USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Lyndeborough > The history of the town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire,1735-1905 > Part 48
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The road which branches from the Forest road to the centre of the town, between Mr. G. M. Cram's house and that of Mr. Joseph A. Blanchard, has on it three dwellings. The first of these is about three-fourths of a mile from the Forest road, and is the Kidder place, now the home of Ethan A. Woodward. Mr. W. married Elizabeth Rebecca Kidder, the only living child of Mr. Franklin H. Kidder, and through his wife and also the good will of her parents, he, after his wife's decease on July 20, 1904, became possessor of that part of the original Kidder es- tate. The succession was John, Ephraim, Thomas, Franklin Holt, Elizabeth Rebecca (Kidder) Woodward.
On what was also a part of the John Kidder place is the home of Fred Moore, son of Harriet Moore, whose mother was Martha Harriet (Kidder) Moore, wife of Cyrus Moore. The latter is credited with having built the house in which his grandson now lives.
Next north of this lives Mrs. Mary, widow of the late Deacon S. S. Cummings. The house is now the home of one of her grand-daughters, Mrs. Hayford, who has two children. Deacon Cummings died in 1897, and Mrs. C. keeps possession of the home. The house was built by Mr. Francis Johnson, the father of J. A. Johnson, Esq.
Next west of Mr. Cram's is the residence of Mr. Joseph A. Blanchard, nearly in front of a road which comes in from the southwest to the Forest road. The place is said to have had three dwellings on it. A little to the north of the present house
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was one in which Mr. Daniel Cram used to live. He sold out to Mr. Samuel Woodward, the father of the late Foster Wood- ward. Mr. Levi Tyler was next owner, who built the present dwelling and sold to John Lynch, who again sold to Mr. Luke A. Lucas, Mr. Blanchard's predecessor. He, the latter, has been the longest occupant of it. He was a soldier in the 8th N. H. V., and was in the battle of Port Hudson.
On the same road farther west is the home of Elmer E. Blanchard, son of Joseph A. He succeeded Frank Eaton, whose parents died on the place and were carried to Somerville, Mass., for burial. The place had been previously owned by Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, a member of the Baptist church, called " Baptist Joe," to distinguish him from brickmaker Joe, who was called " Brick Joe." The latter was the father of our townsman, Mr. Rufus Chamberlain. The Eatons bought the place of Mr. Byron Putnam, from whom Mr. Blanchard also bought it.
A short distance farther on, the old road passed up the hill a little west of north, to the Jotham Hildreth place, home of both father and son of that name. The old road passed by the Hil- dreth place and continued nearly the same course, and came out at the Forest road near the No. 9 schoolhouse. After the late Jotham Hildreth's death Mr. Herbert Wilkerson bought the place and sold it to the late Mr. Humphrey Gould, whose family have greatly improved the house and its surroundings, make it their permanent home and also entertain summer guests.
Near this house on its north side, is a road which crosses the old road and passes down the hill, crossing the Forest road near Mr. Edward Dolliver's, and descending a steep hill, turns sharply to the left, at its foot, and crosses the B. & M. R. R. A little farther on, it crosses the Rocky River. At this point in early days was Sargent's mill, a wool carding and fulling mill. Later a cabinet shop was carried on here, by John Newell and still later by Daniel Cragin, now of Wilton, who for a while had Mr. Albert Cram as a partner. He sold to Mr. Gage, and the latter to Mr. Jacob Crosby, who died suddenly while owner. After his death Mr. Alvaro Buttrick bought it and carried it on a number of years, and sold it to Warren A. Eaton. The latter carried it on till his health failed and he removed to Somerville, Mass. He had made a number of improvements in the way of repairs in both the mill and dwelling. The property was
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bought by Mr. George W. Eastman, who managed it but a short time, and sold out to its present owner, B. W. Colburn.
The next neighbor west of this is Mr. G. W. Eastman. By trade he is a jeweller and repairs clocks, watches, etc. He came to the farm for his health and has added to his farm work the management of a green house, doing considerable business as florist. He also works at his trade as opportunities offer. His place was previously the home of the late Adoniram Russell.
The straight road up the hill northwest of Mr. Eastman's leads to Mr. William Dolliver's. His predecessor was David S. Draper. Thomas J. Draper afterwards lived with his father, David S., took care of him in his last days and succeeded in ownership of the place. After the latter's decease Mr. Dolliver bought it.
