Skip to main content

Full text of "History of Lancaster, New Hampshire"

See other formats 


o  0^ 


Oo. 


-  ^x 


^^/.  v^' 


\^' 


.^■''' 


s       .A 


^,.  .-^^ 


v^*^     -^ct 


■>^  -^ 


^^"       '^^ 


cV 


.s  -n*.. 


^'^• 


'OO' 


N^\-^ 


HISTORY 


LANCASTER,  NEW  HAMPSHIRE. 


*  WRITTEN   AND   EDITED   BY 

REV.    A.    N.    SOMERS. 

Published  and  Issued  by  Order  op  the  Town 

JAMES  W.  WEEKS, 
HENRY  O.  KENT, 
CHESTER  B.  JORDAN, 

Its  Co7)i7nittee. 

i898. 


CONCORD,  N.  H.: 

THE   KUMFOKD   FKE55. 

1899. 


PREFATORY  NOTE  BY  THE  COMMITTEE 


At  the  annnal  March  meeting,  1892,  the  town  took  its  first  steps 
towards  a  history.  It  was  then  contemplated  that  the  history  should 
embrace  a  narrative,  an  account  of  the  trades  and  business,  churches, 
schools,  and  the  like,  and  also  personal  biography  of  the  early  settlers 
and  their  families.  As  the  work  grew  it  was  found  that  all  this  could  not 
be  included  within  one  volume,  and  it  was  therefore  deemed  best  to 
exclude  all  personal  biography  and  the  genealogy  of  families,  save  as  the 
same  might  appear  in  narrative  and  other  form.  The  town  has  a  large 
amount  of  biographical  material  to  be  used  at  some  future  day,  when 
another  volume  of  history  may  be  published.  It  was  gathered  by  the 
committee  for  this  volume,  but  left  out  for  the  reason  that  it  would  make 
the  book  too  large.  The  committee  regret  the  necessity  of  such  action, 
but  congratulates  the  town  that  it  now  has  in  safe  keeping  much  valuable 
matter  concerning  its  pioneers,  who  acted  so  well  their  parts  in  founding 
a  town  and  a  civilization  that  we  trust  will  bring  no  discredit  upon  them 
or  their  works. 

James  W.  Weeks, 
Henry  O.  Kent, 
Chester  B.  Jordan, 
Committee 
Lancaster,  July  i,  1898. 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


PART    I. 

Chapter     I.  Discovery  and  Exploration  of  the  Upper  Coos 
II.   Location  and  Charter  of  the  Town 

III.  The  Town  as  a  Civil  Organization 

IV.  The  Settlement  of  the  Town        .... 
V.  The  Survey,  Relocation,  and  Allotment  of  the  Lands 

VI.  The  Organization  of  the  Town     .... 

VII.  The  Building  of  Roads  and  Bridges 

VIII.  The  Revolutionary  Period  ..... 

IX.  The  Town  from  1776  to  1800      .  .  .  . 

X.  The  Town  from  1800  to  1850      .... 

XI.  The  Town  from  1850  to  1897      .... 

XII.  Education  in  Lancaster        ..... 

XIII.  The  Establishment  and  Development  of  Religion  in  Lancaster 

XIV.  Lancaster  in  Relation  to  the  Vermont  Controversy 
XV.  Some  Early  Marriages  and  Deaths  in  Lancaster 

XVI.  Some  Early  Private  Accounts  with  the  Town 
XVII.  Religious  Holidays,  Musters,  Raisings 
XVIII.  Some  Temperance  Movements  in  Lancaster 
XIX.  The  Political  History  of  the  Town 
XX.   Some  Authors  of  the  Town  and  their  Writings 
XXI.   The  Early  Post-riders  and  the  Mails    . 
XXII.   Some  Epidemics  that  have  Prevailed  in  Lancaster 
XXIII.  The  Railroads 

PART    II. 

Chapter     I.  The  Natural  History  of  the  Town 

II.  Localities,  Streets,  Parks,  and  Cemeteries 

III.  Material  Growth  of  the  Town 

IV.  Domestic  Life  in  Early  Times 
V.  Games,  Sports,  and  Amusements  of  Early  Times 

VI.  Mercantile  Enterprises  and  Merchants 
VII.  Manufacturing  Enterprises  of  the  Town 
VIII.  Banks  and  Other  Corporations 
IX.  The  History  of  Education  . 
X.  The  Churches    . 
XI.  The  Newspapers  of  the  Town 
XII.  The  Learned  Professions 

XIII.  Fraternal  Societies 

XIV.  Public  Buildings 
XV.  The  Fire  Department 

XVI.  The  Civil  List  of  the  Town 

XVII.   The  Soldiers  of  Lancaster  . 

XVIII.  The  Centennial  Celebration  of  the  Settlement  of  the  Town  of 

Lancaster,  1764-July  14,  1864  ..... 


563 


X 


LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Weeks,  Major  John  W. 

Weeks,  William  D. 

Wells,  John  Sullivan 

Whidden,  Beni-  Franklin 

White,  John  H.      •  • 

White  Mountains  from  District  No.  lo 

Williams,  Jared  Warner,  Governor  . 


face  page  94 
137 
464 
472 
464 
316 
464 


HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 


CHAPTER    I. 
THE   DISCOVERY   AND   EXPLORATION    OF   THE    UPPER    COOS. 

The  Indian  name  of  Cohoss,  or  Cowas,  was  known  to  the  settlers 
of  the  towns  in  the  southern  part  of  New  Hampshire  and  Massachu- 
setts since  the  beginning  of  the  troubles  with  the  Indians  and  French. 
In  a  vague  manner  it  signified  a  large  and  valuable  tract  of  land 
along  the  Connecticut  river.  As  early  as  1704  we  find  this  name 
appearing  in  the  Provincial  Records,  Vol.  VI,  pp.  278,  874.  Hun- 
ters had  followed  their  craft  within  this  territory  for  many  years, 
and  had  brought  to  the  settlements  glowing  accounts  of  its  fertile 
meadows  and.  richness  of  timbers,  as  well  as  its  abundance  of  game. 
In  the  spring  of  1752,  John  Stark,  afterward  known  as  General 
Stark,  his  brother  William,  Amos  Eastman,  and  David  Stinson  were 
set  upon  by  a  party  of  St.  Francis  Indians  while  hunting  on  Baker's 
river,  in  the  present  town  of  Rumney.  John  Stark  and  Amos  East- 
man were  captured,  while  David  Stinson  was  killed,  and  William 
Stark  made  his  escape.  These  two  prisoners  were  taken  to  the  set- 
tlement of  the  St.  Francis  tribe  in  Canada,  passing  through  the 
Cohoss  country,  halting  to  hunt  at  points  along  the  route.  They 
camped  the  first  night  at  the  mouth  of  John's,  river.  These  two 
young  men  had  thus  a  good  opportunity  to  view  the  famed  "  Co- 
hoss Meadows  "  so  much  talked  of  in  the  lower  settlements  of  New 
Hampshire. 

On  the  return  of  Stark  and  Eastman,  who  were  ransomed  in  the 
summer  of  1752,  they  gave  a  glowing  account  of  the  Cohoss  country, 
which  excited  renewed  interest  in  the  previous  desire  and  immature 
plan  for  its  settlement.  During  that  year  Governor  Wentworth 
made  several  grants  of  townships  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut 
river,  by  which  he  hoped  to  secure  the  settlement  of  this  coveted 
country.  Accordingly  a  party  set  out  to  lay  out  a  township  on 
either  side  of  the  river  where  Newbury,  Vt.,  and  Haverhill,  N.  H., 
now  are.  A  prompt  remonstrance  on  the  part  of  the  St.  Francis 
Indians  led  to  the  abandonment  of  the  plan  for  a  period  of  ten  years. 


2  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

In  the  spring  of  1754,  the  governor  sent  Colonel  Lovewell,  Major 
Talford,  and  Captain  Page  out  in  command  of  a  company,  with  John 
Stark  as  their  guide,  to  explore  the  Cohoss  country.  They  left  Rum- 
ford  (now  Concord)  on  March  10,  1754,  and  in  seven  days  reached 
the  Connecticut  river  at  Piermont,  where  they  tarried  but  one  night 
and  then  beat  a  hasty  retreat,  reaching  Rumford  after  an  absence 
of  thirteen  days.  In  the  absence  of  any  recorded  reasons  for  such  a 
failure  to  carry  out  an  order  of  the  government  we  are  left  to  infer 
that  these  explorers  were  afraid  of  meeting  the  Indians  who  claimed 
the  territory  they  had  entered  upon. 

The  same  season  another  exploring  party  was  sent  out  on  the 
same  mission.  This  party  consisted  of  Captain  Peter  Powers,  of 
Hollis,  N.  H.,  Lieut.  James  Stevens,  and  Ensign  Ephraim  Hale,  of 
Townsend,  Mass.,  with  a  company  of  soldiers.  They  left  Rumford 
on  Saturday,  June  15,  1754,  and  proceeded  with  much  difficulty 
from  bad  weather  and  swollen  streams,  up  what  Captain  Powers 
called  the  "  Great  Valley,"  or  Cohoss.  From  the  journal  of  Captain 
Powers  it  is  quite  certain  that  his  company  reached  Isreals  river, 
within  the  present  locality  of  the  village  of  Lancaster,  and  remained 
but  a  single  day,  long  enough  to  mend  their  shoes,  and  then  returned 
on  account  of  the  exhaustion  of  their  provisions.  Captain  Powers 
and  two  of  his  men  marched  up  the  Connecticut  river  five  miles, 
where  they  discovered  evidences  that  the  Indians  had  been  encamped 
within  a  day  or  two,  making  canoes.  Captain  Powers's  party  were 
prudent,  at  least  in  avoiding  any  chance  of  meeting  the  Indians. 
They  were  not  sent  out  to  conquer  the  inhabitants  of  Cohoss,  nor  to 
take  any  formal  possession  of  the  country,  but  to  examine  it  and 
report  to  the  government.  Powers's  description  of  the  country 
through  which  he  passed  is  accurate,  terse,  and  clear.  He  named 
Isreals  river  Powers'  river,  in  which  he  no  doubt  acted  in  good  faith. 
It  is  not  at  all  probable  that  he  had  any  knowledge  of  its  previous 
name  in  honor  of.  Isreal  Glines,  who  had  his  hunter's  camp  on  it 
many  years  before,  while  John  Glines,  a  brother  of  Isreal,  had  a 
camp  on  John's  river.  Powers  gave  as  a  reason  for  the  river  being 
called  John's  river  the  fact  that  John  Stark  had  lodged  on  its  banks 
while  a  captive  of  the  Indians  in  1752.  He  seems,  from  these  con- 
siderations, to  have  known  nothing  of  the  Glineses. 

The  Glines  brothers,  as  also  one  Martin,  who  hunted  on  the 
meadows  and  pond  that  bear  his  name,  came  here  for  no  other  pur- 
pose than  to  hunt  and  trap.  Whatever  information  they  conveyed  to 
the  lower  settlements  on  leaving  the  Cohoss  country  about  1752,  is 
merely  a  matter  of  conjecture.  As  hunters  they  were  not  interested 
in  having  the  country  settled.  Powers's  expedition,  on  the  contrary, 
was  sent  out  to  gain  accurate  information  of  the  country  and  report 
the  same  to  guide  the  government  in  its  designs  to  have  the  country 


DISCOVERY   AND    EXPLORATION    OF    UPPER    COOS.  3 

settled  before  the  French  should  seize  it  and  erect  forts  and  hold  it 
for  France,  Little  or  nothing  resulted  from  the  Powers  exploring 
expedition,  unless  it  had  the  effect  to  allay  the  fear  of  the  French 
occupation  of  the  Cohoss  country.  No  effort  was  made  by  the 
authorities  of  the  Province  to  form  settlements  above  "  No.  4"  (now 
Charlestown),  after  the  Assembly  refused  to  concur  with  Governor 
Wentworth  in  granting  townships  in  1752,  until  1761,  although 
many  petitions  were  made  for  authority  to  do  so.  The  dangers 
and  expense  accompanying  the  formation  of  new  settlements  many 
miles  away  from  the  older  fortified  settlements,  was  the  chief  and 
only  reason  holding  in  check  many  families  anxious  to  acquire  lands 
in  the  rich  "Cohoss  Meadows."  The  projects  of  the  governor  and 
one  Captain  Symes,  and  Theodore  Atkinson,  who  pressed  the  ques- 
tion upon  the  attention  of  the  Assembly  at  home,  and  the  agent  of 
New  Hampshire,  and  the  king  abroad,  involved  a  military  occupation 
of  the  country.  They  saw  and  urged  the  necessity  of  a  strict  mili- 
tary government  of  their  proposed  settlements  involving  the  erec- 
tion of  strong  garrisons  in  the  centre  of  the  settlements.  Such, 
indeed,  would  have  been  the  situation  had  the  Assembly  concurred 
in  the  governor's  plans,  for  not  only  was  there  a  strong  determina- 
tion on  the  part  of  the  Indians  to  prevent  further  encroachments 
upon  their  hunting  grounds,  but  the  French  were  ready,  and  only 
too  willing,  to  offer  the  Indians  all  possible  encouragement  to  resist 
the  extension  of  English  settlements  northward.  The  French  hacj 
by  that  time  made  Crown  Point  as  much  of  a  stronghold  on  Lake 
Champlain  as  Quebec  was  on  the  St.  Lawrence  river,  and  were  jeal- 
ous of  any  encroachments  upon  the  territory  above  "  No.  4." 
These  projects  only  related  to  the  "  Lower  Coos,"  as  it  came  to  be 
known  later ;  but  if  such  were  the  dangers  confronting  settlers  at 
that  point  how  much  greater  would  they  not  have  been  in  the 
"  Upper  Coos"  ? 

So  great  was  the  hostility  and  daring  of  the  St.  Francis  Indians 
that  they  attacked  "No.  4,"  as  late  as  the  30th  of  August,  1754, 
which  at  the  time  was  defended  by  a  garrison  under  the  noted 
Captain  Phineas  Stevens,  and  carried  away  into  captivity  eight  per- 
sons. So  great  seemed  the  dangers  from  these  Indian  attacks  that 
towns  as  far  south  as  Fort  Dummer  (Hinsdale),  Westmoreland, 
Keene,  and  Swanzey  sent  up  petitions  to  the  General  Court,  and 
even  went  so  far  as  to  petition  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
Bay  Colony  for  protection  against  the  Indians. 

The  controversy  between  Massachusetts  and  New  Hampshire  over 
the  boundary  question  had  been  settled  by  King  George  II  in  favor 
of  New  Hampshire  in  1740,  which  naturally  lessened  the  interest  of 
Massachusetts  in  the  territory  in  dispute  between  the  New  Hamp- 
shire  settlers   and   the    Indians.     New   Hampshire    was   not  strong 


4  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

enough  at  that  time  to  invite  the  combined  assaults  of  the  French 
and  Indians,  hence  many  plans  for  the  settlement  of  new  territory  in 
the  north  had  to  be  abandoned  until  a  more  promising  time. 

That  time  came  only  with  the  close  of  the  last  French  and  Indian 
War,  lasting  from  1755  until  1760,  when  Quebec  and  Crown  Point 
had  been  wrested  from  the  French,  and  the  St.  Francis  tribe  of 
Indians  had  been  almost  annihilated  by  the  famed  Robert  Rogers 
and  his  Rangers,  who,  returning  from  that  memorable  victory, 
passed  down  the  Connecticut  river  through  the  "  Upper  Coos." 
This  ever-memorable  expedition  of  Rogers's  Rangers  did  more  to 
open  the  way  for  the  exploration  and  settlement  of  the  "  Cohoss  " 
country  than  all  movements  combined,  for  it  crushed  the  hostile 
spirit  of  the  Indians,  and  admonished  the  French  that  the  English 
purpose  to  have  and  hold  the  Connecticut  valley  was  indisputable. 
Rogers  had  been  in  the  "Upper  Coos"  early  in  the  season  of  1755, 
and  erected  a  fort  near  the  mouth  of  the  Upper  Amonoosuck,  which 
he  named  Fort  Wentworth.  The  site  of  this  old  fort  is  a  matter  of 
some  interest  in  the  early  traditions  of  the  "  Upper  Coos."  In  his 
report  of  the  expedition  he  says  of  "  Coos"  (he  spells  it  Cohas),  "  it 
is  a  tract  of  twenty  miles  in  length  and  six  in  breadth,  which,  for  its 
beauty  and  fertility,  may  be  deservedly  styled  the  '  Garden  of  New 
England.'  " 

On  their  way  from  St.  Francis,  Rogers's  Rangers  passed  through 
the  "  Upper  Coos."  Pressed  by  hunger  and  fatigue,  some  of  them 
sought  to  get  out  of  the  wilderness  by  passing  through  the  White 
Mountain  notch.  Several  of  them  passed  up  Isreals  river  toward 
the  "  notch  "  with  an  Indian  guide,  who  seems  to  have  misled  them. 

Only  one  of  their  number,  one  Bradley,  succeeded  in  making 
the  trip,  to  tell  the  sad  story  of  their  sufferings.  Others  of  the 
Rangers  passed  down  the  Connecticut  river.  Too  weak  to  bear  the 
burdens  of  their  guns  and  knapsacks,  they  hid  them  among  the 
rocks  and  passed  on,  empty-handed,  to  the  settlements  on  the  river 
below.  Many  of  these  relics  have  since  been  found  in  the  town  of 
Lunenburg,  Vt. 


CHAPTER    II. 

THE   LOCATION    AND   CHARTER    OF    THE    TOWN. 

David  Page  of  Petersham,  Mass.,  having  become  dissatisfied  with 
an  allotment  of  land  to  him  in  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  of  which  he  was 
one  of  the  grantees,  in  1762,  immediately  set  about  making  arrange- 
ments to  found  a  settlement,  in  which  his  fancied  rights  should  be 
duly  respected  in  the  land  allotments.      In  company  with  sixty-nine 


Ox  Israels  River,   Lancaster. 


Starr  King  Mountain. 

Presidential  Range  from  LeGro  Hill. 


THE    LOCATION   AND    CHARTER    OF   THE   TOWN.  5 

other  persons,  he  procured  a  charter  for  a  town  in  the  Upper  Coos 
country,  then  known  to  be  very  rich  meadow-land  on  the  Connecti- 
cut river. 

Page  had  in  his  employment  at  the  time  a  young  man  by  the 
name  of  Emmons  Stockwell,  who  is  supposed  to  have  been  in  this 
region  before,  as  one  of  Rogers's  Rangers.  Whether  he  was  one  of 
the  party  that  destroyed  the  village  of  St.  Francis  in  1759,  is  not 
certainly  known.  There  is  a  chance  that  he  might  have  accom- 
panied Major  Rogers  in  1755,  when  he  built  Fort  Wentworth  in 
Northumberland,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Upper  Ammonoosuc  river. 
On  that  occasion  detachments  from  various  companies  were  assigned 
to  Major  Rogers  for  that  purpose,  and  we  predict  that  the  name  of 
Emmons  Stockwell  will  be  found  in  some  Massachusetts  company, 
as  he  was  a  resident  of  that  state.  Then,  too,  young  Stockwell,  and 
even  Edwards  Bucknam,  another  young  man  of  Petersham,  in  the 
employment  of  David  Page,  may  have  hunted  in  the  "  Upper  Coos 
Meadows."  At  all  events  it  was  from  the  knowledge  these  young 
men  had  of  the  country  that  led  Page  to  secure  a  charter  for  it,  and 
enter  into  the  scheme  for  its  settlement.  Knowing  how  desirous 
Governor  Wentworth  was  to  grant  charters,  and  lay  the  whole 
country  under  the  rule  of  the  king,  Page  and  his  followers  were 
encouraged  to  ask  for  a  charter  of  the  rich  meadows,  which  was 
no  sooner  asked  for  than  granted.  In  fact,  many  of  the  governor's 
warmest  friends  were  among  the  grantees. 

Without  any  previous  survey  of  the  lands,  the  governor,  probably 
with  the  assistance,  and  at  least  by  the  suggestion,  of  his  petitioners, 
blocked  out  a  township  of  certain  arbitrary  dimensions,  to  contain  a 
definite  number  of  acres,  and  granted  it  under  the  name  of  Lan- 
caster. This  grant  was  supposed  to  cover  all  the  broad  meadows, 
now  in  Lancaster,  and  known  as  the  "  Upper  Coos  Meadows,"  and 
the  water  power  of  Isreals  river.  How  arbitrary  the  grants  of 
towns  were  can  readily  be  seen  by  a  glance  at  the  plots  that  were 
always  made  out  on  the  backs  of  the  charters,  and  are  now  repro- 
duced in  the  "State  Papers,  Vols.  24  and  25,  Tow^n  Charters." 

The  north  line  of  Lancaster  was  to  be  the  same  as  the  south  line 
of  Stonington,  granted  to  John  Hogg  and  others,  Oct.  20,  1761,  In 
consequence  of  the  general  ignorance  of  the  governor's  petitioners 
in  respect  to  an  unsurveyed  country,  it  happened  that  the  south  line 
of  Stonington  was  some  eight  or  nine  miles  lower  down  the  river 
than  they  supposed,  and  included  all  the  coveted  meadows  of  the 
Upper  Coos.  That  threw  Lancaster  still  further  south  ten  miles, 
upon  territory,  now  included  in  the  towns  of  Dalton,  Whitefield,  and 
Littleton.  As  granted,  and  by  the  description  in  the  charter,  Lan- 
caster was  to  corner  on  the  Connecticut  river  a  short  distance  below 
the  mouth  of  Beaver  brook. 


6  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

But  for  the  failure  of  the  grantees  of  the  town  of  Stonington  to 
take  possession  of  their  territory  and  settle  upon  it,  David  Page  and 
his  followers  would  have  found  themselves  forced  to  move  off  the 
rich  meadows  of  the  present  Lancaster,  and  either  content  them- 
selves with  the  less  desirable  territory  within  their  grant,  or  to  have 
sought  still  another  location.  The  desire  of  David  Page  to  get  as 
good  land  as  there  was  within  his  supposed  grant,  led  him  to  take 
possession  of  the  broad  meadows,  then  near  the  centre  of  Stoning- 
ton, under  the  supposition  that  he  was  within  his  lawful  limits. 

The  charter  for  Lancaster  was  granted  July  5,  1763,  and  David 
Page  sent  his  son,  David  Page,  Jr.,  and  Emmons  Stockwell  to  take 
possession  of  the  territory  that  same  year.  Tradition  says  they 
came  some  time  in  the  fall,  built  a  log  cabin  on  the  meadows,  cut 
grass,  and  stacked  it  to  feed  their  cattle  that  were  to  be  driven  up  early 
the  following  spring.  One  tradition  says  that  after  accomplishing 
this  task  they  returned  to  Massachusetts,  and  came  back  with  David 
Page  and  several  other  young  men  the  following  April  to  find  that 
the  spring  freshets  had  carried  their  hay  off  and  flooded  their  cabin. 
Another  tradition  says  that  these  two  young  men  remained  here  all 
winter  and  subsisted  by  hunting  and  fishing.  This  latter  tradition 
is  the  more  plausible  one,  and  is  probably  true. 

It  would  seem  much  more  likely  that  the  mistake  of  locating  the 
Lancaster  settlement  on  the  territory  granted  to  the  Stonington 
people  was  made  by  these  young  men  coming  in  advance  of  the 
elder  Page.  They  knew  something  of  the  country,  at  least  Stock- 
well  did,  and  as  it  was  supposed  that  under  the  charter  they  were 
going  to  take  possession  of  the  Coos  Meadows,  they  pitched  upon 
the  most  valuable  lands.  That  was  undoubtedly  their  instruction 
from  David  Page.  Then,  too,  we  must  consider  the  fact  that  these 
young  men  would  not  have  the  charter  to  guide  them  in  fixing  the 
bounds  of  the  town.  It  may  be  doubted  whether  David  Page,  Sr., 
himself  would  have  done  better  even  with  his  charter  to  aid  him  in 
fixing  upon  the  bounds  of  the  town. 

There  is  no  reason  to  suppose  that  the  grantees  of  Lancaster 
intended  to  dispossess  the  grantees  of  Stonington  of  their  valuable 
territory.  The  fact  that  the  former  found  themselves  upon  the  lands 
of  the  latter,  after  a  renewed  effort  had  been  made  by  John  Hogg 
and  his  followers  to  regain  the  land  they  lost  by  a  failure  to  comply 
with  the  terms  of  their  charter,  does  not  convict  them  of  stealing 
the  lands  of  their  more  fortunate  neighbors,  who  had  received  a 
prior  grant  of  them.  That  the  readers  may  better  judge  how  easy 
it  was  to  make  mistakes  in  finding  the  rightful  limits  of  the  towns 
arbitrarily  laid  out  without  a  previous  survey  of  them,  I  will  give 
here  the  descriptions  of  the  bounds  of  Stonington  that  they  may  be 
compared  with  those  of  Lancaster  in  the  charter  which  follows : 


THE    LOCATION    AND    CHARTER   OF   THE   TOWN.  7 

Bounds  of  Stonington.  "Beginning  at  A  Maple  Tree  wliich  Stands  on  the 
Easterly  Side  of  Connecticut  River  and  is  about  Thirty  Miles  on  A  Straight  Line 
from  Ammoiuisek  Rivers  Mouth  and  from  thence  Northerly  up  Connecticut  River 
as  that  runs  about  nine  miles  on  a  Strait  Line  to  an  Elm  marked  Standing  on  the 
Southerly  Side  of  the  mouth  of  a  Small  Brook  running  into  Connecticut  River  & 
carrying  that  Breadth  Back  between  two  East  lines  so  far  as  that  A  Paralell  Line 
to  the  Strait  Line  from  the  Maple  afore  Said  to  the  Elm  afore  Said  will  make  the 
Contents  of  Six  Miles  Square  and  that  the  same  be,  and  hereby  is  incorporated 
into  a  Township  by  the  name  of  Stonington."      [State  Papers,  Vol.  25,  p.  394-] 

Taking  Cargill  brook  in  Northumberland  as  the  small  brook 
referred  to  here,  we  would  have  a  distance  of  nine  miles  to  the  point 
I  have  designated  as  the  intended  northwestern  corner  of  Lancaster. 

LANCASTER   CHARTER. 

"  Province  of  New-Hampshire. 
Lancaster  GEORGE,  the  third 

<  P.  S.  S  By  the  Grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France  and  Ireland,  King, 

^  >.^v^  '      Defender  of  the  Faith  &c. 
To  all  Persons  to  whom  these  Presents  shall  come.  Greeting, 

Know  ye,  tiiat  We  of  our  special  Grace,  certain  knowledge,  and  meer  Motion,  for 
the  due  Encouragement  of  settling  a  New  Plantation  within  our  said  Province, 
by  and  with  the  Advice  of  our  Trusty  and  Well-beloved  Benning  Wentworth, 
Esqr;  Our  Governor  and  Commander  in  Chief  of  Our  said  Province  of  New 
Hampshire  in  New  England,  and  of  our  Council  of  the  said  Province ;  Have, 
upon  the  Conditions  and  Reservations  herein  after  made,  given  and  granted,  and 
by  these  Presents,  for  us.  our  Heirs,  and  Successors,  do  give  and  grant  in  equal 
Shares,  unto  Our  loving  Subjects,  Inhabitants  of  Our  said  Province  of  New- 
Hampshire,  and  Our  other  Governments,  and  to  their  Heirs  and  Assigns  for  ever, 
whose  Names  are  entered  on  this  Grant,  to  be  divided  to  and  amongst  them  into 
Seventy  Six  equal  Shares,  all  that  Tract  or  Parcel  of  Land  situate,  lying  and 
being  within  our  said  Province  oi  New-Hampshire,  containing  by  admeasurement 
Twenty  three  Thousand  &  Forty  Acres,  which  Tract  is  to  contain  six  Miles 
square,  and  no  more ;  out  of  which  an  Allowance  is  to  be  made  for  High  Ways 
and  unimprovable  Lands  by  Rocks,  Ponds,  Mountains  and  Rivers,  One  Thousand 
and  Forty  acres  free,  according  to  a  Plan  and  Survey  thereof,  made  by  our  said 
Governors's  Order,  and  returned  into  the  Secretary's  Office,  and  hereunto  an- 
nexed, butted  and  bounded  as  follows,  Viz.  Beginning  at  a  Stake  &  Stones 
standing  on  bank  of  the  Easterly  side  of  Connecticut  River,  which  is  the  South 
Westerly  Corner  bounds  of  Stonington,  thence  running  South  fifty  five  Deg'  East 
seven  Miles  by  Stonington  To  the  South  Easterly  corner  thereof,  then  turning  off 
&  Runing  South  Sixty  nine  Deg^  West  Ten  Miles,  then  turning  off  again  & 
Runing  North  twenty  six  Degrees  West  to  Connecticut  River  thence  up  the  River 
as  that  tends  to  the  Stake  &  stones  first  above  Mentioned  the  Bounds  begun  at 
And  that  the  same  be,  and  hereby  is  incorporated  into  a  Township  by  the  Name 
of  Lancaster  And  the  Inhabitants  that  do  or  shall  hereafter  inhabit  the  said  Town- 
ship, are  hereby  declared  to  be  Enfranchized  with  and  entitled  to  all  and  every 
the  Privileges  and  Immunities  that  Towns  within  Our  Province  by  Law  Exercise 
and  Enjoy :  And  other  further,  that  the  said  Town  as  soon  as  there  shall  be  Fifty 
Families  resident  and  settled  thereon,  shall  have  the   Liberty  of  holding  Two 

Fairs,  one  of  which  shall  be  held  on And  the  other  on  the 

annually,  which  Fairs  are  not  to  confine  longer  than  the 

respective following  the said ^ and  that  as 


8  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

soon  as  said  Town  shall  consist  of  Fifty  Families,  a  Market  may  be  opened  and 
kept  one  or  more  Days  in  each  Week,  as  may  be  thought  most  advai,tagious  to 
the  Inhabitants.  Also,  that  the  first  meeting  for  the  Choice  of  Town  Officers, 
agreable  to  the  Laws  of  our  said  Province,  shall  be  held  on  the  first  Tuesday  in 
August  next  which  said  Meeting  shall  be  Notified  by  Uavid  Page  who  is  hereby 
also  appointed  the  Moderator  of  the  said  first  Meeting,  which  he  is  to  Notify  and 
Govern  agreable  to  the  Laws  and  Customs  of  Our  said  Province  ;  and  that  the 
annual  Meeting  for  ever  hereafter  for  the  Choice  of  such  Officers  for  the  said 
Town,  shall  be  on  the  Second  Tuesday  of  March  annually,  To  Have  and  to 
Hold  the  said  Tract  of  Land  as  above  expressed,  together  with  all  Privileges  and 
Appurtenances,  to  them  and  their  respective  Heirs  and  Assigns  forever,  upon  the 
following  conditions,  viz. 

I.  That  every  Grantee,  his  Heirs  or  Assigns  shall  plant  and  cultivate  five  Acres 
of  Land  within  the  Term  of  five  Years  for  every  fifty  Acres  contained  in  his  or 
their  Share  or  Proportion  of  Land  in  said  Township,  and  continue  to  improve  and 
settle  the  same  by  additional  Cultivation,  on  Penalty  of  the  Forfeiture  ol  his  Grant 
or  Share  in  the  said  Township,  and  of  its  reverting  to  Us,  our  Heirs  and  Suc- 
cessors, to  be  by  Us  or  Them  Re-granted  to  such  of  Our  Subjects  as  shall  eflec- 
tually  settle  and  cultivate  the  same. 

II.  That  all  white  and  other  Pine  Trees  within  the  said  Township,  fit  for  Mast- 
ing Our  Royal  Navy,  be  carefully  preserved  for  that  Use,  and  none  to  be  cut  or 
felled  without  Our  special  License  for  so  doing  first  had  and  obtained,  upon  the 
Penalty  of  the  Forfeiture  of  the  Right  of  such  Grantee,  his  Heirs  and  Assigns,  to 
Us,  our  Heirs  and  Successors,  as  well  as  being  subject  to  the  Penalty  of  any  Act 
or  Acts  of  Parliament  that  now  are,  or  hereafter  shall  be  Enacted. 

III.  That  before  any  Division  of  the  Lands  be  made  to  and  among  the 
Grantees,  a  Tract  of  Land  as  near  the  Centre  of  said  Township  as  the  Land  will 
admit  of,  shall  be  reserved  and  marked  out  for  Town  Lots,  one  of  each  shall  be 
allotted  to  each  Grantee  of  the  Contents  of  one  Acre. 

IV.  Yielding  and  paying  therefor  to  Us,  our  Heirs  and  Successors  for  the 
Space  of  ten  Years,  to  be  computed  from  the  Date  hereof,  the  Rent  of  one  Ear  of 
Indian  Corn  only,  on  the  twenty-fifth  Day  of  December  annually,  if  lawfully 
demanded,  the  first  Payment  to  be  made  on  the  twenty-fifth  Day  of  December, 
1763. 

V.  Every  Proprietor,  Settler  or  Inhabitant,  shall  yield  and  pay  unto  Us,  our 
Heir  and  Successors  yearly,  and  every  year  forever,  from  and  after  the  Expiration 
of  ten  years  from  the  abovesaid  twenty-fifth  Day  of  December,  namely,  on  the 
twenty-fifth  day  of  December,  which  will  be  in  the  Year  of  Our  Lord  1773  One 
Shilling  Proclamation  Money  for  every  Hundred  Acres  he  so  owns,  settles  or  pos- 
sesses, and  so  in  Proportion  for  a  greater  or  lesser  Tract  of  the  said  Land  ;  which 
Money  shall  be  paid  by  the  respective  Persons  abovesaid,  their  Heirs  or  Assigns, 
in  our  Council  Chamber  in  Portsmouth,  or  to  such  Officer  or  Officers  as  sliall  be 
appointed  to  receive  the  same  ;  and  tliis  is  to  be  in  Lieu  of  all  other  Rents  and 
Services  whatsoever. 

In  Testimony  whereof  we  have  caused  the  Seal  of  our  said  Province  to  be  here- 
unto affixed.  Witness  Benning  Wentworth,  Esq;  Our  Governor  and  Com- 
mander in  Chief  of  Our  Province,  the  Fifth  Day  of  July  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord 
Christ,  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Sixty  three  and  in  the  Third  Year  of 
Our  Reign. 

B.  Wentworth — 

By  His  Excellency's  Command, 

With  Advice  of  Council,  T.  Atkinson  Jun*-  SeC? 

Province  of  New  Hamp'  July  6  1763 

Recorded  according  to  the  original  under  the  Provincial  Seal 

m  T.  Atkinson  Jun"-  Sec'? 


Plan  of  Town  on  Back  of  Charter,   with  Na.mes  of  Grantees. 


THE    LOCATION   AND    CHARTER    OF   THE   TOWN. 


The  Names  of  the  Grantees  Lancaster, — 


David  Page 
David  Page  Jun' 
Abraham  Byaur 
Reuben  Stone 
John  Grout 
John  Grout  Jun' 
Jonathan  Grout 
Solomon  Willson 
Joseph  Stoweli 
Joseph  Page 
William  Dagget 
Isaac  Ball 
Solomon  Fay 
Jotham  Death 
John  Sanders 
Elisha  Crossby 
Luke  Lincoln 
David  Lawson 
Silas  Rice 
Thos  Carter 
Ephraim  Sterns 
James  Read 
Timothy  Whitney 
Thomas  Rice 
John  Sawyer 
John  Wait 
Samuel  Marble 
Joseph  Marble 
Jonathan  Houghton 
John  Rogers 
Abner  Holden 
Stanton  Printice 
Benj"  Willson 
Stephen  Emes 
John  Phelps 


William  Page 

Nathaniel  Page 

John  Warden 

Silas  Bennit 

Thomas  Shattock 

Ephraim  Shattock 

Silas  Shattock 

Isreal  Hale 

Isreal  Hale  Jun"" 

Daniel  Hale 

William  Read 

Benj"  Baxter 

Math''  Thornton  Esq 

And''  Wiggins  Esq"" 

Mesech  Weare  Esq' 

Maj""  John  Tolford 

Benj»  Man 

Daniel  Miles 

Thomas  Rogers 

John  Duncan 

Nathaniel  Smith 

Charles  How 

Daniel  Searles 

Isaac  Wood 

Nathaniel  Richardson 

Ebenezer  Blunt 

John  Herriman 

Ephraim  Noyce 

Benjamin  Sawyer 

Hon :  Jos*'  Newmarch 
Nath*  Barrel 
Daniel  Warner 
James  Nevin         J 

Rev"!  Mr.  Joshua  Wing'*  Weeks 

&  Benj"  Stevens 


Esq"^ 


His  Excellency  Benning  Wentworth  Esq'  a  Tract  of  Land  to  Contain  Five 
Hundred  Acres  as  Marked  B — W—  in  the  Plan  which  is  to  be  Accounted  two  of 
the  within  shares.  One  whole  share  for  the  Incorporated  Society  for  the  Propaga- 
tion of  the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts,  One  Share  for  a  Glebe  for  the  Church  of 
England  as  by  Law  Established,  One  Share  for  the  first  settled  Minister  of  the 
Gospel  &  one  Share  for  the  benefit  of  a  school  in  said  Town 

Province  of  New  Hamp'  July  6*'^  1763 

Recorded  from  the  Back  of  the  original  Charter  of  Lancester  under  the 
Provincial  Seal 

f)  T.  Atkinson  Jun""  Sec'^^ 


lO 


HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 


:? 

Pro'  of  New  Hampr  July  6  1763 

Recorded  from  the  Back  of  the  original  Charter  of  Lancaster  under  the  Pro 
Seal 

T.  Atkinson  Jun""  Sec^y 

[Additions  to  the  town  were  made  at  subsequent  times.  Barker's  Location  was  added 
to  it  June  22,  1819.  A  portion  of  Stark  was  annexed  December  4,  1840,  and  a  portion 
of  Kilkenny  December  15,  1842.     State  Papers,  21;,  (Vol.  IL)  187.] 

It  was  a  piece  of  unheard-of  boldness  on  the  part  of  Gov^ernor 
Wentworth,  and  his  council,  to  parcel  out  a  large,  unsurveyed  terri- 
tory among  so  many  townships,  by  simply  starting  at  a  certain  kind 
of  tree — maple  or  elm — or  a  stake  and  a  pile  of  stones,  or  a  bend  in 
the  river. 

The  country,  with  its  maple  and  elm  trees,  bends  in  the  river,  and 
stakes  and  stone-piles,  was  as  unfamiliar  to  "Governor  Page"  and 
his  followers  as  it  was  to  Governor  Wentworth  and  council  who  un- 
dertook the  foolish  task  of  parcelling  it  out  on  almost  imaginary 
lines.*     The  arbitrariness  of  the  procedure  was  at  the  root  of  many, 

*In  1760,  Governor  Wentworth  commissioned  Joseph  Blanchard,  of  Dunstable, 
N.  H.,  to  make  a  survey  of  the  Connecticut  River,  in  which  he  was  to  mark  trees,  or 
plant  stakes  on  both  sides  of  the  stream  every  six  miles  to  serve  as  corners  of  town- 


LANCASTER.  1 1 

if  not  all,  the  conflicts  between  the  towns  with  respect  to  their 
boundaries.  Aside  from  the  matter  of  the  boundary  of  the  town- 
ship the  terms  of  the  charter  were  very  liberal  and  reasonable.  The 
proprietors  were  not  hampered  in  any  respect  save  the  restriction  in 
regard  to  making  use  of,  or  destroying,  such  timbers  as  were  suitable 
for  masts  in  his  royal  highness's  navy.  Even  that  restriction  was  not 
a  grievious  one,  for  there  was  more  good  timber  beside  such  as  the 
king  reserved  than  they  knew  what  to  do  with.  If  traditions  and 
estimates  are  to  be  relied  upon  at  all,  the  first  settlers  rolled  millions 
of  feet  of  good  pine  timber  into  the  rivers  to  get  rid  of  it  with  the 
least  trouble  possible.  The  lands  were  all  heavily  timbered,  and 
until  within  the  memory  of  men  still  living  the  choicest  of  pine  was 
to  be  found  in  Lancaster.  His  majesty  never  got  any  ship  masts 
or  other  ship  timbers  from  Lancaster,  for  within  a  dozen  years  of 
the  settlement  of  the  town  his  subjects  rebelled  against  his  rule  and 
annulled  his  rights  and  took  things  into  their  own  hands ;  and  none 
of  his  subjects  exceeded  his  Lancaster  settlement  in  doing  things 
their  own  way.  In  fact  from  the  very  inception  of  the  town,  though 
preserving  the  form  of  obedience  to  the  royal  government,  they 
were  among  the  most  democratic  people  on  this  continent.  Many 
of  them  hailed  from  Connecticut  and  Western  Massachusetts,  towns 
where  the  spirit  of  true  democracy  was  seen,  and  manifested,  at  its 
best.  They  were  a  sturdy,  thrifty,  and  law-abiding  people  who  settled 
this  town.  While  they  loved  liberty  above  everything  else  they  yet 
had  a  due  regard  for  law  and  good  order.  They  were  neither  ad- 
venturers nor  speculators  who  came  here  and  erected  log  cabins  and 
lived  contentedly  in  them.  They  were  home-seekers  and  home- 
builders,  and  in  building  homes  they  helped  to  lay  the  foundation  of 
that  greater  structure  of  which  we  are  so  proud — the  nation. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LANCASTER. 


The  town  of  Lancaster  is  situated  in  Coos  county,  in  the  northern 
part  of  New  Hampshire.  It  lies  along  the  Connecticut  river  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  ten  miles,  running  back  on  its  northeasterly  line 

ships  to  be  surveyed  from  them.  This  task  was  performed  on  the  ice  in  the  month  o£ 
March,  from  No.  4,  (now  Charlestown)  to  the  north-east  corner  of  Newbury,  Vt. 
During  the  next  year,  and  in  the  same  manner,  Hughbastis  Neel  began  where  Blanchard 
left  off  and  continued  the  survey  as  far  as  the  north  end  of  the  "  Upper  Coos,"  which 
probably  was  at  a  point  near  where  Maidstone,  in  Vermont,  and  Northumberland  in 
New  Hampshire,  meet.  It  was  the  custom  of  Governor  Wentworth  to  take  these 
marked  trees  or  stakes  as  starting-point  and  block  out  his  projected  townships,  two 
tiers  deep  on  both  sides  of  the  river.  Such  a  method  was  as  full  of  difficulties  as  the 
river  was  full  of  bends,  and  made  the  settlers  no  small  amount  of  trouble  in  the  division 
of  their  town  lands. 


12  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

seven  miles,  and  on  its  southeasterly  line  ten  miles,  and  its  southerly 
line  is  two  and  a  half  miles.  As  originally  designed  it  was  to  con- 
tain six  square  miles.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Northumber- 
land, and  Kilkenny,  east  by  Kilkenny,  south  by  the  towns  of  Jeffer- 
son, Whitefield,  and  Dalton,  and  on  the  west  by  the  Connecticut 
river,  the  west  bank  of  the  river  being  the  boundary. 

The  town  consists  in  the  main  part  of  fine  meadows  lying  on  the 
Connecticut  river  and  Isreals  river,  and  what  the  early  settlers 
called  "  upland."  Beginning  with  the  first  river  terrace  the  "  up- 
lands "  slope  gradually  up  to  the  foot  of  the  hills,  which  rise  rap- 
idly into  quite  high  hills,  or  mounts,  the  highest  of  which  is 
Mount  Prospect  on  the  southerly  line  of  the  town.  This  mount 
reaches  an  altitude  of  2,090  feet  and  affords  a  very  fine  view  of  the 
surrounding  country  for  many  miles.  It  is  easy  of  ascent,  as  a  good 
road  was  some  years  ago  built  up  its  northerly  slope  to  a  hotel 
erected  on  its  summit.  Mount  Pleasant  just  south  of  the  village 
and  Mount  Orne — the  three  being  known  as  the  "  Martin  Meadow 
Hills" — are  the  highest  hills  in  the  town  ;  but  these  are  not  very 
high,  nor  are  they  so  steep  but  good  farms  have  been  cleared  almost 
to  their  summits. 

The  Connecticut  river  has  a  fall  of  less  than  two  feet  in  more  than 
ten  miles  of  a  course  along  the  western  bounds  of  the  town.  The 
main  elevation  of  the  town  is  about  900  feet  above  sea-level.  South 
Lancaster  has  an  elevation  of  867  feet  and  Lancaster  village  (Main 
street)  870  feet.  Isreals  river  has  quite  a  rapid  descent  for  about 
two  miles  before  entering  the  Connecticut  river,  affording  three  good 
water-powers  within  the  limits  of  the  village.  The  Isreals  river 
valley  (East  Lancaster)  comprises  a  river-basin  on  the  level  of  the 
second  terrace  of  the  Connecticut  of  about  thirty-six  feet. 

In  the  south  part  of  the  town  is  Martin  Meadow  pond,  covering 
an  area  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  acres.  Near  by  it,  to  the 
eastward,  is  another  pond  known  as  Blood  pond.  Beside  Baker 
pond  and  Spot  pond,  two  small  ponds  within  the  village  limits, 
these  are  the  only  ponds  in  the  town.  There  are  no  swamps  of  any 
considerable  extent  in  the  town.  What  few  there  are  are  so  situated 
as  to  be  easily  drained,  and  converted  into  fertile  meadows. 

From  a  scenic  point  of  view  Lancaster  is  one  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful sections  of  New  Hampshire.  It  is  completely  encircled  by 
mountains,  and  its  surface  sufficiently  varied  to  present  to  the  eye 
one  of  the  most  pleasing  landscapes.  The  outlines  of  the  landscape 
are  bold,  yet  even  in  their  curves.  The  shadings  of  mountains, 
hills,  and  forests  are  varied  in  degree.  From  any  eminence  one 
looks  down  upon  fine  farms,  neat  buildings,  with  the  village  nesthng 
at  the  foot  of  Bunker  Hill  and  Mount  Pleasant. 

The  earliest  settlers  were  not  slow  to  recognize  the  beauty  of  the 


LANCASTER.  I 3 

scenery,  and  generally  their  houses  were  located  so  that  the  outlook 
was  the  best  afforded  upon  their  lands.  Many  of  them  sought  to 
enhance  the  beauty  of  the  scenery  by  planting  trees  about  their 
premises,  and  along  the  village  streets  and  highways.  Many  of  the 
giant  elms  that  line  our  streets  and  along  the  highways  were  planted 
a  century  and  over  ago. 

The  geological  formation  of  the  town  (described  in  Part  II)  gives 
it  a  pleasing  surface.  In  contrast  with  its  rocky  hillsides  lay  the 
beautiful  diluvial  meadows,  possessing  a  wonderful  degree  of  fer- 
tility. The  "  uplands "  are  fertile  also,  and  capable  of  profitable 
cultivation  with  the  exception  of  certain  slopes  where  the  glaciers 
deposited  vast  quantities  of  the  coarsest  rubble.  These  hillsides, 
however  rough,  afford  good  pastures,  and  are  generally  utilized  as 
such.  The  rocks  are  of  such  formations  that  their  gradual  disinte- 
gration adds  elements  of  fertility  to  the  soil. 

The  agricultural  and  grazing  importance  of  the  town  is  not 
excelled  by  that  of  any  other  town  in  the  northern  portion  of  the 
state.  The  entire  intervale  of  the  Connecticut  river  above  the  Fif- 
teen-mile Falls  was  once  the  bed  of  a  lake  through  which  the  river 
ran,  as  it  now  does  through  the  Connecticut  lake.  The  basin-like 
arrangement  of  the  surface,  surrounded  by  the  high  rim  of  moun- 
tains, affords  shelter  from  the  strong  and  prevailing  winds  in  4D0th 
summer  and  winter.  While  the  winter  temperature  goes  very  low, 
sometimes  reaching  from  thirty-six  to  forty  degrees  below  zero, 
there  is  very  little  wind  accompanying  the  fall  of  temperature.  The 
air  is  dry  and  calm  during  these  cold  turns.  The  summer  tempera- 
ture often  exceeds  ninety  degrees.  It  occasionally  reaches  ninety- 
six  or  ninety-eight.  The  average  temperature  is  one  very  favorable 
to  vegetative  growth,  consequently  good  crops  are  raised  in  fields 
and  gardens,  and  a  rank  growth  of  wild  plants  and  forest  trees  occurs 
every  year. 

As  in  other  places  in  this  latitude,  frost  is  sometimes  seen  nearly 
every  month  of  the  season ;  and  not  infrequently  the  late  severe 
frosts  of  the  spring  retard  planting  if  they  do  not  injure  crops,  yet 
the  growth  is  so  rapid  that  late  planting  does  not  necessarily  indi- 
cate danger  of  injury  from  the  frosts  of  the  fall.  In  the  early  years 
of  the  settlement  of  the  town,  frosts  sometimes  destroyed  whole 
crops.  Now,  and  for  many  years  past,  the  like  of  it  is  unknown, 
and  well-matured  crops  are  the  rule. 

The  fertility  of  the  soil  was  so  great  at  the  time  of  the  settlement 
of  the  town  that  it  was  thought  manure  was  uncalled  for,  and  it  was 
thrown  into  the  river  as  offering  the  easiest  means  of  getting  rid  of 
it;  but  continuous  cropping  for  many  years  convinced  the  people 
of  their  errors,  and  now  not  only  barnyard  manures,  but  the  com- 
mercial fertilizers,  are  extensively  used,  and  to  the  best  advantage. 


14  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

This  section  had  long  been  a  favorite  hunting-ground  of  the 
Indians  when  first  discovered  by  the  white  hunters,  who  penetrated 
far  beyond  the  settlements  early  in  the  eighteenth  century.  There 
is  no  evidence  to  show  that  any  permanent  settlements  of  Indians, 
or  clearings  by  them,  ever  existed.  The  long  winters  and  short 
summers  did  not  invite  the  shiftless  Indian  to  a  point  so  far  from 
the  more  congenial  localities  with  which  he  was  acquainted,  except 
on  hunting  excursions.  It  is  doubtful  if  any  of  them  ever  tried  to 
spend  the  winters  here.  There  is  abundant  evidence  that  they  were 
in  the  habit  of  passing  through  the  Connecticut  river  valley  spring 
and  fall  to  hunt  and  fish.  They  no  doubt  had  temporary  camps 
at  various  points  along  what  they  called  "  Quinne-attuck-auke," 
or    "Long-deer-place"    (the    Connecticut   river). 

There  was  a  trail  from  the  headwaters  of  the  St.  Francis  river  in 
Canada  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Connecticut  river,  and  down  the 
latter  to  Isreals  river  (called  by  them  Siwoog-a-nock),  where  a 
branch  trail  passed  through  the  White  Mountain  Notch  to  Pickwa- 
qet  (Conway — Pigwaket)  on  the  Saco  river.  The  main  trail  down 
the  Connecticut  was  intersected  by  a  branch  of  the  White  Mountain 
Notch  trail,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Ammonoosuc  river,  and  thence 
the  main  trail  continued  down  the  Connecticut  through  "  Lower 
Coos,"  to  the  various  settlements  along  that  river. 

They  left  but  few  relics  behind  them.  Once  in  a  while  the  plow 
of  the  white  man  has  turned  up  an  arrow-point  or  a  rude  stone 
hatchet.  These  were  lost  in  hunting.  There  were  never  found  any 
ruins  of  villages,  or  burial  grounds,  in  the  limits  of  the  town.  In 
the  spring  of  1894  a  freshet  washed  out  a  cache  of  arrow-points  on 
the  meadows,  on  the  Vermont  side  of  the  river,  just  above  the 
Union,  or  South  Lancaster,  bridge.  These  had  no  doubt  been 
hidden  for  use  on  some  subsequent  trip  to  the  place  by  an  Indian 
hunter  who  failed  either  to  find  them,  or  to  return  on  a  proposed 
hunting-trip.  At  that  point  it  is  said  they  were  accustomed  to 
remain  for  a  time  to  make,  or  mend,  boats  on  their  hunting-trips 
along  the  river.  The  only  relic  of  importance  that  has  ever  been 
found  in  Lancaster  was  a  very  curiously  carved  dish  turned  up  by  a 
plow  in  working  the  road  just  east  of  Prospect  Farm,  owned  by 
George  P.  Rowell  of  New  York. 

This  interesting  dish  was  badly  broken  by  the  plow  that  turned  it 
up,  and  no  effort  was  made  to  save  the  fragments.  From  the  de- 
scription of  it  there  can  be  little  doubt  that  it  was  the  product  of 
more  skilful  hands  than  those  of  the  tribes  known  to  have  laid  claim 
to  the  lands  of  "  Upper  Coos." 

All  the  Indians  known  to  have  frequented  this  section  of  country 
were  Algonquins.  They  were  known  by  various  tribal  names,  but 
were  of  the  same  stock.     Northern  New  Hampshire  was  held  by 


LANCASTER.  1 5 

Abenaquis  and  Taratines,  residing  for  the  most  part  on  the  Penob- 
scot, Saco,  and  Piscataqua  rivers.  Those  on  the  Penobscot  river 
were  known  by  that  name,  while  those  on  the  Saco  were  called 
Pickwaqets.  Those  residing  on  the  Androscoggin  (Aneriscogin) 
river  were  known  by  the  euphonious  name  of  Arosagontacooks  (St. 
Francis  tribe).  These  were  local  names  applied  to  them  by  the 
settlers  who  had  imperfect  knowledge  of  them. 

The  Connecticut  river  valley  and  Vermont  was  claimed  by  both 
the  Abenaquis  and  Iroquois,  as  their  rightful  hunting-ground.  The 
Abenaquis  and  Mohawks  (Iroquois)  were  bitter  enemies  of  each 
other,  and  were  in  constant  hostilities.  That  may,  in  a  measure, 
account  for  the  very  slender  hold  the  Abenaquis  had  upon  this  sec- 
tion of  the  country,  and  failed  to  develop  permanent  settlements  in  it. 

Both  nations  hunted  in  the  disputed  territory,  and  neither  held  it 
by  occupation  or  abode.  After  many  contests  with  the  colonists  in 
Massachusetts  and  the  southern  part  of  New  Hampshire  the  various 
tribes  of  the  Abenaquis  nation  being  either  destroyed,  or  rendered 
peaceful  in  the  main,  their  incorrigibles  and  outcasts  found  a  refuge 
with  the  St.  Francis  tribe  in  Canada,  from  whence  they  continued 
their  attacks  upon  the  frontier  settlements.  During  that  period  this 
medley  St.  Francis  tribe  made  the  Coos  country  their  highway  from 
their  stronghold  at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Francis  river  to  the  settle- 
ments of  English  in  New  Hampshire.  This  lasted  for  a  period  of 
more  than  fifty  years,  and  was  encouraged  by  the  French  occupants 
of  Canada  who  were  glad  to  beat  back  the  tide  of  English  settle- 
ments by  means  of  exciting  the  Indians  to  depredations  of  the  most 
diabolical  sort.  Their  threats,  and  their  known  evil  character,  pre- 
vented the  settlement  of  the  country  long  known  in  the  older  settle- 
ments by  the  names  of  "  Cohoss  "  and  "  Moose  Meadow." 

Among  the  St.  Francis  tribe  thus  feared  were  outlaws  from  King 
Phillip's  bands,  the  tribes  once  led  by  Paugus,  Massaudowit,  Kan- 
cauragus,  and  Wahawa.  The  vicious  character  of  these  outlaws  was 
well  known,  and  led  old  pioneers  to  look  upon  them  as  the  sum  of 
all  evil  aggravated  by  French  intermeddling.  They  delayed  the  set- 
tlement of  Coos  county  by  half  a  century,  and  would  not  then  have 
yielded  to  the  English  occupancy  of  the  country  but  for  the  chastise- 
ment they  received  at  the  hands  of  Major  Rogers's  Rangers. 

After  the  French  and  Indian  War  had  been  in  progress  for  some 
time,  and  Crown  Point  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  English  and 
was  strongly  fortified,  General  Amherst  determined  upon  proper 
punishment  of  the  Indians.  Among  other  very  important  steps 
taken  by  him  for  the  future  safety  of  the  settlements  on  the  frontier 
was  the  sending  of  Major  Rogers,  in  command  of  a  small  force  of 
his  famous  Rangers,  to  destroy  the  village  of  St.  Francis  and  punish 
the  Indians. 


i6  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

He  marched  against  the  place  and  on  the  morning  of  October 
6th,  1759,  led  an  assault  upon  the  village  in  which  every  Indian 
except  a  few  women  and  children  was  slain.  The  Rangers  found 
more  than  six  hundred  scalps  that  had  been  taken  in  their  assaults 
upon  the  frontier  settlements,  or  lonely  hunters  who  had  ventured 
into  the  forests  in  pursuit  of  game  and  furs.  From  that  time  on,  the 
St.  Francis  tribe  of  outlaws  never  recovered  the  loss  they  sustained 
at  the  hands  of  Rogers's  Rangers.  From  that  time  the  Coos  country 
became  a  safe  place  for  hunting,  and  soon  was  open  to  settlement,  as 
we  shall  see. 

It  does  not  appear  that  there  was  ever  any  conflict  between  the 
whites  and  the  Indians  in  the  limits  of  Lancaster.  It  never  became 
necessary  to  erect  a  garrison,  or  fortify  the  houses  against  the 
Indians.  Not  even  during  the  Revolutionary  War  did  the  Indians 
commit  any  depredations  upon  the  settlers  in  Lancaster,  while  in  other 
places  they  were  a  source  of  much  danger  and  annoyance.  There 
were  frequent  alarms  spread  through  this  and  other  settlements,  and 
on  several  occasions  the  little  bands  of  brave,  men  and  women  were 
brought  to  the  resolution  to  quit  the  country  when  some  one  of  more 
courage  than  the  rest  would  shame,  or  persuade,  them  into  remain- 
ing. The  most  important  reminders  of  the  Indian  occupants,  or 
rather  claimants,  of  this  territory,  are  the  names  they  gave  to  the 
country,  its  streams  and  mountains,  animals  and  plants;  and  yet 
these  have  been  almost  supplanted  by  names  given  by  the  white 
settlers.  The  Anglo-Saxon  has  but  little  regard  for  aboriginal 
names.  His  apt  imagination  and  self-assurance  lead  him  to  invent 
and  apply  names  to  localities  with  an  aptitude  never  quite  equalled 
by  the  American  Indians.  His  new  names  supplant  the  aboriginal 
ones  so  readily  as  to  cause  them  to  be  almost  forgotten  in  a  single 
decade.  Such  was  the  case  in  Lancaster.  When  the  whites  did 
attempt  to  preserve  and  use  the  Indian  names  they  corrupted  their 
spelling  and  pronunciation  so  as  to  completely  change  them.  The 
Indians  gave  the  name  of  "  Coo-ash-auke,"  to  the  meadows  at 
Haverhill  and  Lancaster.  As  their  names  always  had  some  definite 
meaning  there  has  been  a  difference  of  interpretation  of  this  name. 
A  very  early  interpretation  of  "  Coo-ash-auke,"  and  one  very  gener- 
ally accepted  by  the  earlier  writers,  is  '*  the-crooked-place."  This 
meaning  had  the  very  plausible  facts  of  the  great  bends  or  "  ox- 
bows"  and  "  cat-bows"  as  they  were  called,  to  sustain  it. 

To  that  class  of  interpreters  the  terms  of  "Lower"  and  "Upper 
Coos,"  soon  came  to  mean  the  lower  and  upper  bends  in  the  river. 
The  similarity  of  the  bends  in  the  river  and  the  fact  that  they  were 
early  known  as  "  Lower,"  and  "  Upper  Coos,"  was  taken  to  mean 
lower  and  upper  bends,  or  "  crooked-places  "  to  follow  the  Indian 
idiom.      A    later    interpretation    of    "  Coo-ash-auke "    gives    it    the 


Original  Town  Pocketbook. 


LANCASTER.  1 7 

equally  possible  meaning  of  "  Pine-tree-place,"  or  place  of  pines. 
That  these  intervales  were  covered  with  giant  pines  to  the  river's 
edge  admits  of  no  doubt.  It  has  been  asked, — "  Were  there  not 
pines  all  along  the  rivers?  " 

There  were,  and  the  evidences  of  it  remain  to  this  day.  I  do  not 
attempt  to  settle  this  mooted  question.  The  reader  must  do  that 
for  himself  until  we  have  a  final  authority  to  which  we  can  appeal, 
if  such  is  possible. 

This  name  has  been  greatly  corrupted  in  the  spelling.  What 
seems  to  have  been  the  first  corruption  of  "  Coo-ash-auke "  was 
"  Cowasse."  Later  this  was  shortened  into  "Cowass;"  then  the 
spelling  was  changed  to  "  Kohass ;  "  still  later  we  meet  with 
"  Cohas,"  "  Coas,"  "  Cohos,"  "  Cohoss,"  "  Cooss,"  "Coo-ash,"  and 
finally  shortened  down  to  "  Coos,"  which  we  cannot  help  regarding 
as  a  mistake.  Either  '*  Cohos  "  or  "  Co-ash  "  would  have  been  a 
more  euphonious  sound  than  our  present  "  Coos." 

The  name  given  to  the  Connecticut  river  was  "  Quinne-attuck- 
auke  " — the  long-deer-place — from  which  our  form  of  spelling  was 
easily  derived.  Our  Isreals  river  they  called  "  Siwoog-a-nock,"  the 
meaning  of  which  seems  to  have  been  lost  at  a  very  early  date. 
The  present  name  is  in  honor  of  one  Isreal  Glines,  as  before  stated, 
who  hunted  and  trapped  on  the  stream  at  a  very  early  period.  He 
had  his  camp  on  the  stream  for  some  time  while  his  brother  John 
had  a  camp  on  the  present  John's  river  running  through  Whitefield 
and  Dalton.  As  near  as  can  now  be  ascertained  at  this  time  they 
were  here  some  time  between  1740  and  1752.  When  John  Stark 
was  captured  by  the  St.  Francis  Indians  on  Baker's  river  in  1752, 
and  carried  to  Canada  along  the  Connecticut  river  trail,  he  relates 
that  they  camped  on  Johns  river  and  hunted  beaver,  indicating  that 
the  name  had  attached  to  the  stream  long  enough  to  have  become 
known  to  him  before  the  time  of  his  capture. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  Ammonoosuc  river  was  "  Namoas-auke," 
— "  Fish-place."  The  change  to  our  present  form  of  spelling  was  a 
simple  one. 

The  spruce  they  called  "  hackmatack,"  larch  was  "  tamarack," 
and  mountain  ash,  "  moose-missic."  These  names  were  retained 
by  the  whites  for  a  time  until  they  became  familiar  with  the  com- 
mon names  of  the  trees,  when  their  Indian  names  were  dropped. 
The  same  was  no  doubt  true  of  many  other  names  of  things. 
3 


1 8  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

CHAPTER    IV. 
THE    SETTLEMENT    OF    LANCASTER. 

Lancaster  was  settled  by  a  company  of  people  from  Massachu- 
setts in  the  year  1763,  instead  of  the  petitioners  of  the  governor  and 
Assembly  from  the  older  settlements  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
province  of  New  Hampshire.  For  more  than  a  decade  Governor 
Wentworth  and  the  Assembly  had  been  urged  by  New  Hampshire 
men  to  open  up  the  "  Cohoss  Country "  to  settlement.  The  gov- 
ernor was,  indeed,  willing  to  grant  their  requests,  but  the  Assembly 
would  not  agree  with  him  in  his  policy  of  granting  new  townships 
so  far  beyond  the  frontier  settlements. 

As  early  as  1748,  Governor  Wentworth,  in  the  spirit  of  avarice, 
which  was  one  of  his  chief  characteristics,  began  his  policy  of  grant- 
ing charters  for  new  towns  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut  river. 
His  grants  of  charters  were  so  numerous  that  soon  there  were  not 
enough  actual  setUers  to  occupy  the  new  townships,  which  led  to 
speculation  in  the  lands  of  the  towns  by  absentee  holders  of  rights 
in  many  of  them.  Such  was  the  case  in  Lancaster,  as  we  shall  see 
later ;  and  it  was  a  source  of  no  small  trouble  to  many  of  the  actual 
settlers  whose  burdens  were  often  gready  enhanced  by  the  failure  of 
non-resident  landholders  to  develop  their  lands,  and  bear  an 
equitable  share  of  the  burdens  of  taxation,  as  we  shall  see  in  the 
course  of  this  narrative. 

The  active  ones  among  the  original  proprietors  and  settlers  of 
Lancaster  were  Massachusetts  men.  Some  were  interested  in  the 
scheme  of  settlement  in  the  hope  of  gaining  lands  upon  which  to 
build  homes  for  themselves  and  their  children,  while  others  were 
merely  speculative  holders  of  lands  from  which  they  hoped  to  reap 
a  rich  gain  as  the  community  should  become  prosperous.  The 
land  was  a  gift,  costing  nothing  in  the  first  disposal  of  it,  and  the 
conditions  upon  which  it  was  to  be  held  were  so  easily  complied 
with  that  it  invited  speculation. 

The  leading  spirit  among  the  first  settlers  was  David  Page  of 
Petersham,  Massachusetts.  He  was,  in  1761,  a  grantee  of  Haver- 
hill, where  he  was  assigned  several  lots,  none  of  which  suited  him. 
He  abandoned  his  rights  in  that  town  and  returned  to  his  former 
home  in  Massachusetts  to  brood  over  his  fancied  wrongs  in  the 
allotment  of  the  fertile  lands  of  "  Cohoss  Meadows,"  as  the  place 
was  then  called.  Page  was  a  real  pioneer,  and  had  come  to  enter- 
tain hopes  of  identifying  himself  with  some  prosperous  new  town. 
Perhaps  he  was  not  without  an  ambition  to  promote  and  maintain 
his  importance  to  such  new  community,  for  we  find  that  for  some 
reason  he  became  known  as  "  Governor  Page,"  an  epithet  that  must 


THE    SETTLEMENT   OF   LANCASTER.  1 9 

have  been  bestowed  upon  him  because  a  natural  leader  among  the 
proprietors  and  settlers. 

There  was  residing  in  Petersham  a  young  man  by  the  name  of 
Emmons  Stockwell,  who  was,  in  some  way,  connected  with  Rogers's 
Rangers  in  that  famous  raid  upon  the  village  of  St.  Francis,  which 
crushed  the  power  of  the  French  and  Indians  in  the  northern 
section,  and  made  it  safe  to  undertake  the  planting  of  new  settle- 
ments so  far  from  the  garrisoned  ones  farther  south. 

It  is  probable  that  young  Stockwell  was  in  the  company  that  had 
been  sent  from  Crown  Point  to  convey  provisions  to  the  mouth  of 
the  upper  Ammonoosuc  river  for  the  relief  of  Rogers's  men  on  their 
return  from  St.  Francis.  In  that  event  he  would  have  marched  up 
to  Fort  Wentworth  and  returned  along  the  Connecticut  river,  afford- 
ing him  a  good  chance  to  see  the  advantages  offered  in  the  "  Upper 
Cohoss." 

At  all  events,  the  knowledge  young  Stockwell  had  of  this  section 
of  country,  so  rich  in  fine  meadow  and  uplands,  fine  streams  and 
abundant  timber,  served  to  make  him  a  valuable  assistant  to  David 
Page  in  founding  the  town  of  Lancaster.  Procuring  a  charter  from 
Governor  Wentworth,  in  company  with  sixty-nine  others,  the  next 
year  after  abandoning  his  claims  in  Haverhill,  David  Page  sent  his 
son,  David  Page,  Jr.,  and  Emmons  Stockwell,  who  acted  in  the 
capacity  of  guide,  to  the  "  Upper  Coos,"  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
summer  of  1763.  It  was  the  intention  of  David  Page  that  these  two 
young  men  should  select  good  lots  of  land,  and  erect  some  sort  of 
shelter  against  his  coming,  early  the  following  spring.  These  two 
young  men  blazed  a  track  from  Haverhill  to  Lancaster,  as  they 
proceeded  through  the  dense  forests,  for  the  guidance  of  those  who 
should  follow  them  the  next  spring. 

They  pitched  on  the  table-lands  on  the  rear  of  the  Holton  home- 
stead, where  the  "  cellar-hole  "  of  their  house  is  still  to  be  seen. 
They  built  here,  of  logs,  the  first  house  occupied  by  white  men  in 
town.  This  house  remained  for  many  years,  and  was  pulled  down 
by  Mr.  Holton,  within  the  memory  of  many  persons  now  living.  He 
also  dug  up  a  large  tree  near  it,  that  was  its  "  shade,"  and  beneath 
which  the  first  weary  settlers  rested,  and  the  first  children  born  in 
town  used  to  play. 

They  subsisted  by  hunting  and  fishing  through  their  first  winter, 
which  must  have  been  a  lonely  and  long  one  for  them,  separated  by 
fifty  miles  from  the  nearest  settlement  at  Haverhill.  They  were  no 
doubt  cheered  by  the  hope  that  their  friends  would  join  them  in  the 
spring;  and  in  this  they  were  not  disappointed,  for  on  the  19th  of 
April,  1764,  David  Page,  in  company  with  Edwards  Bucknam, 
Timothy  Nash,  and  George  Wheeler,  landed  here,  bringing  with 
them  twenty  head  of  catde,  and  other  things  essential  to  the  hard 


20  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

task  of  winning  a  livelihood  from  an  untamed  region.  David  Page 
is  the  only  one  of  the  first  settlers  who  brought  a  family,  or  portions 
of  their  families,  here  that  year.  His  daughter,  Ruth,  came  with 
him  from  Petersham,  Mass.,  in  August,  arriving  here  on  the  26th  of 
that  month,  to  enjoy  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  white  woman 
to  set  foot  upon  the  soil  of  her  father's  new  township.  The  wife  of 
David  Page  came  here  at  some  subsequent  time,  of  which  we  have 
no  exact  knowledge.  It  has  been  often  said  that  she  did  not  reside 
in  Lancaster,  but  that  is  evidently  not  true,  as  there  are  in  existence 
letters  of  the  year  1782,  that  refer  to  her  departure  from  Lancaster, 
her  passage  down  the  Connecticut  river  in  a  canoe,  and  her  resi- 
dence and  death  at  Winchester.  (Whether  Winchester,  N.  H.,  or 
Winchester  in  Massachusetts,  is  not  certain,  though  the  former  is 
probably  the  one  meant.)* 

Ruth  Page  was  only  about  eighteen  years  of  age  when  she  started 
with  her  father  for  Lancaster,  over  three  hundred  miles  away,  and 
some  fifty  miles  beyond  the  nearest  settlement.  The  fact  that 
within  a  year  of  her  arrival  in  Lancaster  she  became  the  wife  of 
young  Stockwell,  lends  color  to  the  supposition  that  she  must  have 
known  and  entertained  a  warm  affection  for  him.  At  all  events,  she 
would  hear  no  arguments  against  her  undertaking  so  long  a  journey, 
and  leaving  behind  her  all  the  benefits  of  civilized  life,  for  life  in  a 
cabin  in  the  wilderness.  Be  that  as  it  may,  her  presence  and  in- 
fluence did  much  for  the  settlement.  She  and  Edwards  Bucknam, 
who  came  with  her  father  in  the  spring,  did  more  to  give  shape  and 
character  to  the  settlement  than  any,  or  all  others,  of  the  first  settlers. 
She  was  the  embodiment  of  all  female  qualities  essential  to  pioneer 
life ;  and  she  left  her  characteristics  and  personality  stamped,  not 
only  upon  her  own  descendants,  who  were  numerous,  but  upon  the 
entire  settlement.  She  was  a  Avoman  of  action,  full  of  courage  and 
hope.  With  a  determination  that  knew  no  such  word  ^.•~,fail,  she 
filled  the  hours  and  days  so  full  of  toil  and  song,  that  there  was  no 
time  to  be  lonesome.  Her  example  had  a  wonderful  influence  upon 
the  other  members  of  the  settlement. 

While  Ruth  Page  was  a  source  of  inspiration  and  cheerfulness  to 
the  settlement,  Edwards  Bucknam  was,  in  his  sphere,  the  most  uni- 
versal genius  of  the  settlement.  There  was  little,  if  indeed  anything, 
that  needed  doing  in  a  new  settlement  that  Bucknam  could  not,  and 
did  not,  do.  No  other  man,  at  any  time  in  the  history  of  the  town, 
has  exerted  so  powerful  an  influence  as  he  did.  He  adapted  him- 
self to  his  situation  in  a  masterly  manner,  helping,  in  many  ways, 
the  prosperity  of  the  new  settlement.     He  kept  the  first  stock  of 

*  In  "Hammond's  Town  Papers,"  Vol.  XII,  pp.  351-361,  is  found  a  petition  from 
David  Page  to  Governor  Wentwortli,  for  more  land,  in  which  he  alleges  that  he  brought 
his  own  family  to  Lancaster.  His  will  is  dated  at  Lancaster,  in  the  county  of  Grafton, 
state  of  New  Hampshire,  November  13,  1778,  in  which  he  refers  to  himself  "  of  Lan- 
caster." 


THE    SETTLEMENT    OF    LANCASTER.  2  1 

goods  for  barter  among  the  settlers ;  surveyed  their  lands ;  acted  as 
clerk  to  the  proprietors,  and  later  for  the  town  ;  was  the  first  justice 
of  the  peace ;  acted  as  scout  in  times  when  the  Indians  threatened 
the  peace  of  the  settlement ;  built  the  first  roads  that  allowed  the 
passage  of  loaded  teams  from  Haverhill  to  Lancaster ;  was  a  safe 
•and  constant  advisor  of  his  neighbors  on  all  manner  of  subjects,  and 
■at  all  times.  He  was  often  unmindful  of  opportunities  for  self- 
advancement  and  gain  when  he  could  serve  his  neighbors.  He  was 
always  trusted  by  his  neighbors  as  one  of  the  most  reliable  of  men, 
nor  was  their  confidence  ever  imposed  upon.  His  public  actions 
and  neighborly  relations  were  always  above  criticism.  Of  his  early 
life  little  is  known  beyond  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  Athol,  Mass., 
June  21,  1 741,  of  English  parentage;  and  that  he  married  Susannah 
Page,  a  daughter  of  David  Page.  Until  the  time  of  his  death,  March 
20th,  181 3,  at  the  age  of  72,  his  life  bore  relations  to  about  every- 
thing in  the  history  of  Lancaster,  as  we  shall  see  in  the  progress  of 
our  narrative.  Until  Parson  Willard  arrived,  he  performed  all  the 
marriage  ceremonies  of  the  town  and  region. 

Not  so  much  can  be  said  of  David  Page,  although  the  real  pro- 
jector and  founder  of  the  settlement.  While  he  possessed,  in  a 
large  measure,  the  spirit  of  the  pioneer,  he  was  not  destined  to  be 
the  masterly  personality  that  should  stamp  itself  upon  the  settle- 
ment. His  time  was,  more  or  less,  divided  between  interests  here 
and  in  Petersham,  Mass.,  where  he  owned  a  farm,  which  he,  how- 
ever, sold  to  Charles  Ward  Apthorpe  of  Bloomingdale  Island,  N.  Y., 
a  speculator,  to  whom  he  also  sold  ten  full  rights  of  land  in  Lan- 
caster in  1766.  Page  was  badly  involved  in  debt  most  of  the  time, 
and  often  drawn  into  litigation.  His  business  transactions  seem  to 
have  not  always  been  either  wise  or  fair.  Be  that  as  it  may,  he 
never  seemed  to  have  become  the  controlling  spirit  he  desired  to  be 
in  the  settlement.  His  five  children,  however,  as  well  as  his  brother 
and  a  nephew,  held  honest  places  in  the  town,  and  were  among  the 
most  trustworthy  of  its  citizens.  David  Page  was  the  owner  of 
much  land  in  Lancaster,  and  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  in  the  chartering  of 
which  latter  town  he  was  also  concerned.  He  is  credited  with  hav- 
ing built  the  first  frame  house  in  Lancaster.  Certain!}'  he  was  an 
enterprising  man,  full  of  business  ventures,  and  not  without  the 
refinements  and  social  graces  of  his  time.  His  services  to  Lancaster 
were  valuable,  even  if  his  personality  was  not  accepted  as  the  con- 
trolling spirit  among  the  settlers.  He  was  a  selectman  from  1769 
until  1776.  He  was  designated  and  given  power  in  the  charter  to 
call  the  first  meeting  and  preside  as  moderator.  The  proprietors' 
records  having  been  lost  in  the  burning  of  Edwards  Bucknam's 
house,  we  have  no  knowledge  of  what  relation  he  sustained  to  the 
settlement  previous  to  1769. 


