USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Manchester > Willey's semi-centennial book of Manchester, 1846-1896, comprised within the limits of the old Tyng Township, Nutfield, Harrytown, Derryfield, and Manchester, from the earliest settlements to the present time > Part 6
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GEORGE W. KIMBALL'S RESIDENCE, NORTH LONDONDERRY.
55
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
WARREN BAILEY was born June 3, 1846,
J. . on what is known as the Chester road, in the English Range district, being the eldest son of Jere- miah and Harriet N. (Magoon) Bailey. There he passed his boyhood days, attending the district school and, later, Pinkerton Academy. At the age
J. WARREN BAILEY.
of nineteen he accepted a position as officer at the Rhode Island state prison, remaining at this insti- tution, and at the Massachusetts state prison, about six years, a portion of the time as deputy warden. Since then he has been engaged in mercantile pur- suits in Boston, for the past ten years at No. 108 Tremont street. In Somerville, Mass., where for more than twenty years Mr. Bailey has resided, he has been prominently identified with public affairs, having represented his ward in the city council for several years, and his city in the legislature for two terms. He is at present a member of the state board of prison commissioners, president of the West Somerville Co-operative Bank, and a director in the Somerville bank. In 1872 Mr. Bailey married for his first wife Miss Emma .R. Clark, of Derry, who died in 1884, leaving one
daughter. His second wife was Miss Jennie N. Loud, of Plymouth, Me.
ELDER JOHN PINKERTON, who opened,
about the year 1750, the first store of foreign and domestic goods in Londonderry, possessed uncommon financial ability, uniting in his char- acter Scotch prudence with Yankee enterprise. He and his brother James were the principal bank- ers and money lenders of the town, and they were particularly careful in making loans to have the very best of security. They generally wanted more than two names on a note, and if only one indorser was presented, the elder would insist on another, saying, "A threefold cord is not easily broken ; you may give me another name."
REV. MATTHEW CLARK, who succeeded Mr. MacGregor as pastor, was sometimes sensational in his pulpit methods. It is related of him that on one occasion he took his text from Philippians iv. 13, and thus began his sermon : ". I can do all things'- ay, can ye, Paul ? I'll bet ye a dollar on that," and he drew a Spanish dollar from his pocket and placed it on the desk. "Stop ! let's see what Paul says: 'I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me.' Ay, so can I, Paul; I draw my bet," and he thereupon put the dollar back into his pocket.
CHARLES MCALLISTER'S RESIDENCE, LONDONDERRY.
56
WILLERS BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
RA IL. ADAMS, M. D., the son of Jarvis and him, and who trust that the impairment of his usefulness is but temporary.
Eunice (Mitchell) Adams, was born Aug. 10, 1846, in Pomfret, Vt. His early education was obtained in the public school of his native town, H HENRY PARKINSON, who was General Stark's quartermaster and intimate friend, came with his parents from Londonderry, Ireland, to Londonderry in 1744. Hle received a thorough classical education, graduating in 1765 from Nas- sau hall, now Princeton college. His parents in- tended him for the Presbyterian ministry, but he could not accept the doctrine of "election " held by that church, and so he devoted himself to teach- and, later, at Meriden, N. H., where he was fitted for college. He studied medicine at Bowdoin and Dartmouth medical colleges, graduating from the latter institution. In 1874 he began practice in Hooksett, removing later to Derry Depot, where he has since resided. August 31, 1875, he was married to Miss Louise S. Perley, of Lempster, N. 11. Two children have been added to the family : Richard Herbert, born June 10, 1876, and Jennie ing. When the news eame from Lexington in Louise, born Sept. April, 1776, Parkin- son immediately en- listed in a company of ninety-nine min- ute men, under Capt. George Reid, and soon joined the American army. Marching as a private to the field, Parkin- son was immediately ealled by Stark, who was well acquainted with him, to the quar- termastership of his regiment, sharing with the hero the honors of Bunker Hill and Bennington, DR. ADAMS'S RESIDENCE, DERRY DEPOT. and continuing in ac- tive service as quar- termaster through- 15, 1881. Dr. Adams has attained high honors in Odd Fel- lowship, having unit- ed with the order in 1875, at Suncook, and having been pro- moted successively through all the de- grees to grand patri- areh, and grand rep- resentative to the sovereign grand lodge. Dr. Adams's