USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Sunapee > The story of Sunapee > Part 6
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Abiather Young and Thomas P. Smith built and ran a wooden shoe-peg shop, located near the first grist mill on the northerly side of the river above where the Hame Shop was located, and it did a good business there for several years until it was destroyed by fire one night in 1877, which the writer, an eight year old, remembers.
About 1840 a Mr. Whitney erected a shop nearby on the southerly side of the river above the bridge, in which he made wooden bedsteads for ten years or so. Dexter Pierce later manufactured clothes pins, instead, in the same shop, for a few years.
Josiah Turner manufactured horse-power tread-mill threshing machines in his shop near his saw mill for over twenty years. This shop was later abandoned.
A tannery was built on the big dam opposite the Purington grist mill in 1842 by Keyser and Haynes. This industry was later run by Jabe Young, son of Elder John Young, and did a large business until it was sold to the leather trust, in about 1900. Then it was allowed to stand idle and rot, until, finally replaced by Osborn's garage.
About 1852 John B. Smith built three shops for making clothes-pin machinery, and clothes pins. He patented these
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machines which would, we are told, turn out 110 clothes pins per minute. He also manufactured many other articles, in- cluding a telescope, he having a nation-wide fame as an in- ventive genius.
In 1869 William H. H. Cowles and Lucius Buswell of Gran- tham built the largest shop in town for the manufacture of wood hames by hand. While the building was being erected Buswell was killed and Mr. Cowles took a partner, George H. Bartlett,-his brother-in-law. Cowles later sold his half in- terest to Bartlett's cousin, Irving G. Rowell,-the firm then becoming Bartlett and Rowell. The plant was greatly en- larged and did a nation-wide business.
Later it was called the Granite Hame Works. Still later it merged with Baker & Carr's Hame Works at Andover, New Hampshire, and finally both plants, and several others, were organized into a hame trust with headquarters at Buffalo, New York.
Bartlett and Rowell sold out in season to escape the auto war on horses. George H. Bartlett put his whole business life into building up this business in Sunapee and both he and Rowell became well-to-do. Both have deceased.
Down the river from the tannery a few yards, William Clinton Stocker manufactured excelsior for some thirty years, until bought out by the excelsior trust in about 1890.
Next down the river came the above-named Smith Shops.
The foundry at the Smith row of shops was built by Thomas Trotter who was succeeded by Harrison Soules for years, then by Byron Levenworth and finally by Charles Matthews. The building now stands abandoned.
Near them Solon Abbott did a considerable wood-working and casket-making business for a few years. And "Ed" Sidell ran a blacksmith shop in the same row,-a busy center until the Smiths died. Now it is displaced by only one Ga- rage, run by Mr. Shepard of New London.
Next came Reuben Cobb's tinker shop. That was changed to an ice-house, then to a wooden jail, and then it was washed down the river.
Going down the river a few yards further, we came to a
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saw and planing mill, which did a good business for years. Near it was Alexander and Perkins' rake shop, still run by George A. Alexander's son. Being industrious they have kept up a good business. It is about the last of the early industries remaining in town.
Next comes the lower village which once had a saw mill, a blacksmith shop, the Tucker skiving shop, a school, a church, a hotel and a store. It still has a store, an all-year hotel, a garage, and a lumber and wood-finishing shop, run by Harley Trow.
A pulp mill on the big falls at the Harbor was erected at great expense, and also a paper mill near the Depot, both by the Emerson Paper Company, around 1890, run for a few years and failed. Both are demolished. William Whitney was the Superintendent. He married Miss Robertson, daugh- ter of John E. Robertson of Concord, and now lives in Sun- apee.
The abandoned water power in Sunapee is now partly used as an auxiliary electrical plant for a Newport Company. However, it furnishes the town with good lights to replace the lamps of the writer's boyhood, and the post-topped kero- sene street lights.
Sunapee now has a perfect drinking water system, and good roads.
