USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Sunapee > The story of Sunapee > Part 5
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Privates: Francis Smith, William Trow, Francis S. Trow, Nelson Chase, Richmond C. Angell, Joseph G. Eastman, James Eastman, Eli Davis, John Colby, Robert Lear, Samuel Gardner,
Solomon Bartlett, Edwin P. Stickney, Jesse E. George, Josiah Trow, Jr., Stephen Abbott, Andrew J. Kidder, Henry Remington, James W. Trow, Perkins Trow, Caleb B. Stevens, James R. Muzzey, Daniel C. Eastman, Jerome Blaisdell, Elias B. Abbott, Ezra Carpenter, William Gardner, Samuel G. Rider, Wells H. Davis, Joseph Young, Charles E. Rogers, Wilson S. George,
James George, Samuel O. Bailey, Benjamin Morrill, John Skinner, Warren Simmons, and Charles F. Sargent.
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CHAPTER XXIII SUNAPEE IN THE LEGISLATURE
As small towns go, Sunapee has had a creditable repre- sentation in the Legislature. It has never had a conspicuous leader there for a long term of years, but they have gen- erally been sound men of both political parties. We know but little of the earliest men, but William C. Sturoc was a smart Scotch orator. John Angell, John Young, Moses F. Knowlton and George H. Bartlett were given considerable mention in the press, the last named being also a state Senator.
Saville sent Benjamin Giles in 1777, 1778 and 1780. He re- reived recognition in Concord. Charles Huntoon in 1779 was apparently an able man.
Wendell sent no one in 1781 and 1782, but Oliver Booth in 1783, no one from 1784 to 1796, but Edward Hall in 1797 and 1798. Josiah Moody in 1800, John Colfe in 1801, W. Perkins in 1802, B. Woodward in 1803, and Allen Willey from 1804 to 1807. Then in order they were:
1808 Joshua Currier 1836, '37 William Young
1809 Allen Willey 1838 John Colby
1810 Samuel Rogers
1839, '40 Daniel George, Jr.
1811, '12, '13 John Currier
1841, '42 Charles Rogers
1814 Joshua Currier
1843, '44 Moses F. Knowlton
1815 John Currier
1845, '46 Hiram Sargent
1816 Samuel Rogers
1847, '48 Bailey Pillsbury
1817, '18, '19 John Currier
1849, '50 William W. Eastman
1820 Thos. Pike
1851 John Hopkins
1821 John Currier 1852, '53 Joseph G. Tucker
1822 Thos. Pike 1854 Josiah Turner
1823 John Currier
1855, '56 Samuel Wells
1824, '25 Thos. Pike
1857, '58 John P. Knowlton
1826, '27 John Young
1859, '60 Joseph P. Smith
1828 John Colby
1861, '62 Daniel George
1829 Joseph George
1863, '64 Dennis G. Knowlton
1830 John Colby
1865, '66, '67, '68 William C. Sturoc
1831, '32 Samuel Knowlton
1833 John Colby
1834 Samuel Knowlton
1835 John Colby
1869, '70 Daniel A. George
1871, '72 Bradford Currier
1873, '74 Daniel C. Eastman
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1901 George H. Bartlett
1903 Charles L. Russell
1875, '76 John A. Tucker
1905 Nathan P. Smith
1877 Jeremiah W. Merrill 1907 Morrison Blood 1878, '79 John Angell 1909 William W. Flanders
1881 Jeremiah W. Merrill
1911 Albert D. Felch
1883 Lyman Colburn 1913 Charles S. Young
1885 John M. Cooper
1915 Frank M. Harding
1887 Frederick A. Young
1917 George E. Gardner
1889 John V. Sargent 1919, '21 Mott L. Bartlett
1891 Moses F. Knowlton 1921 L. L. Osborne
1893 Moses C. Muzzy
1925 Dura A. Chase
1895 Nathan P. Baker
1927, '29 Herbert B. Sawyer
1897 John Z. Bartlett
1929, '41 L. L. Osborne
1899 Almeron Burpee Abbott
The Youngs, Georges, Rogers, Angells, Smiths, Gardners, Chases, Muzzeys, are descendants of immigrants prior to 1800.