West of the last named William Dolliver, lives his brother, Samuel Dolliver, in the old home of his ancestors. The house is reported to have been built by John Beasom who came here from Marblehead, Mass. in 1775 with his father, Philip. The latter was the grandfather of the late Capt. John Dolliver, who lived and died where his son Samuel now lives.
Starting again from the village of South Lydeborough, at the western crossing of the railway, a short piece of the highway passes southwest from the Forest road towards Temple. After crossing the track of B. & M. R. R., the first house, now occu- pied by Mrs. Dale, was the residence of the late Joel H. Tar- bell, Esq., and here both he and his wife ended their days. It was formerly both the store and the residence of Mr. William W. Young who sold his entire property to the R. R. company, and returned to Chelsea, Mass., about 1874. The R. R. com- pany sold the store to Mr. Tarbell who was its original builder. He moved it back from the railroad and changed it wholly into a dwelling, occupying it till his death, in 1891. His wife, also, Mrs. Esther Putnam Tarbell, continued to reside here till she died, in November, 1901. After this, Mr. Andrew J. Marshall, a civil war veteran, with greatly impaired health, lived in a part of the house, and died in March, 1902.
Mrs. Dale became the next tenant and continues so in 1905.
The next building is the hair-dressing shop of Mr. John Page, put up about the time that the location of a glove factory was anticipated in our village.
The next place is the home of Mr. Roy Burton, who bought
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the place of Mr. Andy Cram. The latter lived here many years, and made considerable addition to it. Here lived Mr. Joel Tar- bell, father of Capt. Joel H., and also Mrs. Abigail Hadley.
Near this, on the opposite side of the street, is the home of Mr. A. T. Ford, whose wife died here a few weeks ago. On this ground was an old house occupied in 1835 by Ebenezer Pearson, Jr., the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Joel H. Tarbell. It was later the home of Mr. Joseph H. Ford. The old house was torn down and the present one built by Mr. A. T. Ford, who is a carpenter and wheelwright, and has a small shop near his house. Other tenants were Dustin Wheeler and Mrs. Le- titia McGinley.
Close by Mr. Ford's shop is the blacksmith shop of Mr. W. H. Abbott.
Still westward on the south side of the road is the house said to have been built for the miller who conducted the Bradford grist mill. The house stands a little away from the roadside, and previous to 1840 was the home of Elijah Upton, who married first, Alice Putnam, and second, Sally Bradford, daughter of the mill owner. It became afterwards the home of Salathiel Lidson Wheeler, and is now the property of his widow, who lives with her daughter Minnie, the wife of George Blanchard, in Green- field.
Fred A. Carkin was living here when in June, 1904, he be- came the victim of a mysterious and almost fatal accident. He was assisting to kill and bury a horse when a bullet glanced from the animal, struck Mr. Carkin in the chest, and, as was supposed, lodged near his spinal column. Much sym- pathy was felt for him and his family of wife and six little children, and the kindly assistance possible was extended generally. He lingered long on the boundary, seemingly be- tween life and death, but has survived till now, July, 1905, and is able to perform some light kinds of labor.
The house is much out of repair, and is at present vacant.
After ascending the steep hill west of the river, one comes to the residence of Mr. Isaac Lowe, where reside also Mr. Jason Holt and his son-in-law, Mr. John Curtis. The buildings are pleasantly situated and comparatively new. On this place, about a century ago, lived Thomas Bradford, son of Capt. John Bradford of Amherst, and brother of Ephraim Putnam Bradford, the long time pastor of the Presbyterian church, New Boston. Thomas Bradford came here from Hancock about 1803. He
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was the owner of the grist mill above mentioned. Both he and his wife died on the place. His son, James C., lived with his parents, and received the place for the service rendered them in their last days. James afterward sold the place to Andrew Tyler, and Mr. Tyler again sold it to Mr. Charles Tarbell, his brother-in-law, who lived on the place several years, and sold to Mr. Lowe, the present owner.
The next place southwest is Mr. Benjamin Martin's. He came here from Hancock about three years ago, and has again sold his place and is about to leave town.
The house was built by Mr. James C. Bradford. Others who made their home here for a time were John Emery, William Young, Charles Young, F. H. Hallett and Mr. Martin.
Again ascending a steep hill to a kind of landing, we reach the home of Mr. Frank Winn, on the south side of the road. He purchased the place a little more than a year ago, from Mrs. Houghton of Boston, who had owned the place as a sum- mer residence for about two years. She bought the place from Mr. George Murch, who had owned it about ten years, having bought it of Mr. Edward Weston, who was the successor of his father-in-law, Mr. Artemas Woodward. Mr. Woodward built the barn, one of the large, fine barns of the town. Mr. Murch was a carpenter and made additions to the house and repaired it much. He also built the carriage house.