Moses L. Sargent once made men's leather wallets in a shop situated on School street, in the rear of my father's house, but after a few years he erected a new shop in the rear of his house on the river near the Smith Shops. This business employed a few women at home doing hand-stitch- ing. Sargent's wallets gained a reputation, and sold exten- sively in New England. The business survived competition for some thirty years until about 1900.
George Reed had a slaughter-house for a few years, from 1875 to 1895, on the road to Edward R. Sargent's, above the late George Dodge's house.
The Sunapee House at the Lower Village was the only Tavern in town before the summer hotel business came. An addition to it was erected on the rear, for town meetings and
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general assembly purposes. Town meetings were held there for many years. Sunapee at present has no Town Hall. The Tavern formerly maintained a livery stable for hire, and perhaps a "nipper" could be found there.
Nathan Young, we remember, as one who kept busy tinker- ing as a machinist, and was mostly concerned in building for himself the first steam boat on the lake. It was called "The Mountain Maid."
Nehemiah Lear was a shoe-maker, in a small shop in his barn at the four corners on the George's Mills road. He was a likeable old gentleman.
George's Mills was so called because the large George fam- ily had a saw and grist mill there on the stream running a few rods from Otter Lake to Sunapee Lake. Its high posi- tion, overlooking the lake and mountains, gained for it a health resort reputation which it has retained. The Chase, Colby, Martin, Whipple, Bartlett, Russell and Stickney names have been outstanding at George's Mills. For many years there has been a post-office there and a mail and express route from Sunapee Depot. A fish hatchery near the lake was run for a few years and recently closed. The settlement has a church, supplied with its preacher from Sunapee, and a store, and is a busy summer boat center.
Population of Sunapee
Wendell and Sunapee had population as follows: 1790 267; 1800 355; 1810 447; 1820 603; 1830 637; 1840 795; 1850 787; 1860 778; 1870 808; 1880 897; and in 1940, 1067.
Crowther Quoted
Hon. Samuel Crowther, who has been a very welcome and helpful new resident of Sunapee, is not only the proprietor of the Stagecoach Road Farm but is especially known as an economist and writer of international fame, very kindly wrote me the following, which I quote with his permission:
"Let me thank you for your cordial note of July 5th, and I am glad indeed that you are writing a history of Sunapee.
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I have an old map showing Sunapee and its industries about 1880 and I have often thought that it would be extremely useful to inquire into why so many of these villages have ceased to be self-supporting. Sunapee, for instance, today, with the mill closed, creates no industrial wealth except in the rake shop, while the agricultural wealth is at a low ebb. The people live on the tourist trade and on the taxes col- lected on the real estate of those who make their money outside of Sunapee. That is a very dangerous condition."
We regret we were not able to insert herein, the "Report of the Sunapee Restoration Committee," which Mr. Crowther describes as "unique in the history of New England towns."
CHAPTER XXX THE FIRST AMERICAN AUTOMOBILE
Up to the present date, from 1869, no one that we have been able to learn about or hear of, has challenged the claim of Enos Merrill Clough of Sunapee that he invented a horse- less carriage or automobile, and that it was the first ever to run on any highway in the United States. This is true, al- though his claim has been publicized extensively. We pre- sent herewith a photograph of the weird-looking chaise with Clough in it as it appeared on July 4, 1869 in the Newport Argus, on the occasion of its first trial trip from Sunapee to that prosperous town whose paper printed our picture. Clough amazed the people, and frightened the horses. But in spite of the "horse and buggy" opposition, it did run under its own power, carrying its proud inventor as far as St. Johnsbury, Vermont, and other northern New England places, and that successfully. But instead of being given a public ovation for his discovery, Enos was given orders by the town officials not to run it on the public roads, because it frightened the horses. Of course, it did make some noise, Enos admitted.