22  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Timothy  Nash  and  George  Wheeler  seem  to  have  never  come 
into  any  prominence  in  the  settlement.  The  former  did,  however, 
discover  the  old  Indian  pass  through  the  White  Mountains,  now 
known  as  the  "  White  Mountain  Notch,"  in  the  year  1771,  while  on 
a  hunting  trip.  Having  tracked  a  moose  up  one  of  the  rivulets  he 
was  led  near  the  highest  point  of  land,  and  eagerly  climbed  a  tree 
for  a  longer  view  of  the  rocky  defile.  Satisfied  that  he  had  dis- 
covered the  pass  affording  the  shortest  route  to  Portland  he  confided 
his  discovery  to  a  hunter  by  the  name  of  Sawyer.  These  two  soon 
appeared  before  Governor  Wentworth  and  made  known  to  him  the 
discovery ;  and  in  his  spirit  of  liberality  the  governor  rewarded 
them  by  the  grant  of  a  tract  of  land  since  known  as  "  Nash  and 
Sawyer's  Location."  In  this  manner,  Timothy  Nash  has  left  a 
memorial  of  himself  for  all  time.  Wheeler  appears  only  a  few^  times 
on  the  records  of  the  town,  or  its  landholders,  and  then  as  a 
common  laborer,  or  renter  of  the  lands  of  others.  He  held  a  lease 
on  a  certain  portion  of  the  famous  "Cat-Bow"  tract  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  town  in  consideration  of  having  cleared  the  land,  after 
which  he  disappears  from  the  notice  of  both  public  and  private 
records  so  far  as  we  can  learn. 

Such  were  the  first  little  band  of  settlers  who  broke  the  primeval 
forest,  and  tamed  the  soil,  and  were  the  nucleus  of  a  town  peculiar 
in  its  situation  and  history  for  more  than  a  century. 

In  addition  to  what  young  Page  and  Emmons  Stockwell  did 
through  the  winter  of  1763  in  clearing  land,  the  settlers  were  able  to 
plant  a  crop  of  twelve  acres  of  corn  the  first  season  on  the  meadows. 
Their  corn  did  well,  and  promised  an  abundant  crop  until  on  the 
night  of  August  26th,  when  a  frost  killed  it.  They  report  that 
this  first  crop  raised  in  town  "stood  twelve  feet  high,  was  eared  out, 
and  in  the  milk  "  on  that  date.  This  was  to  them  the  greatest  dis- 
couragement that  ever  befell  the  little  company.  There  seemed 
nothing  left  for  them  to  do  but  to  abandon  the  place.  Their  entire 
dependence  for  bread  was  swept  away  in  a  single  night;  and  the 
season  was  too  far  spent  to  hope  to  retrieve  their  losses  by  planting 
any  other  crops  that  year. 

It  happened  that  on  the  day  preceding  this  destructive  frost, 
David  Page  had  returned  from  Petersham  accompanied  by  his 
resolute  daughter,  Ruth,  then  a  girl  of  about  eighteen  years  of  age. 
She  proved  to  be  of  inestimable  value  to  the  disheartened  settlers. 
After  all  hands  had  agreed  to  abandon  the  place  she  refused  to 
accede  to  their  judgment,  and  begged  them  to  remain  and  try  again 
to  make  good  their  determination  to  establish  a  community  of  their 
own.  Half  persuaded,  half  ashamed  of  their  timidity  in  the  presence 
of  that  brave  girl  who  had  given  up  so  much  to  share  their  lot  with 
them,  they  reluctantly  agreed  to  risk  their  all  and  remain  another  year. 


THE    SETTLEMENT   OF   LANCASTER.  23 

But  for  the  earnest  pleadings  of  that  girl  against  the  judgment  and 
fears  of  the  six  men  comprising  the  settlement,  the  history  of  the 
"  Upper  Coos"  would  have  been  a  different  story  than  the  narrative 
we  shall  trace  through  more  than  a  century  and  a  quarter. 

Knowing  that  great  hardships  were  in  waiting  for  them  through  a 
long  winter,  they  gave  themselves  resolutely  to  the  task  of  wresting 
a  living  from  the  forests.  They  managed,  however,  to  subsist  on 
game  together  with  such  roots  and  berries  as  they  found  palatable. 
One  can  scarcely  imagine  a  company  of  people  going  into  one  of 
our  long  winters,  more  than  fifty  miles  from  the  nearest  settlement, 
without  the  semblance  of  food  in  their  cabins,  and  forced  to  rely  upon 
the  flesh  of  wild  animals  from  day  to  day  for  subsistence.  Young 
Page  and  Stockwell  had,  however,  demonstrated  the  possibility  of 
such  a  thing  by  subsisting  for  nearly  a  year  in  that  manner.  They 
were  re-enforced  by  Edwards  Bucknam,  who,  if  he  was  not  then, 
afterwards  became,  one  of  the  most  expert  moose-hunters  in  this 
region.  Nash,  too,  must  have  been  something  of  a  hunter  and 
adventurer,  for  we  find  him  chasing  moose  in  the  "White  Mountain 
Notch"  in  1771. 

Fortunately  for  the  settlers  that  winter  this  region  abounded  in 
moose,  and  other  game  and  fur-bearing  animals.  Then  the  streams 
abounded  in  fish  of  the  best  quality,  easily  taken  in  the  spring.  The 
Connecticut  river  then  teemed  with  salmon  every  spring,  and  the 
settlers  soon  came  to  look  to  it  as  a  source  of  supply  in  meat.  The 
fine  flavor  of  the  salmon  must  have  afforded  them  a  pleasant 
change  from  moose  and  bear  meat  to  which  they  would  be  confined 
for  the  greater  part  of  the  year. 

We  must  not  forget,  however,  that  David  Page  brought  with  him 
in  April,  twenty  head  of  stock,  and  during  the  summer  added 
twenty  more.  They  must  have  had  milk  in  abundance  ;  and  in  case 
of  necessity  could  have  dressed  and  eaten  their  cattle.  The  only 
wonder  is,  how  they  subsisted  so  long  on  a  flesh  diet  without  bread 
or  vegetables.  They  were  probably  but  little  worse  off  than  other 
settlers  in  the  nearest  settlements,  as  the  great  frost  extended  as  far 
south  as  Massachusetts. 

Their  cattle  wintered  well  and  everything  assumed  a  promising 
aspect  in  the  spring  of  1765.  They  planted  again,  but  reaped  a 
scanty  harvest,  that,  and  the  succeeding  year ;  but  the  next  year, 
their  fourth  year  of  effort  was  crowned  by  a  most  abundant  harvest. 
From  then  to  the  present  time  no  season  has  passed  that  has  not 
yielded  enough  to  feed  the  people.  Some  seasons,  as  we  shall  see 
later,  were  less  bountiful  than  others  in  the  yield  of  certain  crops; 
but  as  soon  as  the  people  learned  to  raise  a  variety  of  crops,  and 
not  trust  their  all  upon  a  single  one,  the  period  of  want  and  uncer- 
tainty was  passed. 


24  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Some  supplies  were  brought  from  Haverhill  and  Newbury,  Vt., 
during  the  first  decade.  The  settlers  managed  to  get  along  for 
some  twenty  years  without  a  mill  for  grinding  their  grain.  They 
relied  upon  the  use  of  the  pestle  and  mortar  during  that  time.  The 
mortar  was  made  of  a  log  of  hard  wood  some  three  feet  long,  one 
end  of  which  was  hollowed  out,  and  into  which  the  grain  would  be 
poured,  and  beaten  with  a  pestle,  which  was  sometimes  of  stone, 
but  often  of  wood,  mounted  on  a  spring-pole,  either  in  the  yard  or 
one  corner  of  the  kitchen.  The  corn  was  sometimes  hulled  by 
soaking  until  the  hull  would  burst,  when  by  drying  it  could  easily 
be  separated  from  the  kernels. 

Sometimes  the  corn  was  mixed  with  beans,  or  rye,  or  perhaps 
both.  This  mixture  was  called  samp,  and  was  boiled  after  which  it 
was  sometimes  baked.  It  has  been  thought  that  this  dish  was  one  the 
whites  learned  from  the  Indians  the  process  of  making.  That  may 
be  true ;  but  all  men  living  under  the  same  circumstances  will  do 
similar  things.  Our  ancestors  were  mote  inventive  than  the  Indians, 
and  would  have  worked  their  way  through  difficulties  more  rapidly. 
The  Anglo-Saxon  race  never  fails  to  adapt  itself  to  any  conditions 
under  which  it  must  live  and  work  out  its  destiny.  These  first 
settlers  of  Lancaster  were  a  striking  proof  of  this  claim.  We  may- 
regard  their  coarse  and  simple  fare  with  surprise  and  feel  a  pity  for 
them ;  but  it  was  one  best  calculated  to  fit  them  to  their  labors. 
They  derived  from  it  the  muscular  energy  that  enabled  them  to 
perform  most  herculean  tasks ;  and  they  were  a  healthy  class  of 
people  because  of  their  simple  life.  Their  coarse  and  simple  food, 
regular  exercise  in  daily  employments  and  outdoor  life,  kept  them 
well  and  strong.  For  many  years  the  majority  of  the  people  lived 
in  log  houses,  often  far  from  comfortable  in  their  appointments. 

The  year  1765  was  spent  by  the  little  company  of  settlers  in 
enlarging  their  clearing  and  building  more  cabins  for  the  shelter  of 
their  band.  During  that  year  Emmons  Stockwell  and  Ruth  Page 
were  married.  They  rode  all  the  way  to  Walpole,  N.  H.,  in  order 
to  find  some  one  authorized  to  solemnize  a  marriage. 

Upon  their  return  Stockwell  erected  a  log  cabin  on  his  land  which 
adjoined  that  of  Page  on  which  the  first  clearing  was  made.  He 
was  a  prosperous  pioneer,  honest,  industrious,  and  frugal,  and  in 
every  way  worthy  of  the  noble  wife  who  was  the  mother  of  his  fif- 
teen children.  They  both  lived  to  a  great  age,  and  long  enough  to 
see  the  little  settlement  grown  into  a  prosperous  community.  After 
some  years  they  built  a  frame  house  to  take  the  place  of  their  log 
cabin.  That  little  house  is  still  standing  as  the  L  part  of  the 
present  house  on  the  Stockwell  farm,  and  is  the  oldest  frame  build- 
ing in  town. 

It  was   out   of   a   window   of    this   buildinc:    that   Ruth    Stockwell 


THE    SETTLEMENT   OF    LANCASTER.  25 

shot  a  bear  one  day.  Hearing  a  great  noise  and  commotion  among 
the  domestic  animals  she  opened  the  door  and  looked  out  in  time 
to  see  a  large  bear  prowling  about  in  the  yard.  She  shut  the  door, 
took  up  a  loaded  gun,  and  raising  the  window  fired  at  the  bear, 
severely  wounding  him.  The  report  of  the  gun  attracted  her  hus- 
band from  the  fields  to  the  house  to  see  what  the  matter  was.  Mr. 
Stockwell  finished  the  bear  with  a  club.  Ruth  Stockwell's  courage 
never  failed  her,  nor  was  she  ever  slow  to  take  every  advantage  in  a 
difficult  situation.  Often  when  her  husband  was  absent  she  would 
have  sudden  and  unannounced  calls  from  roving  bands  of  Indians, 
who  would  call  for  food,  or  to  warm  themselves  beside  her  hearth ; 
but  never  did  her  suspicions  of  them  give  way  to  alarm,  or  cause 
her  to  show  Signs  of  fear.  In  her  treatment  of  them  she  was  always 
kind  but  firm.  If  they  insisted  on  remaining  through  the  night  she 
allowed  them  to  do  so  ;  but  she  required  them  to  give  up  to  her  all 
their  weapons  which  she  put  away  for  safe  keeping  until  they  were 
ready  to  leave,  when  she  would  hand  them  back  to  their  owners, 
who  always  departed  in  peace.  Even  during  the  War  of  the  Revo- 
lution when  Mr.  Stockwell  was  away  on  duty  as  a  scout,  these  bands 
of  Indians  would  continue  to  call  at  the  Stockwell  home,  sometimes 
for  powwows  and  dances,  often  making  free  use  of  liquors,  but 
never  did  they  forget  the  kindness  of  their  host  and  his  brave  wife. 
The  British  used  every  means  to  induce  the  Indians  to  harass  the 
frontier  settlements ;  but  not  once  through  the  whole  long  and  bitter 
struggle  was  the  defenceless  settlement  at  Lancaster  disturbed.  It 
is  creditable  to  the  memory  of  those  noble  men  and  women,  that  in 
all  those  turbulent  times  they  never  treated  the  Indians  unkindly, 
and  in  turn  the  Indians  refrained  from  harming  them.  Justice  and 
mercy  will  win  the  good  will  of  even  a  savage.  Thus  the  sense  of 
justice  and  humanity  in  the  conduct  of  these  pioneers  averted  all 
dangers  of  attack  from  the  savages. 

From  the  earliest  years  of  the  settlement,  bands  of  Indians  wan- 
dered through  Lancaster,  hunting  and  stopping  to  traffic  with  the 
white  settlers.  Emmons  Stockwell,  David  Page,  and  Edwards 
Bucknam  carried  on  quite  a  trade  with  the  Indians  by  which  they 
accumulated  considerable  stocks  of  furs  which  they  traded  for  sup- 
plies. Among  the  private  papers  of  Edwards  Bucknam,  who 
administered  upon  the  estate  of  David  Page,  I  find  a  letter  and  bill 
consigning  to  Page  a  stock  of  goods  for  such  traffic  : 

"Boston,  January,  1767. 
''  Mr.  David  Page, 
Sir- 
Agreeable  to  our  conversation  I  have  sent  the  goods  I  talked  of,  of  which  you 
have  an  Invt.  to  be  sold  on  my  account  &  Risciue.     I  hope  they  may  sell  well 
among  the  Indians,  &   you  will  take  care  to   send  me  down  to  Boston  the  Neat 


26 


HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 


Produce  of  them  in  Beaver  skins  as  Early  in  the  Spring  as  possible  After  deduct- 
ing charges  for  certain  commissions  etc. 

y  Most  Hble  Servt. 

W.  Molineaux." 


The  inventory  referred  to  in  Molineaux's  letter  is  this: 

"  Invt.  of  Sundry  good  Delivered  to  Mr.  Saml  Jennison  to  cart  to  Lancaster  in 
New  Hampshire  directed  for  Mr.  David  Page  of  Lancaster  &  these  to  be  sold  by 
him  to  the  Indians  &  to  Receive  Beaver  in  Return  on  the  Propper  Risque  of  W. 
Molineaux,  Mercht  in  Boston. 

I  grind  stone 

I  Doz.  Scythes 

I  Doz.  Sickles 

I  Doz.  Wood  Axes 

5  Barrs  Lead 

I  Bagg  Flints  for  guns 

lo  .VT.  iC^  Nails,  at  7/ 

I  Whole  Barr,i  Gun  Powder 

I  Cask  for  do. 

I  Barr,i  Rum,  96  gal.  at  i/g 

3  Barr,'»  for  Do. 

I  P"".  Indian  Blanketing 

1  P=.  30  yards  Half  thick 

2  Russian  Saw  bans  166 
I  Barr  English  steel  16/ 


£ 

sh. 

d. 

0 

6 

0. 

n 

13 

4 

0 

16 

0 

3 

4 

0. 

I 

9 

0. 

0 

5 

0. 

3 

10 

0. 

7 

10 

0. 

2 

8. 

8 

8 

0. 

0 

9 

0. 

6 

9 

6. 

2 

9 

4- 

3 

17 

5- 

0 

8 

0 

Lawful  money 
Boston  January  1767. 


£Ai 


17 


Errors  Excepted 

W.  Molineaux." 


One  may  well  doubt  whether  Page  ever  sold  the  grindstone  or 
any  scythes  to  the  Indians;  but  the  blanketing,  rum,  lead,  and 
powder  no  doubt  found  ready  conversion  into  their  market  value  of 
beaver  skins  and  other  furs.  Furs  were  abundant,  and  large  packs 
of  them  were  carried  out  on  horseback  during  the  first  few  years, 
and  later  "  carted  "  down  the  Connecticut  river  on  the  ice.  There 
were  no  wagon  roads  to  the  Upper  Coos  when  the  goods,  above 
referred  to,  were  "  delivered  to  Saml.  Jennison  to  be  carted  to  Lan- 
caster," for  as  late  as  February,  1768,  we  find  the  Provincial  Assembly 
dealing  with  a  petition  from  David  Page  and  others  for  a  road  to 
Upper  Coos  [Provincial  Papers,  Vol.  7,  pp.  151,  152,  195,  266,  and 

313]- 

At  the  time  referred  to  the  settlers  used  a  sort  of  sled  called  a 
"  car"  for  transporting  goods  on  the  snow  and  ice.  It  was  made  of 
two  long  poles  dressed  thin  enough  at  a  particular  distance  from  the 
butt  ends  to  allow  the  slender  ends  to  bend  up  and  answer  for 
shafts  by  which  the  vehicle  was  drawn  by  a  horse.  Knees  and 
cross-bars  bored  into  the  portion  of  poles  resting  upon  the  surface, 


THE    SETTLEMENT    OF    LANCASTER.  2  J 

allowed  the  load  to  be  adjusted  high  enough  to  pass  over  ordinary 
obstruction  met  with  on  the  ice.  In  this  way  large  loads  were 
drawn  with  considerable  ease  and  dispatch.  This  style  of  car  was 
not  peculiar  to  Lancaster,  nor  to  the  period  of  its  settlement.  It  had 
been  used  by  all  the  early  settlers  in  different  parts  of  the  country 
as  early  as  1630.  It  is  still  in  use  in  the  mountainous  sections  of 
the  Virginias,  and  possibly  throughout  the  whole  Alleghany  Moun- 
tain regions.  These  early  settlers  were  full  of  resources.  They 
could  surmount  almost  any  difficulties  liable  to  be  met  with  in  their 
wild  surroundings. 

Edwards  Bucknam  who  came  here  in  the  employment  of  David 
Page,  and  worked  for  him  some  years,  married  his  daughter, 
Susannah,  and  located  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  brook.  Just  when  he 
built  his  log  cabin  there  is  not  known ;  but  there  he  lived  through- 
out the  remainder  of  his  eventful  life,  and  near  the  site  of  his  first 
house  he  lies  buried  in  a  grave  that  has  long  been  unmarked,  but 
over  which  his  grandson,  Edward  F.  Bucknam,  is  now  erecting  a 
suitable  monument.  There  his  ten  children  were  born.  There 
seem  to  be  some  discrepancies  in  regard  to  General  Bucknam's 
children.  Tradition  has  it  that  he  only  had  six  children,  two  sons 
and  four  daughters ;  but  the  record  of  births  in  his  family  as  found 
in  volume  i,  p.  189,  gives  the  names  and  dates  of  birth  of  ten  chil- 
dren, three  sons  and  seven  daughters,  as  follows : 

•'Eunice,  born  June  4  th,  1767. 

Mary,  ''  July  22d,  1769. 

Soffia,  "  Feb.  13,  1 77 1 ,  died  Nov.  16,  1771. 

Lydia,  "  Nov.  5,  1772. 

Susanna,  "  Nov.  5,  1774,  died  April  7,  1776. 

Susanna  {2d),      ''  Feb.  7,  1777. 

Edwards,  "  Feb.  15,  1780. 

Grove,  "  Jan.  12,  1783,  died  April  13,  1783. 

Sally,  "  May  22,  1784. 

George,  "  Sept.  27,  1786." 

It  is  also  claimed  by  some  that  Eunice  Bucknam  was  the  first 
white  child  born  in  Lancaster.  This  claim  is  not  true,  for  we  have 
a  reliable  record  of  the  birth  of  Emmons  Stockwell's  children  that 
shows  that  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  white  child  born  in  Lan- 
caster belongs  to  Polly  Stockwell,  born  December  25,  1765.  From 
a  family  record  in  the  possession  of  A.  P.  Freeman,  son  of  Betse>- 
Stockwell,  the  eleventh  child  of  Emmons  and  Ruth  Stockwell,  I 
take  the  following  facts  : 

"  Children  of  Emmons  and  Ruth  Stockwell : 

Polly,         born  Dec.  25,  1765. 
Sally,  '«     April  27,  1768. 

David,  "     July  7,  1769. 


28  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Charlotte,  born  Oct.  24,  1770. 


Dolly, 

"     Sept.  2, 

1772. 

Ephraim, 

"     Oct.  25, 

1774- 

Liberty, 

"     Aug.  27 

,  1776. 

Ruth, 

^'     Sept.  21 

,  1778. 

Emmons,     ' 

"     Oct.  II, 

1780. 

Phebe, 

'     Oct    14, 

1782. 

Betsey, 

'     June  18, 

1784. 

Samuel,       ' 

'     May  27, 

1786, 

William,      ' 

'     Feb.  17, 

1788. 

John, 

'     Dec.  25, 

1790. 

Mary,          ' 

'     April  4, 

1792." 

These  two  records  are  authentic  and  settle  all  points  in  regard  to 
this  question  at  issue  between  the  descendants  of  these  two  first  fami- 
lies. Some  credit  and  interest  always  attaches  to  the  privilege  of  being 
the  first  person  born  in  a  new  settlement,  and  that  certainly  belongs, 
in  this  case,  to  Polly  Stockwell,  unless  the  tradition  be  true,  that  there 
being  no  other  women  in  Lancaster,  Ruth  Stockwell  went  to  her  mo- 
ther in  Petersham,  Mass.,  to  be  confined.  If  that  was  the  case,  then 
the  honor  of  the  first  birth  in  Lancaster  goes  to  the  family  of  Ed- 
wards Bucknam,  and  his  daughter  Eunice  carries  off  the  honors.  This 
tradition  is  a  plausible  one,  and  there  is  no  direct  evidence  against 
it.  The  wife  and  the  rest  of  David  Page's  family  came  to  Lancaster 
as  near  as  we  can  learn  about  1767.  It  is  altogether  likely  that  this 
one  lone  woman  in  a  pioneer  camp  of  a  half  dozen  men  would 
prefer  the  fatigue  of  a  journey  of  more  than  three  hundred  miles  to 
be  with  her  mother  at  the  time  her  child  was  born  than  to  have 
remained  here  without  any  one  capable  of  giving  her  the  care  she 
required  at  such  a  time.  The  practical  good  sense  of  the  commu- 
nity led  them  to  provide  for  such  emergencies  in  the  future  by  voting 
at  the  first  proprietors'  meeting,  "To  give  one  good  Right  of  land 
to  the  first  good  Midwife  that  shall  come  and  settle  in  Lancaster  on 
or  before  the  first  day  of  next  December." 

That  meeting  was  held  March  10,  1767,  at  the  dwelling  house  of 
David  Page. 


CHAPTER    V. 

The  Location,  Survey,  and  Allotment  of  the  Town  Lands — Terri- 
torial Conflict  with  the  Town  of  Stonington — Re-location  of 
Boundaries — Renewal  of  the  Charter — Final  Allotment  and  Dis- 
tribution of  Lands,  and  Settlement  of  Conflicting  Claims  to 
Titles. 

Some  time  between  the  actual  settlement  of  the  town  and  the  first 
proprietors'  meeting  we  have  any  knowledge  of,  March  10,  1767, 
the  discovery  had  been  made  that  Page,  Stockwell,  and  Bucknam 


LOCATION,  SURVEY,  AND   ALLOTMENT    OF   TOWN    LANDS.        29 

had  located  on  territory  covered  by  the  charter  of  Stonington. 
Although  it  does  not  seem  that  the  grantees  of  Stonington  had 
taken  any  action  at  that  time  to  dispossess  these  settlers,  they 
became  deeply  concerned  over  the  possible  danger  of  losing  the 
homes  they  had  sacrificed  so  much  to  establish.  They  made  it  a 
matter  of  public  action. 

David  Page,  who  had  no  doubt  been  the  real  discoverer  of  their 
mistake,  was  authorized  by  the  vote  of  that  meeting  to  "  change  the 
boundaries  of  the  town,"  and  was  voted,  also,  a  compensation  of  one 
dollar  on  each  right  for  his  services  in  that  undertaking.  Not  satis- 
fied with  the  results  of  their  own  change  of  the  location  of  the 
bounds,  they  sent  to  Portsmouth  in  1 769  and  had  Lieut.  Joshua  Tol- 
ford,  son  of  John  Tolford,  one  of  the  proprietors,  come  up  and 
survey  the  town,  hoping  no  doubt  to  give  his  survey  the  weight  of 
the  governmental  sanction,  as  he  was  one  of  the  governor's  deputy 
surveyors-general.  Tolford  seems  to  have  run  on  the  same  lines 
that  Page  located  two  years  before,  and  gave  entire  satisfaction  to 
the  proprietors.  He  laid  out  the  town  plot  provided  for  in  the 
charter,  and  also  the  first  and  second  divisions  of  the  town  lands. 
These  divisions  consisted  of  twenty-acre  meadow  lots,  and  fifty-acre 
house  lots  lying  contiguous  to  them  on  the  first  elevation  of  the  hill- 
lands.  The  town  plot  consisted  of  seventy  one-acre  lots  lying  along 
both  sides  of  a  street  four  rods  wide,  beginning  at  a  point  about 
where  E.  V.  Cobleigh's  house  stands  on  Prospect  street  and  running 
east  to  the  second  bend  in  Isreals  river,  near  the  dam  of  the  old 
paper  mill.  The  design  was  that  every  proprietor  should  build  his 
house  on  one  of  these  lots  which  were  disposed  of  by  "draft"  in 
the  same  manner  that  the  first  and  second  divisions  had  been.  Just 
what  disposition  was  ever  made  of  this  allotment  is  not  so  clear. 
The  plan  laid  down  for  them  by  Governor  Wentworth  to  form  a  vil- 
lage community,  after  the  old  system  that  had  prevailed  in  England 
some  centuries  before  that  time,  did  not  seem  to  meet  the  approval 
of  the  hardy  pioneers.  So  far  as  we  know  anything  of  the  original 
proprietors  or  actual  settlers,  they  built  their  houses  upon  their  sev- 
eral "  house-lots."  There  is  no  doubt  that  the  "town  plot "  was  a 
failure,  for  we  soon  discover  that  the  town  bought  six  of  those  lots 
for  their  "  meeting-house  lot "  on  the  western  end  of  the  street. 
There  is  no  evidence  that  there  was  ever  a  street  opened  and  used 
there  until  the  present  Pleasant  street  was  laid  out  in  i860,  easterly 
from  the  Meeting  House  common. 

Tolford's  survey  was  laid  before  the  governor,  but  just  what 
action,  if  any,  he  ever  took  upon  the  matter  is  not  known.  It  may 
be  inferred,  however,  that  he  did  nothing  about  it  at  the  time,  for 
the  governor  then  was  John  Wentworth,  a  nephew  of  Benning  Went- 
worth, who  had   granted  the  charter,  and  who,  if  he  had   then  been 


30  HISTORY   OF  LANCASTER. 

in  office,  would  no  doubt  have  given  his  Lancaster  friends  what 
they  asked  for.  The  new  governor  seems  to  have  hesitated,  or  to 
have  had  more  conscience  than  his  old  uncle,  and  the  unsettled 
question  was  left  for  the  future  to  take  care  of.  The  proprietors 
were  kept  in  a  troubled  state  of  mind  over  their  territorial  limits 
for  a  considerable  time.  They  had  taken  action  upon  the  matter  in 
1766,  1767,  1769,  and  again  in  1773.  The  towns  of  Woodbury, 
Cockburn,  Coleburn,  and  Stonington,  now  regranted  as  Northum- 
berland, were  as  greatly  disturbed,  for  if  Lancaster  was  to  hold  the 
territory  she  claimed,  it  would  either  rob  Northumberland  of  three 
fourths  of  her  best  lands  or  compel  her  to  move  up  the  river  upon 
territory  granted  to  Cockburn  in  1770,  and  renew  her  territorial 
•conflicts  with  that  town. 

At  the  proprietors'  meeting,  August  26,  1773, .the  location  of  ten 
rights  bought  up  by  Charles  Ward  Apthorp,  a  land  speculator 
hving  in  New  York,  was  made,  in  which  the  proprietors  recognized 
a  possible  difficulty  in  holding  their  claims.  These  rights  were  to  be 
in  the  south  part  of  the  township  on  what  is  known  as  the  Cat-Bow 
on  Connecticut  river.  It  was  to  contain  the  three  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  meadow  land  in  that  famous  tract  and  front  two  miles 
on  the  river  and  run  back  toward  the  eastward  far  enough  to  include 
ten  full  rights  of  two  hundred  and  seventy-four  acres  each  in  a  body. 
In  granting  that  location  this  clause  was  inserted  in  the  vote  con- 
firming the  location,  viz. : 

The  grant  hereby  made  to  him  (Apthorp)  shall  not  operate  to  the  disadvantage 
of  the  rest  of  the  proprietors  by  the  intervention  of  any  foreign  legal  claim  under 
•color  of  a  mistake  in  the  boundaries  of  the  township. 

In  1769  the  proprietors  found  that  they  had  not  quite  complied 
with  the  terms  of  their  charter,  and  had  requested  and  received  a 
renewal  of  it  from  Gov.  John  Went\vorth.  In  that  document  refer- 
ence is  made  to  a  survey  made  under  the  direction  of  Isaac  Rindge, 
surveyor-general  of  lands  of  the  province,  which  survey  was  that 
of  Joshua  Tolford,  but  no  change  of  boundary  was  mentioned  or 
made  in  the  renewed  charter  given  below.  Under  this  charter, 
which  tacitly  conceded  the  survey  of  Tolford  as  the  one  on  which 
the  original  charter  had  been  granted,  the  settlers  continued  to  act 
as  a  body  politic  upon  its  rightful  territory ;  and  yet  they  were  not 
•quite  satisfied  with  the  validity  of  their  titles  as  is  seen  in  the  allot- 
ment of  Apthorp's  ten  rights. 

That  renewed  charter,  under  which  the  people  tried  to  comfort 
themselves  in  the  security  of  their  titles,  is  an  important  document, 
and  we  give  it  here  in  full : 


LOCATION,  SURVEY,  AND   ALLOTMENT   OF   TOWN    LANDS.         3  I 

LANCASTER    CHARTER    RENEWED    1769. 

Province  of  New  >  George  the  Third  by  the  grace  of  God  of  Great  Britain 

Hampshire       ^      France  and   Ireland    King    Defender   of  the    faith   and   so 

^  Lancaster  >  forth. 

I  extended    ^ 
.^ — ^  Whereas  we  of  our  special  grace  and  mere   motion   for  the  due 

/  L.  S.  >      encouragement  of  setling  a  new  Plantation  within  our  Prov :  of  New 

'  v.^v-^  ^  Hampshire  in  New  England  by  our  Letters  Patent  or  Charter  under 
the  Seal  of  our  said  Province  Dated  the  5th  day  of  July  Annoque 
Domini  1763  in  the  Third  year  of  our  Reign ;  a  Tract  of  Land  equal  to  six  miles 
square  bounded  as  therein  expressed  (&  since  surveyed  admeasured,  marked  & 
ascertained  by  our  Order  to  Isaac  Rindge  Esq'  our  Surveyor  Geni  of  Lands  for 
our  said  Province)  Granted  to  a  number  of  our  Loyal  subjects  whose  Names  are 
entered  on  the  same  to  hold  to  them  their  Heirs  and  Assigns  on  the  Conditions 
therein  Declared,  and  to  be  a  Town  Corporate  by  the  name  of  Lancaster,  as  by 
reference  to  the  said"  Charter  may  more  fully  appear.  And  whereas  the  said 
Grantees  have  represented  to  us  that  by  the  great  inconveniences  which  occur 
in  the  Settlement  of  New  Townships  so  remotely  situated  from  any  other  Town- 
ships or  Settlements  that  can  afford  any  Assistance  hath  rendered  it  impracticable 
for  the  whole  number  of  Grantees  to  perform  that  part  of  the  condition  that 
relates  to  the  Cultivation  of  such  a  portion  of  said  Grant.  That  there  are  a  Con- 
siderable numbers  of  Families  now  resident  on  the  Premises,  which  affords  them 
hopes  of  a  final  Settlement  without  delay.  And  humbly  supplicating  us  not  to 
take  advantage  of  the  Breach  of  said  Condition,  but  to  lengthen  out,  and  grant 
them  some  further  Time  for  the  performance  thereof.  Now  know  ye  that  we 
being  willing  to  promote  the  end  proposed  Have  of  our  further  Grace  and  favour 
suspended  our  Claim  of  the  forfeiture  which  the  said  Grantees  may  have  incurred, 
and  by  these  Presents  Do  Grant  unto  the  said  Grantee  their  Heirs  and  Assigns 
the  further  Term  of  Five  Years  from  this  Date  for  performing  and  fulfilling  the 
Conditions,  matters  and  things  by  them  to  be  done  as  aforesaid. — Except  the 

Quit  Rents,  which  are  to  remain  due  and  payable  as  expressed  and 

reserved  in  the  Original  Grant  or  Charter. 

In  Testimony  whereof  we  have  caused  the  Seal  of  our  said  Province  to  be 
hereunto  affixed  Witness  John  Wentworth  Esq""  our  Governor  and  Commander  in 
Chief  of  our  aforesaid  Province  This  2o"i  day  of  September  in  the  9"^  year  of  our 
Reign  Annoque  Domini  1769, 

J.  Wentworth. 
By  his  Excellency''  Command 
with  advice  of  Council 

Theodore  Atkinson  Secy 
Pro*  of  New  Hampshire  16'''  Nov  1769 — 
Recorded  according  to  the  Original  Grant  under  the  Province  Seal 

P""  Theodore  Atkinson  SeC-^ 

This  renewal  of  the  charter  must  have  been  a  disappointment  to 
the  proprietors,  for  instead  of  settling  their  question  of  title  it  left  it 
open  to  harass  them  in  the  future.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  they  were  concerned  with  this  troublesome  question. 

The  governor  having  failed  to  render  the  relief  prayed  for  in  the 
petition  for  a  new  charter  on  the  lines  of  Tolford's  survey,  the  peo- 
ple in  their  characteristic  resoluteness  renewed  their  appeals  to  the 
government  for  legel  acknowledgment  of  the  re-location  of  the  town- 


32  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

ship.      At  the  meeting,  above   referred   to,  of  August  26,  1773,  the 
following  vote  was  passed  : 

looted  that  it  appears  to  this  proprietary  as  a  matter  of  some  uncertainty  whether 
doubts  may  not  arise  with  respect  to  the  northerly  extent  of  the  boundaries  of  this 
township  which  upon  a  construction  set  up  by  sundry  persons  will  deprive  the 
whole  of  the  settlers  (one  only  accepted)  [that  one  was  Bucknam — Ed.]  of  their 
lands,  possessions  and  improvements  and  reduce  the  township  to  very  inconsider- 
able compass,  and  the  proprietors  laboring  under  very  great  uneasiness  from  the 
apprehension  of,  or  expecting  a  calamity,  do  therefore  request  that  Ammi  R. 
Cutter,  Esq.,  and  Mr.  Jacob  Treadwell  will  be  pleased  to  lay  before  his  Excellency 
the  Governor  such  representation  upon  the  subject  as  may  appear  to  them  most 
proper  to  induce  his  Excellency  to  grant  to  the  proprietors  an  explanatory  charter 
ascertaining  the  limits  of  the  said  township  as  the  same  as  was  actually  surveyed 
by  Joshua  Tolford  and  is  now  allotted  to  the  proprietors  and  possessed  and 
enjoyed  by  the  inhabitants. 

There  were  residing  in  Portsmouth  and  vicinity  a  number  of  the 
most  influential  among  the  proprietors,  friends  of  the  Wentworths,  like 
Matthew  Thornton,  Esq.,  Maj.  John  Tolford,  Andrew  Wiggin,  Esq., 
Meshech  Weare,  Esq.,  Hon.  Joseph  Newmarsh,  Esq.,  Nathaniel 
Barrel,  Esq.,  Daniel  Warner,  Esq.,  James  Nevins,  Esq.,  and  Rev. 
Joshua  Wingate  Weeks.  These  no  doubt  pressed  the  claims  of 
Lancaster,  and  the  governor  yielded  to  the  pleadings  of  a  letter 
from  Jacob  Treadwell  and  confirmed  the  survey  of  Tolford,  by  which 
he  had  only  to  crowd  Northumberland  further  up  the  river  in  order 
to  give  it  its  full  territory  as  set  forth  in  the  charter  thereof.  He 
did  not  re-issue  any  of  these  charters,  but  simply  ordered  Northum- 
berland and  the  towns  above  it  to  move  up  the  river  and  readjust 
their  limits. 

This  arrangement  seemed  to  settle  matters  for  a  time,  and  in  1787 
the  proprietors  felt  sufificiently  satisfied  in  their  titles  to  vote  for  a 
final  survey  and  allotment  of  the  unappropriated  lands  of  the  town. 
They  accordingly  set  Jonas  Baker,  who  had  become  something  of  a 
land  surveyor  by  that  time,  to  work  to  divide  these  lands  into  what 
they  called  one-hundred-acre  lots,  or  the  third  division.  Of  these 
there  were  to  be  one  hundred  and  forty,  two  each  for  every  pro- 
prietor, but  did  not  include  the  rights  that  had  been  previously 
bought  by  Apthorp.  This  division  included  a  right  each  to  schools^ 
glebe,  and  meeting-house.  It  was  found,  after  all  these  claims  had 
been  satisfied,  that  twelve  full  lots  and  many  gores  of  irregular  size 
still  remained  untaken.     The  proprietors  voted  : 

Any  one  holding  a  right  of  land  in  the  town  of  Lancaster  may  pitch  his  share 
on  any  unoccupied  lands,  and  have  the  same  surveyed  by  a  sworn  surveyor,  have 
a  plan  and  description  made  of  it  and  have  the  same  recorded  by  the  proprietors' 
clerk  in  the  liroprietors'  records,  and  he  shall  hold  the  same  forever. 

These  lands  were  eagerly  sought  for.  Soine  persons  fared  well 
in  their  choice,  but  many  were  dissatisfied  with  what  was  left  for 


LOCATION,  SURVEY,  AND  ALLOTMENT  OF  TOWN  LOTS.    33 

them,  and  portions  of  these  gores  were  never  located,  and  possibly 
remain  unlocated  to-day,  but  not  unclaimed. 

The  proprietors  were  generous  in  their  gifts  or  appropriations  of 
the  lands  of  their  township.  They  wisely  set  apart  for  mills  a  strip 
of  land  two  rods  wide  on  both  sides  of  Isreals  river  from  the  head  of 
the  island,  just  below  Main  Street  bridge,  to  the  second  bend  of  the 
river,  where  the  Paper  Mill  dam  now  is,  the  rental  of  which  was  to 
go  for  the  support  of  schools.  These  lands  were  later  rented  to 
different  persons  at  the  nominal  rental  of  one  pint  of  wheat  per 
year,  if  demanded,  which  was  to  be  used  in  the  support  of  schools. 
These  rents,  of  course,  being  merely  nominal,  have  never  been  called 
for  by  the  town. 

At  the  first  proprietors'  meeting,  March  lO,  1767,  a  right  was 
set  off  for  the  first  minister  that  should  settle  in  the  town.  Another 
full  right  of  land,  and  it  was  to  be  a  "  good  "  one,  too,  was  voted  to 
the  "  first  good  midwife  that  shall  come  and  settle  in  Lancaster  on 
or  before  the  first  day  of  December  next."  Two  hundred  acres 
were  voted,  at  the  same  meeting,  to  David  Page  for  building  a  black- 
smith shop  and  keeping  tools  for  the  same ;  and  a  half  right  of 
land  to  the  first  physician  that  should  settle  in  Lunenburg  or  Lan- 
caster within  one  year  from  that  date. 

Of  course,  their  only  wealth  was  in  land,  of  which  the}'  had  more 
than  they  could  utilize  for  the  ordinary  purposes.  If  they  could 
induce  professional  and  skilled  men  and  women  to  come  here  and 
ply  their  arts  and  professions,  it  was  wise  to  offer  such  inducements 
to  them.  It  is  not  certainly  known  whether  Page's  blacksmith  shop 
ever  came  to  be  a  realized  concern,  or  whether  any  ph}'sician  or 
midwife  ever  laid  claim  to  the  bonus  offered  to  their  respective 
professions. 

The  final  allotment  of  the  lands  did  not  allay  the  suspense  under 
which  the  settlers  rested  for  so  many  years.  The  claims  of  parties 
were  kept  alive,  but  seldom  pressed  farther  than  the  making  of  sur- 
veys and  the  threats  of  going  to  law  to  sustain  the  claim  of  priority 
of  title  under  the  Stonington  or  Northumberland  charters.  The  first 
actual  settlers  in  Northumberland  found  abundant  lands  of  a  good 
quality  and  were  satisfied  with  their  situation  so  far  as  to  which  town 
they  should  finally  be  found  to  be  living  in.  The  fact  that  those 
upper  towns  laid  so  dangerously  near  the  frontier  infested  by  Indians 
and  threatened  with  incursions  of  English  and  Indian  soldiers,  made 
them  of  comparatively  little  value ;  and  the  proprietors  found  it 
difficult  to  induce  people  to  settle  there  even  on  the  most  liberal 
conditions. 

Matters  continued  in  this  somewhat  unsettled  condition  until  the 
Revolutionary  War  broke  out  and  diverted  the  interest  and  atten- 
tion of  all  parties  to  these  disputes  over  titles.  The  intense  anxiety 
4 


34  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

and  fear  of  the  inhabitants  of  all  these  upper  towns  drew  them 
together  in  a  common  effort  to  defend  their  homes  against  British 
invasion  which  was  momentarily  expected  to  take  place.  For  a 
time,  in  the  presence  of  a  threatened  danger,  they  suffered  them- 
selves to  ignore  the  old  contention  and  stand  together  through 
twelve  anxious  years,  during  which  time  the  little  settlements  were 
weighed  in  the  balance.  The  only  garrison  built  in  this  northern 
section  was  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  those  towns  aggrieved  at 
Lancaster,  and  they  were  largely  built  and  manned  by  Lancaster 
men.  At  such  a  time  it  was  not  likely  that  any  one  thought  to 
contend  with  his  neighbors  about  titles  when  the  title  of  the  Ameri- 
can people  to  their  country  was  often  a  doubtful  one. 

Once  the  war  was  over  and  peace  declared,  lands  were  much 
more  valuable  than  they  had  ever  been  before  in  this  section  of  the 
state,  and  the  old  disputes  again  arose  in  threats  of  lawsuits  to 
recover  the  territory  once  granted  as  Stonington.  In  1790  Jonas 
Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  and  Emmons  Stockwell  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  appear  before  the  general  court  and  ask  for  a  new 
charter  to  the  original  grantees  which  should  cover  territory  in 
dispute,  and  forever  confirm  the  title  thereof.  The  question  hung 
very  evenly  in  the  balance,  and  there  appeared  no  strong  advo- 
cates for  Lancaster  as  before  when  this  same  plea  was  made  in 
1773.  Colonel  Goffe,  however,  seems  to  have  championed  the 
cause  of  Lancaster,  rather  as  an  apology  or  explanation  of  the 
stupidity  of  Benning  Wentworth  in  granting  unsurveyed  lands  in  an 
arbitrary  manner  certain  to  bring  about  conflicts  of  claims.  He 
mentions  as  some  of  the  reasons  why  these  disputes  existed — "The 
loose  and  uncertain  bounds  of  Lancaster  through  the  geography  of 
the  River  Connecticut  not  being  at  the  time  of  the  said  grants 
particularly  known,  whereby  it  made  a  material  alteration  in  the 
bounds  of  said  Lancaster,  and  consequently  affected  the  lines  of 
Dartmouth."  The  action  upon  this  petition  was  taken  at  a  time 
when  the  Wentworth  regime  had  come  to  a  close  by  the  election  of 
Dr.  Josiah  Bartlett  over  Joshua  Wentworth  as  president  of  New 
Hampshire.  Failing  to  get  a  new  charter  to  confirm  their  claims, 
the  people  of  Lancaster  twice  again  appointed  committees  to  lay 
their  case  before  the  president  and  general  court,  but  to  no  effect. 
Having  failed  to  get  their  rights  confirmed  they  changed  their 
tactics,  and  at  a  meeting  in  1796  voted  to  employ  Richard  C. 
Everett,  Esq.,  a  young  lawyer  then  recently  settled  in  Lancaster,  as 
their  "Agent  to  act  in  behalf  of  the  proprietors  of  Lancaster  to 
defend  any  lawsuit  or  suits,  or  to  commence  any  action  or  actions 
against  any  encroachments  that  are  or  may  be  made  upon  said 
township  of  Lancaster,  to  make  any  settlement  of  all  or  any  dis- 
putes which   are   or   may   be   had  with   adjacent  towns   respecting 


LOCATION,  SURVEY,  AND  ALLOTMENT  OF  TOWN  LOTS.    35 

boundaries  of  said  town,  and  to  petition  the  Honorable  General 
Court  with  any  agent  or  agents  of  the  neighboring  towns,  whose 
boundaries  are  disputed,  or  disputable,  for  their  interference  in  the 
premises." 

The  people  felt  their  title  good  enough,  through  the  long  term 
of  their  peaceable  occupation  of  their  lands,  to  risk  them  being 
carried  into  the  law  courts,  though  they  never  were.  Attorney 
Everett  was  alert  and  ready  for  action  at  any  time  but  never  had 
occasion  to  go  to  court,  nor  do  w^e  know  if  he  ever  petitioned  the 
general  court  in  relation  to  the  disputed  titles. 

The  feeling  of  uncertainty,  however,  affected  some  people  for  a 
long  time.  When  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  the  first  settled  min- 
ister in  the  town,  accepted  a  call  to  settle  here  and  received  the 
right  allotted  to  him,  he  required  of  the  town  the  execution  of  a 
bond  of  guarantee  to  him  against  loss  of  title  in  event  the  town  should 
lose  its  title  to  the  granted  township  as  then  located.  This  bond 
was  readily  given  as  the  people  had  no  fear  of  ever  being  called 
upon  to  make  good  any  such  loss. 

Not  until  1853  did  the  last  shadow  of  fear  for  their  rights  pass 
forever  away  for  the  inhabitants  of  Lancaster.  In  that  year  one 
Atkinson  brought  suit  against  one  Goodall  to  obtain  possession 
of  lands  in  Bethlehem  under  the  claim  that  they  belong  to  the 
grantees  of  Concord  Gore,  described  in  its  charter  as  cornering  on 
Lancaster.  The  Hon.  James  VV.  Weeks,  a  land  surveyor  of  con- 
siderable reputation,  of  Lancaster,  was  employed  to  survey  and 
make  a  map  of  the  Concord  Gore  and  adjacent  territory.  When 
the  case  came  to  trial  in  Exeter  the  court  decided  that  although  the 
land  in  dispute  was  once  intended  to  be  a  part  of  Concord  Gore, 
that  it  was  then  a  part  of  Bethlehem,  and  that  the  accepted  bound- 
aries of  towns,  occupied  as  long  as  these  had  been,  could  not  be 
disturbed  by  reason  of  variance  from  intention  of  original  charters. 
This  decision  has  dispelled  all  shades  of  doubt  from  the  minds  of 
Lancaster  people,  and  gave  undisputed  validity  to  all  titles. 

We  deem  it  of  sufificient  interest  to  subjoin  hereto  the  names  of 
the  original  grantees  and  the  numbers  of  the  several  lots  that  com- 
prised their  respective  rights  of  land  in  the  distributions  above 
referred  to. 


HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 
THE   ORIGINAL   ALLOTMENT   OF   LANDS. 


Proprietors'  Names: 


■-J 


SS 


>   m 

S2 


Third  Division. 


i:< 


0 

(i3 

•-1 

M 

u 

4J 

^ 

4J 

-.- 

0 

rt 

0 

0 

J 

P^ 

hJ 

0 

Charles  Howe 

Isreal  Hale 

Isreal  Hale,  Jr 

Daniel  Hale 

William  Dagget 

Isaac  Ball 

Solomon  Fay 

Jonathan  Death 

John  Sanders 

Elisha  Crosby 

Luke  Lincoln 

David  Lawson 

Silas  Rice 

Thomas  Carter 

Ephraim  Sterns 

William  Read 

Nathaniel  Smith 

Thomas  Rice 

Daniel  Searls 

Isaac  Wood 

Nathaniel  Richardson 

Ebenezer  Blunt 

John  Wait 

Ephraim  Noyce 

Benjamin  Sawyer 

John  Herriman 

Samuel  Marble 

Joseph  Marble 

Jonathan  Houghton 

John  Rogers 

Abner  Holden 

Stanton  Prentice 

Benjamin  Wilson 

Stephen  Emes 

John  Sawyer 

John  Phelps 

James  Reed 

Benjamin  Baxter 

Mathew  Thornton,  Esq 

Andrew  Wiggin,  Esq 

Meshech  Weare,  Esq 

Maj.  John  Tolford 

Hon.  Joseph  Newmarsh,  Esq 
Hon.  Nathaniel  Barrel,  Esq.. 
Hon.  Daniel  Warner,  Esq.  . . 

David  Page 

David  Page,  Jr 

Abraham  Byam 

Ruben  Stone 

John  Grant 

John  Grant,  Jr 

Solomon  Willson 

Jonathan  Grant 


68 
69 

70 

71 

72 
73 
74 
33 
34 
67 
66 

65 
40 

41 
59 

25 

27 
26 
47 
31 
3 
5 
46 
21 

44 
28 

35 
17 
48 
24 
29 

^8 

7 
4 

ID 

23 
II 
12 

43 
45 
14 
19 
39 
38 

22 

15 
50 

51 

42 

6 

52 
18 


69 

70 
71 
72 
73 
74 
33 
34 
67 
66 

65 
40 

41 
59 

25 
27 
26 

47 
31 
3 
5 
46 
21 

44 
28 

35 
17 
48 

24 
29 

'I 

7 
4 

ID 

23 
II 
12 

43 
45 
14 
19 
39 


15 
50 
51 

42 

6 

52 

18 


23 
18 
26 

I 
24 

5 
26 

I 
22 
12 

7 
19 


3 

27 
15 
10 

13 

3 
23 


9 

28 

9 

27 
8 

27 

15 
12 
20 
24 
14 
23 
19 
23 
16 
10 
II 

5 
17 

6 

14 
12 

25 


13 

24 


ID 

24 
23 
27 
26 

4 

25 
28 

29 

27 
25 
27 
18 

24 


27 
30 


15 
13 
23 
9 
15 
10 

29 

9 

28 

II 

30 
16 

13 

24 
25 
23 
24 
20 

25 
'7 
II 

14 
21 
21 
17 
17 
13 
28 


14 
24 


16 


Cat  Bow. 


CatBow. 
Cat  Bow. 


CatBow. 


LOCATION,    SURVEY,    AND    ALLOTMENT    OF   TOWN    LOTS.  3/ 

THE   ORIGINAL   ALLOTMENT   OF   LANDS— Co////««<r^/. 


Proprietors'  Names. 


Third  Division. 

C    w 

.y^ 

■>   to 

51 

»^ 

o 

■^  V 

a3 

D 

h-) 

■^'^ 

O    3 

fcO 

M 

lU 

en   ni 

o 

5 

o 

O 

ES 

cfiS 

C4 

h-i 

(^ 

hJ 

O 

Joseph  Stovvel 

Joseph  Page 

William  Page 

Nathaniel  Page 

John  Marden 

Silas  Bennet 

Thomas  Shattock 

Ephraim  Shattock 

Silas  Shattock 

Benjamin  Man 

Daniel  Miles 

Thomas  Rogers 

John  Duncan 

Timothy  Whitney 

James  Nevins,  Esq 

Rev.  John  Wingate  Weeks. . 

Benjamin  Stevens 

First  Settle  Minister 

Gov.  Benning  Wentworth, 

two  rights.* 

Right  for  School 

Church  of  England 

Ch.  of  Eng.  Glebe 


S3 

20 

54 

13 
6o 

I 

i6 
36 
37 
49 
9 
61 

32 

64 
62 

53 
20 

54 

li 

57 

58 

I 

2 

16 
36 
37 
49 

6? 

32 

64 
62 

1 

14 

4 

18 

8 

1 

16 

21 

4 

17 
23 

4 
8 

8 
15 
7 
8 
6 
8 
2 

13 
'5 

20 
29 

27 

3 

I 
I 
I 
2 

5 

I 

1 

I 

5 
5 

32 
25 
15 
II 
26 
8 
12 
18 
25 

30 

li 

I 

2 
2 
I 
6 
6 

3 

I 

I 
I 
I 

Cat  Bow. 
Cat  Bow 

CatBow. 


' '  The  foregoing  draft  of  the  several  lots  placed  to  eache  grantee  of  the  first, 
second,  and  third  divisions  in  the  town  of  Lancaster  were  entered,  examined,  and 
recorded,  the  same  agreeable  to  vote  passed  at  a  Proprietors  meeting  held  in  said 
Town  by  adjournment  October  14th  1789. 

By  me  Edwards  Bucknam,  Proprietors'  Clerk." 

*The  two  rights  of  Governor  Benning  Wentworth,  reserved  in  granting  the  charter, 
was  outside  and  independent  of  the  seventy-four  equal  shares  into  which  the  town  was 
to  be  divided,  and  was  located  on  the  back  of  the  charter  in  northwest  corner  of  the 
township. 


HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF    THE    TOWN:     ITS    PROPRIETARY    AND 
CIVIL  GOVERNMENT. 

Although  the  charter  of  the  town  made  it  a  body  pohtic,  and 
enjoined  upon  it  the  civil  mode  of  government  then  prevailing  in  the 
province,  on  and  after  the  first  Tuesday  of  August,  1763,  it  seems  to 
have  been  governed  wholly  by  a  proprietary  system  until  1769,  when 
a  civil  form  of  government  was  inaugurated  by  the  election  of  a 
board  of  five  selectmen — David  Page,  Abner  Osgood,  George 
Wheeler,  Emmons  Stockwell,  and  Edwards  Bucknam — a  town  clerk, 
and   other  civil  ofificers. 

Several  influences  no  doubt  intervened  to  prevent  an  earlier  com- 
pliance with  the  requirements  of  the  charter.  Most  of  the  proprie- 
tors did  not  intend  to  locate  on  their  lands.  They  accepted  them  as 
a  matter  of  speculation,  and  yet,  no  doubt  they  were  cautious  not  to 
allow  the  mere  handful  of  actual  settlers  to  have  too  much  liberty  in 
the  management  of  the  town  under  the  provisions  of  the  prevailing 
.system  of  town  government.  The  few  actual  settlers  who  came 
before  1769,  may  have  felt  some  hesitancy  in  assuming  the  necessary 
ofifices,  as  there  were  not  enough  to  fill  all  the  oflfices  and  leave  any- 
body to  be  governed.  The  situation  would  have  been  even  more 
grotesque  than  on  a  subsequent  occasion  when  the  citizens  turned 
out  on  a  muster  day,  and  after  filling  all  the  offtces  necessary  to  a 
proper  drill,  there  was  left  but  one  private.  There  were  not  enough 
men  present  the  first  few  years  to  fill  the  ofifices.  They  could,  and 
did,  however,  carry  out  the  wishes  of  their  associate  grantees  in  the 
management  of  the  affairs  of  the  town  by  the  election  of  a  moderator, 
clerk,  and  treasurer,  with  such  committees  as  were  from  time  to  time 
needed. 

The  charter  designated  David  Page  as  the  rightful  authorit}-  to  call 
the  first  meeting  of  the  proprietors  on  the  first  Tuesday  of  August, 
1763,  and  preside  as  moderator.  If  such  meeting  was  held,  it  must 
have  been  somewhere  else  than  on  their  granted  territory.  The  first 
March  meeting  may  have  likewise  been  held  at  some  other  point, 
and  probably  was.  It  is  quite  likely,  too,  that  when  the  first  settlers 
discovered  that  they  were  not  settled  upon  the  territory  actually 
described  in  the  charter  as  belonging  to  them,  that  they  delayed  the 
matter  of  an  early  organization,  and  were  content  to  feel  their  way 
under  a  proprietary  management  of  their  affairs.  The  first  meeting 
that  was  held  in  Lancaster  was  strictly  a  proprietary  meeting,  on 
March  10,  1767.  The  only  actions  taken  were  in  regard  to  the  dis- 
posal of  lands  and  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  locate  a  road 
to  connect  with  the  settlements  to  the  eastward,  and  with  Portland, 


THE    ORGANIZATION   OF   THE   TOWN.  39 

Me.,  and  to  "  Lower  Coos."  The  record  of  that  riieeting  is  of  such 
unique  character  that  I  am  persuaded  to  give  it,  as  the  proprietors' 
records,  from  which  it  has  been  previously  quoted,  are  now  entirely 
lost.  Only  some  of  the  votes  passed  at  that  meeting  are  preserved, 
and  these  are  as  follows : 

"  Voted:  That  any  person  or  persons  that  have  rights  of  land  in  Lancaster, 
shall  have  the  liberty  to  pitch  them  on  any  unsettled  Land  upon  his  performing  the 
Duty,  which  is  to  clear,  plow  and  sow  with  Rye  or  Wheat  three  acres  upon  each 
right,  and  build  a  house  sixteen  feet  square  shall  answer  for  two  rights.  And  if 
any  person  or  persons  clear  more  land  than  his  proportion  upon  the  laying  out  of 
the  Town  and  lots  shall  cut  them  off,  shall  have  the  improvements  of  said  land 
until  he  is  paid  so  much  money  as  two  or  three  indifierent  men  may  judge  for  the 
clearing  thereof. 

"  Voted :  That  the  Minister's  Lott  shall  be  pitched  on  the  south  side  of  Isreals 
River,  in  the  Meadow  at  the  lower  end  of  the  first  falls. 

"  Voted :  That  Mr.  David  Page,  Mr.  Emmons  Stockwell.  Mr.  Edwards  Buck- 
nam,  Mr.  Timothy  Nash,  and  David  Page,  Jr.,  be  a  committee  to  Look  out  and 
mark  the  road  to  Pigwakett  or  to  Andriscogin,  or  to  the  first  inhabitants,  and  also 
to  the  Lower  Coos. 

"  Voted :  To  give  one  good  Right  of  land  to  the  first  good  Midwife  that  shall 
come  and  settle  in  Lancaster  on  or  before  the  first  day  of  December  next. 

"  Voted :  Mr.  David  Page  two  hundred  acres  of  land  where  he  shall  think 
proper,  not  infringing  on  the  Meadow  or  House  lotts,  for  his  building  a  Smith's 
Shop  and  keeping  tools  for  the  same  work. 

"  Voted:  To  give  half  a  Right  of  land  in  Lancaster  to  the  first  Doctor  that  shall 
settle  in  Lunneburg  or  Lancaster  within  one  year  from  this  day." 

Tradition  says  that  at  this  same  meeting  the  ten  rights  bought  up 
by  Charles  Ward  Apthorp  were  located  on  the  Cat-Bow  tract. 
Apthorp  was  a  wealthy  man  and  bought  up  vast  tracts  of  land  in  many 
places  for  purposes  of  speculation.  He  proved  to  be  a  source  of 
much  trouble  to  Lancaster,  as  he  bought  up  thirty-six  rights 
between  the  years  1765  and  1770,  at  which  time  he  owned  a  con- 
trolling interest  in  the  town ;  and  he  was  not  slow  to  dictate  the 
management  of  their  local  affairs.  He  entertained  an  antipathy 
toward  David  Page  that  he  dragged  into  the  business  management 
of  the  town  as  early  as  1771.  David  Page  had  mortgaged  a  farm  in 
Petersham,  Mass.,  to  Nathaniel  Wheelright,  a  merchant  in  Boston, 
Mass.,  who  on  retiring  from  business  a  short  time  before  his  death 
gave  to  his  nephew. -Charles  Ward  Apthorp,  all  his  accounts  and  cer- 
tain other  property.  The  farm  was  occupied  by  Jonathan  Grant  at 
the  time  David  Page  removed  to  Lancaster,  but  in  1767,  Page  gave 
Apthorp  a  deed  for  the  farm,  and  a  dispute  arose  between  him  and 
Apthorp  over  some  two  hundred  dollars  of  rent  due  from  Grant. 
Apthorp  was  always  hostile  to  Page,  and  used  every  means  he  could 
to  prevent  him  from  holding  any  ofifice  of  importance  in  the  town. 
Apthorp  owned  at  that  time  the  rights  that  had  been  allotted  to  the 
following  persons:    David    Page,  22 ;    Abram   Byam,    50;    Reuben 


40  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Stone,  51;  Solomon  Wilson,  52;  Joseph  Stowell,  53;  William 
Page,  54;  Silas  Bennet,  55;  Thomas  Shattock,  56;  Silas  Shat- 
tock,  58  ;  Ephraim  Shattock,  57  ;  Benjamin  Man,  i  ;  Daniel  Miles,  2  ; 
John  Duncan,  36;  Nathaniel  Smith,  37;  Charles  How,  68;  Isreal 
Hale,  69;  Isreal  Hale,  Jr.,  70;  Daniel  Hale,  71;  William  Dagget, 
72;  Isaac  Ball,  73  ;  Solomon  Fay,  74 ;  Jonathan  Death,  33  ;  John 
Saunders,  34;  Elisha  Crosby,  67  ;  Luke  Lincoln,  66;  David  Lawson, 
65  ;  Silas  Rice,  40;  Thomas  Carter,  41  ;  Ephraim  Stearns,  59  ;  James 
Reed,  25  ;  Timothy  Whitney,  26;  Isaac  Wood,  31  ;  Nathaniel  Rich- 
ardson, 3;  John  Sawyer,  4;  John  Rogers,  24;  Samuel  Marble. 
35.  =  36  rights.  With  this  majority  of  rights,  Apthorp  domineered 
the  town,  in  some  important  measures  for  a  number  of  years  to  the 
positive  detriment  of  the  actual  settlers  who  had  come  here  to  make 
homes,  and  sacrified  their  chances  elsewhere  and  bound  up  their 
destiny  with  that  of  the  town.  Things  not  going  to  suit  him, 
Apthorp,  through  his  attorney,  one  W.  Molineaux  of  Boston,  Mass., 
called  a  meeting  of  the  proprietors  in  the  fall  of  1771,  and  sent 
Edwards  Bucknam  the  following  letter  which  needs  no  explanation, 
as  it  is  written  in  simple  and  clear  language : 

"  Boston,  Oct.  2ist  1771. 
Mr.  Edw'ds  Bucknam. 

Having  this  day  given  you  my  Power  of  Attorney  to  vote  at  the  meeting  now  to 
be  called  by  the  proprietors  of  Lancaster,  I  would  have  vote  agt  David  Page  being 
choose  into  any  office  with  the  Proprietors  &  upon  a  meeting  being  called  that  you 
would  vote  for  the  following  officers  to  be  choose  viz  :  Emmons  Stockvvell,  Mod- 
erator, Edwards  Bucknam,  Clark  &  Collector,  George  Wheeler,  Assessor,  John 
Cross  &  David  Page  Jr  Treasurers.  The  officers  being  thus  choose,  you  are  to  re- 
consider all  the  votes  passed  on  &  since  the  12th  March  1771  &  vote  that  whereas 
after  due  consideration  &  debate,  you  find  that  all  such  votes  that  have  passed  on 
&  since  the  12th  March  1771,  is  not  only  unlawful  but  detrimental  to  the  Interests 
&  settlement  of  said  Township.  David  Page  Esq  having  acted  arbitrarily  & 
against  the  sense  of  the  meeting  in  consequence  of  his  having  a  power  to  appear 
for  Mr.  Apthorp  the  owner  of  36  rites,  whose  directions  he  violated  to  answer  his 
own  private  purposes  ;  therefore  voted  that  all  the  votes  aforesaid  since  12th  March 
1 77 1  till  this  present  meeting  are  and  ought  to  be  null,  void  &  of  no  effect.  Then 
you  are  to  vote  that  David  Page  Senr.  Esq.  immediately  deliver  up  to  the  new 
dark  all  the  votes,  papers,  and  books  in  his  possession,  &  if  upon  refusal  to  com- 
ply with  the  vote  of  the  meeting,  then  it  is  resolved  that  said  Page  be  sued  forth- 
with by  the  Clark  for  withholding  said  papers  &c  for  the  sum  of  five  hundred 
Pounds  lawful  money  to  make  good  the  damage  that  ensue  from  the  want  thereof. 
Then  you  are  to  chose  a  committee  of  three  to  Examine  his  accounts  &  to  see 
that  he  gives  credit  for  all  the  taxes  he  has  received,  and  that  you  have  regular  and 
lawful  proof  of  such  charges  he  makes  for  making  roads,  surveying  &c  &  all  other 
work  done  according  to  the  votes  from  the  first  meeting  of  the  loth  March  1767  to 
the  12  of  the  month  the  day  it  was  dissolved  &  if  after  examination  the  committee 
find  a  balance  due  to  the  proprietors  you  are  to  pass  a  vote  that  said  Page  shall 
pay  or  cause  to  be  paid  the  said  ballance  into  the  hands  of  the  new  Treasurer 
within  20  days  in  failure  of  which  to  be  sued  for  the  same  immediately  &  when 
recovered  to  be  expended  in  laying  out  roads,  surveying  ect  that  shall  be  found  for 
the  benefit  of  the  township.     Voted  that  the  i6th  vote  on  March   loth   1767  that 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN.  4I 

Charles  W.  Apthorp  shall  have  set  oft"  to  him,  beginning  at  the  upper  part  of  the 
Cat  Bow,  running  down  the  River  2  full  miles  upon  a  straight  line  &  to  go  so  far 
back  towards  the  rear  of  the  Town  as  to  take  in  10  full  shares  or  rites  of  Land,  in 
good  form  Be  &  is  now  confirmed,  &  Ratified  irrevocable  and  that  it  is  now  further 
voted,  that  no  Person  whatsoever  shall  have  right  now  or  at  any  time  hereafter  to 
Pitch  upon  or  occupy  any  part  of  10  rites  without  the  written  directions  or  Power 
of  said  Apthorp  or  his  attorney  anything  to  the  contrary  voted  notwithstanding, 
as  it  is  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  that  it  will  be  for  furtherance  and  better 
settlement  of  the  Town  that  he  or  his  attorney  or  who  they  shall  suffer  to  settle 
thereon  have  the  sole  direction  thereof.  Then  voted  that  this  meeting  be  ad- 
journed till  tomorrow  at  10  o-clock  A.  M.  and  then  to  vote  that  the  whole  of  the 
foregoing  vote  be  &  hereby  is  confirmed  &  ratified  irrevocable,  then  adjourn  from 
month  to  month  meeting  at  each  time  to  do  such  other  business  as  shall  be  found 
necessary. 

Sir  Yr  Very  Humbl  Servt 

W.  Molineaux 

Attorney  to 
Charles  Ward  Apthorp." 

We  have  now  no  source  of  information  concerning  such  meeting 
as  is.  here  ordered,  or  if  it  actually  took  place  what  transpired  at  it. 
Of  what  took  place  during  that  year  and  the  following  year  we  can 
never  know  anything  definite,  as  the  records  were  burnt  in  1772. 
We  find,  howev^er.  that  the  town  records,  still  in  a  good  state  of  pre- 
servation, show  nothing  of  what  took  place  after  the  meeting  March 
1 1,  1769,  which  happened  to  be  preserved  on  a  scrap  of  paper,  until 
March  9,  1773,  when  we  have  a  full  record  of  that  meeting,  and  of 
every  subsequent  one  down  to  the  present  day. 

Either  nothing  w^as  done  worthy  of  record,  or  else  it  found  its  only 
record  in  the  proprietors'  books  that  are  lost.  The  new  book  of  rec- 
ord that  was  begun  with  the  meeting  of  March  ii,  1769,  contained 
only  the  transactions  of  the  annual  meetings  for  the  first  few  years, 
^vhich  were  civil  rather  than  proprietary  in  character,  showing  an 
unmistakable  drift  from  proprietary  to  a  civil  control  of  affairs  in  the 
town.  With  the  controlling  power  of  the  proprietary  rights  in  the 
hands  of  an  absentee,  disposed  to  antagonize  the  leaders  and  the  in- 
terests of  the  actual  settlers  of  the  town,  it  would  have  been  strange 
if  they  had  not  tried  to  wrest  the  power  of  control  from  their  worst 
adversary.  The  way  was  open  through  the  form  of  local,  town  gov- 
ernment then  prevailing  throughout  New  England  for  the  residents 
of  the  town  to  work  themselves  out  of  the  coils  of  a  mischievous,  ab- 
sentee, landlord  domination  of  their  affairs.  In  a  civil,  town  meeting 
the  majority  of  voters  present  and  participating  in  that  meeting  ruled. 
Here  were  the  advantages  of  the  New  England  democracy  over  land- 
lordism, and  the  men  who  came  here  to  found  a  town  were  fully  im- 
bued with  its  spirit.  They  were  mostly  from  western  Massachusetts 
and  Connecticut,  where  they  had  learned  the  advantages  of  indepen- 
dence in  the  management  of  local  affairs,  though  none  the  less  loyal 
to  the  provincial  government. 


42  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

In  disregard  of  Apthorp's  wishes  and  dictation,  David  Page  was 
continued  in  office  and  appointed  on  important  committees  for  many 
years ;  and  after  the  records  resume  the  narrative  of  the  civil  actions 
of  the  people  we  see  nothing  more  of  the  domination  of  Apthorp  or 
his  attorney.  The  people  gradually  got  control  of  their  own  civil 
affairs  and  later  settled  their  difficulties  with  Apthorp  in  the  courts. 

Once  organized  as  a  civil  division  of  the  province  of  New  Hamp- 
shire, the  people  applied  themselves  to  the  task  of  developing  their 
town  as  rapidly  as  their  meagre  means  would  allow.  They  elected^ 
from  time  to  time  as  they  had  need,  such  civil  officers  in  whom  they 
had  confidence  to  carry  out  the  wishes  of  the  people  as  a  town  rather 
than  as  a  proprietary  company.  By  the  time  of  the  annual  meeting' 
of  1773  foreign  domination  and  landlordism  had  been  utterly  up- 
rooted and  the  resident  voters  were  in  the  full  control  of  their  local 
affairs,  though  their  powers  were  somewhat  restricted  by  the  Provin- 
cial laws  of  that  time.  They  voted  appropriations  for  such  public 
improvements  as  were  most  urgently  needed,  and  in  every  way  fos- 
tered the  interests  of  the  residents  rather  than  those  of  the  absentee 
landholders.  As  early  as  June  8th,  1773,  they  voted  an  appropria- 
tion of  eighty-six  pounds  and  eight  shillings  to  assist  David  Page 
build  a  mill  on  Indian  brook,  and  sixty-four  pounds  for  roads.  In 
August  of  the  same  year  they  voted  one  hundred  and  ten  pounds  for 
roads,  and  thirty  pounds  to  assist  David  Page  rebuild  his  mill,  that 
had  been  burnt  almost  as  soon  as  it  was  completed.  At  that  meet- 
ing Emmons  Stockwell  and  E.d\vards  Bucknam  were  elected  road 
surveyors.  This  office  had  been  filled  by  David  Page  and  Bucknam^ 
from  1769,  which  is  the  earliest  intimation  of  its  existence. 

Nothing  but  stern  necessity  could  have  led  these  few  men  to  tax 
themselves  so  heavily  as  they  did  during  those  few  first  years  of  the 
settlement.  Roads  and  mills  w^ere  essential  things,  and  must  be  had 
at  any  cost,  so  they  bravely  bore  the  burdens  in  the  hope  of  future 
prosperity  from  their  use.  Of  money  they  had  little,  so  we  soon  find 
them  making  their  appropriations  for  all  sorts  of  public  enterprises 
in  wheat,  when  bushels  and  pecks  displaced  pounds  and  shillings  in 
the  computations  in  those  transactions.  During  the  first  few  years, 
beaver,  moose,  and  sable  skins  were  their  chief  currency ;  but  as 
these  animals  were  already  becoming  comparatively  scarce  to  an  in- 
creased population  and  wheat  was  a  staple,  it  became  the  medium  of 
exchange  in  their  traffic,  and  even  the  taxes  were  paid  in  wheat.  Of 
course  the  taxes  on  the  roads  were  invariably  worked  out  by  the 
citizens  at  a  given  amount  of  wheat  for  a  day's  work.  Wheat  was 
worth  about  six  shillings  at  that  time ;  and  as  there  was  generally  a 
poll  tax  to  the  amount  of  six  shillings,  and  about  four  shillings  allowed 
for  a  day's  work,  every  voter  would  perform  a  day  and  a  half  of  work 
on  the  roads   in   addition   to  the  assessments  upon  their  property. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN.  45 

This  arrancfement  was  not  burdensome  to  the  residents  who  were 
on  the  ground  to  work  out  their  tax  on  the  roads ;  but  it  must  have 
seemed  a  large  tax  to  the  non-resident  landholders,  whose  only  inter- 
est was  in  holding  their  lands  for  a  rise  in  prices,  in  order  to  sell  them 
at  a  profit. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  non-resident  landholders  began  to  think 
themselves  unduly  taxed  for  the  benefit  of  the  actual  settlers,  and 
they  refused  to  agree  to  being  freely  taxed  for  local  improvements, 
and  refused  to  pay  the  taxes  when  assessed  upon  their  lands.  There 
does  not  seem  to  have  been  any  disposition  on  the  part  of  the  resi- 
dents of  the  town  to  take  any  unfair  advantage  of  the  non-residents. 
All  their  taxes  fell  equally  upon  the  land  and  chattels.  Of  course, 
for  many  years  the  chattels  did  not  amount  to  much,  as  the  people 
were  absorbed  in  the  improvement  of  their  farms  and  accumulated  as 
little  personal  property  as  possible  until  their  farms  were  cleared  and 
good  houses  built. 

Finding  it  somewhat  difificult  to  collect  taxes  on  the  lands  of  non- 
residents, the  people  went  to  the  general  court  on  petition  as  early 
as  1787,  asking  for  the  passage  of  an  act  allowing  them  to  lay  and 
collect  a  tax  of  three  pence  on  every  acre  of  land  (public  rights  ex- 
cepted) for  one  year,  and  one  penny  a  year  for  five  years,  to  be  used 
for  the  construction  of  "  roads,  bridges,  meeting-house,  &c,  &c."  In 
their  petition  they  set  forth  the  fact  that  they  had  appealed  to  non- 
resident land-owners  in  vain  for  help  in  these  important  improve- 
ments. Their  petition  was  granted  by  the  passage  of  such  an  act, 
and  from  that  time  forward  the  way  was  clear  for  raising  the  means 
of  public  improvements. 

Taxes  were  levied  on  the  lands,  and  when  not  paid  after  a  reason- 
able time  they  were  sold.  Much  of  the  lands  of  the  town  were  sold 
at  these  sales  to  satisfy  the  town's  claims  against  them  for  taxes; 
and  the  non-resident  land-owners  found  that  their  lands  did  not  grow 
in  value  as  fast  as  they  had  hoped  for.  The  collectors  were  repeat- 
edly authorized  by  vote  of  the  citizens  in  town  meetings  to  sell  the 
lands  of  the  delinquent  taxpayers.  It  was  characteristic  of  those 
collectors  that  they  never  proceeded  against  the  delinquents  without 
having  first  given  them  some  warning  of  their  purpose  and  one  more 
chance  to  settle  up  and  save  themselves  extra  costs.  Prior  to  tax- 
sales  of  lands  notices  like  this  were  sent  out,  generally  printed  in  the 
New  Hampshire  Gazette,  which  was  read  by  many  people  in  all 
parts  of  New  England  : 

"  State  New  Hampshire,  ) 
Grafton  ss.  ^ 

Lancaster. 
Notice  is  hereby  Given  to  the  Delinquent  Proprietors  and  owners  of  Land  in 
the  Township  of  Lancaster Tliat  said  Proprietors  at  their  meeting  held  in  said 


44  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

town  the  8th  Day  of  June  1773 by  adjournment ;   Voted  four  Dollars  on  Each 

Right  to  Pay  David  Page  Esq.  for  Rebuilding  the  Mills  in  said  town and  three 

Dollars  on  Each  Right  to  open  and  Repair  the  Roads and  at  their  meeting 

held  in  said  town  the  26th   Day  of  august  1773, Voted  fifteen  Pounds  to  be 

assest  on  the  Proprietors  as  their  Proportion  of  opening  a  Road  to  the  Eastward 

of  the  white  hills  Being  four  Shillings  and  three  Pence  on  Each  Right and  at 

their  meeting  held  in  Said  town  the  loth  Day  of  august  1774 by  adjournemnt 

Voted  four  Dollars  on  Each  Right  to  be  Laid  out  on  the  Roads  in  Said  town 

and  Eight  Shillings  and  four  Pence  more  on  Each  Right  to  David  Page  Esqr. 

to  Rebuild  the  mills  in  Said  town  after  Being  Consumed  by  fire that  unless  the 

Delinquent  Proprietors  and  owners  of  Lands  in  the  township  of  Lancaster  Pay 
Each  and  all  the  afresaid  sums  or  taxes  to  me  the  Subscriber  by  the  first  Day  of 
June  Next  that  their  Rights  or  Shares  of  Land  will  be  advertised  in  theNewhamp- 

shire  Gazettee  for  Sale  to  Pay  Said  Taxes  with  incidental  charges 

Edwards  Bucknam,  Collector. 
Lancaster.  April  20th,  1789." 

