USA > New Hampshire > Cheshire County > Swanzey > The history of Swanzey, New Hampshire, from 1734 to 1890 > Part 24
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The Perry saw-mill, so called, in the extreme south part of the town was built by John Perry about the year 1806, and was managed and operated by the Perry family until it was burned a few years since.
On Hyponeco brook near where William Ballou now lives, a saw- mill was built about 1828 by Nathaniel Thompson. It was used only a few years ; the ruins of the old dam now only mark the place where it stood.
On the same stream, near No. 8 schoolhouse, in 1853, Roswell Whit- comb built a saw- and a stave-mill propelled by an overshot wheel. It was operated very successfully till 1875, wlien it was sold to Simeon Holbrook and taken down a few years after.
Wyman Richardson had a mill on Pond Brook above the bridge near Lorenzo N. Hewes' house in 1800.
Ichabod Woodward had, in 1808, a mill in the southeast part of the town, that part now belonging to Troy.
Erastus Dickinson built a saw-mill on "New Rum" Brook about 1826. It was owned in after years by Nathaniel and Asa Dickinson, 2dl.
In 1862 Edmund Stone built the saw and stave-mill that stands near his house. It can be used only a small part of the year on ac- count of the insufficiency of water. Lyman M. Stone has operated the mill for a number of years past.
246
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
Daniel Verry had a saw-mill on Rixford brook, near his house. He was taxed for it from 1826 to 1859.
Near the close of the last century a mill, probably owned and op- erated by Abel Wilson, stood on California brook just south of the house of John Fitzgerald. The highway then ran east of where the barn now stands.
About 1830 David and Luke Bennett erected a saw-mill on a small brook about half a mile west of their buildings, and which was re- moved in 1840 and sold to Benj. Whiteomb.
STORES, HOTELS, ETC., NOT BEFORE NAMED.
But little is known where goods were sold in Swanzey or who sold them previous to 1800. The old meeting house was built between 1753 and 1755, and William Grimes furnished the rum for the raising, from which it is inferred that he might have sold other goods at this early period. Jonathan Whitcomb was a merchant about Revolution- ary times.
Francis Goodhue, 2d, bought in 1799, of William Wright, Wyat Gunn and Israel H. Gunn, the place where Mrs. Watson now resides, and commenced trading there. Some of these men may have been in trade there before Goodhue bought. Mr. Goodhue advertised in the N. H. Sentinel, English and West India goods, West India rum at 5s. 11 pence per gal., sugar, 7 pounds for 6s ; Bohea tea at 3 s. per pound, and other articles in proportion. Would pay 1s. 6d. for good ashes. In 1803 Mr. Goodhue was taxed for $1500 in trade.
In 1804 he sold to Benjamin Barrett of Brattleborough, Vt. Cal- vin Farrar was in company with Goodhue for some time. Barrett . traded some seven years, having as partner a portion of the time Jo- seph Emerson, who died in 1810. Jonas Blodgett traded at this place some three years after Emerson.
From 1814 to 1822 Abraham Stearns, 2nd, traded where A. H. Free- man now resides. Bela Chase and Benjamin Page succeeded Stearns. They traded some three years. Caleb Sawyer was in trade in this place in 1829.
Benjamin Page and Bela Chase bought the land where Buttrick's hotel now stands in March, 1825, and on it erected a store. The following persons have since been in trade here : B. Page and Joel Whitcomb in 1827 ; Reuben Porter and Silas Hills, 1829 ; Charles C. Pratt, 1831 ; Samuel Belding, 3d, 1832 ; Henry R. Morse, Hunt Broth- ers, Clark Gray, 1840 ; B. Page, 1843 ; Nathan Watkins, 1848 ; James
247
SWANZEY INDUSTRIES.
M. Robb, Elijah Sawyer, Darwin D. Baxter, 1859 ; Amos Richardson, 1863 ; Henry H. Aldrich and Oliver C. Whitcomb, 1870.
The store now owned by Mrs. H. Chamberlain was bought by her husband John Chamberlain in 1867. He traded here till his death in 1870, since which time Mrs. C. and her sons have continued the busi- ness. Elijah Bullard at one time, and Edward Perry at another, sold goods here.
