USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Lyndeborough > The history of the town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire,1735-1905 > Part 59
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Charles Whiting was pastor at Wilton seven years, and died at Fayetteville, Vt., May 5, 1855. (See Genealogies. )
Benjamin Asbury Goodridge was born in Lyndeborough October 5, 1857. He fitted for college at Tilton Seminary, and graduated at Boston University in 1881. He was ordained and settled over the Unitarian Church at Harvard, Mass., also served as pastor at Christ Church, Dorchester, Mass., and now at Unity Church, Santa Barbara, California. He has taught extensively, and was teacher of Greek and Latin at Lassell Seminary for two years. He is a great grandson of Rev. Sewall Goodridge, the pastor of Lyndeborough Congregational Church for about forty years.
Willard Harvey Perham, son of Harvey and Abby R. (Par- ker) Perham, was born September 20, 1867. He studied at the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, about a year, and finished his studies at the Northwestern Bible and Missionary Training School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, graduating in May, 1905. He settled at Auburn, Indiana, where he was ordained September I, 1905, and is pastor of the Baptist Church.
Students for the ministry who died before completing their studies :
Ira Houston Woodward, born June 15, 1811. He was the son of Eleazer and Rachel (Houston) Woodward. Both he and Benjamin F. Clark went to East Tennessee to some school
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
in that state. But Mr. Woodward died in June, 1830, in the 19th year of his age.
Jason, son of Deacon David and Tryphena (Butler) Putnam, was born November 25, 1817. He attended the Hancock Academy, where, in April, 1839, he assisted in forming "a society for the purpose of establishing a library in connection with the Literary and Scientific Institution." * He afterwards acted as private teacher in Virginia. He was said to be a young man of great promise, but died, May 18, 1841, before completing his ministerial studies, in the 24th year of his age.
PHYSICIANS.
Physicians who practiced in town and natives of Lynde- borough who became physicians are as follows :
Dr. Benjamin Jones (See Genealogies)
Dr. Daniel Wardwell
Dr. Israel Herrick (See Genealogies)
Dr. Nathan Jones
Dr. Moses Atwood (See Genealogies)
Dr. Aaron H. Atwood (See Genealogies)
Dr. William A. Jones (See Genealogies)
Dr. William Butler (See Genealogies)
Dr. Jacob Butler (See Genealogies)
Dr. Nehemiah Rand
Dr. Benjamin F. Hadley
Dr. Willard Parker (See Genealogies)
Dr. Charles P. French (See Genealogies)
Dr. Hervey G. McIntire (See Genealogies) Dr. E. J. Donnell
Dr. Wm. T. Donnell
Dr. Alfred F. Holt (See Genealogies)
Dr. J. Newton Butler (See Genealogies)
Dr. Stephen W. Goodrich (See Genealogies) Dr. J. Milton Rand
Dr. Henry E. Spalding (See Genealogies)
Dr. Henry W. Boutwell (See Genealogies)
Dr. Herbert B. McIntire (See Genealogies)
Dr. George B. French
Dr. George W. Hatch (See Genealogies)
Dr. Alwyn Rose (See Genealogies)
Dr. Perry Joslin (See Genealogies)
Dr. Samuel Joslin (See Genealogies) * History of Hancock, p. 242.
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TRADESMEN
We give lists of tradesmen discovered, but feel sure that some names have escaped us. No intentional omissions are made. But matters very well known in their day seem to need no rec- ord, and pass out of the memory of a later generation. Some omissions will for such reasons be unavoidable.
SHOEMAKERS.
John Johnson
James C. Bradford John J. Martin
John Reynolds
Jotham Hildreth
John M. Emery
Jotham Hildreth, Jr.
Joseph H. Ford
Ebenezer Pearson
CARPENTERS.