While  Lancaster  was  diligentl}'  making  public  improvements  with 
these  taxes  laid  upon  her  rich  acres,  she  was,  like  all  other  New 
England  towns,  looking  after  the  intellectual  and  spiritual  interests 
of  her  citizens.  Of  equal  importance  as  a  bridge  over  Isreals  river 
was  a  meeting-house  in  which,  as  they  said,  "  to  worship  that  Being 
to  whom  we  owe  our  existence."  As  early  as  1786,  the  town  had 
voted  thirty-two  dollars  to  be  expended  for  preaching  at  the  hands 
of  a  committee  consisting  of  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam, 
and  Lieut.  Emmons  Stockwell.  During  the  next  six  years  various 
sums  and  amounts  of  wheat  were  voted  for  the  purpose  of  hiring 
preaching.  When  paid  for  in  wheat,  five  bushels  was  the  price  for 
a  "  day's  preaching."  A  clay's  preaching  included  two  sermons,  one 
of  which  would  occur  in  the  morning,  and  the  other  followed  an 
intermission  of  an  hour  or  more  in  the  middle  of  the  day,  during 
which  time  the  people  held  social  intercourse  or  partook  of  refresh- 
ments. In  1 79 1,  active  steps  were  taken  for  building  a  meeting- 
house on  the  old  common  on  the  hill  south  of  Isreals  river.  This 
building,  fully  described  in  another  place,  was  an  imposing  structure 
for  its  day,  and  two  years  elapsed  before  its  completion.  Like  all 
meeting-houses  in  New  England,  those  days,  it  served  as  a  place  of 
public  assemblage  for  all  occasions.  The  first  use  we  have  any 
knowledge  of  its  being  put  was  for  holding  the  annual  town  meeting, 
March  11,  1794.  The  house  was  then  only  partially  completed.  Sev- 
eral ministers  were  employed  for  short  periods,  with  long  intervals 
between,  from  1786  until  1794,  when  the  town  voted  to  unite  with 
the  church  in  calling  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  who  accepted  the  call 
and  became  the  first  settled  minister  of  the  town.  The  town 
assumed  the  amount  of  his  salary,  and  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a 
century  paid  it.  This  expenditure  the  town  continued  to  meet  for 
some  forty  }'ears,  when  through  disaffections  and  divisions  in  church. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN.  45 

many  of  its  members  left  it  to  unite  with  other  churches  then  being 
formed  on  the  poHcy  of  a  voluntary  support  of  their  ministers. 

Just  when  the  voluntary  support  of  the  church  began  we  do  not 
know,  but  after  the  split  in  the  First  church  over  the  Trinitarian 
controversy,  we  find  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church  appoint- 
ing a  committee  to  solicit  money  to  pay  for  preaching.  This  was 
in  1836.  Since  that  time  the  town  has  made  no  appropriations  for 
any  church,  and  how  long  before  is  uncertain.  Some  trouble  was 
had  in  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard's  time  in  collecting  the  "  minister's 
tax."  This  term  has  no  real  meaning  to  the  }'ounger  generation, 
although  some  of  the  older  people  still  call  their  contributions  to  the 
support  of  their  churches  "  the  minister's  tax." 

Lancaster  was  equally  zealous  in  the  matter  of  education.  The 
first  schools  were,  no  doubt,  private  enterprises  started  by  such 
persons  who  felt  an  interest  in  the  education  of  their  own  and  their 
neighbor's  children.  Tradition  says  that  Ruth  Stockwell,  at  a  very 
early  day,  taught  the  children  of  the  settlement  in  her  own  house. 
Her  teaching  probably  only  extended  to  instructions  in  the  alphabet, 
spelling,  and  reading,  with  possibly  a  little  attention  given  to  numbers 
— the  three  R's  which  lay  at  the  root  of  all  learning.  I  have  before 
me  as  I  write  some  old  letters  on  the  blank  margins  and  backs  of 
which  Edwards  Bucknam's  children  made  their  first  efforts  at  the  use 
of  the  pen.  The  paper  of  the  time  was  coarse  and  porous,  making 
the  writing  of  the  best  penmen  seem  mean. 

Schools  were  maintained  in  both  the  Stockwell  and  the  Bucknam 
neighborhoods  as  early  as  1787.  The  Stockwell  neighborhood 
probably  had  a  school-house  before  1789,  when  a  Mr.  Bradley 
taught  in  that  section.  As  early  as  1787,  the  Bucknam  neighbor- 
hood had  a  school  taught  by  one  Burgin  from  Boston,  Mass.  He 
probably  taught  in  some  private  house,  and  may  perhaps  have 
moved  about  from  one  house  to  another  as  some  of  the  early 
teachers  did  in  other  parts  of  the  town  at  a  much  later  day. 

The  earliest  public  support  we  have  any  knowledge  of  the  town 
giving  for  its  schools  was  in  1790.  At  a  special  meeting  held  on 
December  13,  1790,  it  was  "voted  to  raise  thirty  bushels  of  wheat 
including  what  the  law  directs  to  be  laid  out  in  schooling  the  present 
winter."  The  province  Avas  then  governed  by  the  laws  of  17 19  as 
regards  the  matter  of  school  taxation,  which  was  discretionary  with 
the  selectmen.  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover  any  change  in  that 
law  until  1792,  under  the  constitution.  In  1789,  Massachusetts  led 
all  the  colonies  in  the  matter  of  dividing  the  towns  into  school  dis- 
tricts. In  1 79 1,  New  Hampshire  towns  began  to  follow  that 
example,  and  by  1794,  its  merits  had  appealed  to  Lancaster  people 
so  strongly  that  at  the  March  meeting  of  that  year  they  appointed  a 
committee   of   nine  men   to  divide   the    town    into   school  districts. 


46 


HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 


What  division  they  made  is  not  known,  but  whatever  it  was,  it  lasted 
until  1 8 14,  when  a  new  committee  was  appointed  to  redistrict  the 
town. 

The  first  settlers  were  intelligent  men  and  women  who  believed  in 
education,  and  not  a  few  of  them  were  scholarly  for  their  times. 
They  were  liberal  in  the  support  of  their  schools,  and  ingrained  in 
their  descendants  a  policy  of  liberal  support  for  the  schools.  During 
the  first  century  of  the  town's  history,  its  schools  were  the  best  in  all 
this  northern  end  of  the  state.  Even  to-day  when  statistics  show 
that  illiteracy  in  the  state  is  on  the  increase  because  of  a  large 
increase  of  foreign-born  population,  it  is  decreasing  in  Lancaster.  In 
matter  of  secondary  education  the  town  has  been  comparatively  slow. 
At  a  time  when  it  should  have  had  good  secondary  schools  it  has 
had  only  tolerable  ones,  chiefly  due  to  the  lack  of  proper  super- 
vision. The  town  is  not,  and  never  has  been,  parsimonious  in  the 
support  of  its  schools. 

VVhatever  defects  may  have  been  found  in  the  schools  of  the  town 
at  any  time  within  the  past  generation  have  been  due  to  the  defective 
system  the  state  imposed  upon  its  people. 

In  1798,  the  school  tax  for  the  Bucknam  district,  or  No.  2,  was 
only  $13.55.  ^s  this  is  the  first  school  tax  I  have  been  able  to  dis- 
cover, I  give  it  below,  that  the  taxpayers  of  to-day  may  compare  it 

with  their  own. 

"  School  Tax  of 1 797-1 798. 

Edwards  Bucknam, 

John  W.  Brackett, 

Jonathan  Hartwell, 

Coffin  Moore, 

Moses  Page, 

Edward  Spaulding, 

Joseph  Wilder, 

Peter  White, 

John  Weeks, 

Stephen  Bucknam, 

Isaac  Purdoe,  ^  . 

Joseph  Bell,  .213     Ashbell  Web,  -133   =  $I3-35S-" 

At  the  rate  Master  Burgin  taught  in  that  district  ten  years  before, 
viz. :  "  $5  per  month  and  board  around,"  this  sum  would  not  fur- 
nish quite  three  months  of  school,  whereas  Burgin  taught  six  months 
in  1787.  If  the  schools  kept  open  six  months  or  more  in  the  year 
the  patrons  of  them  must  have  found  it  necessary  to  raise  consider- 
able funds  over  and  above  the  school  tax. 

The  first  provincial  and  county  tax  collected  in  Lancaster,  of 
which  we  have  any  knowledge,  was  collected  on  a  warrant  issued 
Dec.  22,  1773,  for  the  amounts  of:  Province  tax,  one  pound,  two 
shillings,  and   one  pound   county  tax,  lawful  money.     These   taxes 


.695 

.212 

Joseph  Brackett,              $ 
Phineas  Hodsdon, 

993 

.107 

William  Moore, 

358 

.249 
.742 

John  Mclntire, 
Waiter  Philbrook, 

752 
194 

•593 
•332 

William  Ayres, 

Nath'l  White,                     3 

394 
12 

.000 

Mathew  White, 

107 

•173 
.147 

Jeremiah  Wilcox, 
William  Ewen, 

250 
127 

.269 
•213 

Elijah  Laton, 
Ashbell  Web, 

Honrrl-if   I'n    f  li  a  f   rli'cfi-irf    ff 

109 
133 

THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN.  47 

the  town  continued  to  pay  with  promptness  until  about  1787,  when 
it  was  thought  that  the  tax  bills  the  town  received  from  the  govern- 
ment were  out  of  proportion  to  the  advantages  they  received  from 
the  province,  and  accordingly  they  remonstrated  with  the  general 
■court  in  the  form  of  a  petition  they  made  also  the  medium  of  a 
request  for  help  in  building  roads  and  bridges  to  connect  the  new 
town  with  the  outside  world,  especially  with  the  seaports,  where 
they  must  purchase  their  supplies  and  find  a  market  for  their  furs 
and  salts  of  lye,  which  were  about  the  only  articles  of  trade  pro- 
duced in  the  settlement  up  to  this  time.  They  were  willing  to  pay 
tax  on  the  principle  that  taxes  should  help  and  not  hinder  the 
growth  of  a  community,  and  they  frankly  told  the  government  so. 
It  may  seem  to  us  a  small  matter  for  the  town  to  pay  a  few  pounds 
a  year  in  taxes,  and  even  cause  us  to  wonder  if  they  did  strain  a 
point  in  their  objections  to  the  burden  it  imposed  upon  them.  We 
must  not  forget  that  the  general  court  made  provisions  to  assist  the 
outlying  towns  to  build  roads,  but  Lancaster  had  never  received  a 
cent  to  help  it.  The  people  here  were  left  to  their  own  resour- 
ces; but  after  a  time  they  literally  hewed  their  way  through  miles 
of  dense  forests,  and  had  bridged,  in  a  primitive  way,  it  is  true, 
some  of  the  smaller  streams,  before  the  state  came  to  their  aid  at  all. 
The  first  relief  they  got  was  in  the  privilege  to  tax  themselves,  and 
recoup  themselves  from  the  persons  who  should  afterward  occupy 
the  lands  through  which  the  roads  were  built.  A  little  later  the 
government  adopted  the  policy  of  granting  the  public  lands  freely  in 
return  for  the  building  of  roads.  That  method  led  to  an  unjust 
scramble,  in  which  much  of  the  most  valuable  lands  were  given  for 
very  poorly  constructed  roads.  This  w^as  not  the  relief  to  Lancaster 
and  the  other  towns  north  of  it  that  it  was  supposed  it  would  be. 
The  roads  so  built  were  generally  out  of  repair  in  a  short  time 
because  poorly  built,  and  no  provisions  were  made  to  keep  them  in 
repair.  There  is,  then,  little  wonder  that  the  poor  settlers  felt  that 
they  were  unduly  burdened  by  what  may  seem  to  us  a  small  tax 
bill.  They  were  getting  nothing  for  it,  at  most  not  an  adequate  and 
just  return  of  state  aid  in  a  task  that  is  now  no  longer  regarded  as  a 
local  matter. 

All  these  experiences  tended  to  develop  a  spirit  of  self-reliance 
and  independence  in  the  citizens  of  the  town. 

Lancaster,  for  purposes  of  representation  in  the  New  Hampshire 
congress  and  house  of  representatives,  was  classed  with  other 
towns  until  1817,  when  its  population  was  large  enough  to  entitle  it 
to  its  own  representative.  In  1775  the  town  was  represented  by 
Capt.  Abijah  Larned  of  Cockburn  (now  Columbia),  who  was  elected 
by  "Apthorp,  Lancaster,  Northumberland,  Stratford,  Cockburn, 
Colburn,  Conway,  Shelburne,  and  other  towns  above."     The  journal 


48  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

of  the  house  docs  not  show  that  Captain  Larned,  though  a  good  man 
and  warm  friend  of  the  upper  towns,  did  anything  to  further  their 
interests.  During  the  three  following  years  the  same  class  of  towns 
were  represented  by  Col.  Joseph  Whipple  of  Dartmouth  (now  Jef- 
ferson). He  was  a  man  of  means,  well  known  in  the  older  towns  of 
the  province,  and  fully  interested  in  the  development  of  these  new 
towns,  as  he  had  become  a  large  landholder  in  Dartmouth.  He 
secured  legislation  favorable  to  the  towns  in  his  class ;  and  at  sub- 
sequent sessions,  for  he  served  as  representative  five  years  in  all.  he 
secured  assistance  in  the  construction  of  the  road  through  the  White 
Mountain  Notch,  which  was  one  of  the  greatest  benefits  to  Lancas- 
ter and  neighboring  towns  for  many  years. 

It  was  not  until  1793,  however,  that  a  Lancaster  man  was  elected 
to  the  general  court.  In  that  year  Jonas  Wilder,  Jr.,  was  elected  to 
represent  Lancaster,  Littleton,  Dartmouth,  and  Dalton.  As  the  class 
of  towns  became  smaller  it  gave  the  representative  a  greater  chance 
to  promote  the  interest  of  his  own  town.  In  1796,  Col.  Richard  C. 
Everett,  the  first  lawyer  to  settle  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  in 
Lancaster  was  elected  to  represent  the  same  class  of  towns.  The 
town  found  in  him  an  able  servant,  one  entirely  in  sympathy  with, 
and  fully  interested  in,  the  prosperity  of  the  town,  for  he  was  already 
engaged  in  various  enterprises  here  beside  his  profession.  He  was 
a  man  of  considerable  means,  a  recent  graduate  from  Dartmouth 
college,  and  of  an  active  and  pleasing  manner.  The  records  of  the 
house  show  that  he  labored  faithfully  to  bring  his  town  into  the 
favorable  notice  of  the  state.  He  did  much  to  convince  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  older  towns  in  the  southern  portions  of  the  state 
that  Lancaster  was  a  town  with  a  future  and  destiny  that  its  inhabi- 
tants could  well  feel  proud  of.  The  time  had  not  come,  however, 
for  Lancaster  to  ask  and  receive  the  recognition  she  deserved.  For 
the  whole  period  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  the  people  of  all  sec- 
tions had  learned  to  make  sacrifices  of  their  own  interests  for  the 
common  good  and  safety,  await  the  coming  of  a  time  of  safety  and 
prosperity  in  which  to  take  up  their  own  interests  and  problems  for 
adjustment  in  the  forum  of  politics.  The  only  politics  they  had 
known  and  practised  during  that  period  and  trial  of  their  strength 
against  one  of  the  strongest  nations  in  all  the  world,  was  patriotism, 
a  patriotism  in  which  self-interest  sunk  out  of  sight  in  the  common 
effort  to  promote  only  the  general  interests  of  the  whole  country. 

Beginning  in  1790,  and  continuing  until  1803,  there  was  a  deter- 
mined effort  to  induce  the  general  court  to  erect  a  new  count}'  out 
of  these  northern  towns,  and  to  include  Conway  beyond  the  White 
Mountains  on  the  east.  In  1790  the  selectmen  of  Lancaster  and 
Northumberland  drew  up  and  signed  a  petition  to  the  general 
court,  which  convened  that  year   in  Concord,   praying  that  these 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN. 


49 


northern   towns,  with  Conway,  be  set  off  into  a  new  county  by  the 
name  of  Coos.     In  that  petition  they  say : 

"That  our  located  situation  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  is  such,  that  it 
will  be  particularly  beneficial  for  us,  to  have  Conway  and  adjacent  towns  annexed 
to  us,  in  the  formation  of  the  northerly  county  in  said  state,  not  only  on  account 
of  the  occupancy  and  improvement  of  our  most  advantageous  road  to  seaport,  but 
in  order  to  promote  Emigration,  and  agriculture  in  this  fertile  and  healthy  teri- 
tory  ;  the  promotion  of  which  we  humbly  conceive  will  be  of  publick  utiHty  and 
the  state  to  which  we  owe  our  allegiance,  will  receive  emolument  in  proportion  to 
the  opulency  of  this  part  of  the  state." 

This  petition  failed  to  influence  the  legislature  to  take  favorable 
action  for  the  relief  of  the  petitioners  although  signed  by  the  select- 
men of  the  two  towns  named  above.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons 
Stockwell,  and  Francis  Willson  signed  it  on  the  part  of  Lancaster, 
and  Joseph  Peverly  and  Jeremiah  Eames  signed  as  selectmen  of 
Northumberland,  and  Elijah  Hinman  and  James  Brown  signed  as 
selectmen  for  Stratford. 

The  failure  did  not  discourage  the  resolute  people,  for  we  find 
them  sending  up  another  petition  from  Lancaster  the  next  year 
signed  by  forty-seven  men,  who  probably  comprised  the  leading 
taxpayers  of  the  town  at  the  time.  That  petition  is  so  character- 
istic of  the  people  of  the  Lancaster  of  that  day  that  I  cannot  pass  it 
by,  but  insert  it  in  full : 

Petition  for  a  New  County. 

"  To  the  Honorable  the  General  Court  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire 

The  Petition  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Lancaster  in  the  County  of  Grafton,  Humbly 
Sheweth, 

That  Your  Petitioners  live  at  the  distance  of  near  sixty  miles  from  the  nearest 
shire  Town  in  this  County, 

That  a  very  considerable  part  of  the  Inhabitants  of  this  part  of  the  County  live 
above  us  and  are  under  similar  disadvantages  with  us, 

That  the  Roads  to  Haverhill  our  nearest  shire  Town  are  exceeding  bad  and  at 
some  seasons  of  the  year  unpassable. 

Wherefore  we  your  petitioners  pray  that  we  may  be  seperated  from  said  County 
of  Grafton  and  made  a  new  County  by  a  line  drawn  from  Connecticut  River 
between  the  Towns  of  Concord  alias  Gunthwait  and  Littleton  and  on  Eastward 
taking  in  the  Towns  of  Conway  Eaton  &c  to  the  Province  line  so  called  and  we  as 
in  duty  bound  shall  ever  pray Lancaster  Novr.  22nd,  1791. 


Edwards  Bucknam, 
William  Bruce, 
Stephen  Wilson, 
Jeremiah  Wilcox, 
Emmons  Stockwell, 
Robert  Gotham, 
Francis  Willson 
Joseph  Bruce 
Jonas  Wilder  Jr. 
Asaph  Darby 


John  Weeks, 
John  Hartwell, 
Nathaniel  Lovewell, 
Joseph  Wilder, 
Samuel  Johnson, 
Dennis  Stanley, 
Isaac  Darby 
Phinenas  Bruce 
Elisha  Wilder 
John  Rosebrook 


Bradford  Sanderson. 
Zadoc  Samson. 
Jonathan  Ros, 
Daniel  How, 
David  Stockwell, 
Daniel  Chany, 
John  Wilder 
Jonas  Wilder 
Mannassah  Wilder 
Charles  Rosebrook 


50  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Jonas  Baker  Ezra  Reves  David  Page 

Jonathan  Cram  Benj.  Twombly  James  Twombly 

Edward  Spaulding  Walter  Philbrook  Coffin  Moore 

Wm.  Moore  Moses  Page  Phiehas  Hodgdon 

Joseph  Brackett  John  Macintire  William  Johnson" 

Ephraim  Wilder  Abijah  Darby. 

[12  Hammond's  Town  Papers,  358-359]. 

All  these  petitions  failed,  at  the  time,  to  secure  this  much- 
desired  object ;  and  yet  the  people  of  these  northern  towns  never 
despaired  of  some  day  getting  a  county  formed  of  this  territory 
that  laid  so  far  from  the  shire  town  where  all  their  court  business 
must  be  transacted,  which  at  the  time  was  growing  to  be  consid- 
erable, especially  in  the  probate  business,  as  lands  were  being 
transferred,  and  estates  settled  with  increasing  frequency  owing  to 
the  considerable  increase  in  population  due  in  a  measure  to  the 
increasing  value  of  their  lands  after  the  war,  and  the  remarkable 
prosperity  that  began  to  crown  the  efforts  of  the  pioneers'  descen- 
dants of  the  first  generation  after  the  settlement  of  the  rich  "  Upper 
Coos  Country."  Then,  too,  the  same  causes  operating  in  other 
portions  of  Grafton  county  as  they  did  here  began  to  crowd  the 
courts  and  county  offices  with  a  mass  of  business  that  made  it 
necessary  to  reduce  by  some  means.  The  people  in  the  northern 
end  of  that  vast  county  could  see  no  way  to  lessen  their  burdens 
and  expenses  but  by  the  creation  of  a  separate  county  that  should 
bring  their  own  part  of  that  business  home.  Every  argument 
against  the  project  for  a  new  county  of  the  "Upper  Coos"  was 
easily  met  by  a  recital  of  the  inconveniences  to  which  the  people 
were  put  by  being  compelled  to  travel  some  sixty  miles  over  the 
worst  roads  in  the  country  to  get  a  deed  or  other  legal  paper 
recorded,  or  to  attend  courts,  which  were  sometimes  so  over- 
crowded with  business  as  to  compel  persons  attending  upon  them 
to  remain  away  from  home  at  unusual  expenses  a  longer  time  than 
seemed  necessary  to  transact  their  business.  Indeed  it  seems  the 
most  reasonable  solution  of  the  problem  that  could  have  been 
suggested  that  a  new  county  be  erected  out  of  the  large  territory 
lying  about  several  considerable  villages  like  Lancaster,  Littleton, 
Northumberland,  and  Colebrook. 

There  can  be  but  little  doubt  that  Richard  Claire  Everett,  Lan- 
caster's rising  young  lawyer,  had  a  great  influence  in  determining 
the  general  court  to  yield  to  the  people's  wishes  and  grant  the 
formation  of  the  prayed-for  new  county  of  Coos.  At  any  rate, 
Lancaster  probably  was  the  greatest  influence  in  bringing  about  the 
formation  of  the  county;  and  once  formed,  as  it  was  in  1803,  Lan- 
caster was  the  proper  place  to  locate  its  courts.  It  was  later  found 
necessary  to  make  Colebrook  a  shire  town  with  its  court  sessions  for 
the  better  accommodation  of  the  citizens  of  the  county. 


THE    ORGANIZATION    OF   THE   TOWN.  5 1 

Lancaster  has  always  held  a  prominent  place  in  the  government 
of  the  state  since  1796,  when  she  sent  R.  C.  Everett  as  her  rep- 
resentative to  the  general  court.  Since  then  the  town  has  always 
been  honored  by  the  election  of  some  of  her  citizens  to  honorable 
positions  in  the  state  government.  Some  of  the  highest  offices 
in  the  gift  of  the  state  have  been  accorded  to  citizens  of  Lancaster, 
and  many  of  the  most  responsible  positions  of  trust  have  been  filled 
by  her  citizens  without  an  instance  of  disloyalty  or  abuse  of  a  public 
trust.  Mistaken  her  citizens  have  sometimes  been,  but  in  purpose 
they  have  been  always  among  the  most  loyal  of  the  citizenship 
of  the  state,  patriotic  and  trustworthy. 

The  people  of  the  town  have  never  favored  severe  and  coer- 
cionary  measures.  Even  in  the  earliest  days  they  did  not  go  as 
far  as  many  other  towns  in  carrying  into  effect  the  inherited  Puri- 
tanical notions  of  the  more  strict  among  their  number.  As  we  have 
shown,  with  respect  to  various  public  actions,  they  were  capable 
of  originality  in  the  conduct  of  their  town  affairs ;  but  they  did  not 
hold  a  usage  or  convention  of  practice  so  rigidly  that  they  could 
not  change  it  upon  finding  what  to  them  seemed  a  better  way  of 
doing  the  business  of  the  community. 

Like  all  towns  of  that  day  Lancaster  elected  tithingmen  for  some 
years ;  but  it  does  not  seem  that  it  was  an  office  much  called  for,  or 
that  ever  did  any  good  in  the  town.  The  only  recorded  action  of 
that  functionary,  tithingman,  is  the  following  complaint  against 
some  persons  for  traveling  on  the  Sabbath : 

"Lancaster,  ist  Aug.  1792. 
"  To  Edwards  Bucknam  Esqr.,  one  of  the  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  the  County  of 
Grafton  in  the   State   of  New  Hampshire  cometh  the  subscriber  and  com- 
plaineth  of  William  Rosebrook  &  Samuel  Howe  Esq.  and  wife  who  did  on 

the  Eighth  day  of  July  last  being  Lord's  Day  Travel .     Also 

Henderson  on  the  twenty-second  of  sd.  July  did  travel  (it  being  Lord's  Day) 
all  said  conduct  being  in  open  violation  of  the  Law  and  against  the  Peace 
and  Dignity  of  State,  therefore  in  my  capacity  pray  your  worshij)  that 
warrant  may  issue  and  the  above  said  persons  be  delt  with  as  the  Law 
Directs. 

Elisha  Wilder,  Tithingman. 
(L.  S.)." 

His  "  worship,"  Justice  Bucknam,  issued  the  following  warrant, 
and  upon  the  back  of  it  is  recorded  its  service ;  but  the  docket 
of  Bucknam  does  not  show  that  they  were  "  delt  with  as  the  law 
directs."  The  reader's  attention  is  called  to  the  clauses  in  the 
warrant  following  the  formal  "  as  the  law  directs,"  viz. :  "  and  yics- 
tice  may  appertaind." 

Bucknam's  warrant  was  as  follows : 


52  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire  To  the  Sheriff  of  the  County  of  Grafton,  His 

Grafton  SS.  under  sheriff  of  deputy  or  to  eitlier  of  the  Con- 

stables of  the  Town  of  Lancaster 

Greeting : 

"Complaint  being  made  as   above In  the   name   of  the   State  of  New 

Hampshire  you  are  hereby  commanded  to  apprehend  the  above  named  Per- 
sons, if  to  be  found  in  your  Precinct  and  him  or  them  safely  so  that  you 
have  them  before  me  Edwards  Bucknam  Esq.  one  of  the  Justices  of  the 
Peace  for  said  County,  or  some  other  Justice  in  said  County  so  that  he  or 
they  may  be  Examined  Touching  the  Premises  and  Delt  with  as  the  Law 
&  Justice  appertain.  Fail  not  but  make  due  Return  of  this  Writ  with  your 
Doings  thereon. 

Dated  at  Lancaster  this  20th.  Day  of  August  A.  D.  1792, 

Edwards  Bucknam,  Just.  Peace." 

On  the  back  of  this  warrant  we  find  the  following  entry  of 
service : 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire 
Grafton  SS. 

Pursuant  to  the  within  precept  I  have  taken  the  Body  of  William  Rose- 
brook  and  him  delivered  to  the  within  Magistrate,  Edwards  Bucknam.  Esq. 
Lancaster  August  27th,  1792. 

Wm.  Moore,  Constable,  Lancaster. 
Fees,  travel  ish.  6d. 
service  i  "    4"." 

What  disposition  was  ever  made  of  the  case,  and  whether  the 
other  persons  mentioned  in  the  warrant  were  ever  taken  does  not 
appear  from  any  documents  now  in  existence.  Perhaps  the  Court 
Records  would  have  shown  the  disposition  of  the  case,  for  hav- 
ing been  delivered  to  the  justice  of  the  peace  the  prisoner  cer- 
tainly had  a  trial.  Although  General  Bucknam  believed  in  law 
and  order  as  well  as  the  tithingman,  yet  we  may  infer  that  as  the 
case  did  not  excite  much  attention,  and  as  there  seem  to  have  been 
no  others  that  ever  got  upon  his  docket,  that  under  the  announced 
purpose  to  try  the  defendants  according  to  justice,  that  justice 
decreed  that  he  should  be  discharged. 

The  tithingman,  "  Deacon  Wilder,"  as  he  was  called,  was  an 
austere  man  in  religion  and  politics,  though  in  other  respects  a 
a  very  worthy  sort  of  man.  He  talked  a  great  deal  about  what  he 
called  "a  sane  religion."  Just  what  that  meant  no  one  ever  knew, 
except  that  everything  he  did  believe  was  sane,  and  what  he  did 
not  believe  was  opposed  to  his  "sane  religion."  He  was  equal!}- 
narrow  and  intolerant  in  politics.  He  believed  in  John  Adams  and 
Alexander  Hamilton  implicitly.  He  declared  that  if  "Jefferson  was 
elected  president  of  the  United  States  that  all  our  bibles  would  be 
burned  and  our  churches  turned  into  horse-stables;  and  our  sons 
be  given  up  to  fight  the  battles  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte." 


ROADS   AND    BRIDGES.  53 

A  man  of  short-sightedness,  and  narrowness  of  thought,  and  utter 
lack  of  confidence  in  men  and  measures  with  which  he  did  not 
agree  was  likely  to  take  a  false  view  of  the  conduct  of  men  when  it 
did  not  correspond  with  his  standards  of  usage.  His  opposition 
seems  rather  to  have  been  to  the  different  way  of  conducting  one's 
self  on  Sunday  than  against  the  moral  of  the  fact  of  traveling  on 
that  day. 

So  far  as  we  can  learn  that  was  the  only  instance  of  any  effort 
being  made  to  enforce  the  old  Sunday  laws  against  traveling. 

With  but  few  exceptions  the  men  of  the  Lancaster  of  one  hun- 
dred years  ago  were  too  sensible  and  practical  to  go  back  to  the 
old  Puritanical  laws  of  the  province  when  under  the  domination 
of  Massachusetts.  There  was  here  no  opposition  to  religion  or  the 
church ;  and  if  men  took  a  mild  view  of  their  conduct  on  Sunday, 
it  was  from  necessity  of  going  contrary  to  established  usages  rather 
than  an  evidence  of  contempt  for  them. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

ROADS    AND    BRIDGES. 

Roads  to  the  Cobs  Country — Road  from  Haverhill  to  Lancaster — Road 
FROM  Lancaster  to  Portland  Through  the  White  Mountain  Notch 

Roads     to     Adjacent    Towns — Roads    and    Bridges    within    the 

Bounds  of  Lancaster — Surveyors  of   Roads — Systems  of  Repairing 
Roads — Keeping  Roads  Open  During  Winter. 

As  early  as  November  29,  1752,  the  Provincial  Assembly  made 
an  appropriation  of  money  to  cut  a  road  to  "  Cohos,"  which,  of 
course,  meant  the  "  Lower  Cohos,"  or  Haverhill.  This  road  was 
probably  "cut"  as  a  mere  bridle-path  from  Portsmouth  to  "  Cohos." 
It  does  not  seem  that  it  was  a  very  good  road,  for  as  late  as  1774 
Col.  John  Kurd  petitioned  the  governor  to  have  it  "  improved  and 
made  safe."  This  was  the  first  attempt  at  road-making  to  open  up 
the  "  Cohos  Country"  and  make  it  accessible  to  the  would-be  eager 
settlers.  That  accomplished,  still  left  Lancaster  over  fifty  miles  from 
the  nearest  road  up  to  1770,  and  that  not  safe.  Haverhill  was 
reached  from  No.  4  (Charleston)  on  the  ice  on  the  Connecticut 
river  for  all  heavy  freight  until  a  much  later  date,  as  was  also  Lan- 
caster. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  Emmons  Stockwell  and  David  Page,  Jr., 
cut  a  road  from  Haverhill  in  the  fall  of  1763  on  their  way  to  locate 
in  Lancaster;  but  we  must  remember  that  the  term  road  meant,  in 
those  pioneer  days,  a  bridle-path   rather  than   what  we  would   now' 


54  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

call  a  road.  It  is  probable  that  these  two  young  men  cut  a  mere 
bridle-path,  one  that  could  be  followed  by  their  friends  in  the  follow- 
ing April.     Even  that  was  a  big  undertaking. 

It  does  not  appear  that  David  Page  brought  with  him  any  kind 
of  vehicles  when  he  "  drove  up  twenty  head  of  cattle,  and  some 
horses,  with  other  useful  articles,"  in  1764;  and  when  his  daughter 
Ruth  came  that  year  it  was  on  horseback. 

On  December  17,  1763,  the  assembly  passed  an  act  to  open  a 
road  from  Durham  to  Cohos  [Prov.  Papers  6,  p.  885].  This  action 
of  the  assembly  indicates  a  general  interest  to  open  up  a  highway  to 
this  section ;  but  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  these  projects  were 
great,  and  even  this  action  amounted  to  nothing  at  the  time. 
Haverhill  had  been  settled,  and  other  grants  of  towns  had  been 
made  beyond  it,  Colebrook,  1710,  and  Stonington  (on  territory  now 
held  by  Lancaster),  1761.  It  was  urged  upon  the  authorities  by 
the  grantees  of  these  towns  that  they  should  have  roads  built  at 
public  expense,  or  at  least  that  they  be  given  authority  to  build  the 
roads  at  the  expense  of  the  holders  of  lands  through  which  they 
should  pass. 

The  assembly  acted  on  a  petition  from  William  Moulton  and 
James  Paul  for  themselves  and  the  inhabitants  of  Stonington  for  a 
road  from  "  Great  Cohoss  to  Moultonborough,"  October  26,  1768. 
This  petition  had  no  doubt  been  encouraged  by  the  passage  of  an 
act  by  the  assembly,  January  4,  1765,  for  building  roads  to  Coos, 
which  received  the  governor's  signature. 

In  the  early  spring  of  1768,  David  Page  and  others  petitioned 
the  assembly  for  a  road  to  "Upper  Coos."  The  petition  was  read 
in  the  house  February  1 1 ,  1 768  ;  and  again  acted  upon  February 
18.      [Prov.  Papers,  7,  pp.  58,  151,  152,  195,  266,  268,  313.] 

All  these  efforts  seem  to  have  been  in  the  interest  of  a  road  along 
the  Connecticut  river,  to  connect  with  Portsmouth,  No.  4,  and  Bos- 
ton. Any  road  from  that  direction  would  have  to  pass  through 
long  stretches  of  unsettled  country,  held  chiefly  by  non-resident 
landholders,  who  were  not  willing  to  contribute  to  the  building  of 
roads. 

The  settlers  of  Lancaster  began  to  look  for  an  outlet  in  another 
direction.  At  the  first  meeting  of  the  proprietors,  March  10,  1767, 
it  was  voted  "  that  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Buck- 
nam,  Timothy  Nash,  and  David  Page,  Jr.,  be  a  committee  to  look 
out  and  mark  a  road  to  Pigwakett  (now  Conway),  or  to  the  Andris- 
cogin,  or  to  the  first  inhabitants,  and  also  to  the  Lower  Coos." 

This  proposed  road  through  the  White  Mountains  to  Portland 
promised  a  shorter  outlet  for  communication  with  a  good  market 
than  the  one  down  the  river,  which  the  proprietors  made  a  sort  of 
alternation,  or  second   choice  of    roads.     Communication  with  the 


ROADS    AND   BRIDGES.  55 

markets  of  the  country  must  be  had  ;  and  this  road  was  built  as  far 
as  Pigwakett  or  '•  the  nearest  inhabitants,"  which  might  have  meant 
for  them  a  shorter  distance  than  Pigwakett,  as  the  settlements  on 
that  side  of  the  mountains  were  passing  up  toward  the  "  Notch  " 
through  which  it  was  known  an  Indian  trail  had  long  existed.  Port- 
land was  then  a  small  town,  but  it  was  a  seaport  from  which  the 
settlers  could  get  the  articles  of  commerce  needed  by  them,  and 
where  their  products  would  find  sale. 

This  undertaking  certainly  was  never  carried  into  effect,  for  the 
Indian  trail  through  the  Notch  was  not  discovered  by  Timothy 
Nash  until  the  winter  of  1771,  when  by  the  mere  accident  of  track- 
ing a  moose  up  one  of  the  ravines  he  chanced  to  gain  the  first  sight 
of  the  famous  Notch.  The  ice  on  the  Connecticut  river  furnished  a 
good  highway  in  winter,  although  there  were  some  elements  of  risk 
and  danger  in  that  sort  of  road.  The  unwary  traveler  sometimes 
happened  to  drive  upon  weak  spots  in  the  ice  and  break  through 
into  the  water.  It  is  said  that  Emmons  Stockwell  on  one  occasion, 
while  riding  down  the  river  on  the  ice,  with  a  heavy  roll  of  furs  on 
his  horse,  broke  through  and  narrowly  escaped  drowning  for  him- 
self, losing  his  horse  and  his  load  of  furs,  worth  a  large  sum. 

Year  after  year  went  by  carrying  down  one  after  another  of  the 
projects  for  better  roads,  with  the  river  as  the  best  highway.  In 
winter  the  ice  made  it  a  fairly  good  road  ;  and  in  summer  the  canoe 
was  called  into.  use.  For  more  than  twenty  years  all  the  settlers 
above  Haverhill  had  but  little  better  roads  than  the  savage  Indians 
had  used  for  centuries.  They  felt  this  disadvantage  very  keenly, 
and  were  accustomed  to  attribute  all  their  failures  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  towns  to  the  lack  of  roads,  or  the  bad  conditions  of  the 
ones  they  had  been  able  to  open  in  a  very  feeble  way. 

The  prosperity  of  the  new  and  remote  towns  was  certainly  less 
than  it  would  have  been  if  they  had  been  provided  with  good  roads. 
With  little  more  than  trails  and  bridle-paths  to  these  remote  sec- 
tions it  was  difficult  to  induce  new  settlers  of  the  more  desirable  class 
to  come  here.  Not  only  was  it  very  difificult  to  reach  these  towns, 
but  when  they  had  produced  something  to  barter  for  the  common 
necessities  of  frontier  life  it  was  well-nigh  impossible  to  get  it  to  a 
market  during  two  thirds  of  the  year.  To  await  the  freezing  of  the 
river,  meant  increased  inconvenience,  if  not,  indeed,  actual  suffering. 

At  the  end  of  the  first  five  years  of  the  settlement  of  the  town 
the  proprietors  were  forced  to  ask  for  a  renewal  of  the  charter,  be- 
cause they  had  not  been  able  on  account  of  bad  roads  to  induce 
enough  actual  settlers  to  meet  the  conditions  of  the  grant. 

Even  as  late  as  1787,  when  the  tax  bill  was  sent  for  collection  the 
people  felt  justified  in  remonstrating  with  the  general  court  against 
what  they  regarded  as  a  burdensome  amount,  in  which  they  alleged 


56  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

as  a  reason  of  the  lack  of  prosperity  "the  badness  of  the  roads." 
They  appointed  a  committee  to  lay  their  grievances  before  the  gen- 
eral court.  That  committee  consisted  of  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards 
Bucknam,  and  Emmons  Stockwell.  Under  date  of  September  4th, 
1787,  they  drew  up  a  respectful  and  strong  petition  which  was  pre- 
sented to  the  general  court  on  the  second  Wednesday  of  Septem- 
ber, 1787.      It  reads  as  follows: 

"  To  the  Honourable,  the  Senate  and  the  Hon^'''^  House  of  Representatives  in 
General  Assembly  convened  on  the  second  Wednesday  in  September  A.  D. 
1787— 

"The  Petition  of  the  Town  of  Lancaster  in  the  County  of  Grafton,  humbly 
Shevveth — 

"That  the  inhabitants  of  said  Town  labour  under  many  and  great  inconveni- 
ences, and  without  that  succor  and  relief  which  Every  infant  Country  expects  from 
the  Government  to  which  she  owes  her  allegiance,  they  must  remain  in  but  very 
indignant  circumstances ;  and  the  State  not  receive  that  Emolument,  that  it  might 
justly  expect  from  a  Country  so  fertile  as  this,  when  properly  peopled.  Nothing 
more  effectually  hinders  the  emigration  of  inhabitants  to  this  part  of  the  State, 
than  the  badness  of  our  roads,  and  the  want  of  a  convenient  place  to  worship  that 
being,  to  whom  all  owe  their  existence.  The  formation  of  the  town  is  very  pecu- 
liar, on  account  of  marshes,  creeks  and  large  streams  and  the  number  of  inhabi- 
tants being  very  small;  consequently  the  expense  of  making  and  mending  roads, 
building  bridges,  meeting  house  &c  must  be  very  great — One  large  stream  known 
by  the  name  of  Isreals  river,  is  so  formidable  where  it  must  be  dridged,  to  accom- 
idate  the  travel  up  and  down  Connecticut  river  and  likewise  the  travel  to  and  from 
Portsmouth  (our  most  advantagious  port)  that  it  must  cost,  at  a  moderate  com- 
putation, two  hundred  pounds.  The  inhabitants  have  solicited  the  non-resident 
landowners  for  assistance  (many  of  whom  live  out  of  the  State)  but  they  have 
entirely  refused — 

"Your  petitioners  are,  therefore,  necessitated  to  pray  your  honors  to  pass  an 
Act  empowering  the  selectmen  of  said  Lancaster  to  levey  and  collect,  a  tax  of 
three  pence  on  each  acre  of  land  (Public  Rights  excepted)  for  the  purpose  of  mak- 
ing roads,  building  bidges  meeting  House  &c.  &c,  and  a  continuation  of  one 
peney  on  the  acre,  annually  for  the  term  of  five  years,  to  be  appropriated  to  the 
aforesaid  purposes "     [State  Papers,  ii^pp.  178,  182,  188,  339.]  • 

This  petition  was  granted  and  an  act  was  at  once  passed  author- 
izing the  selectmen  to  levy  and  collect  a  tax  that  proved  a  great 
boon  to  the  town,  for  within  three  years  one  hundred  people  came 
to  Lancaster,  and  among  whom  were  many  men  that  proved  to  be 
of  great  service  to  the  new  community. 

The  sum  derived  from  this  tax  was  large  enough  to  enable  the 
town  to  begin,  and  carry  out  for  five  years,  a  systematic  effort  at 
opening  new  roads  and  putting  existing  roads  in  better  repair. 

At  the  town-meeting,  March  ii,  1788,  "seven  pounds  and  ten 
shillings  were  voted  to  Major  Whipple  for  carrying  through  the 
land  tax  at  the  General  Court." 

Lancaster  was  not  represented  in  the  general  court  that  year, 
consequently  had  to  employ  Major  Whipple  to  lobby  its  measure 
for  it.     This  law  proved  to  be  of  very  great  value  to  the  town,  as  it. 


ROADS   AND   BRIDGES.  57 

at  once,  began  building  and  repairing  its  roads,  making  them  pass- 
able and  safe.  From  1769,  the  office  of  road  surveyor  had  existed, 
and  was  filled  by  the  election  of  such  men  as  David  Page,  Edwards 
Bucknam,  and  Dennis  Stanley.  The  annual  town-meeting,  March 
9,  1773.  "voted  sixty-eight  shillings  for  repair  of  roads."  A  poll- 
rate  of  six  shillings  was  voted  as  a  road  tax,  and  an  allowance  of 
four  shillings  a  day  for  each  man  in  work  on  the  roads. 

In  1784,  ten  pounds  were  appropriated  for  the  repair  of  roads. 
The  next  year  twenty  bushels  of  wheat  were  voted  to  be  spent  in 
keeping  the  roads  open.  At  the  annual  town-meeting,  February 
27,  1787,  twelve  pounds  was  voted  for  roads. 

These  sums  were  as  large  as  the  "  land  tax "  yielded,  but  the 
latter  fell  with  equal  weight  upon  the  non-residents,  while  the  actual 
settlers  were  on  the  spot  to  work  out  the  taxes  to  their  advantage. 

Having  entered  into  their  new  schemes  for  better  roads,  the 
settlers  of  Lancaster,  and  other  towns  above  it,  found  themselves 
badly  handicapped  by  the  refusal  of  the  non-resident  owners  of 
the  lands  in  Dalton  and  Littleton,  through  which  they  must  pass 
to  reach  the  older  settlements,  to  assist  in  making  roads  through 
those  towns.  Having  several  times  failed  to  induce  the  cooperation 
of  these  landholders  to  do  what  seemed  their  plain  duty  in  the 
matter  of  making  roads  these  upper  towns  joined  in  a  petition 
to  the  general  court  for  the  passage  of  some  measure  of  relief. 
Accordingly  on  May  10,  1788,  the  towns  of  Lancaster,  Northum- 
berland (formerly  Stonington),  Stratford,  and  Percy  (now  Stark) 
united  in  this  petition  to  the  general  court: 

"To  the  Honorable  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives: — The  Inhabi- 
tants of  A  Place  called  Upper  Coos  that  they  began  settlement  at  that  Place  now 
more  than  twenty-three  years  ago  and  Ever  Since  have  continued  their  Settle- 
ment through  many  Dificulties  Especially  on  account  of  the  badness  of  the  Roads 
through  Littleton  and  Dalton  which  have  never  been  properly  cleared  nor  bridged 
by  which  means  wagons  or  Sleighs  pass  with  the  greatest  Danger  and  never  more 
than  half  a  Load  which  subjects  the  inhabitants  of  said  Coos  to  very  Large 
Expence  in  transporting  necessary  foreign  articles  and  others  in  Removing  with 
their  families  and  effects  from  Connecticut  Massachusetts  and  the  Easterly  part  of 
New  Hampshire  is  the  same  Dificulties  which  very  much  Impedes  &  Hinders  the 
Setelment  of  the  towns  on  Connecticut  River  &c.,  Lying  above  said  Littleton  at 
Dalton.  Your  Petitioners  beg  Leave  to  farther  Suggest  that  the  Townships  of 
Littleton  and  Dalton  being  owned  by  only  a  few  Gentelmen  and  the  Towns  not 
vested  with  Power  nor  the  Inhabitants  with  ability  to  Lay  out  and  clear  bridge 
and  make  Passible  said  Road  through  which  Your  Petitioners  must  Pass  on  any 
Business  belonging  to  the  Probate,  or  County  matter,  wherefore  your  Petitioners 
Pray  your  Honors  to  take  their  case  into  your  Wise  Consideration  and  order  that 
the  Road  be  made  Passable  and  kept  in  good  Repair  through  said  Towns  of 
Littleton  &  Dalton  to  the  acceptance  of  a  Committee  to  be  appointed  for  that 
Purpose  or  by  some  other  way  as  Your  Honors  Shall  see  fit  and  Your  Petitioners- 
will  Ever  Pray."     2  Hammond's  Towns  Papers,  354-355  !    21  State  Papers,  467. 


58  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

This  petition  was  signed  on  the  part  of  Lancaster  by  a  com- 
mittee consisting  of  Jonas  Wilder,  Amasa  Grant,  Jonas  Baker, 
Joseph  Brackett,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Phineas  Hodgdon,  Francis 
Willson,  John  Weeks,  Abijah  Darby,  Walter  Philbrook,  Samuel 
Johnson,  Hopestill  Jennison,  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell, 
Ephraim  Griggs,  William  Johnson,  and  Jonathan  Hartwell.  An 
equal  array  of  names  from  the  other  towns  adorns  this  forcible 
petition. 

Just  what  disposition  the  legislature  made  of  this  petition  is  not 
certain ;  but  I  have  before  me  the  bills  and  receipts  showing  that 
during  the  next  few  years  much  work  was  done  on  the  roads  here 
referred  to.  The  taxes  prayed  for  in  these  several  petitions  were 
authorized  and  laid.  Much  difficulty  was  experienced  in  collecting 
them,  however ;  and  resort  had  to  be  had  to  the  advertisement  of 
the  lands  of  non-residents.  The  taxes  of  nearly  twenty  years  before 
by  the  action  of  the  proprietors'  meetings  for  making  roads,  build- 
ing bridges,  and  rebuilding  David  Page's  mill  that  was  burnt,  which 
fell  most  heavily  on  non-residents,  had  been  very  hard  to  collect, 
and  even  now,  after  the  civil  organization  of  the  town,  it  was  no 
easy  matter  to  levy  and  collect  taxes  on  the  lands  of  non-residents, 
although  sanctioned  by  act  of  legislature.  In  the  petitions  of 
1792  and  1793  the  petitioners  for  a  special  tax  on  all  private  lands 
requested  the  legislature  to  appoint  a  committee  to  disburse  them 
in  the  building  of  such  roads  and  bridges  that  it  should  be  found 
advisable  to  undertake  for  the  relief  of  these  distant  towns.  This 
feature  was  a  necessary  one,  too,  from  another  consideration  :  As 
the  proposed  road  was  to  have  passed  through  the  territory  of  other 
towns,  it  would  be  necessary  for  the  state  to  control  an  undertaking 
of  the  kind.  These  new  towns  were  jealous  of  their  rights,  and 
respected  one  another's  rights  though  free  to  criticise,  and  often  to 
condemn  the  selfishness  of  their  neighbors  in  not  doing  what  seemed 
their  duties  in  the  development  of  the  larger  civil  unit — the  state. 

What  effect  these  petitions  had  upon  the  legislature  is  a  matter  of 
conjecture  rather  than  history,  as  the  records  do  not  show  a  final 
disposition  of  them.  From  the  fact  that  the  citizens  of  Lancaster 
petitioned  the  legislature  in  1793  for  the  right  to  levy  and  collect  a 
tax  of  one  penny  a  year  for  three  years  on  every  acre  of  land  in  the 
town,  to  build  and  repair  their  own  roads  and  bridges,  and  assist  in 
opening  up  a  road  through  Whitefieid  to  Plymouth,  it  would  seem 
that  their  petitions  must  have  met  with  some  discouragements. 
This  next  petition  was  an  important  movement  on  the  part  of  Lan- 
caster, in  that  it  was  a  request  on  the  legislature  to  allow  them  to 
assume  a  burden,  and  such  it  was,  that  the  state  was  either  unable 
or  unwilling  to  assume.  It  was  not  so  polished  and  clear  in  style  as 
some  other  petitions  that  Lancaster  has  sent  to  the  general  court. 


ROADS    AND    BRIDGES.  59 

but  it  pressed  an  urgent  demand  for  relief  from  a  condition  of  affairs 
that  was  retarding  the  development  of  the  town.     It  set  forth, 

"  That  the  said  town  of  Lancaster  is  such  that  the  public  Road  leading  through 
said  town  on  Connecticutt  River  is  upwards  of  ten  Miles  in  Length  and  is 
attended  with  many  Creeks,  vales,  and  .Streams  that  leads  into  said  River,  where 
Bridges  and  Casways  are  needed  to  be  built,  and  the  Road  leading  through  said 
town  up  Isreals  River  towards  Conway  is  attended  with  the  like  Impediments 
and  that  one  other  Road  is  much  wanted  to  be  opened  through  the  Center 
of  said  town  from  Connecticutt  River  leading  a  Corse  through  said  town  and 
Whitefield  and  on  to  Thornton  and  Plymouth  which  road  if  opened  would  shorten 
the  Distance  from  Lancaster  to  Plymouth  about  thirty  miles  which  road  will  in  all 

probability  be  opened  in  said  town  the  ensuing  year The  Inhabitants  of  said 

town  being  but  small  in  Numbers,  having  the  season  past  erected  a  large  Meeting 
house  and  are  loaded  with  great  expense  for  the  same,  their  Roads  &c ;  the  major 
part  of  the  Proprietors  and  land  owners  of  said  town  live  at  New  York  and  out  of 
this  State  and  are  unwilling  to  assist  the  inhabitants  of  said  town  in  their  Bur- 
thensome  matters  altho, — they  are  as  much  benefitted  thereby  in  the  Rise  of 
their  lands  as  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Town  Therefore  Your  Petitioners  pray 
Yours  Honors  would  make  a  Grant  of  three  pence  on  Each  and  Every  acre 
of  land  in  said  Town  viz.  one  penny  each  year  the  three  next  Succeeding 
Years  and  appoint  a  Committee  to  ley  and  Collect  the  same  and  apply  it  in  Open- 
ing the  New  and  Repairing  the  other  Roads  and  Bridges  in  said  Town. 

Edwards  Bucknam  ^  ^^^^^j^^^^  ^^  ^^^^j^ 

Emmons  Stockwell  S         ^f  Lancaster. 
Jonas  Baker  j 

December  ye  21  st.  1793."* 

I  find  by  reference  to  the  town  records  that  at  a  legal  meeting  of 
the  town,  November  22,  1793,  Col.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Capt.  John 
Weeks,  and  Jonas  Baker  were  appointed  a  committee  to  draw  up 
this  petition;  and  Bucknam,  Stockwell,  and  Baker  were  appointed  a 
committee  to  sign  it  on  behalf  of  the  town.  Also,  that  Col. 
Edwards  Bucknam  was  voted  the  town's  agent  in  the  matter  of  the 
presentation  of  the  petition.  This  formal,  "  legal"  action  no  doubt 
seemed  necessary  on  account  of  the  failure  of  the  petition  of  1792, 
which  was  signed  by  the  twenty-eight  following  citizens: 

Fortunatus  Eager,  John  Rosebrook,  Jun.,  Charles  Rosebrook, 
Jonas  Wilder,  William  Bruce,  Titus  O.  Brown,  Jonathan  Cram,  John 
Holms,  Elisha  Wilder,  Phineas  Bruce,  John  Rosebrook,  Emmons 
Stockwell,  Joseph  Wilder,  Asahel  Bigelow,  Nathan  Lovewell,  Benja- 
min Orr,  David  Stockwell,  Moses  Page,  Dennis  Stanley,  William 
Moore,  David  Page,  Abijah  Darby,  Joseph  Brackett,  Walter  Phil- 
brook,  Jonas  Baker,  Edward  Spaulding,  William  Johnson,  Cofifin 
Moore. 

This  measure  seems  to  have  been  as  fruitless  of  good  results  as  pre- 
ceding ones  to  get  the  road  to  Haverhill  put  into  passable  and  safe 
condition.      It   was    very  natural   that  the   inhabitants  of  Lancaster 

*  12  Hammond's  Town  Papers,  360-361. 


6o  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

should  prefer  a  good  road  to  Portsmouth,  and  the  lower  towns 
through  Haverhill.  Their  old  homes  and  early  association  were  in 
that  direction.  They  had  come  hither  over  paths  leading  through 
that  territory.  This  town  was  in  Grafton  county  with  the  public 
ofhces  and  courts  located  at  Haverhill.  All  their  legal  business  had 
to  be  transacted  there.  There  were,  for  a  considerable  length  of  time, 
no  magistrates  in  Lancaster ;  neither  were  there  any  lawyers  located 
here  to  attend  to  their  legal  business  or  give  council  during  the  first 
thirty  years  after  the  settlement  of  the  town.  Edwards  Bucknam, 
universal  genius  that  he  was,  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Lancaster.     He  received  his  appointment  to  that  ofhce  about  1792. 

These  inconveniences  harassed  the  people  for  many  years,  driving 
them  at  last  to  seek  relief  in  the  division  of  Grafton  county  and  the 
formation  of  a  new  county  by  the  name  of  Coos,  alleging  always  as 
one  of  the  chief  reasons  for  such  action  the  bad  roads  and  the  incon- 
venience of  traveling  over  them  for  all  their  legal  business  which 
increased  with  the  growth  of  population. 

Meanwhile  the  road  to  Pigwaket  had  been  constructed,  and  the 
tide  of  emigration  from  the  sea-board  towns  began  to  fiow  through 
the  White  Mountain  Notch.  As  early  as  1773,  Nash  and  Sawyer's 
location  was  granted  for  building  roads  through  that  tract  of  land. 
Col.  Joseph  Whipple  and  Samuel  Hart  of  Portsmoiith  settled  in  Jef- 
ferson, then  called  Dartmouth,  about  1773.  From  that  time  on,  the 
Notch  road  was  steadily  improved.  In  1786,  the  legislature  was 
petitioned  to  appoint  a  committee  to  sell  land  about  the  mountains, 
and  use  the  money  thus  raised  to  repair  the  road  through  the  Notch. 
That  petition  set  forth  that  the  road  was  badly  out  of  repair  from  the 
effect  of  a  recent  freshet.  Such  a  committee  was  appointed,  and  did 
sell  large  tracts  of  land  from  time  to  time,  and  expended  the  revenue 
thus  raised  in  repairing  this  important  road.  That  committee  was 
in  active  existence  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  when  it  settled  accounts 
and  got  discharged.  The  committee  and  its  friends  got  most  of  the 
lands  and  the  public  a  very  poor  road. 

Tradition  says  that  the  first  article  brought  through  this  Notch 
road  to  Lancaster  was  a  hogshead  of  rum;  and  that  the  first  article 
shipped  from  Lancaster  through  the  Notch  was  a  quantity  of  tobacco 
raised  by  Titus  O.  Brown,  then  a  farmer  on  Great  brook,  and  later  a 
merchant  or  trader  in  the  village.  That  was  in  the  fall  of  1773. 
This  road  continued  to  be  Lancaster's  best  road  to  market  until  the 
coming  of  the  railroads  so  near  as  to  open  up  other  outlets.  In 
1803,  a  charter  for  a  turnpike  through  the  Notch  was  granted  by  the 
legislature  and  at  once  built.  This  gave  a  good  road  through  the 
section  hitherto  so  difficult  to  keep  in  repair.  Soon  after  the  build- 
ing of  this  turnpike,  one  was  built  through  Jefferson  to  connect  with 
it  at  a  cost  of  twenty  thousand  dollars.     It  began  at  the  point  where 


ROADS   AND   BRIDGES.  6 1 

the  Whitefield  road  branches  from  the  Jefferson  road  near  the  home 
of  the  late  Edward  Howe,  and  ran  southeasterly  by  the  Whipple 
place  over  a  spur  of  Cherry  mountain  to  the  Rosebrook  place.  It 
was  a  \vell-built  road,  and  gave  Lancaster  an  easy  passage  of  the 
mountain  section  to  Portland.  After  the  great  freshet  of  August, 
1826,  which  completely  destroyed  some  sections  of  the  turnpike 
through  the  Notch,  its  proprietors  abandoned  it,  and  the  Jefferson 
turnpike  soon  fell  into  ruin  and  was  abandoned. 

The  building  of  a  turnpike  on  the  line  of  the  old  "  Cohos  road" 
from  Plymouth  to  Haverhill  in  1808,  together  with  the  advent  of  the 
stage  coach  soon  after  that  event,  did  much  to  awaken  the  interest  of 
Lancaster  people  in  the  old  roads  south.  Meanwhile  the  towns  of 
Dalton,  Whitefield,  Littleton,  Lyman,  and  Bath  to  the  .south  were 
being  settled  rapidly  and  a  local  interest  in  good  roads  coming  to 
exist  in  so  many  sections  along  the  old  trail  over  which  the  first  set- 
tlers came,  that  it  began  to  be  improved  all  along  the  line. 

Concord  was  then  becoming  a  place  of  considerable  importance. 
It  had  become  the  permanent  capital  of  the  state,  besides  having 
been  favored  by  the  sitting  there  of  thirty-two  of  the  sixty-one  ses- 
sions of  the  legislature  prior  to  1808,  when  it  became  the  permanent 
capital  of  the  state.  Lancaster,  before  that  time,  had  become  one 
of  the  most  important  communities  of  northern  New  Hampshire. 
Its  citizens  took  an  active  interest  in  political  matters,  and  had  busi- 
ness of  importance  in  the  higher  courts,  which  drew  them  to  the 
capital.  The  settlement  of  the  towns  north  of  Lancaster,  and  the 
«arly  development  of  the  lumber  and  dairy  interests  in  addition  to 
the  considerable  agricultural  and  mercantile  interests  that  existed, 
required  good  roads  and  rapid  communication  with  the  larger 
centres  of  trade  and  industry. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  not  the  actual  necessity  and  resolute  de- 
termination of  the  early  settlers,  but  later  and  more  remote  causes 
led  to  the  development  of  the  roads.  Neither  the  state  nor  the  town 
could  afford  to  build  good  roads  in  the  earliest  period  of  the  history 
of  the  town.  As  we  have  seen,  generous  sums  were  appropriated 
by  the  town  for  roads ;  but  the  largest  expenditure  they  could  afford 
to  make  would  not  go  far  in  making,  or  even  mending,  roads.  It 
took  a  period  of  more  than  two  generations  to  reach  a  point  at 
which  road-making  could  be  put  on  anything  approaching  a 
scientific  basis.  So  desirable  an  end  has  not  yet  been  reached, 
but  is  one  of  the  possible  things  in  the  near  future  now  that  the 
town  owns  modern,  improved  road  machinery. 

As  settlements  were  made  on  the  Vermont  side  of  the  river  soon 
after  Lancaster  was  settled  there  soon  came  the  demand  for  some 
means  of  crossing  the  river.  To  build  bridges  was  out  of  the 
question,  so  ferries  were  provided.     About   1790  some  interest  was 


62  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

manifested  in  ferries,  and  the  legislature  was  applied  to  for  charters 
for  them.  In  1792  there  were  three  of  them  chartered  and  in 
operation  within  the  limits  of  the  town.  Uriel  Rosebrook  had  the 
first  one,  located  at  the  south  line  of  the  Dennis  Stanley  farm,  now 
owned  by  Capt.  A.  M.  Beattie.  Just  how  long  he  operated  it,  and 
how  profitable  it  was  we  do  not  know,  but  it  may  be  inferred  that  it 
paid  a  good  return,  for  very  soon  Rosebrook  had  competition  in 
the  business.  John  Weeks  procured  a  charter  for  a  ferry,  and  con- 
ducted one  about  thirty  rods  above  Union  bridge  at  South  Lan- 
caster. Neither  history  nor  tradition  can  enlighten  us  very  much 
upon  the  success  or  period  of  duration  of  this  ferry.  About  the 
time  these  two  ferries  were  started  a  movement  was  set  on  foot  to 
take  out  a  charter  for  one  to  be  owned  by  the  town.  A  petition  to 
that  effect  was  laid  before  the  legislature  praying  for  a  charter  in 
the  name  of  the  town  but  the  legislature  refused  to  grant  one. 
Whether  opposed  to  towns  holding  such  franchises  or  the  indi- 
viduals owning  the  other  ferries,  convinced  that  body  that  no  need 
existed  for  another  competitor  is  not  known.  The  journal  of  the 
house  shows  that  the  petition  was  seriously  considered  several  times 
before  a  committee  and  reported  unfavorably  to  that  body. 

About  the  time  this  charter  was  refused  the  legislature  granted 
one  to  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder.  He  located  his  ferry  on  his  own  farm, 
now  known  as  the  Holton  farm.  This  ferry  existed  for  a  period 
of  some  ten  years,  and  was  in  operation  when  the  Lancaster  Bridge 
company  was  formed  in  1804.  Although  Major  Wilder  was  an 
enterprising,  public-spirited  man,  we  do  not  find  his  name,  nor  that 
of  John  Weeks,  on  the  list  of  original  stockholders  in  that  remark- 
able enterprise.  Uriel  Rosebrook,  whose  ferry  was  already  declin- 
ing in  its  earning  power,  took  one  share  of  stock  in  the  Bridge 
company.  The  distance  of  Weeks's  ferry  from  the  bridge,  and  the 
fact  that  at  that  time  the  Bucknam  neighborhood  was  almost  as 
populous  and  important  as  that  where  the  Pages  and  Stockwells 
lived,  may  have  enabled  that  ferry  to  continue  doing  a  good  busi- 
ness for  some  years  later  than  its  rivals. 

The  earliest  setUers  for  many  years  forded  Isreals  river  in  summer 
and  crossed  it  on  the  ice  in  winter.  The  place  where  the  new  iron 
bridge  now  crosses  it  on  Main  street  was  known  as  "  the  fording- 
place,"  and  is  so  referred  to  in  very  early  documents.  After  a  time, 
but  just  when  we  do  not  know,  Emmons  Stockwell  built  a  bridge  at 
this  old  "  fording-place." 

In  their  petition  for  authority  "to  levy  and  collect  a  tax  of  three 
pence  per  acre  on  all  lands  (public  lands  excepted),  and  a  continua- 
tion of  one  penny  per  acre  for  a  term  of  five  years,"  the  petitioners 
name  as  the  objects  upon  which  it  was  to  be  spent,  roads,  bridges, 
and   meeting-house.      That  petition    of    1787   was   favored   by   the 


ROADS   AND   BRIDGES.  63 

passage  of  an  act  giving  to  the  town  the  right  prayed  for.  Such  a 
tax  was  levied  and  collected  in  part;  and  it  is  fair  to  presume  that 
as  Isreals  river  was  the  only  stream  of  any  magnitude  in  the  town,  it 
was  bridged  by  the  use  of  that  tax.  It  was  probably  about  1 790 
that  Stockwell  built  the  first  bridge,  of  which  we  have  no  descrip- 
tion whatever.  Tradition  has  preserved  the  story  of  Stockwell 
being  the  first  person  to  cross  his  bridge,  but  whether  on  foot  or  in 
some  vehicle,  no  one  seems  to  know.  The  right  to  cross  the  new 
bridge  first  was  sold  at  auction,  and  Stockwell  bid  it  off  for  five 
gallons  of  brandy,  which  must  have  cost  him  a  handsome  sum,  for  I 
find  by  reference  to  old  accounts  of  that  year  that  brandy  cost 
forty-two  shillings  a  gallon.  Tradition  does  not  say  what  became 
of  the  brandy,  but  it  may  be  presumed  that  the  jolly  crowd  dis- 
posed of  it  in  celebrating  the  event.  This  old  bridge  took  the 
name  of  its  builder  at  a  very  early  date,  for  we  find  it  referred  to  as 
"  Stockwell's  bridge"  in  a  contract  between  a  committee  appointed 
to  let  the  mill  privileges  of  the  river  in  1792  and  Emmons  Stock- 
well,  the  original  of  which  I  have  before  me. 

This  old  bridge  served  until  1805,  when  it  was  pulled  down, 
and  another  of  a  better  design  took  its  place.  At  a  special  town 
meeting  held  July  6,  1804,  a  committee  consisting  of  Richard  C. 
Everett,  Jonathan  Twombly  and  Levi  Willard  recommended  a  plan 
for  building  a  bridge  over  Isreals  river,  which  report  was  adopted, 
and  a  committee  consisting  of  Richard  C.  Everett,  John  Moore,  and 
Nathaniel  White,  were  appointed  to  superintend  the  construction  of 
this  bridge. 

The  committee  procured  the  materials,  and  had  everything  in 
readiness  by  the  following  spring,  when  it  was  voted  at  the  annual 
meeting  in  March  to  pull  down  the  old  bridge,  and  make  a  tempo- 
rary one  of  its  timbers,  to  be  used  while  the  new  one  was  being 
built.  In  that  vote  it  was  stipulated  that  this  work  was  to  be  done 
at  "no  expense  to  the  town  except  for  liquor  for  the  men  invited  to 
pull  down  the  old  bridge  by  what  is  called  a  Bee."  Of  the  "  Bee" 
we  know  positively  nothing,  as  it  was  never  made  a  matter  of  record  ; 
but  we  may  safely  presume  that  any  man,  in  those  days,  would  have 
considered  it  an  honor  to  be  invited  to  participate  in  such  an  enter- 
prise. The  liquor,  of  course,  was  used  as  the  stuff  now  is,  as  a  safe- 
guard against  sickness  from  contact  with  the  water,  or  as  a  stimulant 
to  fit  them  for  the  excessive  fatigue  from  such  heavy  work.  It  may 
reasonably  be  doubted  that  the  free  liquor  was  intended  as  a  com- 
pensation, or  to  induce  men  to  perform  a  severe  and  dangerous 
task  at  a  cheap  rate.  Lancaster  had  some  old  "  topers "  at  that 
time,  but  they  would  hardly  be  invited  to  so  dangerous  and  heavy  a 
service.  Liquor  was  freely  used  by  nearly  everybody  those  days, 
and  especially  at  gatherings  like  house-raisings,  and   "  Bees  "  of  all 


64  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

sorts.  The  town  could  not  be  expected  to  be  less  hospitable  and 
generous  than  its  individual  citizens.  This  practice  of  giving  liquor 
on  such  occasions  was  general  throughout  the  country  at  that  time, 
and  continued  down  to  within  a  few  decades.  Happily,  however, 
with  improved  methods  of  doing  such  work,  and  the  growth  of  bet- 
ter sentiments  and  public  opinion,  those  practices  have  passed  away. 

This  second  bridge  was  a  well-built  one  that  served  its  purpose 
until  1837.  It  was  replaced  by  an  uncovered  structure  of  hewn 
timbers  resting  on  strong  stone  abutments,  with  one  pier  in  the 
middle  of  the  stream,  and  green  posts  supporting  the  double  spans 
of  heavy  sills.  The  grade  of  Main  street,  on  both  sides  of  the  river, 
was  then  much  lower  than  at  the  present  time.  The  height  of  the 
bridge  was  very  nearly  as  great  as  that  of  the  iron  bridge  of  the 
present  time,  and  was  reached  by  long,  and  rather  steep,  graded 
approaches  on  both  sides. 

In  1848,  this  one  gave  place  to  another  wooden  bridge,  with 
latticed  sides,  about  six  feet  high.  These  two  bridges  were  along 
the  line  of  improvement  in  bridge  architecture,  but  they  had  to 
give  way  to  the  "  covered  bridge,"  which  made  its  appearance  about 
forty  years  ago. 

At  the  annual  town  meeting  in  1862,  steps  were  taken  to  erect  a 
covered  bridge  on  the  same  site  of  these  previous  uncovered  ones. 
All  preparations  being  made,  and  the  material  for  the  new  structure 
being  ready  for  its  erection  as  soon  as  the  old  one  could  be  pulled 
down,  work  began  on  its  demolition,  October  2,  1862;  and  by 
November  i8th,  teams  were  passing  over  the  new  bridge,  which 
was  not  completed,  however,  for  some  weeks  later. 

This  bridge  was  by  far  the  best  that  had  ever  been  thrown 
across  Isreals  river.  It  had  a  double  track  for  teams,  and  two  side- 
walks. The  people  felt  a  pardonable  pride  in  their  covered  bridge. 
They  had  a  bridge  of  the  regulation  style,  for  at  that  time  a  covered 
wooden  bridge  was  considered  the  best  thing  in  that  line.  This 
bridge  was  doomed  to  meet  a  fate,  however,  that  none  of  the  poorer 
old  structures  before  it  had  ever  met. 

In  1886,  there  was  a  heavy  freshet  when  the  ice  went  out  of  the 
river.  An  ice  gorge  formed  at  the  head  of  the  dam  of  Frank  Smith 
&  Co.'s  mill,  and  forced  a  large  stream  of  water  down  Mechanic 
street,  which  broke  over  the  banks  just  above  the  bridge,  and  car- 
ried the  two-story  door,  sash,  and  blind  factory  of  N.  B.  Wilson  & 
Son,  standing  above  the  bridge  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  out 
into  the  stream,  and  against  the  bridge,  damaging  it  so  much  that  a 
new  one  became  necessary.  By  this  time  the  art  of  bridge-building 
had  been  so  developed  as  to  have  abandoned  wooden  bridges  for 
iron  and  steel  ones,  on  account  of  the  many  advantages  of  the  latter 
kinds  over  the  wooden  structures. 


Flood,  Israels  River,  February,  1870.  American  House  and  Ice  Freshet,  187c 


Ice  Freshet,  1870. 


ROADS   AND   BRIDGES.  65 

The  people  having  become  aware  that  to  build  more  wooden 
bridges  over  this  stream,  so  liable  to  excessive  rise  from  the  more 
rapid  drainage  of  a  section  of  country  nearly  divested  of  its  forests, 
w'as  unwise,  and  liable  in  the  long  run  to  be  more  expensive, 
decided  upon  a  steel  bridge.  The  contract  for  it  was  let  to  the 
Boston  Bridge  Company.  Work  was  begun  on  it  at  once,  and  the 
bridge  was  open  to  the  passage  of  teams  in  a  very  short  time.  This 
proved  a  wise  choice  as  to  the  architecture  of  the  bridge,  for  it  did 
away  with  the  unsightly  covered  structures  formerly  in  use.  The 
new  bridge  was  entirely  satisfactory,  and  even  an  ornament  to  the 
village,  and  what  was  better  still,  the  people  felt  safe  as  to  its  future. 
But,  alas  !  a  sad  disappointment  was  in  store  for  the  town.  In  the 
spring  of  1895,  when  the  ice  went  out  of  the  river,  a  dam  in  Jeffer- 
son broke  letting  into  a  very  much  swollen  stream  700,000  feet 
of  logs,  which  added  to  a  vast  quantity  of  ice  came  rushing  down, 
carrying  everything  before  it.  When  this  mass  of  ice  and  logs 
reached  the  dam  of  Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s  mills  where  they  had  about 
500,000  feet  of  logs,  and  where  an  equally  large  quantity  of  ice  had 
accumulated  their  boom  broke  leaving  this  entire  mass  of  ice  and 
logs  to  pass  over  their  dam  in  one  of  the  wildest  scenes  of  confu- 
sion the  village  ever  witnessed,  the  bridge  with  all  its  Herculean 
strength  of  steel  could  not  resist  the  strain  upon  it,  which  was  not 
only  against  its  side  but  upward,  lifting  it  bodily  off  the  abutments 
and  carrying  it  some  eighty  rods  down  the  stream  upon  the  mass  of 
logs,  where  it  was  dropped  a  distorted  and  dilapidated  mass. 

The  selectmen  at  once  set  about  the  task  of  building  a  foot-bridge 
of  the  pontoon  style  of  architecture  above  the  dam  by  which  travel 
was  only  impeded  for  a  half  day.  The  Mechanic  street  bridge  re- 
ceived no  serious  injury  in  consequence  of  its  great  height  above  the 
water,  and  was  available  for  teams  at  the  risk  of  those  who  cared  to 
use  it. 

It  was  decided  by  the  selectmen  to  use  such  portions  of  the  steel 
bridge  as  were  not  too  badly  damaged  in  its  reconstruction,  which 
was  undertaken  at  once.  The  Boston  Bridge  Company  again  took 
the  contract  on  the  work,  supplying  such  new  portions  as  were 
necessary  to  a  good  bridge.  The  structure  was  completed  in 
August  at  a  very  moderate  sum.  The  reconstructed  bridge  was 
raised  nearly  two  feet  higher  than  it  was  in  1895,  ^^^^  the  ap- 
proaches graded  up,  making  a  slight  increase  in  the  grade,  and 
yet  not  materially  affecting  the  appearance  of  either  street  or  bridge. 
This  bridge  has  a  double  track,  and  two  sidewalks.  It  seems  well 
adapted  to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  community ;  and  so  far  as 
human  wisdom  can  forecast  the  future  it  may  be  expected  to  stand 
until  worn  out  by  use  and  the  ravages  of  time. 

The  river,  however,  has  become  very  much  changed  in  character 
6 


66  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

from  the  denudation  of  the  country  of  its  timbers,  and  through  the 
drainage  of  a  number  of  swamps  that  served  in  early  times  as  a  sort 
of  check  upon  the  river  by  holding  portions  of  the  surface  water 
back  to  run  off  more  slowly.  At  present  when  the  snows  of  winter 
go  off,  and  the  ice  breaks  up,  if  it  happens  to  be  accompanied  by 
rain  the  streams  become  rapidly  and  greatly  swollen,  by  which  all 
bridges  are  endangered.  This  condition  of  things  is  likely  to  grow 
worse  rather  than  better  as  time  goes  by.  It  has  become  necessary 
for  the  protection  of  property  to  raise  the  banks  by  the  addition  of 
stone  walls  of  rubble  at  several  points  within  the  village  limits. 

The  Mechanic  Street  Bridge. — In  early  days  a  wooden  bridge 
was  built  over  Isreals  river  on  Mechanic  street.  It  was  a  single- 
span,  wooden  structure  that  served  its  purpose  well  until  1862, 
when  it  became  unsafe,  and  was  replaced  by  the  present  one.  This 
bridge  has  rendered  good  service,  aud  although  it  sustained  some 
injury  from  the  great  freshet  of  Feb.  18,  1870,  remains  serviceable 
yet. 

There  are  a  few  small  bridges  in  various  parts  of  the  town,  mainly 
over  very  small  streams,  which  are  substantial  and  meet  all  demands 
upon  them  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  little  need  be  said  of  them 
here. 

THE    LOCAL    ROADS. 

For  the  first  three  decades  after  the  settlement  of  the  town  the 
roads  were  marked  by  committees  of  the  proprietors,  and  built  by 
assessments  on  proprietary  rights  in  the  town  lands.  The  history 
of  the  very  earliest  roads,  during  the  proprietary  period  of  the  set- 
tlement, is  obscure,  a  mere  matter  of  tradition,  due  to  the  loss  of  the 
proprietors'  records  in  the  court  house  fire  of  1886. 