Elisha Osgood built the house now owned by Lyman N. Howes, and previous to 1825, occupied a part of it for a store. In 1825 and 1826, Otis and Alva Whitcomb traded at this place.
When the travel to the lower towns from Keene and places north passed over the "Boston" road, there was much business for hotels in the central part of Swanzey. Jonathan Hammond kept a public house at the place now owned by Sylvander Stone ; Elijah Belding at the Zina Taft place, and Dan Guild in the old red house on the Car- ter Whitcomb place. These houses were all kept at an early period of the town's history. From 1800 to 1812, there was a public house where Mrs. Watson resides. It was first kept by Francis Goodhue, next by Benjamin Barrett, and afterwards by Jonas Blodgett.
Henry Morse, 2d, for many years previous to 1825, kept a hotel where Levi Crouch now lives. A public house was kept for a long time at William C. Belding's place, the occupants from 1793 being Jacob Bump, N .ah Arnold and David Holbrook.
Between 1830 and 1840, John L. Aldrich at one time, and Col. Phineas Stone at another, were keeping tavern at Mrs. P. Stone's place. William Hewes owned Asa Healey's several years and kept there a public house.
Buttrick's hotel has been opened to the public most of the time since 1861. Those that have been in possession of it have been Amos Richardson, George Howe, L. C. Whitney and W. H. Buttrick.
Brick-making to a considerable extent was carried on at different times for a long period by Solomon Matthews, J. H. Matthews and other former owners of the Timothy Fitzgerald place.
Jonathan Babbitt had a brick yard on the east side of the road near Frank E. Ballou's residence. The brick for the house of Aaron Hol- brook and brothers (C. H. Holbrook's) was made a few rods west of Willard I. Ballou's.
Between the years 1830 and 1860, a large amount of the red oak timber in Swanzey was worked into shook. It was split into staves, shaved, bent, packed into bunches large enough to make a hogshead, and sent mostly to New Haven, Conn., and thence to the West Indies.
248
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
For a long time Levi Blake's tannery was one of the most impor- tant industries in town. Previous to 1800 Fisher Draper had been doing a small business at tanning, where Mr. Blake at this date com- menced and continued nearly forty years. He carried on tanning and currying, did enstom work, bought hides and sold leather. Benjamin C. Blake, the youngest son of Levi Blake, died in 1843. A few years before his death the business of the establishment had passed into his hands. Following him, William C. Belding carried on the business some three years. Henry Abbott was the last person doing business at the Blake tannery. Henry Hill is the present owner of the site. There were two tanneries in early times in the southeast part of the town. Benjamin Parsons had one on the place now owned by An- thony S. Whitcomb, located several rods west of where his buildings stand. Aquilla Ramsdell had the other on the place now occupied by the Ramsdell family. It was cast of the buildings down near the meadow.
The making of palmleaf hats was an important industry in town from 1830 to 1870. By this occupation the women and children in many a family procured not only their groceries but also materials for clothing and many other articles for family use. At first the coun- try merchants furnished the rough leaf to the braiders, who split it into strands, bleached, braided, pressed, completed the hat, and re- turned it to the merchants in exchange for their goods.
Later, the leaf was prepared ready for braiding before being dis- tributed to the braiders, and the hats were sold before being pressed ; the pressing and preparing the leaf being done in factories by ma- chinery. Still later, hat peddlers to a large extent monopolized the trade, sold the leaf to their customers and bought the hats, paying in goods or cash.
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CHAPTER X.
Miscellaneous.
FATAL ACCIDENTS- MURDERS - SMALL-POX -SWANZEY CEMETERIES-REV- OLUTIONARY PENSIONERS IN 1840-EPIDEMIC IN WESTPORT-PROFESSIONAL MEN- MAIL CARRYING AND POSTMASTERS -TOWN DEBT - TOWN PAU- PERS - MARKING SHEEP -A ROLLING STONE -RAIN AND SNOW STORMS - COLD YEAR - GRASSHOPPER YEAR - TEMPERANCE - BOATING ON THE ASHUELOT RIVER - JUSTICES OF THE PEACE - SUPERVISORS OF THE CHECK LIST - GREAT SNOW STORM -SECRET SOCIETIES - BEAR AND WOLF STORIES.