The steamer, requiring fourteen years to build, had two cylinders, three speeds forward and three backward, and 5,463 pieces in it when perfect, but more than that after Richard Gove of Laconia, to whom Clough finally sold it,
"The Fairy Queen 4
First Auto
Made in Sunapee 1869 by E.M.Clough The only picture with Clough in it
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carelessly ran it into a fence at full speed. One, Kennedy, of Laconia, we are told, now has the original engine as a souvenir and a large picture of the auto is hung in the library of that city.
Mr. Clough was known in town as a genius. He was a friend of his fellow townsman, John B. Smith, who invented a telescope, and Nathan Young who made the first steamer on the lake. Failure and disappointment were his lot be- cause, like many another genius, he was too far ahead of his time. Henry Ford must recognize Clough as the "first man there," for he has tried to buy the engine as a souvenir. We believe that Clough would have fared better if he had driven his auto down to Boston, instead of up into Vermont.
CHAPTER XXXI
ROADS, TURNPIKES, STAGE COACHES, RAILROADS AND AUTOS
When the settlers from Rhode Island came to Saville (1772) they must have come via Boston, Fitchburg, Mass., Keene and Charlestown, N. H. (119 miles) for that was the only way they could come by any road, and that part of this road con- nection beyond Keene was brought through to Charlestown in 1770,-only a year or so before the immigrants came, and no doubt, one reason why they did come. From Charlestown to Saville there was a cart track over Unity hill to Newport, but no road at all from Newport to Saville, probably only a trail which the Coreys marked.
Even the very best dirt road into New Hampshire, any- where, was as late as 1763. It was called the "King's High- way," and ran from Boston to Portsmouth, via Medford, An- dover, Harverhill, Mass., Kingston, Exeter and Greenland, N. H. Governor John Wentworth went to the Dartmouth graduation in 1774 by a strange route, to Durham, Lake Win- nepesaukee to Haverhill, thence down to Hanover.
When the Portsmouth group came to Saville in 1769, or so, they had no roads direct, via Concord. There were probably sections of road between, and in, certain towns which they
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could make use of, but it was as late as 1803 before the turn- pike was built between Portsmouth and Concord, via Dur- ham, Lee, Chichester, Pembroke and Concord. This "toll road" did not pay, and, in 1824, the different towns purchased it by sections. From this fact we conclude it was the first continuous road of any kind from the seaport to Concord, and hence, that Portsmouth people in 1770 to 1803 had to pick out some other way to get to Saville, or else "cut across" without roads. From Concord, northerly, there was a road as far as Warner in 1770 to 1780, we believe, probably double wheel ruts. We think the Portsmouth-Saville settlers of 1769 possibly went down the King's Highway, crossed to Keene somehow and then worked over to the Connecticut River valley the best way they could. That route north was used more in the earliest days than any other. The fact that they settled so far south in the town looks as if they came "cross-lots," via Concord.
Turnpikes in New Hampshire, as a rule, came after Saville was first settled, and, when they did come, they aided Saville folks very little. For instance, in 1804 what seemed to be a most ignorant selection for a through route, from our pres- ent viewpoints, was a turnpike from Hanover through Gran- tham, Croydon, Newport, Goshen, Lempster to hit another turnpike running from Claremont through Unity, Lempster, Washington, Deering, Francistown, New Boston, Mount Ver- non, Amherst, Nashua, thence on to Lawrence and market towns in Massachusetts.
In 1799 a turnpike was built from Claremont to Amherst, then a large town.