From  1792,  down  to  the  present  day,  the  records  of  laying  out, 
changing,  or  abandoning  of  roads  are  complete,  and  preserved  in 
the  Town  Records.  The  earliest  record  of  any  highway  we  have, 
then,  is  that  of  the  road  from  Stockwell's  bridge  to  Colonel  Wild- 
er's  mills  on  the  north  side  of  Isreals  river,  a  distance  of  seventy-two 
rods,  the  width  of  which  was  three  rods.  Most  of  the 
principal  roads  of  the  town  were  laid  out  by  the  selectmen 
in  1795,  and  full  records  of  them  are  to  be  found  entered 
upon  the  Town  Records.  The  roads  back  from  the  rivers  have 
been  much  changed  from  their  first  locations.  They  formerly  ran 
over  the  higher  grounds  for  the  sake  of  escaping  the  wet  lands  on 
the  levels.  These  roads  were  laid  for  the  convenience  of  the  new 
comers  who  invariably  settled  on  the  high  lands  back  from  the  rivers 
to  escape  the  early  frosts,  and  because  the  soil  is  equally  pro- 
ductive. 

The  road  to  Dalton,  Main   street,  and   North  Main   street  remain 


THE    LOCAL   ROADS.  6/ 

to-day  where  they  were  first  laid  out.  All  others  have  changed 
more  or  less. 

The  road  to  Northumberland  was  from  the  head  of  Main  street,  by 
North  Main  street,  past  the  house  of  E.  B.  Stockwell,  following  the 
river  bank,  thence  to  the  Stanley  house  along  the  bank  of  the  river, 
until  it  united  with  the  present  road  near  the  Hadlock  place. 

The  first  road  east  was  a  continuation  of  the  road  from  Stock- 
well's  bridge  to  Colonel  Whipple's  mills,  to  beyond  the  top  of  the 
hill  about  twenty  rods  back  of  the  Plummer  Moody  house,  thence 
passing  over  Sugar  Hill  to  the  bridge  over  Great  Brook  and  on  to  the 
eastern  settlement.  A  branch  of  this  road  extended  past  the  Faulk- 
ner and  Crandall  places,  over  the  hill,  joining  the  Jefferson  road  near 
the  George  W.  Webster  place.  In  passing  through  Jefferson  it  ran 
twenty  rods  east  of  the  present  highway  from  the  Samuel  Marden 
house,  and  high  above  the  Waumbek  House,  crossing  Stag  Hollow 
brook  a  mile  above  the  present  bridge  across  that  stream.  The  road 
from  Lancaster  to  Whipple  Meadows  ran  from  Stockwell's  bridge 
along  the  south  bank  of  the  river.  At  an  early  date  it  was  changed 
from  near  the  old  meeting-house  and  ran  south  of  the  present  road 
to  near  the  Jefferson  mills.  Old  and  rotten  corduroy,  sunk  in  the 
mud,  marked  the  course  of  these  old  highways  until  within  a  very 
few  years. 

The  old  road  toward  Whitefield  has  been  changed  from  about 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  south  of  Stockwell's  Bridge  to  near  where 
the  old  red  schoolhouse  stood  in  old  District  No.  8.  This  old 
road  reached  some  noted  old  homesteads.  Some  fifty  rods  be- 
yond General  W^illson's,  the  James  Boutwell  place  by  the 
cold  spring,  Isaac  Darby,  noted  bear  hunter,  miller,  and  gun- 
smith, lived,  and  reared  a  large  and  respectable  family.  A  mile 
beyond,  -and  near  the  cross-road  to  the  Richard  Eastman  farm, 
was  the  Levi  Willard  farm,  afterward  owned  by  Asa  Wesson.  Levi 
Willard  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  men  in  town  in  his  day. 
He  was  sheriff  of  the  county  of  Coos  for  the  first  seven  years  after 
it  was  erected.      He  held  other  responsible  positions  and  offices. 

Some  forty  rods  farther  on  was  the  farm  of  Jonathan  Twombley, 
and  later  of  his  son  Elijah  D.  Twombley.  Thirty  rods  farther  on 
was  the  farm  of  Esquire  Joseph  Farnham,  later  occupied  by  William 
Elliot.  At  the  height  of  land  was  the  home  of  David  Perkins,  later 
of  Ephraim  Leighton.  There  were  at  that  time  six  large  and  valua- 
ble farms  with  good  buildings,  of  which  to-day  not  a  vestige 
remains,  unless  it  be  an  old  dilapidated  barn  on  the  Willard  farm. 

Those  early  roads  were  rude  highways,  crooked,  and  almost 
wholly  undrained.  The  small  streams  and  boggy  places  were 
crossed  by  corduroy,  made  by  laying  timbers  lengthwise  of  the  road, 
six  or  seven  feet  apart,  covered  with  cross-timbers,  usually  round 


68  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

poles,  some  eight  feet  long.  These  primitive  highways  answered 
the  wants  of  the  people  quite  well  as  they  used  only  ox-carts  and  a 
lumbering  sort  of  "two-horse  wagon,"  a  two-wheeled  vehicle. 
Those  primitive  roads  continued  to  serve  their  purpose  until  the 
advent  of  the  four-wheeled  vehicles,  which  was  in  1822.  Imme- 
diately the  habit  of  horse-back  riding,  and  the  stately  old  chaise 
began  to  give  place  to  the  one-horse,  four-wheeled  wagon,  with  a 
crooked  frame  firmly  bolted  to  its  wooden  axles.  It  is  claimed  by 
Alonzo  P.  Freeman  that  Dr.  Lyman  brought  the  first  four-wheeled 
wagon  to  Lancaster,  and  he  says  he  remembers  it  distinctly  with  its 
wooden  springs.  It  excited  no  little  curiosity  on  the  streets,  and 
w'ell  it  might.  The  innovation  was  as  great  as  the  modern  horseless 
carriages  of  to-day.  Dr.  Lyman  is  said  to  have  procured  his 
famous  wagon  in  Connecticut.  He  was  himself  from  that  state,  as 
were  many  other  prominent  men  \\'ho  came  to  Lancaster.  The 
next  vehicle  was  one  with  wooden  springs,  and  regarded  as  a  great 
improvement  on  the  original  wagon.  Nothing  but  "chaises"  until 
1854,  when  Wallace  Lindsey  bought  the  first  four-wheel  buggy  or 
phaeton.  Not  long  afterward,  however,  the  real  covered  "buggy" 
made  its  appearance,  since  which  the  vehicles  in  use  have  been  fully 
up  to  date  with  the  progress  in  construction.  The  most  important 
vehicle,  the  one  to  compel  better  roads,  was  the  stage  coach.  When 
travel  began  to  demand  more  rapid  progress,  and  more  comfort 
than  the  primitive  means  would  furnish,  this  grand  vehicle  made  its 
appearance,  and  once  on  the  roads  they  had  to  be  kept  in  good 
condition  to  insure  dispatch  and  ease. 

Another  incentive  to  road-building  was  the  unparalleled  pros- 
perity of  this  section  from  1 790  to  1 800.  The  farms  produced  as 
they  never  had  before,  and  some  other  commodities  were  produced, 
all  demanding  better  roads  to  the  markets. 

The  territory  of  the  town  was  at  an  early  day  divided  into  high- 
way districts,  and  a  surveyor  of  roads,  was  annually  elected  over 
each  one.  The  system  was  a  very  satisfactory  one  in  some  respects, 
though  it  failed  for  lack  of  uniformity  of  method  in  road  work. 
There  was  no  sufificient  supervision,  and  sooner  or  later  every  sur- 
veyor was  working  on  his  differing  plans,  giving  good  roads,  it  is 
true,  in  some  districts,  while  in  others  the  roads  were  poor.  If  one 
surveyor  did  good  work  during  his  term  of  offtce  the  next  one  to  suc- 
ceed him  might  undo  it  all  or  do  little  or  nothing  to  sustain  what 
had  been  well  built.  Even  a  much-increased  highway  tax  did  not 
guarantee  good  roads.  They  were  a  disgrace  to  the  town  after  a 
time,  and  later  became  actually  unsafe  to  travel.  This  state  of 
things  lasted  until  1886,  when  the  town  made  the  radical  change  of 
employing  a  superintendent  to  have  charge  of  all  the  road  work, 
requiring  him  to  give  bonds  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  69 

and  the  expenditure  of  the  pubhc  moneys  raised  for  repair  of  roads. 
The  result  in  a  single  season  fully  justified  the  change,  for  the  con- 
dition of  the  roads  bore  no  comparison  to  what  they  had  been  for 
many  years  previous.  The  stones  were  removed,  and  the  old 
"  water-bars "  on  the  hills,  that  had  been  a  nuisance  for  a  whole 
generation,  were  done  away  with,  and  seventy  out  of  the  eighty-two 
miles  of  roads  in  the  town  were  put  in  good  condition,  and  have  so 
remained  to  this  date.  The  roads  are  now  entirely  safe,  and  of  easy 
grades,  and  wider  of  track.  The  cost  of  repairing  roads  has  been 
reduced  fully  forty  per  cent,  by  the  new  system,  with  the  result  of 
making  better  roads  every  year. 

In  1884,  the  town  procured  a  Victor  road  machine,  and  in  May 
gave  it  a  thorough  and  satisfactory  trial,  after  which  it  purchased 
the  machine. 

This  new  method  of  road-working  has  proven  a  great  advantage 
to  the  town,  both  in  point  of  economy  and  better  roads.  It  has 
enabled  the  repair  of  roads  to  be  reduced  to  a  system  under  a  com- 
petent head.  The  road  agents  are  now  engaged  with  reference  to 
their  knowledge  of  the  business  of  road  repairing;  and  as  very 
many  less  of  them  are  necessary  under  the  new  system  than  under 
the  old,  one  man  is  not  undoing  one  year  what  his  predecessor  did 
the  year  before.  Permanent  improvements  are  added  every  year 
no  matter  who  the  agents  may  be ;  and  so  in  time  a  good  result  is 
seen  in  the  cumulative  efforts  of  the  agents. 

In  1893  the  town  invested  in  a  second  road  machine. 

These  machines  do  more  work  now  in  one  day  than  was  often 
done  by  a  large  crew  of  men  in  a  week  under  the  old  methods. 

In  1892  the  town  bought  a  stone-crusher,  since  which  time  there 
have  been  several  of  the  streets,  most  notable  Elm  and  South  Main 
streets,  macadamized.  Sidewalks  of  crushed  stone  have  been  some- 
what in  use,  although  the  tendency  has  been  in  favor  of  concrete 
walks,  and  every  year  there  are  additions  to  the  amount  of  that  kind 
of  walks  made  in  the  villag-e. 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD. 


From  the  settlement  of  the  town  to  the  breaking  out  of  the  War 
of  the  Revolution  the  population  had  not  probably  reached  four- 
score souls  all  told.  A  census  taken,  by  order  of  Gov.  John  Went- 
worth,  in  1773  gave  the  following  numbers: 


^o 


HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Unmarried  men  from  i6  to  60    . 

3- 

Married  men  from  16  to  60 

6. 

Boys  16  and  under    ........ 

8. 

Females  unmarried    ........ 

10. 

Females  married        .                    ...... 

7- 

Widows  .......... 

I. 

Slaves      .......... 

0. 

When  the  war-shadows  had  begun  to  gather,  the  new  govern- 
ment ordered  another  census  taken;  and  this  time,  1775,  we  find 
a  considerable  increase  for  the  last  two  preceding  years.  This 
census  taken  by  Edwards  Bucknam,  as  one  of  the  selectmen,  shows 
as  follows : 


No  of  souls  in  Lancaster  Sept.  22,  1775  : 

Males  under  16 

Males  from  16  to  50  not  in  the  army 
Males  above  50  gone  in  the  army 
Females  ....... 

Negros  &  Slaves  for  life     .... 

8  guns  fit  for  use,  7  guns  wanted,  and  11  lbs  poder  wanted." 


15- 
2. 
27. 
oo.:=:6l 


Although  the  number  of  people  here  was  not  large,  and  the 
country  was  an  immense,  little-known  region,  yet  there  were  in  it 
homes  that  meant  everything  to  the  little  band  of  brave  men  who 
had  endured  so  much  to  create  them.  Their  future  was  full  of 
promise,  and  already  they  had  begun  to  make  plans  for  the  welfare 
of  their  children.  They  loved  their  rich  acres  whether  cleared  or 
bending  beneath  the  burdens  of  their  forests.  They  were  hardy 
and  intelligent  rnen  who  had  tasted  the  sweets  of  prosperity,  liberty, 
and  social  life  before  coming  to  this  wilderness  to  found  an  Ameri- 
can town.  They  were  men  and  women  with  a  purpose,  and  among 
other  things  that  purpose  included  the  intention  to  develop  here 
a  typical  New  England  township,  not  apart  from  their  former  neigh- 
bors but  with  them.  They  fully  shared  with  the  people  of  Massa- 
chusetts and  Connecticut,  from  which  states  many  of  them  had 
come,  the  pride  and  love  of  independence.  They  despised  tyranny, 
as  we  have  seen,  and  did  not  hesitate  to  debate  their  civil  relations 
and  questions  with  the  governor 'and  the  general  court  when  they 
felt  that  they  had  been  dealt  with  unwisely  or  unfairly.  They  had 
sacrificed  and  endured  much  in  order  to  protect  their  homes  against 
the  French  and  Indians,  and  now  when  a  new  combination  of 
enemies  of  their  safety  had  been  formed,  and  a  price  put  upon  their 
scalps  and  bodies,  they  were  not  going  to  flinch,  though  some  of 
those  enemies  were  of  their  own  race  and  country.  They  had  no 
use  for  kings  and  foreign  governments  for  they  had  learned  to  govern 
themselves  in  their  own  town  meetings  and  provincial  congress, 
which  latter  body,  composed  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  mem- 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  7 1 

bers  sent  by  one  hundred  and  two  towns,  had  dismissed  the  king's 
governor  and  council,  together  with  many  other  civil  officers. 

The  provincial  government  had  forced  upon  these  men  a  military 
training  and  provisions  that  made  them  formidable  soldiers.  That 
the  men  of  every  town  might  be  useful  in  an  emergency  the  laws 
had  required  every  town  to  provide  every  male  inhabitant,  from 
sixteen  years  old  to  sixty,  with  a  musket  and  bayonet,  knapsack, 
cartridge  box,  one  pound  of  powder,  twenty  bullets,  and  twelve 
flints.  Every  town  was  required  to  keep  in  readiness  one  barrel  of 
powder,  two  hundred  pounds  of  lead,  and  three  hundred  flints  for 
every  sixty  men  ;  besides  a  quantity  of  arms  and  ammunition  for 
persons  not  able  to  supply  themselves.  This  provision  the  new 
government  sought  to  carry  out  and  make  use  of. 

Though  remote  in  distance  from  the  center  of  government,  Lan- 
caster was  no  doubt  close  in  sympathy  with  its  policy  in  standing 
firmly  for  what  were  considered  the  interests  of  the  American 
colonies  in  the  matter  of  self-government,  and  the  promotion  of 
the  welfare  of  American  citizens.  Whether  Lancaster  had  any 
representation  in  the  provincial  congress,  or  the  convention  for  the 
formation  of  that  congress,  we  do  not  know.  It  is  probable  that  its 
distance  from  the  former  seat  of  government,  when  the  convention 
was  called,  led  to  its  being  passed  by  when  the  prescripts  were  sent 
out  notifying  the  towns  to  send  delegates. 

Lancaster  had  obeyed  the  call  of  the  congress  for  taking  a  census, 
and  made  return,  as  we  have  seen  above ;  and  yet  it  may  have  been 
with  this  town  as  it  was  with  Conway.  That  town  had  raised  a 
company  of  volunteer  soldiers  under  the  command  of  Capt.  David 
Page,  and  sent  to  Exeter  for  a  supply  of  ammunition  when  their 
messenger  learned  for  the  first  time  of  the  prescripts  having  been 
sent  out,  and  that  his  town  was  either  ignored  or  the  notice  had 
miscarried.  Due  apology  was  made  to  Conway  by  the  officials,  and 
a  request  sent  them  to  send  a  representative  which  amicably  arranged 
matters.  At  the  session  of  the  congress  held  at  Exeter  in  Decem- 
ber, 1775,  both  Conway  and  Lancaster  as  a  classed  town  were  rep- 
resented by  Abijah  Learned,  of  Cockburne  (now  Columbia). 

It  was  at  this  juncture  that  a  house  of  representatives  was  formed, 
and  steps  taken  to  organize  the  state  government,  as  the  old 
provincial  government  had  been  fully  abolished.  During  the  period 
covered  by  the  sessions  of  the  congress  there  was  no  civil  organiza- 
tion that  could  be  properly  called  a  government,  but  rather  a  popu- 
lar convention  called  by  the  more  prudent  leaders  of  the  people  to 
meet  a  grave  emergency.  Acting  under  the  advice  of  the  con- 
tinental congress  the  provincial  congress  undertook  the  task  of 
organizing  a  sovereign  state  of  the  people. 

Then  it  was  that  the  second  census,  above  given,  was  taken  of  the 


72  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

town  which  reveals  the  first  period  of  rapid  growth  of  population, 
and  what  was  of  as  much  importance  at  such  a  time,  a  desire  for 
guns  and  ammunition  with  which  to  do  their  share  of  fighting  in  the 
struggle  then  inaugurated  by  the  assault  upon  citizens  situated  just 
as  they  were. 

The  continental  congress  had  enjoined  upon  the  states  in  taking  a 
census,  which,  while  it  should  afford  a  fair  basis  upon  which  to 
base  representation  in  the  state  legislatures  and  congress,  should  also 
reveal  the  amount  of  powder  and  lead  in  the  country.  The  people 
were  also  cautioned  against  "  burning  their  powder  in  shooting  at 
birds  and  other  game."  So  peaceful  had  times  become  that  there 
were  in  Lancaster  seven  more  men  than  guns  available  for  the  war 
that  everybody  could  see  was  sure  to  come  upon  the  frontier  com- 
munities. If  the  British  soldier  would  not  come  it  was  certain  that 
the  Indians  would  be  incited  to  acts  of  hostility  against  the  settlers 
on  the  upper  Connecticut  River  valley,  as  it  was  a  sort  of  highway 
from  Canada  to  northern  New  England.  The  leading  men  of  Lan- 
caster and  adjoining  towns  felt  much  alarmed  for  the  safety  of  the 
Upper  Coos  for  that  reason ;  and  as  early  as  the  twentieth  of  June, 
1775,  Edwards  Bucknam  and  Seth  Wales,  a  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Northumberland,  wrote  a  lengthy  letter  to  Colonels  Jacob  Bailey 
and  John  Hurd  of  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  giving  them  a  vivid  account  of 
the  situation  of  affairs  along,  and  beyond,  the  Canadian  boundary. 

From  that  account  it  appears  that  Bucknam  and  Wales  had  taken 
the  precaution  to  send  a  scout  as  far  as  Lake  Memphremagog  in 
search  of  two  men,  and  there  had  the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  a 
party  of  friendly  Indians,  among  whom  was  one  Black  Lewa  by 
name,  who  was  well  known  in  Lancaster  and  Northumberland.  He 
was  an  honest  Indian,  and  a  true  friend  of  the  white  settlers,  one 
whom  they  had  entire  confidence  in. 

Lewa  told  the  scouts  that  some  time  during  the  winter  previous, 
he,  with  other  Indians  of  his  tribe,  set  out  to  guide  two  British 
officers  from  Canada  to  Coos,  but  upon  learning  that  their  object 
was  to  discover  the  most  practicable  road  over  which  to  lead  an 
army  to  lay  waste  to  the  river  settlements  the  following  spring 
(1775),  they  quit  the  service  of  the  ofificers  and  returned  home. 
He  denied  all  sympathy  with  the  British,  and  professed  his  old-time 
confidence  in  the  settlers.  He  was  pleased  to  find  an  opportunity 
to  expose  the  hostile  intentions  of  the  British  officers.  He  also  told 
the  scouts  that  there  were  two  thousand  British  soldiers  making 
preparations  to  invade  the  states  from  that  quarter  some  time  the 
coming  winter  (1775-76).  He  told  of  large  offers  being  held  out 
to  the  Indian  to  induce  them  to  join  that  proposed  expedition,  but 
without  success.  On  the  contrarj',  Lewa  assured  the  scouts,  the 
Indians  and  even  many  of   the   French  were   disposed  to  join  the 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  73 

Americans  whenever  they  were  ready  to  send  an  army  to  take 
Quebec.  Lewa  was  sanguine  in  his  expectation  that  all  Canada 
would  join  the  Americans  in  the  hope  of  breaking  the  British  rule 
in  Quebec.  Lewa  offered  his  services  as  a  spy  to  discover  the 
movements  of  the  British  and  bring  the  settlers  information  of 
them  ;  and  this  olifice  he  was  well  fitted  for,  as  in  the  guise  of  a 
hunter  and  trapper  he  could  move  among  the  enemy  without  raising 
any  suspicions  whatever. 

Bucknam  and  his  neighbors  believed  Lewa's  story ;  and  it  made 
a  strong  impression  upon  them.  Bucknam  and  Wales,  in  the  letter 
referred  to,  urged  strongly  upon  Colonel  Bailey  to  visit  the  Indian 
and  interview  him  and  be  assured  of  the  probable  truth  of  the  story 
he  told  the  scouts. 

The  people  of  this  section  were  certain  that  their  valley  would 
be  visited  by  the  enemy  because  it  was  so  near  to  Canada  where 
the  British  army  would  be  uninterrupted  in  their  preparations  for 
war,  and  where,  it  was  feared,  the  Indians  could  so  easily  be  induced 
to  join  with  them  in  laying  waste  to  this  fair  country. 

And  while  it  happened  that  their  worst  apprehensions  were  not 
realized,  there  was  no  feeling  of  security  in  this  section  of  the 
country  until  some  time  after  peace  had  been  declared. 

During  the  month  of  July,  1775,  Colonel  Bailey  and  Lewa  visited 
the  provincial  congress  then  in  session  at  Exeter,  and  the  Indian 
again  told  his  story.  It  made  such  a  deep  impression  upon  William 
Whipple,  acting  chairman  of  the  committee  of  safety,  that  he  at 
once  ordered  Captain  Bedel  to  proceed  immediately  with  his  com- 
pany to  Lancaster  or  Northumberland,  and,  after  due  consultation 
with  the  people,  to  build  a  fort  sufficient  for  defence  against  small 
arms,  and  then  to  go  still  farther  up  the  frontier  and  build  such  other 
garrisons  as  might  be  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  people. 
He  was  instructed  to  use  every  endeavor  to  gain  and  hold  the  friend- 
ship of  the  Indians  by  making  such  presents  as  would   please  them. 

From  Exeter  Colonel  Bailey  and  Lewa  proceeded  to  the  camp 
of  the  American  army  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  the  Indian 
repeated  his  news  to  the  commanders ;  and  how  much  influence  it 
may  have  had  in  determining  an  expedition  against  Quebec  it  is  not 
easy  to  conjecture,  but  it  must  have  had  some  weight  with  General 
Washington. 

Captain  Bedel  came  to  Lancaster,  and  upon  mature  deliberation 
three  forts  were  decided  upon,  two  of  which  were  built  in  North- 
umberland, and  one  in  Stratford.  One  of  these  forts  was  built  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Ammonoosuc  river,  near  where  the  old  Fort 
Wentworth  had  been  built  more  than  twenty  years  before ;  and  the 
second  one  was  located\  on  what  was  known  as  the  Marshall  farm. 
The  one  in  Stratford  was  in  the  north  part  of  the  town. 


74  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Wild  consternation  filled  the  minds  of  the  scattering  settlers  in 
this  section.  Some  fled  for  places  of  greater  safety,  others  wished 
to  follow  them ;  but  there  were  a  remnant  of  the  people  who 
refused  to  leave  their  homes,  and  but  for  those  brave  men  and 
women  the  entire  population  would  have  fled,  leaving  their  homes 
to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  roving  Indians  that  came  along  soon. 
The  young  wife  of  Caleb  Marshall,  on  whose  farm  one  of  the  forts 
in  Northumberland  was  build,  had  her  household  goods  hidden 
away,  and  then,  with  one  child  of  two  years  of  age  and  an  infant 
less  than  a  month  old,  mounted  a  horse  and  fled  to  Hampstead,  a 
distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  from  her  home,  for 
safety. 

Scouts  were  at  once  sent  out  to  learn,  if  possible,  the  movements 
of  the  enemy,  and  a  sufficient  number  of  men  were  kept  at  the  forts 
to  properly  garrison  them  so  as  to  afford  a  safe  retreat  for  the 
women  and  children  in  case  of  an  attack  from  either  the  British  or 
their  Indian  allies. 

In  such  a  state  of  suspense  and  hourly  expectation  of  danger,  the 
first  year  of  the  war  passed  without  either  actual  warfare  or  even  an 
attack  from  the  enemy.  The  hope  of  these  hardy  frontiersmen  was 
that  in  the  event  of  an  invasion  of  the  river  settlements  they  might 
be  able  to  hold  the  enemy  in  check  or  drive  him  back,  and  so  save 
the  lower  settlements  from  an  invasion.  Their  forts  were  located 
with  reference  to  keeping  the  enemy  out  of  the  valley.  Lancaster 
asked  for  no  fort  or  garrison,  but  urged  the  location  of  them  farther 
up  the  river,  where  the  people  would  be  first,  and  most  exposed  to 
the  depredations  of  the  Indians  in  event  the  British  should  make 
allies  of  them.  The  spirit  of  these  northern  frontiersmen  was  as 
worthy  of  praise  as  that  of  any  section  of  our  whole  country. 
Everything  pointed  to  this  valley  becoming  a  sort  of  highway  for 
forays  from  the  enemy,  who  was  safely  making  preparations  for  the 
war  just  over  the  line  where  once  the  French  and  Indians  had  laid 
similar  plans.  The  settlers  never  feared  an  invasion  from  any  other 
point  than  across  the  Canadian  line  north  of  them.  It  was  against 
that  point  of  danger  that  they  wished  to  fortify  their  country,  and 
by  defending  themselves  prevent  the  enemy  from  going  down  the 
river  to  other  towns.  So  great  was  the  fear  of  attack  that  all 
interests  gave  way  to  the  defence  of  the  Upper  Coos  valley. 

These  upper  towns  petitioned  the  Committee  of  Safety  for  a  suit- 
able garrison  to  hold  these  forts,  and  check  any  invading  force  of 
either  Indians  or  British  that  might  reach  this  section. 

This  petition  seems  to  have  had  no  response  accorded  it,  for  no 
soldiers  were  sent  here  upon  its  almost  pathetic  appeal.  The 
reason  must  not  be  attributed  to  any  indifference  upon  the  part  of 
the  committee  of  safety,  or  the  general  court,  for  much  danger  was 


THE   REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD,  75 

feared  from  this  quarter.  Soldiers  could  not  be  spared  from  more 
exposed  points,  and  the  means  for  their  equipment  were  too  scanty. 
All  the  men  and  equipments  available  had  to  be  sent  to  hold  the 
grounds  gained  in  the  vicinity  of  Boston,  and. guard  the  Champlain 
Lake  region  where  it  was  evident  efforts  would  be  made  to  land 
forces  to  flank  the  New  England  forces  and  march  upon  New  York. 
From  the  gravity  of  their  situation  on  a  frontier  where  attacks  were 
so  certainly  expected,  and  the  forces  wholly  inadequate  to  offer  any 
formidable  resistance,  the  people  no  doubt  felt  somewhat  aggrieved 
at  both  the  central  committee  of  safety  and  the  general  court. 
When  the  new  government  sent  out  its  precepts  notifying  the 
towns  to  send  representatives  to  the  general  court  in  1775,  some  of 
the  leading  spirits  in  Lancaster,  and  notably  among  them  David 
Page,  replied  to  it  in  the  following  terse  manner : 

"To  the  Honorable  Provincial  Congress  conveaned  at  Exeter  Dec.  20   A  D 

^775—  ... 

"  Respected  Gentlemen — we  sould  take  this  opportunity  to  inform  your  Honor- 
able House  That  the  nine  Towns  in  the  upper  Cohos  have  not  complied  with  the 
precept  of  the  last  Congress  issued  to  them  for  the  election  of  a  Representative 
the  reasons  of  which  conduct  are  these — first,  the  needy  circumstances  of  the 
people  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  be  at  the  expence  of  supporting  one. 

2  the  distance  of  the  inhabitance  and  difificulty  of  communacation  is  so  great 
that  it  prevented  a  general  attendance  in  the  meeting  for  to  chuse  a  representative 
we  write  to  your  honorable  house  as  individuals  but  at  the  same  time  as  being 
well  acquainted  with  the  minds  of  the  people  it  is  their  universal  desire  not  to  be 
taxed  to  defray  aney  Expence  of  delegates  maintaining  this  principel  that  their 
ought  to  be  no  ta.xation  without  representation  we  are  with  the  highest  respect  for 
your  house  much  respected  Gentlemen  your  most  obedient  humble  servants. 

Lancaster,  Dec,  14th.  1775.  David  Page  <(  Selectmen  for  Lancaster. 

James  Brown. -^  Selectmen  for  Stratford. 
Josiah  Walker,  inhabitant  of  Stratford," 

This  communication  was  signed  by  Page,  and  from  its  style  and 
spirit  I  think  it  was  written  by  him  with  the  knowledge  and  consent 
of  his  few  most  confidential  advisors  on  local  matters.  It  was  not 
the  action  of  the  town  through  its  voters  in  any  public  meeting  for 
no  such  meeting  was  ever  held  ;  but  notwithstanding,  this  refusal  to 
convene  the  voters  and  choose  a  representative,  the  town  was  rep- 
resented by  Col.  Joseph  Whipple  of  Dartmouth  who  was  the  follow- 
ing year  elected,  and  Dartmouth  was  in  Lancaster's  class  of  towns 
for  representation  from  1776  to  1778.  During  the  session  of  the 
legislature  of  1776,  Colonel  Whipple  was  appointed  a  commissioner 
to  take  into  consideration  the  difficulties  and  grievances  that  existed 
in  several  towns  in  Grafton  county  with  respect  to  the  form  of  the 
new  government.  Among  those  disaffected  towns  was  Lancaster. 
Colonel  Whipple  was  brought  into  close  relations  with  the  leaders 
among  these  northern  towns,  and  whatever  he  may  have  reported  to 
the  legislature  in  regard  to  their  attitude  towards  the  new  form   of 


y6  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

government  did  not  affect  his  relations  to  the  people  here,  for  all 
through  the  long  war  we  find  him  acting  with  them.  When  he  was 
appointed  colonel  of  the  Twenty-fifth  regiment  of  militia  he  secured 
Edwards  Bucknam  as  his  lieutenant-colonel.  He  seems  never  to 
have  lacked  in  confidence  of  Bucknam  and  Eames. 

It  is  likely  that  Colonel  Whipple  had  a  salutary  influence  over 
these  northern  towns  during  this  period  of  disaffection,  and  that  he, 
as  much  as  anybody  else,  prevented  the  split  in  the  matter  of  the 
Vermont  controversy.  He  was  close  in  his  relations  with  the  gov- 
ernment, and  had  full  confidence  in  its  ability  and  patriotic  inten- 
tions to  serve  the  people  faithfully  in  a  time  so  critical  as  that  of  the 
revolutionary  struggle  for  a  common  freedom  that  all  Americans 
might  rejoice  in. 

A  spirit  of  renewed  confidence  in  the  government  seems  to  have 
taken  possession  of  the  people  in  the  month  of  June,  and  as  great 
fears  were  entertained  that  an  attack  was  being  planned  to  take 
effect  at  an  early  day  from  the  north,  the  people  turned  to  Exeter 
once  more  in  a  petition  that  is  almost  pathetic  for  soldiers,  to  defend 
their  section  against  one  of  the  worst  of  enemies.  Their  petition 
was  as  follows : 

"  The  humble  petition  of  a  number  of  inhabitants  belonging  to  the  several 
towns  in  the  upper  Cohoss  (so  called)  humbly  sheweth  :  That  your  petitioners 
having  moved  themselves  and  families  from  the  interior  part  of  this  Colony,  at  a 
great  expense  and  difficulty,  and  by  industry  have  cleared  such  a  quantity  of  Land 
as  by  close  application  have  Spported  their  families,  this  day  have  information 
by  letter  from  the  Committee  of  Safety  for  the  tovi'ns  of  Bath,  Gunthwaite,  Lan- 
dafF&  Lyman,  that  our  army  in  Canada  consisting  of  about  iiooo  men,  were 
drove  to  St  Johns  by  30000  Regulars,  1500  Canadians  &  500  Indians." 

As  it  was  impossible  to  get  soldiers  from  the  front,  where  open 
hostilities  were  rife,  to  defend  a  section  of  country  not  yet  invaded, 
the  hardy  frontiersmen  next  conceived  the  plan  of  having  one  of 
their  own  number  invested  with  the  authority  to  raise  a  company  of 
volunteers  at  home,  and  in  the  near-by  towns,  to  stand  guard  over 
this  river  pass  that  it  seemed  so  very  certain  the  enemy  would  take 
advantage  of,  and  especially  as  he  could  likely  induce  the  Indians  to 
again  take  up  the  hatchet  against  the  whites  who  so  severely  chas- 
tised them  some  twenty  years  before.  If  they  could  not  have 
soldiers  sent  them  in  their  hour  of  sorest  trial  they  could,  at  least, 
organize  a  company  of  good  soldiers  out  of  their  scouts  and  the 
heads  of  families  who  did  not  care  to  fly  to  some  other  point  of 
safety  and  leave  their  homes  to  be  plundered  by  Indians  and  British 
soldiers  bent  on  laying  waste  to  the  country.  They  accordingly 
sent  the  following  petition  to  the  congress  at  Exeter: 

"Whereas  we  the  inhabitants  of  Lancaster,  Northumberland,  Guildhall  &  Strat- 
ford are  fully  sensible  of  the  dangers  of  being  attacked  by  the  Canadians  which 


THE   REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  'J'J 

are  the  worst  of  enmeys  <&  although  some  of  our  neighbors  have  Quit  the  ground, 
yet  we  the  subscribers  Do  Joinly  &  severaly  promis  &  ingage  to  Stand  our  ground 
providing  the  Honorable  Counsell  sees  Fit  to  grant  our  request  That  is  this,  that 
you  will  please  us  your  petitioners  so  far  as  to  appoint  Mr.  Jere'h  Ames  of  North- 
umberland our  friend  and  Neighbor,  Commander  of  our  Fort  which  with  a  great 
deal  of  fatage  we  have  almost  accomplished  &  likewise  for  him  the  said  Ames  to 
have  orders  to  inlist  as  many  men  as  the  Honab'l  Cort  in  their  wisdom  will  see  fit, 
we  do  ingage  to  inlist  ourselves  &  obey  his  orders  as  long  as  he  is  stationed  in  ui> 
per  Coos  and  Commander  of  our  Fort. 
July  6,  1776." 

This  petition  was  signed  by  the  following  persons : 

"  Thomas  Blodgett,  James  Curtiss,  Archippus  Blodgett, 

Emmons  Stockwell,  Josiah  Blodgett,  Joseph  Barlow, 

Nathanile  Caswell,  Sam'l  Nash,  Abijah  Earned, 

Moses  Ouimby,  Ward  Bailey,  James  Blake, 

David  Earned,  Sam'l  Page,  Abner  Osgood, 

Dies  Sawyer,  Abel  Earned,  John  Frickey." 

Elizer  Rosebrook,  Abner  Barlow, 

This  petition  had  its  desired  effect ;  and  inside  of  a  week  the  cen- 
tral committee  of  safety  addressed  the  following  communication  to 
Capt.  Jeremiah  Eames : 

"You  are  hereby  authorized  to  Enlist  Fifty  good  able  bodied  and  effective  men 
officers  included,  to  serve  as  soldiers  under  you  for  three  months  (unless  sooner 
discharged)  as  scouting  parties  to  make  their  head  Quarters  at  Great  Cohoss,  not 
taking  more  than  ten  of  the  Inhabitants  of  said  Great  Cohoss  in  number:  and  you 
are  to  make  return  as  often  as  you  can  conveniently  of  your  Routs,  discoveriey  &c. 
to  Col.^  Bailey,  Hurd  and  Col.  Johnson  at  lower  Cohoss,  and  take  their  instruc- 
tions from  time  to  time  for  your  future  conduct.  The  men  you  Enlist  are  to  be 
paid  thirty  shillings  as  a  Bounty,  and  assure  them  they  shall  receive  forty  shillings 
per  month  when  your  roll  is  made  up ;  and  the  company  are  to  choose  a  Eieut. 
Ensign  &  2  Sergt.'  You  as  Captain  shall  receive  £fi,  your  Eieutenant  ,^^4,  and 
Ensign  £},,  Each  Sergt.  48  sh.  per  month.  The  Capt.,  Eieuts.  &  Ens."»  to  re- 
ceive no  bounty." 

Captain  Eames  at  once  set  about  raising  his  company,  and  in 
order  to  fill  his  quota  made  a  trip  to  Haverhill  and  the  towns  lower 
down  the  river.  By  the  time  he  was  ready  to  enlist  men,  August, 
the  month  of  harvesting  their  crops  was  upon  him.  The  crops  of 
that  year  were  abundant,  and  it  was  thought  best  not  to  encourage 
the  farmers  to  neglect  gathering  them  as  against  their  future  neces- 
sities. Captain  Eames  was  successful  enough,  however,  to  enlist, 
and  bring  into  service  thirty  men  to  garrison  the  new  fort  in  North- 
umberland at  the  mouth  of  the  Ammonoosuc  river,  which  they  had 
named  Fort  Weare,  in  honor  of  Meshech  Weare,  president  of  the 
state  congress.  These  men  were  used  as  a  garrison  and  for  scout- 
ing purposes  in  order  to  learn  the  presence  and  plans  of  the  enemy. 
There  is  no  record  of  their  doings,  but  from  fragmentary  allusions  to 
their  actions  we  conclude  that  they  were  kept  in  action  mostly  as 
scouts,  for  at  one  time  complaint  was  made  that  the  fort  was  entirely 


78  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

deserted  by  the  garrison,  which  left  the  women  and  children  ex- 
posed, as  they  thought,  to  sudden  attacks  by  the  Indians  and  Can- 
adians. There  is  no  evidence  that  this  desertion  of  the  fort  by  the 
garrison  was  unwise  or  due  to  a  lack  of  caution.  The  enemy  was 
supposed  to  be  in  the  country,  and  they  were  seeking  to  discover 
his  whereabouts.  That  was  as  much  a  part  of  their  duty  as  to  gar- 
rison the  fort.  It  was  not  the  intention  of  the  committee  of  safety 
that  these  soldiers  should  remain  inside  the  fort  and  allow  a  shrewd 
enemy  to  flank  them,  and  get  into  the  lower  towns.  By  a  constant 
patrol  of  the  country  northward  and  westward  it  would  be  an  easy 
matter  to  apprehend  the  movements  of  either  an  army  of  regular 
soldiers  or  a  band  of  Indians,  which  were  as  much  to  be  feared  as 
the  British  regulars. 

The  conduct  of  Captain  Eames  and  his  company  did  not  seem  to 
restore  confidence  and  a  feeling  of  safety.  On  the  contrary, 
the  people  seemed  to  have  grown  restless  and  fearful  as  the 
period  for  which  the  company  had  been  enlisted  drew  to  a  close. 
Under  the  feeling  that  they  had  been  poorly  served  by  Captain 
Eames's  company  of  soldiers,  and  that  the  danger  was  just  as  great 
as  at  any  time  previous,  the  people  of  Lancaster  and  other  towns 
appointed  Capt.  Edwards  Bucknam  to  go  to  Exeter  in  the  fall  of 
1776,  and  lay  before  the  general  court  their  grievances  against  Cap- 
tain Eames  and  his  men  and  ask  for  some  new  measures  of  relief. 
Captain  Bucknam  went  provided  with  a  document  given  by  the  peo- 
ple, and  setting  forth  some  of  their  grievances  as  well  as  express- 
ing their  wishes  in  the  matter  of  relief.  Among  other  things 
this  document  sets  forth  a  rather  deplorable  condition  of  affairs,  and 
recommends  Captain  Bucknam  for  any  office  the  court  may  see  fit 
to  entrust  him  with  in  behalf  of  the  safety  of  the  people,  as  follows: 

"  We  recommend  Capt.  Bucknam  in  behalf  of  the  inhabitants  aforesaid  for  any 
office  or  command  of  any  party  of  men  that  the  Court  in  their  wisdom  should  see 
proper  to  be  raised  and  sent  for  our  protection. 

"  Likewise  a  Commissary  which  may  be  likely  to  give  content  and  be  faithful  to 
the  Colony,  as  some  of  these  Preveleges  may  prove  incoragments  to  these  Frontier 
Settlements. 

"  The  commander  of  the  company  Now  Stationed  Hear  &  Comasary  Have  Not 
conducted  themselves  agreable  to  the  minds  of  the  Inhabitants  Nor  for  the  Bene- 
fit of  the  State — therefore  it  is  Desired  that  the  inhabitants  may  not  be  imposed 
upon  by  these  two  Gentlemen  any  longer  than  their  first  ingagements  are  Expired 
— and  although  the  Honorable  Court  Has  seen  fit  to  send  for  our  Protection  a 
Number  of  able  Bodyed  men  are  now  stationed  amongs  us  in  order  as  we  soposed 
to  Build  or  Erect  any  fort  or  Breastworks  or  at  least  to  complete  the  fort  we  the 
inhabitants  had  Built,  with  storehouse  and  Barracks  that  we  might  have  had  some 
place  of  Refuge  to  flee  to  with  our  families  at  any  Suden  Danger  or  Surprise — 
But  Notwithstanding  all  our  Expectations  &  Hopes  of  Safety  we  are  unhapily  Dis- 
appointed— for  our  fort  stands  just  as  Capt.  Eames  found  it  without  the  least  alter- 
ation Except  age — Thus  we  do  desire  you  the  said  Capt.  Bucknam  in  the  behalf 
of  the  inhabitants  to  inforn  the  Honorable  Court  of  our  Setuation  that  we  are  now 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY   PERIOD.  79 

ill,  and  Prehaps  they  think  we  shall  Be  in  a  much  worse  Condition  if  we  are 
Driven  into  our  Naked  fort  without  anything  to  seport  Nature  or  Cover  our  Heads 
which  if  there  is  No  Better  Management  than  there  is  at  Present  No  Doubt  Will 
Be  the  Case." 

From  such  representations  of  things  here  it  may  be  inferred  that 
Captain  Eames's  company  did  Httle  else  than  .scout  duty.  Perhaps 
the  captain  may  have  been  convinced  from  the  situation  of  affairs 
that  the  fort  would  never  be  needed,  and  that  every  family  could 
take  care  of  its  own  question  of  "  supplying  nature,  and  covering 
their  own  heads." 

Whatever  was  the  situation  nothing  had  been  done  to  reassure  the 
people  of  safety.  If  only  Indians  were  to  have  been  expected  to 
assail  the  people,  then  perhaps  the  best  way  would  have  been  to 
have  met  them  by  their  own  tactics  of  war,  and  hunted  them  down 
like  wild  beasts  that  they  were.  At  all  events  the  people  were  not 
satisfied  and  desired  a  change  in  the  order  of  things,  and  were  not 
slow  in  making  known  their  wishes  to  the  government. 

Just  what  was  done  for  their  relief  and  satisfaction  is  not  known ; 
but  it  does  not  appear  from  anything  that  we  can  learn  of  the 
situation  in  this  section  that  any  radical  change  was  effected,  or  that 
the  old  forts  were  repaired,  or  that  the  scouting  service  was  changed 
very  materially,  for  that  service  continued  until  after  the  news  of  the 
surrender  of  Cornwallis  had  reached  the  upper  Coos.  Nothing  but 
a  treaty  of  peace,  and  the  withdrawal  of  the  British  army  could 
restore  a  feeling  of  safety  in  this  section. 

Although  the  whole  of  the  year  of  1776,  the  most  eventful  year 
of  all  the  seven  long  years  of  the  war  for  New  England,  had  passed 
without  any  attacks  upon  the  Upper  Coos,  or  even  any  serious 
alarm,  yet  the  people  were  uneasy  and  tormented  with  the  fear  of 
what  did  come  later — the  invasion  of  the  country  by  the  Indians 
and  French  half-breeds,  whom  they  regarded  with  more  dread  than 
an  army  of  regular  soldiers.  These  savages  knew  and  respected  no 
honorable  methods  of  warfare.  They  knew  only  how  to  plunder 
the  homes  of  the  absent  settlers  and  carry  into  captivity  their  wives 
and  children.  As  things  turned  out  it  was  well  that  these  frontiers- 
men were  alert  and  careful  to  guard  their  homes  against  these 
savages.  Although  the  British  may  not  have  at  any  time  seriously 
considered  an  attack  upon  this  section,  they  did  later  incite  the 
Indians  and  half-breeds  to  plunder  the  frontier  settlements  and 
carry  off  captives,  as  we  shall  see  later. 

The  year  1777  was  not  so  eventful  as  the  preceeding  one  for 
Lancaster.  The  scouting  party  seems  to  have  kept  itself  in  the  field 
or  in  readiness  to  respond  to  any  alarm  or  even  suspicion  of  an 
invasion  of  this  section ;  but  no  fighting  took  place  during  the 
year. 


8o  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

As  the  expenses  of  the  war  began  to  fall  heavily  upon  the 
treasury  and  exhaust  it  during  the  first  year  of  the  war,  a  ne.w 
apportionment  of  state  taxes  was  made.  Male  and  female  slaves 
between  the  ages  of  sixteen  and  forty-five  were  taxed,  but  Lancaster 
never  knew  a  slave  of  any  kind  in  service  to  any  of  its  citizens. 
Among  other  things  that  were  regarded  as  liable  to  contribute  to 
the  treasury,  the  means  of  prosecuting  the  war,  was  "  So  much 
orchard  as  will  in  a  common  season  produce  ten  barrels  of  cyder 
one  acre."  Less  than  ten  barrels-per-acre  orchards  were  exempt. 
We  do  not  know  how  such  items  affected  Lancaster,  but  they  helped 
to  swell  the  sum  total  of  state  taxes.  If  Lancaster  had  neither  slaves 
nor  "cyder"  in  ten  barrel  lots,  and  other  sections  had  both  in 
goodly  quantities,  as  they  no  doubt  did,  it  rather  increased  the 
burdens  of  Lancaster  as  her  proportion  of  taxes  were  four  pounds, 
eleven  shillings  and  two-a-half  pence  on  each  thousand  pounds. 
The  valuation  of  the  town,  it  seems,  was  not  considered,  and  no  such 
valuation  was  ever  taken  as  a  basis  of  this  tax  bill  so  far  as  we  can 
learn. 

There  was  a  feeling  that  the  tax  bill  of  that  year  was  dispropor- 
tionate to  the  ability  of  the  people  to  pay  it,  and  a  mild  protest  was 
made  in  the  following  communication  to  the  general  court: 

"  To  the  Honorable  the  General  Court  held  at  Exeter  for  the  state  of  New 
Hampshire — We  the  subscribers  being  chosen  Selectmen  for  the  town  of  Lan- 
caster, Beg  Liberty  to  inform  your  Honors  that  about  the  25th  of  January  Last  we 
received  a  tax  bill  from  the  Treasury  of  this  state  of  one  hundred  Eighty  two 
pounds  Eight  shillings  and  four  pence  which  we  apprehend  to  be  considerable 
more  than  our  proportion  of  the  forty  thousand  therein  mentioned  Which  we  must 
suppose  must  be  through  a  misrepresentation  in  our  last  Proportion  and  our  num- 
ber being  lesened  By  the  War  render  us  the  less  Capable  of  Paying  so  large  a 
sum.  Also  would  inform  the  Honorable  Court  that  at  the  last  Proportion  we 
were  not  informed  how  much  Each  Pole  Each  acre  of  improved  Land  Stock  &c 
was  this  set  at.  Wherefore  we  pray  our  grievances  may  be  taken  into  your  wise 
consideration  and  some  suitable  measure  Pointed  out  for  our  conduct  which  will 
Excite  us  to  a  speedy  compliance  to  the  above  mentioned  order — and  as  in  duty 
bound  shall  Pray. 

"  Lancaster  Feby  7th  1778." 

That  this  tax  had  some  effect  in  determining  Lancaster  to  look 
for  relief  from  a  burdensome  relation  to  the  state  of  New  Hamp- 
shire by  casting  her  lot  with  either  Vermont  or  the  proposed  new 
state  of  New  Connecticut,  then  talked  of  so  much,  there  can  be 
little  or  no  doubt. 

The  controversy  over  the  boundary  between  New  Hampshire  and 
Vermont  was  at  its  height  during  the  years  1778,  and  1779,  and 
as  we  have  seen,  elsewhere,  Lancaster  no  doubt  favored  the  for- 
mation of  a  new  state,  and  there  were  not  lacking  those  among  her 
citizens  who  would  have  gladly  cast  in  their  lot  with  Vermont.     At 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  8 1 

all  events  the  relations  between  Lancaster  and  the  state  seem  not  to 
have  been  of  the  most  cordial  and  confiding  character  during 
the  year  1778;  but  as  we  have  seen,  in  dealing  with  the  Vermont 
Controversy,  Lancaster  abandoned  that  movement  when  it  assumed 
a  phase  of  insubordination  to  the  union  of  the  states,  and  undertook 
to  defy  the  continental  congress  under  a  threat  of  allying  itself  with 
the  British.  Lancaster  wanted  the  independence  of  the  states,  and 
was  always  loyal  to  the  general  government,  imperfect  as  it  might 
have  seemed  to  the  people  at  their  distance  from  its  scenes  of 
activity  during  the  long  years  of  the  war.  Lancaster  and  other 
towns  north  of  it  did  not  consider  themselves  generously  dealt  with 
by  the  state  government,  convening  always  in  some  of  the  older 
tide-water  towns,  and  no  doubt  greatly  under  the  influence  of  those 
older  and  richer  communities.  These  frontier  towns  felt  that  the 
state  should  do  more  to  assist  them  and  to  make  their  burdens 
lighter.  This  last  ta.x  was  a  very  heavy  burden  to  fall  upon  so 
small  a  number  of  taxpa}'ers  as  Lancaster  must  have  then  had. 
Her  number  of  ratable  polls  in  1783  was  only  ten,  as  certified  to 
by  lidwards  Bucknam  under  oath  before  Jeremiah  Eames,  J.  P., 
December  2,  1783.  While  we  have  seen  that  the  population  of 
Lancaster  was  sixty-one  in  1775,  it  had  even  decreased  by  the 
withdrawal  of  a  number  of  the  men  to  enter  the  service  of  the  army. 
The  few  men  able  to  pay  any  sum  of  taxes  would  have  been  practi- 
cally bankrupted  by  the  above-mentioned  sum.  Lancaster,  be  it 
remembered,  was  not  accumulating  wealth  then  as  she  might  have 
done  had  there  been  passable  roads  to  the  markets.  She  was 
practically  without  markets,  and  could  do  little  more  than  barely 
make  a  living  for  the  people  so  far  removed  from  the  sources 
supplying  luxuries  in  those  days.  What  little  produce  there  was  to 
sell  would  not  more  than  pay  its  transportation  over  the  bad  roads 
of  that  time,  so  the  people  were  without  encouragement  to  do  more 
than  make  a  living  and  improve  their  lands  and  houses  in  the  hope 
that  with  the  return  of  peace  better  roads  could  be  had.  Under 
such  circumstances  we  cannot  wonder  that  loyal  men  should  beg  for 
some  measures  of  relief  from  an  excessive  tax  bill,  amounting  to 
something  like  a  hundred  dollars  per  capita  for  the  taxpayers. 

The  year  of  1778  wore  away  without  serious  trouble  from  the 
enemy.  There  were  some  rumors  of  the  approach  of  Indians,  but 
careful  scouts  failed  to  find  them  ;  and  a  feeling  of  greater  safety 
would  be  received  on  the  return  of  the  scouts. 

The  British  authorities  had  offered,  and  did  pay,  bounties  for 
either  captives  or  their  scalps  taken  along  the  border  during  the 
latter  years  of  the  war.  Eleven  dollars  were  paid  for  scalps,  and 
fifty-five  dollars  for  prisoners  taken  by  the  Lidians.  This  fact  being 
known  to  the  people  of  this   section  accounts  for  their  great  fear  of 


82  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

the  Indians  and  the  French  half-breeds.  The  people  took  every 
precaution  to  keep  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Indians  in  order  to 
insure  their  own  safety. 

During  the  spring  of  1779,  however,  the  Indians  from  the  mission 
camps  in  Canada  had  grown  restless,  and  longing  for  the  excitement 
and  plunder  offered  by  their  methods  of  warfare,  began  to  grow 
bolder  in  their  designs.  They  began  to  make  raids  upon  the  thinly- 
settled  frontier  and  kill  or  carry  off  some  of  the  whites. 

With  Vermont  threatening  to  unite  with  the  British,  and  no  hope 
of  the  formation  of  a  new  state  in  the  Connecticut  River  valley, 
these  northern  towns  again  turned  to  Exeter  as  the  only  source 
from  which  to  hope  for  assistance.  Lancaster,  Northumberland, 
and  Stratford  united  in  sending  a  petition  to  the  council  and  house 
of  representatives  as  follows : 

"  The  Memorial  of  Sundry  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  Towns  of  Lancaster  North- 
umberland &  Stratford  humbly  Sheweth,  that  on  Thursday  the  24th.  Inst.  June 
A  party  of  Indians  aboute  fifteen  in  Numlier  Commanded  by  A  French  man,  came 
into  Stratford  took  two  Prisners  Phindered  two  FamiHes  of  everything  Valuable 
which  they  had,  we  humbly  pray  that  your  Honors  would  take  the  matter  into 
your  Sereous  Considerations  and  provide  such  Assistance  for  our  future  Security, 
from  those  Barbarous  Savages,  as  your  Wisdom  shall  Direct  and  your  Memorial- 
ists as  in  duty  Bound  shall  Ever  Pray. — 
Lancaster  27th  June  1779. 

Joseph  Peverly  Ward  Bailey 

Thomas  Peverly  Caleb  marshall 

Daniel  Spaldin  Emmons  Stockwell 

Nathan  Caswell  moses  Page 

Dill  Sawyer  Jonas  Wilder 

Enoch  Hall  Edwards  Bucknam." 

[13  Hammond's  Town  Papers,  474-475.] 

The  two  men  referred  to  in  this  petition  as  being  taken  and 
carried  off  by  the  Indians  were  Joseph  Barlow  and  Hezekiah  Fuller. 
What  disposition  their  captors  made  of  them  we  do  not  know. 
Their  names  figure  in  business  transactions  at  a  subsequent  date, 
from  which  we  may  infer  that  they  either  escaped  or  were  ransomed 
from  the  Indians.  It  was  a  matter  of  frequent  occurrence  for  towns 
to  pay  the  ransom  of  such  captives. 

Elijah  Blogget  of  Stratford  ransomed  Gilbert  Borged  and  Josiah 
Blogget  the  19th  of  July,  1781.  These  men  may  have  been  simi- 
larly ransomed,  but  of  which  fact  we  happen  to  have  no  account. 
Besides  these  four  persons  we  have  no  actual  knowledge  of  captures. 
Peter  Poor  of  Shelburne  was  shot  by  Indians  in  August,  1781,  and 
several  persons  were  captured  and  others  killed  just  over  the  line  in 
Maine.  These  invasions  of  the  towns  then  acting  together  for 
common  safety  was  enough  to  arouse  the  people.  Whether  their 
petition  of  June  27  received  no  immediate  attention,  or  there  existed 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD.  83 

sufificient  reasons  to  expect  a  repetition  of  the  invasion,  we  do  not 
know,  but  the  people  were  aroused,  and  called  a  meeting  of  the 
inhabitants  of  Lancaster,  Northumberland,  and  Stratford  to  convene 
at  Northumberland  to  take  action  for  some  immediate  measure  of 
relief.  At  this  meeting,  which  has  been  dignified  by  the  name  of 
convention,  the  people  took  the  matter  into  their  own  hands  and 
organized  for  their  defence.  This  record  of  the  meeting,  so  char- 
acteristic of  the  men  of  this  section,  is  found  in  "  Hammond's  Revo- 
lutionary Rolls."  We  give  it  in  full  just  as  it  was  penned  by 
Edwards  Bucknam  : 

"At  a  meeting  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Lancaster  Northumberland  &  Stratford  to 
hear  the  Report  of  Joseph  Peverly  Esqr  and  also  to  agree  upon  Sum  Proper  Place 
for  the  Scouting  Party  to  Be  Stationed,  Viz — first — 

"  Chose  maj'r  Jonas  Wilder  moderator — 

"  2d.   Choose  Cap't  Edw'ds  Bucknam  Clark 

"3d  Voted  that  the  Place  for  the  Scouting  Party  to  Be  stationed,  at  Mr  James 
Browns  in  Stratford 

"4  Voted  that  Every  man  in  Each  town  Viz.  Lancaster  Northumberland  and 
Stratford  to  work  one  Day  at  the  fort  In  Stratford  Immediately — 

"  5  Chose  Nathan  Caswell  Captain   over    these    three   towns  for  the   Present 

"6  Chose  Nathan  Barlow  Lieut 

"  7  Chose  Dennis  Stanley  Ensine 

"  8  Chose  majV  Jonas  Wilder  the  man  to  go  Down  to  E.xeter 

"9  Chose  Joseph  Peverly  Esq'r  Capt  Edw's  Bucknam  and  Al'r  John  Hold- 
brook  a  Committee  to  Give  Directions  to  maj'r  Jonas  Wilder  and  draw  a  Purticion 
to  the  general  court  to  send  by  maj'r  Wilder 

"  10  Voted  that  m'r  John  Gamsby  m'r  James  Blake  and  Mr  John  Holdbrook  a 
Committee  Plan  out  the  fort  at  Stratford." 

"  Northumberland  July  loth  1779." 

These  were  the  last  active  measures  the  people  of  this  section 
were  called  upon  to  take,  but  the  vigilance  of  the  scouts  was  not 
dispensed  with  for  two  more  years.  The  Indians  and  half-breeds 
did  not  venture  another  attack  in  the  upper  river  valley.  The 
fright  they  had  given  the  settlers  did  not  subside  very  soon. 

During  the  nearly  five  years  that  the  war  had  continued,  these  In- 
dian raids  were  all  that  this  section  saw  of  hostilities.  New  England 
had  been  abandoned  by  the  enemy,  who  was  moving  southward  to 
his  fate.  During  the  year  1780,  and  following  to  the  end  of  the  war, 
there  were  no  activities  on  the  part  of  Lancaster  of  importance,  ex- 
cept the  constant  watchfulness  of  her  scouts.  Stratford  petitioned 
for  a  guard  in  1780,  but  the  scare  that  led  them  to  that  action  did 
not  extend  to  Lancaster.  The  people  were  able  to  go  about  their 
business  with  a  feeling  bordering  on  safety,  though  at  no  time  did 
the  feeling  of  security  lead  them  to  neglect  their  preparations  for 
defence.  Every  man  kept  his  trusty  old  gun  ready  for  action  on  a 
moment's  notice. 

When  the  war  was  finally  over  and  the  scouts  were  called  in,  an 


84  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

account  of  Lancaster's  expenditures  during  the  war  was  made  and 
certified  to  by  Emmons  Stockwell  and  Jonas  Wilder,  the  selectmen 
at  the  time.  This  bill,  amounting  to  nearly  two  hundred  pounds, 
was  presented  to  the  general  court  for  settlement  as  a  debt  incurred 
on  behalf  of  the  state.  Col.  Joseph  Whipple,  representative  then, 
presented  the  bill  for  settlement.  These  military  accounts  were  not 
kept  in  any  regular  form,  as  there  was  not  the  organization  of  the 
forces  that  one  meets  with  in  other  sections  of  the  country.  The 
people  of  the  Upper  Coos,  while  they  were  assisted  to  some  extent, 
were  left  largely  to  take  care  of  themselves.  They  were  busy  with 
their  home  cares,  and  when  called  into  military  service  they  had  lit- 
tle time,  or  may  have  even  lacked  in  experience  necessary  to  organ- 
ize themselves  as  military  bodies  generally  were  in  those  times.  As 
scouts,  their  parties  were  small  and  under  the  directions  of  some 
woodsman  who  was  more  familiar  with  the  methods  of  the  hunter  or 
Indian  fighter  than  he  was  with  military  tactics.  They  did  their 
work  of  patrolling  the  country  fully  as  well,  and  perhaps  it  may  be 
better  than  a  regularly  organized  body  of  soldiers  would  have  done 
it.  And  when  it  came  to  presenting  their  claims  for  a  service  ren- 
dered the  state,  they  were  more  in  the  form  of  mere  memoranda. 
We  present  some  of  them  below,  written  on  mere  scraps  of  paper, 
that  have  been  preserved  among  the  private  papers  of  Gen.  Edwards 
Bucknam.  As  many  of  them  have  never  been  put  on  record  in  a 
manner  to  preserve  them  for  future  generations,  we  insert  them  here 
lest  some  day  they  should  get  lost.  They  throw  light  upon  the 
questions  that  concern  us  in  the  history  of  the  stirring  events  of  that 
time,  and  are  worthy  a  place  in  the  town's  record  of  daring  and  sac- 
rifice for  freedom. 

Statement  of  service  and  provisions  furnished   by  the  town  during 
the  war : 

~\      The  amount  of  the  Scouting  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Town 
'775      ^y    °  vof  Lancaster  in  the  Upper  Coos  in  the  War  with  Great  Briton 
''      '    ~  ■      )  &  the  sum  of  Provisions  Expended  for  Scouts, 


To  457  Days  Scouting  ^       .        ^j^       ^ 
To  Provisions  expended  for  Scouts  >     '^    ■    if,    ■ 
at  Sundry  times  J 


May  10  1791 

The  above  amnt  taken  from  minutes  kept  by  us  of  the  Scouts  that 
went  out  of  the  town  Lancaster  in  the  time  of  the  War 

Attest  '\   Select 

Edards  Bucknam  (      men 
E.  Stockwell  I    Lancaster 

J     for  1791-" 

The  following  summary  of  scouting  and  expenses  bears  no  date, 
but  is  of  value  as  showing  who  were  the  scouts : 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD. 


85 


"  The  following  Role  is  a  true  and  exact  account  of  what  Scouting  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  Town  of  Lancaster  have  done  at  their  own  expense  for  the  security 
and  safety  of  the  frontier  Towns  on  &  near  The  Connecticutt  in  Upper  Coos. 


"  Names. 

Time  when 
entered  service. 

No.  days 
served. 

When  discharged  or 
returned  from  scouting. 

Moses  Page 
John  Indian 

June  15,  1775 
Do    15    Do 

1 1  days 
1 1 

June  26,  1775. 
Do     Do    Do. 

James  Rosebrook 

Do    15    Do 

II  Do 

Do     Do    Do. 

David  Page 

David  Page 
Do     Do 

Emmons  Stockwell 
Do           Do 
Do           Do 

July  2,  1775 
August  10,  1776 
August  20,  1 78 1 
May  26,  1775 
Sept.  10,  Do 
June  4,  1776. 

10 
10 
12 

12 

8 

15 

July  12,  1775. 
Aug.  26th.  1776. 
Sept.  2,  1 78 1. 
June  1st.  1775. 
Sept.  1 8th.  Do. 
June  19,  1876." 

Alarms  Durinc}  the  War. 

The  following  account  I  find  in  Bucknam's  papers,  signed  by  him- 
self and  Jonas  Wilder,  under  date  of  June  22,  1786: 

"An  account  of  the  alarms  in  the  Upper  Coos  during  the  war:  In  July,  1776,  i 
alarm;  Sept.,  1777,  i  alarm;  1778,  do;  in  July  1779,  i  alrm.  Indians  took 
prisoners  at  Stratford;  in  June,  1780,  i  alarm;  August,  1780,  do;  Oct.,  1780,  i 
do;  Thos.  Worcester  taken  ;  in  July,  1781,  i  alarm;  some  wounded  men  came 
in  and  said  Pritchett  was  near;  Sept.,  1781,  i  alarm.  Pritchett  went  to  Wip- 
ple's ;  in  May,  1782,  r  alarm,  Abel  Learned  taken;  June,  do,  i  alarm;  in  Oct., 
r  alarm.      Nix  taken." 

The  following  account  or  memorandum  was  found  among  Gen. 
Bucknam's  private  papers,  and  is  inserted  here  as  showing  some  of 
his  activities  during  the  war.  I  thought  best  not  to  alter  it  in  any- 
particular.  It  was  simply  the  memorandum  of  his  services  upon 
which  he  may  have  based  his  claims  in  a  bill  for  services  and  provi- 
sions furnished  the  scouts  at  various  times: 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire  to  Edwards  Bucknam,      Dr. 
^^  >    To  17  Days  scouting  in  the  Upper  Cohas  at  4  sh. 

J,    ,  I    To  9  days  scouting  at  4  sh.  Pd.  John  Indian 

Sept  1777.   To  10  days  Scouting 

Sept  1778.  To  six  Days  5  Do  Scouting 

1781  )        ^^  ^  Day  forting 

r         >       To  Provisions  Delivered  to 

-•""^  )  Capt.  Caswell  &  Party 

10:     6:3. 


(in 

silver). 

3  • 

8:   0. 

I  : 

16  :    0 

1 

0  :    0 

2 

4:    0 

0 

4:    0 

0  : 

14-   3- 

86 


HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 


To  6  Days  Paid  Saml.  Page  at  4sh. 
To  3  Do  more 


Errors  Excepted, 

Edw."!"  Bucknam." 
Another  memorandum  : 

"  Sept  4  1780 
Capt.  Gasslin  and  Party  that  had  come  from  Canada 
to  Provisions  &  Rum 


I  :      4:0. 
o  :    12  :   o 


£^ 


silver  money 
^0:15: 
5:0 
2  :o 


to  ten  meels  Vittels  i  6  Pr  meel 

to  five  Gills  Rum  ....... 

to  two    Do     Do    more  ....... 

Reed.  Payment 

Lieut  Gassclin,  Capt." 

Among  Gen.  Bucknam's  papers  I  find  this  interesting  receipt,  and 
insert  it  here  as  showing  how  business  was  transacted  in  these  parts 
during  the  war.  It  is  in  French,  but  we  offer  a  translation  for  the 
English  reader. 

'' Je  sousigne''  avoir  recus  du  Capt  Boknem  90  de  Pork  et  one  pinte  de  sell  de 
le  21  Avril  1779 

de  plus  recus  deux  fusil 
Come  jai  recus  deux  fusils  de  Capt  boknem 
J''ai  donne  le  present  four  remetre  au  general  Balay  a  Coos 

da  Gassclin  Capt." 

Translation  : 

The  undersigned  received  of  Capt  Bokem  90  pork  and  one  pint  of  salt  April 
21,  1779,  and  also  two  guns. 

The  receipt  for  the  two  guns  must  be  given  to  Gen.  Balay  of  Coos. 

Gossclin,  Capt. 

The  following  account  I  find  among  Gen.  Bucknam's  papers.  He 
was  one  of  the  administrators  of  the  estate  of  David  Page,  Sr.,  who 
died  in  1785,  and  this  came  into  his  hands  as  many  other  papers  of 
"  Gov.  Page  "  did.  We  insert  it  as  a  curious  relic  of  the  customs  of 
the  time,  and  as  throwing  additional  light  upon  our  subject : 

Coll.  John  Goffe  Dr.  to  David  Page. 


"1779 
March  6 


To  fifteen  Pounds  six  ounces  Pork 

To  six  Pounds  Beef 

To  4  meeals  of  meet 

To  4  meeals  Spon  vittels 

To  4  meeals  Spon  vittels 

To  4  meeals  meet    . 

To  4  meeals  meet     . 

To  4  meeals  meet  vittels 


"  Delivered  to  John  Moor  &  the  Rest  of  the 
Dartmouth  company  on  Coll  Goffe  Order." 


0:15  :4. 
o :03  :o. 
o :02 :o. 
o  :oi  -.4.. 
o  :oi  -.4. 
o :o2  :8. 
o :o2  :o. 
o :o2  :8. 

^I  :ll  :o. 


THE    REVOLUTIONARY    PERIOD. 


87 


To  these  interesting  accounts  I  add  the  following,  taken  from  Re- 
volutionary Rolls  of  New  Hampshire,  as  probably  the  last  of  the 
records  of  the  war  in  which  Lancaster  was  concerned  financially. 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire Grafton  ss. 

"  Rations  due  to  twelve  men  while  in  service  in  the  state  of  New  Hampshire  & 
raised  for  a  Scouting  Party  on  the  frontiers  in  the  upper  Co'os  in  the  year  1782 
and  inlisted  the  13th  Day  of  April  1782,  and  discharged  last  day  of  Nov.  follow- 
ing  and  each  man  found  hisself  said  Term. 


When 

When 

Months  in 

Rations 

"  Names  inlisted. 

enlisted. 

discharged. 

service. 

Days. 

due. 

James  Blake  Sergt. 

Ap.  13,  1782. 

Nov.  30  day. 

7 

17  days. 

£i-~ 

Archippus  Blodgett 

"     13       .' 

-       30     " 

7 

17     " 

"  12 

Joshua  Lamkins 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17      " 

"  12 

James  Brown 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17     " 

"  12 

Elijah  Blodgett 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17     " 

''  12 

Dennis  Stanley 

"     13       " 

-       3c      " 

7 

17      " 

"  12 

Moses  Page 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17     "■ 

"  12 

James  Wilder 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17      .. 

"  12 

Caleb  Marshall 

"     13       " 

"       30     " 

7 

17     " 

"  12 

James  Burnside 

"     13       .' 

-       30     - 

7 

17      " 

•'  12 

Nathan  Caswell 

"     13       '• 

"       30     " 

7 

17      " 

"  12 

James  Curtis 

"     13       " 

-       30     " 

7 

17     .. 

"  12" 

After  the  war  was  over  and  the  soldiers  had  been  discharged  and 
returned  to  their  homes,  or  sought  new  places  of  residence,  many  of 
their  claims  for  services  and  rations  remained  unpaid  for  a  number 
of  years,  as  the  treasury  of  the  state  was  emptied  long  before  its 
debts  to  its  citizen  soldiers  were  settled.  To  wait  for  a  term  of 
years  until  the  treasury  was  full  enough  to  allow  the  settlement  of 
these  claims  entailed  hardships  on  many  of  the  men.  Their  pay 
was  very  meagre,  and  as  the  years  of  unsettled  conditions  had  gone 
from  one  to  seven,  these  men  were  growing  older  by  so  much,  and 
their  chances  for  promoting  their  interests  had  gone  by.  Many  of 
them  were  not  able  to  prosecute  their  own  claims  as  they  lived  at 
too  great  a  distance  from  the  seat  of  government.  It  was  at  this 
time  that  General  Bucknam  and  other  public-spirited  men  came  to 
the  relief  of  these  old  soldiers  and  paid  their  claims  and  took  their 
accounts  for  collection,  accompanied,  in  man\-  instances,  b}^  a  power 
of  attorney.  I  have  before  me  several  dozen  of  these  assignments 
of  claims  made  to  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam  and  others. 

Whenever  the  considerations  are  mentioned  they  are  always  in 
full  of  the  claims  transferred,  from  which  we  infer  that  the  service 
they  thus  rendered  their  fellow  soldiers  was  as  noble  as  the  spirit  of 
patriotism  was    strong  when   they  marched   together  in  these  wild 


^>8  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

regions.  Of  the  number  who  sold  these  claims  there  were  some 
who  in  after  years  became  quite  noted  citizens  in  Lancaster.  A 
number  of  the  men,  who  had  served  under  Gen.  Moses  Hazen 
through  a  portion  of  the  time,  came  to  Lancaster,  drawn  here,  per- 
haps, by  the  fact  that  the  old  general  himself  had  purchased  a 
large  tract  of  land   here,  and  intended  to  make  Lancaster  his  home. 


CHAPTER    LX. 

FROM  THE    REVOLUTIONARY  WAR   TO   THE    BEGINNING  OF    THE 
NINETEExNTH  CENTURY. 

An  Era  of  Prosperity — Rapid  Immigration  and  Increase  of  Population 
— -Public  Improvements — Establishment  of  Churches  and  Schools — 
The  Coming  of   New  Industries. 

It  must  have  filled  the  hearts  of  the  people  with  joy  to  learn  that 
the  war  was  over  and  peace  declared,  and  that  they  could  now  turn 
their  attention  to  the  development  of  their  neglected  industries  of 
peace. 

At  least  there  was  hope  that  their  crippled  fortunes  might  be,  in  a 
good  measure,  retrieved,  as  their  lands  were  productive,  and  the 
clearings  were  growing  larger  in  spite  of  all  the  interruptions  the 
war  might  have  brought  them.  To  the  remaining  citizens  large 
families  were  growing  up,  among  \vhom  were  some  strong  and 
sturdy  sons  who  could  be  a  help  to  their  fathers  in  clearing  lands 
and  tilling  them,  building  roads,  and  hunting  and  fishing  to  furnish 
their  tables  with  meats,  and  furs  to  clothe  the  families.  The  out- 
look was  not  bright,  but  there  were  some  encouraging  features  in  it; 
and  the  brave  men  and  women  bent  their  energies  to  make  the  most 
of  their  situation,  as  we  shall  see.  The  eight  years  of  unsettled 
conditions  had  consumed  much  of  their  substance  and  time,  but 
their  hearts  were  as  strong  as  ever.  Their  hope  had  not  left  them 
for,  as  some  of  them  had  said  in  the  beginning  of  that  time  of 
trouble,  they  had  come  here  to  make  homes,  to  live  and  die  here. 
They  had  braved  great  dangers  in  order  to  stand  by  the  homes  the}' 
had  builded,  and  now  there  was  again  some  hope  that  they  could 
go  on  and  achieve  the  plans  they  had  laid  on  coming  into  this 
region  so  favorable  to  the  enterprises  of  pioneers. 

In  the  early  years  of  the  war  some  families  had  left,  and  never 
returned  again.  A  number  of  the  young  men  had  enlisted  in  the 
Continental  Army,  and  were  either  lost  in  the  battles  of  the  war,  or 
else  having  followed  its  fortunes  so  far  into  other  sections  of  the 
country  that  few,  if  indeed  any,  of  them  returned  to  this  first  land 
of  their  choice  and   hopes.      Landowners  who   might  have  had  seri- 


AN    ERA    OF    PROSPERITY.  89 

ous  intentions  of  locating  here  never  came.  Some,  discouraged  at 
the  prospects  of  safety  on  their  lands,  had  sold  them,  so  that  by  the 
close  of  the  war  there  were  new  landowners  holding  titles  to  large 
tracts  of  the  most  valuable  lands  in  the  town  with  no  interest  in  the 
town  beyond  the  hope  of  some  day  selling  their  lands  at  a  large 
profit  on  their  investments. 

Fortunately  some  of  the  land  sold  by  the  non-resident  owners  fell 
into  the  hands  of  men  who  were  induced  to  locate  upon  their  new 
purchases,  and  in  a  short  time  proved  themselves  to  be  a  valuable 
addition  to  the  citizenship  of  the  town. 

Lancaster  soon  felt  the  returning  tide  of  prosperity  that  always 
follows  the  desolation  and  waste  of  war.  The  people  who  had  suf- 
fered hardships  and  wants  now,  through  industry  and  economy, 
began  to  enjo}-  some  of  the  fruits  of  their  many  years  of  toil.  New 
families  came,  and  larger  social  relations  and  intercourse  followed, 
and  new  and   unheard-of  enterprises  sprang  up  among  the   people. 

About  the  year  1785  the  tide  of  emigration  began  to  move  from 
the  older  towns  in  the  southern  part  of  this  state,  Massachusetts,  and 
Connecticut.  This  tide  of  earnest  home-seekers  moved  northward 
along  the  Connecticut  river  valley  until  the  advance  of  it  reached 
the  Upper  Coos  country ;  and  from  that  class  all  these  northern 
towns  can  count  scores  of  the  most  important  families  that  have 
helped  to  make  them  what  they  are  to-day.  Of  that  class  Lancas- 
ter received  many  men  of  the  most  sterling  worth  and  integrity. 

The  first  settlements  of  the  town  were  made  at  the  extreme  ends 
of  the  intervale.  The  Pages  and  Stockwells  settled  at  the  north  end 
on  account  of  the  splendid  meadow-lands  found  there ;  and  it  is 
thought  that  Edwards  Bucknam  located  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver 
Brook  on  account  of  the  extensive  beaver  meadows  there,  which 
afforded  a  supply  of  grass  for  his  cattle  until  he  could  clear  the 
lands  and  raise  the  domesticated  grasses.  We  know  that  the  beaver 
meadows  on  Indian  brook  were  mown  by  David  Page  for  the  same 
reason ;  and  that  Thomas  Burnside  sought  the  beaver  meadows  on 
what  is  now  known  as  Burnside  brook  for  hay  to  feed  his  cattle  for 
some  years  until  he  cleared  and  cultivated  his  lands. 

The  vast  level  section  along  Isreals  river  had  lain  uncultivated 
and  waiting  settlement  for  twenty  years  before  any  one  located  on  it. 