Capt. Joseph Richardson
Albert S. Conant
Josiah Wheeler
Albert Cram
Daniel Putnam
Lorenzo P. Jensen
Israel Putnam
Alfred T. Ford
Luther Odell
Charles L. Clement
S. S. Cummings
George Murch
John Fletcher Holt
Edward D. Smith
Charles Henry Holt
E. K. Warren
David C. Grant
Erwin D. Wilder
David G. Dickey
BLACKSMITHS.
Josiah Abbott (p. 486, No. 21) Bradt Searles Jonathan Butler
Hazen Morse - Peabody at N. Lyndeboro Henry Stiles Jonathan Thayer
George S. Groombridge
Charles Whitmarsh
Ward N. Cheever
Solomon Cram
Herbert A. Cheever
David Perham
W. H. Abbott
Nelson Kidder
George A. Long
AUTHORS.
It is hardly to be expected that a community like ours should produce many authors. The people are mainly farmers. Yet, a few of Lyndeborough's children have accomplished some- thing, perhaps, worthy of a moment's thought and mention, from a literary point of view.
Rufus Blanchard wrote a "History of the State of Illinois" and several other books. (See Genealogies.)
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
Sophia (Blanchard) Olson was the author of pamphlets and magazine articles. (See Blanchard Genealogies.)
The Rev. Frank Gray Clark is the author of a "Historical Sermon," preached at Gloucester, Mass., a treatise entitled "Congregationalism"; a "Sermon at the Dedication of the Congregational Church in Francestown "; a "Manual of the Congregational Church"; and the "Historical Address " at the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Lyndeborough, Sept. 4, 1889.
James S. Cram, a native of the town published a "Spelling Book, Designed as an Introduction to Other Spelling Books." It was printed at Concord by Hoag and Atwood, 1831. Mr. Cram was also a famous mathematician in his day. See the brief biographical sketch elsewhere.
William Henry Grant was an author of some note among his fellow-citizens in St. Paul, Minnesota. He was the compiler of "Annals of St. Paul Lodge, No. 3, from January 10, 1856 to Sept. 8, 1899." He was also compiler of "The Minnesota Society, Sons of the American Revolution, Year Book, 1889- 1895." A copy of these works presented by him to the library of his native town, will hardly fail to be perused with great in- terest by persons of a historical bias.
David Cram Grant seems also worthy of mention. His au- thorship is largely limited to his published " Sketch of Lynde- borough," in the History of Hillsborough County. To the industry of these brothers in gathering information and collect- ing material the history of Lyndeborough is much indebted.
Daniel Putnam seems among the foremost of our authors. His oration at the 150th anniversary of his native town is certainly no discredit to either the town or her son. For his published works see sketch elsewhere.
Dr. Henry E. Spalding has written numerous articles for medical journals. (See Genealogies.)
Samuel Jones Spalding is the compiler of a portly and well wrought history of the " Spalding Family," which has contrib- uted something to the aid of the record of the Spalding families in his native town.
William Lewis Whittemore is the author of many articles upon the scientific method in education, or the "New Educa- tion." These articles have appeared in current publications of the day, in school reports, and in other pamphlets.
625
COLLEGE GRADUATES
Harry Weston Whittemore published a few years ago an unpretentious, but very pleasant and readable little book de- scribing an old New England homestead and its neighborhood.
COLLEGE GRADUATES.
Our list of graduates is doubtless incomplete. We give the names of such as have come to our knowledge, who have re- ceived college degrees other than the degree of M.D.
Caleb Houston, Williams, 1812
William Clark
William T. Boutwell, Dartmouth, 1828
John Jones, Dartmouth, 1834
James H. Merrill, Dartmouth, 1834
Benjamin F. Clark, Miami University, 1833
James Boutwell, Dartmouth, 1836
Samuel Jones Spalding, Dartmouth, 1838
Charles Whiting, Dartmouth, 1839 Daniel Putnam, Dartmouth, 1851 Frank Gray Clark, Amherst, 1862
Benjamin Asbury Goodridge, Boston University, 1881
Herbert B. McIntire, Dartmouth, 1881
Harry Weston Whittemore, Tufts, 1886
Algernon Waite Putnam, Brown University, 1895
·
CHAPTER XXXV. MISCELLANEOUS.
