USA > New Hampshire > The statistics and gazetteer of New-Hampshire. Containing descriptions of all the counties, towns and villages statistical tables with a list of state officers, etc. > Part 9
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About two miles north of Fisher- ville, on the Merrimack, is located the old, but pleasant, village of Boscawen Plains. For many years this village was the seat of con- siderable trade. The principal street is wide, very straight, level, and some portions of it, beautifully shaded. The dwellings, and their surroundings, have an antique ap- pearance, but show an air of re- spectability and wealth. It still is a very pleasant and desirable loca- tion to live in.
Churches and Schools. Congre- gational, Rev. Corbin Curtice, pastor; at Fisherville, Congrega- tional, Rev. W. R. Jewett, Pastor. There are eight school districts, and ten schools in town; average length of schools for the year, sixteen weeks; annual amount appropriated for school purposes, $2,583.83.
Literary Institution. Penacook Academy is located in this town, at Fisherville.
Libraries. Fisherville Library,
1,500 volumes; Rev. Wm. R. Jewett, N. Butler, Esq., and Isaac K. Gage, Esq., have libraries of over 500 volumes each.
Hotels. Ambrose Hotel at Bos- cawen Plains, and Penacook House, at Fisherville.
First Settlement. In 1732, certain persons, living in Newbury, Mass., petitioned to the General Court of that State, for a tract of land on the westerly side of Merrimack river, and a grant was obtained, Decem- ber 8, 1732, by John Coffin and eighty others, of a territory, seven miles square. The provisions of this grant were, that within four years from the date of the confir- mation of the plan, they should settle, and have on the spot eighty . families, each settler to build a good, convenient dwelling-house, at least eighteen feet square, and clear, fence, and improve, at least, four acres of land. The tract being properly surveyed, a settlement was commenced early in 1734, by Nathaniel Danforth, Moses Bur- bank, Stephen Gerrish, Edward Emery, and others. Abigail, daughter of Nathaniel Danforth, was the first child born in town. The first settlers were exposed to Indian incursions, and, for pro- tection, they erected a log fort, 100 feet square, and ten feet in height. This fort proved a safe defence and protection, for all of the inhab- itants, for more than 20 years.
The Indians made an attack on the settlement in 1746, and killed Thomas Cook, a colored man, and took Elisha Jones captive, and carried him to Canada, where he died. In May, 1754, Nathaniel Melvin and family, consisting of himself, wife, and five children, were taken, and carried to Canada,
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NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
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from whence they escaped, after a servitude of three years. In Au- gust of the same year, they killed the wife of Philip Call. They were pursued by the settlers, and secret- ing themselves in ambush, rushed out upon their pursuers, took Enos Bishop prisoner, and killed Timo- thy Cook, who attempted to es- cape by plunging into the river. Ezekiel Flanders, and Edward Emery were killed in 1756, while on a hunting excursion to New- found lake.
Thirty-seven years before the first, settlement was commenced in Boscawen, there was enacted within the present limits of this town, one of the most heroic deeds to secure liberty from the hands of a savage foe, ever recorded on the pages of history, and which may be appropriately mentioned here.
At the confluence of the Contoo- cook River with the Merrimack, on the north line of Concord, is Dus- tin's island, over which the North- ern Railroad now passes. This island has become justly celebrated on account of an exploit of a lady, whose name it bears.
On the 15th of March, 1697, the Indians made a descent on Haver- hill, Mass., where they took Mrs. Hannah Dustin, who was confined to her bed, with an infant only six days old, and attended by her nurse, Mary Niff. They soon despatched the infant, by dashing its head against a tree, and proceeded up. the Merrimack. After a long and tedious march, they arrived at this island. The wigwam to which they were conducted, and which belongs to the savage, who claimed them as his property, was inhabited by 12 persons, viz., two men, three women and seven young Indians.