Saville's very first mail must have come by so-called "post- riders" from Charlestown, then later,-say from 1815 on for a few years, by "stage routes" all the way. There were long "stage routes" before the railroads came, and also short branch "stage routes," both before and after railroads came, and one even now from Sunapee Depot to the village and George's Mills. Saville's first mail came from Newport, Claremont and Charlestown direction, instead of direct from Concord. A few years later it came both ways. The tally-
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ho stage coach began its career in New Hampshire by a line from Portsmouth to Boston in 1763, but it ran for a few years, and then the War seemed to stop all such progress, until about 1800, when it was renewed, and became an enormous business until the railroads began to prevail. A railroad was built in 1838 from Lowell to Nashua, in 1842 from Nashua to Concord, 1850 from Concord to Bradford, and in 1870 from Bradford to Sunapee, Newport and Claremont Junction. This road connected with a railroad to Claremont Junction, built from Walpole in 1845 and to Walpole earlier.
In 1813 the Concord coach began to be turned out by a factory at the capital, and had a marvellous career, paral- leling the present day auto in national enthusiasm.
There was one "stage route" of national scope, from Ports- mouth, N. H. as far as Savannah, Ga. In stage-coaching our State took the lead. They reached their height of popular- ity around 1835. Concord was the "Hub." Every morning from busy Concord twenty-five stage coaches loaded with mail, express and passengers, started out and arrived back in Concord every evening. Wendell or Sunapee was on one branch end of one of these lines. They covered the northern towns quite completely.
Our Sunapee ancestors rode on these lines, and received their mail that way. Our forefathers rumbled to Concord on them, and, sometimes, we suppose, on a trip graced by the presence of Ruel Durkee going to the Pelican to "fix things." The writer saw him just once at a Newport fair, a boy so dazed by the giant he forgot the fair completely. He was the tallest, the biggest, the strangest ever seen, he, this man Ruel! High silk hat on a six-footer, plus, swallow-tail coat, double breasted waistcoat, buttoned at the chin, college-boy breeches, straight and military as a Colonel, one who rarely spoke, he stammered, said to be rich, came nearer to a circus than a Sunapee boy had seen before! Yes, Ruel came to Sunapee, had to, to collect interest. The writer's father used to relate Ruel Durkee's stories long before Winston Churchill copied them in his book, "Conniston."
So Ruel Durkee was a Sunapee caller at times. He held
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mortgages in Sunapee and "all over," as they said, and he had influence at Concord where he went very often. In turn- pike, railroad, town charter and stage coach matters, he had a "finger in the pie." That's why, they said, the railroad did not go through Sunapee village, Ruel was in a hurry to get home to Croydon.
Before railroads invaded the State, and for years there- after, Sunapee and other town farmers drove their cattle and hogs to market "on the hoof." The early "drover" was a "gee and haw" fellow. Large herds of beef cattle, he drove, neat stock,-sheep, calves, even hogs, and sometimes turkeys, were seen filling a road, to block traffic. It was as interest- ing as a caravan to see them go by, and to hear the drover yell and crack his whip. But now, we see the horse, him- self, and the ox, the ass, the mule and the hog, all riding by in an automobile. Yes, "gone are the days."
CHAPTER XXXII
THE LAKE
The "natives" of Saville, Wendell and Sunapee loved the "Pond" and made good use of it. The Lake was, to them, the "Pond," not the "Lake." It took many of its side names from the early settlers, such as "Gitchel's Cove" from the Gitchel family, "Scott's Cove," from Josiah Scott's farm, "Job's Creek," from Job Williams, "Granny Howard Rock," from the widow of Benjamin Howard, she who fished there, and, as she fished, chiseled her name in the rock on which she sat, "Rogers Shore," from the Rogers' farm, "Hastings," from the New Londoners of that name, "Burke Haven," and Steamer "Edmond Burke," from Congressman Edmond Burke of Newport, "Blodgett's Landing," from George Blodgett, and so on. The name "Sow-and-pigs," "Loon Islands," "Indian Cave," "Great" and "Little Islands," and others were given by real Sunapee old-timers. Many a fish- erman named his favorite anchorage for a sure catch.