THE POPULATION OF LYNDEBOROUGH.
BY REV. D. DONOVAN.
It is natural enough for us to look back to our origin as a people. Very few of our towns, it is believed, can claim a more homogeneous population than that of Lyndeborough.
We are told that four separate sources contributed to supply the early colonists of New Hampshire.
One of these entered the territory by way of the Piscataqua River and established itself at Cocheco and Strawberry Bank, later Dover and Portsmouth. This consisted of English, Scotch, a few Irish and eight Danes.
Another entered from the Massachusetts colonies and as- cended the Merrimack valley spreading east and west from the river. Exeter and Hampton shared in this overflow which was plainly tinged by Puritan ideas.
Still another tributary started upward along the Connecticut river diffusing itself and reaching as far north as Claremont, Cornish, Lebanon, and over into " the New Hampshire Grants." This was akin to that from Massachusetts.
The fourth inflow came from Ireland, and was said to con- sist of people of Scottish origin who with their ancestors had been sojourning for a time in the Emerald Isle, and were for these causes called Scotch-Irish. They were Presbyterians and settled in Londonderry, and spread into other parts, giving names to Dublin, Antrim and some other towns.
To the second division of these colonists belongs the popula- tion of Lyndeborough. The ancient Gaelic prefixes O' and Mac are seldom found among the names of our early settlers. They were mostly of sturdy Anglo-Saxon stock, and well adapted to cultivate the soil of these rugged hills and sheltered valleys where they patiently toiled and built their homes. To use the words of one of Lyndeborough's distinguished sons, her people have been "intelligent, industrious, temperate and moral, as a whole."
THE CENSUS OF LYNDEBOROUGH IN 1767.
The statistics of population were furnished by W. H. Grant,
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MISCELLANEOUS
Esq., and were probably taken from Farmer & Moore's New Hampshire Gazetteer, published in 1823 :
Males unmarried, between 16 and 60 years of age 26
Males married, between 16 and 60 years of age 43
Males under sixteen years of age 76
Males over sixty years of age
4
Females unmarried
7I
Females married
50
Widows
2
Slaves, none of either sex
Total
272
The population of Lyndeborough in 1775 was 713
" 1790 was 1280
" 1800 was 976*
66
" 1810 was 1074
" 1820 was 1163
To the figures above given, Mr. J. H. Goodrich adds the census of the town from 1830 to the present time, as below :
Population of Lyndeborough in 1830 was 1147
1840 was 1032
1850 was 968
I860 was 823
66 1870 was 820
1880 was 818
1890 was 657
1900 was 686
THE SALT AND MOLASSES AFFAIR.
