and grist-mill.
Joseph Whitcomb, jr., was the most prominent business man at West Swanzey between the years 1760 and 1790. Previous to his removal to Grafton, Vt., he executed the following conveyances of his property at different times : To Joseph and Abigail Whitcomb all his interest in that part of the Mill Farm on the west side of Ashuelot river June 1, 1780 ; to Benjamin Wilson six and one-half acres of
land on the east side of the river and one-half of the saw-mill thereon, March 1, 1785 ; to Otis Capron a piece of land on the east side of the river for erecting a fulling-mill with the privilege of taking water out of the grist-mill flume, March 1, 1786 ; to Abijah Whitcomb, one-half his grist-mill March 3, 1788 ; to his son Joseph Whitcomb, 3d, all the Mill Farm which he owned, March 23, 1789 ; to Philemon Whitcomb one acre of land upon which the forge stood and the water power connected with it Sept. 2, 1790. The forge was upon the west side of the river, and the deed was executed after Mr. Whitcomb had removed to Grafton, Vermont.
Capt. Joseph Whitcomb and his son Abijah were the first to build mills on the west side of the river. They commenced about 1771, and owned the property until 1790, when they sold to Philemon Whit- comb.
The operations of the Whitcombs at West Swanzey were confined a number of years to the four acres given them by the proprietors of the township, and to building mills on each side of the river.
One of the original proprietors of Lower Ashuelot was James Hea- ton of Wrentham, Mass. He did not settle in the township, but his son James Heaton, 2d, did. The senior James Heaton became the
223
SWANZEY INDUSTRIES.
owner of the original Mill Farm after the proprietors had voted four acres of it to Capt. Joseph Whitcomb and his partners, and also of other lots of land adjoining the Mill Farm on the west side of the river, lying at the south and west of it. These lots and the original Mill Farm contained over four hundred acres and was known as the "Mill Farm," as had been the two hundred acres conveyed to Ephraim Jones conditionally.
James Heaton, 2d, died in the township Aug. 14, 1753, leaving four sons to whom he bequeathed the Mill Farm, which was ultimately all bought up by the Whitcombs.
Joseph Whitcomb, 1st, bought 200 acres on the west side of the river in Sept., 1770, and 33 acres in 1773. Joseph Whitcomb, 2nd, bought the 80 acres on the east side of the river in 1773. Abijah Whitcomb bought 100 acres June 10, 1773.
Otis Capron bought a plot of the Whitcombs for a fulling-mill on the east side of the river and the right to draw water from the flume of the grist-mill sufficient to operate the mill March 16, 1786. Mr. Capron, having erected a mill, sold it Dec. 11, 1789, to Richard Stratton.
Mr. Stratton carried on the cloth-dressing business down to the time he sold it to his son John, who continued the business by hiring an experienced journeyman and apprenticing his son Isaac to the business.
After Isaac reached his majority one-half the fulling-mill was con- veyed to him and later the other half to his brother Alfred. About the year 1839 the brothers put a carding machine into their mill which for a time they operated in connection with cloth-dressing.
As early as 1842 cloth-dressing had been discontinued and making wooden ware commenced. At first, pails and sap-tubs were made, followed by changing the machinery for making covered buckets. To Isaac and Alfred Stratton belongs the credit of being the first persons to make covered buckets by machinery anywhere. They did not find encouraging sales for their ware. The trade had long been accus- tomed to hand-made goods ; they closed up the business and sold the machinery. About 1848 wool carding was discontinued.
April 6, 1803, Benjamin Wilson sold his half of the saw-mill which he bought in 1785 to his son, John Wilson, who in August, 1807, sold it to Richard Stratton. John Stratton obtained this half of the saw- mill of his father. Philemon Whitcomb became the owner of his father's half of the old saw-mill and conveyed it to his son Abijah under date of Oct. 4, 1823. Samuel Stearns bought this half of the
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HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
mill in 1827 ; Isaac Stratton bought Stearns' half and afterwards con- veyed it to his father. After this conveyance John Stratton contin- ued in possession of the property until he sold to the Stratton Mills Co. in 1866.
Probably Joseph Whitcomb and his son Abijah commenced to build a saw-mill on the west side of the river in 1770, and continued in pos- session of the property until 1790. At this time they owned a grist- mill on the same side of the river. Doubtless this grist-mill took the place of the one that was previously built on the east side.
In 1790, Philemon Whitcomb bought these mills of his father and his brother Abijah. He conveyed, June 4, 1819, three-fourths of the mills to his son Benjamin, and to his son Philemon, one-fourth, Oct. 3, 1823. ' Five days after Philemon Whitcomb, 2d, took a deed of one-fourth of the mills, he sold to his brother Benjamin.
Benjamin Whitcomb, 2d, became the owner of these mills and sold them July 30, 1853, to John Stratton, Alfred Stratton and John Stratton, jr.
One-half of the forge property which Philemon Whitcomb bought in 1789 of his brother Joseph he conveyed to his son Jotham in 1807; the other half was owned at one time by his daughter Damaris, Mrs. Frink. Nov. 19, 1821, Samuel Stearns bought of Jonathan Holbrook one-half of this property, and Jan. 13, 1824, Benjamin Whitcomb bought one-half of it of Philemon Whitcomb, 2d. It is presumed that Benjamin Whitcomb became ultimately the owner of the site upon which the forge was built, and the water power belonging to it.
In 1848 Alfred Stratton sold his half of the fulling-mill property to his brother John. In 1850 Isaac Stratton sold his half to his father and brother Alfred. Before 1850 the making of wooden ware and wool carding had been discontinued at this place, and Alfred and John Stratton, jr., were engaged here in the pelting business.
Isaac Stratton built a steam mill near the Baptist meeting-house in 1850 and sold it to Asa S. Kendall in 1867. Mr. Stratton used the mill mostly for manufacturing lumber, having a saw-mill and other fixtures necessary for such business. He had been engaged a few years previous to selling in hides.
Mr. Kendall made such changes and improvements as were neces- sary to enable him to do a large business at tanning and currying. He continued the business until 1882, and during these years em- ployed a large number of hands.
For the purpose of carrying on the lumbering business, John Strat- ton, in 1849, took as a partner his son-in-law Amos F. Fish. Where
Prace Stratton
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SWANZEY INDUSTRIES.
the old saw-mill stood, they built a large shop to be used for a saw- mill and various other manufacturing purposes. Soon after the build- ing was finished Elliot Hammond put in machinery for making doors, sash and blinds ; George W. Alexander and Benjamin Marvin, machin- ery for manufacturing chair stock ; E. F. Read, machinery for making boot forms. In a few years Alexander and Marvin discontinued man- ufacturing chair stock, and Alanson S. Whitcomb and Levi Cross leased the room and commenced making brush woods.
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