CHAPTER XXIV POSTAL SERVICE IN SUNAPEE
In order to be accurate we wrote the Post Office Depart- ment at Washington, D. C., to get the record of our town on Postal Service. We quote the reply of Mr. Buehler:
May 16, 1941
Hon. John H. Bartlett, 1319 F Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
My dear Governor:
In compliance with your request of May 15, I am enclosing information that you desire in so far as the records of the department disclose. I feel honored in hearing from you and it really was a great pleasure to secure this information for you.
Yours very sincerely, L. G. BUEHLER
Encl.
May 16, 1941.
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Sunapee, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Postmaster
Date Appointed
This office was established as Wendell.
John Hopkins
December 22, 1832 (Established) September 12, 1845
The name of this office was changed to Sunapee, January 27, 1853.
John P. Knowlon
January 27, 1853
Franklin Morgan
March 19, 1857
Josiah Turner
June 22, 1861
John Young, Jr.
October 26, 1865
William C. Stocker
December 13, 1867
Nathan P. Baker
May 9, 1882
Charles A. Knowlton
Nathan P. Baker
August 31, 1885 June 20, 1889
Charles A. Knowlton
September 22, 1893
Nathan P. Baker
October 12, 1897
Edward S. Perkins
January 17, 1916
Hugh C. Young (Acting)
July 1, 1924
Hugh C. Young
December 10, 1924
Edward S. Perkins
May 17, 1934
Norman E. Perkins (Acting)
April 21, 1939
Norman E. Perkins
March 22, 1940
(The records of the Department do not show that this office was ever in operation under the name Saville.)
(A Second Letter)
May 20, 1941
Hon. John H. Bartlett,
1319 F Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
My dear Governor:
Reference is made to your letter of May 17. I am sub- mitting the following information which you desire concern-
John P. Knowlton
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ing Sunapee (formerly Wendell), Sullivan County, New Hampshire:
The office was established as Wendell on December 22, 1832, with John Hopkins as the first postmaster and the name was changed to Sunapee on January 27, 1853.
The earliest available record of service to the Wendell (Sunapee) post office indicates that beginning January 1, 1833, it received mail three times a week in four-horse post coaches, on Route No. 156, from Boston, by Billerica, Lowell, North Chelmsford, Tyngsboro, Dunstable (changed to Nashua), Amherst, New Boston, Weare, Henniker, Bradford, Fishersfield, Wendell, Claremont, Royalton, East Bethel, East Randolph, East Brookfield, East Williamstown, South Barre, and Barre, to Mont- pelier. James Barker and Company, of Boston, are shown to have been the contractors for the service.
The records indicate that beginning on or about July 1, 1853, the office received mail service on a route from Newport by Sunapee to Newbury, three times a week in two-horse coaches; Anthony Colby, of New London, contractor. The route is shown to have been a part of Route No. 217.
I shall be glad to have this matter traced back further and will let you know later concerning it.
Thank you for the honor of being mentioned in your pub- lication.
Yours very sincerely. L. G. BUEHLER
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Anthony Colby was once Governor of New Hampshire.
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June 11, 1941
Hon. John H. Bartlett, 1319 F Street, N. W., Washington, D. C.
My dear Governor:
I am enclosing information concerning the Georges Mills post office taken from the records of the Post Office Depart- ment. Further search will be made in the Post Office Depart- ment Library concerning Sunapee.
With kindest regards, I am
Yours very sincerely, L. G. BUEHLER
Encl.
June 11, 1941
George's Mills, Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Postmaster
Date Appointed
This office was established under the name of George's Mills.
Oren T. Hayes
Daniel George
July 11, 1849 (Established) September 8, 1854 July 23, 1861
William Russell
Charles L. Russell
February 19, 1887
The name of this office was changed to Georges Mills, July 17, 1893.