FATAL ACCIDENTS.
YTHE following instances have been reported to the compiler :
While Samuel Hills was returning from a visit to friends in Keene, coming down the Ashuelot river in a boat, he had a child drowned.
Before there was a bridge at East Swanzey, Phineas Battles, a lad living with Samuel Lane, undertaking to cross the stream on a log, in the spring when the water was high, fell in and was drowned.
Silas Cresson, a son of Thomas Cresson, was scalded to death Dec. 31. 1759.
Caleb Sawyer, while frolicking when returning from town meeting March 10, 1772, fell from a sled and was killed.
Jan. 17, 1774, Benjamin Parsons fell down cellar and was killed. Daniel Gunn, 2d, was drowned Nov. 22, 1786.
Moses Belding, 2nd, died from the effects of swallowing a bean, Feb. 6, 1788.
Abel Wilson had a child scalded to death in 1791.
Nathan Goddard was found dead in the woods Dec. 30, 1811, under a tree which he had felled while alone.
William Wright fell from a scaffold in the barn Jan. 14, 1812, and was instantly killed.
A child of Nathan Whitcomb, nearly two years old, died from a scald March 9, 1814.
Brown Taft was drowned at Westport July 21, 1815.
Enoch Kimball was drowned Jan. 18, 1816.
Amariah Peck removed from Swanzey to Vermont, and in digging a
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250
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
well, the air in it became insupportable of life during his absence, and when he went into it he died there ; also a son of his who descended first into the well died from the same cause.
Calvin Bryant had a son Calvin born July 4, 1821, killed at East Swanzey when about six years old by a rail falling off the fence upon him.
Emery, son of Abijah Whitcomb, 2d, born in 1815, was drowned at West Swanzey when a young lad.
Feb. 18, 1826, Ziba W. Read, while chopping a log on which he was standing, fell backward on to a sprout stub which entered his body and caused his death.
Cynthia B. Sawyer, a daughter of Henry Sawyer, was scalded to death when a little over a year old, July 15, 1827.
Aaron Thayer, while driving a two-horse team in the night, got under one of the wagon wheels and was found dead July 26, 1829.
Joseph Bridge was killed by the kick of a horse about 1830.
Dr. E. K. Frost's twin daughter was burned to death in 1830, about four years of age.
While Amos Richardson (the giant) was driving his oxen drawing a cart, the right ox lifted him with one of its horns which entered the rectum, causing inflammation and death Nov. 6, 1831.
A son of the above named Richardson was killed by having his head crushed between a cart wheel and the side of the barn, when the father was backing the oxen and cart from the barn.
Seth Holbrook, while riding horseback, was thrown from his horse Dec. 11, 1833, and received an injury from which he died a few hours after.
Robert Ware was drowned at Albany, N. Y., July 5, 1835.
Two young men employed in a mill at East Swanzey were drowned while bathing about 1835.
Charles Moore was burned to death in a cabin while tending a coal pit, Nov. 30, 1843. Mowry A. Thompson, who was with him at the time, barely escaped with his life.
David Read went alone to Franklin mountain for a load of logs and was found dead under a log, Jan. 31, 1845.
Willard Watkins was drowned in Swanzey pond, falling out of a boat, August 10, 1845.
Artemas Richardson was wounded and bled to death at Swanzey Factory village, by accidentally sticking a jack knife into his thigh.
Julius Francis, a son of Moses Howard, was drowned in a watering rough Oct. 8, 1846, when nearly two years old.
251
MISCELLANEOUS.
Jolın Park Henry was run over by an ox cart and fatally injured, dying August 14, 1847. The oxen ran away when he was attempting to detach them from the cart.
Dec. 30, 1848, Asa Jackson was found dead in the road east of Westport, at a point now intersected by the Ashuelot railroad.
Lewis Gunn was drowned in the Ashuelot river June 26, 1849.
Aaron Wheeler, when descending from a barn scaffold, fell upon a cart stake and died from the injury received, Feb. 27, 1850.
Elijah Starkey was killed June 24, 1850, by a tree falling upon him in the woods while peeling bark.
Virgil Verwell, son of Silas Whitcomb, 3d, was drowned in a tub of water when about a year and a half old, July 15, 1854.