pronounced sueeess as a physician has been due not less to his broad and sympa- thetie mind than to the many years of hard and faithful work which he has devoted to the profession. out the war. The intimacy between the general Realizing that medieine is as yet more of an art and his quartermaster lasted throughout life, and after the old hero, in his great age, was confined at home, Parkinson visited him every year. On retiring from the army, he returned at onee to his former work of teaching, and established a elassieal school at Coneord, which attained a wide reputa- tion, and which he condueted for many years. About 1800 he removed to a farm in Canterbury, and divided his remaining years between farming and teaching. His death occurred in 1820. His wife was Jenett MeCurdy, and one of his chil- dren, Mrs. Daniel Blanchard, born in Concord, than a seienee, and that its principles are not all summed up in dry formulas, he has carried every- where into his praetiee the indispensable element of personal sympathy, which in many eases is more effieacious than any drug. The natural eonse- quenee of this trait in his character has been over- work, and the taxing of his physical powers to such an extent as to render necessary a relaxation of his professional labors. Of such a man it is but seant praise to say that he is "popular," for Dr. Adams is loved and respected by all who know
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
57
0
DR. ADAMS AND FAMILY.
5.8
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
in 1788, lived to be nearly roo years of age. Park- Ternal bosom. Come hither, my dear friend, and remember that you also must surely die. Therefore farewell and beware. Died May 23, 1820, aged 79.
inson was a fine linguist, and spoke Latin fluently. On a slalestone slab in the cemetery at Canter- bury Centre is his epitaph, which reads as follows:
Here lie interred the remains of Henry Parkinson, A. M .. long distinguished as an excellent classical scholar. The follow- ing brief epitome of his life was composed by himself: " Hiber- nia me genuit, America nutrivit ; docui, militavi, atque manus laboravi ; et nunc terra me occupat. et quiete in pulvere dormio quasi in gremio materno meo: Huc ades, amice mi care, aspice, et memento ut moriendum quoque certe sit tibi. Ergo vale et cave." Abeit 23d Maie A. D. 1820, aet. 79.
The Latin may be rendered into English thus :
Ireland gave me birth, America brought me up: I taught. did military service, and labored with my hands; and now the earth embraces me, and I sleep quietly in the dust as on my ma-
FAMILY PRAYER was regularly observed every morning and every evening in all the rude dwellings of the carly settlers, and the Scrip- tures were devoutly read. If any family omitted these daily acts of devotion, there would immedi- ately be an investigation by the pastor. It is related that Rev. Mr. MacGregor was one evening informed that a member of his flock had become neglectful of family worship. He went at once to his house, and finding that the family had retired for the night, called up the man and asked if the report was true. The fact was admitted, and the pastor, reproving him sternly for his fault, refused to leave the house until the backslider had knelt and offered up prayer.
W. P. MACK'S RESIDENCE, LONDONDERRY .- VIEW FROM THE SOUTH.
THE ENGLISH RANGE IN NUTFIELD.
BY REV. JESSE G. McMURPHY.
W ITHIN twelve months after the arrival of the first sixteen families, the population of Nutfield, afterward the incorporated township of Londonderry, numbered several hundred, and simultaneously the allotments of homesteads were made to the proprietors under the charter to the number of one hundred and twenty-four and a half shares, exelusive of large awards in land given to some particularly influential persons who had as- sisted the emigrants in securing a grant of land. About seven thousand five hundred aeres were laid out in homesteads under the schedule as recorded with the charter, June 1, 1722, and on the same day one thousand eight hundred and fifty-six aeres were allowed as rewards for special services to thirteen persons directly connected with the pro- euring of elear titles to the land. The largest grants of land for special serviees were made to the officers of the erown, who aeted as mediators between the colonists and the king. These loyal- ists were the Lieutenant Governor of His Ma- jesty's Provinee of New Hampshire in New Eng- land, and that body of followers commonly designated as the governor's suite, with eolonels and men of military insignia in the service of the king. These persons received grants of land in proportion to the supposed importance of their rank and services, not alone in Nutfield but in various other settlements over a wide area of land not very elearly defined in early records.