When the Revolutionary War commenced the town judged it wise to secure for its use a liberal supply of such articles as a war would make scarce and difficult to obtain. Consequently at a town meeting, June 19, 1775, it was voted, "that the Selectmen provide 40 hhds. of salt, 5 hhds. of molasses, and I hhd. of rum for the benefit of the town." These articles were procured by Francis Epes, Josiah Woodbury and Nathan Pear- son, selectmen, on the credit of the town ; and were purchased of Mr. Jonathan Ropes, of Salem, Mass. But the bill re- mained unpaid for more than twelve years, when in December, 1787, a committee consisting of Dr. Benjamin Jones, John Rey- nolds and John Savage, was appointed to look into the affair and report at an adjourned meeting. Their report was pre- sented and accepted ; and the town voted to pay the bill. The whole amount was about £80, of which £43 5s and 9d. was
* The decrease between 1790 and 1800 was due to the portions of her territory and population added to the towns of Greenfield, Francestown and Temple.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
due in March, 1788. The Salem merchant was paid, but the town received no corresponding advantage. Therefore, Jan. II, 1790, Lieut. Amos Whittemore, and Ensign John Savage were chosen a committee to settle the matter, with full power to "commence an action against the said Epes and others at the next Inferior Court," and make return to the town of their pro- ceedings as soon as may be. This committee reported March 8, 1791, and their report was accepted and expenses were paid. But the matter was far from settled; for it was stated on July 5, 1791, that " the Selectmen had been obliged to pay an execu- tion brought against the Town by Francis Epes, Esq., on the salt affair." On the 8th of August, 1791, a committee consist- ing of Ephraim Putnam, Capt. William Barron, and Levi Spaulding was chosen to look into the matter, and ascertain if possible how and to whom said property was disposed of, and who are indebted to the town for the same, and apply to any fit person for counsel on the affair, and report their information to the town at an adjourned meeting. Accordingly, on the 31st. of October, 1791, this committee reported, "We have made diligent search into the matter, and have applied to counsel for
advice ; which advice is, that the matter stands fair to commence an action against Messrs. Epes, Woodbury, and Pearson, on a special promise they made to the Town to clear them from the cost of the salt and molasses, as we find that the said Epes, Woodbury and Pearson conducted the mat- ter as private property, as they sold a great part of the salt and molasses after their year was out as selectmen, and their orders and receipts are signed in a private capacity.
All of which is humbly submitted by your committee.
Ephraim Putnam Levi Spaulding William Barron
Com."
The case seems to have been afterwards submitted to referees, whose decision was very adverse to the town. For a commit- tee was chosen to "obtain a more equitable settlement with Francis Epes and others than took place with the referees," and this committee was directed to proceed according to former in- structions in carrying on the suit against Mr. Epes and others. This subject continued to engage the attention of the town from time to time until the year 1800, twenty-five years after the original purchase, and from that time we lose trace of it from the town records.
629
MISCELLANEOUS
SMALL POX IN 1792. BY J. A. WOODWARD.
At the present time one can have little idea of the horror and dread which the people had of the small pox in the early days of the settlement of the town. Vaccination was then unknown, and the physicians had not then learned to treat this disease. In some communities thirty per cent. of those attacked died, and sometimes the percentage was greater. It was discovered that persons purposely inoculated with it, especially children, and carefully nursed, had it lightly and recovered; and in some towns hospitals were established, where what were called "classes " were taken to be inoculated, and when these had recovered, another " class" would be accommodated. In the neighboring town of Weare several town meetings were held in the years 1792 and 1793 to decide what should be done about these small pox schools or hospitals, and there was much fear and excitement, all of which is recorded in the History of Weare. In 1792 a man whose first name was Joe, but whose surname is not recorded, was taken sick with the dread dis- ease. He lived in a house in Lyndeborough near the New Bos- ton line, in the northeast part of the town. Charles J. Smith was a recent occupant of the place. This Joe's neighbors, nearly all of whom lived on the New Boston side of the line, were frenzied with fear and excitement, and a meeting was held forth- with to determine what should be done in the matter. It was advocated by the majority that, as the doctor had said that the man could not live two days, it would be the best thing for all concerned to burn patient and building, and thus avoid the danger of the spread of the contagion in burying him, and also the danger of the disease being carried by the wind; that the man was unconscious and a few hours would make no differ- ence. In excuse it may be said again that they were beside themselves with horror and fear. While they were planning to put the scheme into execution one or two cooler men mounted swift horses and started hot foot for the selectmen of Lynde- borough to see if something could not be done to prevent such a blot on the fair fame of the town. These selectmen were Jeremiah Carleton, Dea. Ephraim Putnam and Samuel Houston. They lost no time in getting to the scene of trouble, and by threats and pleadings soon succeded in calming the excitement and preventing the threatened outrage.
A poem was written at the time describing the occurrence.