The prisoners were Mrs. Dustin, the nurse, and a youth they had taken from Worcester, named Samuel Lannardson. On this isl- and they rested for a while, intend- ing soon to proceed on their way, a considerable distance farthier up the river, to an Indian town, where the captives were informed that they would be compelled to run the gauntlet through the village.
Aware of the cruelties that awaited her, Mrs. Dustin formed a determination to exterminate the whole party, should an opportunity present itself. She prevailed on her nurse and the boy to assist her in carrying out this bold and hazard- ous undertaking. On the morning of the 31st of March, a little before day, finding the whole company in a sound sleep, she awoke her con- federates, and with the Indians' hatchets despatched ten of the twelve. One of the women, whom they thought they had killed made her escape, and a favorite boy they designedly left. Mrs. Dustin then secured the provisions in the wig- wam, taking the gun of her dead master, and the tomahawk with which she slew him, and to pre- vent pursuit, she scuttled all the canoes save one. She embarked in that, with the boy Lannardson and the nurse, on the then high and turbulent Merrimack, to seek her way to Haverhill. They had not proceeded far, however, when Mrs. Dustin perceived they had neglected to take the scalps. With her companions, she returned and took off the scalps and put them in a bag, and with these bloody wit- nesses of the feat, she again turned down the river, and in a few days arrived at Haverhill safe. On the 21st of April, she visited Boston.
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BOW.
The General Court of Massachu- setts made her a grant of £50 as a reward for her determined and bloody strike for liberty.
Mrs. Dustin was the daughter of Michael and Hannah Emerson, and tne eldest of fifteen children. She was born December 23, 1657, and married to Thomas Dustin, De- cember 3, 1677. She was the mother of thirteen children and was forty years of age when captured. Her descendants by the name of Dustin, and also her family connections by the name of Emerson, are numer- ous in New-Hampshire.
On this island, between the rail- road and the Merrimack, there is being erected a handsome granite monument (on the precise spot where the wigwams stood) in memory of Hannah Dustin.
The proprietors gave the town- ship the name of Contoocook, from the Indian name of the river, which touches its south-eastern border. It was incorporated, and received its present name in 1760, in honor of Sir Edward Boscawen, an En- glish admiral.
First Ministers. Rev. Phineas Stevens, ordained in 1740; died in 1755. Rev. Robie Merrill, ordained in 1761; dismissed in 1766. Na- thaniel Merrill, ordained in 1768; dismissed in 1774. Rev. Samuel Wood, D. D., ordained in 1781, and continued in charge of the church, for more than fifty years. He was distinguished for his learning. Under his instruction, more than eighty young men were fitted for college, thirty-one of whom be- came ministers of the gospel.
Boundaries. North by Salisbury and Franklin, east by the Merri- mack river, which separates it from Canterbury and Northfield, and
west by Webster. Area of im- proved land, 9,274 acres.
Distances. Eight miles from Concord, north-west.
Railroads. The Northern Rail- road passes along the whole west- ern border of the town.
BOW.
MERRIMACK COUNTY. The sur- face of this town is uneven, but the soil, though hard, is very produc- tive, and yields abundant crops, the surplus of which finds a ready market in Concord, Suncook, or Manchester. There is no town in the State in which the people are better provided with this world's goods than Bow. The soil alone produces to each man, woman and child, $200 annually. They have deposited money in the savings banks enough to give every rata- ble poll in town $530 each, or to give every person in town $175.
Ponds and Rivers. Truree Pond is the principal body of water. Turkey River is the principal stream, and joins the Merrimack at Turkey Falls. The Merrimack washes its eastern border. The ruins of Bow Canal, on the Mer- rimack, at the Falls, are about three miles below Concord. It original- ly cost $13,800, and was built for the passage of boats, in the days when the Merrimack was used in transporting merchandise up and down its channel. Railroads have taken the place of canals on the Merrimack, except when they are used to convey water power to move machinery.