Harvey Brown
July 17, 1893
John F. Davis
December 14, 1893
Charles L. Russell
May 19, 1897
Austin W. Russell
January 24, 1903
Ruth A. Holmes
October 19, 1916
Mrs. Ruth A. Almeder (Name changed by Marriage) April 2, 1929
Prior to the establishment of post office as stated in the foregoing the scattered rural centres made their own ar-
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rangements for mail with the nearest town that had any kind of service. Boston began as the postal centre, and grad- ually from there the mail got over New England, by post riders, stage coaches and private teams and on foot.
A New Post Office Building was erected under a competi- tive lease law system because of the small crowded quarters in the store where it had been located. The writer, as First Assistant Postmaster General of the United States, at the time, was able to afford the service here larger quarters which it very much needed. He accepted the report of in- spectors as to its location, and rent, and he made provision for grading the approaches to it. The grading of approaches however, was blocked by the then Selectmen employing a lawyer to fight against what they claimed would interfere with an alleged public way by right of long use from one road to the other. The truth is that it would not so inter- fere at all. When the writer had the power to do so he offered to have a suitable grading job done, but was refused. The opposition has continued, perhaps politics, perhaps jealousy, or perhaps a hope to get the office back into some store again, as a tenant.
·The writer's official acts were in the line of necessary progress.
The Selectmen can and should grade it even now.
CHAPTER XXV
THE NAMES "SUNAPEE" AND "GOOSE HOLE"
Due to a growing tendency to preserve the Lake's old In- dian name, the State Legislature in 1850 changed the name of the town from Wendell to Sunapee after seventy years.
We suppose historian Pillsbury found some reason for stat- ing the word Sunapee (Soo-ni-pi) signified "Stone Lake,"- meaning "rocky bound." But Sunapee's townsman, Sturoc, informed us, seventy years ago, that "Sunapee" is an Algon- quin Indian word meaning "wild goose water." The writer can well remember when the "city folks" began to "put on the dog," and call "pond" "lake." Moreover, we had an old
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fisherman translate "Sunapee" to us once as "wild duck waters," so we used that in the poem "The Legend of Ann Smith." But, to be fair to other birds, we must give the loon some consideration, since this grand bird was the only one that ever fastened its name to anything on the Pond perma- nently for we have always had our two "Loon Islands." That is the reason we like "Loon Lake," which is, at least, allitera- tive and toneful, and it yodles well for an Indian, "Loon Lake," "Loon Lake!"
All Sunapeeans have seen wild geese, wild ducks, and wild loons fly over the lake in their beautiful air-plane migra- tions, and, as often, heard them "call" in chorus as they sailed high overhead.
The twenty-one Indians who were at Dartmouth College in 1774, under President Wheelock, ought to have been told its meaning and told to pass the word along. Perhaps they did. Our first settlers tried to write "Sunapee" but spelled it differently every time, such as "Sunnapee," "Sunapy," "Sun- nape," and "Sunipe." The name, therefore, probably came down to us only by word-of-mouth, by sound, and that from the Indian's own voice, because the Red Man certainly had some name for it as he did for everything else. Whatever it means it will always be "Sunapee," no more changes, with the accent on the first syllable "Sun." Maybe the Indian really named it for the "Sun" admiring its dazzling sheen at sunrise and its beautiful red sunset at eventide. Who knows?
The Sunapee Indians belonged to the "Penacook Confed- eracy," and all New England Indians were called "Mohawks."
Lost to Sunapee
Goose Hole. The mention of "Wild Goose Water," brings up a disagreeable subject,-our loss to New London. A part of Little Sunapee Pond was originally in Sunapee as defined in the original grant, and as shown by one of the maps herein presented. In addition to that, Sunapee, at first, had a little stream and pond where a carding mill was erected very early and run for several years. The official record simply tells
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us, as if of no account, that, "small tracts were severed (from Sunapee) and annexed to New London, December 11, 1804 and June 19, 1817. But a glance at the two maps, before and after, tells a more important truth, to wit, it severed some of the Big Pond and its shore even, also, a part of Otter Pond, a good part of Little Sunapee, and some excellent farms, for two or three miles, and what is now called "Goose Hole" village or, to be polite, "Otterville." That amputation looked like clever log-rolling at Concord.