The summer business, first and last, brought thousands of
Sunapee's One-time Fleet
Steam Basts L Lake Sonape
Station
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people here, some temporarily, but it also brought a few men to invest in summer homes,-men whose names are familiar to all, such as: Hon. John Hay, Private Secretary to Presi- dent Lincoln; Doctor John D. Quackenbos and Dr. Neilson of New York; Hon. George Dewey of Philadelphia; Col. W. S. B. Hopkins of Massachusetts; Rev. Ozora S. Davis of Chi- cago; Speaker John Q. Tilson of Washington, D. C .; Author Samuel Crowther; John E. Robinson and Dr. A. P. Fitch of Concord; Col. George A. Dana; Dr. F. P. Claggett of New- port and others.
Sunapee's summer hotels are: "Runnel's House," built by John Runnels, renamed "Men Mere Inn," the "Harbor House," built by Thomas P. Smith, the "Soo-ni-pi Park Lodge," by Dr. Quackenbos, "Granliden," by Dr. Neilson, "Lake View," by Col. Dana, "Lake Side Hotel," "Pleasant Home," by W. W. Chase, "Indian Cave Lodge," by Ernest P. Bartlett, and many smaller houses.
There were steamboats formerly on the Lake, and lasted for many years. Their names: "Armenia White," "Edmond Burke," "Ascutney," "Weetamo," "Keersage," and "Lady Woodsum," all together having a total capacity of perhaps 2,000 passengers. The Nate Young's "Pennacook," and "Mountain Maid" were early experiments. All are now gone, but in their place are 200 or more motor boats, and yachts.
The Lake is literally lined with cottages, boat houses, yacht clubs, summer schools and camps, and in the summer it pre- sents a healthful activity of rest and pleasure. Native berries on the hillsides and mountains, fish in the waters, golf, tennis, and baseball, all present a challenge to health seekers. The Lake is 1100 feet above sea level, and 10 miles long; its shore-line rocky and in all directions everywhere are wooded hills. Pickerel, horned-pout, perch, brook trout, and suckers seem to have been native, but landlock salmon were introduced in 1880, chinook salmon in 1900 and small- mouth black bass in 1850.
Formerly there were most delicious sugar plums on large bushes overhanging the Lake in great abundance, also "pond pinks,“ most fragrant, and likewise everywhere bordering
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the Lake. Greedy snitching hands have killed them all out. But, the resounding echoes are there still, the breath of pine and hemlock and the purest water and the wonderful granite boulders.
The first building erected by the Lake was a bowling alley on Little Island, which island Nathaniel S. Gardner pur- chased in 1875 for 50 cents. The first summer cottage at the Harbor was that of Col. W. S. B. Hopkins, an attorney of Worcester, Mass. The Woodsum brothers were the leading promoters and operators of the steamboat on the Lake, which began with the "Lady Woodsum" about 1880. For a few years the steamboat "Edmund Burke" was a competitor. Large investors in the steamboat business were A. P. Fitch, John E. Robertson, and John M. Runnels. At one time ex- cursion trains were run to the Lake station on Sundays and holidays from as far as Boston, bringing thousands of ex- cursionists for a ride on the steamers. A Spiritualist camp meeting was held each year at Blodgett's Landing. The last steamer to give up running was the small boat "Weetamo" in about 1915. The cottagers now, however, have the benefit of a motor boat mail delivery.
Frank and Dan Woodsum were the best known of the steamboat operators for the entire period. Frank married Jessie Young. Sunapee employees on the boats that we re- call were: Nate Bailey, Will Flanders, Carl Robertson, En- gineer Morrill, Herbert Page, Fred Stickney, Fred Noyes, Fred Eastman, Stanley Osborne, Dell Bartlett and the writer.
Poet Whittier, in his famous Indian Marriage story, "Bridal of Pennacook," made reference to Sunapee Lake in these lines:
"From the Crystal Hills to the far southeast The river Sagamores came to the feast; And Chiefs whose homes the sea-winds shook, Sat down on the mats of Pennacook. They came from Sunapee's shore of rock, From the snowy sources of Snooganock, And from rough Coos whose thick woods shake Their pine-cones in Umbagog Lake."