630
HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
The author is unknown. Extracts from this poem are inserted, as it was a matter of interest, and is something of a literary curiosity :
The Pox prevails, the people rave, Each man's a fool, each man's a knave. Poor Joe has caught it, takes his flight And seeks a cave in midst of night, Dejected, spurned and much cast down ; From each old hag receives a frown. Spite, the food of Hell's production, Swells their breasts in sad convulsion. This raves, that swears, and some desire To burn his house and all with fire. To church they go to hold convention Each deeply fraught with ill intention ; When, Ajax-like, Longshanks arose * * *
And thus addressed the grumbling crew
* * * *
* *
*
" New Boston's sons, How long shall we Be [ pestered ] thus ? Zounds ! Don't you see We've got into a Devilish box As every soul will have the pox ? Beside yon stream a lonely dome Contains a patient all alone He's sick and easy overcome
(Landlord ! Some more New England rum !) By George! My friends I'll not take rest Till I have spoilt that cursed nest ! If sloth and indolence prevail We'll fall as does the rattling hail. Let's rouse for safety to our town And burn or tear his building down.
This is my mind, if yours the same Tomorrow's sun shall see it flame."
Thus he belched forth his rancor And brought his burden to an anchor. * * *
*
The heads of the adjoining town, Sent for [in haste ] at length came down,
In hopes that they by candid means Could pacify those crazy brains. And, fond of peace, they now address The frantic, raving populace. First, Carleton, a judicious man And friend to order, thus began : " Reason, my friends, the helm of life, Is shattered by such gales of strife. Law, the guide to friends of State,
631
MISCELLANEOUS
Is trod upon by such debate. Now if both law and reason die, Humanity will also fly. Where then, my brothers, shall we be
When we are stript of all the three ?
From such destructions pray refrain
And reassume your sense again." Putnam, mild, then forward goes,
And soothing language sweetly flows :
"Why, my friends, such frantic fear? There's neither pox nor danger near. Yon little cot by Towns's mill Contains it all and ever will,
Till reason offers her direction To purge and cleanse of the infection.
You're not exposed in any instance
If you have wit to keep your distance."
Then Houston, much to mobs opposed,
Step'd forth, and thus the scene he closed.
"And do you think the God above Will such a discord here approve ? If such the strife, the rage of all, Religion [will ] a victim fall.
More lawful means you ought to try, And use some more humanity.
Mortals abhor and justly mourn
The soul by such destruction borne.
Let each an equal friendship bear And sympathize in his despair." These words their anger soon suppressed And slew the viper in their breast. Now rage is fled, and in its place
There's guilty shame in every face. Each hangs his head and sneaks away,
Like Towser from his stolen prey.
Thus the scene is closed with shame.
Let every such turn out the same. INCOGNITO.
THE SMALLPOX SCARE OF 1853. BY REV. D. DONOVAN.
In 1853, the smallpox visited Lyndeborough and great con- sternation was felt lest the disease should spread. Dr. Samuel G. Dearborn, then of Milford, was called to attend the patients. Being so far away, he requested Dr. Lorenzo D. Bartlett, his brother-in-law, recently settled in New Boston, to take charge, which he accordingly did. The cases are said to have been limited to two families, those of Mr. Oliver Bixby and Mr. Nathaniel Jones. Mrs. Jones was one of the patients
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
which Dr. Bartlett treated. All the patients recovered but the doctor himself contracted the disease. He was taken to the home of Mr. Jones, and there tenderly treated and carefully nursed. Mr. Robert Brown, the father of our fellow-citizen, Leonard Brown, who was immune, having had the disease, re- mained with him constantly to care for him. He, however, succumbed to the malady, dying in early manhood, and giving his life as many believe in devotion to both his patients and his chosen profession.
The presence of the scourge created great alarm among the town's people, and they feared to have the body buried in the public cemetery. As seemed best in concession to this fear, Dr. Dearborn bought a little plot for its burial, and it was laid away to its solitary rest, a few rods from the road which leads over the mountain towards Francestown.