CHAPTER XXVI THE WAR AGAINST SECESSION
Whatever historians may see fit to call it, whether the "Civil War," which is a misnomer, or a "War Between the States," President Lincoln fought it through, always calling it a "war against the secession of certain southern States," or what is the same thing, "A War to Preserve the Union." It was not a "War to Free the Slaves." Lincoln said that very definitely. He freed the slaves as a means of financially weakening the South, and bringing victory to the Union.
However, Sunapee went along loyally with the Lincoln party. The list of heroic men from our small town is a credit- able one by comparison. Many men in Sunapee, as in most northern towns, changed their politics in order to follow Lincoln, just as in recent years many changed their politics to follow the Social Security Reforms of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Such changes represent Democracy properly functioning.
The Supreme Sacrifice was made by-
John T. Cotterell Timothy C. Eastman George W. Haven Wilbur W. Leonard Charles P. Trow Oliver Young
Ray 13 Cooper
Killed in World War
Irving C. young Wounded World War
Seth Davis Civil War
Wilbur Young Civil War
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The record of Sunapee's soldiers in the Civil War was fur- nished me from the official rolls at Concord and are believed to be complete and correct as follows:
Name
Reg't.Enlisted Discharged Rank
Abbott, Gilman P.
6 Sept. 2, '61 Oct. 29, '62 Priv.
Abbott, Samuel W.
3 Oct. 22, '61 Aug. 23, '64 Priv.
Abbott, Thomas
11 Born, New Ayling
London, Cr. New L. by
Batchelder, Nathaniel
2 Born, Newport, Cr. Newport by Ayling
Bailey, Samuel O.
6 Dec. 3, '61 July 17, '61 Wagoner
Colby, John M.
6 Nov. 9, '61 Sept. 29, '62 Priv.
Clement, Charles H.
14 Aug. 2, '64 May 18, '65 Priv. Priv.
Davis, Alfred
9 Aug. 14, '62 June 2, '65 Priv. & Corp.
Edminster, John
Eastman, Timothy C.
Eastman, William C.
Gardner, Cornelius Y.
Gardner, Nathaniel S.
16 Sept. 13, '62
Aug. 20, '63 Priv.
Haven, George W.
7 Sept. 24, '61
Cor. & Ser.
Hopkins, Charles D.
6 Oct. 12, '61
Aug. 11, '62 Priv.
Ladd, Jeremiah W.
16 Nov. 1, '62
Aug. 20, '63 Corp.
Leonard, Wilbur W.
3 July 20, '61
Ser.
Osborn, W. H.
6 Sept. 16, '61
Aug. 11, '62 Priv.
Powell, Sylvester
1 Sept. 13, '62
Aug. 20, '63 Priv.
Sleeper, Jacob D.
1 Feb. 9, '64
June 5, '65
Bugler
Symmister, Franklin A.
1 May 2, '61
May 25, '61
Scott, Josiah
9 Aug. 11, '62
Feb. 27, '63
Priv.
Thompson, Cyrus
6 Sept. 26, '61 Nov. 28, '64 Priv.
Watts, Charles H.
9 Aug. 11. '62
Feb. 10, '65
Cor. Mus.
Thomson, Samuel B.
6 Sept. 16, '61
Aug. 29, '62 Priv.
Young, Henry
16 Sept. 13, '62
Aug. 20, '63 Priv.
Young, Nathan
16 Nov. 12, '62
Sept. 29, '64 Priv.
Young, Oliver
6 Dec. 19, '61
Priv.
Young, Wilbur
6 Dec. 11, '61
Feb. 11, '63 Priv.
Trow, Josiah
6 May 22, '61 Aug. 29, '62 Ser.
Trow, Charles P.
2 May 2, '61
Thomson. William W.
6 Sept. 12, '61
Nov. 28, '64 Priv.