Employments. The inhabitants are nearly all engaged in agricul- ture. 40,000 clapboards, 550,000 shingles, and 675,000, feet of boards and dimension timber are
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NEW- HAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
annually sawed, valued at $13,400, and 25,000 bushels grain ground, $24,200.
Resources. Productions of the soil, $153,546; mechanical labor, $7,000; stocks and money at inter- est, $13,430; deposits in savings hanks, $122,445; stock in trade, $10,300.
Churches and Schools. Metho- dist, Rev. J. W. Walker, pastor; Baptist, Rev. Mr. Whittemore, pas- tor. There are fourteen schools. Average length of schools for the year, sixteen weeks.
First Settlement. Bow was granted by the authorities of New- Hampshire, to Jonathan Wiggin and others, in 1727, and was origi- nally nine miles square, and cov- ered nearly all the territory grant- ed to Ebenezer Eastman and oth- ers, by the authorities of Massa- chusetts, two years previous, un- der the name of Pennacook (now Concord.) Massachusetts pretend- ed to hold authority over a large portion of the territory of New- Hampshire for many years, till the final boundary line was estab- lished, in 1741, giving New-Hamp- shire more territory 'than it had ever claimed. These complicated lines of the two towns coming from two pretended authorities, were not settled decisively, till after the final separtion of the two States, and, as might be expect- ed, the government of New-Hamp- shire gave Bow the preference in its grant of 1727, and did not recog- nize the title of the Pennacook grantees, and in the bill, giving a charter for the parish of Concord, it was worded as "taking a part of the town of Bow," &c. Al- though Concord was granted and surveyed before Bow, its final or-
ganization was thirty-eight years after it. Bow gained a victory over Concord in its original title ; still it was obliged to yield over two-thirds of its territory to Con- cord, Pembroke and Hopkinton, establishing their final boundary lines at different times, from 1759 to 1765.
First Minister. A Baptist church was organized in 1795; the Rev. Benjamin Sargent was ordained as its pastor in 1797, resigned in 1801.
Boundaries. North by Concord, East by Merrimack River, which separates it from Pembroke, south by Dunbarton, and west by Hop- kinton. Area, 16,000 acres; Area of improved land, 8,101 acres.
Distances. Seven miles south from Concord.
Railroad. Concord Railroad passes along its eastern border.
BRADFORD.
MERRIMACK COUNTY. Many parts of Bradford are hilly, but quite a portion of it lies in a valley about three miles wide. There are many good farms, which yield a good return to the farmer for his labor. At Bradford Mills there is a pleasant, busy village. There are two churches, a school house, several stores, two hotels, and offi- ces of various kinds. The Presby House is a fine building, pleasant- ly located near the centre of the village. It is becoming quite a summer resort for tourists. Brad- ford Springs, three miles from the railroad depot, is noted for its healing qualities, and is much vis- ited by invalids, and lovers of pleasure and recreation.
Ponds and Rivers. Todd's Pond, lying in Bradford and Newbury, is the largest body of water in
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BRENTWOOD.
town. There are several floating islands in this pond, which are considered objects of curiosity. Its outlet forms the northern Branch of Warner River. Pleas- ant, or Bradford Pond, lies in the east part. This Pond is studded with numerous small islands, which with the rugged descent of the eastern bank, and the dwel- lings and varigated fieids on the western shore, present, in the summer season, a wild and charm- ing scenery. Warner River is the principal stream, and affords many excellent mill privileges.
Employments. Farming is the principal employment of the peo- ple. 970,000 feet of boards, &c., and 130,000 shingles are annually produced. 6,500 pounds of maple sugar is annually manufactured. (See tables.)
Resources. Agricultural pro- ducts, $106,484; mechanical labor, $9,000; stocks, and money at in- terest, $27,180; deposits in savings banks, $59,869; stock in trade, $21,200; from Summer tourists, $6,000; professional business, $15, 000
Churches and Schools. Baptist, Rev. E. Pepper, pastor; Congre- gational, no pastor. There are twelve school districts and thir- teen schools in town. Average length of schools for the year, six- teen weeks.