Walter S. Murdo and wife, Hattie D. (Steele) Murdo lived here a short time, as tenant for Mrs. Houghton; as did also Mr. Richard Cram and wife.
This is known as one of the very old places of the town, begun by John Cram, Jr., son of John, the first settler, and afterwards owned by Benjamin Cram. It is said that three Benjamin Crams lived here at one time.
Rising another steep, westward from Frank Winn's place, one comes to Mr. Pettingill's place. He married Clara N., daughter of the late Mr. William Ryerson, March, 1897, and has since been a resident on this place.
It is the old place of Ephraim Putnam who came here from Danvers, Mass., and who, to distinguish him from two others of the same name in the town, was called " Danvers Ephraim." He owned a large tract of land in Lyndeborough. He died May II, 1821, aged 76. His son Ephraim succeeded him in the old homestead. He was known as Ephraim 2nd. He married Esther, daughter of Ebenezer Pearson, Jr. They were
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the parents of Mrs. Joel H. Tarbell, whose maiden name was Esther Putnam. Mr. and Mrs. Joel H. Tarbell lived on this place several years after the death of Mrs. T's parents, and sold the place to William N. Ryerson, whose widow still lives in her old home with Mr. and Mrs. Pettingill.
Going still westward the next place is that of Mr. Azro D. Cram. The house was built by Mr. Jonathan Putnam, brother of Ephraim Putnam, 2nd, for his son, Jonathan Putnam, Jr.
Still westward and up another quite steep hill, fifty or sixty rods away, is the home of Mr. J. C. Miller. This was first the home of Jonathan Putnam above named, who lived and died there. His son, Ephraim Hildreth Putnam, commonly called " Hildreth " Putnam, lived here with his parents, and also after their death. He sold the place to Benjamin F. Tenney, and the latter sold it to Solomon Cram, the father of Azro, above named. Mr. Orin Cram, one of his sons, lived here with his father, and after his father's death sold the place to Mr. Benjamin Gould, who sold to Mr. Miller, its present owner, and went to Califor- nia. This is very near the height of land on this highway.
After passing Mr. Miller's, a person will descend quite a steep way and then come to a level spot where once stood a dwelling. This was the home of a Mr. Hodgeman, who mar- ried the oldest daughter of Mr. Solomon Cram. Mr. Hodgeman was killed by lightning here, and his widow afterwards mar- ried Alban Buttrick.
The next building on that road is the schoolhouse of district No. 5. The road passes on westward a short distance and in- tersects with the road which runs from Lyndeborough Centre past the Hildreth place toward Temple.
South of this last intersection are two others before the main road reaches the Wilton line. The first turns southwest and passes the home of Mr. Foster, who bought the place about two years ago. He is a painter and paper-hanger as well as a farmer. He bought of Mrs. Thomas Dale. Others who had previ- ously lived there were Samuel K. Russell, George H. Blood and John Fletcher, who probably built the house. It is the last house before reaching the Temple line.
An eighth of a mile farther south a lane turns to the right to the home of Marshall B. Richards. The place was occupied about a century ago by Jedediah Russell, a revolutionary sol- dier, and afterwards by his son, a soldier of 1812. It was owned
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later by Herman Wright, Edward D. Smith and its present owner.
On the southward road a short distance away, are the fine buildings of W. W. Burton, the last before reaching the Wilton line. Here at the southwest corner of our town is one of its fine farms. The place contains 273 acres and was owned by the present Mr. B's father, Dexter Burton, in his day prominent among the military men of this district.
Commencing again at E. W. Dolliver's intersection on the way towards Greenfield, the first house is that of Mr. Sewall M. Buck, a painter and paper-hanger by trade. His house stands back from the highway, and was formerly the home of Capt. William Dutton, who married Sarah, daughter of John Beasom, and they brought up a large family on this place. The Dutton heirs sold the place to Israel Cram, and he bequeathed it to the Congregational church, whose agents, N. T. McIntire and Peter Clark, sold it to Mr. Buck, a civil war veteran, and an upright, industrious citizen.
Nearly west from Mr. Buck's is the cellar of what was known as the "The Mountain House," conducted for a time by Mark D. Langdell, who was succeeded by several others. Its reputation was none of the best; and when it burned to the ground, there was very little lamentation over it among law- abiding citizens, it is said.