Cotterell, died in service Mar. 23, '63. Eastman, Timothy C., died in service Mar. 24, '62. Eastman, William C., wounded Dec. 13, '62. Gardner, Cornelius Y., resigned May 10, '62. Haven, Geo. W., died in Rebel Prison July 22, '63. Leonard, Wilbur W., Died in service May 1, '62. Trow, Charles P., died in service Nov. 19, '62. Young, Oliver, died in service Aug. 13, '62. Scott, Josiah, wounded twice (once severely)
Cotterell, John T.
11 Aug. 26, '62
3 June 29, '61 Aug. 23, '64 Priv. & Corp. 6 Dec. 5, '61 Priv. Priv. & Cor. 9 Aug. 9, '62 Priv. 2nd. L.
6 Sept. 2, '61
75
(SUBSTITUTES)
Name
Res. Reg.
In Service
Burk, James
Phila. Pa.
9 12-22-63 to 12-30-63
Sullivan, Wm.
Ireland
Cr. to New London Ayling
Peterson, Alex.
not shown by Ayling
Benedict, Mitchel
Canada
9 12-19-63 to 7-17-65 not shown by Ayling not shown by Ayling
Woodman, George Matthews, Edwin Leonard, Thomas Keneff, James
9 13-22-63 to 7-17-65
Johann, George
Smith, William
9 12-22-63 to 1-25-64 not shown by Ayling can not identify
Williams, Benjamin
7
12-19-63 deserted
Brown, Isaac
Sweden
9
12-19-63 to 7-20-65
NAVY
"John Flanders enlisted Dec. 21, '61. Served on the ships, Ohio, Pursuit, and Bohio. Discharged as Paymasters Steward April 7, '65.
When I refer to "Ayling" I mean the Roster of New Hampshire in the Civil War prepared by Adjt. Gen. Ayling."
Out of 210 families in town, 34 entered this, the most san- guinary, of all American Wars, and six of them failed to return because of making the supreme sacrifice.
Many of these names occur elsewhere in this volume. The survivors were honored and the dead saluted and praised on all Memorial days thereafter and will ever continue so to be. There are no veterans but a few sons of veterans left in Sunapee to-day.
Sylvester Powell lived at the foot of Trow Hill for years after the War, and died in Sunapee.
Nathan Young was the builder of the "Mountain Maid."
Wilbur Young was a hotel keeper and stage driver after the War.
Samuel O. Bailey was the father of Murvin A. Bailey.
Cornelius Gardner was a brother of John Y. Gardner.
The Trows were from Trow Hill.
Nathaniel S. Gardner was the father of "Nat" Gardner who played in the Sunapee band, now of Springfield.
No information is obtainable about Benjamin Williams, before or after.
The Abbotts were in Sunapee after the War.
Josiah Scott lived on his farm after the War.
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Seth Davis
Author's Note: Alfred Davis had a brother, Seth Davis, who really should be credited to Sunapee, but, since at the time he was working in Vermont temporarily he got credited to that state. After the war he returned home, married Maria J. Colby, sister of Isaac Colby. He was a great soldier, in eleven battles.
CHAPTER XXVII
SUNAPEE CENSUS FOR THE YEAR 1870
This list should be studied and compared with lists in 1830, 1791, 1781 and 1776 to note changes and accretions.