Library. The Bradford Social Library has just commenced op- erations.
Hotels. Presby House, at Brad- ford village, Spring Hotel, at Brad- ford Springs.
First Settlement. Bradford was first settled in 1771, by Dea. Wil- liam Presbury and family, consist- ing of his wife and ten children.
It was incorporated September 27, 1787, and included a part of Wash- ington.
First Minister. The Congrega- tional Church was organized in 1803. Rev. Lemuel Bliss, first minister, ordained in March, 1805, died in 1814.
Boundaries. Bounded north by Newbury and Sutton, east by War- ner, south by Henniker and Hills- borough, and West by Washing- ton. Area, 19,000 acres.
Distances. Twenty-eight miles north from Concord; thirty-four north-westerly from Amherst.
Railroads. Bradford is situ- ated on the Concord & Clare- mont Railroad. Daily stages be- tween Bradford, Sutton, and New London, connect with trains to and from Boston.
BRENT WOOD.
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY. The surface of this town is not rough, neither is it very level. Much of the soil is of a good quality and well adapted to grass and grain. There are many fine farms under a high state of cultivation, producing excellent crops of corn and other farm produce, which finds a good market at Exeter or Epping. The county farm is located here, which proves that the land in Brentwood is of a superior quality, and can be obtained at market rates.
Streams. Exeter River flows through the entire length on the southerly side of the town. Little River and Deer Hill River run within the limits of this town. The water power is considerable and is generally improved. At Pickpocket there is a paper mill, saw mill and grist mill.
Minerals. Iron ore has in con-
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NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
siderable quantities, been discov- ered in some localities; vitriol combined in masses of sulphur has also been found.
Employments. Agriculture is the principal vocation of the inhabi- tants, but considerable manufac- turing of various kinds is carried on. Wrapping paper to the val- ue of $ 40,000 is annually manufac- tured, leather, $ 10,000, 200,000 shingles, 730,000 feet of boards and dimension timber sawed, valued at $ 9,400, besides carriages, wheels, boxes, sale boots and shoes &c. Total value of goods annually man- ufactured $ 124,000. (See tables.)
Resources. Agricultural produc- tions, $ 100,472; mechanical labor, $ 26,500; stocks and money at in- terst, $ 7,500; deposits in savings banks, $ 45,740; stock in trade, $ 10,275.
Churches and Schools. Baptist, Rev. C. D. Sweet, pastor; Congre- gational, Rev. W. C. Jackson, pas- tor. There are four schools; average length for the year, twen- ty-two weeks.
First Settlement. Brentwood was formerly a part of Exeter, and was disannexed from it, and formed into a separate town, June 26, 1742. The early history of Ex- eter is the history of this town up to its incorporation. In 1775, it had 1,100 inhabitants or over one hundred more than it had in 1870.
First Ministers. Rev. Nathan- iel Trask, Congregational, ordained in 1752, died in 1789. Samuel Shephard, ordained in 1775, died in 1816.
Boundaries. North by Epping, east by Exeter, south by East Kingston and Kingston, and west by Fremont. Area 10,465; area of improved land, 7,063 acres.
Distances. Four miles west from Exeter.
Railroads. Four miles to Exe- ter station on the Boston and Maine railroad. When the pro- jected line of railroad from Salis- bury to Epping is built, it will pass through a portion of this town.
BRIDGEWATER.
GRAFTON COUNTY. The soil of this town is well adapted to grazing and is excelled by very few towns in the county, in this respect. Good crops of corn, oats and potatoes are produced. The west part of the town is watered by Newfound Lake, and the east part by Pemi- gewasset river. There are no riv- ers or ponds of any note.
Employments. The inhabitants are mostly engaged in farming. 120,000 feet of lumber is annually produced, and 5,000 pounds of maple sugar are annually made.