Without controversy the seetion of the town- ship which was ealled the English Range em- braced the most pronounced Tory faetion, and as Englishmen in sentiment, spirit, and religious
opinions the settlers there had a profound eon- tempt for the zeal, piety, and learning of the fugi- tive Covenanters by whose pestiferous preaching the whole of Great Britain was shaken.
The series of parallel homesteads that may properly be designated as the English Range began at the most easterly corner of Beaver pond and extended in the form of a rectangle whose longer side lay in a due northwest line to a point near Shields's upper pond, and the shorter line lay in a due northeast line along the course of the stream above Beaver pond to the limit of Haverhill False Line, so ealled by reason of a elaim that the people of Haverhill made to the part of this town then lying east of a meridional line through that eorner of the English Range. The longer side of the reetangle was about six hundred rods in length and the shorter, the length of a farm or homestead of the common pattern, three hundred and twenty rods. An actual survey of the farms covered by the transeripts of the allotments shows the area of the English Range to have exceeded the amounts indieated in the records. This exeess of land area is not peculiar to this range, for examination leads to the eonelusion that many allowanees were made on general principles for irregularities in the sur- face and especially for poor land, or land already partially pre-empted for hay privileges. The meadows were measured and bounded separately from the uplands, and frequently the meadow pri- vileges of a settler would be staked and bounded within the limits and boundaries of his neighbor's farm. The laying out of meadows in the Proprie- tors' Book comprises a large part of the record,
3
59
John Barry Eighty acres laid out inLondonderry marchiTIZ,, Recorded Jany 28, 1723.
John Shields James Rogers, twenty ucres , Laid out mar. 1722
Thirty acres laid out in Londonderry July 14,1721 Recorded Sept 10, 1715 Recorded august 14, 1721.
James moore Sixty acres laid out in in Nutfull 1720. Recorded June 2nd 1721.
John Blair, Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield March 25,7200 Recorded June 2 ne 1721.
James Blair .. Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield April 3, 1721. 1
Recorded June 2 ml 1721. .
W
tom Anderson, Sixty acres laid out in Nulfield 1720, Recorded January 165 1721.
James Leslie., Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield 1720 Recorded march 23d 1720.
James Lindsey Sixty acres Heardout in Nulfuld 1720.
Recorded march 22 nd 1720.
matthew Glavic,
Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield 1720.
Recorded November 15h 1721.
0 10 25 50
One hundred rods
Record any 17/2
Robert Mckeon
1720 + recorded Fee 21;
Sixty acres laid out
Sixty atres laid out in tuttele!
Sixty acres laid out in Sulficiel 1720
way land February 13, 1720
March 1720 & recorded July 25, 1720!
Recorded.
Joseph Simonds
Sixty acres
Sixty acres 172
Janet metun
Johnt makeen
1720.2
Beaver Pond
John Gray.
1 i acres laid out in Nulfuld July 25, 1720.
Recorded October 12VE 1720.
Stephen Pierce,
Benjamin Ridder. Sixty acres laid out in Nutfield, Hee-21, 1720 Recorded January 10th 1721.
Fifty apres in fulfill laice oft Jany 2, 1720/ ยท Recordfel March 23, 1720
Edward Poder .. Sixty acres laid out in Nulfield 1720,
Andrew Spalding Forty- eight acus in Nutfuld Care
Recorded July 26, 1721.