South Sunapee
William A. Angell
John Angell
James B. Hurd
Sylvanua Hurd
30 Families
Ira Hurd, Jr. George K. Greeley
Sunapee
Johanna Greeley
Gage P. Fisher
Gilman Whitaker
Patty Eastman
Ira Collins
Calvin B. Angell
William Collins
Lyman C. Howe Hazen Crowell James E. Riley Alfred Babbs
Henry J. Colby Willard J. Walker
Harvey W. Dickinson
Henry A. Dickinson
William W. Flanders
Allan A. Lear Edwin Lear Ashel Lear Sally Wells
Bradford Currier Samuel Bailey
Sumner A. Bailey
Daniel C. Savory
John C. Boyce
Lyman Colburn
Charles S. Gardner
William W. Thompson Aaron Beck Gideon Angell
John Y. Gardner Lafayette Colby Moses G. Sargent
John Johnson
Jeremiah W. Merrill
Richmond Angell
William Young
Robert Lear
Hannah P. Wadleigh Daniel Hall
Abel Dickinson
John M. Cooper Hiram Colburn John Cooper
Enos S. Woodward
77 -
Henry E. Young David Winn Charles E. Baker
George W. Colby
Cornelius B. Young
Jeremiah W. Ladd
Sarah C. Lear Stephen Woodward
Esek Young
Charlotte Blaisdell
William H. H. Cowles
Josiah Turner
William C. Sturoc
Joseph G. Tucker John Felch Almon C. George James Collins
Margaret T. Perkins
Wyman P. Kimball
Isaac C. Harriman
Josiah C. Davis
Daniel F. Emery
Elijah G. Rider
Jonathan Flanders
Charles George Daniel C. Eastman Francis Smith
Solomon Bartlett
Horace R. Everett
Jonathan W. Russell
Martin V. Lear
Mason M. Fisher
Joseph C. Savory
Charles A. Rowell
David Cooper Martha M. Bass
Robert Osborn Charles F. Wilkins
Hiram Sargent
Philip Flanders
Samuel K. Pike
Emmeline E. Stevens
Worthen George
Elhanon W. Colby
Wilson S. George Nathan French
Abiather Young
George A. Messer
Andrew Young Alvin Powers John Hadley Walter Sleeper John Young, Jr.
Isaac S. Colby John Bartlett Harriet H. Davis
Timothy T. Hadley
Reuben B. Muzzy
Sumner H. Sargent
Dennis G. Knowlton
William C. Stocker
Mary E. Muzzy Smith Morgan Sarah Trow Sherman Rowell
John L. Page John Blodgett Walter E. Hadley
Polly P. George
Lucinda Sleeper Sylvester Powell
Enos M. Clough Lucian W. Prescott Stephen Abbott
William Currier David M. Currier Thomas Trotter
Sarah C. Sargent
Alfred Martin
John V. Sargent
Amasa S. Abbott Almon B. Abbott Moses L. Sargent Walter H. George Nathan Batchelder Levi Colby Franklin J. Colby
Hiram Sanborn
Thomas P. Smith
Moses Q. Eastman
John P. Knowlton
Charles D. Hopkins
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George H. Bartlett Eli Davis John Z. Bartlett
Abram Davis Nancy Rogers Samuel Gardner
Hannah Muzzy Silas Remington
Joseph Mason Mary Cooper Hiram P. Eastman
John B. Smith
Nathaniel N. Jackson
Greeley J. French Edward Hall
David Brown
Moses A. Young
Wiliam Trow
John A. Tucker
Enoch Trow
Amos D. Carnes
William T. Bailey
Owen George Nathaniel Gardner
Eldridge G. Chase Harrison Putney
Oren P. Cross
Daniel A. George Mary M. George William Russell Jonathan Russell Elias B. Abbott
Moses S. George Alexander Lamb James Hoague
John B. Haven
Hiram Eastman
133 Families
George's Mills
George W. Collins
David R. Davis
Nathaniel Noyes
Theodore Davis
William E. Trow John Trow Charles C. Morey
Preston Reed Milton Perkins
James F. Trow Josiah Scott
Zimri P. Mitchell
Henry H. Stickney
Hiram Newton
Moses Holmes
Putney Roby
Hugh B. Clough
Alonzo Reed
Daniel Bean
Loren F. Bartlett
Elizabeth Conant Jacob Worthen Stephen Page Solon W. Abbott
Garry Tompkins
Edwin P. Stickney
Martin V. B. Flanders
John C. Muzzy
Ezra S. Eastman
47 Families
Sunapee (including South Sunapee and George's Mills) in 1870 had a population of 210 families, and a total population of 808.