Resources. Agricultural prod- ucts, $ 56,268; mechanical labor, $ 1,550; stock and money at inter- est, $ 5,775; stock in trade, $ 600; deposits in savings banks, $24,207.
Churches and Schools. There are three churches, Congregation- al, Freewill Baptist and Union churches; eleven school districts and nine schools; average length of school for the year, fourteen weeks.
First Settlers. Bridgewater orig- inally included all the tract of Bridgewater Hill and Bristol. It was first settled in 1776, by Thom- as Crawford, Esq. Incorporated, February 12, 1788.
Boundaries. North by Ply- mouth and Hebron, east by Pem- igewasset river, which separates it from Holderness and New Hampton, south by Bristol, and
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BRISTOL.
west by Newfound Lake, which divides the town from Alexandria. Improved land, 7,878 acres.
Distances. Thirty miles north from Concord, and about seven south-east from Plymouth.
Railroads. From the centre of the town to Bridgewater station, on the Montreal railroad is four miles.
BRISTOL.
GRAFTON COUNTY. The surface is hilly and in some instances the hills are broken and rugged, pre- senting to the view a charming and romantic landscape. The soil is generally very good, and when well cultivated, produces excellent crops. There is a fine manufac- turing village in Bristol, which at present is growing very rapidly. There are thirty or more manufac- tories of various kinds in this vil- lage. There are 20,000 pounds of axles annually manufactured ; two straw board mills produce 490 tons of straw board, one paper mill an- nually manufactures 400 tons of manilla paper, and there are two woolen mills. There are annual- · ly manufactured 1,493 dozen buck gloves, valued at $ 31,600; 11,900 glove leather skins tanned, valued at $ 18,200; 14,000 bedsteads, val- ued at $ 33,000; one hose manufac- tory, sash and blind, and various other manufactories, too numerous to be detailed. There are also from twenty-five to thirty stores of all kinds; a printing office, Savings Bank, one Hotel, three churches, a High school building, three Physicians and three Law- yers offices. This village is the terminus of the Franklin and Bris- tol Branch railroad, which con- nects with the Northern railroad at Franklin.
Lakes and Rivers. Newfound Lake about seven miles long and three wide, lies partly in Bristol and partly in Bridgewater and He- bron. Its waters are united with the Pemigewasset by Newfound River about two miles long and one hundred feet wide. Smith's River which forms the southern bound- ary between this town and Hill, unites with the Pemigewasset near the confluence of Newfound river. Newfound and Smith's Rivers af- ford very valuable water priv- ileges which largely assist the enterprising people of Bristol in their energetic efforts in manufac- turing.
Minerals. Plumbago of a supe- rior quality, has been discovered in this town and in considerable quantities.
Employments. Manufacturing and mercantile trade are the prin- cipal and most lucrative employ- ments of the people. Owing to the romantic and varied scenery in Bristol, many tourists spend their summer vacations here, and many families derive a good income from keeping summer boarders. There are many good farms in town and many prosperous farm- ers. The annual value of manu- factured productions of all kind is $ 570,700. (See table).
Resources. Agricultural prod- ucts, $ 63,690; mechanical labor, $ 107,700; stocks and money at in- terest, $ 13,800; deposits in sav- ings banks, $ 37,470; professional services, $ 15,000; stock in trade, $ 48,700; from summer tourists, $ 6,000, (estimate).
Churches and Schools. Congre- gational, Rev. Silas Ketchum, pas- tor; members 124; church valua- tion, $ 13,000; Methodist, Rev. G.
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NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
W. Norris, pastor; number of members, 306; church valuation, $ 18,000; Freewill Baptist, Rev. G. J. Abbott, pastor; members 90; church valuation, $ 10,000. There are nine school districts and twelve schools in town; average length of schools for the year, twenty weeks; amount of money annual- ly appropriated for school pur- poses, $ 1798.33. In Bristol village there is a graded school with a building costing $ 12,000. There are four school teachers and two hundred and twenty-five scholars in this building.