Gol. John Wheelwright of Wells, maine. Sixty acres of land laid out October 20, 1714 in utfield and recorded January 9th 1720. Gov. John Wentworth, . Sixty acres laid out in Nutfull Oct - 12, 1720 Recorded October 12th 1720.
out 1+ 20 and recorded march 31, 1721 1
1
1
Samuel Houston Sixty acces laid out in fulfill 1720. Recordedi april 6th 1725.
William
1
Gamperel
1
David Gargill. Swinty-nine geres laid out in Natfiche. July 20 1720. Recorded august 2-1220
colin mc murphy! - une cicrest in fulfill 7 lite out- march 25, 1720
David Graig. -John Archibald Sixty acres laid out 1720. Recorded Dec. 31,1724.
Recorded January 2 taille 0,1721. --- Robert Boyes, Sixty acres laid out may , 1720 Recorded November 5, 1720 Alexander menent: Sixty - agus in tutfuld laid out 1721 Recorded July 2, 1221. Robert morrison
.
Montgomery
Samuel graves Sixty acres in Nutfile laid out July 16, 1720 Recorded Oct - 12, 1720.
100
1
John Goffe, Sixty alles laid out in Nulfull march 26,1720 Recorded May 30th 1720.
Voceth Kidder . -
Sixty acres laid out in Butfield April 1720.
1
Recorded November 5th 1720 ;.
John goffe, f.r. Sixty acres in Fulfill laid out June 9, 1720. Recorded July 20, 17/20.
Haverhill False bine.
Samuel MocKun
John Senter
form Robie.
Elias Keyes,,
S
-E Range prepared and drawn by Revit g. G. Mc Murphy
Map of the English
John Grombie. Sixty acres laid out in Nulfuld July 25,1720. Recorded august grF 1720.
Samuel Graves, Sixty acres laid out in Nulfield July 16, 1720. Recorded October 125 1720.
-
1
1
ministerial
1
1
MAP OF THE ENGLISH RANGE.
Chester Line
61
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
but in a general review of the limits preseribed in these artieles, no particular attention ean be given to this feature of the original plan of the land division.
The English Range embraced a beautiful traet of land, with fine glimpses of Beaver pond from almost every part, and some of the farms running
BEAVER POND, OR TSIENNETO LAKE, DERRY.
completely down to the firm shores were selected for the more noted persons of the community. The map will show the plan of arrangement.
(See Laying Out of Lots - Description of a Homestead - Governors - Resolution Passed 1719 -- French and Indian Wars- James Hunter of Boston -The limits of the Range - Record of the Road - Present Owners - Births Prior to Settle- ment -Capt David Cargill - Sawmill and Fulling-mill - The Second Homestead - Town Meeting, 1720 - Pages 61 -63, Derry edition, Book of Nutfield.)
D AVID LANE PERKINS was born at Pitts- field March 2, 1838, and was the son of David P. and Lydia C. (Lane) Perkins. His father is at present a resident of this eity. His mother died in 1839. He received his education in the publie schools of Manchester, ineluding the high school, and at the New Hampton Institute. He studied law with the firm of Morrison, Stanley & Clark, and was admitted to the bar Mareh 22, 1862. He resided in Washington, D. C., from 1856 to 1858, returning to Manchester for four years and then going back to Washington, where he was employed as government official until 1865 under appointment by Hon. Salmon P. Chase.
From 1865 to 1869 he resided at Henniker, return- ing to Manchester in the latter year, serving as eity solieitor in 1875 and remaining here until 1885, when he aeecpted a position in the treasury department at Washington, and remained there during President Cleveland's first term. In 1889 he resumed the praetiec of law in Manchester. In the years 1857-58, he was private secretary for Hon. Stephen A. Douglass in Washington, and was in the treasury department from July 11, 1862, until Dee. 15, 1865. On July 20, 1885, he was appointed superintendent of curreney in the office of the comptroller of eurreney, and on May 4, 1888, was appointed teller at the office of the same official. During the war Mr. Perkins signed gov- ernment bonds for the seeretary of the treasury with his initials, "D. L. P.," often more than
DAVID L. PERKINS.