David Woodward was struck and killed by a railroad train in 1856.
William W. Palmer and another man sawed off a tree, that had blown down, close to the roots ; when sawed off the stump fell for- ward upon Mr. Palmer and killed him, Dec. 15, 1860.
Israel Applin was killed Nov. 1, 1861, by falling off the end of a building upon which he was at work laying shingles.
- Nugent, a blind man, was drowned in the Ashuelot river near Westport about 1861.
About the same time another man (supposed by some to have been murdered) was found dead in the river at Westport.
Charles M. Hills was killed by falling from a railroad car Feb. 1, 1862.
Lorin A. Britton, a railroad engineer, was killed in Tennessee in 1862.
George L. Black, a son of Orrin Black, was drowned in Lake Mich- igan, Oct. 20, 1865.
A daughter of Schuyler Seaver, nearly nine months old, was smothered in bed Dec. 21, 1868.
Mary Isabel, a daughter of Solon W. Snow, was scalded to death, Jan. 23, 1869, nearly two years old.
George W. Mason, a son of Hale Mason, was killed while living in Boston, Mass., by falling from a staging on which he was at work.
George H. Wilder, a resident of West Swanzey several years, went over the dam at Holyoke, Mass., while engaged upon work about the dam, and was drowned.
Mrs. Joshua Sawyer was killed by the kick of a horse.
Jotham Ballou died of a kick from a horse.
Benjamin Cross was killed in Peterborough by an engine explosion. David A. Pomeroy was killed in a mill at Townshend, Vt.
252
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
Olive Prime, after her marriage, was burned to death in Illinois by her clothes taking fire.
Lurana, daughter of Elkanah Lane, was burned to death by her clothes taking fire, after her marriage and residence in Massachusetts.
Eber Carpenter died from a kick by a horse after he became a cit- izen of Northfield, Mass.
Joshua Bradley Sawyer, after he became a resident of Winchendon, Mass., was killed by a railroad train, when crossing a track in a carriage.
Lot Aldrich was drowned at Westport.
Elbridge G. Prentice, when walking upon a railroad track, was killed by, a passing train.
Leighton fell from the dam into the water at East Swanzey and was drowned.
Rev. E. I. Carpenter, in returning to his home from Keene, his horse becoming unmanageable, was thrown from his sleigh as he was turning into his yard and injured so severely that he died soon after, Feb. 10, 1877.
Jehiel White was found dead in the woods, Feb. 23, 1879, under a tree which he had felled.
Sarah L., daughter of John Rice, five years of age, was burned so severely by her clothes taking fire, that she died, Feb. 1, 1881.
John Naylon, as he was walking from Keene to Swanzey on the Ashuelot railroad, May 1, 1881, was struck by the train and instantly killed.
Lock M. Rixford, while in the employ of a railroad company, was killed April 26, 1883.
G. Bernard, a son of Oscar R. Farr, was scalded to death by the overturning of a coffee pot, and died Feb. 7, 1887, nearly seven months ·old.
David Parsons fell upon the railroad track at West Swanzey and received an injury from which he died July 13, 1888.
Fred. L. Iredale, a lad nearly fifteen years old, was drowned at West Swanzey, Aug. 3, 1888.
Frank A. Ballou died Feb. 11, 1890, from a fractured skull caused by a limb of a tree falling upon him that had been wrenched from another tree which he had cut.
Willard Trask inflicted in the right side of Joseph Austin a wound from which he died March 26, 1850. For this offence Trask was con- victed and sentenced to State's Prison for life. But, after several years of confinement, his deportment in prison having been good, he was pardoned by the Governor and released.
253
MISCELLANEOUS.
Joseph Perry, a single man, fifty-six years old, who lived alone in a house in the south part of the town, was murdered about the first day of August, 1876. He was shot, but was alive when first found by a neighbor. No knowledge could be obtained from him who the murderer was. He lived about a day after he was found, unconscious. No clew to the murderer has yet been obtained.
SMALL-POX.
Jonathan Webster, a soldier, died with the small-pox Aug. 31, 1757.