About  the  year  1786  Stephen  Wilson  put  up  a  log  house  on  the 
intervale,  on  the  site  of  which  Henry  Hilliard  now  lives,  and  after- 
wards sold  it  to  Stevenson  and  moved  into  the  village.  A  village 
plot,  consisting  of  a  houselot  for  each  and  every  grantee  of  the 
town,  had  been  surveyed  on  what  is  now  the  meeting-house  common, 
and  along  Pleasant  street;  but  for  some  reason,  unknown  to  us,  the 
proposed  village  of  the  charter  was  never  built,  but  instead  every 
man  built  his  house  upon  his  farm  lands. 


90  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  village  was  slow  to  develop,  and  until  within  the  recollection 
of  men  still  living  consisted  of  only  a  few*  shopkeepers  and  their 
shops,  with  a  few  impecunious  laborers  lacking  the  ambition  or  ex- 
perience to  carry  on  enterprises  of  their  own.  There  was  nothing 
to  encourage  the  growth  of  a  village,  as  the  earliest  settlers  all  lived 
on  farms.  It  was  many  years  before  any  other  industry  than  farm- 
ing existed  in  Lancaster.  Until  near  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  the  only  stocks  of  goods  kept  for  sale  were  kept  in  the 
dwelling  houses  of  the  settlers. 

In  the  year  1786,  and  for  several  years  following,  there  came  to 
town  such  men  as  Capt.  John  Weeks,  Joseph  Brackett,  William 
Moore,  Phineas  Hodgdon,  Walter  and  Samuel  Philbrook,  all  from 
the  older  and  more  advanced  settlements  of  this  state.  From  Mas- 
sachusetts and  Connecticut  came  Titus  O.  Brown,  Jonas  Baker, 
Jonathan  Cram,  Humphrey  Cram,  Joseph  Wilder,  Benjamin  Board- 
man,  Elisha  Wilder.  Some  of  these  men  possessed  considerable 
means,  and  all  of  them  brought  new  and  larger  experiences  into  the 
new  community.  They  infused  new  life  into  it,  and  greatly  .stimu- 
lated the  older  settlers  to  renewed  efforts.  They  either  had  bought 
lands  before  coming  or  did  shortly  after  their  arrival.  As  the  lands 
had  all  been  divided  into  even  portions  and  were  known  and  treated 
as  rights  descending  from  the  original  grantees  to  these  later  pur- 
chasers, these  men  got  pretty  evenly  distributed  over  the  township. 
The  new  arrivals  of  families  pushed  the  settlement  throughout  the 
whole  length  of  the  river  valleys  and  up  over  the  first  highlands, 
which  forced  upon  the  attention  of  the  town  the  question  of  build- 
ing roads  to  reach  these  new  homes  that  were  everywhere  springing 
up.  For  more  than  twenty  years  following  the  close  of  the  war  the 
town  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  an  expansion  of  its  settlements.  The 
little  group  of  homes  in  the  north  end  was  added  to  until  they  began 
to  push  eastward  over  Page  hill ;  and  in  the  south  end  the  settle- 
ment surrounding  Bucknam  grew  so  large  as  to  push  its  wa)^  up 
Stebben's  hill,  and  well  up  to  where  the  village  now  is. 

The  larger  bodies  of  land,  that  had  been  bought  up  by  the  few 
men  of  ampler  fortunes  than  the  original  settlers  possessed,  began  to 
be  broken  up  into  smaller  holdings  to  accommodate  the  new  famil- 
ies that  were  seeking  to  locate  here. 

During  this  whole  period  of  rapid  growth  of  population,  condi- 
tions of  domestic  life  remained  in  pretty  nearly  the  primitive  sim- 
plicity and  scantiness  that  they  had  been  from  the  very  first,  owing 
chiefly  to  the  fact  of  well-nigh  impassable  roads.  Those  who  had 
the  wherewithal  of  furnishing  their  homes  could  not  bring  much  of 
it  with  them  on  account  of  the  poor  roads,  which  were  little  more 
than  passable  for  horseback  riders  in  man)^  places.  The  first  houses 
were  but  cabins,  and  their  furnishings  must  have  been   of  the   most 


INCREASE    OF    POPULATION.  9 1 

scanty  kind.  Upon  the  arrival  of  a  new  family  a  cabin  was  built, 
and  around  it  a  clearing  was  begun,  which  grew  from  year  to  year 
into  a  farm.  The  first  cleared  patch  was  a  garden,  and  afforded  the 
family  a  supply  of  vegetables  for  the  table,  while  a  good  share  of 
the  meat  that  was  eaten  was  taken  from  the  streams  that  then 
swarmed  with  fish  of  the  choicest  kinds,  especially  salmon  and  trout, 
and  game  from  the  great  forests  that  surrounded  them.  The  do- 
mestic animals  were  few  for  a  long  time.  The  best,  and  so  far  as 
we  know  the  only  accurate,  description  of  one  of  those  early  homes 
is  that  preserved  in  a  letter  written  by  Capt.  John  Weeks  to  his  wife 
in  Greenland,  N.  H.,  from  which  place  he  had  emigrated  to  Lan- 
caster with  his  son  John,  then  a  lad  of  not  more  than  six  years 
old,  and  built  his  first  house  near  General  Bucknam  on  the  road  to 
South  Lancaster,  on  the  lands  now  owned  by  Sam  F.  McNally.  In 
this  interesting  missive  he  says : 

"  We  shall  move  into  our  log  house  this  week.  It  will  be  a  very 
comfortable  one.  The  logs,  all  peeled,  are  smooth  and  clean.  The 
house  is  eighteen  feet  wide  and  twenty  feet  long.  We  shall  have 
one  comfortable  room  and  two  bed  rooms.  Our  family  now  con- 
sists, besides  myself,  of  one  hired  man,  one  girl  (Patty),  one  boy 
(John),  one  cow,  one  heifer,  one  sheep,  one  hog,  one  pig,  one  dog, 
one  cat,  one  hen,  and  one  chicken.  We  also  have  a  pair  of  geese 
at  Coll.  Bucknam's,  which  we  shall  take  home  in  the  fall.  You 
would  be  pleased  to  see  our  little  family  and  Patty's  management  of^ 
it."  This  letter  was  written  early  in  the  season  of  1787,  for  in 
another  written  the  17th  of  June,  1787,  Mr.  Weeks  informs  his  wife 
that  the  teacher  of  the  school  to  which  his  son  John  was  going,  a 
Mr.  Bergin,  boarded  with  them  the  week  previous.  Those  little 
houses  were  like  the  proverbial  "stage-coach;"  there  was  always 
room  in  them  for  another  person.  When  it  came  Captain  Weeks's  turn 
to  take  the  schoolmaster  for  a  week  I  presume  there  was  no  complaint 
that  his  18x20  house  with  three  rooms,  only  two  of  which  were  bed 
rooms,  was  too  small.  They  were  a  hospitable  class  of  pioneers, 
and  if  their  accommodations  were  not  ample  they  did  not  hesitate 
to  extend  them  to  the  sojourner  among  them.  Captain  Weeks  had 
moved  nothing  here  to  furnish  his  house  with  except  what  could  be 
carried  on  the  backs  of  two  horses  ridden  by  his  son  John  Wingate, 
and  his  daughter  Patty  (Martha  who  married  Edward  Spaulding), 
while  he  drove  his  cattle.  This  w^as  in  the  early  spring  of  1787, 
and  his  wife  and  other  children  followed  in  the  fall  of  that  year 
through  the  Notch  of  the  White  Mountains.  Mrs.  Weeks  made  the 
journey  on  horseback  carrying  her  seven  months'  old  child  (after- 
ward Mrs.  A.  N.  Brackett)  in  her  arms,  and  her  youngest  son, 
James  Brackett  Weeks,  on  the  horse  behind  her. 

These  newcomers  were  welcomed  by  the   original   settlers,  and   as 


92  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

they  were  generally  men  of  wider  experience  they  rose  to  prom- 
inence in  the  management  of  local  and  state  affairs.  Captain  Weeks 
was  chosen  as  the  delegate  of  the  district  (consisting  of  Lancaster, 
Northumberland,  Stratford,  Dartmouth,  Cockburnc,  Colburne  and 
Percy)  to  the  convention  that  ratified  the  Federal  constitution.  He 
was  one  of  the  fifty-seven  delegates  voting  in  favor  of  the  constitu- 
tion as  against  forty-six  voting  in  the  negative.  In  i  792  he  repre- 
sented the  town  in  the  general  court,  and  held  many  other  ofifices  in 
the  town.  Those  were  days  when  a  man  was  considered  for  his 
worth  and  abilities  rather  than  the  length  of  his  residence  in  the 
town,  or  the  fact  that  he  was  born  in  it.  So  all  these  newcomers 
fitted  into  some  useful  relation  to  the  new  community  in  which  the\- 
had  cast  their  lot,  and  the  lapse  of  time  made  them  a  homogeneous 
community. 

Midway  between  General  Bucknam's  place  and  Isreals  river  Bry- 
ant Stevenson  had  taken  up  his  residence  at  an  earlier  day,  on 
lands  formerly  owned  by  Col.  Stephen  Wilson,  and  now  owned  by 
Capt.  H.  S.  Hilliard.  Capt.  Stevenson  was  interested  in  the  schools 
of  the  town,  and  was  for  many  years  clerk  of  District  No.  2. 

So  rapid  had  been  the  increase  of  families  in  town  that  the  num- 
ber of  taxpayers  had  increased  from  ten  in  1783  to  fifty-nine  in 
1795'  siicl  there  were  ninety-one  voters  in  1799;  and  a  year  later 
the  entire  population  had   reached  four  hundred  and  forty. 

About  1790  the  settlement  began  to  push  up  toward  the  higher 
lands  around  Mts.  Pleasant  and  Prospect.  John  Mclntire,  a  man  of 
remarkable  powers  of  body  and  mind,  though  not  as  well  educated 
as  his  fellow  townsmen,  settled  on  the  northerly  slope  of  Mt.  Pleas- 
ant. Here  he  developed  a  productive  farm,  and  reared  a  large  famil\' 
of  sixteen  children.  Mr.  Mclntire  was  born  in  York,  Me.,  Jan  i,  1765, 
and  at  the  early  age  of  sixteen  volunteered  as  a  soldier  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary army.  His  education  was  thus  neglected,  but  he  developed 
a  ruggedness  of  body  and  mind  that,  in  a  large  part,  made  up  for 
the  deficiency  of  his  schooling.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  moral  in- 
tegrity and  patriotism.  It  is  said  that  he  came  into  Lancaster  at  the 
age  of  twenty-five  with  a  yoke  of  oxen,  an  axe,  and  a  bushel  of  salt 
as  his  entire  capital  of  worldly  goods.  He  at  once  set  to  work  and 
carved  a  home  out  of  the  forest.  Few  men  were  held  in  higher  es- 
teem than  he  was.  He  married  Sally  Stockwell,  second  daughter  of 
Ruth  Page  and  Emmons  Stockwell.  To  them  were  born  eleven 
children — John,  Sallie,  William,  Mary,  Mercy.  Silas,  Samuel,  Susan, 
Emmons,  Dorothy,  and  Eben. 

On  September  19,  18 12,  his  wife  died.  About  a  year  later  he 
married  Susanna  Bucknam,  the  sixth  daughter  of  P^^dwards  Buck- 
nam,  and  a  cousin  to  his  first  wife.  To  them  were  born  five  chil- 
dren— Eunice,  Edward,  James,  Jane,   and   Laura.      His  second  wife 


INCREASE    OF    POPULATION.  93 

died  July  23,  1832,  and  he  followed  her  April  5,  1850.  He  left  an 
honored  memory  and  a  snug  fortune  to  his  many  children  who  sur- 
vived him,  and  who  have  been  among  the  best  citizens  of  the 
town. 

About  the  time  that  we  are  now  speaking  of,  Edward  Spaulding, 
a  lineal  descendant  of  the  noted  Mrs.  Dustin,  settled  on  the  northern 
slope  of  Mt.  Pleasant,  a  near  neighbor  to  John  Mclntire.  He  was 
the  son  of  Daniel  Spaulding  (whose  wife  was  Phebe  Dustin),  born 
in  Londonderry,  N.  H.,  and  carried  in  his  mother's  arms  to  North- 
umberland in  May,  1769,  where  they  began  life  in  a  log  cabin. 
These  young  emigrants  started  for  this  region,  with  a  few  articles  for 
housekeeping,  traveling  on  horseback.  They  reached  Haverhill, 
from  which  point  there  was  only  a  path  to  their  destination  in  North- 
umberland. They  tarried  over  night  with  some  family,  and  in  their 
haste  to  get  ready  in  the  morning  Mrs.  Spaulding  sat  her  baby  down 
upon  the  floor  for  a  moment,  when  he  crawled  to  the  fireplace  and 
pulled  a  kettle  of  hot  water  over  upon  himself,  scalding  his  feet.  In 
consequence  of  this  accident,  it  was  decided  that  Mr.  Spaulding 
should  go  on  alone  to  the  north  and  leave  his  wife  and  child,  to  re- 
turn for  them  in  a  short  time.  But  not  returning,  as  she  expected 
him  to  do,  on  a  given  date,  Mrs.  Spaulding  set  out  on  foot  to  find 
her  husband,  carrying  her  baby  in  her  arms,  with  a  small  copper  tea- 
kettle, in  which  were  packed  some  parcels  of  garden  seeds  to  plant 
when  they  got  to  their  new  home  (this  teakettle  is  now  in  the  pos- 
session of  her  great-granddaughter,  Mrs.  Debby  A.  Kent,  in  Lan- 
caster). She  traveled  all  day  alone  by  a  path  marked  by  blazed 
trees.  Just  as  night  was  settling  down  upon  her  she  reached  what  is 
now  known  as  "  Streeter's  Pond,"  which  she  would  have  to  ford.  She 
decided  to  wait  until  morning  before  making  the  venture.  She 
looked  about  her  for  the  best  shelter  she  could  find,  and  having  dis- 
posed of  her  sleeping  child  and  buried  her  kettle  of  priceless  seeds,  she 
sank  down,  tired  and  lonely,  to  wait  for  the  coming  of  the  morning 
light  which  should  enable  her  to  press  on  to  the  north  to  find  her 
husband,  whom  she  feared  had  met  with  some  misfortune,  as  he  had 
not  returned  for  her  as  soon  as  she  had  expected.  Tired  and  anx- 
ious, she  thought  she  would  keep  a  sleepless  vigil  over  her  sleeping 
child  to  shield  it  from  harm  ;  but  her  exhausted  nature  found  re- 
freshment in  a  sound  sleep  that  continued  until  the  dawn  of  the 
morning  for  which  she  felt  so  anxious.  She  immediately  renewed 
her  journey  with  the  determination  not  to  spend  another  night  alone 
in  the  forest.  Just  as  the  sun  was  casting  its  last  slanting  rays  on 
the  hilltops  she  spied  a  house  in  the  distance.  She  had  reached 
Lancaster,  where  she  was  made  welcome  and  comfortable  over  the 
night.  She  started  the  next  morning  to  make  the  last  six  miles  of 
her  long  and  lonely  journey,  not  knowing  what  fate  might  have  be- 


94  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

fallen  her  husband.  She  found  him  there  just  ready  to  return  for 
her,  after  having  delayed  to  erect  a  cabin  to  receive  her. 

Here  they  resided  for  many  years.  When  Edward  was  about  2i 
years  of  age  he  married  Martha  Weeks  and  began  the  clearing  of 
the  farm  we  have  mentioned.  Martha  Weeks  was  born  in  Green- 
land, N.  H.,  Dec.  20,  1 77 1,  and  came  to  Lancaster  with  her  father 
and  brother,  John  W.  Weeks,  in  1786.  Mrs.  Spaulding  was  a  re- 
markable woman,  well  fitted  to  be  the  wife  of  such  a  sturdy  pioneer 
as  was  Mr.  Spaulding.  She  was  the  mother  of  six  children — Edward 
C,  John  W.,  William  D.,  James  B.,  Eliza  W.  (married  William 
Moore),  Martha  B.  (married  Charles  D.  Stebbins).  Mrs.  Spauld- 
ing lived  to  be  nearly  a  hundred  years  old,  having  lived  till  1871. 
She  survived  her  husband  some  twenty-six  years,  he  having  died  in 
1845,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine. 

Eor  ten  years  their  first  house,  a  log  cabin,  was  small  and  without 
a  floor.  Then  was  built  the  house  still  standing  on  the  old  farm, 
and  now  owned  and  occupied  by  James  S.  Peavey.  Here  Mrs. 
Spaulding  spent  eighty-one  years  of  her  life,  and  was  at  the  time  of 
her  death  the  only  person  who  had  come  to  Lancaster  as  one  of  its 
original  settlers.  The  descendants  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Spaulding  are 
numerous,  and  have  always  occupied  prominent  places  in  the  town. 
John  Hubbard  Spaulding,  a  grandson  of  Edward  and  Martha  Spauld- 
ing, assisted  in  building  the  first  hotel  on  Mount  Washington,  and 
for  some  years  conducted  both  the  Summit  and  the  Tip-Top  houses. 
He  also  wrote  a  very  interesting  and  valuable  "  Guide,  and  Histori- 
cal Records  of  the  White  Mountains,"  and  various  other  matters  of 
interest. 
^  It  was  in  1793  that  Lancaster  hospitably  welcomed   her  first  law- 

yer in  the  person  of  Richard  Claire  Everett.  Mr.  Everett  first  came 
to  Lancaster  in  1782.  He  was  then  a  mere  youth  of  eighteen  years. 
He  had  but  recently  been  discharged  from  the  Revolutionary  army, 
after  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  Yorktown,  Va.,  and  with  a  Mr. 
Blake  and  his  wife  came  to  Lancaster  in  search  of  a  home.  It  is 
said  that  this  party  came  here  from  Providence,  R.  I.,  with  all  their 
earthly  effects  loaded  upon  the  back  of  one  horse,  and  the  three 
adult  persons  walked,  and  carried  loads  themselves.  As  Mr.  Blake 
was  loaded  nearly  as  heavy  as  his  horse,  and  his  wife  less  able  than 
young  Everett  to  carry  a  baby,  he  brought  it  in  his  arms  all  the 
way.  He  was  an  orphan  boy,  and  having  learned  to  help  himself, 
had  also  learned  to  make  himself  helpful  to  others ;  and  all  through 
his  life  this  trait  was  characteristic  of  the  man.  It  is  said  that  his 
extreme  youthfulness  and  conditions  excited  the  interest  of  General 
Washington  in  him,  and  that  he  assigned  the  sixteen-year-old  boy  to 
some  personal  service  about  his  headquarters.  If  he  had  served  the 
"Father  of  his  country,"  why  not  his  friends  in  this  menial  capacity? 


Richard  Clair  Everett. 

The  first  lawyer  and  judge  in  Coos  county. 


,    .^'i''^ 


Adino  N.  Brackett. 


Sali.v,  \Vid(j\v  of 
Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam. 

(Taken  on  her  rooth  birthdav.) 


Maj.  John  W.   Weeks. 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  95 

Both  young  Everett  and  Blake  went  to  work  for  Major  Wilder 
soon  after  coming  here,  and  remained  for  some  time  in  his  service. 
These  two  men  hauled  salt  through  the  White  Mountain  Notch 
for  Major  Wilder  in  the  winter  of  1782  ;  and  as  the  road  was  but  a 
path  they  had  to  clear  it  much  of  the  way  in  order  to  allow  of  a  sled 
passing. 

Feeling  that  his  whole  dependence  was  upon  himself,  young 
Everett  was  industrious  and  economical,  for  he  wanted  to  improve 
his  education.  He  went  to  Hanover  in  the  spring  of  1783  to  fit 
himself  for  college,  and  by  much  persistent  effort  he  was  making 
some  progress  in  his  undertaking  when  he  suddenly  discovered  him- 
self the  heir  to  quite  a  sum  of  money,  which  he  secured.  He  now 
found  his  way  open  for  an  education,  and  in  due  time  was  graduated 
from  Dartmouth  college.  He  next  turned  his  attention  to  the  study 
of  law  as  a  profession,  with  the  intention  of  locating  in  Lancaster. 
Having  completed  his  law  studies,  and  being  admitted  to  practice, 
he  came  to  Lancaster  in  the  spring  of  1793,  and  soon  was  married 
to  Persis,  daughter  of  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder,  to  whom  he  had  been 
engaged  for  a  period  of  seven  or  eight  years.  During  the  fall  and 
winter  of  that  year  he  built  the  house  now  standing  on  the  corner 
of  Main  and  High  streets,  known  as  the  "  Cross  House,"  it  having 
been  for  a  long  time  occupied  by  Col.  Ephraim  Cross,  his  son-in-law.^ 

Mr.  Everett  at  once  began  to  build  up  a  law  practice,  and  for 
many  years  was  the  leading  lawyer  in  town.  He  was  identified  with 
many  industries  and  enterprises  in  the  town,  was  always  public- 
spirited,  and  did  much  to  foster  the  interests  of  the  community. 
For  eleven  years  he  attended  the  court  sessions  at  Haverhill,  the 
shire  town  of  Grafton  county.  Tradition  says  that  he  exercised  a 
potent  influence  in  securing  the  erection  of  the  new  county  of  Coos 
in  1803.  He  was  the  first  to  bear  to  Lancaster  the  welcome  news 
that  the  spring  term  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  for  1805  would 
be  held  in  Lancaster,  and  at  once  set  about  getting  ready  to  enter- 
tain the  court  oflficers  and  lawyers  that  were  expected  to  attend  it. 
He  built  an  addition  to  his  house  which  was  just  large  enough  for 
his  family.  This  addition,  the  north  end  of  the  present  house  above 
referred  to,  was  to  contain  the  guest-rooms  for  the  distinguished 
people  connected  with  work  of  the  court.  Tradition  says  that  Judge 
Livermore,  Daniel  Webster,  Levi  Woodbury,  Ichabod  Bartlett,  and 
Joseph  Bell,  among  the  old-time  distinguished  lawyers  and  jurists, 
have  been  entertained  in  those  rooms.  There  was  at  that  time  no 
public  house  in  Lancaster.  Major  Wilder  kept  transient  travelers 
through  the  town  in  his  spacious  dwelling-house,  now  known  as  the 
"  Holton  Place,"  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street.  This  house,  the 
first  two-story  frame  house  in  town,  was  built  in  1780.  Religious 
services  were  held  in  it,  and  various  other  public  assemblages  con- 


96  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

vened  there  until  there  was  a  church   building,  and  hotels,  and   halls 
erected  for  their  convenience. 

This  influx  of  population  hastened  the  opening-  up  of  better  roads, 
and  established  better  communication  with  the  outside  world.  As 
we  have  seen  elsewhere  in  speaking  particularly  of  the  roads,  there 
was  not  a  passably  good  road  for  vehicles  of  any  kind  into  Lancaster 
from  any  of  the  centres  of  trade  from  which  the  people  must  be 
supplied  with  such  articles  as  they  could  not  produce  themselves  at 
home.  There  was  a  sled  road  to  Portland  soon  after  1780,  and  a 
poor  road  to  Haverhill,  N.  H.  The  river  afforded  the  best  road  to 
the  lower  towns;  but  that  was  only  passable  a  few  months  in  mid- 
winter, with  some  elements  of  treachery  even  in  that. 

For  several  years  after  the  first  settlers  came  here  there  was  no 
mill  for  grinding  breadstuffs  nearer  than  No.  4  (Charlestown),  more 
than  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  distant.  No  bulky  furniture,  or 
any  large  implements  of  industry  could  be  transported  for  several 
years  as  the  roads  did  not  admit  of  the  passage  of  loaded  vehicles 
of  transportation.  Only  the  smaller  articles  that  could  be  packed 
upon  horses  or  oxen  could  be  brought  through  the  narrow  and 
uneven  paths  the  emigrants  were  compelled  to  travel  over.  These 
inconveniences  were,  in  a  large  part,  overcome  by  the  inherent 
genius  and  determination  of  the  people  to  succeed.  They  had  evi- 
dently made  up  their  minds  to  endure  hardships  and  privations,  in 
short,  to  make  the  most  of  circumstances  that  were  not  favorable  to 
comfort.  The  men  made  all  the  implements  they  used  with  a  few 
simple  hand-tools  they  brought  with  them,  such  as  axes,  saws, 
augurs,  and  drawing-knife.  Every  pioneer  was  probably  more  or 
less  skilled  in  the  use  of  these  simple  tools  by  which  so  much  has 
been  accomplished  in  the  development  of  the  industries  of  every 
civilized  countr}'.  I  have  seen,  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains,  fifty 
miles  beyond  where  a  vehicle  had  ever  penetrated,  houses,  and  their 
furnishings  made  by  the  use  of  these  few  tools,  and  in  which  there 
was  no  metal  used  at  all. 

It  was  not  until  far  into  the  present  century  that  Lancaster  cast 
aside  its  simple  constructions  for  the  more  artistic  ones  of  the  fac- 
tory and  machine  shops.  Every  home  was  a  sort  of  manufactory  of 
the  things  most  essential  to  pioneer  life,  and  so  remained,  to  a  large 
extent,  until  about  1825.  Much  of  their  clothing  was  made  in  the 
homes  from  wool  and  flax  of  their  own  production.  Their  leather 
was  tanned  at  home  by  Dennis  Stanley  and  others.  Moose  skins 
were  dressed  and  made  into  moccasins,  which  they  spelled  **  moga- 
sheens,"  at  first,  and  later  "  mogershins."  I  find  that  General  Buck- 
nam  was  skilled  in  that  kind  of  work,  and  that  he  made  moccasins 
and  leather  breeches  for  his  neighbors,  and  for  Col.  Joseph  Whipple, 
to  be  taken  to  other  places  for  barter  or  sale. 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  97 

Among  the  first  wants  of  the  community  that  could  not  be  met 
by  every  man  for  himself,  were  a  mill,  a  blacksmith  shop,  and  a  tan- 
yard. 

When  the  families  had  grown  too  large,  or  the  people's  time  was 
too  valuable  for  so  slow  a  process  as  grinding,  or  rather  crushing, 
their  grain  in  a  wooden  mortar,  a  mill  became  manifestly  the  great- 
est need  of  their  times.  This,  it  is  said,  was  sought  to  be  supplied 
by  the  erection  of  some  sort  of  a  mill  run  by  horse-power  some- 
where at  the  north  end  of  Main  street;  but  for  some  reason  it 
proved  to  be  a  failure  and  was  soon  abandoned. 

David  Page  tried  to  meet  this  urgent  want  of  the  settlement  by 
the  erection  of  a  small  mill  on  Indian  brook,  directly  north  of  Bun- 
ker Hill,  taking  advantage  of  an  old  beaver  dam  as  his  supply  of 
water  and  where  a  suf^cient  fall  was  had  to  meet  the  requirements 
of  a  tolerable  water  power.  After  this  mill  had  been  in  operation 
for  some  time,  and  no  doubt  was  looked  upon  as  a  great  blessing 
and  the  pride  of  the  town,  it  took  fire  one  night  and  all  but  its  name 
was  swept  out  of  existence. 

The  heart  of  Governor  Page  was  no  doubt  heavy  at  this  terrible 
calamity ;  but  the  people  who  had  come  to  look  upon  it  as  one  of 
the  handiest  of  their  institutions  must  have  felt  equally,  if  not  more, 
disappointed  than  its  owner,  for  they  had  tired  of  the  wooden  pestle 
and  its  coarse  meal,  and  had  become  accustomed  to  a  finer  bread 
produced  from  the  meal  made  at  Governor  Page's  mill.  Their  cul- 
tivated taste  that  had  been  catered  to  by  the  finer  product  of  this 
mill,  received  a  shock  that  appealed  to  their  sympathies  and  gener- 
osity, and  at  the  next  town-meeting  an  appropriation  of  money  was 
voted  to  David  Page  to  help  him  rebuild  his  mill.  The  appropri- 
ation was  a  generous  sum  for  those  times,  as  it  amounted  to  eighty- 
four  pounds.  This  was  voted  at  a  meeting  held  June  8,  1773,  and 
paid  Oct.  19,  1778,  as  shown  by  a  receipt  from  Page  to  Colonel 
Bucknam  who  was  collector  for  the  proprietors.  This  tax  amounted 
to  four  dollars  on  each  of  the  seventy  landholders  at  that  date. 
Another  sum  of  sixty-six  pounds  was  voted  Governor  Page  at  a 
meeting  held  Dec.  4,  1774,  and  paid  June  13,  1774,  for  which  I 
have  the  receipt  given  by  Page  to  Bucknam.  This  last  sum  seems 
to  have  been  given  because  Governor  Page  abandoned  his  old  site 
on  Indian  brook  and  located  his  new  mill  on  the  south  fork  of 
Isreals  river,  just  under  the  sand  hill.  To  this  mill  he  added  a  saw- 
mill, which  was,  no  doubt,  the  cause  of  an  addition  to  the  sum 
voted  a  little  less  than  a  year  before.  From  this  fact  we  see  that 
the  people  had  stirred  themselves  to  assist  Governor  Page  in  build- 
ing these  mills  to  meet  growing  wants  in  the  settlement.  They  had 
now  given  a  bonus  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  pounds  to  Governor 
Page  to  encourage  his  enterprises.  At  his  mills  was  evidently  sawed 
s 


98         '  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  lumber  for  the  first  frame  houses  in  town.  Emmons  Stockwell 
erected  a  small  frame  building,  now  standing  as  the  ell  part  of  the 
dwelling-house  on  the  old  Stockwell  place.  Here  at  Page's  saw- 
mill Major  Wilder  must  have  got  the  sawed  lumber  for  his  two-story 
house  (the  Holton  house),  for  his  own  sawmill  and  grist-mill  on 
Isreals  river,  just  back  of  Whitney's  Granite  Works,  was  not  built 
until  1 78 1,  and  his  house  was  built  in  1780. 

The  proprietors  had  voted,  March  10,  1767,  to  give  David  Page 
two  hundred  acres  of  land  as  a  reward  for  bringing  a  set  of  black- 
smith's tools  and  maintaining  a  shop  in  town.  We  cannot  learn 
with  certainty  whether  Mr.  Page  ever  complied  with  these  conditions, 
and  built,  and  kept  such  a  shop  or  not;  but  tradition  says  that  the 
first  blacksmith  shop  was  established  at  the  north  end  of  the  present 
village  precinct  at  a  very  early  day.  One  tradition  places  it  on 
Major  Wilder's  lands  near  the  north  end  of  Main  street.  Be  it  as  it 
may,  the  first  shop  was  evidently  kept  somewhere  in  that  locality. 
At  a  later  date  a  Scotchman  by  the  name  of  Clark  Braden  estab- 
lished his  smithy  at  the  south  end  of  the  town  near  the  Bucknam 
neighborhood,  and  for  many  years  conducted  a  business  there. 
The  reader  will  find  the  subject  treated  at  length  in  Part  II,  Chapter 
VII. 

As  we  have  seen,  the  tan-yard  of  Dennis  Stanley  was  located  here 
at  a  very  early  day,  probably  about  1778.  For  many  years  he  did 
the  business  for  the  community,  but  when  he  became  an  old  man 
and  gave  up  the  business  another  tannery  was  started,  this  time  in 
the  village  on  Elm  street,  by  David  Burnside,  opposite  the  S.  W, 
Cooper  house. 

Another  public  improvement  that  soon  concerned  the  people  was 
some  means  of  crossing  the  Connecticut  river  at  all  times  with  safety 
and  convenience.  The  rich  meadow  lands  across  the  river  had  led 
the  very  first  settlers  to  make  clearings  on  the  Vermont  side,  and 
soon  a  number  of  important  families  located  there,  so  that  after  a 
lapse  of  twenty  years  there  were  living  just  across  the  river  in 
Guildhall  and  Lunenburg  a  number  of  families  that  found  it  con- 
venient to  trade  in  Lancaster.  Common  interests  bound  them 
closely  together,  and  it  soon  concerned  them  to  have  some  means 
of  crossing  the  river  with  teams.  It  gave  them  no  trouble  to  cross 
in  the  earlier  days,  as  every  man  would  jump  into  his  canoe  and 
paddle  across  the  stream  with  ease ;  but  now  had  come  a  time 
when  people  living  on  either  side  of  the  river  wanted  to  cross  it  with 
their  teams.  A  bridge  was  out  of  the  question  for  them.  Their 
only  hope  lay  in  a  ferry. 

Edwards  Bucknam,  the  natural  leader  of  the  communit}-,  came 
forward  with  the  scheme  of  establishing  a  ferry.  This  enterprise, 
however,  would  cost   a   considerable    sum    to    equip   and   maintain; 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  99 

and  unless  one  could  be  reasonably  sure  of  controlling  the  business 
for  a  term  of  years  it  would  prove  unprofitable.  So  a  charter  was 
thought  of  as  a  means  of  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  invest- 
ment, and  Bucknam  sought  such  charter  of  the  general  court  by 
petition  in  1784,  for  a  ferry  at  the  falls  in  Northumberland.  The 
petition  for  this  charter  is  an  interesting  document,  and  we  present 
it  here  as  illustrating  the  manner  of  doing  business  in  those  early 
days.      It  is  as  follows  : 

''The  Petition  of  Edwards  Bucknam  of  Lancaster  in  the  County  of  Grafton  in 
said  State  Humbly  Sheweth  that  there  are  Cateracts  or  falls  in  the  River  Con- 
necticut adjoining  Northumberland  in  said  County  convenient  for  building  mills 
and  for  keeping  a  ferry  boat. 

"  Your  Petitioner  is  Now  Actually  erecting  a  set  of  mills  both  for  sawing  and 
grinding  on  said  falls.  Therefore  prays  that  the  Honorable  Court  would  be 
pleased  to  grant  and  convey  unto  him  his  heirs  and  assigns  the  priveledge  of 
using  and  improving  the  Earth  and  Waters  between  the  Easterly  and  Westerly 
Banks  of  said  River  in  Width  ;  and  in  length  the  Distance  of  one  mile  Each  way 
from  the  center  of  said  falls." 

This  petition  was  favored  by  the  grant  of  a  charter,  and  Bucknam 
kept  a  ferry  there  for  a  number  of  years,  and  then  leased  it  as  he 
did  also  with  his  mills. 

Bucknam's  ferry  was  not  entirely  satisfactory  to  Lancaster  people, 
and  in  1792  they  petitioned  the  legislature  for  a  charter  to  be 
vested  in  the  town  as  public  property.  This  petition  was  signed  by 
some  of  the  most  influential  men  in  town,  but  the  legislature  refused 
to  grant  it.  To  that  document  I  find  the  names  of  the  following 
persons  attached  :  John  Weeks,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Jonas  Baker, 
Jonas  Wilder,  Joseph  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  and  Joseph 
Brackett.  The  objection  to  granting  a  charter  to  the  town  is  not 
known  to  me ;  but  the  same  year  the  legislature  granted  a  charter 
to  Eleazar  Rosebrook  on  the  following  petition  : 

"  Lancaster,  June  i,  1792. 

"  To  the  Hon'  General  Court  to  be  convened  at  Dover  in  said  State  the  first 
Wednesday  of  said  June — 

Humbly  Sheweth  Eleazar  Rosebrook — that  he  has  opened  and  kept  a  Ferry 
across  Connecticutt  River  at  said  Lancaster  for  several  years  past  by  means  of 
which  the  public  have  been  considerably  benefited — and  that  during  the  time 
which  he  has  kept  said  ferry  it  has  been  rather  an  Expense  to  him  than  otherwise, 
and  most  probably  no  great  advantage  can  arise  thereby  for  some  time  yet  to 
come,  though  it  may  be  profitable  at  some  future  period — whereof  he  prays  Your 
Honors  to  grant  him  his  heirs  and  assigns  the  exclusive  priviledge  of  keeping  a 
ferry  across  said  River  under  such  restrictions  and  regulations  as  may  appear 
proper  and  your  Petitioner  will  ever  Pray." 

This  petition,  with  the  one  referred  to  above,  was  acted  upon 
some  months  after  presented,  from  which  we  infer  that  the  legisla- 
ture took  time  to  duly  consider  matters  of  this  nature.      Rosebrook's 

LofC. 


lOO  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

petition  was  granted,  and  a  charter  issued  to  him  authorizing  him  to 
keep  a  ferry  between  Lancaster  and  Guildhall  for  the  term  of  forty 
years,  after  which  the  right  was  to  be  vested  in  the  town  of  Lancas- 
ter. Rosebrook's  right  was  exclusive,  with  the  exception  that  the 
town  might  keep  all  other  ferries  that  be  needed  to  accommodate 
travel  between  the  towns  adjacent  to  Lancaster.  We  shall  see,  in 
the  chapter  on  roads,  that  John  Weeks  kept  a  ferry  at  the  south 
end  of  the  town  for  the  convenience  of  the  people  wishing  to  reach 
the  lower  settlement  from  Lunenburg ;  and  as  the  two  towns  were 
settled  at  the  same  time,  and  under  the  management  of  David  Page, 
intercourse  between  them  was  desirable.  Communication  could  be 
had  with  less  travel  to  the  Bucknam  neighborhood  than  that  farther 
up  the  river  where  Governor  Page  lived. 

Those  ferries  were  of  more  benefit  to  Lancaster,  financially,  than 
to  the  other  two  towns  that  they  connected  with  it,  as  it  drew  trade 
to  Lancaster,  which  was  on  the  more  direct  roads  to  Haverhill  and 
Portland. 

The  new  community,  then  growing  rapidly,  had  other  concerns 
that  engaged  the  attention  of  the  people  and  showed  the  enterprise 
and  character  of  its  citizens. 

From  the  earliest  times  the  people  had  subsisted  largely  upon 
fish  taken  from  the  brooks  and  the  Connecticut  river.  Every  brook 
was  full  of  the  choicest  trout,  and  the  Great  river,  as  they  called  the 
Connecticut,  was  abundantly  stocked  with  salmon.  Every  family,  it 
is  said,  made  it  a  rule  to  salt  down  a  barrel  of  salmon  every  year  in 
the  season  for  them.  This  was  considered  an  evidence  of  prudence 
and  thrift;  and  if  any  family  fell  short  of  making  this  necessary 
provision  for  the  many  months  that  would  intervene  before  the  next 
return  of  these  fish,  they  were  considered  improvident,  and  were 
subject  to  some  degree  of  condemnation  or  reproach  among  their 
more  prudent  neighbors. 

This  condition  of  affairs  pertaining  to  salmon  lasted  about  twenty 
years,  when  it  became  evident  that  this  important  source  of  their 
choicest  food  was  rapidly  giving  out,  and  scarcity  would  be  expected 
unless  the  free  ascent  of  the  river  be  guaranteed  the  fish.  The 
people  lower  down  the  stream  were  taking,  what  seemed  to  the 
people  of  this  section,  an  unfair  advantage  over  the  salmon  by 
erecting  dams,  pots,  and  weirs  in  the  rapids  of  the  river.  By  these 
devices  the  fish  were  stopped  almost  entirely  from  reaching  the 
upper  portion  of  the  river.  The  people  in  this  town  began  to  feel 
the  evil  effects  of  such  wholesale  slaughter  of  the  salmon,  and  could 
no  longer  provide  themselves  the  necessary  amount  of  salted  fish 
to  carry  them  through  the  busy  seasons  of  the  year.  They  stood 
it  until  the  spring  of  1788,  when  the  fishermen  about  Walpole 
obstructed  the  stream  with  their  pots  and  other  devices  at  Bellows 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  lOI 

Falls  to  that   extent   that   salmon   were    so    scarce   that   fishing   no 
longer  yielded  any  meat  to  Lancaster. 

The  people  were  incensed  at  such  manifest  unfairness  in  fishing, 
and  at  once  sought  to  bring  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  the  legis- 
lature in  hopes  of  having  a  stop  put  to  that  method  of  fishing. 
Accordingly  a  petition  was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  some  of  the 
most  influential  men  in  Lancaster.  This  was  their  only  resource, 
and  they  availed  themselves  of  it  in  plain  language,  asking  what 
seems  only  a  fair  measure  of  encouragement  to  the  brave  men  and 
women  who  had  put  such  a  long  distance  between  themselves  and 
the  ordinary  sources  of  food  supply.     Their  petition  was  as  follows : 

"  State  of  New  Hampshire  )  "  To  the  Honorable  General  Court  of  the  State 

Lancaster  May,  17,  1788.  S      of  New  Hampshire 

"The  Petition  of  the  inhabitants  of  Lancaster,  Dartmouth,  Northumberland 
and  Stratford  and  other  inhabitants  on  Connecticutt  River  above  Charlestown — 

"  Humbly  Sheweth  : — that  there  is  a  Create  Number  of  Parsons  that  Live  on  & 
Near  Connecticutt  River,  that  make  it  their  Business  in  the  Time  of  the  year  that 
Salmon  are  going  up  said  River,  to  set  Nets  or  Seens  acrost  the  River  in  the 
Neight  &  other  times,  which  Stop  all  the  Salmon,  and  also  Put  or  Place  in  Weres 
a  sort  of  Pound  or  Pots  in  the  Very  Perticular  Places  where  Salmon  Pass  or  git  up 
the  Rapids  in  said  River  and  Perticularly  in  the  Crete  falls  at  Walpole  called 
Bellow's  Falls,  where  a  Number  of  Parsons  have  combined  together,  and  have 
placed  in  them  Pots  or  Pounds  in  the  only  Places  where  the  Salmon  can  pass  or 
git  up  Said  falls,  as  there  is  But  one  or  two  Places  that  they  Can  any  ways  Pass ; 
which  in  all  Probability  will  Stop  Every  Salmon,  as  they  have  almost  Done  it  in 
years  Past.  That  those  Parsons  among  us  who  used  to  Stabb  with  their  Spears 
18  or  20  Salmon  in  a  Neight,  they  can  now  scarcely  see  a  Salmon  to  Catch  and  if 
there  Cant  be  some  Stop  to  those  obstructions — we  that  are  settling  and  Cultiva- 
ting the  New  lands  &  at  a  great  Distance  from  the  Sea  Coast,  must  be  Deprived 
of  what  the  alwise  being  has  in  his  Wisdom  Provided  for  us,  therefore  your 
Petitioners — Pray  that  your  Honors  would  take  it  under  your  wise  Consideration, 
and  Pass  Such  act  or  acts  that  will  Prevent  any  and  all  such  Stoppages  of  the 
Salmon  being  made  in  Connecticutt  River  through  this  State — and  your  Peti- 
tioners will  Pray — 

Edwards  Bucknam  Joseph  Brackett 

Jonas  Baker  Walter  Philbrook 

Samuel  Johnson  Francis  Wilson." 

John  Weeks 

This  action  led  to  some  restrictions  being  placed  upon  the  stop- 
page of  the  stream  by  the  means  complained  of  in  the  petition,  and 
salmon  continued  to  be  reasonably  plenty  until  some  twenty  years 
later  after  dams  were  built  across  the  river  at  several  points.  The 
fish  found  so  many  obstructions  placed  in  their  way  that  they  did 
not  reach  points  as  high  as  Lancaster  in  quantities  any  longer. 
They  gradually  grew  less,  and  at  last  entirely  disappeared.  Other, 
but  inferior,  kinds  of  fish  continued  plenty  for  many  years ;  but 
since  so  many  sawmills  and  other  factories  have  multiplied  and  pol- 
luted the  water,  these  have  grown  less  plentiful.  For  many  years 
the  little  pickerel  hav^e  been  taken  in  considerable   numbers  in  Lan- 


102  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

caster.  A  few  black  bass  are  caught.  The  common  river  suckers 
are  quite  plenty,  but  the  cultivated  taste  of  the  people  eschews 
sucker  these  days.  For  many  years  the  brook  trout  continued 
plentiful,  but  even  they  are  now  scarce  with  all  the  effort  the  state 
makes  to  stock  the  brooks. 

As  the  fish  supply  gave  out  the  people  began  to  give  more  atten- 
tion to  raising  their  meats.  They  soon  found  that  more  reliance 
could  be  placed  upon  a  well-stocked  farm  than  a  river  that  cunning 
men  below  them  could  seine  or  dam  and  clear  of  its  fish  so  easily  as 
appears  from  their  complaint  in  the  above  petition.  From  1790 
to  the  beginning  of  the  present  century  the  number  of  swine,  sheep, 
and  cattle  increased  so  rapidly  that  increased  attention  must  have 
been  given  to  the  breeding  of  these  animals  with  a  view  to  meeting 
the  increasing  demand  for  meats. 

The  hunting  of  wild  game  became  less  and  less  an  avocation  and 
partook  more  and  more  of  the  nature  of  a  sport.  It  is  related  of 
one  Caswell,  a  worthless  sort  of  a  hunter,  that  he  started  in  one  win- 
ter during  the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking  to  kill  a  hundred 
moose.  It  appears  that  he  came  very  near  filling  his  number,  leav- 
ing the  carcasses  to  lie  upon  the  ground  to  rot.  The  people  be- 
came so  incensed,  however,  at  his  diabolical  waste  that  they  banded 
together  and  drove  him  out  of  the  country  by  threats  of  dealing 
summary  vengeance  upon  him  if  caught. 

Hunting  as  a  recreation  and  sport  has  always  continued  a  chief 
feature  of  Lancaster  life.  Almost  everybody  hunts  and  fishes  at 
some  season  of  the  year  yet,  though  game  has  not  been  plentiful  for 
many  years. 

For  more  than  a  century  past  hunting  and  fishing  afforded  the 
chief  respite  from  toil  and  the  monotony  of  country  life,  and  many 
a  jolly  party  of  the  hard-working  pioneers  made  the  woods  resound 
with  the  discharge  of  their  old  smooth-bores  and  fiint-locks,  and  the 
hearty  laugh  at  the  fine  shots  one  another  made,  or  did  not  make. 
Interesting  anecdotes  have  come  down  to  us  of  their  hunting  bouts, 
brave  or  cowardly  encounters  with  bears  and  other  fierce,  wild  ani- 
mals. The  strategy  or  bravery  one  displayed  in  the  chase  won  for 
him  the  praise  of  his  neighbors,  and  guaranteed  the  connection  of 
his  name  with  the  best  stories  that  would  be  told  by  the  crowd  that 
gathered  in  the  stores  and  taverns  after  the  day's  work  was  done.  It 
is  fair  to  presume  that  then,  as  now,  a  fish  grew  more  rapidly  in  the 
stories  told  about  it  than  it  did  in  the  river  or  brook ;  and  that  the 
bears  were  much  more  fierce  in  the  story  than  they  were  in  the 
woods,  for  there  is  no  animal  that  exceeds  a  bear  in  cowardice.  But 
it  afforded  pleasure  to  those  old-time  hunters  to  bring  in  a  good  lot 
of  game,  and  it  probably  did  not  partake  of  that  barbarous  spirit 
that  characterizes  our  modern  so-called  sportsmen,  who  go  about 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  IO3 

the  forest  destroying  animal  life  in  the  most  indiscriminate  manner, 
as  if  to  merely  kill  some  inoffensive  animal  afforded  pleasure  or 
was  an  evidence  of  skill.  There  is  but  little  gunning  done  to-day 
that  would  not  bring  the  blush  of  shame  to  the  faces  of  our  grand- 
fathers if  they  could  behold  their  degenerate  offspring  indiscrimi- 
nately destroying  innocent  and  useful  animal  life  that  can  neither 
give  advantage  nor  pleasure  to  a  man  with  a  heart  of  flesh  in  him 
and  an  enlightened  mind.  Fortunately  our  law-makers  have  of  late 
years  been  striving  to  afford  animal  life  some  protection  against  the 
degenerate  brutes  in  human  guise.  Lancaster  was  one  of  the  first 
towns  to  see  the  necessity  of  such  protection ;  and  for  many  years 
it  has  lent  the  weight  of  public  opinion  to  every  endeavor  to  limit 
useless  waste  of  animal  life,  and  to  encourage  the  increase  of  fish 
and  game. 

Another  question  that  deeply  concerned  the  town  was  that  of  its 
back  taxes.  As  we  have  seen,  the  taxes  during  the  war  and  imme- 
diately after  it,  fell  very  heavily  upon  the  people  who  had  about  ex- 
hausted all  their  resources  to  defend  themselves,  and  as  they  be- 
lieved, the  country  below  them  from  invasion  by  the  British  army 
and  its  allies.  This  was,  to  a  considerable  extent,  true  so  far  as 
stopping  the  French  and  Indians  from  reaching  points  lower  down 
the  river  which  they  no  doubt  would  have  done  but  for  the  prompt 
action  of  these  few  upper  towns.  This,  the  people  thought,  en- 
titled them  to  some  recompense  or  release  from  taxes  that  fell  so 
heavily  upon  them  at  the  time  as  to  forebode  much  difficulty  and 
suffering  if  they  had  to  be  paid  at  a  time  of  such  great  scarcity  of 
everything  that  could  be  converted  into  money.  Besides  they  had 
expended  a  sum  more  than  equal  to  all  the  tax  claims  of  the  state 
against  them  to  support  the  scouts,  build  forts,  and  repulse  the  in- 
vaders during  the  war.  All  this  they  either  taxed  themselves  for  or 
generously  advanced  at  the  time  it  was  needed.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  little  assistance  at  the.  very  outset  of  the  Revolution  by  a 
single  company  of  soldiers,  these  men  had  fought  their  own  battles, 
or  rather  got  ready  to  fight  them,  as  they  supposed  they  should  be 
called  upon  to  do,  and  stood  guard  at  what  was  agreed  by  all  to  be 
a  very  vulnerable  point  on  the  frontier  of  the  country.  It  was  only 
fair  that  they  should  now  at  this  time  appeal  to  the  state  to  render 
them  some  relief  either  by  allowing  their  bills  for  services  rendered, 
or  through  the  abatement  of  all  or  a  portion  of  the  large  tax  bills. 
The  people  went  to  the  legislature  and  asked  an  accounting  and  gen- 
erous consideration  of  their  unfavorable  situation.  The  matter  hav- 
ing been  brought  before  the  house  of  representatives  was  referred  to 
a  committee  that  reported  to  the  house  on  February  22,  1786,  a 
recommendation  of  abatement  to  offset  all  the  claims  of  the  town 
against  the  state  for  scouting  services,  building  forts,  and  other  sup- 


104  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

plies  during  the  war.  These  taxes  had  been  levied  to  furnish  army 
supplies ;  and  here  was  a  little  band  of  men  who  supplied  them- 
selves the  same  things  that  the  state  was  furnishing  to  other  soldiers 
in  the  field,  but  not  to  these  Upper  Coos  men.  That  committee 
grouped  together  in  their  recommendations  Lancaster,  Dartmouth, 
Northumberland  and  Stratford,  giving  the  same  relief  to  them  all. 
This  was  a  wise  measure,  one  best  calculated  to  accomplish  the 
relief  that  was  asked  for;  and  the  people  received  it  with  glad 
hearts.  What  they  had  done  during  the  war  was  cheerfully  done, 
but  at  the  same  time  it  exhausted  their  limited  means  to  a  degree 
that  made  it  a  great  sacrifice.  Had  they  been  required  to  pay 
these  taxes  they  would  have  been  bearing  a  double  burden,  unless 
their  claims  for  services  and  supplies  had  been  allowed.  The  legis- 
lature took  into  account  the  facts  that  these  people  lived  far  re- 
moved from  the  rest  of  the  population  of  the  state,  their  constant 
exposure  to  a  savage  enemy,  the  discouragements  of  the  people  due 
to  the  withdrawal  of  so  many  of  their  young  men  to  enter  the  Con- 
tinental army,  and  the  desertion  of  others,  the  amount  of  time  the 
inhabitants  of  these  towns  had  spent  in  the  service  of  their  country 
on  an  exposed  frontier  in  scouting  and  building  forts,  and  that  their 
continuing  in  this  threatened  section  and  keeping  their  families  here 
was  a  great  advantage  to  the  state  as  it  relieved  it  from  keeping  an 
army  here  to  hold  the  savage  allies  of  the  British  army  in  check,  al- 
lowing the  use  of  the  regular  soldiers  at  other  points  of  greater 
advantage  to  the  cause  of  American  independence.  Following  the 
recital  of  all  these  generous  acts  on  the  part  of  these  Upper  Coos 
towns  that  committee  closed  their  report  as  follows : 

"Your  committee,  therefore  beg  leaf  to  report,  as  their  unanimous  opinion, 
that  said  towns  be  discharged  from  all  arrearages  of  taxes  for  soldiers,  beef,  rum, 
and  all  other  requisitions  on  them  by  this  state  prior  to  the  year  1784  ;  and  that 
the  Treasurer  be  directed  to  discharge  the  same  accordingly  ;  and  that  full  abate- 
ment or  discharge  of  taxes  be  considered  as  a  full  satisfaction  for  all  accounts  of 
scouting,  alarms  &c  which  said  towns  may  have  against  the  state  to  the  present 
time." 

This  measure  afforded  the  people  great  relief,  and  no  doubt  had 
some  weight  in  influencing  home-seekers  to  locate  here.  It  added 
to  the  value  of  the  lands  then  being  put  upon  the  market  by  many 
of  the  non-resident  owners.  The  people  went  about  their  tasks,  no 
doubt,  with  lighter  hearts.  Their  burdensome  taxes  were  cancelled 
by  an  uncertain  account  against  the  state. 

In  the  year  1786  a  new  valuation  of  the  towns  was  returned.  The 
return  for  Lancaster  is  interesting  as  showing  the  ability  of  the  peo- 
ple to  pay  taxes  in  that  year.  The  rate  was  one  half  of  one  per 
cent,  of  the  nominal  value  of  property,  and  yielded  the  following 
sum  of  taxes,  which  I  give  just  as  it  stands  on  the  town  records 
against  the  several  taxpayers,  resident  and  non-resident: 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS, 


105 


"  Jonas  Wilder 
Capt.  D.  Page 
Lt,  Emmons  Stockwell 
Edwards  Bucknam 
Moses  Page 
Dennis  Stanley 
Saml.  Johnson 
James  Mchard 
Steph.  Jennison 
Richd.  Stalbird 
Elisha  Wilder 
Walter  Bloss 
Jonath.  Willard 
Peter  Blanchard 
William  Johnson 
Eph.  Griggs 
Jonath.  Hartwell 

Darby* 
Joseph  Lacoos 
John  Wilder 


£6- 


3 

15 

10. 

2 

15 

GO. 

2 

19 

6. 

2 

2 

7- 

2 

10 

6. 

I 

9 

6. 

I 

3 

6. 

12 

00. 

17 

00. 

I 

6 

GO. 

14 

OG. 

16 

GG. 

14 

00. 

12 

OG. 

12 

00. 

12 

OG. 

12 

OG. 

12 

GG. 

12 

GO. 

Non-resident  valuation. 


.^31 II- 


Gen.  Moses  Hazen 

has  24  righ 

ts  at  - 

oar 

ght  at 

ye  half  of  i  Pr  cent  is       . 

3 

12 

00. 

John  Molineaux 

5  rights  in  Cat  Bow 

I 

IG 

OG. 

Jacob  Treadwell 

2  do  . 

6 

GO. 

Ami  Cutter 

I  do  . 

3 

GG. 

Henry  Prescott 

2  do  . 

6 

GO. 

Meshech  Weare 

I  do  . 

3 

OG. 

Capt.  Weeks 

2  do  . 

6 

OG. 

Moses  Blake 

I  do  . 

3 

GO. 

C.  Ward  Apthorp 

7  rights 

I 

I 

GO. 

£7- 

-10  — 

— GG. 

Total       . 

■    £39— 

— I  — 

— 9- 

This  interesting  record  presents  some  very  important  features  to 
the  student  of  Lancaster's  history.  Here  we  have  an  entire,  nominal 
valuation  of  less  than  forty  thousand  dollars  held  by  twenty-nine 
persons,  nine  of  whom  are  non-residents  holding  forty-five  seven- 
tieths (45-70)  of  the  lands  of  the  entire  township,  and  paying  ^y, 
10  s.,  while  the  twenty  men  holding  twenty-five  seventieths 
(25-70)  of  the  lands  paid  £^,1,  1 1  s.,  9  d.,  or  more  than  62  per- 
cent, of  the  entire  tax. 

More  than  that,  the  non-residents  refused  to  pay  their  taxes,  in 
many  instances,  and  made  it  necessary  for  the  resident  taxpayers  to 
sell  the  lands  of  the  non-residents.  They  generally  got  the  taxes 
collected  in  this  way,  and  at  the  same  time  it  put  some  of  the  lands 


*This  was  probably  Isaac  Darby,  the   noted   old   miller  and  gunsmith,  of  whom  many  anecdotes 
are  told. 


I06  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

held  for  speculative  purposes  on  the  market  so  that  actual  settlers 
could  buy  it.  Some  of  the  non-residents  were  men  of  good  purposes  ; 
they  bought  land  with  the  expectation  of  settling  upon  it;  but  in 
some  instances  like  that  of  General  Hazen,  misfortune  prevented 
them  from  carrying  out  their  designs,  which  had  they  been  able  to 
do  the  community  would  have  greatly  profited  by  it.  More  than  a 
mile  square  of  these  lands  formerly  held  by  non-residents  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  Major  Jonas  Wilder,  who  appears  from  the  above 
valuation,  to  have  been  the  richest  man  in  town  in  1786.  His  hold- 
ings extended  from  the  "  Holton  place"  to  Isreals  river  and  to  a 
point  near  where  the  Boston  and  Maine  railroad  crosses  the  river, 
thus  giving  him  the  finest  lot  of  land  in  town,  and  upon  which  the 
village  was  destined  to  be  built.  He  had  moved  upon  his  large 
tract  and  built  an  elegant  house,  and  had  shown  himself  one  of  the 
most  hospitable  of  men.  His  house  was  the  temporary  home  of  any 
emigrant  who  came  this  way  in  search  of  a  place  to  build  up  a  home 
of  his  own.  Town  meetings  and  religious  services  were  held  in  his 
house.  In  every  way  he  had  proven  himself  in  hearty  accord  with 
the  people.  The  other  men  of  considerable  means  were  David  Page^ 
Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Moses  Page,  Dennis  Stanley, 
Samuel  Johnson,  James  Mchard,  and  Richard  Stalbird.  These  nine 
men  paid  more  than  half  of  the  taxes  at  the  time  of  which  we  are 
speaking.  The  wealth  of  those  men  was  in  lands  they  had  im- 
proved. There  was  very  little  property  outside  of  lands  and  their  im- 
provements at  that  time.  Unimproved  lands  had  a  nominal  value  of 
thirty  pounds  per  right  of  over  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres. 
Thus  we  see  how  the  burden  of  taxation  fell  upon  the  hard  toil  of 
the  men  who  had  done  so  much  to  settle  the  town.  There  need  be 
little  wonder  if  men  should  have  grown  tired  of  that  sort  of  thing 
and  sought  a  way  to  equalize  the  burden  of  taxes,  for  they  were  a 
burden.  The  proportion  of  the  taxes  that  fell  upon  the  labor  of  the 
community  was  too  great.  The  question  of  it  had  been  growing 
more  and  more  serious  every  year  for  at  least  a  decade,  and  now  the 
time  had  come  when  the  injustice  could  be  borne  no  longer.  The 
matter  had,  no  doubt,  been  discussed  at  every  fireside  in  town,  and 
at  every  chance  meeting  of  the  taxpayers.  It  was  now  thought 
best  to  discuss  it  in  a  special  town  meeting  where  some  action  could 
be  taken  to  bring  the  matter  to  some  sort  of  test  and  settlement. 
Accordingly  the  selectmen  called  a  meeting  of  the  voters  at  the  house 
of  Major  VVilder  as  the  following  notice  or  warrant  shows : 

"Whereas  Sundry  Persons  inhabitants  of  the  Town  of  Lancaster  have  repre- 
sented to  us  the  subscribers,  that  it  is  necessary  there  should  be  a  meeting  called 
of  all  the  male  inhabitants  of  said  town  to  consider  and  act  on  several  matters  for 
the  benefit  of  the  inhabitants  thereof  and  the  good  of  the  Publick — When  met  first 
to  chose  a  moderator  to  Govern  said  meeting — 2nd.  To  see  if  the  town  will  raise 
any  money  to  repair  the  roads  in  said  Town  or  to  Hire  Preaching  a  few  more 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  10/ 

Sundays  or  for  schools  etc. — 3rd.  To  see  if  the  Town  will  agree  to  and  sign  a 
Petition  to  send  to  the  General  Court  of  the  State  of  New  Hampshire  for  a  tax  of 
3  pence  on  each  acre  of  Land  on  the  whole  Town  of  Lancaster  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  Bridge  over  Isreals  River  &  repairing  roads  etc.  4th.  To  chose  some 
Person  to  attend  on  the  General  Court  at  Charlestown  the  2nd  Wednesday  of 
Sept.  next  to  carry  in  said  Petition  to  said  Court  &  also  to  raise  some  money  for  the 
Purpose  of  Gitting  said  Petition  through  Court  or  for  the  expense  of  any  Person 
that  may  undertake  the  Business  in  Behalf  of  the  town.  Therefore  we  the  sub- 
scribers do  hereby  notify  and  warn  all  the  male  inhabitants  and  voters  of  the 
Town  of  Lancaster  to  meet  at  the  Dwelling  House  of  Major  Jonas  Wilder  on 
Friday  the  31,  Day  of  this  instant  August,  1787. 

Edwd.  Bucknam  ^ 

Saml.  Johnson      >  Selectmen." 

Jonas  Wilder       ) 

The  citizens  answered  that  call,  and  after  deliberating  upon  the 
proposition  to  petition  for  a  tax  on  all  lands,  appointed  a  committee 
consisting  of  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam  and  Emmons  Stock- 
well,  to  draw  up  a  petition  and  sign  it  on  behalf  of  the  town.  This 
duty  they  performed  on  September  4,  1787;  and  the  petition  was 
duly  presented  to  the  legislature  and  carried  through  by  Col. 
Joseph  Whipple,  for  which  service  the  town  voted  him  seven  pounds 
and  ten  shillings  at  the  March  meeting  in  1788.  This  petition  the 
reader  will  find  in  Chapter  VII;  on  roads. 

This  tax  proved  to  be  a  radical  measure  that  drew  from  the  selfish 
non-residents  a  portion  of  the  aid  they  should  have  gladly  rendered 
to  assist  in  the  development  of  the  roads  and  other  public  improve- 
ments that  enhance  the  value  of  landed  estates  more  than  anything 
else.  They  yielded  grudgingly  to  the  calls  of  the  tax-collector ; 
and  in  many  instances  they  suffered  their  lands  to  be  sold  for  the 
taxes.  This  the  town  ofificers  did  promptly,  for  they  had  become 
aroused  and  determined  that  every  man  holding  lands  should  do  his 
duty  by  the  struggling  town. 

The  act  passed  by  the  legislature  was  just  what  the  petitioners 
asked  for,  the  right  to  tax  all  lands  not  comprehended  in  what  were 
known  as  "  public  rights."  The  church,  school,  and  glebe  rights 
were  regarded  as  public  grants. 

Dartmouth  college  had  acquired  something  over  fifteen  hundred 
acres  of  land  in  town  in  the  year  1782,  and  as  there  was,  at  some 
previous  time,  an  act  passed  by  the  legislature  exempting  the  lands 
of  this  college  from  public  taxes,  the  institution  undertook  to  evade 
this  3-penny  tax  in  1788.  Although  the  legislature  did  not  intend 
to  repeal  the  act  exempting  the  college  lands  from  taxes  this  last 
act  virtually  did  do  so.  At  all  events  that  was  the  interpretation  the 
town  officers  put  upon  it ;  and  they  went  ahead  to  collect  it  by 
a  sale  of  the  lands.  The  Rev.  John  Wheelock,  president  of  the 
college,  wrote  several  times  to  the  selectmen  to  stay  proceedings ; 
but  it  was  of  no  avail.  One  of  his  letters  to  the  selectmen  throws  some 


I08  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

light  on  the  early  disposal  of  some  of  the  original  rights,  and  I  deem 
it  of  sufificient  interest  to  insert  here.      It  is  as  follows : 

"  Dartmouth  College,  Oct.  28,  1788. 
"Gentlemen, 

"  You  are  doubtless  acquainted  that  by  a  particular  Act  of  our  General  Assem- 
bly the  lands  belonging  to  this  College  are  all  freed  and  exempted  from  public 
taxes of  this  and  of  the  lands  belonging  to  the  College  in  the  town  of  Lancas- 
ter I  have  written  &  sent  several  times  to  the  Selectmen  of  said  town,  and   once 

sent  them  a  copy  of  the  act  of  the  Assembly  concerning  the  same You  have 

probably  seen  the  copy  &  the  act  can  be  seen  at  any  time  in  the  Secretary's  office. 

I  am  informed  that  there  is  a  grant  of  a  tax  to  be  levied  on  the  lands,  and  as 
taxes  may  arise  from  time  to  time  on  the  lands,  tho''  I  suppose  you  are  already 
sufficiently  acquainted  with  the  lands  of  the  College  there  and  of  their  exemption 
from  taxes,  Yet,  for  fear  any  difficulties  &  disadvantages  may  possible  arise  I  have 
embraced  the  present  opportunity  to  write  the  folowing,  being  the  lands  which 
belong  to  the  College  in  your  town 

"  Two  hundred  &  twenty  acres  to  the  right  of  Jonathan  Grant 

Two  hundred  &  twenty  acres  to  the  right  of  Joseph  Marble 

Two  hundred  &  twenty  acres  to  the  right  of  Thomas  Rogers 

Two  hundred  &  twenty  acres  to  the  right  of  Joshua  Tolford and  about 

Two  hundred  &  thirty  acres  in  each  of  the  rights  of 

Daniel  Warner  Esq.  &  Nath.  Bartlett  Esq.  exclusive  of  their  house 
and  meadow  lots. 

"  The  whole  of  the  aforesaid  lands   amounting   to   about   fifteen  hundred  and 

sixty  acres  of  land Recorded  in  Grafton  ss  23  Augst.  1782 

I  have  given  this  notification  to  prevent  any  damage  that   might  arise  to  those, 

who  should  sell  them and  pursuant  to  the  Act  of  assembly,  and  in  behalf  of 

the  trustes  desire  you  would  attend  to  the  matter,  that  there  be  no  sale  of  any  of 

said  lots  for  taxes,  they  being  the  property  of  College 

I  am  with  truest  esteem.  Gentlemen, 
Signed  in  behalf  of  J  Wheelock,  President, 

the  Trustees  of 
Dart :  College 

To  the  Selectmen  of  the  town  of  Lancaster." 

The  people  of  Lancaster  were  doubtless  well  acquainted  with  the 
college's  holdings  of  lands  in  the  town  and  its  liability  for  taxes 
under  their  special  act,  as  is  shown  above.  The  taxes  were  laid  and 
collected  as  the  town  ofhcers  meant  they  should  be — without  favor 
to  anyone. 

After  the  Dartmouth  college  lands  had  been  sold  for  delinquent 
taxes,  the  selectmen  gave  the  institution  the  following  notice  : 

"  Lancaster  Sept.  9th.  1789. 
"  Sir— 

We  have  received  one  or  two  letters  from  you  respecting  your  lands  in  Lancas- 
ter that  they  are  free  from  Taxes  by  an  Act  of  the  Genl.  Court  of  the  state  of  New 
Hampshire  the  said  Court  has  also  laid  a  Tax  of  two  pence  Pr  acre  for  the  year 
1788  &  I  P  Pr  acre  for  three  years  following  on  all  the  lands  in  Lancaster  to  re- 
pair roads  and  to  build  Bridges  in  said  town,  Publick  Rights  only  Excepted,  the 
Lands  that  you  own  are  not  out  of  Publick  Rights  and  as  the  act  for  the  tax  above 
mentioned  was  Passed  some  time  after  the  Court  had  Passed  the  act  to  Clear  your 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS. 


109 


lands  ot  Taxes  and  our  act  says  on  all  the  Lands  in  Lancaster  savin<r  Publick 
Rights  therefore  we  conseave  of  it  that  your  Lands  are  as  liable  to  be  calld  upon 
for  the  afore  sd  tax  as  any  of  the  lands  in  said  Town  and  we  have  given  the  same 
Notice  in  the  New  Hampshire  Gazette  for  owners  of  the  land  to  Do  the  work  and 
have  advertised  your  lands  with  other  Delinquents  for  sale  and  all  of  your  Lands 
were  sold  at  Publick  Vendue  last  March  to  Pay  the  2d  Tax,  Therefore  we  thought 

it  no  more  than  reasonable  to  acquaint  you  of  it  seasonably '^ 

We  are  Sir 

Your  most  Obedient  Humble  Servants 
Edwds.  Bucknam 


Ldwds.  Bucknam  ^  „  , 
Jonas  Wilder  (  Se  ectmen 

John  Weeks  )      Lancast 


Lancaster." 

_  The  tone  of  this  letter  indicates  the  pubh'c  sentiment  on  the  ques- 
tion of  taxing  non-residents.  The  people  were  determined  that 
these  should  pay  their  taxes  as  well  as  residents.  The  resident  tax- 
payer had  this  advantage  over  the  non-resident,  he  could  work  out 
the  road  tax,  while  the  non-resident  had  either  to  pay  it  in  money 
or  see  his  lands  sold.  The  matter  was  a  vexatious  one,  but  the  peo- 
ple were  fully  aroused  by  the  inequality  and  injustice  that  had  pre- 
vailed so  long,  and  were  determined  to  make  every  landholder  do 
his  duty.  The  beginning  of  the  end  was  in  sight,' though  it  took 
fully  twenty  years  to  entirely  eradicate  the  evil.  A  general  law, 
passed  by  the  legislature  early  in  the  present  century,  established  a 
uniformity  of  procedure  that  settled  all  the  conflicts  over  the  non- 
resident's taxes. 

In  all  new  settlements  land  constitutes  the  first  wealth  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  for  a  certain  period  they  have  little  other  wealth.  A  por- 
tion of  that  wealth  is  always  required  to  construct  roads  and  bridges, 
to  establish  communication  with  older  settlements  in  which  they 
must  find  their  markets,  both  to  buy  and  sell  in.  It  was  so  with 
Lancaster.  One  feature  of  the  situation  was  rather  exaggerated  ;  the 
distance  from  the  older  settlements  was  very  great — more  than  eighty 
miles.  Much  of  that  distance  was  an  unbroken  forest,  making  It  a 
great  undertaking  for  a  mere  handful  of  pioneers  to  build  roads  and 
at  the  same  time  make  a  living  for  their  families.  That  every  land- 
holder should  have  been  called  upon  to  do  his  proportional  share  of 
that  work  was  just  and  honest. 

The  Revolutionary  struggle  had  kept  the  settlement  back  in  its 
development,  so  that  at  the  end  of  twenty  years  it  was  little  farther 
advanced  than  it  should  have  been  at  the  end  of  the  first  ten  years. 
We  have  seen  that  soon  after  the  close  of  that  period  there  were  only 
ten  taxable  men  in  town.  The  people  had  lost  rather  than  gained 
ground  in  that  time.  They  had  spent  much  of  their  time  and  sub- 
stance in  watching  the  frontier  from  attacks  by  a  dangerous  foe. 
They  had  reached  a  point  when  their  families  were  increasing,  new 
wants  were  confronting  them,  and  they  even  had   some  commodities 


no  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

to  carry  to  market  to  exchange  for  the  necessities  of  Hfe ;  but  their 
roads  were  almost  impassable  and  the  streams  without  bridges.  The 
state  was  forced  to  leave  the  people  to  their  own  resources  in  the 
matter.  We  cannot  wonder  at  their  resolute  determination  to  call 
everyone  who  was  to  profit  by  better  roads  to  help  to  make  them. 

The  problem  of  taxation  is  always  beset  by  difificulties ;  the  wis- 
dom of  no  generation  has  been  equal  to  the  task  of  divesting  it  of 
all  features  of  inequality.  The  selfish  and  dishonest  of  any  commu- 
nity can  shirk  their  just  share  of  the  burden  for  a  time ;  but  the  suf- 
ferers after  a  while  reach  a  point  where  endurance  of  the  wrong  is 
unbearable,  and  they  demand  a  reckoning  with  the  delinquents.  It 
is  not  any  more  so  in  old  communities  than  in  new  ones;  but  in  the 
new  community  the  veil  that  covers  the  wrong  is  thinner,  and  the 
evil  is  easier  of  discovery.  It  was  so  with  the  Lancaster  of  a  hun- 
dred years  ago. 

Once  the  people  paid  their  taxes  and  ceased  to  avoid  them  under 
any  pretexts,  the  community  settled  down  to  a  peaceful  attitude 
toward  the  question  of  taxation,  and  we  see  no  signs  of  dissatisfac- 
tion for  a  long  time,  or  until  other  abuses  grew  up,  and  then  com- 
plaint was  made  against  the  selfish  and  dishonest.  And  so  it  will 
always  be  until  men  are  all  honest  and  generous,  actuated  by  a  patri- 
otic and  public  spirit. 

The  town,  having  gotten  its  policy  of  public  improvements  iully 
set  in  motion,  entered  upon  a  period  of  prosperity  that  has  never 
been  equaled  since.  From  the  first  settlement  of  the  town  it  was 
strictly  an  agricultural  community.  The  people  raised  their  own 
bread  and  meat  until  somewhere  about  1832,  when  through  a  neg- 
lect of  the  farms  to  engage  in  land  speculations  there  came  to  be  a 
shortage  of  grain  to  meet  the  demands  of  the  community.  This  was 
due  to  several  causes,  as  we  shall  see  later;  but  during  the  early 
years  grain  was  exported  to  a  considerable  extent.  (  I  have  used 
the  term  "  export,''  as  I  find  that  the  people  used  it  at  the  time  of 
which  I  am  speaking,  due  to  a  sort  of  provincial  spirit  that  charac- 
terized the  community  for  many  years.)  The  farms  were  produc- 
tive, and  the  people  were  economical  as  well  as  industrious.  To 
products  of  their  grain  fields  they  soon  added  those  of  their  herds 
and  dairies.  Fat  cattle,  hogs,  sheep  and  fowl  were  abundant  enough 
to  afford  the  old-time  drovers  and  merchants  prosperous  business 
from  about  1790  until  quite  far  into  the  present  century. 

In  the  days  of  the  old  turnpike  through  the  White  Mountain 
Notch  it  was  one  of  the  common  sights  in  winter  to  see  trains  of 
teams  half  a  mile  in  length,  loaded  down  with  butter,  cheese,  dressed 
hogs,  lard,  and  poultry  on  the  way  to  Portland.  Willey,  in  his  "His- 
tory of  the  White  Mountains,"  pp.  1 1 1,  112,  describes  such  a  scene, 
as  follows :    "  Well  can  we  remember  the  long  train  of  Coos  teams 


PUBLIC    IMPROVEMENTS.  Ill 

which  used  to  formerly  pass  through  Conway.  In  winter,  more  par- 
ticularly, we  have  seen  lines  of  teams  half  a  mile  in  length ;  the 
tough,  scrubby,  Canadian  horses  harnessed  to  '  pungs,'  well  loaded 
down  with  pork,  cheese,  butter,  and  lard,  the  drivers  rivaling  almost 
the  modern  locomotive  and  its  elegant  train  of  carriages  in  noise  and 
bluster."  Such  scenes  had  been  common  for  many  years.  Near 
the  close  of  the  last  century  pot  and  pearl  ash  were  added  to  this 
list  of  commodities,  and  for  many  years  were  one  of  the  staples  of 
trade  between  the  Lancaster  merchants  and  wholesale  dealers  in  Bos- 
ton and  Portland.  The  merchants  here  took  the  article  in  trade  for 
goods  of  all  descriptions  as  readily  as  they  did  money.  They  some- 
times took  the  ashes  and  made  the  pot,  or  pearl  ash,  themselves. 
The  commoner  name  was  "  salts  of  lye."  This  profitable  product 
led  the  people  to  make  an  onslaught  upon  their  timber  that,  while  it 
tided  them  over  a  time  of  great  scarcity,  yet  wasted  a  wealth  of  tim- 
ber that  in  later  years  would  have  been  of  much  greater  value  to 
them.  They  cannot  be  blamed,  however,  of  being  short  sighted. 
No  one  then  could  have  foreseen  that  timber  was  destined  to  en- 
hance in  value.  It  was  so  abundant  that  every  easy  device  of  get- 
ting rid  of  it  was  counted  as  a  gain  to  civilization.  This  destruction 
of  the  forest  opened  an  ever-increasing  portion  of  the  lands  to  pas- 
turage and  cultivation,  so  there  was  some  small  gain  in  even  the  de- 
struction of  their  forests. 

As  the  grass  sprung  up  in  the  openings  made  by  the  conversion 
of  the  wood  into  potash,  cattle  must  have  been  allowed  to  run  at 
large,  for  we  note  the  fact  that  the  town  meetings  began,  about 
twenty  years  after  the  settlement,  to  elect  "  hog  reves  "  and  "  fence 
viewers."  At  a  town  meeting  in  1783,  it  was  voted  that  "hogs 
properly  yoked  and  ringed  may  run  at  large."  The  yoking  of  hogs 
was  voted  on  at  several  meetings,  from  which  fact  we  infer  that  hogs 
had  come  to  be  abundant  and  unruly. 