Libraries. Rev. Silas Ketcham (private), 4,000 books and 2,000 pamphlets ; F. H. Bartlett, 900 vol- umes.
Hotel. Bristol House, valued at $ 25,000.
Bank. Bristol Savings Bank. (See tables.)
First Settlements. Bristol was taken from Bridgewater and New Chester (now Hill) and Incorpor- ated June 24, 1819. Colonel Peter Sleeper, Benjamin Emmons and others commenced a settlement here in 1770.
First Church. A Methodist so- ciety .was incorporated and a church organized in June, 1818.
Boundaries. North by Bridge- water, east by Pemigewasset Riv- er, which separates it from New- Hampton, south, by Hill and west by Alexandria. Area 9,000 acres, area of improved land, 8,067 acres.
Distances. Thirty miles north from Concord, and sixteen south from Plymouth.
Railroads. Bristol Branch of the Northern railroad has its ter- minus here. New-Hampshire Cen- tral railroad, when built, will pass through Bristol.
BROOKFIELD.
CARROLL COUNTY. The soil of this town is deep and fertile, and produces full crops of corn, hay, &c., when properly cultivated.
Rivers and Ponds. A branch of Salmon Falls River has its source in Cook's Pond. On this stream are several valuable water priv- ileges which are unoccupied. Cook's Pond is the largest body of water in town, and is the only pond of note, excepting a small pond, covering about fifteen acres, situated directly on the top of Moose Mountain.
Employments. Agriculture is the chief employment of the people. 600,000 feet of lumber is annually sawed.
Resources. Productions of the soil, $37,057; mechanical labor, $3,000; stocks and money at in- terest, $4,740; stock in trade, $2, 400; deposits in savings bank, $20,395.
Churches and Schools. Freewill Baptist, Methodist and Advent denominations. There are seven school districts and five schools. Average length of schools for the year, fourteen weeks.
First Organization. Brookfield was originally a part of Middleton, from which it was taken and in- corporated in 1794. Nicholas Aus- tin first settled here a few years before the town was incorporated.
Boundaries. North by Wolfe- borough and Wakefield, east by Wakefield, south by Middleton, and west by Durham and Wolfe- borough.
Distances. Forty-five miles north-east from Concord.
Railroad. The Wolfeborough Branch Railroad passes through this town.
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BROOKLINE-CAMBRIDGE.
BROOKLINE.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. The soil, in some portions of this town, is good, and yields fine crops, while in other parts it requires great care in cultivating ,for the farmer to get a fair return for his labor. There are two churches and four stores.
Rivers and Ponds. Nisitissit is the only river in this town, and takes its rise in the north-east part of Mason, and runs in a southerly direction to Potanipo Pond. From this pond it runs through the south- west corner of Hollis, into the town of Pepperell, Mass., where it joins the Nashua river. Po- tanipo, or Tanipus Pond, is situ- ated near the center of the town.
Employments. The vocations of the people in Brookline are nearly equally divided between farming and manufacturing. The value of furniture, annually manufactured, is $26,300; 78,000 casks, valued at $30,000; 1,600,000 feet of lumber sawed, valued at $22,000; besides various other small manufactories. (See tables.)
Resources. Annual productions of the soil, $26,077; from mechan- ical labor, $38,000; deposits in savings banks, $60,786; money at interest, $ 10,900; stock in trade, $26,480.
Churches and Schools. Congre- gational, Rev. F. S. Sargent, pas- tor, members, 65, church value, $3,500; Methodist, Rev. William E. Bennett, pastor, members, 37, church value, $3,000. There are seven school districts, and eight schools in town. Average length of schools for the year, thirteen weeks.
Library. Brookline Young Men's Library, 430 volumes.
Hotel. Brookline House.
First Settlement. £ This town formerly belonged to Massachu- setts and was included in the Dunstable grant. It was incorpo- rated, March, 1769, under the name of Raby; but in 1778, by a legis- lative act, it received its present name.
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