Wilber A. Young
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CHAPTER XXVIII THE LAST SUNAPEE BAND
In its earlier history Sunapee had bands at different times. The last one in about 1880 was made up as follows:
Horace Richards
Cornet
"Chet" Currier
Cornet
Joseph Goss
Cornet
Elmer Batchelder
Cornet
Fred M. Sargent
Trombone
"Clell" Muzzey
Bass Horn
George Colby
E Flat Bass
John George
Baritone
"Nat" Gardner
Solo Alto
George Blodgett
Solo Alto
Will Gardner
Slide Trombone
Ed. George
Snare Drum
John Adams
Cymbals
Alvin Young
Drum Major
Those now living are: Muzzey, Sargent and Nat Gardner. We remember the entire list.
CHAPTER XXIX
SUNAPEE'S INDUSTRIES-Samuel Crowther Quoted
Sugar River is the outlet of Lake Sunapee. Immediately after leaving the "Great Pond" it begins to fall swiftly, mak- ing falls after falls repeatedly through the village for two miles or more. The settlers seized upon this river at once for a grist mill, a saw mill, and a carding mill. These were essential to life. Clothing was made from wool and flax by the wives and daughters. They carded, spun, wove, dyed, and tailored into garments all that they wore until shops developed-the men folks raised the wool and flax, and pro- vided the house with the necessary machines and tools.
After these primal necessities were assured there came an era in America in which small "shops" with water power
Solomon Bartlett
John Z. Bartlett author's Father
George H. Bartlett
Charles H. Bartlett
81
could live, and, fortunately, Sunapee had a river. Although Sunapee farms were hilly and rocky, there was a compensa- tion in her water power, for the settlers soon learned to harness the river with dams, canals, penn-stocks, turbines, pulleys, shafts, belts and machines,-crudely at first.
At some period in her history, first and last, there have been manufactured in Sunapee the following articles, viz: wooden shoe-pegs, bedsteads, horse-tread power threshing machines, wood and iron hames for horses' harness, tanned leather from hides, slaughter house products, excelsior, pulp and paper, clothes pins, bobbins, clothespin machinery, lathes, stoves, telescopes, foundry products, caskets, sash, doors, blinds, hay rakes, wallets, inner shoe-soles, row boats, steam boats, woolen goods and electricity.
This era of small shops in Sunapee got under way right after the Civil War and continued until about 1890, but it began to decline as the big corporation era came on grad- ually and absorbed the small town shop. This attrition was gradual and even yet there survives the old wooden hand hay rake shop of Mr. Alexander. A lumber and finish mill survives to supply local summer cottage demand. The supply of ash, oak, beech, birch, maple, poplar and other woods for- merly used in manufacturing, has been well-nigh exhausted within the reach of Sunapee to-day.
Summer hotels, motor boats, autos, gas stations, power stations, have come along to take the place of the small shop manufacturing. The lake steamboats came and prospered for a time, but the auto finally chased them away.
The town has a water supply system valued at $100,000.
While the population of the entire country has grown by forty-five times, the population of Sunapee has grown only five times since 1791. Even so, Sunapee was fortunate, for many small towns have not gained at all, but have either stood still, or lost ground.
The first grist mill was erected around 1782 to 1786. We believe that the evidence proves that Joel Bailey came over from Newport and started it, although John Chase has been given the credit. Probably Chase owned it and Bailey ran
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it, for Bailey came to Sunapee on a promise to do so for a gift of land, and he remained here and raised a family. Bailey was a miller by trade. Chase was not. Bailey mar- ried into the Chase family.
The mill was erected on a log dam on the southerly side of the river, just east of where the Hame Shop stood later. This power site was afterward used for a saw mill by Blodg- ett and Runals. They floated logs down from the lake, to saw into all sizes of building material. The grist mill was later moved down stream about a hundred yards on the southerly side to a new and bigger dam which was con- structed about 1800. This was at the highest falls in the river. This new grist mill was operated in the same struc- ture as a saw mill. A Mr. Purington operated the "grinding stones" for years, and until the writer can recall taking corn grist to it.
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