$10,000,000 worth in a day. He probably put pen and ink to more paper representing value than any other person now living.
In his career Mr. Perkins has done consider- able work for newspapers, and was the first Asso- eiated Press agent in Manchester, holding the
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
position for ten years. He is a member of the bravery at Fort Fisher. Toward the close of his Masonic fraternity. Possessed of a genial person- ality, Mr. Perkins's friends are legion. He served for a short time as a volunteer, during the invest- ment of Washington by the Confederates, in July, 1864. service he was captured in North Carolina, along with Col. Frank W. Parker, but escaped. After the war Major Challis located in Manchester, and nearly all the time until his death was employed by the Amoskeag corporation at his trade. In 1867 and 1868 he represented his ward in the legislature, and in 1877 and 1878 was a member of the common council, being president the latter year. In 1879-80 he was a member of the board of aldermen. Major Challis served on the com- mittee that had charge of the ercetion of the
M AJOR TIMOTHY W. CHALLIS was born in Corinth, Vt., April 23, 1827. Hc came naturally by his military talents, for his great- grandfather, with four of his sons, was with Stark at Bunker Hill, while his father was for many years a cavalry officer in the Vermont militia. In his youth he attended the common schools of his native town, and at an early age was apprenticed to a tanner, but in 1845 he came to Manchester and learned the earpenter's trade. After some years he took up the daguerrotype business. When Sumter was fired on he was at work at carpenter- ing in Laconia, where he was connected with the fire department and other organizations. In response to President Lincoln's call for three months' volunteers, Mr. Challis enlisted and was elected seeond lieutenant of a company of which Editor O. A. J. Vaughan of the Laconia Demo- erat was chosen captain. This company entered the state service, but was mustered out at Portsmouth June 11, on receipt of orders to enlist no more three months' men into the United States service. July 25, 1861, Mr. Challis enlisted for three years, or for the war, in what became Company D of the Fourth New Hampshire volunteers, and went to the front as orderly sergeant. With this command he served throughout the war, being mustered out as adjutant Sept. 18, 1865, and having participated in the campaigns in Florida, the Carolinas, and Virginia. He fought bravely at Pocotaligo, James Island, Fort Wagner, Swift Creek, Drury's Bluff, Petersburg July 16, 1864, "The Mine," Deep Bottom, Newmarket Heights, Fort Gilmer, Fort Fisher, and thirteen minor skirmishes, and the sieges of Morris Island, Fort Sumter, and Peters- burg. He was promoted to second lieutenant Oet. 7, 1862 ; first lieutenant of Company A July 27, 1864, and adjutant Nov. 7, 1864 ; was brevetted captain for gallantry at Fort Gilmer, and major for
MAJOR TIMOTHY W. CHALLIS.
soldiers' monument. He was a charter member of Louis Bell Post; commander of the state department of the Grand Army in 1873 and 1874 ; charter member of Granite Lodge, Knights of Pythias; an officer in the Manchester War Vet- erans and in the Manchester Veteran Association In 1854 he married Martha (Blaisdell) Holmes at Laconia, and he died in Manchester Feb. 1, 1890 leaving, besides his widow, one son, Capt Frank H. Challis of Manchester.
ROADS AND STREETS OF MANCHESTER.
T THE history of the highways of a town has an interest and importance identical with that of its homesteads. In fact, the records of the two are not easily separated. The forest-fringed foot- path, marked by blazed trees, and leading from cabin to cabin of the adventurous pioneers who penetrated into the heart of the wilderness to found their isolated homes became the roadbed of those who followed them. Before the advent of the white settlers the country in this vieinity was threaded by the Indian trails winding along the banks of "silver river," or the airline foot road of the Pennacooks' overland route from their head- quarters on the Merrimack to their fishing grounds on the shores of Lake Massabesic. Often the wildwood paths of the sons of the forest became the primary roads of civilized man. The Derry turnpike was built along the identical course of an Indian game drive, over which many a fugitive deer was chased to the point of land called " Deer's Neck," where they fell helpless victims to their wily pursuers.