At  an  adjourned  town  meeting,  March  15,  1784,  it  was  voted  to 
build  a  "pound  between  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder's  and  the  Bridge  place 
or  fordway  over  Isreals  River,  and  that  Maj.  Wilder  be  the  Pound 
Keeper."  This  order  was  undoubtedly  carried  out.  The  pound  must 
have  been  located  somewhere  on  the  lands  of  Major  Wilder,  which 
extended  more  than  half  way  from  his  house  to  the  fordway  over 
Isreals  river,  although  I  have  been  unable  to  locate  it,  or  even  get 
hold  of  any  traditions  of  it.  There  is  a  tradition  that  the  first  pound 
was  built  near  the  old  meeting-house  common,  on  Portland  street. 
The  pound  here  referred  to  was  the  second  one,  and  was  authorized 
to  be  built  by  a  committee  chosen  at  the  annual  meeting  March  8, 
1 791,  "To  build  a  Pound  on  such  spot  in  said  town  as  they  think 
best."  The  committee  saw  fit  to  locate  this  prison  of  stray  cattle  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  meeting-house  common.      It  was  a  well-con- 


112  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

structed  pound  of  stone  walls,  capped  with  hewn  logs,  and  a  strong 
gate.  Here  the  unruly  animals  were  brought  to  order  for  many  a 
year;  and  although  this  old  structure  has  long  since  passed  away  its 
successors  have  lingered  in  that  vicinity  until  the  present  day. 

In  all  new  communities  cattle  and  hogs  run  at  large,  and  after  a 
time  are  the  source  of  much  annoyance  to  the  people.  Many  petty 
conflicts  arise  over  the  depredations  of  jumping  cows  and  horses, 
and  the  rooting  hogs.  Lancaster,  no  doubt,  had  its  full  share  of 
these  troubles  in  early  times. 

Of  the  mercantile  pursuits  before  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century  we  know  but  very  little,  and  that  is  quite  fragmentary.  That 
Edwards  Bucknam  and  David  Page  kept  small  stocks  of  goods  in 
their  own  houses  for  trafific  is  certain ;  but  they  were  not  merchants. 
They  were  men  of  almost  every  sort  of  occupations  that  life  in  a  new 
country  called  for.  Especially  was  this  true  of  Bucknam,  who  could 
turn  a  hand  at  anything  that  needed  to  be  done.  The  time  came, 
however,  when  Lancaster  had  what  we  may  truly  call  a  store, 
because  it  was  kept  in  a  separate  building  used  for  that  specific 
purpose  by  a  man  who  had  no  other  vocation  or  avocations.  Directly 
following  the  French  revolution,  when  there  was  a  change  of  adminis- 
tration in  France,  one  John  Toscan,  who  had  been  the  consular 
agent  of  his  government  at  Portland,  Me.,  finding  his  government 
turned  out,  and  the  situation  at  home  one  of  danger  to  the  ofificers 
of  the  former  government,  came  to  Lancaster  with  a  stock  of  goods, 
and  locating  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bucknam  and  Weeks,  continued 
to  carry  on  a  store  for  some  years,  with  reasonable  success,  until  his 
store  was  burned,  when  he  returned  to  Pordand,  and  later  returned  to 
his  native  country  when  the  revolutionary  storm  had  blown  over  and 
the  old  regime  was  restored.  Toscan's  store  stood  on  the  south  side 
of  the  road  on  the  farm  now  owned  by  Edward  Woodward  ;  on  or  near 
the  spot  where  a  new  house  was  erected  during  the  present  year. 
As  near  as  we  can  learn  Toscan  came  here  either  in  1794,  or  1795, 
and  remained  probably  six  or  eight  years.  The  neighborhood  in 
which  he  settled  his  business  was  then  probably  the  most  densely 
populated  one  in  the  town,  as  there  were  some  twenty  families  living 
in  that  part  of  town  early  in  the  present  century. 

The  next  important  mercantile  venture  was  at  the  north  end  of 
Main  street  by  Stephen  Willson,  in  1799.  I  have  before  me  his 
ledger  from  October  13th,  1799,  to  1805.  Willson  kept  his  store  in 
the  tavern  building,  then  standing  where  the  Benton  residence  now 
does  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  street.  The  old  building  was  later 
moved  out  to  the  street  and  northward,  and  still  stands  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  and  doing  service  as  a  tenement  house.  Here 
Mr.  Willson  sold  dry  goods,  groceries,  hardware,  rum,  and  all  sorts 
of  things  needed  in  a  new  country.      He  took  in  payment  almost  as 


COMING    OF   NEW    INDUSTRIES.  II 3 

great  a  variety  of  things  as  he  sold — kimber,  hay,  butter,  cheese, 
poultry,  pigeons,  pork,  furs,  yarn,  socks,  flax  and  the  labor  of  male 
and  female  customers.  He  honored  all  sorts  of  orders  drawn  upon 
him  and  his  neighbors,  and  took  in  payment  for  his  goods  a  greater 
variety  of  evidences  of  debt  than  any  bank  of  exchange  would  accept 
to-day  as  collaterals  for  its  advances  to  its  customers. 

All  those  early  mercantile  ventures  were  failures,  however,  to  their 
owners ;  but  without  them  what  an  amount  of  privation  there  would 
have  been  experienced  in  the  community  no  man  can  tell.  Every 
man  in  a  new  settlement  can  do  almost  everything  for  himself  but  act 
as  his  own  merchant  at  a  distance  of  nearly  a  hundred  miles  from 
the  markets.  This  some  of  them  did  for  a  while ;  but  the  time 
came  when  they  could  no  longer  afford  to  do  this.  The  division 
of  labor  had  begun,  and  the  post  of  trader  at  a  margin  on  what 
he  sold,  and  on  what  he  took  in  exchange  for  it,  had  its  temptations 
for  men  who  had  never  had  any  training  in  those  pursuits,  and  con- 
sequently did  not  discover  the  leaks  until  their  ship  was  ready  to 
sink.  They  were  virtually  public  benefactors  instead  of  speculators. 
Sylvanus  Chessman  was  another  of  those  early  merchants.  His  real 
occupation  was  that  of  a  blacksmith  ;  but  he  had  such  avocations  as 
tavern-keeping,  and  store-keeping.  Their  motive  in  trading  was  un- 
doubtedly gain,  but  they  were  always  disappointed,  unless  the  con- 
sciousness of  serving  their  neighbors  better  than  themselves  satis- 
fied them.  No  merchant  ever  made  trade  pay  here  until  Royal 
Joyslin,  a  trained  merchant  of  considerable  experience,  came  and 
brought  as  his  clerk,  the  late  Richard  P.  Kent.  They  brought  expe- 
rience to  the  business  and  made  it  pay.  That  time  did  not  come, 
however,  until  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  the  present  century. 
All  such  ventures  before  then  had  brought  disaster  to  those  who 
undertook  them.  A  number  of  men  lost  much  of  their  savings  in 
their  inexperienced  mercantile  enterprises,  during  that  period  of  ex- 
periment. 

There  was  no  manufacturing  of  any  kind  during  this  early  period, 
and  very  little  until  about  1830.  There  were  blacksmiths,  carpenters, 
shoemakers,  tanners,  and  possibly  a  few  other  skilled  workmen ;  but 
every  family  had  to  spin  and  weave  their  own  cloth,  and  make  their 
clothes  themselves.  A  few  rude  articles  of  furniture  were  made  by 
the  more  skilful  persons,  and  that  with  the  rudest  implements.  There 
is  still  in  existence  among  the  heirs  of  Emmons  Stockwell  a  table 
made  of  a  slab  of  a  log  dressed  down  with  an  axe,  possibly  smoothed 
with  a  plane,  and  the  legs  carved  with  a  pocket  knife.  Some  furni- 
ture was  brought  to  town  at  an  early  date  through  the  White  Moun- 
tain notch  ;  but  the  majority  of  the  people  could  not  afford  much  in 
the  way  of  such  luxuries  during  the  first  quarter  of  a  century  of  the 
town's  settlement.  The  native  ingenuity  of  the  first  settlers  must 
9 


114  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

have  reveled  in  making  all  sorts  of  things  after  there  was  a  sawmill 
to  turn  out  boards,  of  which  to  make  tables,  benches,  chests,  boxes, 
drawers  and  all  sorts  of  handy  things  to  make  life  easy  in  the  wilder- 
ness. These  are  matters  of  speculation,  however,  and  I  leave  it  to 
the  reader's  fancy  to  reproduce  the  scenes  of  a  busy  and  happy  life 
though  full  of  simplicity  and  guilelessness. 


CHAPTER  X. 


A  TRANSITION  PERIOD  IN    THE    DEVELOPMENT    OF    LANCASTER 

FROM  1 800  TO   1850. 

During  the  first  half  of  the  present  century  Lancaster  was  pass- 
ing through  a  long,  tedious  transition  from  a  frontier  community  to 
that  of  a  town  in  touch  with  the  whole  state,  as  the  town  has  since 
been.  For  a  period  covering  three  generations  the  town  was  so 
isolated  that  in  many  respects  it  was  almost  a  republic  by  itself.  As  late 
as  1 79 1,  the  general  court  refused  to  seat  the  representative  of  the 
class  of  towns  to  which  Lancaster  then  belonged,  on  the  ground 
that  there  was  insufficient  evidence  that  the  election  returns  were 
sufficiently  correct  to  warrant  their  acceptance  by  the  court.  The 
means  of  communication  between  the  extremely  northern  towns  of 
the  "  Upper  Coos  "  were  so  poor  that  when  William  Cargill  presented 
himself  as  the  people's  representative  that  year,  instead  of  trying  to 
inform  themselves  on  the  question  of  the  regularity  of  the  election 
the  house  refused  to  recognize  him  as  the  easiest  way  of  settling 
the  question.  His  election,  however,  appears  to  have  been  regular, 
and  he  was  entitled  to  his  seat.  The  following  year  when  Capt. 
John  Weeks  succeeded  Mr.  Cargill  as  the  representative  of  the 
classed  towns  the  same  objection  was  raised ;  but  the  captain  was 
not  so  easily  turned  down  and  out.  He  had  gone  to  the  court  to 
represent  these  towns,  and  he  represented  them ;  but  it  was  not 
until  he  had  met  a  vigorous  opposition,  and  defeated  it,  that  he  was 
seated  in  the  court.  He  at  once  set  about  the  project  of  securing 
a  new  classing  of  his  town  with  such  other  towns  as  would  enable 
the  people  to  have  proper  recognition  in  the  legislature.  Through 
the  petition  of  the  town  that  object  was  attained.  The  desire  to 
bring  the  settlements  of  this  northern  section  into  active  relations 
with  the  machinery  of  the  state  did  not  stop  there ;  a  new  county 
was  demanded,  and  the  demand  was  kept  up  until  it  was  granted. 
Still  this  section  was  so  far  divided  from  the  older  sections  of  the 
state,  and  by  nothing  so  much  as  by  poor  roads,  that  it  was  at  a 
positive  disadvantage  during  the  whole  of  the  period  I  have  desig- 
nated as  that  of  its  transition.  The  products  of  the  farms  were 
worth  but  little  more  than  enough  to  carry  them  to  markets  at  long 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  II5 

distances  over  bad  roads.  The  wealth  of  timber  with  which  the 
town  abounded  could  not  be  marketed,  save  as  it  was  converted 
into  pot  and  pearl  ashes,  which  reduced  their  bulk  and  increased  in 
a  considerable  measure  their  marketable  condition.  The  cattle,  and 
other  live  stock,  raised  in  large  quantities  were  so  far  from  market 
that  they  brought  only  a  poor  return  for  the  expense  of  raising  and 
driving  to  market.  It  was  true  the  people  lacked  nothing  of  the 
necessities  of  life ;  they  had  plenty  to  eat,  and  as  for  clothing  they 
raised  flax  and  wool  in  sufficient  quantities  to  dress  with  comfort. 
Homes  of  plenty  were  multiplying,  and  the  population  kept  in- 
creasing at  a  steady  rate  from  161  in  1790,  to  440  in  1800.  The 
life  of  these  440  souls  in  1800,  found  no  larger  scope  for  activity 
than  the  lesser  number  did  in  1790,  only  that  their  circumstances 
were  a  little  better.  They  were  still  just  as  far  from  the  markets  of 
the  world  as  ever.  The  roads  were  but  little  better,  and  other 
things  were  about  equal.  The  state  had  been  appealed  to  in  vain 
for  assistance  in  several  ways  that  would  have  very  much  improved 
the  condition  of  the  people  here  if  they  had  been  granted  their  re- 
quests. 

Brave  ventures  had  been  made  by  various  persons  at  keeping 
stores  in  order  to  supply  the  demands  of  the  people ;  goods  were 
brought  through  the  White  Mountain  notch,  or  up  the  Connecticut 
river  through  Haverhill  at  great  cost.  Those  traders  had  ventured 
to  take  various  kinds  of  produce  in  exchange  for  their  goods,  but 
not  one  of  them,  prior  to  1825,  ever  succeeded  in  making  anything. 
Most  of  them  lost  much,  if  not  all  they  had,  by  the  ventures.  Con- 
ditions were  against  them  even  if  they  had  possessed  the  requisite 
experience  and  training  in  mercantile  pursuits  that  alone  can  as- 
sure success. 

Added  to  the  natural  growth  of  population  was  a  considerable 
number  of  families  that  came  from  farther  south  hoping  to  profit  by 
the  cheap,  productive  lands  of  the  town,  which  could  be  purchased 
at  very  low  prices,  and  seemed  to  promise  much  to  home-seekers. 
Among  these  families  were  some  with  a  sort  of  roving  disposition 
who  had  tried  their  fortunes  in  several  other  places  and  had  failed 
to  succeed.  It  may  be  doubted  if  some  of  them  would  have  suc- 
ceeded anywhere  or  under  any  conditions.  They  helped  to  swell 
the  population,  and  some  of  them  opened  up  farms  and  built 
houses,  mostly  of  the  primitive  sort  that  soon  fell  into  decay  and 
contributed  little  or  nothing  to  the  advancement  of  the  town.  Many 
of  them,  coming  up  the  Connecticut  river,  pitched  upon  lands  on 
the  northerly  slope  of  the  Martin  Meadow  hills  in  the  vicinity 
of  General  Bucknam's  residence.  Bucknam  probably  offered  them 
every  encouragement  in  building  homes,  as  no  one  ever  appealed  to 
him    in  vain.     He  wanted  to  see  the  population  of  the  town    in- 


Il6  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

creased.  If  the  town  was  to  become  of  any  importance  it  must 
have  as  large  population  as  possible ;  and  newcomers  were  always 
welcomed.  General  Bucknam  and  Captain  Weeks  in  the  south  end 
of  the  town  were  especially  hospitable  to  the  new  settlers;  and 
about  the  year  1800  there  were  more  people  living  south  of  the 
village  limits  of  to-day  than  were  north  of  it.  The  old  meeting- 
house was  the  geographical  center  of  the  town,  so  far  as  the  settle- 
ment had  then  gone,  for  none  had  crossed  the  Martin  Meadow  hills. 
So  entirely  was  the  town  an  agricultural  community  that  up  to  1804, 
there  were  only  ten  houses  north  of  Isreals  river  within  what  is  now 
the  limits  of  the  village  on  that  side  of  the  river,  and  five  on  the 
south  side,  between  Parson  Willard's  and  the  river.  Those  on  the 
north  side  were :  The  Major  Wilder's  house,  then  open  to  the  public 
as  an  inn  (now  known  as  the  Holton  place).  The  Stephen 
Willson  house,  a  tavern,  where  the  Benton  residence  now  stands. 
In  this  building  Mr.  Willson  carried  on  a  store  for  some  years  prior 
to  this  time.  The  little  house  on  North  Main  street,  now  owned  by 
Col.  H.  O.  Kent,  was  then  standing  as  the  residence  of  Samuel 
Hunnex  (an  old  Revolutionary  soldier).  The  houses  of  Artemas 
and  Jonathan  Cram,  William  Lovejoy,  one  Faulkner,  Richard  C. 
Everett  (the  old  Cross  house  of  to-day),  one  Bruce,  known  then  as 
"  Governor  Bruce,"  and  Miller  David  Greenleaf's.  Standing  on 
Middle  street,  near  where  Clough's  house  now  does,  comprised  all 
the  dwellings  on  the  north  side  at  that  time.  On  the  south  side 
there  were  the  residences  of  Titus  O.  Brown,  in  one  end  of  which 
he  kept  a  small  stock  of  goods,  Sylvanus  Chessman's  house,  then 
just  completed  and  intended  for  a  tavern  (later  known  as  the  Amer- 
ican House),  Edmund  Chamberlain's  house,  Dr.  Chapman's  house, 
Chessman's  old  house  under  the  Meeting-house  hill,  Mr.  Hinman's 
house,  near  the  "  clothing  mill  "  that  stood  for  many  years  where 
Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s  sawmill  now  does.  These  were  all  the  resi- 
dences then  in  the  village.  In  addition  to  these  there  were  the  fol- 
lowing business  houses :  Boardman's  store  (where  Ethan  A.  Craw- 
ford lives),  a  pearl-ash  south  of  the  store,  Carlisle's  store,  a  school- 
house  near  where  the  court-house  now  stands,  and  the  meeting- 
house on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  These,  with  the  residences 
mentioned  above,  comprised  the  whole  village  in  1804. 

The  number  of  houses  and  families  outside  of  the  village  at  that 
time  is  not  known,  but  must  have  been  considerable  to  house  a 
population  of  some  five  hundred  souls.  In  1799,  there  were  ten 
houses  within  the  village  limits,  and  ninety-one  voters,  so  there  must 
have  been  as  large  a  population  as  we  estimate  in  1804.  In  1807, 
one  hundred  and  five  votes  were  offered  in  town-meeting,  at  which 
time  the  population  was  closely  approaching  six  hundred. 

The  one  event  that  drew   attention  to   the   "Upper   Coos,"  and 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  II/ 

induced  emigration  to  it  was  the  erection  of  Coos  county  in  1803, 
the  act  to  take  effect  in  1805,  and  the  designation  of  Lancaster  as 
the  shire  town.  As  we  have  seen  elsewhere  the  people  had  long 
been  anxious  to  be  set  off  in  a  new  county  and  have  the  county 
courts  and  of^ces  of  record  more  convenient  than  when  they  were 
at  Haverhill,  about  fifty  miles  distant.  Now  that  this  long-wished- 
for  event  was  soon  to  be  realized  the  people  were  jubilant.  It 
meant  vastly  more  to  them  than  simply  having  a  court  and  the 
offices  of  record  for  their  new  county ;  it  meant  that  Lancaster  was 
to  assume  her  place  as  something  more  than  a  frontier  town,  and 
enjoy  the  prosperity  that  had  long  been  expected,  to  make  it  a 
desirable  place  for  the  home-seekers.  In  this  the  people  were  not 
disappointed,  for  the  number  of  residences  in  the  village  more  than 
doubled  in  the  next  twenty  years,  while  the  number  of  farms  was 
greatly  increased. 

Lancaster  was  the  most  favorably  situated  of  all  the  northern 
towns  to  become  the  shire  town  of  the  new  county.  It  was  the  most 
populous  one  in  the  county,  situated  most  favorably  on  the  roads 
down  the  Connecticut  River  Valley,  and  through  the  White  Moun- 
tain notch,  giving  it  the  most  direct  communication  with  the  older 
towns  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state  and  Portland,  which  had 
then  become  the  chief  port  or  market  for  Lancaster  and  all  the 
towns  to  the  north  of  it. 

A  new  impetus  was  given  to  the  various  business  enterprises  of 
the  town.  With  an  increasing  population  and  prosperity  the  people 
began  to  build  more  comfortable  houses,  and  furnish  them  better, 
and  in  every  way  the  town  took  on  an  air  of  general  improvement. 
The  merchants  began  to  carry  larger  stocks  of  goods.  Benjamin 
Boardman  was  taxed  on  a  stock  of  three  thousand  dollars  worth  of 
general  merchandise.  That  was  a  large  stock  for  those  times  when 
we  take  into  consideration  the  fact  that  the  kinds  of  goods  he  dealt 
in  were  such  as  we  should  consider  only  the  barest  of  necessities  of 
any  community,  with,  perhaps,  none  of  our  accustomed  luxuries. 
Prices  Avere  very  unstable  during  the  first  ten  years  of  this  period — 
1 800-1 8 10.  The  town  records  show  at  what  prices  certain  com- 
modities were  figured  into  the  minister's  salary,  as  two  thirds  of  it 
were  payable  in  produce.  This  arrangement,  that  may  provoke  a 
smile  with  the  reader,  was  only  one  of  the  necessary  features  of  busi- 
ness in  an  almost  entirely  agricultural  community.  The  people  had 
but  little  beside  the  products  of  their  farms ;  and  as  markets  were  so 
far  from  them  it  was  a  costly  operation  to  convert  their  produce  into 
cash  with  which  to  pay  their  bills.  It  was  counted  fortunate  to  be 
able  to  raise  enough  money  in  hand  to  pay  taxes  with,  and  a  moiety 
for  trade.  Then  the  minister  had  to  have  a  certain  amount  of  farm 
produce  for  his  own  use,  and  it  was  an  economical  arrangement  to 


Il8  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

pay  him  in  the  produce  and  save  the  waste  that  would  have  resulted 
from  sending  it  to  market  a  hundred  miles  off  to  get  money  which 
he  should  have  been  compelled  to  pay  out  for  the  same  kind  of 
things.  Then,  too,  there  was  a  custom  of  making  exchanges  of  pro- 
duce with  the  merchants  by  which  a  bushel  of  wheat  could  be  made 
to  do  the  same  service  in  exchange  that  a  dollar  now  does  with  us 
through  our  banks  of  exchange.  I  have  before  me  accounts  show- 
ing that  farmers,  and  makers  of  potash,  deposited  their  products 
with  some  of  the  early  merchants  and  then  used  it  just  as  we  would 
treat  a  deposit  at  a  bank  that  we  did  not  care  to  take  the  risk  of 
carrying  about  in  our  pockets.  A  farmer  would  deposit  his  wheat 
with  the  merchant,  and  then  give  his  creditors  orders  upon  the 
merchant  for  such  small  sums  as  he  owed  until  the  amount  was 
traded  out  by,  perhaps,  a  score  of  his  creditors.  Those  old-timers 
understood  political  economy  fully  as  well  as  we  of  to-day  do.  By 
reference  to  the  single  transaction  of  paying  their  minister,  which 
was  done  as  a  town  function,  we  learn  the  customary  prices  of  the 
leading  commodities  of  the  town.  In  the  year  1800  the  following 
schedule  of  prices  was  made  out  by  the  selectmen  as  "  the  going 
prices,"  and  at  which  people  could  pay  their  minister's  tax  :  "  Wheat 
one  dollar,  rye  five  shillings  six  pence,  corn  four  shillings  six  pence, 
oats  two  shillings,  flax  ten  pence  per  pound."  In  1804  prices  ran 
higher.  Wheat  was  $1.17  per  bushel,  rye  83  cents,  corn  75  cents, 
oats  33  cents,  flax  17  cents  per  pound.  Wheat  was  the  most  un- 
stable in  price  of  all  the  produce  mentioned  as  a  legal  tender  to  the 
minister.  In  1807  it  was  up  to  $1.33,  while  the  other  produce 
mentioned  remained  the  same  as  for  the  previous  years.  In  1809 
wheat  jumped  up  to  $1.50,  and  remained  at  that  price  two  years, 
when  it  fell  to  $1,  for  the  next  year;  but  during  1812  it  again  ad- 
vanced to  $1.50.  The  following  year  it  fell  to  $1.33,  with  rye  at  $i, 
corn  83  cents,  and  oats  33  cents.  In  18 14  wheat  advanced  to  the 
astonishing  price  of  $2  per  bushel,  corn  and  rye  to  $1.34  per  bushel, 
and  oats  38  cents. 

There  was  never  the  same  fluctuation  in  the  prices  of  goods,  and 
it  is  not  strange  that  the  merchants  of  those  days  were  all  bankrupt 
at  the  end  of  a  few  years  of  business  ventures.  Every  merchant  who 
was  in  business  before  1825  met  that  fate,  some  of  them  losing  large 
amounts. 

The  first  of  those  dealers  only  carried  small  stocks  of  goods  in  a 
room  of  their  residences,  and  had  other  business,  giving  at  most 
only  a  divided  attention  to  their  merchandise.  Such  business  must 
always  prove  a  failure.  Even  Benjamin  Boardman's  store  fell  into  decay 
when  he  began  to  buy  up  stock  and  drive  it  to  Brighton  market. 
The  volume  of  business  was  considerable,  but  the  distance  from  the 
markets  in  which  the  merchants  had  to  buy  and  sell  was  so  great  as 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  I  19 

to  consume  much  of  the  vahie  of  goods  and  produce  in  effecting 
their  exchanges.  A  trip  to  Portland  took  five  days  under  the  most 
favorable  conditions  of  the  roads  and  weather.  The  farmer  who 
produced  large  quantities  of  wheat,  or  other  grains,  butter,  cheese 
and  poultry,  and  the  pelts  of  the  animals  slaughtered  for  meat  on  the 
farm,  and  the  skins  and  furs  of  the  animals  he  hunted,  partly  for 
meat  and  partly  for  sport  to  break  the  tedium  of  the  dreary  life, 
could  better  afford  to  haul  these  to  market  with  his  own  teams  than 
trade  them  at  the  stores.  He  could  make  the  profit  there  was  in  them 
and  wages  for  his  teams  and  men  while  on  the  road.  For  many 
years  the  most  thrifty  farmers  kept  up  this  practice  of  going  to 
market  once  or  twice  a  year,  at  which  times  they  would  sell  their 
produce  at  the  best  prices  and  buy  their  supplies  to  last  for  all,  or  a 
portion,  of  the  year.  They  not  infrequently  carried  home  in  addition 
to  those  purchases,  handsome  sums  of  money  with  which  to  pay 
taxes  and  make  many  improvements  on  the  farms  or  in  the  houses. 

While  the  more  thrifty  farmers  had  learned  to  get  along  without 
the  middle-men — the  store-keepers  and  drovers — there  were  yet 
some  so  situated  for  lack  of  business  tact,  or  circumstances  over 
which  they  had  no  control,  to  whom  these  middle-men  were  a  great 
blessing.  The  poor  farmer  could  buy  on  credit  of  his  home  mer- 
chant, who  would  wait  on  him,  until  his  crops  were  matured  and 
gathered,  for  his  pay;  and  the  drover  would  buy  his  few  fat  cattle, 
sheep,  or  hogs  at  reasonable  prices  which  was  better  for  him  than 
to  have  undertaken  to  drive  them  to  market  himself.  Thus  the 
drover  was  able  to  range  over  a  large  territory  and  collect  a  pro- 
fitable drove  of  live  stock  to  take  to  the  markets.  For  many  years 
this  business  was  alike  profitable  to  drover  and  farmer.  Vast  droves 
of  choice  cattle  were  taken  out  of  the  country  for  which  the  farmer 
received  a  good  return,  most  always  in  ready  money.  Every  farm 
could  sell  something  at  certain  times  during  the  year.  The  ashes 
from  the  hearth  commanded  a  good  price ;  the  poultry-yard  could 
almost  any  time  of  the  year  furnish  eggs,  fowls,  or  at  least  the 
feathers  of  the  fowls  eaten ;  fat  swine,  cattle,  sheep  ;  potash  could  be 
made  during  the  winter  season  when  the  weather  would  not  admit  of 
other  work  being  performed  ;  grain  and  flax  could  always  be  sold 
in  any  quantities  that  the  farmer  might  happen  to  have  ;  he  could 
sell  the  wool  from  his  flock  of  sheep ;  or  his  wife  and  daughters 
could  spin  it  and  sell  it  as  yarn ;  or  if  they  wished  to  put  still  more 
labor  into  it  in  order  to  realize  still  more  from  it  they  might  knit  or 
weave  it  into  fabrics  of  various  sorts,  even  garments  ready  to  be 
worn  by  the  purchaser. 

For  a  period  of  more  than  ten  years  this  remarkable  prosperity 
went  on  uninterrupted,  and  the  population  ran  up  to  717  in  1810, 
with    130  voters  residing  here.     This  must  have  seemed  grand  to 


I20  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  men  and  women  of  twenty  years  before  that  date,  when  they 
could  count  only  a  hundred  and  sixty-one  inhabitants  in  the  town. 

The  financial  troubles  that  threatened  the  seaport  towns  with 
ruin,  in  consequence  of  the  embargo  and  the  non-intercourse  acts 
of  congress,  did  not  affect  Lancaster  seriously.  In  fact,  Mr.  Board- 
man  who  had  lost  sev^eral  vessels  in  his  shipping  trade  came  to  Lan- 
caster because  he  could  follow  his  business  here  undisturbed  by  the 
piracy  under  the  guise  of  law  that  lost  to  American  owners  900 
vessels  from  1803,  to  181 1.  This  section  was  much  excited  over  the 
embargo  and  non-intercourse  measures  while  in  force,  and  con- 
siderable smuggling"  was  carried  on  between  the  states  and  Canada, 
chiefly,  however,  by  the  border  towns  of  this  state  and  Vermont. 
Lancaster  was  but  little  concerned  in  the  matter  as  its  citizens  were 
a  law-abiding  people,  and  they  had  satisfactory  access  to  the  mar- 
kets in  which  their  cattle  and  other  produce  brought  good  prices. 
The  people  of  Lancaster  came  early  into  a  measure  of  political 
prominence  in  the  state,  and  being  patriotic  Americans  they  easily 
could  forego  the  temptation  to  violate  the  laws  of  the  nation  in  deal- 
ing with  a  province  of  Great  Britain,  for  a  mere  pittance  of  extra 
prices  for  their  live  stock,  or  a  saving  of  a  few  pence  on  the  pound 
on  the  few  articles  of  import,  chiefly  of  the  character  of  luxuries. 

Some  writers  have  attempted  to  condone  the  offense  of  the  smug- 
glers of  those  days  on  the  ground  that  by  selling  their  fat  cattle  to 
the  British  they  received  a  little  better  return  for  their  labor;  but  we 
must  not  forget  that  it  was  a  war  measure,  and  that  it  was  the  duty 
of  every  patriotic  citizen  to  honor  it  for  the  good  of  his  country,  just 
as  their  fathers  and  mothers  during  the  Revolutionary  War  period 
refused  to  use  tea,  and  other  taxed  articles,  the  use  of  which  by  them 
would  have  put  into  the  hands  of  their  oppressors  the  power  to 
oppress  their  posterity  for  generations  to  come. 

We  find  no  respectable  or  prominent  citizen  of  the  town  aiding 
the  unlawful  trade,  and  that  many  of  them  took  an  active  part  in 
both  discouraging  and  breaking  it  up.  Their  fathers  had  suffered 
much  for  the  freedom  they  were  enjoying,  and  they  could  forego  a 
little  gain  for  the  sake  of  maintaining  that  liberty.  The  elm-log 
jail,  that  stood  on  the  same  lot  that  the  present  jail  does,  was  often 
the  temporary  lodging  place  of  those  early  smugglers,  none  of 
whom  seem  to  have  been  notorious  characters  like  the  smugglers 
of  later  years. 

Some  people  in  Lancaster,  no  doubt,  sold  their  cattle  to  drovers 
when  they  knew  that  they  were  to  be  taken  to  Canada,  contrary  to 
the  proclamation  of  the  president  of  the  United  States.  Many  people 
here  shared  the  general  feeling  of  disapproval  of  President  Madison's 
administration,  and  especially  his  war  measures,  the  latter  being 
severely  condemned  throughout  New  England.     No    disloyal   acts 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  121 

ever  were  laid  to  the  charge  of  any  citizen  of  the  town,  and  a  large 
nnmber  of  its  younger  men  entered  the  American  army.  The  num- 
ber of  the  young  men  who  left  to  take  part  in  the  war  was  a  large 
factor  in  reducing  the  population  from  717,  in  18 10,  to  about  600, 
in  1 8 16,  when  the  number  of  voters  was  only  113,  whereas  it  had 
been  130  in  1811.  This  decrease  of  population  was,  in  the  main, 
due  to  the  removal  of  many  families  to  the  newer  states  in  the  West. 
Many  of  the  more  adventurous  families  that  had  settled  on  the 
northerly  slope  of  Martin  Meadow  hills,  having  found  that  getting  a 
living  in  Lancaster  involved  about  as  much  hard  labor  as  at  any 
other  place,  left  for  what  they  fancied  were  "  greener  pastures."  The 
town  lost  little  by  their  removal,  as  the}'  were  not  of  the  class  that 
possessed  the  hardy  qualities  necessary  to  success  in  any  com- 
munity. 

Many  of  the  young  men  who  enlisted  in  the  army  never  returned 
to  the  place  of  their  birth  or  adoption,  having  become  wonted  to 
other  places  with  which  they  had  become  acquainted  during  the 
years  of  their  adventures  as  soldiers. 

The  following  is  the  roster  of  Captain  John  VV.  Weeks's  company : 

Captain. — John  W.  Weeks. 

Lieutenants. — First  lieutenant,  Richard  Bean  ;  second  lieutenant, 
James  Green. 

Ensign. — F.  A.  Sawyer. 

Sergeants. — Benjamin  Stephenson,  William  Smith,  Daniel  Bailey, 
Amaziah  Knight,  Elisha  B.  Green. 

Coi-porah. — William  W.  Bailey,  Peter  Gamsby,  Obed  S.  Hatch, 
Josiah  Reed,  Benjamin  Wilson,  Robert  Hoskins. 

Musicians. — Allen  Smith,  Orrin  R.  Dexter,  Silas  Whitney,  Solo- 
mon B.  Clark. 

Privates. — Henry  Alden,  Samuel  Abbott,  Thomas  Alverson, 
Daniel  Bennett,  Zera  Bennett,  John  Brown,  Chester  Bennett,  Hazen 
Burbank,  Daniel  Burbank,  Stephen  Bullard,  Benjamin  T.  Baker, 
Ebenezer  Ball,  Thomas  Brigham,  Gad  Beacher,  John  Burns,  John 
Burgin,  2d,  John  Bickford,  Nathaniel  Bennett,  John  Brainard, 
Zebulon  Carter,  Stephen  Chase,  Levi  H.  Christian,  Seth  Clark, 
Winthrop  Collins,  John  Collins,  Guy  Clark,  Jere  Clough,  Charles 
Collins,  Moses  Cooper,  Sylvanus  Currier,  Otis  Chaffee,  Samuel 
Abraig,  Benjamin  Cross,  Phineas  Davenport,  Eliphet  Day,  John 
Dodge,  Moses  Davis,  Eli  Davenport,  Luimer  Dodge,  John  English, 
James  French,  Luther  Fuller,  Jeremiah  Fuller,  Joel  Farnham,  John 
French,  Timothy  Fuller,  Lemuel  Fuller,  Abner  Gay,  Wells  Good- 
win, Samuel  Gotham,  Robert  Gotham,  Samuel  Henry,  John  Holmes, 
Neh.  Houghton,  Willard  Huntoon,  Alpheus  Hutchins,  Joseph 
Henderson,  James  Harvey,  Sheldon  Holbrook,  Henry  Hall,  John 
Hicks,    John    M.    Holmes,    Daniel    Holmes,    Greenleaf    Huntoon, 


122  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

George  Huntoon,  Warren  Cassin,  Joshua  Knapp,  Peter  Labare^ 
Joseph  Labare,  Samuel  Linsey,  George  W.  Lucas,  Jacob  Mclntire, 
James  Mellen,  Harry  Moore,  Shephard  Morse,  Ebenezer  Mudge, 
Jacob  B.  Moore,  John  W.  Moore,  WiUiam  Merriam,  Nathaniel 
Moore,  James  Nesbit,  Stephen  Orr,  Daniel  Perkins,  James  Perkins^ 
Theodore  Phillips,  Benoni  Potter,  Orange  Pixley,  Caleb  Prouty, 
Daniel  Pinkham,  Levi  Pratt,  Albert  Rathbone,  Anthony  C.  Read- 
field,  Abram  Rogers,  Martin  Ray,  George  Shirland,  P^dmund  San- 
born, John  Sanford,  John  Shirley,  Job  Smith,  Luther  Southworth, 
Elihu  Spencer,  Jacob  Sperry,  James  B.  Stanley,  Joshua  Stephens, 
Abram  Sanborn,  Reuben  Stevens,  David  Stodard,  John  C.  Swain, 
Israel  Sanderson,  Daniel  Stratton,  Jacob  Trussell,  Daniel  Utley, 
Samuel  Vanschork,  Jere  Wheeler,  Barney  B.  Whipple,  James  Whit- 
ney, Jeremiah  White,  Jotham  Wilkins,  John  Wilkinson,  Absalom 
Wilson,  John  Wilson,  James  Witherell,  John  R.  Wyatt,  John  M. 
Williams,  Joseph  Weed,  Allen  White,  Andrew  Woods,  Thomas 
Whiton,  George  Warren,  Simon  Warren,  Josiah  Washburn,  Robert 
H.  Robertson,  Alexander  Jones,  Peter  Hamilton,  Jedediah  Robin- 
son, Samuel  Wright,  Samuel  Stackpole — 146. 

This  company  assembled,  and  was  organized,  on  the  farm  of 
Captain  Brackett,  from  whence  they  marched  to  the  front,  and 
during  the  war  did  faithful  service.  They  won  distinction  at  the 
battle  of  Chippewa  or  Niagara  as  among  the  bravest  of  the  brave 
soldiers  of  General  Hazen's  army. 

The  majority  of  these  men  were  from  Lancaster,  and  were  among 
the  personal  friends  and  acquaintances  of  Captain  Weeks.  Only  a 
small  number  of  them  returned  to  Lancaster  at  the  close  of  the  war. 
A  few  of  them  were  lost  by  casualty  or  sickness  during  the  service, 
but  most  of  them  became  dispersed  over  many  other  states,  where 
they  chose  to  locate  and  try  the  fortunes  of  peaceful  industries. 
Their  loss  to  Lancaster  was  a  heavy  drain  upon  its  population  as  it 
took  the  young  and  strong  and  left  the  old  and  feebler  members  of 
their  families  behind  to  care  for  the  interests  of  the  settlement ;  but 
this  heavy  drain  upon  the  working  force  of  the  town  did  not  wholly 
discourage  the  people.  Some  viewed  the  departure  of  so  many  of 
their  young  men  with  gloomy  forebodings,  while  others  were  glad 
to  see  them  go  to  answer  the  call  of  the  country  for  defenders  of  the 
hard-earned  liberties  some  of  them  had  shared  in  winning  from  a 
tyrannical  foreign  government  that  was  again  trying  to  subvert  our 
government  and  humiliate  our  people. 

During  all  this  fluctuation  of  population  the  village  gained  steadily 
in  numbers  and  prosperity  as  compared  with  the  outside  neighbor- 
hoods. By  1 8 10  there  was  an  increase  of  six  houses.  In  1820, 
with  the  population  of  the  entire  town  at  six  hundred  and  forty,  the 
village  had  all  the  stores  in  town,  numbering  four.     There  were  two 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  I  23 

good  hotels,  or  as  they  termed  them,  taverns.  Wilson's  tavern  at 
the  north  end  of  Main  street  was  the  leading  one,  as  it  was  in  the 
centre  of  the  business  portion  of  the  village  and  was  near  the  court- 
house and  jail.  Chessman's  tavern  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Elm 
streets,  at  the  south  end,  was  a  good  house  with  ample  accommo- 
dations for  the  traveling  public,  and  had  a  hall  in  it  for  the  use  of 
dancing  parties  and  other  entertainments,  and  a  stock  of  goods  at 
one  time.  This  tavern  was  then  called  the  American  House. 
There  was  but  one  minister  of  the  gospel,  the  venerable  Joseph 
Willard,  minister  of  the  First  church.  Three  lawyers  found  a 
means  of  livelihood  in  the  practice  of  their  profession,  while  an 
equal  number  of  physicians  looked  after  the  health  and  comfort  of 
the  people.  There  were  then  five  justices  of  the  peace,  which  is 
slightly  under  the  proportion  for  our  present  population.  It  was 
probably  then  as  now,  while  there  were  more  of  those  public  func- 
tionaries than  were  needed,  a  few  of  them  did  all  the  business. 
The  town  then  had  eight  school  districts  and  four  schoolhouses. 

The  greater  proportion  of  the  population  and  business  enterprises 
tended  toward  the  village  after  the  period  of  decline  set  in,  about 
18 1 2.  The  seasons  of  1804  and  1807  had  been  unfavorable  ones 
to  the  farmers.  Heavy  snows  came  early  and  laid  until  late. 
Frosts  were  so  frequent  and  severe  that  crops  were  greatly  damaged. 
On  May  i,  1807,  snow  laid  four  and  a  half  feet  deep  in  the  woods. 
The  losses  incurred  by  those  unfavorable  seasons  fell  heavily  upon 
many  families,  but  the  old-timers  stood  it  better.  They  knew  how 
to  adapt  themselves  to  reverses,  and  most  of  them  were  in  comfort- 
able circumstances  by  that  time.  Just  after  passing  through  the 
interruption  to  business  enterprises,  brought  upon  them  by  the  late 
war,  there  came  another  most  unfavorable  season  that  proved  a 
disastrous  one  for  many  of  the  people  of  limited  circumstances. 
The  season  of  181  5  was  a  cold  and  dry  one.  As  late  as  May  22d 
snow  fell  to  a  depth  of  nine  inches.  During  the  whole  of  that 
summer  the  days  were  hot,  but  the  nights  were  colder  than  had 
ever  before  been  experienced.  There  was  but  one  compensating 
feature  in  the  whole  of  that  year — it  proved  a  good  season  for  making 
maple  sugar,  and  those  who  were  favorably  situated  for  it  and  took 
advantage  of  the  abundant  and  long  flow  of  sap,  made  vast  quantities 
of  the  commodity,  which  was  as  staple  as  wheat  in  the  local  trade. 

The  following  year  was  even  more  disastrous  to  the  farmers  than 
that  of  181 5.  So  cold  was  the  season  of  18 16  that  it  is  remem- 
bered by  some  of  the  oldest  inhabitants  as  the  "  cold  season,"  and 
as  the  coldest  ever  known  in  this  section.  On  the  8th  of  June  snow 
fell  all  day  until  six  inches  laid  a  frozen  mass  that  buried  the  hopes 
of  the  farmer  for  that  year.  It  is  said  that  the  frost  worked  into 
cellars  that  day  as  in  the  coldest  winter  weather.     The  water  in  the 


124  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

aqueducts  from  the  springs  froze.  Thermometers  were  not  then 
in  use,  so  that  we  have  no  certain  knowledge  of  just  how  cold  it 
was  that  unlovely  June  day.  By  a  comparison  of  the  phenomena 
described  as  the  characteristics  of  that  memorable  day  with  what 
takes  place  now,  when  we  can  measure  the  cold,  I  should  think  that 
the  temperature  must  have  gone  down  very  near  to  zero  on  that 
occasion.  When  the  cold  period  passed  it  was  followed  by  a  long 
period  of  drouth  that  ruined  all  crops  except  potatoes,  of  which 
there  was  a  moderate  crop  of  inferior  quality ;  but  there  was  no 
choice,  people  had  to  put  by  their  fastidious  tastes  and  notions, 
and  subsist  upon  the  scanty  store  of  produce  that  a  most  careful 
effort  coaxed  from  Mother  Earth  that  year. 

The  next  two  years  were  more  encouraging,  for  they  were  at 
least  free  from  such  calamities,  and  the  people  gathered  courage 
and  addressed  themselves  to  the  tasks  of  life  with  energy,  and  their 
labors  were  rewarded.  The  season  of  1819  was  known  for  many 
years  as  the  "  Dark  Year."  The  weather  was  dreary  and  cloudy 
all  through  the  year.  On  November  9th  the  day  was  so  dark 
that  the  stars  shone  brightly  through  the  rifts  in  the  clouds,  at 
times.  This  phenomenon  terrified  the  more  ignorant  and  timid 
people  greatly ;  they  did  not  understand  it,  and  no  doubt  it  had 
much  to  do  in  determining  some  of  them  to  leave  the  town  for 
other  fields  of  adventure  in  the  great  Western  regions  then  looked 
upon  as  a  sort  of  Eldorado. 

This  northern  section  of  the  state  was  looked  upon  as  a  poor 
country  by  the  people  of  the  state  generally.  John  Farmer,  in  his 
"Gazetteer  of  New  Hampshire  for  1823,"  said  of  the  people  of 
Coos  county:  "They  are  poor,  and  for  aught  that  appears  to  the 
contrary,  must  always  remain  so,  as  they  may  be  deemed  actual 
trespassers  on  that  part  of  creation,  destined  by  its  author  for  the 
residence  of  bears,  wolves,  moose,  and   other  animals  of  the  forest." 

So  it  may  have  appeared  to  people  at  the  distance  from  which 
Mr.  Farmer  studied  the  situation  in  this  northern  country;  but 
those  sturdy  men  had  a  way  of  converting  the  "bears,  wolves, 
moose,  and  other  wild  animals  of  the  forest"  into  means  of  no 
small  amount  of  comfort.  If  crops  failed  for  a  season  or  two,  as 
they  frequently  did,  those  men  could  procure  their  meat  from  the 
forests  and  clothe  their  families  in  the  skins  and  furs  of  the  wild 
animals  in  a  way  to  make  them  comfortable  for  a  time.  It  seemed 
almost  providential,  that  during  the  period  of  failure  of  their  crops 
deer  should  have  become  extremely  plenty;  and  even  the  un- 
welcome wolf  was  a  valuable  animal,  as  there  was  a  good  bounty 
on  his  scalp,  and  many  of  those  animals  were  killed  at  a  time  when 
a  little  money  derived  from  the  bounty  helped  wonderfully  to  tide 
the  hardy  pioneers  over  hard  times. 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  1 25 

There  was  a  persevering  hardiness  in  the  character  of  the  people 
of  those  days  that  saved  them  from  failure  ;  they  could  accommo- 
date themselves  to  adverse  circumstances  and  await  the  coming  of 
better  times,  as  they  confidently  expected  such  times  would  come 
again.  The  traditions  of  the  town  were  full  of  recitals  of  hardships 
and  the  surmounting  of  difficulties.  Why  should  the  children  and 
grandchildren  of  those  sturdy  first  settlers  fail?  Conditions  were  a 
hundredfold  better  in  1820  than  they  were  in  1776.  The  people 
had  the  necessities  of  life  in  reasonable  quantities  nearly  all  the 
time,  sometimes  in  abundance,  aud  only  rarely  were  they  in  want 
of  anything  necessary  to  their  comfort.  Their  houses  were  commo- 
dious and  comfortable  ;  they  had  church  and  schools  to  enlighten 
and  train  them  in  the  higher  graces  and  refinements  of  life.  It  is 
true  they  were  not  making  money,  but  there  is  something  to  live 
for  besides  wealth  as  counted  in  dollars.  Against  a  happy  home 
in  which  comfort  and  virtue  abound,  where  healthy  and  intelligent 
children  are  being  trained  to  good  citizenship,  where  the  human 
heart  finds  that  response  of  love  and  sympathy  for  which  it  hungers, 
wealth  is  as  the  "  dust  in  the  balance."  The  citizens  of  the  town 
have  won,  and  long  held  the  recognition  from  the  other  sections  of 
the  state  as  being  law-abiding,  and  public-spirited  citizens  of  the 
old  Granite  state.  Few  towns  in  the  state  have  been  so  conspicu- 
ous for  the  number  of  responsible  positions  filled  by  its  citizens  in 
county,  state,  and  national  services,  both  in  civil  and  military  capaci- 
ties. 

Like  all  rural  and  agricultural  communities  the  town  has  sent 
forth  her  young,  richest,  and  most  ambitious  life.  She  has  nurtured 
scores  of  men  and  women  who  have  been  mighty  among  the  num- 
bers who  have  won  eminent  success  in  various  business  and  profes- 
sional callings. 

In  spite  of  all  the  prophesies  and  signs  against  this  northern  sec- 
tion this  town  was  not  destined  to  remain  poor  and  hampered : 
though  the  seasons  for  many  years  were  unfavorable,  and  crop  after 
crop  failed,  the  people  held  on  to  their  farms.  They  learned  to 
adapt  themselves  to  the  changed  conditions,  and  raised  such  crops 
as  would  grow  during  short  and  cool  seasons.  These  they 
exchanged  for  the  things  they  could  not  produce.  When  they 
could  no  longer  depend  on  a  crop  of  wheat  they  raised  grass  and 
gave  their  attention  to  the  production  of  cattle  and  butter  and 
cheese,  for  all  of  which  they  found  good  prices  and  a  ready  market 
in  Portland. 

As  the  crops  became  less  certain  more  attention  was  given  to 
making  potash,  which  in  turn  opened  up  a  larger  area  of  pasture 
lands  and  made  the  grazing  interests  of  the  town  more  reliable. 
The  people  could   convert  the  timber  of  many  acres  into  potash  to 


126  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

tide  them  over  the  hard  times,  and  at  the  same  time  were  opening 
up  their  farms  for  pasturage. 

In  all  of  this  there  was  a  sort  of  compensation  for  the  misfortune 
of  losing  crops.  The  increased  volume  of  potash  made,  called  the 
cooper's  trade  into  requisition ;  and  for  many  years  the  making  of 
barrels  in  which  to  ship  that  product  was  a  profitable  business,  fol- 
lowed by  several  persons.  This  furnished  profitable  employment 
to  a  number  of  men  located  mostly  in  the  village,  as  that  sort  of  busi- 
ness could  be  most  profitably  conducted  near  the  "  potasheries  "  as 
they  were  called. 

Another  compensation  for  the  suffering  due  to  the  poor  crops 
of  those  unfavorable  seasons  was  the  increased  interest  which 
people  began  to  take  in  agriculture  as  an  industry.  In  1820  an 
agricultural  society  was  organized  in  town  ;  and  for  some  years  it 
was  of  the  greatest  service  in  gaining  and  diffusing  knowledge  upon 
the  subject  of  agriculture.  The  leading  men  of  the  town  read  books 
and  gleaned  among  the  newspapers  of  the  times  for  information  on 
their  calling  as  tillers  of  the  soil.  They  conducted  intelligent  exper- 
ments,  and  as  a  result  agriculture  was  very  much  improved.  In 
nothing  did  the  town  profit  more  by  this  revived  calling,  upon 
which  life  depended  more  than  on  anything  else,  than  the  attention 
paid  to  the  improvement  of  their  stock.  Hitherto  their  flocks  and 
herds  had  been  of  rather  an  inferior  grade,  though  possibly  none  the 
less  fitted  to  the  primitive  conditions  of  life  for  being  of  the  "  scrub  " 
stock.  Conditions  had  now  become  so  changed  that  with  a  better 
grade  of  stock  the  farms  could  be  made  to  pay  better  returns.  If 
the  crops  were  less  certain  than  in  former  times  there  was  an  abund- 
ance of  pasturage  that  could  easily  sustain  a  large  number  of  cattle 
and  sheep  which  were  then  the  most  profitable  to  raise.  It  was  not 
long  before  many  of  the  farmers  had  large  herds  of  the  best  cattle 
and  flocks  of  the  better  breeds  of  sheep.  About  this  time,  for  the 
first  time  in  the  history  of  the  town,  an  intelligent  interest  began  to 
be  taken  in  the  matter  of  fertilizing  the  soil.  From  the  very  earliest 
times  little  or  no  attention  was  given  to  this  subject  as  the  lands  were 
rich,  and  newly-cleared  lands  took  the  place  of  that  first  cleared 
before  it  began  to  show  much  effects  from  exhaustion  by  continuous 
cultivation. 

The  scientific  study  of  agriculture  taught  them  to  return  to  the 
soil  an  equivalent  for  the  crops  taken  from  it ;  to  raise  the  best 
stock  as  it  cost  no  more  than  to  raise  poor  stock  and  gave  them  a 
much  larger  return  in  profits ;  and  also  to  use  better  implements  for 
the  cultivation  of  their  soil. 

In  a  few  instances  the  interest  in  new  breeds  of  stock  led  some 
men  into  extreme  measures.  Joel  Hemmenway  and  Josiah  Bellows 
stocked  their  farms  with  merino  sheep  with  the  expectation  of  reap- 


A   TRANSITION   PERIOD.  12/ 

ing  great  profits  from  them  in  an  incredibly  short  time ;  but  they  ■ 
were  doomed  to  meet  disappointment.  Joel  Hemmenway  lost  more 
than  a  dozen  fine  merino  bucks  he  brought  here  expecting  to  sell 
at  fabulous  prices  to  the  farmers,  by  wolves  in  a  single  night. 
Wolves  were  then  abundant,  and  almost  nightly  somebody's  sheep- 
fold  was  invaded  by  them.  They  were  not  content  to  kill  what 
they  wanted  to  eat ;  often  their  diabolical  disposition  led  them  to 
destroy  a  whole  herd  after  they  had  taken  their  fill  on  a  few  of  their 
victims.  They  seem  to  have  killed  as  a  sort  of  diversion  after  the}- 
had  their  feast  of  blood  and  fat. 

At  all  events  these  gentlemen  lost  money  on  their  ventures.  They 
were  not  slow  to  discover  their  mistakes,  and  by  devoting  their  atten- 
tion to  other  kinds  of  stock  and  crops  soon  retrieved  their  losses  in 
the  venture  at  raising  fancy  stock,  when  they  should  have  been  con- 
tent to  give  their  attention  to  what  was  best  calculated  to  bring  a 
certain  return  for  their  labor  and  investments.  With  these  better 
improvements  once  fairly  established  in  the  favor  of  the  people,  the 
seasons  became  more  like  those  of  earlier  times,  and  crops  became 
as  certain  as  ever  before,  but  new  ones  were  discovered  to  be  better 
adapted  to  their  soil  and  seasons  than  the  old-time  ones.  A  greater 
variety  of  crops  were  cultivated,  and,  of  course  among  the  many, 
some  of  them  were  always  good,  so  if  some  particular  crop  was  a 
failure  another  would,  in  great  measure,  make  up  for  the  loss  and 
disappointment  from  that  source. 

During  the  whole  of  the  period  of  poor  seasons  for  farming  the 
village  kept  up  its  relative  increase  of  population  over  the  rural  sec- 
tion of  the  town.  In  1825,  there  were  thirty-four  houses  in  the  vil- 
lage between  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard's  place  (now  known  as  the 
Hanson  place)  and  the  Rosebrook  place,  where  John  Ingerson  now 
lives  on  North  Main  street.  None  of  these  houses  was  painted, 
according  to  the  recollection  of  the  late  Richard  P.  Kent,  who  came 
to  town  that  year.  The  only  painted  buildings  in  town  were  tAvo 
stores.  One  of  these  was  painted  red  and  the  other  green,  from 
which  fact  they  were  designated  as  the  "  red  store,"  and  the  "  green 
store."  It  is  an  interesting  coincidence  that  the  first  of  these  painted 
houses  should  have  been  decorated  in  the  first  of  what  are  called 
the  "  simple  colors,"  red,  and  that  the  second  one  should  have 
employed  a  combination  of  the  other  two  simple  colors,  yellow  and 
blue,  to  have  produced  its  secondary  color  of  green.  This  art  of 
decoration  began  at  the  bottom  and  has  steadily  worked  its  way  up 
until  to-day  few  villages  are  so  beautified  by  the  use  of  paint  upon 
its  buildings  as  Lancaster;  and  even  the  farmhouses  and  other 
buildings  display  this  same  good  taste  in  the  matter  of  colors. 

At  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking,  1825,  there  was  probably 
only  one  interior  of  a  building  decorated  by  painting.     That  one 


128  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

was  the  old  meeting-house.  Its  pulpit  and  communion  table  were 
painted  ;  but  as  near  as  can  now  be  learned,  the  painting  did  not 
extend  any  further  than  "  the  Holy  place  "  of  their  temple. 

That  painting  was  probably  done  in  1798,  or  soon  after,  as  one 
would  infer  from  the  fact  that  Sylvanus  Chessman  circulated  a 
subscription  for  that  purpose  on  July  7th.  Ed.  Clark  is  men- 
tioned in  it  as  working  on  the  pulpit,  and  to  do  the  painting;  but  it 
seems  from  an  entry  on  the  back  of  that  document  that  a  Mr.  Phil- 
brook  did  the  work,  receiving  for  it  one  pound,  eight  shillings,  and 
six  shillings  for  oil.  This  document  is  still  in  the  possession  of  J.  S. 
Brackett. 

The  other  buildings  of  the  village,  apart  from  residences,  were  : 
The  four  stores,  two  hotels,  two  schoolhouses,  the  church,  court- 
house, gun-house,  and  the  log  jail.  The  population  was  again 
rapidly  increasing  as  many  newcomers  were  then  in  town,  about 
equally  divided  between  the  village  enterprises  and  the  farms.  In 
five  more  years  the  population  had  reached  1,187,  and  many  new 
enterprises  had  gained  a  footing  among  this  larger  number  of  cit- 
izens. 

The  town  though  remote  from  the  great  centres  of  commercial 
activity  was  affected  by  a  sort  of  tidal-wave  of  interest  in  the 
acquisition  of  land  that  swept  over  the  entire  country.  Foreign 
immigration  had  rapidly  increased  from  7,912  in  1824,  to  23,322  in 
1830.  Most  of  these  people  found  their  way  to  the  rural  sections  of 
the  country;  their  object  in  coming  was  to  acquire  our  cheap  and 
productive  lands  and  make  homes.  This  fact  stimulated  the  interest 
of  speculative  men  throughout  the  nation  to  profit  by  this  demand 
for  new  lands.  During  the  next  decade  the  speculation  in  lands, 
was  carried  to  an  extreme  and  ruinous  degree.  Throughout  the 
country  lands  were  bonded  many  times  over,  by  which  very  heavy 
losses  resulted  to  many  persons  ambitious  to  gain  a  fortune  in  a 
few  years.  While  this  craze  did  not  extend  to  Lancaster  to  any 
great  degree  it  did  tend  to  encourage  emigration  to  this  northern 
section  of  the  state ;  and  from  this  coming  of  home  seekers  the  town 
profited  materially  as  many  good  families  settled  here.  But  by  far 
the  greatest  advantage  to  Lancaster  from  this  general  craze  of  land- 
speculation  came  from  the  enhanced  value  of  the  products  of  the 
farms.  Almost  every  farm  product  increased  in  price,  due  to  the 
general  neglect  of  farming  throughout  the  country  by  which  a 
scarcity  resulted.  It  so  happened  that  the  farms  had  become  very 
productive  again.  Various  kinds  of  business  suffered  from  neglect, 
also,  while  the  people  ran  to  and  fro  seeking  their  fortunes  in  lands. 
In  Lancaster  the  people  gave  themselves  to  the  task  of  farming  and 
developing  their  various  business  interests. 

When  butter  had  reached  fifty  cents  a  pound,  and  cheese  twenty- 


A    TRANSITION    PERIOD.  1 29 

five,  and  pork  sixteen  cents,  the  farmers  of  this  town  had  vast  quan- 
tities of  these,  and  other  products  equally  high  in  price,  to  sell.  The 
period  had  come  to  make  money  and  they  applied  themselves  to 
their  vocation  with  zeal.  Farmers  grew  wealthy,  and  merchants 
increased  in  number,  and  did  a  good  business  for  many  years 
following.  Prosperity  smiled  upon  all  alike,  and  the  town  continued 
to  enjoy  a  steady  growth  of  population. 

The  various  industries  that  we  mention  in  Part  II  flourished  in  a 
remarkable  degree.  The  life  of  the  community  began  to  flow  in 
broader  and  deeper  channels  ;  an  old  type  of  social  life  and  busi- 
ness began  to  yield  to  newer  ones.  Did  space  permit  of  it,  and  had 
we  not  already  done  so,  we  might  recount  here  the  innovation  of 
hundreds  of  new  articles  of  trade  in  the  stores,  of  new  articles  of 
manufacture,  of  new  customs  and  fashions  welcomed  by  the  people. 
When  a  newspaper  was  established  by  a  few  enterprising  men  in 
1838,  the  Whig  and  Aegis,  its  columns  were  literally  crowded 
with  the  advertisements  of  the  traders  and  artisans  offering  their 
new  wares  and  skilled  service  to  the  public  in  the  most  inviting  and 
tempting  manner  of  the  printer's  art.  Elaborate  wood-cuts  showed 
the  latest  styles  of  furniture,  stoves  and  cooking  utensils,  hats  of 
local  and  foreign  manufacture,  farm  and  other  machinery,  and  a 
hundred  other  things  of  scarcely  less  importance  to  the  comfort 
and  welfare  of  the  people.  Such  merchants  as  R.  P.  Kent,  Royal 
Joyslin,  B.  H.  Chadbourne,  William  T.  Carlisle,  William  Cargill,  and 
Bryant  O.  Stephenson,  made  trips  to  Boston  and  Portland  once  or 
twice  a  year  to  buy  goods  and  study  the  markets,  seldom  returning 
without  bringing  something  new  to  offer  the  people.  Almost  every 
article  of  merchandise  known  in  the  great  markets  of  New  England 
was  to  be  found  on  the  counters  of  those  enterprising  merchants, 
some  of  whom  were  men  of  uncommon  ability  as  traders;  and 
what  they  did  to  build  up  their  town  is  beyond  the  power  of  any 
one  to  compute  to-day,  nor  do  we  believe  that  they  were  themselves 
half  conscious  of  what  was  resulting  to  the  town  from  their  efforts  to 
develop  their  own  business  interests.  Certainly  others  looking  on 
at  the  time  saw,  and  even  at  this  late  date,  no  doubt  see  in  them  only 
shrewd  traders  enhancing  their  own  fortunes;  but  society  is  an 
organism,  and  what  helps  one  doing  a  useful  and  legitimate  business 
helps  all  parties  to  the  social  compact  or  community.  Those  men 
were  breaking  down  the  old,  frontier  civilization  and  introducing  the 
broader  cosmopolitan  one  by  creating  new  hungers  in  the  lives  of 
the  people  in  this  remote  town  for  the  most  comfortable  and  elegant 
things  of  the  whole  country.  TK'o  tempting  display  of  new  goods, 
and  machinery  before  their  customers  was  the  natural  and  only  way- 
to  draw  them  out  of  the  old,  narrower  life  into  one  as  broad  as  that 
of  the  entire  country;  it  compelled  them  to  think  and  feel  as  their 
10 


I30  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

fellow-men  did  in  other  and  more  favored  communities.  That  is, 
after  all  the  glamor  and  newness  is  worn  off,  what  we  call  culture. 
It  is  leading  men  to  think  and  feel  as  others  have  done,  and  by  which 
process  the  individual  partakes  of  all  the  elements  of  the  strength 
of  the  many.  That  is  the  way  in  which  progress  is  made ;  and 
cannot  we  recognize  in  those  old-time  merchants  the  promoters  of 
much  of  the  culture  of  the  town?  Of  course  the  newspapers  and 
books  the  people  read,  the  lectures  and  sermons  the}'  listened  to, 
and  the  training  and  information  afforded  by  the  schools  did  much 
to  advance  the  culture  and  refinement  of  the  life  of  the  people;  but 
when  full  account  of  their  influence  is  taken,  it  still  leaves  a  large 
factor  unaccounted  for  unless  we  recognize  that  more  silent,  yet 
none  the  less  powerful,  factor  of  the  intercourse  and  interchange  of 
ideas  that  go  with  trade  and  commerce.  Of  course  men  enter 
those  pursuits  primarily  with  the  idea  of  enhancing  their  own  for- 
tunes ;  but  no  man  can  carry  on  any  important  business  legitimately 
without  fostering  the  interests  of  many  more  even,  than  those  with 
whom  he  does  business.  The  dishonest  man,  the  tricky  rogue,  does 
much  to  injure  the  interests  of  other  people  and  shake  their  con- 
fidence in  others'  integrity ;  but  society  is  not  slow  to  detect  them 
and  place  upon  them  the  mark  of  their  class. 

What  I  have  said  of  the  trader,  the  merchant,  is  true  in  a  large 
measure  of  the  manufacturer,  the  artisan,  and  the  professional  men 
of  those  early  times ;  they  all  did  something  to  foster  a  newer  type 
of  social  life.  When  Greenliaf  C.  Philbrook  plied  his  art  as  painter, 
glazier,  and  paper  hanger  he  was  doing  much  to  foster  a  more  re- 
fined taste  for  the  beautiful,  the  true,  and  the  pure  in  the  domestic 
life  of  the  people.  We  have  seen  a  few  specimens  of  his  work  per- 
formed about  1838,  wdiich,  although  it  provokes  a  smile  when  com- 
pared with  the  house  decoration  of  to-day,  was  yet,  nevertheless,  a 
great  help  to  pave  the  way  for  the  more  perfect  order  of  things  in 
our  day.  The  decorations  of  those  days  were  mostly  in  the  simple 
colors.  The  wall  papers  contained  large  patterns  or  flowers,  the  lat- 
ter conventionalized  ones,  for  there  was  never  anything  seen  on 
earth  bearing  such  flowers  and  fruits  as  they  abounded  in.  The 
colors  were  generally  red,  blue,  yellow,  and  green  ;  but  a  few  years 
later  the  modified  colors  or  tints  began  to  make  their  appearance, 
and  the  figures  and  patterns  were  in  keeping  with  those  of  our  day. 
The  greatest  changes  in  these  matters  took  place  during  the  decade 
between  1840  and  1850,  which  has  been  rightly  designated  as  a 
transition  period.  Prior  to  that  period  changes  were  slow,  and  what 
iew  were  made  were  a  sort  of  rehfctant  yielding  to  the  inevitable. 
After  that  period  a  much  more  rapid  progress  w^as  made  in  all 
things  pertaining  to  the  social  and  domestic  life  of  the  town.  The 
provincial  character  of  the  town  began  to  fade  out,  and   the   opposi- 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  131 

tlon  to  changes  to  what  was  undoubtedly  a  larger  and  more  refined 
life,  grew  less  as  the  years  went  by,  so  that  after  a  time  the  wiser 
ones,  who  are  always  the  fashioners  of  the  life  of  every  community, 
learned  that  the  new  is  old,  and  the  old  is  ever  new  through  the 
ceaseless  changes  that  take  place  in  the  evolution  of  societ}'  when 
one  penetrates  beneath  the  surface  of  appearances  and  breaks 
through  the  incrustations  of  habits  by  which  men  are  often  bound 
to  mere  surface  indications  of  reality.      It  is  so  in  all  things. 

If  the  town  had  lost  many  of  its  citizens  from  the  various  causes  I 
have  named,  there  yet  remained  a  considerable  number  of  the 
sturdiest,  wisest,  and  bravest  of  her  men.  To  that  number  was 
added  by  emigration  from  some  of  the  older  settlements  south 
of  the  town,  some  others  of  like  character  who  saw  great  possibil- 
ities in  this  new  section  of  the  state.  At  any  time  from  1825  to 
1830,  the  traveler  passing  along  the  river  road  between  the  south 
and  the  north  lines  of  the  town  would  have  passed  the  thrifty  homes 
of  the  following  named  men:  John  Burgin,  Samuel  Burgin,  Artemas 
Lovejoy,  Ziba  Lynds,  John  Stockwell,  Josiah  Bellows,  2d,  Emmons 
Stockwell,  Joel  Page,  Benjamin  Stanley,  William  Stanley,  William 
Lovejoy,  Josiah  Hobart,  Samuel  Hannux,  Josiah  Smith,  Samuel 
White,  Charles  Baker,  Thomas  Carlisle,  Benjamin  Hunking, 
Samuel  A.  Pearson,  Warren  Porter,  Benjamin  Boardman,  Allen 
Smith,  George  W.  Perkins,  John  Perkins,  Isaac  Darby,  Richard  P. 
Kent,  William  Farrar,  Jared  W.  Williams,  William  Cargill,  Royal 
Joyslin,  Levi  Barnard,  Francis  Bingham,  David  Greenleaf,  Jacob  E. 
Stickney,  Reuben  Stephenson,  Lieut.  Benjamin  Stephenson,  Turner 
Stephenson,  Sylvanus  Chessman,  Silas  Chessman,  Ephraim  Stock- 
well,  Moses  T.  Hunt,  Jonathan  Willard,  Charles  J.  Stuart,  Jonas 
Baker,  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  Adino  N.  Brackett,  John  W.  Weeks, 
Benjamin  Adams,  Lemuel  Adams,  Moses  White,  John  H.  White, 
John  M.  Denison,  William  Denison,  Eliphalet  Lyman,  Ashael  Go- 
ing, Francis  Wilson,  Samuel  Philbrook,  G.  C.  Philbrook,  Andrew 
Adams,  William  Moore,  Heber  Blanchard,  a  Mr.  Holmes,  Gideon 
Smith,  Frederick  Messer,  Joseph  Holton,  Col.  Stephen  Wilson,  Gen. 
John  Wilson,  John  Dewey,  John  Cram,  Moses  Church,  Ephraim 
Mahurin,  Levi  Church,  Noyes  Denison,  Ariel  Rosebrook,  John 
Straw.  Along  other  thoroughfares  in  and  out  of  the  village  lived 
the  following  representative  men  of  the  town,  also:  Horace  Whit- 
comb,  Allen  Smith,  Samuel  Rines,  George  Bellows,  in  the  village, 
and  the  Lovejoys,  Savages,  Wentworths,  Chapmans,  Stones,  Balches, 
Aspenwalls,  Farnhams,  Howes,  Stebbens,  Boutwells,  LeGros,  East- 
mans, Freemans,  outside  the  village. 

In  this  whole  list  of  names  there  are  but  few  men  who  were  not 
of  the  highest  order  of  intelligence  and  character.  They  were  such 
a  class  of  men  as  are  a  guarantee  of  the  success  of  any  community 


132  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

they  choose  to  Hve  in.  Besides  them  there  were  living  on  the  vari- 
ous side  roads,  east,  around  Mt.  Prospect,  and  over  Stebbens  hill, 
about  an  equal  number  of  like  men.  No  community  can  fail  with 
such  an  array  of  noble  men  in  it;  and  Lancaster  was  not  to  fail. 
There  was  before  her  a  splendid  future,  in  which  she  was  deserving 
of  prosperity  and  the  happiness  of  her  citizens.  The  steady  efforts 
and  patient  endurance  of  those  men  began  to  tell  for  the  better  soon 
after  1830,  since  which  time  plenty  has  rewarded  the  efforts  of 
every  industrious  and  honest  member  of  the  community.  The  vol- 
ume of  produce  was  rapidly  increased,  and  of  course  an  increased 
amount  of  business  was  done  by  the  various  traders.  So  great  was 
the  increase  of  business  that  the  town  for  the  first  time  in  its  -his- 
tory, began  to  feel  the  need  of  a  bank  of  exchange  and  deposit; 
and  accordingly  one  was  established  in  1832,  opening  for  business 
July  I,  1833,  in  the  house  of  Gen.  John  Wilson  at  the  north  end  of 
Main  street.  The  demands  upon  it  must  have  been  considerable, 
for  its  capital  was  $50,000.  For  a  full  account  of  this  and  other 
banking  ventures  the  reader  is  referred  to  Part  II,  Chapter  VIII. 

With  the  increase  of  population  to  1,187,  ''^  1830,  and  the  im- 
proved condition  of  the  roads,  business  rapidly  expanded.  With 
better  roads  communication  with  the  outside  world  was  easier. 
While  only  a  few  years  before  it  took  nearly  five  days  to  reach  Bos- 
ton, Mass.,  by  stage,  the  same  journey  could  be  made  in  two  days 
in  1840. 

In  1838  the  business,  political,  and  intellectual  interests  of  the 
town  seemed  to  justif}^  the  establishment  of  a  newspaper,  and  ac- 
cordingly a  few  of  the  leading  business  men  backed  such  an  enter- 
prise with  enough  capital  to  allow  a  couple  of  young  men  to  offer 
the  people  a  well-edited  Whig  newspaper,  an  account  of  which  we 
have  given  in  another  place  in  this  history. 

While  this  paper  served  the  purpose  of  an  advertising  medium,  as 
well  as  a  means  of  ministering  to  the  intellectual  wants  of  the  commu- 
nity, it  simply  stirred  up  the  people  on  political  lines.  The  staunch 
and  earnest  Democrats,  of  whom  there  were  many,  soon  started 
a  paper  of  their  own  political  creed  and  party — the  Cods  County 
Democrat.  Those  two  newspapers  were  ably  edited  ;  they  had  to 
be  to  meet  the  approval  and  patronage  of  an  intelligent  class  of 
readers.  They  discussed  ably  all  the  national,  state,  and  local  ques- 
tions in  their  editorials  and  contributed  articles.  Their  space  was 
about  evenly  divided  between  news  items,  editorials,  agriculture,  and 
literary  matters,  leaving  nearly  a  third  of  the  papers  filled  with  ad- 
vertisements of  all  sorts  of  things. 

In  those  days  there  was  more  leisure  time  in  the  average  life  of 
the  population  than  there  is  in  the  present.  That  leisure  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  there   was  vastly   less   to  take   up    the   time,  interest, 


A   TRANSITION    TERIOD.  133 

and  attention  of  people  than  now.  The  intelligent  and  moral  class 
devoted  their  leisure  to  reading  and  social  visiting,  from  which  there 
resulted  a  vast  amount  of  information  on  a  variety  of  subjects  and  a 
degree  of  sociability  that  does  not  now  exist.  To  any  student  of 
history  it  goes  without  argument  that  there  was  a  higher  degree  of 
originality,  and  a  stronger  personality  in  the  men  of  that  day  than 
there  is  at  the  present  time  ;  not  that  we  know  less,  but  that  we 
know  few  things  so  thoroughly  as  those  forefathers  did.  There  was 
nothing  in  the  life  of  that  time  corresponding  to  what  we  call  the 
"machinery"  of  our  modern  political,  ecclesiastical,  and  educational 
organization.  I  do  not  wish  to  be  understood  as  advocating  the 
pessimistic  notion  that  the  men  of  the  present  are  degenerating,  that 
they  are  bundles  of  vice  and  trickery,  while  the  men  of  fifty  years 
ago  were  faultless,  or  nearly  so.  These  differences  are  relative  and 
are  the  characteristics  of  the  peculiar  stages  through  which  society 
is  passing  in  its  normal  evolution,  and  is  due  to  well-understood 
laws,  now  that  sociology  has  become  a  tolerably  exact  science. 
Society  has  its  infancy  of  puerility;  its  >'outh,  characterized  by  a 
spirit  of  adolescence;  its  maturit}',  characterized  by  virility;  and  its 
old  age,  characterized  by  senility.  They  who  would  be  leaders  in 
the  affairs  of  the  community  would  do  well,  therefore,  to  give  due 
heed  to  "  Rohmer's  law  of  parties."  Society  is  never  a  yielding  mass 
of  humanity  that  will  stay  long  molded  in  any  arbitrary  form  under 
the  powerful  touch  of  a  leader.  Its  elasticity  and  life  will  bring  it 
back  to  its  normal  conditions  sooner  or  later.  Lancaster  is  a  good 
example  of  these  facts  ;  it  has  gone  steadily  on  developing  without 
any  of  the  "  hot-house"  methods  that  promise  so  much  and  perform 
so  little  for  a  communit^^  For  sixty  years  its  growth  of  population, 
business,  and  wealth  has  been  normal.  The  growth  from  1820  to  1850, 
was  a  solid  one,  neither  rapid  nor  slow.  It  indicates  that  the  people 
were  intelligent,  industrious  and  honest,  and  that  all  their  affairs 
received  careful  attention.  From  1825  to  1840  there  had  been  a 
gain  of  a  number  of  houses  in  the  village,  which  prior  to  that  time 
was  called  very  truly  "  the  street."  With  its  thirty-four  houses  strung 
along  more  than  a  mile  of  street,  dusty  in  summer  and  piled  full  of 
snow  in  winter,  there  was  little  of  the  appearance  of  a  village, — simply 
a  street  where  the  houses  were  a  little  thicker  than  through  the  farm- 
ing sections.  The  population  had  reached  the  number  of  1,316, 
about  one  fourth  of  whom  lived  in  the  village  and  found  employ- 
ment in  its  mills,  sawmill,  cloth  mill,  tannery,  clapboard  mill, 
shingle  mill,  carriage  and  furniture  factories,  blacksmith  shops, 
stores,  cooper  shops  and  the  various  professions  of  law,  medicine, 
divinity  and  the  like.  About  everybody  was  employed  at  some  use- 
ful occupation,  and  plenty  blessed  every  home  where  happy  wives, 
mothers,  and  children  e\'en,  were  bus\'  with  some  of  the  man\'  tasks 


134  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

that  go  far  to  stop  the  leaks  and  add  to  the  productive  power  of  a 
community.  It  was  a  settled  doctrine  of  the  people  of  those  times 
that  every  able-bodied  person  should  be  a  producer  as  well  as  a 
consumer  of  wealth.  In  an  address  delivered  before  the  Coos 
Agricultural  Society  in  i82i,AdinoN.  Brackett  urged  the  prop- 
osition that  every  one  in  the  family  should  have  some  share  in  its 
work  with  many  very  cogent  arguments,  devoting  a  large  portion  of 
his  address  to  that  one  doctrine.  So  generally  was  that  doctrine 
believed  and  acted  upon  that  the  town  was  free  from  habitual  loafers 
and  idlers.  There  were  a  few  old  "  topers,"  who  squandered  the 
most  of  their  substance  on  "  flip,"  and  rum  at  the  taverns,  and  a  very 
few  who  did  small  jobs  about  the  village  at  small  prices.  There  were 
many  workmen  of  a  high  grade  of  skill  employed  at  the  various 
trades,  then  followed  in  the  village,  who  became  independent  in  their 
worldly  circumstances. 