Nearly opposite this, between the small cemetery and the in- tersection of "the gulf road," is the house known as the Crosby house. It is now owned by Roy Burton, son of John Hale Bur- ton, and son-in-law of Mr. S. M. Buck. It is at present the home of Mr. Holden, who married the owner's sister. It was previously the home of Abram Wright, John Flint, William Dolliver, and perhaps others, but took its name from Benjamin Crosby, a worthy and highly esteemed citizen.
About half a mile away on the direct road to Greenfield is the old cellar of the house of John Stephenson, who appears to have been the son of the John Stephenson who called the first meeting under the town charter. He built the mill on Rocky River which has now disappeared, though traces of the old mill dam remain. The place is thought to have been owned previ- ously by John Woodward and Chase Hadley.
Next on the Forest road towards Greenfield, and standing far back from it on the right hand is the house of Mr. George Newton. The old road was crooked and went near the house.
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The Forest road avoided the bends and left the houses some- times inconveniently situated. It was formerly the home of Harvey M. Newton, Mark Hadley and perhaps Thomas Bof- fee. The place is the last in Lyndeborough on that road. For Thomas Boffee see pp, 174 and 175.
The old road to Peterborough, after crossing the bridge near the site of the Stephenson saw-mill, passes up by the house of Jotham Sumner Stephenson, a grandson of the builder of the mill. The house was for a time the home of his aunt, Mary Stephenson. He bought the place of Josiah Swinington, who built the house and for a time lived in it. To distinguish him from his father, Jotham, he is known as Sumner Stephenson.
Passing south through Mr. Stephenson's door-yard, twenty or more rods away, is the old building for many years the dwell- ing of Job and Betsey Swinington. They were among the con- stituent members of the Baptist Church. (p. 338.) The old building is no longer used as a dwelling, but serves as a poultry house.
Passing on still west on the Peterborough road from Mr. Stephenson's there is the old cellar of a small house built by Olney Butler ; and next is a house now occupied by Leon Dra- per, a son of the late James Draper of Greenfield. It was built for a harness shop by Horace Butler, and was later the home of Lucinda Searles, who died in March, 1888. The house has been unoccupied much of the time since, till Mr. Draper found a home in it.
The last house in Lyndeborough on this old road is that occu- pied by Mrs. Emery, a widow, and a sister of the last-named Leon Draper. Till a recent day this place was the property of the late Dr. James Butler of Lempster, a son of Jacob Butler and grandson of Jonathan Butler, a Revolutionary hero. (See Roll p. 176.). This house was doubtless built by Jonathan, and was in the hands of his grandson till within a very few years. The barn connected with this house has a historic interest. It was the old town house which served the Congregational Church as their third meeting-house, and was only given up after they built their present church, in 1837. It was after- wards sold to Jacob Butler, who took it down, piecemeal, and transferred it to its present site. The mechanism of it reflects no whit of discredit upon its builders.
Between the bridge over Rocky River and the house of Mr. Sumner Stephenson a road turns to the right, which is a con-
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tinuation of the gulf road. There is on it but a single dwelling before the Greenfield line is reached, and this has been vacant much of the time in years past. It belongs to Mr. William Fish, who bought it of Everett Swinington, its builder. Ever- ett and Josiah were sons of Job and Betsey Swinington.
This accounts for nearly all the places on the west side of the town whose owners' post-office address was South Lyndeborough until Rural Free Delivery was established, March 1, 1901.
We return again to the village and commence at the school- house in District No. 3. The lot was given, as we have heard, for a schoolhouse. The old schoolhouse was burned, and this present house has been its successor since about the year 1859, and was then reported by the superintending committee, Rev. E. B. Claggett, as "an excellent house." But that was long ago.
One of the five ancient dwellings of the village was the par- sonage. It was built by Daniel Putnam, Esq., previous to the year 1800. That year, on the occasion of a military muster, he was licensed to keep a tavern for forty-eight hours. The builder of the house was a carpenter by trade and lived in this house, as did also his son, David Johnson, commonly called Johnson Putnam. Johnson was for a time organist at the centre church. The Baptist Church held its meeting in this house when the council convened which decided upon its recognition.