Jan. 16, 1761, Isaac Clark died of this disease. Jan. 25, I. Har- rington ; Feb. 5, Mrs. Amos Foster; March 2, Mr. Amos Foster ; Aug. 18, 1776, Widow Timothy Brown, and Oct. 24, Triphena Fair- banks.
In the winter of 1845 and '46 Mr. Philo Applin went from home to work. He became unwell and returned. His illness proved to have been varioloid of a mild type. His family consisted of a wife and nine children, all of whom had the small-pox except the oldest daugh- ter, who, though remaining in the family through the sickness, did not have the disease .. Mr. Applin lived on the Leonard A. Newell place, in a house near the spring, west of the road. In taking care of his family he had the assistance of his daughter and a man who had previously had the disease. Three of the children died and were carried out and buried by Mr. Applin and the man who assisted him in caring for his family. The burial was on the hill east of the road.
SWANZEY CEMETERIES.
The Mount Cæsar cemetery at Swanzey Centre doubtless dates back to the first settlement of the town. Appearances indicate that the northwest part of the present cemetery was first used for burying pur- poses.
As stated in Chapter III the proprietors set apart a piece of land for a "burying place," and chose a committee to see to the cutting down the trees, etc. The records make no mention of any further lay out or any fencing of the old cemetery. There was evidently no general plan in the arrangement of the graves ; though they are some- what in ranges, these frequently overlap or pass by each other. The heads of the graves, as in most other ancient cemeteries, are uni- formly towards the west. There are no stones or other monuments to mark the earliest graves. The thin slabs of slate of various sizes
254
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
and adornments, many with quaint inscriptions, are the most ancient, unless it be the rough granite stones with no names attached. Many of the inscriptions are hardly legible. The oldest date back to about 1760. No marble was used till the beginning of the present century. The family tomb of Jonathan Hammond is evidently quite ancient, erected probably about 1820; that of the Dickinson family is more modern, built some twenty years later.
In 1858 it became necessary to enlarge this burying ground, and about three acres adjoining on the south side were purchased of Car- ter Whitcomb and enclosed by a stone wall. A committee consist- ing of Carter Whitcomb, Luther S. Lane and B. F. Lombard, was chosen to lay out this addition into lots, with avenues, etc., corre- sponding to the modern style. They appraised the lots at prices rang- ing from less than one dollar to three dollars and thirty-three cents. The lots were sold at the appraised prices till 1865, when the town voted to make them free, and refund the money to those that had then purchased. In 1859 a receiving tomb was built ; Alfred Seaver doing the work for $118. In 1890 it was deemed necessary to again en- large the cemetery or purchase land for a new one. Several acres were bought for this purpose from the Sylvander Stone farm, about three-fourths of a mile south from the old ground.
WEST SWANZEY BURYING GROUND.
The old burying ground at West Swanzey was probably used as such about 1798. No records pertaining to it appear till 1835, when at the annual meeting the town voted to sell the fencing of it. Like that at the Centre, it became nearly filled with graves, and in 1858 Henry Eames, Oliver Capron and Isaac Stratton were chosen a com- mittee to purchase land for a new one. The following year Virgil A. Holbrook of district No. 11, Oliver Capron of No. 13, Henry Eames of No. 6, Edwin Snow of No. 12, Henry Holbrook of No. 7, and Daniel H. Holbrook of No. 8, were chosen a committee to assist in laying out and fitting up the new cemetery. The expense for land and fenc- ing was $352.
In 1860 a receiving tomb was built by Alfred Seaver costing $125.
In 1890-'01 Henry D. Thompson gratuitously built the faced gran- ite wall around the old cemetery.
{ The neat little burying ground at Westport is owned and cared for by individuals, and not by the town. The oldest head stone is at the grave of Jonathan Holbrook who died May 6, 1796.
255
MISCELLANEOUS.
REVOLUTIONARY PENSIONERS LIVING IN SWANZEY, JUNE 1, 1840. (Taken from U. S. official documents.)
NAME.
AGE.
RESIDENCE.
Russell Ballou,
76
Mollie Cummings,
76
Elisha Chamberlain,
77
Mary Scott,
88
Lived with Abel Dickinson.
Jotham Eames,
84
Elizabeth Green,
70
Benjamin Howard,
80
Rosilla Hill,
83
Lived with David Hill.