Lancaster  had  gone  through  the  panic  of  1837  without  scarcely 
feeling  the  disturbance  that  carried  down  so  many  business  enter- 
prises elsewhere.  There  was  not  an  instance  of  bankruptcy  in  the 
town;  but  on  the  other  hand  there  was  a  condition  of  prosperity, 
while  other  sections  of  the  country  suffered  so  severely  from  the  panic. 

The  Millerite  excitement  of  1843,  although  creating  some  interest 
among  its  few  adherents  in  town,  had  not  called  attention  away  from 
business  affairs  as  it  had  done  in  Whitefield,  and  several  adjoining 
towns  in  Vermont.  There  had  come  to  be  quite  a  variety  of  religious 
beliefs  held  by  Lancaster  people,  but  they  were  of  the  less  fanatical 
types,  and  consequently  things  were  more  even  in  their  way  through 
that  distressing  craze  about  the  world's  ending,  than  in  many  another 
section  of  the  country.  When  the  twenty-third  day  of  October,  on 
which  Millerites  predicted  the  end  of  the  world  was  to  be  witnessed, 
came,  the  people  went  about  their  business  as  usual.  I  have  not 
been  able  to  learn  of  any  persons  who  gave  up  their  occupations  to 
look  for  the  end  of  things.  The  late  R.  P.  Kent  recorded  in  his 
diary  on  that  day,  "  This  day,  according  to  the  predictions  of  the 
Millerites  is  the  end  of  world";  but  he  went  on  waiting  on  his  cus- 
tomers just  as  if  it  were  not  the  last  day  of  time.  So  did  the  rest  of 
the  people,  I  fancy. 

But  if  religious  excitement  had  no  effect  upon  the  people  of  the 
town  they  were  not  proof  against  the  excitement  of  war  or  politics. 
When  the  "  Indian  Stream"  war  broke  out  in  1835,  a  number  of  men 
flocked  to  the  village  to  offer  themselves  for  service  in  the  Twenty- 
fourth  regiment;  but  of  the  number  only  the  five  following  persons 
were  needed  to  complete  Capt.  James  Mooney's  company:  James  H. 
Balch,  Douglas  Ingerson,  Dennis  Jones,  John  Perkins,  and  Charles  F. 
Stone.  Although  this  was  not  an  affair  that  affected  the  town  in  any 
way  yet  there  was  much  interest  felt  among  Lancaster  people  in  hav- 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  135 

ing  the  trouble  speedily  settled  as  it  had  kept  the  country  to  the 
north  in  an  unsettled  state  ever  since  1819. 

When  the  call  to  arms  came  again  in  1847,  on  the  occasion  of  the 
war  with  Mexico,  Lancaster  furnished  a  number  of  men  for  the  service 
who  were  included  in  Pierce's  and  Ransom's  command,  the  Ninth  or 
New  England  Volunteers. 

Although  the  sentiment  of  this  section  of  the  state  was  strongly 
against  the  war,  a  number  of  men  yielded  to  what  they  were  pleased 
to  consider  their  country's  call  to  duty  and  went  to  the  front.  The 
recruiting  ofificer  arrived  here  Sunday,  April  1 1,  1847,  and  on  Tues- 
day, the  13th,  a  detachment  of  recruits  left  for  the  front.  Some 
of  them  died  during  the  hard  marches  in  Mexico.  Those  who  served 
in  that  war  have  been  mentioned  in  our  chapter  on  military  affairs 
in  Part  II,  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  that  chapter  for  fuller  in- 
formation. 

The  political  and  civil  consciousness  of  the  people  of  this  town  and 
surrounding  section  of  country  was  early  awakened,  hence  the  more 
than  common  interest  felt  by  them  in  all  public  matters.  Seldom 
was  a  town  settled  by  such  public-spirited  men  as  the  pioneers  of 
Lancaster ;  and  for  many  years  the  best  men  who  came  to  the  then 
distant  town  were  men  of  like  mind  with  the  first  settlers.  The  same 
was  true  of  the  other  towns  with  which  they  were  brought  most  in 
contact,  —  Haverhill,  Jefferson,  Northumberland,  and  Guildhall  in 
Vermont.  In  all  those  towns  the  leading  men  took  a  deep  and  vital 
interest  in  the  affairs  of  the  state  and  nation.  Then  conditions  were 
such  here,  on  the  frontier  of  the  nation,  that  they  felt  a  responsibility 
in  standing  as  the  advance  guard  of  the  state  and  country  in  Northern 
New  England.  These  facts  cultivated  in  them  an  interest  in  matters 
of  politics  and  state,  and  that  interest  has  never  lost  its  hold  upon 
the  people  of  this  town.  No  political  movement  of  any  magnitude 
is  ever  contemplated  in  the  state  without  reckoning  on  Coos  county, 
and  particularly  on  Lancaster. 

Perhaps  no  decade  in  the  history  of  the  town  saw  so  many,  and 
such  radical  changes  as  that  from  1840  to  1850,  during  which 
nearly  all  vestiges  of  the  old,  provincial  customs  gave  place  to  new 
and  cosmopolitan  customs.  By  its  own  success  the  older  life  of  the 
town  had  worked  this  change,  which  was  in  no  wise  announced  with 
heraldry  or  trumpets.  The  people  never  said  by  convention,  "  Go 
to  now,  we  will  make  radical  changes,  and  many  of  them  in  our 
town."  They  came  as  silently  as  growth  does  in  the  life  of  a  child,  so 
slow  and  insidious  that  the  most  careful  observer  does  not  see  it 
until  it  is  accomplished.  So  with  the  passing  of  the  old  forms  and 
customs  once  so  prevalent  in  the  life  of  the  people  of  Lancaster. 
No  revolutions  were  planned  and  executed  with  rancor  and  conten- 
tion over  the  relative  merits  of  things  old  or  new ;   but  a  grand  evo- 


136  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

lution  was  working  out  results  that  involved  the  best  thought  and 
efforts  of  four  or  five  generations  since  the  Puritan  ancestry  of  these 
people  had  landed  on  the  shores  of  New  England.  Few,  if  any,  of 
the  men  and  women  of  that  period  were  conscious  of  the  results 
that  were  destined  to  follow  the  earnest  and  persistent  efforts  they 
were  putting  forth  in  the  competition  and  cooperation  that  was 
going  on  in  the  life  of  the  communit)-.  Perhaps  they  were  content 
with  their  daily  bread,  the  comfort  and  the  happiness  they  enjoyed 
from  well-ordered  lives,  not  for  a  moment  aware  that  these  things 
were  the  greatest  factors  of  change  in  the  life  of  a  village  or  town. 

To  the  student  of  history  there  were  present  symptoms  of  all  the 
changes  that  have  since  taken  place ;  but  one  never  seems  to  be 
able  to  fully  comprehend  the  remote  significance  of  the  activities 
with  which  he  is  most  intimately  connected,  and  the  movements  of 
which  he  is  a  part.  The  business,  social,  and  intellectual  life  of  the 
town  was  struggling  for  closer  connection  with  the  life  of  the  coun- 
try at  large.  There  were  earnest  efforts  being  put  forth  to  render 
communication  with  the  larger  centers  -of  trade  and  social  life  easier 
and  quicker.  With  the  coming  of  railroads  so  near  as  Lowell,  Mass., 
the  distance  to  Boston  did  not  seem  ^u/^c  so  long;  and  when  the 
railroad  reached  Concord,  N.  H.,  it  was  possible  to  reach  Boston  in 
a  little  over  twenty-four  hours  by  stage  and  rail  in  1849,  and  later, 
when  the  Passumpsic  railroad  reached  Mclndoes  Falls,  the  trip  was 
•still  shortened  by  some  hours.  People  at  once  began  to  travel  more  ; 
their  products  and  the  merchandise  for  which  they  were  exchanged 
•could  reach  their  destinations  in  their  respective  markets  in  a  few 
■days.  The  entire  life  of  the  people  in  all  their  concerns  now  as- 
sumed a  quickened  pace.  The  quiet  and  deliberate  manners  of  the 
past  began  to  yield  to  the  nervous,  impulsive  manners  of  the  larger 
communities.  The  merchants  caught  up  the  proverb  of  the  city 
merchant — "Quick  sales  and  small  profits" — and  the  people  began 
to  look  for  those  quick  sales  and  cheaper  goods  in  the  hope  of  get- 
ting more  for  their  labor. 

No  sooner  had  the  commercial  life  of  the  town  come  under  the 
spell  of  the  new  era  of  rapidity  of  action  than  the  whole  life  of  the 
town  pulsed  with  the  almost  wild  enthusiasm.  The  business  men 
and  farmers  were  alike  interested  in  inducing  a  railroad  to  connect 
Lancaster  with  Concord,  N.  H.,  or  Portland,  Me.  The  valley  of  the 
Ammonoosuc  and  the  notch  through  the  White  Mountains  were 
explored  in  the  hope  of  engaging  some  company  to  build  a  road 
through  either  one  or  the  other  of  those  regions.  P^verything 
seemed  to  depend  on  the  quickening  of  the  activities  of  the  town, 
and  in  keeping  in  step  with  the  onward  march  of  progress  through- 
out the  country. 

While  all  this  effort  was  being  put  forth  there  was  going  on  every 


James  W.  Weeks. 


William  D.  Weeks. 


William  D.   Spaulding. 


Enoch   Lip.f.ev  Colhy 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  137 

conceivable  degree  and  kind  of  change  in  the  Hfe  of  the  people. 
They  began  to  see  how,  with  railroads,  could  be  turned  to  account 
the  hitherto  unused  resources  of  the  section  of  timberland  to  the 
north,  and  which  could  be  handled  here  with  profit  to  the  com- 
munity. Such  routes  were  to  be  opened  up  through  this  northern 
section,  and  Lancaster  was  anxious  to  have  them  pass  through  its 
territory. 

The  circumstances  of  life  we  have  been  recounting  had  the  ten- 
dency to  produce  a  class  of  men  of  great  capability  in  many  ways. 
From  the  earliest  times  the  conditions  had  been  such,  in  this  north- 
ern section  of  country  at  least,  as  to  produce  in  the  inhabitants  a 
degree  of  versatility  or  readiness  to  adapt  themselves  to  a  variety 
of  occupations.  Such  conditions  and  traditions  tended  to  make  the 
men  of  the  second  and  third  generations  conscious  of  their  inherited 
abilties,  and  led  to  a  disposition  to  assert  and  maintain  their  posi- 
tion before  the  public.  They  were  frequently  called  into  the  service 
•of  the  state  and  nation  because  of  their  capability  of  rendering  val- 
uable services. 

Many  of  the  men  of  that  time  living  in  the  town  could  take  a 
surveyor's  compass  and  run  a  line  with  as  much  accuracy  as  any 
man  of  our  day.  Their  education  was  of  a  practical  kind.  It  was 
no  uncommon  thing  for  surveying  to  be  taught  in  almost  any  school 
that  was  in  the  least  degree  above  the  ordinary  school  of  the  "  three 
R's."  Almost  every  family  had  in  its  membership  some  bright  boy 
who  would  learn  to  use  the  compass. 

When  the  boundary  survey  between  the  United  States  and  Canada 
was  made  in  1845,  ^o'-"''  Lancaster  men  were  called  into  the  service 
and  did  very  good  work  during  the  course  of  that  portion  of  the 
survey  under  the  charge  of  Commissioner  Albert  Smith  of  Portland, 
Me.,  from  Hall's  Stream  to  Lake  Champlain.  These  men  were: 
Hon.  James  W.  Weeks,  his  brother,  John  Weeks,  John  Hubbard 
Spaulding,  John  M.  WHiipple,  and  Joel  Hemmenway.  To  James 
W.  Weeks  was  assigned  the  task  of  making  the  preliminary  surveys 
and  sketches  for  the  topographical  map  of  the  entire  line,  while  the 
other  Lancaster  men  acted  in  various  capacities  as  chain  carriers, 
setters  of  the  monuments,  and  using  the  compass  on  the  topographi- 
cal work.  This  party  was  fitted  out  in  Lancaster,  April  29,  1845. 
The  commissioner  and  some  of  his  surveyors  and  engineers  arrived 
in  Lancaster  on  April  28,  and  at  once  sought  some  one  who  pos- 
sessed a  knowledge  of  the  section  of  the  country  between  here  and 
where  their  work  lay.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  man  who  pos- 
sessed the  knowledge  they  sought  was  James  W.  Weeks,  a  land- 
surveyor  of  some  reputation  who  had  been  engaged  in  the  survey 
of  state  lands  on  Hall's  stream  in  the  town  of  Pittsburg,  some  }'ears 
previous   to   this   time.      He   produced  a  rough   map  of  the  section 


138  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

which  the  commissioner  and  his  chief  engineer  copied,  after  which 
Mr.  Weeks  was  engaged  to  join  the  party  which  he  did  in  a  few 
days  as  soon  as  he  could  arrange  his  business  to  be  absent  for  some 
months.  He  at  once  joined  the  party,  and  found  the  three  other 
Lancaster  men  I  have  named  already  engaged  for  their  respective 
parts  in  the  business. 

The  actual  work  began  in  May,  and  lasted  until  September. 
After  the  completion  of  the  survey  and  the  party  was  disbanded, 
the  work  of  completing  the  topographical  map  of  the  line  was 
assigned  to  Mr.  Weeks  to  be  done  in  Lancaster.  Mr.  Weeks  com- 
pleted his  map,  and  upon  the  direction  of  Major  John  Pope 
of  Bull  Run  fame  delivered  it  to  him  on  September  26,  1845,  ^^ 
Richford,  Vt.  This  piece  of  work  gave  the  best  of  satisfaction,  and 
has  never  been  found  defective  in  any  respect. 

Surveys  and  Marking  of  the  Eastern  Boundary  of  N.  H. — 
When  the  boundary  line  between  the  states  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire  became  a  matter  of  greater  importance  than  when  at 
first  established,  giving  rise  to  disputes,  the  two  states,  by  commis- 
sioners appointed  by  their  respective  legislatures,  caused  a  survey 
to  be  made  in  1828.  The  commissioners  on  the  part  of  New 
Hampshire  were  the  Hon.  Ichabod  Bartlett  of  Portsmouth  and 
Hon.  John  W.  Weeks  of  Lancaster. 

These  commissioners,  acting  with  those  of  Maine,  began  work  at 
East  pond,  the  head  of  Salmon  Falls  river,  and  during  that  and  the 
next  season  ran  the  line  to  the  northern  limit,  marking  the  same  by 
a  few  stone  monuments  and  by  blazing  trees.  In  time  this  marking 
became  a  matter  of  uncertainty,  giving  rise  to  disputes  as  the  timber 
lands  of  that  region  were  rapidly  increasing  in  value.  Accordingly, 
the  two  states  again  appointed  commissioners  in  1858  to  "  ascertain, 
survey,  and  mark  "  the  boundary  line  from  the  northwest  corner  of 
Fryeburg  to   the  Canada  line. 

The  governor  of  New  Hampshire  appointed  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent, 
then  clerk  of  the  house  of  representatives,  as  commissioner  on  that 
survey  on  the  part  of  this  state. 

Receiving  his  appointment  on  June  28,  1858,  Colonel  Kent  at 
once  began  preparations  for  the  task  before  him,  and  he  took  as 
assistants  Lieut.  James  S.  Brackett  and  Lieut.  John  G.  Lewis  of  Lan- 
caster. Joining  the  commissioner  of  the  state  of  Maine,  the  party 
started  September  14,  1858,  from  Wilson's  Mills  on  the  Magalloway, 
for  the  northern  end  of  the  line. 

The  task  was  an  arduous  one,  but  was  finished  on  October  13, 
1858,  by  the  erection  of  the  last  monument  at  the  northeast  corner 
of  the  town  of  Fryeburg.  The  line  was  marked  by  renewing  the 
old  markings  and  monuments,  and  the  erection  of  many  new  monu- 
ments at  road  crossings  and  other  conspicuous  points  along  the  line. 


A   TRANSITION    PERIOD.  139 

Their  work  was  so  well  performed  that  the  line  has  never  since  been 
a  question  of  important  uncertainty  or  dispute. 

The  men  of  the  decade  between  1840  and  1850,  those  who  were 
leaders  in  thought  and  action  in  the  community,  were  of  good 
sense  and  judicial  judgment.  There  were  then  a  number  of  men  in 
Lancaster  who  could  have  filled  any  position  of  responsibility  in  the 
state,  and  others  who  were  shrewd  men  of  affairs.  A  lively  interest 
was  taken  in  all  the  important  questions  of  the  day,  and  not  a  few 
men  and  women  among  them  were  possessed  of  a  considerable  criti- 
cal faculty.  One  of  the  most  knotty  problems,  however,  that  Lan- 
caster men  ever  ran  against  was  what  was  known  at  the  time  as 
"  spirit  rappings."  The  notorious  Fox  sisters  of  Hydeville,  N.  Y., 
in  1848,  set  the  world  wild  over  what  were  supposed  to  be  the 
rappings  of  the  spirits  of  the  dead.  All  over  the  country  ignorant 
and  visionary  people  were  being  frightened  almost  out  of  their  wits 
by  a  self-imposed  delusion.  But  long  before  the  Fox  sisters,  the 
delusion  reached  Lancaster,  and,  as  usual  with  it,  the  attack  was 
upon  a  bevy  of  school-girls  in  the  stilly  and  mysterious  time  of 
early  night  when  all  things  are  hushed  into  that  stillness  in  which 
one  can  almost  hear  the  workings  of  his  own  mind.  All  of  a  sud- 
den rappings  were  heard  by  them,  as  they  supposed,  on  the  wall  be- 
tween the  room  they  were  in  and  an  adjoining  one.  Alarm  at  once 
took  hold  of  everybody.  Was  it  some  one  trying  to  work  upon 
their  fear  or  credulity?  A  search  by  an  irate  father  of  some  of  the 
girls  failed  to  discover  mischievous  boys  hidden  away  in  the  house. 
He  laid  by  the  whip  with  which  he  intended  to  administer  a  mer- 
ited punishment  upon  the  wicked  boys,  and  gave  his  thought  to  a 
solution  of  the  mysterious  rappings,  becoming  more  bold  and  loud 
as  longer  the  frightened  family  listened  to  them.  What  could  it 
be?  Was  it  not  a  miracle?  Was  it  some  token  of  good  or  ill  given 
by  a  good  God?  Or  was  it  the  work  of  a  demon?  If  not  one  or 
the  other  of  these,  might  it  not  be  what  everybody  had  heard  so 
much  about — the  raps  from  spirits? 

Court  was  in  session,  and  the  village  was  favored  with  the  pres- 
ence of  some  of  the  ablest  jurists  on  the  bench  in  New  Hampshire. 
Why  not  call  into  requisition  this  and  the  local  talent  at  solving 
mysteries  ? 

That  is  just  what  was  done.  A  gathering  of  distinguished  men 
was  summoned  to  investigate  the  mysterious  phenomena,  among 
whom  we  find  the  names  of  such  reputable  men  as  Judge  Tillotson, 
Judge  Cushman,  Maj.  John  W.  Weeks,  Esq.,  A.  N.  Brackett,  Reu- 
ben Stephenson,  Gov.  J.  W.  Williams,  Col.  John  H.  White,  Gen. 
John  Wilson,  besides  many  others  almost  as  noted  for  learning  and 
sound  judgment. 

This  company  set  themselves  seriously  to   the   task  of  unravel- 


I40  •      HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

ing  the  mystery  that  had  thrown  the  village  into  a  furor  of  excite- 
ment. They  observed,  they  experimented,  and  they  discussed  the 
question;  but  in  the  end  they  had  to  give  it  up  as  unsolved,  if  not, 
indeed,  unsolvable,  and  the  community  in  general  accepted  their 
decision  as  wise  and  just.  The  matter  never  reached  as  high  a 
degree  of  excitement  here  as  in  many  other  villages  throughout 
the  country,  but  there  have  always  been  a  few  persons  who  regard 
the  so-called  phenomena  as  a  mystery,  portentous  of  something, 
they  hardly  know  what. 

Such  delusions  have  never  carried  many  people  into  the  extremes 
so  well  calculated  to  mislead  the  unscientific  minds  of  the  masses 
in  this  town.  So  far  as  we  can  learn,  there  has  never  been  subse- 
quent occasion  for  the  formation  of  investigating  committees  in  town 
to  study  this  or  any  other  delusion.  An  occasional  ghost  story 
has  been  invented  by  the  "  smart  young  fellows  of  the  streets," 
whose  tastes  have  been  about  as  crude  as  their  ignorance  was  dense. 
Nothing  of  importance  has  ever  come  of  such  attempts  to  play  upon 
the  fear  and  credulity  of  the  ignorant  and  unwary.  One  of  such 
attempts  called  out  from  an  editor  at  one  time  the  suggestion  that 
a  shotgun  was  the  best  antidote  for  ghosts,  and  volunteered  to  go 
as  one  of  the  pall-bearers.  The  ghost  took  the  hint.  Such  has 
invariably  been  the  attitude  of  the  community  toward  ghosts. 


CHAPTER    XI. 
LANCASTER    FROM    1850  TO    THE    PRESENT    TIME. 

The  middle  of  the  present  century  marks  a  point  in  time  when 
Lancaster  was  rapidly  leaving  off  her  old  characteristics  and  taking 
on  the  new  ones  that  were  destined  to  make  her  a  community  like 
all  others  throughout  New  England.  The  old  pioneer  customs  and 
institutions  were  practically  gone  by  1850.  The  community  was 
astir  with  feelings  of  anxiety  to  get  into  line  with  other  towns  in 
the  acceptance  of  all  sorts  of  improvements.  Lancaster  was  only 
forty-eight  hours  from  Boston  by  the  means  of  travel  then  in  vogue, 
and  the  railroad  was  expected  to  shorten  that  by  nearly  one  half 
within  a  few  years.  In  1848  steps  had  again  been  taken  to  get 
a  railroad  to  Lancaster,  and  it  was  only  a  few  years  until  the  ''White 
Mountain"  did  get  as  far  as  Littleton  (1853),  running  up  from 
Wells  River. 

Times  had  been  fairly  good,  and  the  people  were  in  a  prosperous 
condition  by  the  middle  of  the  century.  The  population  of  the 
town  had  grown  to  1,559,  a  majority  of  whom  lived  in  the  village 
and   found  means  of  livelihood  at  something  else  than  farmine.      In 


Mt.  Prospect. 


Mt.  Pleasant. 

From   Bunker  Hill. 


Village  and  Meadows  fro.m  Bunker  Hill. 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO    THE    PRESENT   TIME.  141 

fact,  the  town  did  not  then  seem  so  much  a  farming  community  as 
it  had  for  so  many  years.  This  of  itself  may  be  taken  as  an  indica- 
cation  of  prosperity.  No  town  is  prosperous  when  all  its  people 
follow  the  same  occupation,  be  it  what  it  may.  It  does  not  take  a 
body  of  workers  long  to  produce  more  of  a  giv^en  class  of  things 
than  it  has  use  for,  and  decline  must  as  inevitably  follow  such  accum- 
ulation of  goods  that  are  steadily  decreasing  in  value  in  propor- 
tion to  their  increase  in  volume.  The  tiller  of  the  soil  can  only  find 
a  profitable  sale  for  his  commodities  when  there  are  many  people 
producing  something  else  while  they  are  not  competing  with  him. 
When  Lancaster  ceased  to  be  a  town  in  which  every  man  was  a 
farmer,  or  again  every  man  a  maker  of  potash  or  potash  barrels, 
it  began  to  expand  and  prosper. 

By  the  time  of  which  I  am  speaking,  a  majority  of  the  people 
were  following  occupations  that  were  practically  new  ones  in  the 
town,  such  at  least  as  their  fathers  had  not  been  called  upon  to 
follow.  Some  vocations  had  ceased  to  exist,  but  the  growth  was 
from  the  demand   for  new  ones  to  meet  the  changes  that  had   come. 

All  kinds  of  business  transactions  were  greatly  accelerated  by  the 
approach  of  "the  railroads.  Even  in  1850,  when  the  railroad  had 
reached  no  nearer  than  Wells  River,  the  merchant  could  order 
goods  from  Boston  by  mail  and  have  them  upon  his  shelves  inside 
of  six  days,  a  thing  that  fifty  )'ears  before  would  have  been  thought 
utterly  impossible  within  that  length  of  time.  Such,  however,  was 
the  truth.  I  find  in  the  diary  kept  by  the  late  R.  P,  Kent  that  he 
ordered  goods  from  Boston  by  the  noon  mail  on  Monday,  Nov.  1 1 , 
1850,  and  received  them  at  noon  the  Saturday  following,  November 
16.  That  event  was  considered  one  of  importance,  and  rightly,  too, 
for  it  was  fraught  with  great  significance  to  the  business  interests  of 
the  place.  The  most  important  feature  of  the  transaction  was  in 
in  the  lessening  of  the  freight  rates.  This  change  brought  the  rates 
down  to  seventy-three  cents  from  Boston  to  Lancaster,  by  rail  and 
team.  This  w^as  a  portentous  event,  one  that  stands  as  a  milestone 
on  the  road  of  development.  A  little  circumstance  like  this  often 
has  the  effect  to  throw  the  schedule  of  economic  values  out  of  order 
and  demand  their  readjustment  on  a  basis  of  new  facts  ;  and  that 
is  just  what  occurred  then  in  Lancaster.  For  a  few  years  all  kinds 
of  business  affairs  were  restless.  Some  accommodated  themselves 
to  the  changed  condition  of  things  and  prospered  the  more  for  it, 
while  others,  either  unable  or  too  slow  to  make  the  change  in 
methods  of  transacting  business,  suffered  loss  or  failed. 

The  greatest  gain  from  the  coming  of  the  railroads  so  near  was 
in  connection  with  the  lumber  interests.  The  wealth  of  timber  that 
covered  the  hills  of  Lancaster  and  towns  adjoining  it  was  practically 
of  no  commercial  value  on  account  of  the  distance  from  the  markets. 


142  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

It  was  then  considered  feasible  to  use  the  rivers  as  highways  for  the 
shipment  of  lumber,  but  it  was  not  possible  for  an  individual  of 
limited  capital  to  float  logs  a  hundred  miles  or  more  into  close 
proximity  to  the  markets,  and  there  cut  the  lumber,  as  is  now  done 
by  such  large  corporations  as  the  Connecticut  River  Lumber  Com- 
pany, which  cuts  some  years  as  many  as  seventy-five  million  feet  of 
lumber  from  logs  chiefly  floated  down  the  river  from  this  country. 
The  most  valuable  pine,  and  other  timber,  had  been  extravagantly 
cut,  and  in  some  instances  wasted  in  the  early  days  of  the  present 
century.  No  one  seemed  to  see  in  the  timber  of  the  town  any  great 
wealth  until  about  the  time  the  railroads  came  so  near  that  it  was 
profitable  to  cut  the  lumber  and  haul  it  to  the  roads  for  shipment  to 
the  large  markets  ;  by  that  time  very  little  good  timber  remained  in 
Lancaster. 

When  the  Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  railroad  (now  the  Grand 
Trunk)  reached  Northumberland  in  1852,  the  people  began  to 
utilize  their  timber  by  getting  it  into  shape  for  shipment  on  that 
line  of  road.  An  important  interest  was  centered  in  what  was  called 
"  ship  knees."  These  were  made  from  the  stumps  of  the  tam- 
arack, following  the  bend  of  the  roots  as  they  diverged  from  the 
trunks  of  the  trees ;  a  knee,  or  right-angled  bend  could  be  got  out  of 
most  any  tamarack  tree.  These  were  used  for  knees,  or  braces,  in 
the  old  style  of  ship-building  before  metal  came  into  use  for  braces, 
as  at  present.  The  swamps  of  this  town  and  adjoining  towns  were 
covered  with  a  large  growth  of  tamarack,  and  for  some  years  afforded 
the  people  an  occupation  that  paid  well.  From  the  trunks  of  the 
trees,  from  which  the  knees  were  taken,  what  was  called  "  ship  tim- 
ber" was  made,  which  was  an  equal  source  of  gain  to  the  people 
engaged  in  the  enterprise.  There  were  no  persons  who  devoted  all 
their  time  to  this  work ;  but  the  farmers  and  their  farm-hands  found 
it  a  profitable  means  of  employing  the  winter  months  "  to  keep  busy." 
This  industry  was  followed  until  the  tamarack  was  all  cut  off. 
The  late  R.  P.  Kent  noted  in  his  diary,  January  5,  1855,  that  teams 
^numbering  40  horses  had  passed  his  store  that  day  drawing  ship 
)knees  and  ship  timber  to  Northumberland.  This  winter  occupa- 
tion in  no  way  interfered  with  the  farming  enterprises ;  but  on  the 
contrary  made  it  more  profitable,  as  it  came  at  a  season  when  the 
farmer  would  otherwise  have  lain  practically  idle  for  several  months. 
It  was  an  equal  source  of  profit  to  the  laboring  class  who  depended 
upon  being  employed  by  others.  At  that  time  there  was  no  float- 
ing population  following  the  lumber  business  as  now.  The  operator 
in  those  enterprises  had  to  secure  his  help  from  the  town,  off  the 
farms,  and  from  the  village;  and  what  profit  resulted  from  such  un- 
dertakings helped  more  directly  to  develop  the  enterprises  of  the 
town. 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 43 

When  the  ship  timber  was  exhausted  the  people  next  turned 
their  attention  to  getting  out  lumber  for  sugar  boxes,  shooks,  and 
common  grades  of  lumber,  which  for  many  years  continued  a  profit- 
able business. 

From  1850,  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  civil  war,  times  were 
good,  and  this  section  of  country  was  prosperous.  Those  engaged 
in  the  various  kinds  of  lumber  business  made  money ;  and  the 
farmer  got  good  prices  for  his  products.  In  1855  farm  produce 
was  uncommonly  high.  Wheat  was  $2  a  bushel;  corn,  $1.25; 
oats,  30  cents;  buckwheat,  50  cents;  butter,  20  cents  a  pound; 
cheese,  10  cents;  lard,  14  cents;  pork,  8  cents;  beef,  4  1-2  cents; 
potatoes,  50  cents;    hay,  $10  per  ton;  wood,  $1.20  per  cord. 

With  a  railroad  to  Northumberland,  only  10  miles  distant,  and 
another  to  Littleton,  21  miles,  goods  were  being  cheapened  and  com- 
petition in  trade  much  encouraged  by  the  lower  freight  rates,  only 
then  about  one  half  what  they  had  been  a  few  years  before.  About 
this  time  the  traveling  salesman  began  to  appear  in  almost  all  lines 
of  commercial  business.  He  could  reach  a  wide  territory  by  the 
combined  service  of  railroads  and  stage-coaches.  When  the  new 
Lancaster  House  was  opened  for  the  reception  of  guests  for  the 
first  time  on  the  fourth  of  August,  1858,  commercial  travelers  were 
on  hand  to  the  number  of  eight,  from  which  we  may  infer  that  they 
were  pretty  plenty.  Business  was  brisk  in  this  northern  section  of 
the  state,  and  Lancaster  was  then,  as  now,  a  trading  center  for  a 
large  section  of  country  about  it. 

About  this  time  Lancaster,  especially  the  village,  began  to  be 
stirred  up  over  the  anti-slavery  question.  The  centre  of  the  "  infec- 
tion," as  it  was  then  regarded,  was  the  Rev.  George  M.  Rice,  minis- 
ter of  the  Unitarian  church,  who  was  a  rabid  abolitionist.  He  prob- 
ably never  saw  a  slave  in  his  life,  but  reached  his  position  of  enmity 
to  the  institution  from  the  literary  and  humanitarian  grounds,  for  it 
was  then  being  vigorously  discussed  all  over  the  country. 

The  Cods  Republican,  established  by  Daniel  A.  Bowe  and  David 
B.  Allison,  December  10,  1855,  took  strong  anti-slavery  position 
on  all  political  questions ;  and  being  ably  edited  for  a  country  news- 
paper, had  considerable  influence  in  the  community.  In  the  early 
spring  of  1859,  public  lectures  were  delivered  upon  the  subject. 
The  first  lecture  of  the  kind,  outside  of  the  pulpit,  was  delivered 
by  a  Mr.  Depp,  an  enfranchised  negro,  who  had  been  a  slave.  He 
lectured  in  the  town  hall,  March  7,  1859,  to  a  large  audience  of 
Lancaster  people.  On  August  5,  1859,  William  Lloyd  Garrison, 
the  famous  champion  of  anti-slavery  doctrines,  lectured  in  the  town 
hall  on  "American  Slavery."  But  the  people  felt  interested  in  that 
cause,  as  we  may  infer  from  the  fact  that  in  the  fall  of  1856,  a  popu- 
lar contribution  was  made  for  the  so-called   "  Free  State  "   sufferers 


144  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

in    Kansas.      A    box    of    things   contributed    for    that   purpose    was 
shipped   from   here  by  the  contributors  on   October   22,    1856. 

When  the  question  of  slavery  came  into  national  politics  as  one 
of  the  causes  contributing  to  the  attempt  at  the  disruption  of  the 
union,  it  was  not  a  strange  question  to  Lancaster  people.  They 
had  given  it  serious  consideration,  as  they  had  done  all  the  great 
questions  of  the  times,  for  they  were  not  slow  to  take  an  interest 
in  national  affairs.  From  the  formation  of  the  town  down  to  to- 
day its  people  have  always  been  keenly  interested  in  state  and 
national   affairs. 

When  the  census  of  i860  was  taken  it  showed  a  population  of 
2,020.  Of  that  number  about  1,400  lived  in  the  village,  which  then 
comprised  103  houses  located  on  thirteen  streets.  The  town  then 
cast  345  votes  in  the  November  election.  The  growth  in  popula- 
tion was  healthy,  there  being  an  increase  of  461  for  the  last  decade; 
and  the  growth  of  wealth  kept  in  about  the  same  ratio  of  increase. 
Such  was  the  community  that  }'oung  Emmons  Stockwell  must  have 
dreamed  of  helping  to  plant,  as  alone  he  wandered  through  these 
broad  meadow  lands  more  than  a  century  before,  when  returning 
from  the  expedition  into  Canada  against  the  Indians,  which  had 
crushed  out  one  of  the  cruellest  bands  of  savages  that  this  section  of 
country  had  in  it,  making  possible  the  settlement  of  these  fine  lands, 
heretofore  a  hazardous  and  dangerous  undertaking  from  which  the 
strongest  heart  shrank  with  fear.  It  had  had  its  reverses,  as  we 
have  seen,  but  it  had  also  had  its  prolonged  seasons  of  prosperity, 
and  the  last  three  decades  had  been  prosperous  ones  for  Lancaster. 
She  had,  in  i860,  reached  a  point  in  numbers  and  wealth  that  only  the 
most  far-sighted  of  her  former  citizens  had  ever  thought  of.  Little 
did  any  one  surmise  that  there  was  awaiting  this,  as  thousands  of 
other  prosperous  and  peaceful  places,  an  experience  that  was  to 
leave  her  people  wiser,  but  infinitely  sadder  over  the  loss  of  the 
choicest  of  her  sons  who  were  destined  to  go  to  the  slaughter  of  one 
of  the  most  cruel  wars  in  the  history  of  this,  or  any  other  country, 
while  those  who  were  to  survive  and  return  to  their  native  firesides 
were  to  come  back  broken  in  body  and  spirit  to  pass  the  remainder 
of  broken  lives  where  all  had  seemed  to  offer  them  so  much  pros- 
perity and  happiness  a  year  before.  But  such  was  to  be  one  of  the 
chapters  in  her  history  ;  and  when  the  crisis  came,  when  the  red 
hand  of  sedition,  rebellion,  and  disunion  had  been  raised  in  defiance 
of  law  and  the  peace  of  the  nation,  Lancaster  heard  the  call  to 
arms  as  the  lovers  of  their  country  only  hear — to  obey. 

LANCASTER    DURING   THE    CIVIL    WAR. 

In  the  fall  election  of   i860,  the  town   cast  233  votes  for  Lincoln 
as  against  iio  for  Douglas,  and  one  each  for  Breckinridge  and  Bell, 


LANCASTER   FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 45 

the  four  presidential  candidates.  This  fact  shows  that  the  union 
sentiment  in  Lancaster  was  strong;  nor  must  we  reckon  the  fol- 
lowers of  Douglas  as  indifferent  to  the  Union,  for  many  of  them 
were  found  among  our  volunteers  when  the  Rebellion  was  de- 
clared and  troops  were  called  for. 

One  week  to  a  day  from  the  issuing  of  the  call  by  President 
Lincoln  for  75,000  volunteers,  for  three  months,  to  put  down  the 
Rebellion,  a  recruiting  ofifice  was  opened  here  with  Col.  Henry  O. 
Kent  as  recruiting  officer,  April  22,  1861.  In  two  days  twenty- 
four  men  were  enlisted.  Recruiting  continued  rapidly,  until  nearly  a 
full  company  was  raised  and  sent  to  Portsmouth,  where  the  Second 
Regiment  was  then  forming,  making  the  bulk  of  Company  F.  The 
regiment  left  the  state  June  21,  reaching  Washington  in  time  to  be 
in  the  Union  lines  at  the  Bull  Run  battle.  The  First  Regiment 
was  mustered  out  August  9,  1861  ;  but  most  of  them  re-enlisted 
under  the  call  for  300,000  men  for  three  years.  Under  this  second 
call  for  volunteers  there  were  enlisted  twenty-three  men  from  August 
13-20,  for  the  Third  regiment,  E.  Q.  Fellows,  colonel,  and  sent  to 
camp  at  Concord. 

On  August  27,  1 86 1,  Capt.  Edmund  Brown  was  commissioned  to 
raise  a  company.  He  enlisted  a  number  of  men,  and  finally  on 
October  7,  1861,  joined  the  famous  Fifth  New  Hampshire  Volun- 
teers then  being  raised  by  Col.  E.  E.  Cross,  a  native  of  Lancaster, 
at  Camp  Jackson,  Concord. 

We  cannot  here  follow  the  Lancaster  men  who  went  into  the 
service  of  their  country  at  this  trying  time,  for  to  do  so  would 
require  that  we  recount  a  large  portion  of  the  history  of  the  Civil 
War,  as  these  men  were  in  many  commands,  and  often  engaged  in 
the  hard-fought  battles  on  which  the  settlement  of  the  great  conflict 
hinged.  Others  have  told  the  story  of  their  service  ably;  and  the 
state  has  generously  provided  for  the  publication  of  a  history  of 
every  separate  regiment  of  its  soldiers  during  the  war,  which  his- 
tories are  now  or  soon  will  be  available  in  all  public  libraries. 

Lancaster  contributed  the  following  men  to  the  Second  New 
Hampshire  Sharpshooters :  Joseph  K.  Hodge,  James  S.  Kent, 
Reuben  F.  Carter,  Thomas  S.  Ellis,  Reuben  Gray,  Horace  F.  Morse, 
and  Timothy  Grannis. 

During  those  periods,  when  enlistment  of  volunteers  was  going 
on,  all  interests  centered  upon  the  recruiting  office.  Martial  music 
filled  the  air,  and  patriotic  speeches  were  made,  and  in  every  way 
the  younger  men  of  the  town  were  made  to  feel  the  call  of  duty 
singling  them  out  as  the  ones  who  were  needed  at  the  front  to  put 
down  the  Rebellion,  and  save  the  Union  inviolate  and  glorious  to 
their  posterity. 

Mr.  A.  F.  Whipple  trained  a  band  in   i860,  which  furnished  the 


146  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

music  on  those  occasions  of  recruiting,  and  the  departure  of  the 
men,  which  latter  event  called  out  many  citizens  to  see  them  off  for 
duty  and  danger. 

In  October,  1862,  Jared  I.  Williams  was  commissioned  as  recruit- 
ing officer  to  raise  a  company  for  the  Seventeenth  New  Hampshire 
Volunteers. 

It  was  soon  discovered  that  our  army,  so  hastily  massed,  with 
nothing  previously  done  for  its  health  and  comfort  either  in  camp 
or  on  long  marches,  or  in  the  hospitals,  was  the  prey  of  diseases 
and  casualties  which  the  men  were  wholly  unaccustomed  to.  Their 
sufferings  were  so  great  as  to  appeal  to  the  sympathy  and  humane 
feelings  of  their  fellow-citizens  at  home  in  that  most  practical 
manner  that  made  the  "  United  States  Sanitary  Commission  "  and 
the  "United  States  Christian  Commission"  institutions  of  the  war 
scarcely  second  to  those  of  any  of  the  army  or  government  depart- 
ments. All  over  the  country  people  who  had  friends  at  the  front 
were  aroused  to  send  to  the  hospitals  and  camps  such  things  as 
the  revenues  of  government  could  not  readily  obtain.  Not  unmind- 
ful of  their  neighbors  thus  exposed,  the  citizens  of  Lancaster  held  a 
public  meeting  at  town  hall,  October  21,  1861,  to  take  measures 
for  making  a  practical  and  generous  response  to  the  call  of  the 
Sanitary  Commission.  Richard  P.  Kent  was  chosen  chairman  of  the 
meeting,  and  Mrs.  H.  F.  Holton  secretary.  It  was  considered  best 
to  appoint  one  person  in  each  of  the  school  districts  of  the  town  to 
solicit  such  articles  as  the  people  might  be  able  to  contribute  for 
that  purpose.  The  following  persons  were  appointed  to  solicit  in 
their  respective  school  districts  : 

No.     I.    (Comprising  the  village  north  of  the  river)  Mrs.  Howe,  Mrs. 
George  F.  Hartwell,  and  Mrs.  Henry  O.  Kent. 

2.  Mrs.  William  Rowell. 

3.  Miss  Maria  P.  Towne  (afterward  Mrs.  Dr.  Bugbee). 

4.  Mrs.  Asa  H.  Aspinwall. 

5.  Mrs.  Samuel  Twombly. 

6.  Mrs.  Albert  F.  Whipple. 

7.  Rev.  Moody  P.  Marshall. 

8.  Mrs.  James  Mclntire. 

9.  Miss  Sarah  Smith. 

10.  Mrs.  Susan  Boyce. 

1 1.  Mrs.  S.  H.  Legro. 

12.  (That  part  of  the  village  south  of  the  river)  Mrs.  Thomas  S. 

Underwood,  and  Mrs.  Jared  I.  Williams. 

14.  Miss  Sarah  W.  Emerson  (now  Mrs.  S.  W.  Brown), 

15.  Mrs.  George  H.  Watson. 

On  motion,  Mrs.  Jacob  Hamlin,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Robinson,  Mrs. 
I.  S.  M.  Gove,  Mrs.   H.  C.  Walker,  and    Mrs.  Nelson   Kent  were 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 47 

appointed  a  committee  to  receive  money  contributed,  and  appro- 
priate it  in  making  purchases  of  such  articles  as  would  best  meet 
the  object  in  view.  Mrs.  Royal  Joyslin  was  made  custodian  of  the 
articles  collected,  and  the  post-ofifice  designated  as  a  depot  for  the 
deposit  of  them  until  ready  for  shipment  to  Dr.  Howe,  the  agent  of 
the  Sanitary  Commission  at  Boston,  Mass. 

On  November  i,  1861,  three  large  boxes  of  supplies  were  shipped 
to  Dr.  Howe.  Other  contributions  were  made  at  later  dates,  and 
at  no  time  did  the  interest  of  the  citizens  in  their  neighbors  at  the 
front  slacken  in  the  least.  The  town  made  ample  provision  for  the 
wives  and  children  of  the  men  who  enlisted.  It  happened  that  there 
were  a  number  of  families  wholly  dependent  upon  the  daily  wages 
of  the  men  who  felt  it  to  be  their  duty  to  volunteer  in  their  country's 
defence.  These  the  town  made  ample  provision  for  the  sustenance 
of,  while  the  husband  and  father  was  in  the  service. 

During  the  fall  of  1862  a  number  of  men  were  enlisted  for  the 
Seventh  regiment  by  Capt.  J.  I.  Williams.  In  the  hope  of  stimu- 
lating an  interest  and  making  it  more  an  object  for  men  to  enlist,  a 
public  war  meeting  was  held  at  town  hall,  July  27,  1862,  on  a  notice 
signed  by  seventy  of  the  most  prominent  citizens.  It  was  decided 
that  a  bounty  of  $100  should  be  offered  to  men  who  would  enlist 
for  three  years,  and  $75  for  nine  months'  enlistments.  This  meas- 
ure had  some  effect  in  increasing  the  number  of  enlistments  for  a 
few  months,  for  it  was  certain  that  if  the  full  number  was  not  secured 
by  volunteers  a  draft  would  be  made,  and  most  men  would  rather 
volunteer  than  run  the  risk  of  being  drafted  ;  a  pride  that  is  worthy 
of  some  commendation. 

The  coming  of  every  mail  was  watched  by  the  people  with  a  keen 
interest  for  news  from  the  seat  of  war.  With  feelings  of  dread  would 
they  scan  the  columns  of  the  daily  papers  lest  their  sight  should 
catch  the  name  of  a  fellow-citizen  among  the  dead  or  wounded  of 
some  dreadful  battle,  or  from  the  scourge  of  diseases  peculiar  to 
camp-life.  Often  was  that  fear  realized,  for  Lancaster  men  were  in 
many  of  the  hottest  contests  of  the  war,  and  at  times  the  regi- 
ments to  which  they  belonged  sustained  fearful  losses  in  battle. 

When  a  decisive  victory  was  won  by  the  Union  army  there  were 
demonstrations  of  rejoicing  on  the  streets.  When  the  news  came 
May  12,  1862,  that  Norfolk  had  fallen,  and  that  the  Rebel  ram, 
Merrimac,  had  been  destroyed  by  the  Monitor,  a  national  salute 
was  fired,  and  general  rejoicing  was  indulged  in  by  all  in  the  hope 
that  the  war  would  soon  terminate  ;  but  alas  !  more  defeats  were 
needed  to  break  the  spirit  of  the  enemy. 

In  1863  the  much-expected  and  talked-of  draft  came.  On  Sep- 
tember 26,  a  draft  was  made  in  presence  of  Henry  W.  Rowell  of  Lit- 
tleton, in  which   fifty-three  men  were  drawn.      This  draft  included 


148  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

some  of  the  best  young  men  the  town  could  boast  of ;  and  most 
of  them  wilhngly  went  to  the  front,  some  of  whom  made  remarkably 
good  soldiers.  Others  were  able  to  secure  substitutes  by  paying 
large  sums. 

In  July,  1863,  the  news  of  the  death  of  Col.  Edward  E.  Cross,  of  the 
Fifth  regiment,  was  received  and  threw  the  whole  town  into  mourn- 
ing, for  the  people  had  come  to  recognize  in  him  one  of  the  bravest 
of  ofificers.  He  had  led  his  regiment  through  some  of  the  worst 
battles  of  the  war,  and  had  come  out  of  them  all,  although  wounded, 
as  though  he  possessed  a  charmed  life.  His  regiment  had  been  in 
the  siege  of  Yorktown  and  Williamsburg,  the  battle  of  Fair  Oaks, 
the  seven  days'  battle  in  the  retreat  to  Harrison's  Landing,  and  at 
Antietam  had  won  its  name  of  "  The  Fighting  Fifth."  They  were 
in  the  charge  on  Marye's  Heights  under  Hancock,  opposite  Fred- 
ericksburg, at  Chancellorsville,  and  finally  at  Gettysburg,  where 
Colonel  Cross  received  a  fatal  wound  while  leading  a  brigade.  His 
body  was  returned  to  his  native  town  for  burial,  and  his  shattered 
regiment  was  returned  to  Concord  to  be  recruited. 

A  movement  was  at  once  set  on  foot  to  erect  a  suitable  monu- 
ment to  Colonel  Cross,  which  after  some  delay  was  accomplished. 

Renewed  calls  came  for  more  men  to  fill  the  quota  of  the  town. 
Enlistments  had  ceased,  and  now  the  town  at  a  meeting,  April  15, 
1864,  voted  to  pay  a  bounty  of  $300  to  all  men  enlisting  until  the 
town's  quota  was  filled;  and  also  $iOO  to  such  persons  out  of  the 
town  whose  enlistment  shall  count  to  the  credit  of  the  town. 

This  liberal  bounty  did  not  have  the  desired  effect.  Only  a  few 
enlisted  under  its  tempting  offer.  It  was  thought  better  to  induce 
men  to  volunteer  than  to  risk  a  draft,  as  the  draft  was  a  mere  matter 
of  chance,  and  was  as  likely  to  fall  upon  men  that  could  least  be 
spared  from  the  support  of  their  families  or  their  business,  and  even 
upon  such  as  were  least  able  to  secure  substitutes. 

Another  town-meeting  was  called  for  August  29,  1864,  when  it 
was  voted  to  offer  bounties  of  $800  for  enlistments  for  one  year ; 
$1,000  for  two  years;  $1,200  for  three  years;  and  $100,  $200,  and 
$300  to  one,  two,  and  three  year  men,  aliens,  but  who  should  be 
credited  to  the  town. 

This  offer  had  the  effect  to  call  out  twenty-two  men  at  once,  and 
later  a  few  others  were  enlisted.  The  town  thus  at  considerable 
cost  met  its  quota,  and  in  every  way  discharged  its  obligations  in 
furnishing  the  army  for  the  nation's  defence. 

It  was  this  year,  of  1864,  that  marked  the  century  point  in  the 
town's  history ;  and  the  event  of  its  settlement  and  first  century  of 
growth  was  duly  celebrated,  the  story  of  which  we  tell  in  Part  II,  of 
this  history,  and  therefore  simply  refer  to  it  here  in  its  proper  place 
in  the  narrative.     The  event  was  of  more  than  ordinary  importance. 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE   PRESENT   TIME.  1 49 

It  turned  the  people's  thought  upon  themselves  and  their  situation, 
their  opportunities  and  responsibilities  in  a  way  to  awaken  in  them 
self-consciousness,  by  which  the  community  is  as  truly  born  to  a 
higher  life  as  is  the  individual ;  and  we  know  how  when  one  be- 
comes conscious  of  himself  he  enters  into  a  higher  life,  not  content 
with  life  as  it  is,  but  strives  to  make  it  like  the  ideal  that  floats  before 
his  vision.  With  the  turning  of  the  people's  thought  upon  them- 
selves, and  back  along  the  way  over  which  their  forefathers  toiled 
to  build  the  institutions  they  enjoy,  a  community  is  born  again. 

New  visions  of  life  are  evolved,  and  man  is  challenged  by  all  that 
is  best  in  him  to  make  good  the  aims  for  which  so  many  genera- 
tions, as  he  may  be  made  conscious  of,  have  toiled,  and  toiled  for 
him,  too.  A  community  bestirs  itself  to  make  its  second  century 
better  than  its  first  by  profiting  by  the  accumulated  experience  of 
those  who  have  gone  before  them  over  the  same  road  they  must 
travel.  The  first  fruits  of  this  new  devotion  to  the  ideal  floating 
before  the  people,  wafted  hither  on  the  wings  of  oratory,  music, 
and  good  cheer,  was  the  purchase  of  the  plot  of  ground,  on  which 
the  celebration  was  held,  as  a  park,  now  named  Centennial  Park. 
With  the  coming  of  peace  within  a  year  from  the  date  of  the  cen- 
tennial of  the  town,  renewed  interest  was  manifested  in  everything 
pertaining  to  the  good  of  the  community. 

It  was  with  feelings  of  unbounded  joy  that  the  people  heard, 
on  the  14th  of  April,  1865,  that  Lee  had  surrendered,  and  that  the 
war  was  ended. 

This  bit  of  good  news  was  made  the  occasion  of  a  celebration. 
One  of  the  old  six-pounder  iron  cannon  (known  as  the  "  Bennington 
cannon,"  because  captured  of  the  British  at  the  battle  of  Bennington) 
was  brought  out  of  the  arsenal,  placed  on  the  northwest  brow  of 
Baker  hill  and  fired  until  it  burst  into  fragments  from  an  over-charge. 

The  joy  with  which  families  received  their  absent  ones  back,  as 
they  were  mustered  out  of  the  service  through  the  summer,  was  un- 
bounded, though  many  hearts  were  heavy  almost  to  breaking  over 
the  lost  ones  who  fell  on  Southern  battle-fields,  or  on  the  long 
marches,  or  in  camp  or  hospital,  of  diseases  and  fatigue  little  less 
fatal  than  the  chances  in  battles.  There  went  from  the  town  a  long 
and  honorable  list  of  men,  of  whom  many  were  numbered  among 
the  dead  and  missing,  and  whose  places  have  been  vacant  in  the 
homes  and  hearts  of  their  families  and  neighbors.  Many  of  those 
who  did  return  were  battle-scarred  and  broken  in  health,  illy  able  to 
take  up  again  their  tasks  in  civil  life  where  they  had  laid  them  down 
four  years  before  to  try  the  uncertain  fortunes  of  war ;  but  bravely 
they  applied  themselves  to  the  old  tasks,  or  sought  new  ones  by 
which  to  win  a  livelihood  for  themselves  and  those  dependent  upon 
them,  grateful  for  what  degree  of  success  has  come  to  them. 


ISO  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER, 

Lancaster  is  proud  of  her  veterans ;  and  she  is  justly  proud  of  her 
part  in  the  history  of  the  great  drama  by  which  the  Union  was  pre- 
served one  and  inviolate,  a  Union  of  free  states. 

Until  1866,  a  daily  mail  from  the  south  and  one  from  ihe  east  had 
been  the  quickest  means  of  communication  with  the  world  at  large. 
Those  facilities,  when  first  secured,  put  Lancaster  very  nearly  on  a 
footing  of  equality  with  other  towns  in  New  England  ;  but  the  times 
had  changed.  The  age  of  electricity  had  come ;  the  subtle  force 
was  beginning  to  do  a  larger  share  of  the  world's  work,  especially 
in  the  transmission  of  news.  The  telegraph,  through  its  60,000  miles 
of  lines,  had  ramified  almost  the  entire  country,  and  had  been  ex- 
tended to  unite  the  two  hemispheres,  bringing  the  world  so  close 
to  our  feet  that  we  could  send  our  thoughts  and  wishes  around  the 
globe  in  a  few  minutes. 

No  more  did  Lancaster  want  telegraphic  connection  with  the  rest 
of  the  country  than  the  rest  of  the  country  wanted  such  means  of 
communication  with  Lancaster — with  every  community  where  men 
lived  and  did  business.  Accordingly  the  American  Telegraph  Com- 
pany, later  the  Western  Union,  began  the  erection  of  its  lines  to  Lan- 
caster from  Littleton  in  May,  1866.  This  brought  Lancaster  and 
Boston  within  a  few  minutes  of  each  other;  and  since  then  no  service 
rendered  the  public  by  any  corporation  has  been  more  welcomed  than 
that  of  the  telegraph,  until  the  coming  of  the  telephone,  which  now 
puts  us  within  speaking  distance  of  nearly  one  half  of  the  continent. 

After  the  close  of  the  war  an  era  of  general  improvement  was 
ushered  in.  During  the  four  years  of  carnage  and  waste,  incident 
upon  the  diversion  of  attention  and  interest  upon  the  questions  at 
issue  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  but  little  improvement  had  been 
made  in  anything.  Almost  all  enterprises  of  a  new  character  seemed 
to  stand  still  until  weightier  questions  should  be  settled.  No  sooner, 
however,  was  peace  restored,  than  the  people  began  to  inaugurate 
innovations  of  various  kinds. 

In  1868  the  first  concrete  sidewalks  were  laid  in  the  village.  Un- 
til then  sidewalks  had  been  of  a  more  primitive  kind.  Board  walks 
had  been  in  very  general  use  for  many  years ;  and  here,  like  in  other 
villages  where  such  walks  were  in  use,  there  was  continual  complaint 
about  their  condition.  As  early  as  1855,  some  one,  I  know  not  who 
it  was,  laid  stones  for  a  walk  from  the  centre  of  the  village  toward 
the  court-house  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street.  This  walk,  however, 
was  not  a  success,  and  in  the  summer  of  1868  the  selectmen  were 
induced  to  lay  the  first  concrete  walks  in  the  village.  Beginning  in 
August  of  that  year,  Samuel  H.  Legro  laid  concrete  walks  from  the 
Isreals  river  bridge,  on  Main  street,  as  far  as  the  store  of  J.  A. 
Smith.  He  laid  crossings  on  Main  and  Middle  streets,  and  con- 
tinued  a  walk  on  Middle   street,  from   Main   street  to  L.  F.  Moore's 


LANCASTER   FROM    185O   TO    THE    PRESENT   TIME.  151 

house.  This  experiment  was  so  successful  that  in  October  of  the 
same  year  he  began  at  Smith's  store  and  extended  the  concrete  walks 
as  far  as  to  R.  P.  Kent's  store.  This  was  by  way  of  experiment,  but 
when  the  next  season  proved  that  there  was  nothing  better  for  the 
construction  of  walks,  it  was  decided  by  the  selectmen  to  extend 
them  from  the  points  where  they  left  off  as  far  as  the  court-house 
and  the  Catholic  church  on  Main  street.  Those  walks  remain  to-day 
in  a  good  state  of  repair,  except  between  Bunker  Hill  and  High 
streets  on  the  east  side,  at  which  point  the  grade  has  been  raised 
and  some  repairs  made.  Otherwise  no  repairs  have  been  made  upon 
them  since  they  were  laid  down  in  1868  and  1869.  It  has  long  since 
been  accepted  as  the  proper  kind  of  walk  for  comfort  and  economy, 
and  from  time  to  time  the  amount  of  concrete  walks  has  been  in- 
creased until  nearly  every  street  of  any  importance  has  one  or  both 
walks  laid  of  that  material.  It  has  become  the  settled  policy  of  the 
town  to  lay  a  certain  amount  of  that  kind  of  walk  every  year,  with 
the  intention  of  finally  covering  the  entire  village  walks  with  it. 
Some  walks  have  been  made  of  crushed  stone  since  the  town  has 
owned  and  operated  its  own  stone  crusher;  but  these  walks  have 
proven  to  be  but  makeshifts.  A  few  pieces  of  brick  v/alk,  laid  by 
individuals  in  front  of  their  premises,  still  exist ;  and  there  remains 
but  a  single  section  of  wooden  walk  in  the  village — a  short  piece  on 
North  Main  street. 

The  spirit  of  improvement  that  secured  the  concrete  sidewalks  in 
1868  and  1869,  called  for  the  lighting  of  the  streets  during  the  latter 
year.  By  private  enterprise  a  number  of  kerosene  lamps  were  placed 
on  the  streets,  which  was  a  decided  improvement  in  helping  people 
to  pick  their  way  along  on  dark  nights.  These  private  lights  were 
in  use  for  more  than  a  decade  before  the  town  took  the  matter  in 
hand  to  properly  light  the  streets  at  the  public  expense.  There 
often  seemed  other  need  of  lighting  the  streets  than  the  mere  com- 
fort it  afforded.  In  1872  the  rumor  gained  credence  in  the  village 
that  an  organized  gang  of  thieves  from  New  York  city  were  planning 
to  visit  the  village  and  operate  here.  This  called  the  citizens  out,  in 
a  meeting  held  at  the  counting-room  of  R.  P.  Kent,  to  take  steps  to 
have  the  streets  properly  lighted  and  patrolled  for  a  term  of  six 
months  from  November  of  that  year.  This  was  taken,  however,  as 
more  of  a  scare,  and  nothing  was  done  in  either  direction  more  than 
to  make  the  people  a  little  more  vigilant  in  the  matter  of  looking 
after  their  own  property  and  rights.  The  street  lights  were  kept 
trimmed  and  burning  with  a  little  more  than  ordinary  care ;  but  the 
thieves  did  not  come. 

The  village  had  grown,  meanwhile,  to  the  formidable  number  of 
1,100  souls,  with  enough  more  in  the  rural  districts  to  swell  the  en- 
tire population  of  the  town  to  2,248  in  1870.     There  were  then,  by 


152 


HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 


actual  count,  240  houses  in  the  village.  This  showed  an  increase  of 
206  over  the  34  cheap  houses,  only  eight  of  which  had  ever  been 
painted,  in  1825.  Everything  else  had  increased  in  about  the  same 
ratio  of  importance  during  that  period  of  forty-five  years.  The  vol- 
ume of  commercial  business  had  greatly  increased  during  that  event- 
ful period  ;  and  agriculture  and  manufactures  had  enjoyed  an  equal 
degree  of  prosperity.  The  manufactures  of  the  town  had  become 
very  considerable,  though  we  have  no  means  of  getting  at  their  value 
for  lack  of  statistics  upon  which  we  may  rely.  In  regard  to  the  agri- 
cultural interests  and  products  of  the  town  we  are  more  fortunate  in 
having  the  following  reliable  return,  made  in  connection  with  the  as- 
sessment for  the  year  1875.  The  books  of  the  town  show  that  for 
the  year  from  April  i,  1874,  to  April  i,  1875,  an  agricultural  prod- 
uct to  the  value  of  $409,265  was  secured  by  the  enterprise  of  the 
town,  as  shown  by  the  following  table  of  items : 


Agricultural  statistics  of  the  town  of 
1875: 


Lancaster  from  April  i,  1874,  to  April  i. 


Hay 

10,962  tons. 

$i3i'544 

Straw 

416  tons. 

2,496 

Potatoes 

62,435  bushels. 

24,974 

Other  roots     . 

1,050       " 

315 

Corn,  shelled 

2,121        " 

2,121 

Wheat    . 

1,953       " 

2,929 

Oats 

21,415 

12,849 

Rye 

65       " 

65 

Indian  wheat 

1,097       " 

548 

Peas  and  beans 

388       " 

n(^ 

Fruit 

1,650 

660 

Small  fruit 

2,500  quarts. 

250 

Butter     . 

57,764  pounds. 

17,334 

Cheese   . 

4,010        " 

668 

Pork       . 

67,780 

6.778 

Eggs       . 

5,365  dozen. 

1,073 

Poultry 

4,693  pounds, 

782 

Maple  sugar 

27,400       " 

2,740 

Wood  cut 

11,108  cords, 

27,770 

Lumber 

2,237  M, 

1 1,185 

Horses,  April  i,  1875 

572, 

48,286 

Cattle, 

1,580, 

57,288 

Sheep,              " 

2,012, 

8,132 

Help  hired 

608  months. 

15,200 

Mutton  and  lambs 

■       5,301 

Beef       . 

.    26,990 

Total 

$409,265 

Dogs,  April  I,  1875         ...... 

89 

Valuation        ........$ 

1,060,684 

Number  of  po 

lis 

654 

LANCASTER    FROM    1850   TO   THE   PRESENT   TIME.  1 53 

Here  was  an  income  of  about  $340  per  capita  in  the  actual  prod- 
ucts of  the  farms  in  that  year.  The  wages  of  the  farm  laborers 
averaged  twenty-three  dollars  and  thirty-five  cents.  The  homes  of 
the  people  were  comfortable  ;  and  plenty,  cheer,  and  hope  abounded 
on  every  hand.  The  aggregated  wealth  of  the  town,  as  shown  by 
the  assessment,  was  much  above  the  million  dollar  mark.  At  that 
time  there  were  no  wealthy  men  in  town.  This  wealth  was  much 
more  evenly  distributed  then  than  it  now  is,  so  it  can  readily  be 
imagined  that  the  prosperous  and  comfortable  people  of  the  town 
were  many;  and  if  there  were  any  persons  who  knew  what  want  was 
they  were  extremely  few,  and  the  generosity  of  the  town  was  exer- 
cised in  their  behalf.  No  town  could  be  more  mindful  in  the  relief 
of  distress  and  the  help  of  the  unfortunate  than  Lancaster  has  always 
been. 

In  1878  the  village  was  visited  by  two  calamities  by  which  much 
valuable  property  was  lost.  On  the  evening  of  April  9,  1878,  a  fire 
was  discovered  in  some  hay  and  rubbish  in  a  barn,  in  the  rear  of 
Rowell  &  Allen's  store  on  Main  street,  where  Eagle  block  now 
stands.  The  flames  soon  communicated  with  the  store,  and  then 
from  one  to  another  building  until  fifteen  business  places  and  several 
residences  were  consumed,  together  with  most  of  their  contents. 
But  little  of  the  goods  and  household  effects  was  saved.  There  was 
a  loss  of  over  $50,000  worth  of  property,  with  little  more  than  half 
enough  insurance  to  cover  it.  The  buildings  were  poor  wooden 
structures  of  but  little  value,  which  were  the  smallest  items  in  the 
loss.  There  were  many  heavy  stocks  of  goods  lost  upon  which  the 
insurance  was  light.  On  account  of  the  inflammable  character  of 
the  buildings  and  their  contents,  the  fire  got  beyond  control  of  the 
fire  companies  which  were  on  the  scene  soon  after  the  alarm  was 
given ;  but  with  the  inadequate  supply  of  water  and  the  meager 
apparatus  at  their  command  they  were  helpless  in  the  presence  of  so 
formidable  a  fire.  Fortunately  A.  J.  Marshall,  whose  place  of  busi- 
ness was  where  L.  F.  Moore's  store  now  stands,  on  Middle  street,  had 
a  force  pump  which  he  trained  on  the  fire  and  stopped  it  in  that 
direction.  About  one  half  of  the  business  portion  of  the  village  was 
consumed.  The  fire  swept  everything  away  from  Dr.  Stickney's 
house  where  Benton's  block  now  is  and  the  river  on  Main,  and  on 
the  north  side  of  Middle  street.  So  intensely  hot  was  the  fire, 
which  raged  all  night,  that  buildings  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street 
were  charred  from  the  sidewalk  to  the  ridges  of  the  roofs.  They 
were  saved  only  with  the  utmost  exertion  of  almost  the  entire  popu- 
lation. The  women  turned  out  and  helped  to  save  what  goods 
could  be  carried  to  a  safe  distance  from  the  flames,  and  also  to  carry 
refreshments  to  the  men  who  were  heroically  striving  to  save  the  vil- 
lage from  complete  ruin. 


154  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

The  following  were  the  chief  losses  sustained  by  the  conflagration  : 
Kent  &  Griswold,  dry  goods,  loss  on  stock,  $4,000,  insured  in  the 
Hartford  for  $3,500.  H.  Whitcomb  &  Co.,  harness  and  saddlery, 
loss  about  $600,  insured  in  the  Home  for  $500.  Kent,  Cobleigh 
&  Co.,  tin  shop,  loss  $10,000,  insured  in  Hanover  &  ALtna,  for 
$3,500.  Chas.  E.  Rowell,  M.  D.,  loss  $1,000,  insured  in  North 
America,  for  $500.  E.  T.  Wilson,  photographer,  loss  $500,  insured 
in  Shawmut,  for  $300.  W.  G.  Baker,  groceries,  loss,  $2,500, 
insured  in  Hartford,  for  $1,500.  Mrs.  Eliza  R.  Spaulding,  building, 
loss  $3,000,  insured  in  Shoe  &  Leather  and  Fanueil  Hall,  for  $2,400. 
Jacob  Benton,  Nutter  block,  loss  $3,000;  no  insurance.  Express 
company,  slight  loss.  O.  H.  Kimball,  dentist,  loss  about  $300  ;  no 
insurance.  Coos  Republican  Association,  printing  ofifice,  loss 
$3,500;  no  insurance.  Oliver  Nutter,  household  furniture,  $1,500  ; 
no  insurance.  Charles  W.  Garland,  spring  bed  manufacturer,  loss 
$200 ;  no  insurance.  Rowell  &  Allen,  dry  goods  and  groceries,  on 
stock  and  building,  $7,000,  insured  in  yEtna  and  Home,  for  $4,000. 
Coos  Lodge,  No.  35,  and  Waumbek  Encampment,  No.  24,  L  O.  O. 
F.,  loss  about  $1,000;  no  insurance.  Frank  Smith  &  Co.,  flour 
and  grain,  loss  on  stock  and  building,  $6,000,  insured  in  North 
America  and  New  Hampshire  for  $2,300;  Jas.  S.  Smith,  building, 
loss  $1,000;  no  insurance.  A.  Cowing,  barber,  loss  $100  ;  no  insu- 
rance. D.  W.  Smith,  groceries,  loss  on  stock  and  building,  about 
$8,000,  insured  in  Springfield  and  Shoe  &  Leather,  for  $3,500. 
Wm.  Clough,  building,  loss  $350,  insured  in  Springfield  for  $250. 
Hosea  Gray,  meat  market  and  provisions,  loss  $2,000  ;  no  insurance. 
Geo.  K.  Stocker,  fish  and  oyster  market,  loss  $250;  no  insurance. 
Mrs.  Stickney,  dwelling  house,  loss  about  $1,700,  insured  in  the 
Home  for  $1,000.  Slight  damages  to  Emmons  S.  Smith,  Dr.  D. 
L.  Jones,  A.  D.  Benway,  Mrs.  N.  Sparks,  C.  E.  Allen  &  Co.,  J.  A. 
Smith  &  Co.,  Geo.  W.  Lane,  Fred  C.  Colby,  A.  J.  Marshall,  Lizzie 
C.  Thomas,  post-ofhce,  telegraph  ofifice,  town  clerk's  office,  Mrs. 
Bowman,  Ladd  &  Fletcher,  Benton  &  Hutchins,  Dexter  Chase, 
W.  &  H.  Heywood,  J.  G.  Crawford,  Thos.  S.  Underwood,  Ray,  Drew 
&  Jordan,  Guernsey  &  Howe,  John  P.  Hodge  and  several  others. 

Steps  were  at  once  taken  to  rebuild  the  most  important  business 
places,  and  in  a  short  time  the  burnt  structures  were  replaced  by 
better  business  blocks  than  any  the  village  had  ever  known  ;  and 
in  time  the  fire  was  looked  upon  rather  as  a  blessing  than  a  ca- 
lamity, as  it  made  better  buildings  both  possible  and  necessary.  It 
also  impressed  upon  the  minds  of  the  people  the  need  of  better  facil- 
ities for  protection  against  fire.  The  cause  of  this  fire  was  some- 
what obscure,  though  credited  to  three  tramps  who  had  been  seen 
in  that  vicinity  only  a  short  time  before  its  discovery,  and  who  were 
not  seen  afterward. 


II 


Part  of  Main  Street,  1872. 


South  Main  Sikkki    I  imhk   iw   u./c. 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 55 

Again  in  the  fall  of  that  year  another,  and  in  some  respects  more 
disastrous,  fire  visited  the  village.  This  time,  on  the  morning  of 
September  28th,  a  fire  was  discovered  in  the  third  story  of  the 
ell  part  of  the  Lancaster  House.  The  fire  companies  were  promptly 
on  the  scene  of  the  conflagration ;  but  owing  to  the  location  of  the 
fire  and  the  rapidity  with  which  it  spread  after  communicating  with 
a  tarred  roof  they  could  do  nothing  to  stay  its  ravages.  The  heat 
was  so  intense  that  it  drove  the  firemen  to  such  a  distance  that  they 
could  accomplish  nothing  with  their  feeble  apparatus  and  the  slender 
streams  of  water  at  their  command.  The  loss  on  the  building  and 
its  contents  was  estimated  at  $30,000,  with  $25,000  insurance. 
This  hotel  had  been  recognized  by  the  people  as  one  of  the  most 
important  enterprises  of  the  village  and  now  that  the  proprietors  did 
not  see  fit  to  rebuild  it,  they  realized  that  the  fire  was  one  of  the 
greatest  calamities  that  had  visited  the  village  at  any  time  in  its  his- 
tory. There  was  not  another  hotel  of  any  importance  in  the  village  ; 
and  it  seemed  a  necessity  to  the  accommodation  of  transients  doing 
business  here  that  there  should  be  a  first-class  hotel. 

The  matter  of  rebuilding  the  hotel  ran  along  for  three  years 
before  anything  of  a  practical  character  was  done  to  accomplish 
that  desired  end.  On  the  evening  of  February  i6th,  1881,  a  public 
meeting  of  the  citizens  was  held  at  Eagle  hall  to  take  some  steps  to 
secure  the  rebuilding  of  the  hotel.  As  one  result  of  that  meeting  a 
company  was  organized  to  build  a  good  hotel  on  the  site  of  the  one 
that  was  burnt  in  1878.  This  company  was  known  as  the  Lancaster 
Hotel  Company.  The  chief  personality  connected  with  it  was  the 
late  John  Lindsey,  a  somewhat  noted  hotel-keeper. 

At  a  town  meeting  held  March  27,  1881,  it  was  "Voted  that  the 
selectmen  buy  the  land  of  the  old  Lancaster  House  site  of  Ray  & 
Benton  for  $2,000,  and  hold  the  title  to  the  same,  and  rent  it  to  the 
Lancaster  Hotel  Company  for  $1  per  annum,  when  they  shall  have 
completed  a  hotel  to  the  value  of  $10,000  on  the  premises;  and  if 
said  company  at  any  time  make  a  tender  of  $2,000  the  selectmen 
shall  quitclaim  the  property  to  said  company."    (See  Town  Records.) 

It  was  not  until  May,  1882,  however,  that  the  work  on  the  new 
hotel  was  begun.  On  the  8th  of  May,  1882,  John  Lindsey  began 
work  on  the  present  Lancaster  House  building ;  and  by  November 
28th  had  it  completed.  On  the  evening  of  that  date  it  was  lighted 
for  the  first  time  by  gas  generated  on  the  premises.  On  the  evening 
of  November  29th  the  house  entertained  the  first  guests,  consisting 
of  six  traveling  men.  This  house  was  then,  and  has  remained  since, 
a  first-class  hotel.  Mr.  Lindsey,  in  company  with  his  sons,  continued 
to  conduct  the  house  until  his  death  in  1890.  His  son,  Ned  A.  Lind- 
sey, deceased,  and  his  son-in-law,  Lauren  A.  Whipp,  conducting  it  to 
this  time. 


156  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

During  the  period  between  the  burning  and  the  rebuilding  of  the 
Lancaster  House  much  discussion  had  been  indulged  in  with  respect 
to  the  possibility  of  making  Lancaster  a  summer  resort,  with  ade- 
quate hotel  accommodations.  This  induced  Mr.  William  H.  Smith 
in  1883  to  build  a  hotel  on  the  crest  of  Mount  Prospect,  south  of 
the  village,  which  commands  one  of  the  finest  views  that  can  be 
found  anywhere  within  miles.  The  atmosphere  on  the  mountain  is 
charming;  and  a  good  spring  of  pure  water  offered  a  supply  equal 
to  all  demands  upon  it.  A  road  had  been  built  up  the  mountain  in 
1859.  A  good  carriage  road  was  built  up  the  north  side  of  the 
mountain  in  the  fall  of  1882  by  Mr.  Smith  who  for  several  seasons 
was  landlord.  The  house  became  a  financial  loss  to  its  owner.  It 
has  since  fallen  into  ruins  through  the  combined  agency  of  decay 
and  the  vandalism  of  the  men  and  boys,  mostly  the  latter,  who  visit 
it.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  splendid  an  opportunity  for  conduct- 
ing a  summer  house  should  have  been  abused  and  given  up. 

In  1882,  the  people  became  much  interested  in  the  matter  of  a 
better  water  supply.  Until  that  year  every  family  had  to  provide 
its  own  water  from  the  capricious  and  uncertain  sources  of  springs 
or  wells.  In  the  earliest  times  the  well  had  its  old-fashioned 
"  sweep,"  consisting  of  a  long  pole  mounted  in  the  crotch  of  a  post, 
and  to  the  longer  end  of  which  another  pole  was  made  fast  to  carry 
a  bucket  down  into  the  water,  while  the  other  end  of  the  sweep  was 
weighted  with  stones  to  serve  as  the  force  that  would  lift  the  filled 
bucket  from  the  well.  Such  primitive  contrivances  were  seen  on 
nearly  all  premises  until  quite  late  toward  the  middle  of  the  present 
century,  when  pumps  began  to  come  into  use.  The  first  pumps 
were  metal  ones,  and  very  expensive,  so  that  they  were  little  used. 
The  people  could  not  afford  them ;  but  Yankee  genius  was  never 
without  resources,  and  they  imitated  the  metal  pump  with  wood.  A 
log  was  bored  through  the  centre  and  properly  connected  with  a 
wooden  cylinder  in  which  the  valves  were  located,  and  let  down  into 
the  well.  A  wooden  rod  was  connected  with  the  lever  and  valve, 
and  as  good  results  were  obtained  as  if  a  high-priced  metal  pump 
had  been  used  ;  and  the  wooden  one  did  not  cost  more  than  a  very 
small  fraction  of  what  the  metal  one  would  have,  and  generally  out- 
lasted it,  too. 