Lorenzo D. Bartlett, M. D., was a native of Northfield, N. H. His parents were poor. His father died during the boyhood of the son, and the care of the children devolved on the mother. The boy was a bright, intelligent lad, a good scholar, and he was befriended by an influential citizen in getting his education. He chose the practice of medicine as his calling, and prepared himself as best he could for it. He graduated with honor at Castleton Medical College, an institution of very high standing in Vermont ; afterwards studied and practiced with Dr. S. G. Dearborn of Mont Vernon, who gave him didactic lessons in surgery. He continued with Dr. Dearborn about two years, after which he settled in New Boston, having married the sister of his instructor who esteemed him as "a noble man." His career ended at the early age of 28, after he had given promise of great usefulness in his chosen profession ; and he was highly esteemed and deeply lamented. Dr. Henry E. Spalding of Boston, a native of Lyndeborough, recently said that "Dr. Bartlett's devotion to his patients and his profession merited a martyr's plaudit and reward."*
* When these cases of smallpox made their appearance in Lyndeborough, vaccine matter seemed scarce in these parts and when there was no railroad in operation through here, it required about three days to get it from Boston. People hastened to be vaccinated when there was no virus at hand. Inoculation was resorted to in some instances in Lyndeborough, and Dr. Dearborn is authority for the statement that with very slight exceptions, the results were good. The patients all recovered thoroughly, and suffered no permanent evil consequences.
The above facts were stated by Dr. Dearborn to the writer at Nashua, December 20, 1902.
633
MISCELLANEOUS
SPOTTED FEVER.
The spotted fever, which had proved fatal in many of the New England towns, prevailed in Lyndeborough in 1812, with its accustomed virulence. It is stated that thirteen persons died as victims of it in as many days. A copy of the New Hamp- shire Patriot, of Concord, February 25, 1812, contains the fol- lowing notice :
" DIED. In Lyndeborough, of the Spotted Fever, a daughter of Mr. Edward Bullard, aged 10-two children of Mr. Asa Manning - a son of Mr. - Haggett - Mr. David Butterfield - Mr. Jacob Manning - two daughters of Capt. Clark - a son of Mr. Jacob Wellman."
Our town records state that "Mrs. Hannah Killam and Deborah Clark, both daughters of Capt. William and Sarah Clark, died February 19, 1812; " thus harmonizing with the above notice.
Out of fifty-eight deaths, in the town of Acworth, in less than three months in 1812, fifty-three were caused by this plague.
THE EXTENSION OF THE WILTON R. R. TO GREENFIELD.
At a legal meeting of the town of Lyndeborough on Decem- ber 23, 1871, the following resolution was offered by Joel H. Tarbell :
RESOLUTION.
"To aid in the construction of the Extension of the Wilton Railroad to Greenfield, N. H.
Whereas, the construction of the said Railroad would be of great pub- lic benefit to this section of country, and would especially promote the interest and increase the wealth of this town,
And, whereas the town is authorized by law to aid in its construction as provided in sections 16 and 17 of Chapter 34 of the General Statutes ;
Therefore, Resolved by the citizens of the town of Lyndeborough in town meeting assembled, that the sum of Three Thousand Dollars be, and the same is hereby appropriated in aid of the construction of the extension of the Wilton Railroad to Greenfield, N. H., which sum in money or in the bonds of the town securing the same, shall be delivered to the Treasurer of said Railroad Corporation whenever the said Rail- road is located and put under contract for the grading thereof, and the work of grading the same is commenced within the limits of this town, and notice thereof in writing, from the President of said Corporation shall have been received by the Selectmen of the town, provided said road is put in running order within two years from this date."
The Resolution passed by a vote of 100 in its favor, to 37 against it.
At a legal town meeting, October 9, 1873, it was voted, " To require the Peterborough Railroad Co. to bridge the road near
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
Buttrick's mill." On December 6, 1873, the Railroad Commis- sioners reported the damages assessed against the Peterborough Railroad in the town of Lyndeborough. The awards were :
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