After Squire Daniel's death, the house had many tenants. To name them in order is hardly to be expected. We give the names obtained, viz .: William Holt, called "honest Billy," the first merchant, after selling his store lived there ; Ezra Dane, also a merchant ; George W. Hutchinson, the Christian minis- ter ; William Duncklee, Joseph H. Ford, Morris Emery and William Young, of whom it was bought for a parsonage in 1876. Since then all the pastors of the Baptist Church, S. B. Macomber, William R. Warner, H. G. Hubbard, Gaylord B. Smith and D. Donovan have lived in it.
The nearest neighbor east of the parsonage is Mr. C. H. Tarbell, son of C. F. Tarbell, deceased, and grandson of the late Capt. Joel H. Tarbell. The house was built by J. Alonzo Carkin in 1893. After occupying it a short time, he moved out of town. It was then let for a time to Dustin Wheeler, and was afterwards purchased by Walter S. Tarbell, who sold it to his brother, C. H. The latter added the two-story ell part and the neat veranda at front and east side.
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Farther up the road on its north side is the homestead of Dea- con David Putnam. The house was built by Deacon David, who died in 1870. David Putnam, his son, made alterations in it and added to it, but a few years ago arranged to have the place carried on by his eldest son, Algernon W. Putnam. The latter, in 1903, greatly enlarged the house by building the two-story central part, which, with the western wing, he oc- cupies, while his parents reside in the eastern part.
Still farther east, on the brow of the long hill, south of the old road to the centre, is the neat, well-kept cottage of Mr. Lawrence of Cambridge, Mass. From the broad veranda added by Mr. Lawrence to this fine cottage, may be obtained one of the broadest, pleasantest views afforded by any point in our town. To the west and southwest are the grand old mountains, and to the south are the Wilton highlands, cut by the turbulent Souhe- gan, winding its course through Milford and Amherst toward the valley of the Merrimack and the sea.
Mr. L. bought the place from Capt. McIntire of Hyde Park, Mass., who had owned it a few years. He got it of C. Henry Holt, whose second wife was Hattie Lowe, daughter of Mr. John Lowe, and whose only daughter, Effie Holt, was sole heir to the property. Mr. Holt took care of his wife's parents in their closing days, and had charge of the estate on behalf of his daughter Effie, who received the avails of the sale in due time. Mr. Lowe had purchased of Lorenzo Holt, a carriage painter, who was a brother of C. Henry, and removed to Peterborough. He bought the house from the builders of it, John F. and Harvey Holt.
Nearest neighbor east of Mr. Lawrence is Mr. E. H. Putnam, whose place is doubtless one of the oldest in town. Who built the house does not seem to be known to the family occupying it or to our oldest inhabitants. At some point on this place, John Cram, so far as present evidence indicates, the first settler in Lyndeborough, built his home in 1736, or thereabouts. Tradi- tion credits him with having command of the garrison-house, or fort, a command which seems to have been transferred to his son-in-law, Ephraim Putnam, after he sold him the place. Ephraim Putnam took possession in 1753, the year that the town took the name of Lyndeborough. The house in which he first lived here was destroyed by fire, but he built a new house. Neither the date of the fire nor of the erection of new house has been positively ascertained. Valuable records are said to have
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been consumed in the old house. It was in the house of Ephraim Putnam that "the first meeting in Lyndeborough in the interests of a settled ministry " was held Sept. 3, 1756. The new house was, very likely, that in which his son, Ensign David, lived, who was also deacon of the church at the centre. It seems to have been Ensign David who, after attending a council called for the ordination of a pastor which refused to or- dain on account of unsound doctrinal views, said, "We have had a flustration instead of an ordination."
Col. Timothy Putnam, a son of Ensign David, also seems to have lived in it for a time. Joshua Sargent also owned the place once, and lived here with his daughter Ruthy and her husband, Captain Israel Putnam, and here he ended his days. The house stood on the corner, nearly in front of what is now Mr. Lawrence's summer cottage, until July 23, 1883, when it was torn down, and found lined with brick between the boards and lathing of the lower story, perhaps both a reminder and successor of the old fort of Indian war times.
A few rods in front of this house a road turned sharply to the west and passed on to the house of David Putnam, Jr., a son of Ensign David Putnam. David, Jr., built the old house on what is now the D. P. Hartshorn place. He sold out to John Hartshorn, David P.'s father, whose wife was Susanna B. Putnam, and then built the house where the present Deacon Putnam and his son Algernon live. After John Harts- horn took possession, he built the " Hillside House," and was for many years a thrifty and prosperous farmer. This is said to be the first place in Lyndeborough to entertain summer board- ers, and the house has been filled many seasons with influential and honored guests.
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