Roads were gencrally built for one of two purposes - to open the way to business or for the accommodation of settlers in mingling with one another. As Amoskeag falls, famed far and ncar for its wonderful fishing facilities, became the common centre of the trails of the Indians that resorted thither to fish, so did the place bccome the objective point of the earlier roads of the white men, that they might avail themselves of the advantages of its fisheries.
The first travelled way deserving the dignity of being called a road, of which written history speaks, and which led into and through the terri- tory now comprising Manchester, was the bridle path made at the expense and under the direction
of Rev. John Eliot. The undertaking was begun at the urgent request of Passaconnaway for the apostle to come among his people and teach them the "new light," and hiring one white man and several Indians to clear a way and blaze trees, the primitive path " from Nashaway to Namaske," which was to develop in the coming years into the "river road " between Manchester and the lower towns on the Merrimack, was completed in the early part of the fall of 1648. The following year Mr. Eliot intended to fulfill his promise of visiting the Indians at Amoskeag falls, but sickness pre- vented, and there is no proof that he ever carried out his good intentions.
The people of Nutfield were early anxious to have a road through to Amoskeag falls, and tradition says that in order to fix the direction beyond mistake a huge bonfire was built near the latter place as a guide for the engineer. As early as 1724, say the records of Londonderry, a road was laid out " keeping near to the old path to Ammosceeg Falls." The course taken must have been from the east village in Londonderry to the "Three Pines" ncar Cohas brook, through what is now Manchester Centre and Hallsville, to the falls. This road was repaired in 1729, but the date of its construction is in doubt. Another old-time road of that period ran from Litchfield through the settlement of Goffe's Falls at the mouth of Cohas brook, past the site of Valley Cemetery and united with the first named at a point near the southeast corner of Tremont common. Cross- roads and paths running in directions best suited to the settlers, formed, with the main roads, the way of communication among the inhabitants of Harrytown. In the absence of the records of any public charge, it is fair to suppose that individuals
63
WILLEY'S BOOK OF NUTFIELD.
bore the expense of building and repairing these roads.
There is no date to tell when the road through Piscataquog to Amoskeag falls was built, but it was doubtless the outgrowth of the carly settlers going to and fro to the fishing places, following very nearly if not the same course of the bridle path cut for the Rev. John Eliot in 1648. It is mentioned in the records of Bedford for 1759, which show that the town repaired the road and built a bridge across the Piscataquog river.
The first regularly laid out road after the incorporation of Derryfield was a link following the Cohas brook and connecting the Chester high- way, stopping at the lower end of Massabcsic lakc, and the Londonderry route to the falls. This gave Chester direct communication with the valley of the Merrimack. The record reads :
October 3, 1751, then laid out a highway or town Rhoad for the use and benefit of said town Beginen at Chester line, at a pine tree marked H, then running by marked trees to a Brige upon the Amoskeag brook where the Rhoad now gows, then by marked trees ase the rhoad now gows to Daniel McNiel's to a pine tree marked 136, or as near to the marked tree as good ground will allow.
DANIEL MCNIEL, NATHANIEL BOYD, WILLIAM PERHAM, Selectmen.
This road lcd from the Centre to Amoskeag over the same course mentioned in the first Lon- donderry route, and would make it seem that the other had not been built. It was, however, more likely donc as an official act, and that the road had been already made. The Chester line, which had marked the division between that town and Tyng township, was just this side of the sitc of the city reservoir. Amoskeag brook was the stream that still bears that name and flows through the valley west of Hallsville, near the crossing of East Spruce and Belmont streets, the Old Falls road being a short section of the highway mentioned. As has been related, this road crossed a corner of Tremont common, passing thence near to the junction of Myrtle and Chestnut strects, where Daniel McNiel's house stood, and on to the marked pine. From this point the work was resumed, and what was assumed to be a third road was then laid out, completing the route to Amos-
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