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Sunapee mountain rises up from the southern end. Kear- sarge, on the east, is very near, just over the New London and Sutton hills. Garnet Hill, Gardner Hill, and Rogers Hill are on the west, before the eye reaches over them to the Croydon and Grantham mountains.
The first two verses of "Legend of Ann Smith" which I wrote in 1931 refers to Lake Sunapee.
Our legend's a song of a New England site,
Where river joins lake as the tail to a kite,
Where meadows dress green and the forests stand high,
Where mountains and hilltops sketch lines on the sky,
Where birches, milk-white, seem to hug the green pine,
As maple and hemlock their limbs intertwine,
Where evergreens carpet the big forest floor
Except when the snows of the winter spread o'er.
CHAPTER XXXIII STORES
It was about 1820 that the first general store was opened in Wendell by John Dane. It was in the house afterward the home of Solomon Bartlett,-now standing. Later John Colby kept the same store. Later the so-called "Knowlton store" was opened in Knowlton's house on Chase Hill, and later was opened the so-called "Baker store," at the Har- bor. The Knowlton store was also removed from Chase Hill to the Harbor. A Lower Village store was begun about 1870 by Joseph Russell.
The present Gamsby hardware store is of more recent origin. There was a drug store in the Knowlton building for a short time around 1890. In the "Block," there has been a meat store, barber shop, and at times a cobbler's shop.
George's Mills has maintained one country store for a cen- tury.
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George A. Hart once kept a furniture store where Russell Jones now lives in Smithville.
The Knowlton store is now kept by Maurice G. Chase, and one of the New London Shepards runs the old Baker store. Town Clerk Haven now has his office and a real estate office in the "Block." The Joe Russell store at the Lower Village is run now by Frank Allen. Francis E. Young runs a restau- rant at the Lower Village.
CHAPTER XXXIV PHYSICIANS IN SUNAPEE
In the early days Sunapee people usually called Doctors from Newport, but about 1815 a young physician, Caleb Bus- well, opened up an office at the house of John Chase, Jr. on Chase Hill. Dr. Buswell also became Town Clerk and one of the Selectmen, but he left town after a few years, and Tilton Elkins, M. D. came to Sunapee and practiced medicine for about three years. Then Dr. Corbin took his place and practiced until 1829.
Dr. John Hopkins settled here and began practice about 1830. He remained thirty-five years, but in the meantime another practitioner, Dr. Isaiah M. Bishop came in, and Sunapee had two Doctors for a time.
From 1866 Dr. Ira F. George, son of Rodney George, a native of Sunapee, practiced as a physician about three years.
Then Dr. David M. Currier, just graduated from Dart- mouth, came for about three years, but removed to Newport about 1871 where he practiced until late in years.
Next came Dr. Charles F. Leslie of Maine who began to practice in 1874 and continued until 1883. The writer re- members being treated by Dr. Leslie. His place was taken by Dr. Edwin C. Fisher, son of Mason Fisher of a Sunapee family. He married Inez M. Bartlett, daughter of George H. Bartlett, and practiced successfully until he died.
He was succeeded by Dr. Monro, the only resident prac- titioner at present. He lives in the Dr. Fisher house.
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Newport Doctors have always practiced somewhat in Sunapee, -such physicians as Dr. Thomas Sanborn, and his son Thomas, before he went to California, Dr. Currier, Dr. Cane, and now Dr. F. P. Claggett, son of Sheriff Claggett of earlier days, and a Dartmouth classmate of the writer.
The early custom in cases of sickness was to call on the neighbors and friends or Lodge members for free volunteer nursing. The writer was thus blessed. Sarah J. Felch, widow, nursed Sunapee sick for years, followed by her daughter, Lilla. To-day professional nurses are obtained in Newport.
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