Asaph Lane,
81
Samuel Lane,
81
Lived with Elisha Lane. Lived with Joseph Long.
Phebe Long,
80
Mary Ockington,
85
Jemima Stone,
86
Ivory Snow,
78
Lived with David Stone. Lived with Joseph Snow.
Abijah Whitcomb,
88
EPIDEMIC IN WESTPORT.
In 1849 an epidemic of unusual proportions prevailed in town, but principally in the village of Westport. Between July 7, and Oct. 21, fifty-five persons in Swanzey died of dysentery ; five in July, twenty in August, twenty-four in September, and six in October. Of this number thirty-five were within one mile of the schoolhouse in West- port.
SWANZEY'S PROFESSIONAL MEN. Physicians.
Nathaniel Hammond, Wm. C. Belding place ; died Oct. 11, 1773. Calvin Frink, F. Downing place ; died 1821.
Israel Sawyer, J. Handy place ; born 1753, died Jan. 18, 1832. Ezra Thayer, School District No. 8.
Abel Wilder, removed from town.
Paul Raymond, died 1814.
Ephraim K. Frost, Mrs. Watson's place ; came 1819. Henry Baxter, H. D. Thompson place ; 1820-1853.
256
HISTORY OF SWANZEY.
Daniel Linsey, removed from town 1828.
N. B. Barton, West Swanzey, died 1852.
Samuel D. King, Cong. Parsonage, 1835-1845.
John F. Jennison, Eclectic, Sylvander Stone place, 1814; died in Keene.
Willard Adams, Cong. Parsonage, 1845-1871.
D. L. M. Comings, West Swanzey, 1853-1863.
F. HI. Underwood, Eclectic, West Swanzey, 1857; died in Boston. Geo. I. Cutler, West Swanzey, since 1865.
In addition to the foregoing who have been the practising physi- cians in Swanzey, are the following who were born or bred in this town and, have practised their profession elsewhere : Simeon Brown, Abner Stanley, Hiram Bennett, Joseph Streeter, Samuel Lane, Mellen R. Holbrook, Hiram O. Bolles, George W. Gay, Clarence W. Downing, and Charles H. Bailey.
The town has rarely deemed it necessary to maintain a lawyer with- in her borders, but it has raised up and sent to other localities more needy the following : Joseph Larnerd, Luther Chapman, Benjamin Kimball, David Thompson, Asahel H. Bennett, Farnum F. Lane, Daniel K. Healey, Lloyd D. Eaton, Milo Eaton.
Of Swanzey men who became clergymen or were licensed to preach are the names of Sebastian Streeter, Russell Streeter, Robert Crossett, Henry Woodcock, Caleb Sawyer, Tristan Aldrich, Jonathan Bailey, Asa Withington, Truman A. Jackson, Don Carlos Taft, Myron W. Adams.
MAIL CARRYING AND POST-MASTERS.
Many of our older inhabitants remember when the postage on a sin- gle letter was 6, 10, 12}, 182 and 25 cents, according to the distance carried ; 25 cents being the rate when the distance was over four hun- dred miles.
These were the rates from 1816 to 1845. In the early days of the country's history according to the established rates the postage on a one-half ounce letter from Boston to San Francisco would be $2.74. In 1845 the rates were changed to five cents on a half ounce letter for a distance not exceeding three hundred miles, and ten cents for any greater distance.
We have no authentic record of mail carrying to or from Swanzey in colonial and early days. As in other localities it was doubtless done on horseback, at infrequent and probably irregular periods. For many years previous to the advent of railroads through the
257
MISCELLANEOUS.
town the mail was carried by stages, then quite numerous. One of these lines extended from Worcester through Richmond and Swanzey to Keene. Later a stage connected Greenfield, Mass., with Keene passing through Westport, West Swanzey and Swanzey Centre. Af- ter the Ashuelot railroad was built the mail for the Centre for many years was delivered at Sawyer's Crossing. More recently it has been carried by the Keene and Richmond stage.
The records fail to tell us when the first post-office was formed at the Centre or who was the first post-master. It was the only post- office in town till 1831 when that at Westport was formed. The post-office at West Swanzey was established in 1846, and that at East Swanzey in 1873. The following are the post-masters with dates of appointment :
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