At  a  still  later  date,  about  1850,  the  hydraulic  ram  was  the  pop- 
ular device  for  conveying  water  as  it  possessed  the  power  of  lifting 
it  over  hills  and  other  obstructions  in  the  course  where  it  was  wanted 
to  be  conveyed.  One  Perry  W.  Pollard,  a  tinsmith  in  the  employ 
of  R.  P.  Kent,  astonished  the  natives  in  1854,  by  fitting  a  lead  pipe 
into  a  well  on  the  Gotham  farm,  and  by  the  now  well-known  princi- 
ple of  the  syphon,  lifting  water  out  of  the  well  and  conveying  it  to  a 
lower  level.     One  can  well  imagine  the  open-mouthed  wonder  with 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 57 

which  the  simpler  ones  viewed  the  young  mechanic  from  Providence, 
R.  I.  No  doubt  some  thought  him  in  possession  of  supernatural 
powers ;  but  they  learned  from  him  a  useful  lesson  in  regard  to  the 
principles  and  powers  of  the  syphon.  Water  from  the  various 
springs  against  the  hillsides  was  conveyed  into  the  houses  in  the 
village  below  by  means  of  wooden  pipes,  which  consisted  of  logs 
bored  through  with  an  auger  properly  fitted  for  the  purpose.  These 
so-called  "pump-logs"  have  continued  in  use  to  the  present  time, 
though  most  of  them  have  given  place  to  lead  or  iron  pipes.  The 
best,  and  most  durable,  pump-logs  were  made  of  tamarack  from  six 
to  eight  inches  in  diameter  and  fifteen  feet  long.  Balsam  fir  was 
used  to  some  extent,  but  was  not  so  durable  as  the  tamarack. 
There  were  many  persons  engaged  in  the  business  of  boring  and 
laying  pump-logs;  but  Shadrach  P.  Hartford,  brother  of  Stephen 
Hartford  of  East  Lancaster,  was  forty  years  ago  regarded  as  the 
past  master  in  the  art  of  making  and  laying  pump-logs.  Some  of 
his  work  still  remains  to  this  day  in  good  repair  and  is  doing  daily 
service  in  conveying  water. 

For  many  years  the  village  had  no  other  source  of  water  supply 
than  wells  and  these  pump-logs  from  springs  on  the  hills.  The 
south  side  of  the  village  was  supplied  from  springs  opening  into  the 
bank  where  Prospect  street  now  is,  and  from  a  large  one  on  Holton 
Hill.  The  noted  cold  spring  on  the  Whitefield  road,  south  of  the 
stone-crusher,  furnished  a  large  supply  of  the  best  of  water,  and 
this  is  still  connected  with  the  Lancaster  House.  When  the  Lancas- 
ter House  was  built  in  1858,  it  took  all  its  supply  from  this  spring. 

What  was  known  as  the  Pleasant  Spring  Aqueduct  Company  took 
water  from  a  large  spring  on  the  south  side  of  the  east  road,  a  little 
east  of  where  the  Maine  Central  round  house  now  stands.  This  line 
covered  and  supplied  Middle  street  and  Main  as  far  north  as  the 
J.  A.  Smith  residence  near  the  corner  of  Bunker  Hill  street. 

Another  famous  spring  was  the  Everett  spring  located  in  the 
Everett  pasture  on  the  north  slope  of  Bunker  Hill,  which  fifty  years 
ago  was  a  cleared  pasture  but  is  now  grown  up  to  a  second  growth 
of  pines.  This  spring  afforded  a  fine  stream  of  the  best  water  in 
town.  Judge  Everett  brought  the  water  to  his  house — the  old  Cross 
place — on  the  corner  of  High  and  Main  streets.  Later  a  portion  of 
this  stream  was  deeded  to  Elizabeth  Everett,  his  sister-in-law,  by 
Ephraim  Cross  and  carried  to  the  house  which  since  its  removal  is 
now  owned  by  the  Forshees  on  Summer  street,  but  which  then  stood 
where  the  Van  Dyke  house  now  stands.  Still  another  portion  of 
that  stream  was  sold  to  Isaac  B.  Gorham  who  lived  where  Charles 
Howe  now  does  on  Main  street;  and  at  a  still  later  date,  1840, 
Richard  P.  Kent,  who  had  just  built  the  homestead  where  Col,  E. 
R.  Kent  now  lives,  bought  another  share  of   this  spring.     In  1848, 


158  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

George  Bellows,  then  living  where  Cyrus  D.  Allen  now  does  on 
Main  street,  bought  for  a  company  the  remainder  of  that  stream  and 
conveyed  it  to  his  house,  and  a  number  of  others  on  that  street.  The 
volume  of  water  began  to  shrink  soon  after  that  time,  and  as  the 
stream  was  much  divided  no  small  trouble  resulted  to  families  who 
depended  upon  it  for  their  water. 

This  led  to  Frederick  Fisk,  and  later,  Charles  E.  Allen,  putting 
down  a  system  of  modern  tubing  and  later  iron  pipes,  with  a  view 
to  collecting  water  from  a  number  of  springs  on  several  hillsides 
and  carrying  it  through  the  village  under  one  system  and  manage- 
ment. This  was  a  great  improvement  over  the  old  way  of  every 
family  looking  after  its  own  pump-logs.  This  system  was  inadequate 
to  the  demand  upon  it.  It  was  not  of  sufficient  volume  to  furnish 
water  for  street  sprinkling,  nor  did  it  meet  the  requirements  of  the 
village  in  case  of  fires.  There  was  an  urgent  demand  for  a  better 
system;  and  in  i89i,a  private  company  undertook  to  bring  water 
from  the  Garland  brook  beyond  Matthew  Smith's,  some  six  miles 
distant  from  the  village.  This  company  built  the  present  hydrant 
system,  one  of  the  best  systems  to  be  found  in  all  New  England. 
The  water  is  as  pure  as  can  be  found,  coming  as  it  does  from  the 
large  forest  section  of  the  town  of  Kilkenny.  The  water  is  taken 
out  of  Great  brook,  and  carried  directly  to  the  service  pipes,  with  a 
reservoir  on  the  side  of  Mount  Pleasant  in  which  is  a  sufficient  storage 
for  all  emergencies — 180  feet  above  Main  street. 

The  company  made  a  contract  with  the  fire  precinct  to  turn  over 
the  system  within  a  given  time  if  the  precinct  (village)  wished  to 
purchase  it  upon  the  payment  of  the  cost  of  construction  and  10  per 
cent. -additional.  In  1894  the  village  fire  precinct  purchased  the 
plant.  A  committee  consisting  of  Col.  H.  O.  Kent,  J.  I.  Williams, 
and  Henry  Heywood  was  appointed  to  make  an  award,  and  adjust 
the  price,  which  they  did,  allowing  for  the  plant  the  sum  of  $74,000, 
which  was  raised  by  the  sale  of  bonds  which  was  authorized  by 
special  act  of  the  legislature  at  the  session  of  1895.  The  precinct 
then  organized  a  water  commission  under  the  management  of  which 
the  system  has  given  entire  satisfaction  to  all  using  the  water.  The 
water  is  pure  and  delicious — is  a  profitable  and  excellent  invest- 
ment and  has  checked  every  fire — so  that  no  conflagration  has  since 
ensued. 

Again  in  1882,  the  question  of  lighting  the  streets  came  up  for 
discussion ;  and  finally  the  matter  was  carried  before  the  November 
town-meeting,  at  which  time  the  following  vote  was  passed  :  "  Voted, 
That  the  town  light  the  village  streets  with  suitable  lights,  to  be  pro- 
cured and  kept  as  the  judgment  and  discretion  of  the  selectmen  may 
direct,  and  the  said  selectmen  are  authorized  to  draw  money  from 
the  town  treasury  therefor  "  (Town  Records).    The  judgment  of  the 


LANCASTER    FROM    185O   TO   THE   PRESENT   TIME.  1 59 

selectmen  was  that  twelve  kerosene  oil-lamps  were  sufficient,  and 
they  provided  that  number  and  arranged  for  the  proper  care  of 
them.  This  did  not  satisfy  many  of  the  villagers.  They  thought 
that  twelve  public,  and  thirteen  private,  lights  were  not  sufficient  to 
light  a  village  containing  a  population  of  1500.  covering  an  area  of 
about  two  square  miles.  The  discussion  that  followed  the  plac- 
ing of  these  lights  on  the  streets  resulted  in  the  organization  of  a 
company  in  1889,  for  lighting  the  streets  with  electric  lights.  The 
Electric  Light  company  put  in  a  plant,  using  the  incandescent  lamps, 
by  means  of  which  the  streets  have  been  well  Hghted.  The  power 
is  furnished  by  Frank  Smith  &  Company  at  their  mills.  Two  dyna- 
mos are  used  for  the  two  circuits — street  and  indoor  circuits.  There 
are  maintained  108  lights  on  the  streets;  and  many  offices,  stores, 
and  residences  are  using  the  company's  lights.  The  plant  has  been 
a  very  satisfactory  one,  rendering  a  good  service,  and  at  a  moderate 
cost  to  both  town  and  citizens,  the  estimated  cost  of  lighting  the 
streets  for  1897  being  $1,224  for  108  lights.  Few  concerns  have 
rendered  the  community  better  service  than  the  Lancaster  Electric 
company.  Certain  important  improvements  are  contemplated  by 
the  company  which  will  very  much  enhance  its  efficiency  to  the 
public  service. 

At  the  March  town-meeting  in  1889,  the  sons  of  the  late  Richard 
P.  Kent  made  the  offer  to  the  town  of  a  fountain  to  be  located  in 
front  of  his  late  residence  on  Main  street  as  a  fitting  memorial  to 
their  parents,  who  had  been  identified  with  the  business  and  social 
interests  of  the  town  and  community  since  1825.  The  offer  of  this 
fountain  was  made  on  the  condition  that  the  town  maintain  it  in  the 
future  in  accordance  with  the  designs  of  the  donors  as  affording 
drinking  water  to  man  and  beast  as  well  as  serving  as  an  ornament 
to  the  village  streets  when  the,  then  contemplated,  system  of  water 
works  should  be  completed.  The  town  accepted  the  offer,  and  the 
fountain  was  finished  by  the  time  of  the  completion  of  the  water 
works,  and  put  in  use  on  the  first  of  December,  1892.  This  foun- 
tain is  a  fine  piece  of  workmanship  in  design  and  execution,  and 
an  ornament  to  the  village,  keeping  fresh  the  memory  of  one  who 
helped  develop  the  industries  of  the  town,  upon  which  its  pres- 
ent prosperity  rests,  and  serving  thirsty  men  and  animals  with  one 
of  the  noblest  services  man  can  render  his  fellows,  the  offering  of  the 
"cup  of  cold  water." 

The  structure  is  of  granite.  A  large  and  convenient  water-box 
with  two  streams  of  water,  is  provided.  An  ornate  arch  surmounts 
the  water-box  supporting  a  bronze  Victory.  On  the  face  toward 
the  street,  is  this  inscription : 


l6o  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 


IN  MEMORIAM. 


Richard  Peabody  Kent, 
Emily  Mann  Kent." 

On  the  face  toward  the  sidewalk ; 

"  To  the  Town. 
From  Henry  O.  Kent, 
Edward  R.  Kent, 
Charles  N.  Kent." 

On  the  keystone  of  the  arch ; 

"  1892." 

At  the  same  time  that  this  fountain  was  building  another  one  was 
designed  and  given  the  town  by  Mrs.  Louisa  Dow  Benton,  widow 
of  the  late  Jacob  Benton,  in  memory  of  her  husband  who  died  from 
the  effects  of  an  accident  in  the  fall  of  1892.  Mr.  Benton  had  long 
been  a  resident  of  the  town.  He  had  attained  prominence  as  a  law- 
yer, business  man  and  politician. 

This  memorial  fountain  is  a  neat  and  tasteful  structure  standing  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Mechanic  streets,  directly  in  front  of  the 
doorway  of  the  present  Town  Hall  building.  It  is  of  red  granite, 
and  contains  a  water-trough  for  animals,  a  separate  stream  for  drink- 
ing purposes  for  man,  and  a  trough  for  dogs  and  lesser  animals, 
which  latter  arrangement  is  a  very  thoughtful  and  humane  one.  By 
this  arrangement  a  grateful  service  is  rendered  the  smaller  animals 
of  the  community,  which  often  spares  them  much  inconvenience 
and  suffering  from  thirst.  Man  is  a  selfish  animal ;  he  will  not  live 
without  these  animals  about  him,  and  yet  he  so  often,  for  the  lack  of 
thoughtfulness,  makes  either  inadequate  or  no  provisions  for  their 
comfort. 

This  fountain  is  inscribed  with  the  following  memorial : 

"  In  memory  of  Jacob  Benton  as  a  gift  to  the  town  this  fountain  was  erected 
by  his  wife  Louisa  D.  Benton,  on  the  day  of  his  death  September  29,  1892." 

On  the  face  toward  the  street,  and  directly  above  the  water 
trough,  is  this  inscription  : 

"  Thou  shalt  bring  forth  them  water  out  of  this  rock.  So  shalt  thou  give  the 
congregation  and  their  beasts  drink." 

On  the  globe  surmounting  the  fountain  the  words ; 
"Pro  Bono  Publico." 

These  fountains  render  to  the  village,  and  to  the  traveler  over  our 
streets,  a  valuable  service,  one  that  it  is  impossible  to  properly  esti- 
mate in  words  or  figures.  One  has  to  see  the  use  of  them,  especially 


Summit  Mt.  Washington, 


»»»i| 


Ml^.^^Hfc, 


Kent  Fountain. 


•^< 


Benton  Fountain. 


LANCASTER    FROM    1850   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  161 

on  the  hot  days  of  summer,  and  the  mute  expressions  of  comfort 
shown  by  the  animals  daily  throughout  the  year,  in  order  to  appre- 
ciate their  worth  to  the  community.  No  more  fitting  memorial  can 
be  made  of  the  dead  by  their  friends.  One  such  fountain  docs 
more  for  humanity  and  civilization  than  all  the  granite  and  marble 
that  can  be  piled  up  in  a  cemetery,  I  care  not  how  artistic  that  pile 
may  be.  The  one  is  a  living  memorial,  imparting  life,  strength, 
health,  cheer  and  comfort  every  day ;  the  other  is  a  dead  thing,  a 
"  storied  memorial." 

In  1890,  the  population  of  the  town  had  reached  3,367,  and  the 
valuation,  as  shown  by  the  assessment  for  that  year,  $1,636,813.00. 
The  valuation  is  low,  and  probably  does  not  represent  more  that  75 
per  cent,  of  the  actual  value  of  property  in  the  town.  The  value  of 
the  property  of  the  people  of  this  town  shows  conditions  that  are 
satisfactory  evidence  of  prosperity,  and  that  all  the  comforts  of  life 
can  be  found  among  the  citizens.  The  showing  of  the  present  time 
is  much  better  than  seven  years  ago.  Add  to  the  valuation,  which 
is  the  basis  of  the  taxes  of  the  town,  the  vast  amount  of  property 
not  taxed  by  the  town,  and  the  wealth  record  of  Lancaster  would  be 
swelled  to  a  very  much  larger  sum,  a  sum  that  would  rank  it  as  one 
of  the  wealthiest  of  country  towns  in  the  state. 

An  event  of  considerable  interest,  and  well  worthy  a  place  in  these 
chronicles,  was. the  coaching  parade  of  1895,  which  was  repeated  in 
1896,  with  great  success. 

For  many  years  coaching  parades  have  been  held  at  Bethlehem 
and  Conway,  and  other  places  of  resort  for  summer  tourists  in  this 
mountain  section.  These  events  have  always  been  highly  appreci- 
ated, both  by  the  visitors  and  the  citizens  of  the  places  in  which  they 
have  been  held. 

In  1895,  it  was  thought  by  some  parties  that  Lancaster,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  quite  a  resort  for  tourists,  should  have  a  parade,  or  as  they 
are  more  popularly  styled,  a  gala  day.  After  considerable  corres- 
pondence with  the  managers  of  other  coaching  parades,  railroads, 
and  proprietors  of  the  mountain  hotels  and  boarding-houses,  com- 
mittees were  appointed  at  a  public  meeting  called  at  the  Lancaster 
House  for  that  purpose,  and  all  necessary  arrangements  were  made 
for  a  gala  day  on  August  15,  1895.  The  name  under  which  it  was 
advertised  and  managed  was  "  The  North-Side  Coaching  Parade." 
Encouragement  was  received  that  the  proprietors  and  guests  of  the 
leading  hotels  and  boarding-houses  about  the  mountains  would  take 
part  in  the  parade.  The  railroads,  especially  the  Maine  Central^ 
cooperated  to  its  success.  This  road  generously  loaned  the  commit- 
tee enough  bunting  to  decorate  all  the  public  buildings  of  the  vil- 
lage. The  citizens  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  movement,  and  by 
contributions  of  money  and  the  elaborate  decoration  of  their  houses 


1 62  HISTORY   OF  LANCASTER. 

guaranteed  its  success.  The  enterprise  was  well  advertised ;  and 
when  the  day  came  it  was  one  of  those  glorious  days  of  summer 
that  puts  every  living  thing  at  its  best.  Heavy  rains  a  few  days  be- 
fore had  laid  the  dust  and  refreshed  all  nature.  The  day  broke  with 
a  clear  sky,  and  by  eight  o'clock  the  streets  began  to  fill  up  with 
people.  Streams  of  teams  kept  coming  over  the  hills,  and  large 
excursion  trains  arrived  from  all  the  railroads,  so  that  by  ten  o'clock 
there  was  such  a  throng  of  people  as  is  rarely  seen  in  a  country 
village.  Gov.  Charles  A.  Busiel,  and  many  distinguished  citizens 
from  abroad,  were  present  to  witness  the  event.  Scores  of  finely- 
decorated  coaches  and  carriages  were  in  line,  as  well  as  a  variety  of 
exhibitions  of  the  various  industries  and  enterprises  of  the  town. 
Two  bands,  the  Berlin  Cornet  band  and  the  Saranac  band,  of  Lit- 
tleton, discoursed  music  on  the  occasion.  Taken  all  in  all,  it  was  an 
indescribable  profusion  of  beauty  and  pleasure,  a  scene  never  to  be 
forgotten,  but  one  that  surpasses  the  powers  of  anyone  to  describe 
in  the  limits  of  the   space  that  we  can  devote  to  it. 

Grand  as  was  this  first  gala  day,  as  great  as  its  success  was,  it  was 
repeated  the  next  year  under  the  same  management  and  committees. 
There  were  in  it  such  variations  from  that  of  the  previous  year  that 
made  it  even  more  attractive  in  many  respects. 

SEWERS. 

Taken  together  with  the  completed  system  of  water-works,  the 
sewer  system  constitutes  one  of  the  most  important  public  improve- 
ments in  the  history  of  the  town.  After  the  water-works  were  com- 
pleted there  became  a  demand  for  adequate  sewer  facilities  to  render 
the  use  of  the  hydrant  system  more  effective,  as  there  was  no  means 
of  disposing  of  a  surplus  of  water  consequent  upon  many  uses  of 
such  a  system.  This,  together  with  the  question  of  disposing  of  sur- 
face water,  and  especially  the  sanitary  requirements  of  the  village, 
made  a  sewer  system  necessary. 

There  had  been  some  public  sewers  and  many  private  ones  put  in 
from  time  to  time,  but  these  were  small  and  generally  disconnected. 
Many  of  them  discharged  into  the  river  within  the  limits  of  the 
village,  which  from  an  aesthetic  and  sanitary  point  of  view  made 
them  extremely  objectionable.  It  was  desired  to  either  do  away  with 
these  or  combine  them  and  find  a  place  of  discharge  farther  down  the 
river. 

The  first  sewer  ever  put  down  in  the  village  was  in  1848,  by  Rob- 
ert Sawyer,  surveyor  of  highways.  It  was  a  plank  box,  running  from 
Dr.  Stickney's  of^ce,  where  W.  I.  Hatch's  jewelry  store  now  is,  to 
the  river  near  the  north  end  of  the  bridge.  This  undertaking  pro- 
voked a  great  deal  of  comment  and  criticism  at  the  time ;  but  it 
proved  to  be  a  very  serviceable  sewer  for  many  years.     In  fact,  it 


Coaching  Parade,  1895. 


Ak(  H  ox  Main   Stkkkt,  1895. 


LANCASTER   FROM    185O   TO   THE    PRESENT   TIME.  1 63 

would  be  as  good  to-day  as  any  if  the  proper  precautions  had  been 
taken  to  keep  it  from  fiUing  with  silt  from  the  streets.  It  was  never 
flushed,  except  as  the  surface  water  flushed  it  after  a  heavy  rain- 
fall. When  the  sewer  was  cut  through  in  the  summer  of  1896,  at 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Middle  streets,  the  plank  were  found  to  be 
perfectly  sound,  and  will  last  yet  for  many  years. 

Other  sewers  were  put  in  from  time  to  time  as  there  was  a  press- 
ing demand  for  them.  In  the  March  meeting  of  1894,  a  move  was 
made  to  have  a  complete  and  perfect  system  of  sewers  put  in.  A 
committee  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  needs  of  the  village  and 
have  a  survey  made,  and  report  to  the  next  meeting  as  a  basis  of 
action  in  the  matter.  This  committee  took  the  matter  in  hand,  and 
securing  the  services  of  F.  H.  Fuller,  C.  E.,  had  a  survey  made  of 
the  village  streets,  and  reported  the  results  to  the  annual  meeting  of 
1895.  The  matter  was  discussed,  and  brought  up  at  an  adjourned 
meeting.  It  went  over  again  until  at  the  March  meeting  of  1896, 
when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  act  in  connection  with  the  se- 
lectmen in  putting  in  a  system  that  should  meet  the  demands  of  the 
village,  and  also  Grange  village  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town.  The 
sum  of  $30,000  was  raised  by  bonding  the  town  to  pay  off  its  float- 
ing indebtedness,  the  remainder  to  be  used  upon  the  construction 
of  the  sewer  system  as  far  as  it  would  complete  it  that  year.  The 
work  to  be  done  upon  the  sewers  was  to  be  so  done  as  to  be  the 
beginning  of  a  system  that  could,  in  the  future,  be  completed  and 
perfected  to  meet  the  needs  of  the  village. 

The  committee  appointed  to  serve  in  connection  with  the  select- 
men were:  I.  W.  Drew,  J.  I.  Williams,  H.  O.  Kent,  Burleigh  Rob- 
erts, and  George  F.  Black.  The  selectmen  were :  William  H.  Hart- 
ley, Joseph  D.  Howe,  and  Gilbert  A.  Marshall.  This  joint  commit- 
tee met  and  organized  March  21,  1896.  Henry  O.  Kent  was  made 
chairman,  W.  H.  Hartley,  clerk. 

G.  H.  Allen,  C.  E.,  of  Manchester  was  engaged  to  examine  ex- 
isting sewers  and  investigate  the  several  plans  proposed.  Previous 
surveys  made  by  Williams  &  Osborne  were  approved  by  Mr.  Allen, 
and  the  work  of  construction  proceeded. 

It  was  found  that  after  providing  for  the  payment  of  town  debts 
then  outstanding  there  was  left,  available  for  sewer  construction, 
$10,000.  The  work  commenced  June  23,  1896,  under  the  direction 
of  W.  H.  Hartley,  J.  D.  Howe,  and  G.  A.  Marshall  (selectmen),  as 
an  executive  committee  of  the  joint  committee.  G.  H.  Allen  was 
made  consulting  engineer,  with  Williams  &  Osborne  doing  the  de- 
tails of  the  engineering  work  on  the  ground. 

The  committee  decided  to  employ  only  labor  from  the  town,  by 
which  means  encouragement  was  offered  to  the  working  men  of  the 
town,  instead  of  bringing  in  foreign  labor  of  a  cheaper  and  question- 


1 64  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

able  order.  This  was  a  wise  measure  from  several  points  of  view, 
and  was  highly  commended  by  the  citizens  of  the  town. 

The  outlets  were  sought,  and  located  on  Isreals  river.  Three  dis- 
tinct systems  were  decided  upon.  The  first  one  includes  all  the  ter- 
ritory south  of  Isreals  river,  and  discharges  into  the  river  on  Water 
street,  a  little  above  the  bridge  of  the  B.  &  M.  railroad. 

The  second  division  comprises  Bunker  Hill  street  east  of  Summer 
street,  Summer  street  south  of  Bunker  Hill  street.  Middle  street,  Hill 
street,  Fletcher  street,  Richardson's  court,  Main  street  south  of 
Bunker  Hill,  and  Canal  street,  with  the  outlet  on  the  Hopkinson 
meadow. 

The  third  division  comprises  Main  street  north  of  Bunker  Hill 
street.  North  Main  street,  Kilkenny  street,  Bridge  street,  Wolcott 
street,  Wallace  street,  Summer  street  north  of  Bunker  Hill  street. 
Bunker  Hill  west  of  Summer  street.  Cemetery  street.  Railroad  street, 
and  High  street,  and  discharges  near  the  railroad  bridge. 

This  gives  the  village  25,570  feet  of  sewers,  13,424  feet  of  which 
is  of  the  old  system,  and  12,570  feet  of  the  new.  The  committee 
recommend  the  future  construction  of  16,628  feet,  necessary  to  cover 
the  entire  village.  There  was  also  put  in  500  feet  in  Grange  village. 
The  entire  expense  of  the  above  work  was  $10,597.73. 

With  the  completion  of  this  system  the  village  now  has  thorough 
sanitary  drainage  of  both  streets  and  buildings.  This  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  water  system  gives  every  promise  of  a  service 
that  cannot  but  greatly  enhance  the  healthfulness  and  comfort  of 
life  in  the  village.  The  only  urgent  needs  to  the  perfection  of  the 
service  of  this  sewer  system  are  better  grading  of  streets  to  facilitate 
the  rapid  running  off  of  surface  waters,  and  proper  grading  and  mac- 
adamizing to  facilitate  cleanliness.  All  of  these  things  will  come,  no 
doubt,  in  due  time  ;  and  when  accomplished  will  add  greatly  to  the 
already  attractive  appearance  of  the  village. 


CHAPTER  XII. 
EDUCATION. 


The  First  Schools — The  Foundations  of  the  Public  Schools — Lancas- 
ter Academy — Graded  School — High  School — General  Interest  in 
Education— Present  Condition  of  Education  in  the  Town. 

The  earliest  attempts  at  education  in  the  town  were  private  enter- 
prises of  which  no  records  were  kept,  and  hence  after  a  lapse  of 
more  than  a  century  we  have  very  little  exact  knowledge  of  those 
first  efforts  to  plant  the  school  in  Lancaster.  The  records  of  the 
first  fifty  years  or  more  have  been  lost,  so  that  all  the  exact  informa- 


THE    FIRST   SCHOOLS.  1 65 

tion  we  can  get  is  found  in  the  records  of  the  town  showing  action 
at  its  meetings,  as  preserved  in  town  records.  Besides  this  there 
are  a  few  private  documents  that  throw  some  hght  on  the  sub- 
ject. There  are  interesting  traditions  connected  with  the  first 
schools  that  are  of  interest,  and  we  give  them  for  what  they  are 
worth. 

Tradition  says  that  Ruth  Stockwell,  the  first  white  woman  in  town, 
gathered  the  children  of  the  first  settlers  into  her  house,  and  gave 
them  some  instruction  in  the  simpler  branches,  as  reading,  spelling, 
and  possibly  arithmetic,  and  writing.  How  systematic,  and  how 
regular,  or  how  long  that  sort  of  teaching  was  continued  we  are  not 
informed.  Tradition  has  been  chiefly  interested  in  connecting  her 
name  with  the  first  real  effort  at  teaching  the  children  of  her  neigh- 
borhood. Her  work  may  have  been  mere  seed  planting  that  ma- 
tured into  a  school,  and  called  for  what  tradition  also  says  was  the 
first  schoolhouse  in  town,  a  rude  log  cabin  built  somewhere  on  the 
river  terrace  eastward  of  the  house  of  Ruth  Stockwell,  and  near  the 
house  of  her  father,  David  Page.  At  all  events,  when  the  town  was 
divided  into  districts,  the  one  in  that  vicinity  was  numbered  one,  as 
indicating  that  it  was  older  than  number  two  in  the  Bucknam  neigh- 
borhood. Just  who  was  the  first  school-master  in  that  old  school  in 
the  Stockwell  and  Page  neighborhood  we  are  not  quite  sure. 

A  Mr.  Bradley  taught  there  in  1789,  and  may  have  been  the  first 
teacher  for  anything  that  we  know  to  the  contrary.  It  appears  that 
Mr.  Bradley  taught  that  school  for  several  years;  but  aside  from 
the  fact  of  his  teaching  there  we  know  very  little  of  him.  We  do 
know,  however,  as  a  matter  of  history  that  one  Joseph  Bergin  from 
Boston,  Mass.,  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  Bucknam  neighborhood, 
now  known  as  District  No.  2,  although  the  old  numbers  have  no 
real  significance  except  to  those  who  were  familiar  with  the  dis- 
trict system,  which  was  abolished  in  1885,  when  the  present  town 
system  came  into  use.  Of  him  Edwards  Bucknam  wrote  in  his 
diary:  "June  12,  1787,  Joseph  Bergin  came  up  from  Boston.  June 
13,  Joseph  Bergin  went  to  wash  his  clothes  at  Lacous's.  June  14, 
Bergin  came  to  my  house.  June  20,  Bergin  went  to  keeping  school 
for  6  months  at  $5  a  month." 

These  first  schools  had  short  and  irregular  terms,  as  the  people 
had  little  money  to  spend  upon  them,  and  the  teachers  were  seldom 
men  who  cared  to  work  for  produce  as  they  had  no  families  to  make 
use  of  such  stuff.  They  could  not  market  produce  or  convert  it  into 
money.  When  the  schools  were  open,  only  the  younger  children 
could  be  spared  to  attend  them.  Adino  Nye  Brackett,  who  came 
to  Lancaster  at  twelve  years  of  age,  said  he  never  attended  school 
after  that  time  more  than  six  months  all  told.  Maj.  John  W. 
Weeks,  who  came  here  in  1786,  left  on  record  the  statement  that  he 


1 66  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

never  attended  school  more  than  ten  or  twelve  months  in  Lancaster. 
The  same  was  likely  true  of  many  other  families,  though  we  have 
no  knowledge  of  the  fact. 

The  first  settlers  here  were  men  and  women  of  fairly  good  educa- 
tion, who  were  deeply  interested  in  educating  their  children ;  but 
the  conditions  of  life  were  so  exacting  that  as  soon  as  a  boy  was  old 
enough  to  work  he  had  to  go  with  his  father  into  the  woods  or 
fields,  and  do  the  work  of  man.  He  might  be  spared  a  few  months 
in  midwinter  when  the  demand  for  his  labor  was  the  least.  Some 
of  the  more  ambitious  boys  studied  by  the  light  of  birch  bark 
around  the  hearth  after  the  day's  work  was  done,  and  in  this  way 
added  to  what  they  got  in  the  schools.  We  have  no  evidence  that 
the  town  gave  any  financial  aid.  to  the  schools  until  1 790,  when  at  a 
town-meeting,  December  13,  thirty  bushels  of  wheat  were  appro- 
priated for  the  schools  that  year.  Wheat  was  then  a  sort  of  circu- 
lating medium  that  took  the  place  of  money,  as  we  have  elsewhere 
stated.  Nearly  all  appropriations  were  then  voted  in  wheat.  At 
that  time  the  town  must  have  had  two  schools,  which  would  have 
given  each  one  the  magnificent  sum  of  fifteen  bushels  of  wheat  for 
a  year's  support  of  schools.  This  sum  was,  however,  "  in  addition 
to  what  the  law  directs."  How  much  the  law  directed  to  be  raised 
for  schools  I  am  not  sure  of;  but  under  the  Provincial  Laws  towns 
were  required  to  raise  certain  amounts,  and  to  provide  schools  for 
certain  lengths  of  time.  The  people  in  this  case  evidently  wanted 
longer  terms  of  school  than  they  were  required  by  law  to  provide. 
They  had  themselves  enjoyed  the  advantages  of  pretty  good  schools 
in  the  older  towns  from  which  they  came,  and  wanted  their  children 
to  have  as  good  schools  as  they  could  afford. 

As  the  growth  of  population  increased  and  expanded  the  inhab- 
ited area  of  the  town,  the  demand  for  better  schools  grew  stronger, 
and  at  the  same  time  more  schoolhouses  were  needed.  So  at  the 
annual  town-meeting  of  1794  a  committee  of  nine  persons  was 
chosen  to  divide  the  town  into  school  districts.  That  they  provided 
for  three  schools  is  very  probable.  As  we  have  seen,  the  first  two 
schools  were  started  at  the  extreme  ends  of  the  town.  The  village 
had  by  this  time  come  to  have  about  six  houses,  which  made  it 
almost  the  equal  of  either  of  the  two  older  neighborhoods.  The 
committee,  when  they  came  to  divide  the  town,  probably  foresaw 
the  importance  of  the  situation  of  the  village  section  as  the  future 
centre  of  business  and  residence,  and  made  it  school  district  number 
one.  As  a  new  schoolhouse  was  required  by  the  Stockwell  section 
it  was  given  third  place  in  the  list  of  districts,  while  the  Bucknam 
neighborhood  retained  its  former  number  as  second  on  the  list  of 
schools. 

By  a  wise  provision  of  the  original  grantees  of  the  town  the  terri- 


THE    FOUNDATION    OF   THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS.  1 6/ 

tory  immediately  along  Isreals  river  from  the  grist  mill  dam  to  the 
upper  dam,  as  we  know  them  to-day,  was  reserved  for  mills,  the 
rent  accruing  from  the  lands  to  go  for  the  support  of  schools.  The 
difificulties  in  the  way  of  mills  were  so  many  and  so  great  that  the 
rentals  of  the  privileges,  when  leases  were  made,  were  only  nominal 
sums  named  as  rents  or  considerations.  The  mill  site  now 
occupied  by  Frank  Smith  &  Company's  mills  was  leased  to  Em- 
mons Stockwell  by  a  committee  acting  for  the  town,  for  one  pint  of 
wheat  a  year,  the  same  to  be  paid  when  called  for  by  the  selectmen. 
One  equal  share  of  the  original  lands  of  the  township  was  set  apart 
for  a  school,  and  a  lot  adjoining  the  church  lot,  in  the  original  vil- 
lage lot,  was  designated  for  a  school.  Such  school  was  never 
established  because  the  two  other  schools  of  which  I  have 
spoken  made  it  unnecessary.  The  distribution  of  population  did 
not  favor  a  school  at  that  point;  and  no  schoolhouse  was  built 
until  1833,  when  the  old  first  district  was  divided  in  consequence 
of  the  growth  of  population  on  the  south  side  of  Isreals  river  in  the 
village.  This  new  district  was  known  as  No.  12  until  it  was  con- 
solidated with  No.  I  to  form  a  union  district  in  1869  (the  school- 
house  was  on  the  common,  opposite  the  east  end  of  the  old  meet- 
ing-house). 

Thus  were  laid  the  foundations  of  the  public  schools  of  the  town, 
and  it  only  required  time  to  develop  them,  and  make  them  a  bless- 
ing to  the  thousands  of  men  and  women  who  have  taken  advantage 
of  their  services. 

The  story  of  these  schools  we  have  told  in  detail  in  another  place, 
and  therefore  refer  to  them  here  only  as  showing  their  relation  to 
other  events  and  movements  as  they  took  place. 

An  event  of  great  importance  in  the  intellectual  development  of 
the  town,  and,  in  fact,  to  a  considerable  extent  that  of  neighboring 
towns,  was  the  establishment  of  Lancaster  Academy  in  1828,  under 
a  special  charter  from  the  legislature.  Some  thirty  years  of  the 
administration  of  the  public  school  system  had  made  it  evident  that 
there  was  felt  and  recognized  the  necessity  of  an  institution  that 
should  fit  the  sons  of  Coos  farmers  and  traders  for  college,  and  to 
enter  business  life  with  a  better  training  than  the  country,  common 
school  could  give  them.  Accordingly  some  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  town  made  a  move  for  the  establishment  of  an  academy.  Among 
that  number  we  find  named  as  the  first  trustees  of  the  academy, 
William  Lovejoy,  John  W.  Weeks,  Jared  W.  Williams,  Richard 
Eastman,  William  Farrar,  Thomas  Carlisle,  Samuel  A.  Pearson,  Reu- 
ben Stephenson,  and  Adino  N.  Brackett.  The  academy  was  organ- 
ized, and  opened  its  first  term  in  the  old  flat-roofed  court-house  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets,  in  1829,  with  Nathaniel  Wil- 
son, a  recent  graduate  of  Dartmouth  college,  as  preceptor. 


1 68  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

At  that  time  the  country  was  being  flooded  with  academies,  that 
continued  for  about  fifty  years  to  serve  a  splendid  purpose  in  the 
educational  development  of  our  country ;  and  some  of  those  old 
institutions,  those  that  happened  to  secure  sufficient  endowments  to 
guarantee  their  existence  in  the  struggle  with  the  free  public  schools 
of  equal  grade  for  patronage,  are  still  doing  much  good.  A  few  of 
them  have  had  sectarian  support  from  churches;  but  the  Lancaster 
academy  was  free  from  all  sectarian  entanglements,  and  so  remained 
through  its  whole  active  period  of  life.  The  work  it  did  was  of  a 
high  grade,  and  many  hundreds  of  youth  secured  in  it  a  good,  prac- 
tical education.  It  had  often  as  preceptors  able  men,  college  grad- 
uates, and  teachers  of  experience. 

When  a  new  court-house  had  been  built  on  another  site,  the  lands 
on  which  the  old  one  stood  reverted  to  the  heirs  of  Maj.  Jonas 
Wilder  who  gave  the  land  for  court-house  and  jail  on  conditions  of 
their  use  only  for  those  specified  purposes.  The  old  building  was 
bought  by  the  academy,  and  in  1836  was  moved  to  the  lot  now 
occupied  by  the  present  academy  building  and  the  Unitarian  church, 
which  church  site  had  previously  been  that  of  the  gun  house.  Here 
on  the  new  spot  an  a:ddition  was  put  on  the  front  of  the  building, 
and  it  continued  to  be  used  by  the  institution  until  1861,  when  it 
was  sold  for  a  Baptist  church  and  a  new  building  was  erected. 

This  academy  continued  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  community  in 
the  matter  of  higher  education  until  within  the  past  ten  years  when  the 
people  began  to  feel  the  influence  of  a  better  organized  public  school 
system  in  the  state  that  included  the  furnishing  of  higher  instruction 
free  to  the  citizens.  Not  wishing  to  neglect  this  universal  improve- 
ment of  the  free,  public  school,  Lancaster  people  began  to  demand 
graded  schools  as  early  as  1865;  but  it  was  not  until  some  years 
later  that  they  could  be  organized.  In  1869,  the  twelfth  district  was 
added  to  the  first  and  a  Union  district  created,  and  a  suitable  build- 
ing erected.  From  that  date  to  the  present  the  village  district  has 
kept  pretty  well  up  with  the  advance  in  educational  development  in 
the  state. 

After  the  village  district  had  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  a  graded 
school  for  some  fifteen  years,  the  demand  for  a  free  high  school 
existed.  After  much  discussion  of  the  subject,  an  arrangement  was 
entered  into  between  the  district  and  the  trustees  of  the  Lancaster 
academy,  by  which  the  pupils  fitted  to  pursue  the  higher  studies 
were  taught  in  the  academy  at  the  expense  of  the  district.  This 
arrangement,  with  some  slight  modifications,  continued  in  exist- 
ence until  1897,  when  by  act  of  the  legislature.  Academy  and  Union 
District  were  combined,  under  the  title  "  Lancaster  Academy  and 
High  School."  The  town  is  now  quite  as  well  equipped  in  the  mat- 
ter of  schools  as   the  averasfe  New  Eneland    town   of   its   size  and 


GENERAL   INTEREST   IN   EDUCATION.  1 69 

wealth.  Under  the  present  township  system  the  eleven  schools  in 
the  town  district  are  well  managed,  have  good  houses,  and  are  amply- 
provided  with  text-books  and  other  appliances  free  to  every  child. 
These  schools  are  open  three  terms  of  ten  weeks  each,  making  a 
school  year  of  thirty  weeks'  school.  We  have  treated  of  these 
separately  in  Chapter  9,  Part  II,  and  the  reader  is  referred  to  that 
account,  where  each  school  has  been  given  the  attention  that  its  im- 
portance merits. 

In  the  matter  of  the  support  of  schools,  a  spirit  of  liberality  has 
always  prevailed  in  the  town,  though  much  indifference  has  existed 
at  times  in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  school  buildings,  more 
especially  in  the  Union  district.  The  buildings  and  equipment  of 
these  schools  have  for  many  years  been  unequal  to  the  demands 
made  upon  them  by  large  numbers  of  pupils  and  able  teachers. 
Public  opinion  favors  good  schools,  and  the  attendance  has  for  some 
years  been  very  good.  The  number  of  illiterates  in  town  is  very 
few,  and  those  of  school  age  who  are  not  able  to  read  and  write  are 
fewer  still.  The  large  foreign-born  element  of  our  population  enter 
into  the  hearty  support  and  use  of  the  schools.  There  are  no  chil- 
dren in  the  town  but  have  a  school  in  reasonable  distance  upon 
which  they  may  attend  the  length  of  time  required  by  law  each 
year. 

In  1846  there  was  a  great  awakening  of  public  opinion  and  inter- 
est in  the  matter  of  improving  the  public,  or  common,  schools  of  the 
entire  country.  This  movement  was  set  on  foot  by  Horace  Mann, 
who  was  secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  State  Board  of  Education 
from  1837  to  1848.  He  aroused  the  whole  nation  to  a  renewed 
sense  of  the  importance  of  the  free  common  schools.  Lancaster 
caught  the  spirit  of  this  movement,  and,  like  hundreds  of  other  com- 
munities throughout  the  country,  called  a  mass  convention  to  con- 
vene at  the  court-house  on  Nov.  1 1,  1846,  for  the  purpose  of  organ- 
izing the  people  in  order  to  more  effectively  improve  the  public 
schools.  I  find  in  the  Cods  Democrat,  of  Nov.  17,  1846,  the  fol- 
lowing report  of  that  convention,  and  give  it  here  just  as  it  appeared 
in  the  paper : 

COMMON    SCHOOL  MASS   CONVENTION. 

Said  Convention  met   agreeably  to  previous  notice   at  tlie  Academy  Hall,  in 

Lancaster  on  Wednesday  the   iith  day  of  November,  at  one  o'clock  P.  M.,  and 

was  organised  by  the  choice  of  the  following  officers. 

BARKER  BURBANK,  Esq.,  President. 

Rev.  David  Perry,     >  Vice 

Reuben  Stephenson,  \      Presidents. 

Rev.  H.  H.  Hartwell,    }  „       ,     . 
„  A    /-  f  Secretaries. 

George  A.  Cossitt,         ^ 


170  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Voted,  That  a  Committee  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  draft  resolutions  for  this 
convention. 

S.  A.  Lord,  Benjamin  F.  Whidden  and  Wm.  A.  White  were  appointed  said 
committee. 

Mr.  S.  A.  Lord  in  behalf  of  said  committee  presented  a  report  and  resolutions, 
and  on  motion,  it  was  voted  that  they  be  taken  up  separately. 

Voted,  That  a  committee  of  three  be  appointed  by  the  chair  to  nominate  a  cen- 
tral committee. 

Lord,  Hartwell  and  Cossitt  were  appointed  said  committee. 

Voted,  That  this  Convention  adjourn  to  meet  at  the  Court  House,  at  6 
o'clock,  P.  M. 

EVENING. 

Met  agreeable  to  adjournment. 

The  committee  appointed  to  nominate  a  Central  Committee  reported  as  fol- 
lows: — William  Burns,  William  A.  White,  George  A.  Cossitt,  which  report  was 
accepted. 

Voted,  That  Mr.  Wm  A.  White  be  invited  to  give  an  address  to  this  Convention. 

After  listening  to  the  spirited  address  of  Mr.  White,  the  following  resolutions 
were  separately  discussed  by  the  following  gentlemen,  in  a  manner  able,  spirited, 
and  worthy  the  importance  of  the  subject  before  the  convention : — Rev.  H.  H. 
Hartwell,  Cossitt,  Benton,  Lord,  Rev.  D.  Perry,  Whidden,  Rix,  &  Fletcher,  and 
were  adopted,  viz  : — 

1 .  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  imperious  duty  of  every  true  citizen  and  philanthro- 
pist, to  deeply  interest  himself  in  and  for  the  cause  and  advancement  of  Common 
Schools, 

2.  Resolved,  That  the  cause  of  Common  Schools  most  emphatically  calls  upon 
all  parents  and  guardians,  to  engage  with  great  earnestness  and  constancy  in  seek- 
ing to  promote  the  advantages,  and  increase  the  benefits,  which  should  result  to 
their  children  from  their  schools. 

3.  Resolved,  That  any  and  all  means,  designed  for  the  good  of  our  young  peo- 
ple in  this  way,  such  as  conventions  for  discussions.  Committees  for  examination, 
State  enactments,  &c.,  &r^c.,  ought  to  be  encouraged. 

4.  Resolved,  That  it  is  with  great  pleasure  we  witness  the  course  taken  at  the 
late  session  of  the  Legislature,  to  encourage  and  strengthen  our  system  of  Common 
Schools,  and  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  town  to  yield  a  hearty  response  to  the 
enactments  then  and  there  made  on  this  subject. 

5.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  town  to  take  measures  according  to 
law,  by  which  it  may  be  enabled  to  receive  its  proportion  of  the  Literary  Fund. 

6.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  all  the  separate  districts  of  this  county,  to 
take  immediate  and  vigorous  measures  by  which  the  schools  in  these  districts  may 
be  improved. 

7.  Resolved,  That  more  care  should  be  exercised  in  obtaining  suitable  and 

COMPETENT   TEACHERS. 

8.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  imperative  duty  of  all  parents  and  others,  to  co-operate 
with  their  Teachers  in  sustaining  an  efficient  and  thorough  system  of  instruction 
and  discipli7ie,  in  our  various  schools. 

9.  Resolved,  That  it  is  the  duty  of  every  town  to  appoint,  encourage  and  sus- 
tain a  Superintending  Committee  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  all  their  duties  as 
designated  by  law. 

10.  Resolved,  That  the  present  low  condition  of  the  Common  Schools  in  this 
county,  demands  of  every  citizen  immediate  action  ;  therefore  we  will  unite  in  the 
commendable  work  of  renovating  them,  and  not  cease  our  efforts  till  they  give  to 
our  children  a  thorough,  practical  education. 

1 1 .  Resolved,  That  we  will  never  abandon  this  reformation ;  we  pledge  to  it 


PRESENT   CONDITION    OF   EDUCATION.  I/I 

our  minds  and  hearts  in  an  unwavering  purpose  to  promote  the  interests  of  educa- 
tion, the  happiness  of  the  rising  generation  and  the  prosperity  and  welfare  of 
society.  In  view  of  a  work  so  important,  so  worthy  the  co-operation  of  all  good 
citizens,  we  now  invite  such,  without  distinction  of  party  or  sect  to  enter  our 
ranks  and  aid  us  by  their  counsel  and  wisdom. 

12.  Resolved,  That  all  Teachers  are  unworthy  our  confidence  and  esteem  who 
do  not  in  a  good  degree  govern  themselves — who  do  not  carry  out  the  spirit  of 
the  law,  which  requires  of  them  diligently  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the 
young,  the  principles  of  piety  and  justice;  a  sacred  regard  to  truth,  love  of  coun- 
try, humanity  and  benevolence ;  sobriety,  industry  and  frugality ;  chastity,  mod- 
eration and  temperance  ;  and  all  other  virtues  which  are  the  ornament  and  support 
of  human  society  ;  and  to  endeavor  to  lead  them  into  a  particular  understanding  of 
the  tendency  of  all  such  virtues  to  preserve  and  perfect  a  republican  form  of  gov- 
ernment, to  secure  the  blessings  of  liberty  and  to  promote  their  future  happiness, 
and  the  tendency  of  the  opposite  vices  to  degradation,  ruin  and  slavery  ! 

Voted,  That  the  proceedings  of  this  convention  be  published  in  the  Coos 
County  Democrat. 

Voted,  That  this  meeting  adjourn  to  the  2nd  day  of  DecV  next  at  the  Court 
House  in  Lancaster  at  one  o'clock,  P.  M.  at  which  time  Prof.  Haddock,  of  Dart- 
mouth College  is  expected  to  deliver  an  address  before  said  convention. 

BARKER  BURBANK,  President. 
H.  H.  Hartwell, 


Geo.  a.  Cossitt, 


Secretaries. 


This  convention  continued  to  meet  and  hear  able  addresses  upon 
the  subject  of  common  schools  for  some  years.  Sometimes  the 
speakers  were  educators  from  away,  but  quite  as  often  some  man  in 
town  would  address  the  convention  on  some  feature  of  the  common 
schools.  Much  good  resulted  from  those  discussions,  particularly 
in  the  matter  of  inducing  better  management  of  the  schools,  and  the 
selection  of  better  teachers. 

There  were  then  few  normal  schools  in  the  country ;  and  New 
Hampshire  did  not  establish  her  state  normal  school  until  1870. 
There  was,  however,  a  "Teacher's  Seminary"  conducted  at  Ply- 
mouth, N.  H.,  from  1837  to  1839,  by  Rev.  Samuel  Read  Hall. 
Aside  from  the  training  of  the  colleges  and  academies,  teachers  were 
not  regarded  as  a  peculiar  product  of  the  schools  of  a  higher  grade. 
It  was  supposed  that  anybody  able  "  to  read,  write,  and  cipher," 
and  keep  order  was  capable  of  teaching,  or  rather  as  they 
expressed  it  in  those  days,  "  keeping  school."  The  people  had 
found  out  that  teaching,  and  "  keeping"  school  were  not  synony- 
mous terms,  and  set  about  correcting  the  mistakes  they  had  fallen 
into.  The  personal  influence  of  the  teacher  was  not  overlooked,  as 
we  see  in  the  twelfth  resolution  of  the  convention's  report  above. 

These  popular  movements  were  productive  of  much  good  at  a 
time  when  the  states  were  not  exercising  the  same  effective  admin- 
istration of  the  public  school  system  that  they  are  now. 


1/2  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

CHAPTER    XIII. 
RELIGION  AND    CHURCHES. 

No  New  England  town  in  the  eighteenth  century  was  so  fully  a 
civil  body  politic  as  now.  Most  of  the  early  towns  were  founded  by 
the  church,  and  grew  up  about  it  as  a  sort  of  physical  nexus  that 
connected  the  church  as  a  spiritual  republic  with  the  world. 
Very  naturally  in  such  communities  the  church  was  older  than  the 
civil  organization  and  functions  of  the  community.  The  church  by 
its  prior  existence  largely  dominated  the  civil  functions  of  the 
towns. 

Although  this  condition  of  affairs  was  largely  changed,  and  break- 
ing down  at  the  time  Lancaster  was  founded,  and  the  civil  organiza- 
tion and  functions  of  the  state  were  coming  more  into  prominence 
and  freeing  themselves  from  ecclesiastical  control,  yet  religion  as  a 
social  force  exerted  a  great  influence  in  every  community.  Church 
and  state  were  still  connected  by  ties  that,  while  they  were  growing 
weaker  all  the  time,  still  held  them  together.'  In  different  commu- 
nities first  one  and  then  the  other  was  most  prominent  in  control- 
ling affairs. 

The  first  towns  founded  in  New  Hampshire,  Dover,  Exeter,  Hamp- 
ton, and  Portsmouth,  were  religious  republics.  Exeter,  the  asylum 
of  the  persecuted  Antinomians,  under  the  leadership  of  the  pious 
Wheelwright  and  his  sister,  Anne  Hutchinson,  laid  the  foundation  of 
that  form  of  government  that  has  prevailed,  with  but  slight  changes 
in  New  Hampshire,  for  more  than  two  hundred  years.  In  these  first 
towns  the  church  was  considered  the  most  important  institution  ;  but 
the  civil  functions  of  the  town  were  never  dominated  by  ecclesiastical 
interference  as  in  most  of  the  older  Massachusetts  towns.  By  a 
sort  of  good  fortune,  Lancaster  was  largely  controlled  in  its  settle- 
ment and  for  some  years  afterward  by  men  who  had  been  either 
bred  in  those  lower  towns,  or  had  been  much  about  them.  The 
portion  of  its  settlers  who  came  from  Massachusetts  had  come  under 
an  influence  that,  at  that  time,  was  considerable  in  the  northern  and 
western  part  of  that  state.  They  were  religious  men,  or  at  least 
men  who  regarded  religion  as  of  first  importance  to  a  community. 
They  were  the  offspring  of  Puritans  who,  being  bred  under  more 
favorable  conditions  than  their  fathers,  had  learned  to  be  tolerant. 
Their  religious  character  had  been  softened  through  the  absence  of 
intolerance.  All  the  hard  views  and  practices  that  prevailed  two 
generations  before,  they  had  outgrown.  New  political  and  religious 
questions  had  come  to  the  front  in  their  day,  and  they  had,  or  at  least 
the  leaders  among  them  had,  come  to  be  liberals  in  both  politics  and 
religion.  They  were  loyal  as  long  as  the  king  and  his  government 
did  not  trample  upon  their  rights  to  live  for  the  comfort  and  happi- 


RELIGION    AND    CHURCHES.  1 73 

ness  that  they  regarded  as  the  reward  of  honest  toil ;  they  were 
loyal  to  the  church  so  long  as  it  did  not  ask  them  to  violate  their 
conscience  to  support  its  dead  doctrines  and  practice  perfunctory 
morals  out  of  keeping  with  the  wants  of  their  lives.  It  may  be 
doubted  if  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam  and  David  Page 
knew  much  of  what  constituted  orthodoxy  of  belief,  or  if  knowing 
they  cared  anything  for  it.  They  were  yet  men  who  had  a  pro- 
found respect  for  religion  and  morality,  and  none  did  more,  or  more 
willingly,  than  they  did  to  build  a  church  and  support  it  These  were 
thoughtful  men,  who  did  not  take  their  opinions  from  other  minds, 
ready-made  precepts  that  must  be  obeyed  in  an  unquestioning  ser- 
vility of  disposition.  They  were  not  scholars,  but  men  of  practical 
common  sense,  who  knew  what  constituted  right  between  man  and 
man,  and  trusted  what  we  of  to-day  have  come  to  call  "  the  larger 
hope," — that  honest  men  stand  the  best  chances  in  the  courts  of 
heaven. 

While  we  can  see  the  moulding  influence  of  Massachusetts  in  the 
political  and  civil  development  of  the  town,  we  see  no  vestige  of  her 
religious  exclusiveness  manifested  by  the  pioneers  of  Lancaster. 
Congregationalism  had  secured  the  support  of  the  province,  and 
in  every  town  of  any  importance  in  the  province  the  church  of 
the  Orthodox  Congregational  body  had  the  town's  support  by  taxa- 
tion. The  civil  authorities  laid  a  tax  for  its  support,  and  the  peo- 
ple in  their  civil  corporate  capacity  as  a  town  had  the  right  con- 
jointly with  the  church  to  call  a  minister.  The  church  and  town 
stood  so  nearly  on  a  level  of  authority  that  the  church  had  but  one 
point  of  advantage  over  the  town — the  right  to  call  on  the  town  for 
the  support  of  its  minister.  Neither  one,  however,  could  act  in  the 
matter  without  the  concurrence  of  the  other.  The  laws  sustained  this 
relation  between  the  religious  and  civil  bodies  with  as  much  appar- 
ent sincerity  as  they  provided  for  the  regulation  of  other  matters 
considered  wholly  secular.  In  fact,  the  terms  seculai'  and  sacred 
did  not  stand  in  antithesis  to  their  thought,  as  they  have  come  of 
late  years  to  ours.  With  them  things  were  either  sacred  or  profane. 
Secularism  is  a  term  that  came  into  use  after  the  separation  of 
church  and  state  took  place. 

In  the  matter  of  these  old  laws  the  interior  and  northern  towns 
had  no  part.  The  older  towns  on  the  sea-board  had  secured  their 
enactment;  but  at  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking  even  they  had 
come  to  regard  their  religious  statutes  as  a  sort  of  Trojan  Horse 
they  had  mistakenly  drawn  into  their  camp  to  repent  of  in  sackcloth 
and  ashes  at  a  later  date,  for  New  Hampshire  was  slow  and  long  in 
removing  certain  barriers  it  had  erected  against  religious  toleration. 
The  last  of  these  were  removed  in  1819. 

The  law  to  which  we  refer  is  this,  passed  in  the  provincial  assem- 


174  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

bly  in  1 714.  It  was  enacted  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  support 
of  the  ministry  and  the  pubHc  schools.  Section  i,  relating  to  the 
support  of  the  ministers,  was  as  follows : 

"It  shall  be  lawful  for  the  Freeholders  of  every  respective  Town  within  this 
Province  convened  in  public  Town  Meeting,  as  often  as  they  shall  have  occasion, 
to  make  choice  of,  and  by  themselves  or  any  other  person  by  them  appointed,  to 
agree  with  a  minister  or  ministers  for  the  supply  of  said  Town  and  what  annual 
salary  shall  be  allowed  him  or  them :  and  the  said  minister  or  ministers  so  made 
choice  of  shall  be  accounted  the  settled  minister  or  ministers  of  such  town ;  and 
the  selectmen  for  the  time  being  shall  make  rates  and  assessments  upon  the  in- 
habitants of  the  Town  for  payment  of  the  minister's  salary,  in  such  manner  and 
form  as  they  do  for  defraying  the  other  town  charges.  .  .  .  Provided  always 
that  this  act  do  not  interfered  with  her  Magesty's  Grace  (Queen  Anne)  and  favor 
in  allowing  her  Subjects  Liberty  of  conscience ;  nor  shall  any  person  under  pre- 
text of  being  of  a  different  persuasion,  be  excused  from  paying  towards  the  sup- 
port of  the  settled  minister  or  ministers  of  such  town ;  but  only  such  shall  be 
excused  as  conscientiously  and  constantly  attend  the  Public  Worship  of  God  on 
the  Lord's  Day  according  to  their  own  Persuasion." 

This  law  was  liberal  for  the  times.  It  contains  no  intention  of 
being  used  for  the  support  of  a  bigoted  institution,  or  for  persecu- 
tion. It  aimed  at  the  encouragement  of  religious  life  under  some 
form.  There  was  freedom  for  those  who  held  views  different  from 
those  of  the  orthodox  church,  but  it  must  be  used  in  the  building 
up  of  an  actual  church. 

This  law  had  become,  at  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century,  a 
mere  check  against  irreligiousness  and  immorality.  It  had  ceased 
to  be  applied  aggressively,  though  it  remained  in  force  until  after 
the  province  had  become  one  of  the  states  of  the  Federal  Union. 
It  was  repealed  in  1791. 

When  Lancaster  was  settled,  the  older  towns  had  discovered  that 
they  had  made  a  mistake  in  securing  such  rigorous  laws  in  relation 
to  matters  of  religion  and  the  church.  These  hardy,  practical  men 
were  not  going  to  act  unwisely  in  the  matter.  They  had  reserved 
an  equal  share  of  town  lands  for  the  first  settled  minister,  and  set  apart 
a  lot  for  a  meeting-house  The  way  was  open  for  the  settlement  of 
a  minister ;  from  the  first  had  they  chosen  to  take  advantage  of  the 
provisions  of  the  laws  regulating  the  matter;  but  as  the  people 
were  the  town,  the  tax  for  the  support  of  the  church  would  have 
fallen  on  the  people  had  they  as  a  town  voted  to  settle  a  minister 
earlier  than  they  felt  able  to  contribute  to  that  purpose.  It  was  just 
as  lawful  to  vote  a  sum  of  money  to  settle  a  minister  as  one  for  build- 
ing roads.  A  majority  voting  for  such  appropriations  to  the  church 
secured  its  collection  and  use  for  that  specified  purpose.  No  pro- 
test that  did  not  change  the  minds  of  the  majority  was  of  any  avail  in 
such  matters.  It  mattered  not  whether  a  respectable  minority  were 
of  another  religious  belief  than  that  of  the  Orthodox  Congregational 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  I  75 

church,  they  had  to  pay  the  tax  so  long  as  it  was  decreed  by  a  ma- 
jority vote. 

While  the  laws  practically  established  and  protected  this  one  par- 
ticular church,  they  made  no  provisions  for  the  punishment  of  what 
the  church  might  consider  heresy.  Such  disregard  of  its  orthodoxy 
it  had  to  deal  with  without  state  interference.  The  laws  as  they 
stood  at  that  time,  secured  both  the  church  and  the  individual  citi- 
zen from  any  injury  without  respect  to  motives  protecting  or  assail- 
ing an  opinion.  The  law  took  cognizance  only  of  acts  affecting  the 
welfare  of  either.  For  this  reason  New  Hampshire  has  not  to  an- 
swer in  the  court  of  public  opinion  any  charges  of  persecution  for 
conscience's  sake.  The  first  settlers  of  Lancaster  seem  to  have  aimed 
to  avoid  any  conflicts  over  the  matter  of  religion  and  church. 

The  body  of  Congregational  clergymen  of  that  day  were  educated 
men.  Most  of  them  were  college  bred.  Many  of  them  were  grad- 
uates of  Harvard  college.  They,  and  the  people,  too,  recognized 
the  fact  that  they  belonged  to  a  learned  class  to  whom  everybody 
might  look  for  enlightenment  and  trustworthy  moral  guidance  in  the 
social  relations. 

Lancaster  was  most  fortunate  in  her  pioneers.  They  came  here 
free  from  all  narrow  and  bigoted  policies.  They  were  tolerant  and 
charitable  men  and  women ;  and  when  they  formed  a  church  under 
the  name  of  the  regular  order,  it  was  wisely  framed  to  keep  out 
bigotry  and  intolerance,  and  had  it  not  been  for  coming  of  less  lib- 
eral men,  at  a  later  time,  in  such  numbers  as  to  outnumber  the 
original  representatives  of  that  church,  it  would  have  probably  re- 
mained the  one  church  of  the  town  for  many  years  longer  than  it 
did. 

The  people  of  this  Upper  Coos  country  had  learned  to  cherish 
political  liberty,  and  that  and  religious  bigotry  could  not  get  on 
together. 

The  amended  law  of  1 791,  while  it  still  continued  the  public  sup- 
port to  the  churches  of  the  established  order,  left  a  way  for  those 
who  did  not  wish  to  support  it  to  get  released  from  the  obligation 
by  giving  notice  that  they  were  of  some  other  sect;  and  in  18 19  the 
Toleration  Act  put  all  churches  on  an  even  footing,  except  that  con- 
tracts existing  between  any  church  and  the  town  could  not  be  broken 
without  the  consent  of  the  interested  party — the  church. 

As  nearly  as  can  now  be  learned  there  was  no  preaching  in  Lan- 
caster until  the  summer  of  1787.  At  the  annual  town-meeting  of 
1786,  it  was  "voted  to  assess  thirty-two  dollars  to  hire  preaching 
the  ensuing  summer."  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder,  Emmons  Stockwell,  and 
Edwards  Bucknam  were  chosen  a  committee  to  engage  the  services 
of  a  minister.  It  does  not  appear  that  the  committee  succeeded  in 
finding  a  minister  that  year;   and  at  the  annual  meeting,  March  27, 


176  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

1788,  it  was  voted  to  raise  the  nine  pounds  and  twelve  shillings 
appropriated  for  preaching  last  year  and  "  hire  Preaching  this  year." 
That  year  Rev.  Lathrop  Tomson  preached  six  Sundays  for  five 
bushels  of  wheat  per  day.  In  1788,  fifty  bushels  of  wheat  were 
voted  raised  for  preaching,  with  Col.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Buck- 
nam,  Esq.,  and  Dr.  Francis  Wilson  a  committee  to  engage  a  minis- 
ter's services.  The  committee  were  instructed  to  "  hire  preaching  " 
about  eight  Sundays.  That  ministerial  service  was  regarded  as  well 
paid,  is  seen  from  the  fact  that  when  the  minister  got  five  bushels  of 
wheat  a  day  for  preaching,  the  highway  surveyor  only  got  one 
bushel  a  day  for  his  services  with  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

The  early  religious  services  were  generally  held  in  the  large  house 
of  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder  (the  Holton  place).  The  terms  of  engage- 
ment of  a  minister  were  short  those  times,  and  at  irregular  intervals. 
There  was  no  public  action  taken  on  the  matter  the  following  year; 
but  in  1790  sixty  bushels  of  wheat  were  appropriated  for  preaching, 
and  to  defray  town  debts.  At  a  special  meeting,  April  13,  1790,  it 
was  voted, 

"  That  the  town  will  well  and  truly  pay  to  the  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell,  three  hun- 
dred bushels  of  good  wheat,  annually,  on  the  following  conditions:  That  he,  the 
said  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell,  shall  settle  in  this  town  of  Lancaster,  in  the  work  of  the 
Gospel  ministry,  and  that  he  preach  a  certain  portion  of  the  time  in  the  towns  of 
Northumberland  and  Guildhall,  as  the  towns  may  agree,  saving  to  the  right  of 
the  said  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell  three  weeks  annually  for  the  use  of  visiting  his  friends 
and  relations,  if  he  see  occasion,  and  that  the  Town  will  unite  with  the  first  Church 
that  may  be  hereafter  formed  in  the  Town  of  Lancaster  on  the  conditions  in  this 
vote  mentioned." 

To  this  vote  Joseph  Brackett,  William  P.  Hodgdon,  and  Walter 
Philbrook  entered  their  dissent.  We  do  not  know  why  this  vote 
was  not  carried  out,  unless  the  dissent  of  three  prominent  men  was 
evidence  that  the  gentleman  was  not  capable  of  satisfying  the  relig- 
ious thought  of  the  community. 

At  a  special  meeting,  April  12,  1791,  Col.  Jonas  Wilder, 
Elisha  Wilder,  and  Stephen  Wilson  were  chosen  a  committee 
to  "  hire  preaching."  The  committee  was  instructed,  October  11,  to 
"  apply  to  Mr.  Thursting  (Thurston?)  whom  is  preaching  with  us, 
to  preach  with  us  another  term  as  soon  as  may  be  after  his  engage- 
ments are  out  other  where ;  to  preach  with  us  on  probation  as  we 
have  a  view  of  settling  the  Gospel  with  us."  At  this  same  meeting 
it  was  voted  to  proceed  to  build  a  meeting-house,  and  a  committee 
of  seven  men  was  chosen  to  look  into  the  matter,  and  report  a  place 
for  it.  The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  November  8,  1791,  when  the 
committee  made  a  report  recommending  the  plain  on  the  south  side 
of  Isreals  river  as  the  most  suitable  place  for  such  a  building.  The 
committee  consisted  of  Col.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Col.  Jonas  Wilder, 
Capt.    John    Weeks,    Lieut.     Emmons    Stockwell,     Lieut.    Joseph 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  1 77 

Brackett,  Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  and  Capt.  David  Page.  The  com- 
mittee was  continued,  and  instructed  to  lay  out  six  acres  as  a  meet- 
ing-house lot  on  the  plain  as  recommended,  and  inspect  its  clearing. 
The  meeting  was  adjourned  to  December  13,  1791,  at  which  time  it 
was  "  voted  that  John  Rosebrook,  Jonathan  Cram,  and  Doct.  Zadoc 
Sampson  be  admitted  as  voting  in  all  matters  respecting  building  a 
meeting-house."  The  meeting  then  adjourned  to  December  22, 
1 79 1,  when  it  was  "voted  to  accept  the  plan  of  the  meeting-house 
with  this  alteration,  the  length  of  the  posts  to  be  26  ft.,  and  the  jet 
26  inches."  Lieut.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Capt.  John  Weeks,  Mr. 
Jonas  Wilder,  Lieut.  Jeremiah  Wilcox,  and  Jonas  Baker  were  chosen 
a  committee  to  build  the  meeting-house.  They  were  instructed  by 
the  following  vote  that  passed  unanimously : 

"That  the  pews  be  sold  at  pubHc  vendue.  That  each  person  give  his  note  to 
the  committee,  who  shall  be  authorized  to  receive  the  pay  and  appropriate  the 
same.  That  each  person  be  subjected  to  the  following  method  of  payment.  That 
the  whole  sum  be  divided  into  four  parts,  to  be  paid  the  four  next  succeeding 
years.  That  each  person  pay  six  shillings  and  eight  pence  on  the  pound  the  first 
year,  one  half  in  June,  the  other  in  November,  the  rest  to  be  divided  into  three 
equal  parts  and  paid  in  November  of  each  year.  That  four  shillings  on  the 
the  pound  be  paid  in  cash,  or  salts  of  lye,  and  the  rest  in  wheat  at  four  shillings 
per  bushel,  or  beef  at  seventeen  shillings  and  six  pence  per  hundred  weight,  with 
this  restriction,  that  the  committee  shall  receive  each  man's  equal  proportion  of 
timber,  boards,  clapboards,  shingles,  etc.,  if  good  and  merchantable,  and  deliv- 
ered when  the  committee  shall  call  for  them.  That  each  person  who  buys  a  pew, 
shall  procure  sufficient  bonds  for  payment,  and  his  obligation  to  be  lodged  in  the 
hands  of  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  which  shall  be  taken  up  or  endorsed  by 
a  receipt  from  the  committee." — Town  Records. 

The  committee  proceeded  with  their  task ;  but  it  was  no  ordinary 
undertaking  for  a  small  community  to  build  so  large  a  structure.  It 
required  over  three  years  to  complete  the  building.  We  have  no 
records  of  the  conversion  of  the  salts  of  lye,  beef,  and  wheat  into 
money ;  but  we  know  that  those  articles  were  a  common  substitute 
for  money.  The  people  wisely  gave  themselves  three  years  in 
which  to  pay  their  indebtedness  to  the  committee.  The  building, 
which  we  have  described  elsewhere,  was  sufificiently  completed  to 
hold  a  town-meeting  in  it  March  ii,  1794. 

While  the  building  of  the  meeting-house  progressed  the  town 
continued  to  vote  appropriations  of  money  and  wheat  to  pay  for 
preaching.  In  1792  fifty  bushels  of  wheat  were  voted  for  preaching 
and  the  next  year  nine  pounds  were  voted  to  pay  for  preaching  and 
town  debts.  In  1793  the  sum  of  nine  pounds  was  voted  to  fell 
trees  on  the  minister's  lot.  There  was  a  purpose  to  get  ready  for 
a  minister;  and  as  he  would  have  to  help  himself  to  some  extent  it 
was  a  matter  of  prudence  to  begin  a  clearing  on  his  lands  so  as  to 
have  them  ready  for  a  crop  to  piece  out  his  living. 

At  a  meeting  held  April  28,  1794,  it  was  voted  "  to  raise  Nine 


178  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Pounds  '  solly '  for  preaching  the  present  season."  On  July  28  of 
that  year  a  special  meeting  was  held,  at  which  it  was  voted  to  settle 
the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  and  a  committee  of  nine  men  was  ap- 
pointed to  draw  up  proposals  for  the  settlement  and  salary  of  Mr. 
Willard.  The  committee  consisted  of  "  Col.  Edwards  Bucknam, 
Col.  Wilder,  Capt.  Stockwell,  Capt.  Weeks,  Lieut.  Brackett,  Lieut. 
Rosebrook,  Elisha  Wilder,  Capt.  David  Page,  &  Jonas  Baker."  It 
was  further 

"Voted  to  clear  the  fell  trees  on  the  minister's  right  and  fit  for  the  harrow  by 
the  1st.  of  Oct.  in  the  year  1795,  and  give  20  pounds  in  lumber  towards  building 
on  demand,  and  including  rights  given  by  charter  to  the  first  settled  minister,  to 
be  given  to  Mr.  Willard  if  he  settles  with  us  in  the  ministry." 

"  Voted:  To  give  Rev.  Joseph  Willard  fifty  pounds  a  year  for  the  next  three 
succeeding  years  after  settlement  then  to  rise  in  proportion  to  the  valuation  as  it 
now  stands  to  the  sum  of  eighty  pounds  to  be  paid  annually  during  his  ministry 
one  third  in  cash,  the  other  two  thirds  in  produce  on  condition  that  we  can  get 
such  help  from  the  neighboring  towns  as  is  now  expected." 

A  committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the  other  towns  in  re- 
gard to  having  Mr.  Willard  preach  for  them  a  portion  of  the  time  at 
proportional  rates  on  the  salary  the  town  had  •  agreed  to  pay  him. 
That  committee  consisted  of  Colonels  Bucknam  and  Wilder,  and 
Captain  Stockwell.  They  were  unable  to  effect  satisfactory  arrange- 
ments with  the  other  towns,  and  at  an  adjourned  meeting,  August 
7,  1794,  the  town  voted  to  complete  its  proposed  contract  with  Rev. 
Mr.  Willard  and  not  make  any  arrangements  with  other  towns.  It 
was  further  agreed  to  pay  the  proportion  of  his  salary  in  produce  at 
the  "  cash  price,"  and  the  selectmen  were  authorized  to  agree  with 
Mr.  Willard  as  to  the  price  on  the  first  day  of  March  each  year. 

A  committee,  consisting  of  Colonel  Wilder,  Lieutenants  Cram 
and  Rosebrook,  was  appointed  to  arrange  for  a  "  theological  coun- 
cil to  attend  to  the  installation  if  it  thinks  it  needed."  Further  it  was 
voted  to  concur  with  the  church  in  giving  Mr.  Willard  a  call. 

Rev.  Joseph  Willard  had  been  preaching  here  meanwhile ;  and 
while  these  negotiations  were  pending,  he  had  organized  the  First 
Congregational  Church.  A  statement  of  belief  and  covenant  had 
been  drawn  up  and  signed  by  some  twenty-four  persons,  fourteen  of 
whom  were  women,  on  July  17,  1794.  The  church,  being  intended 
to  accommodate  the  religious  wants  of  the  town,  its  covenant  was 
sufificiently  indefinite  to  cover  a  variety  of  shades  of  Christian  belief 
and  practice.  Mr.  Willard  being  a  graduate  of  Harvard  college 
shared  the  spirit  of  liberality  that  had  begun  to  characterize  that  seat 
of  learning.  From  the  fact  that  he  never  preached  upon  the  con- 
troverted points  of  theology  then  attracting  increasing  attention 
throughout  New  England,  justifies  the  conclusion  that  he  was  much 
more  liberal  than  the  majority  of  Congregational  ministers  of  his  day. 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  I  79 

He  was  practical  and  charitable  in  all  his  relations  to  the  church. 
For  many  years  his  salary  was  paid  by  the  selectmen,  who  took  his 
receipt  for  the  same.  The  people  cheerfully  voted  considerable  sums 
to  assist  in  clearing  his  lands  and  building  his  house.  His  lands  were 
meadow  and  house  lots  32,  and  lot  6,  range  15,  and  lot  i,  range  25, 
adjoining  his  other  lots.  This  comprised  a  valuable  lot  of  land  of 
one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  in  a  compact  body.  He  developed 
a  good  farm,  and  secured  from  it  a  good  share  of  his  living. 

For  a  period  of  twenty-eight  years  good  old  Parson  Willard,  as 
he  was  familiarly  called  by  those  who  knew  him  best,  served  his 
church  to  their  entire  satisfaction,  and  was  loved  and  honored  by 
his  old  neighbors  and  parishioners  ;  but  there  came  a  time  when  a 
younger  generation  of  people  and  others  coming  into  town  from 
other  localities  where  theological  controversy  had  been  rife,  became 
suspicious  that  their  minister  was  not  "  sound  in  the  faith."  They 
missed  the  allusion  to  the  hard  theological  dogmas  that  were  com- 
mon in  other  places.  It  began  to  be  whispered  about  the  town  that 
Mr.  Willard  "  was  not  sound  in  the  faith." 

The  town  had  now  begun  to  be  affected  by  the  sectarian  strife 
and  rivalry  that  was  rife  throughout  New  England.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Willard  had  no  desire  to  be  connected  with  it.  He  deplored  the 
whole  thing,  and  aimed  to  pursue  a  pacific,  independent  course ; 
but  that  did  not  satisfy  the  disaffected  ones.  They  clamored  for 
what  they  called  "strong  doctrines."  Mr.  Willard  proposed  to  the 
church  that  his  relation  as  a  pastor  be  dissolved ;  but  those  who 
had  known  him  so  long  as  a  true  minister  of  religion  would  not 
hear  to  it.  Things  went  along  for  a  few  more  years,  when  it  became 
apparent  to  Mr.  Willard  that  the  opposition  to  him  was  too  formid- 
able to  be  met  by  pacific  tactics,  and  he  resigned.  After  laying 
the  situation  before  his  church,  they  this  time  saw  fit  to  accept  his 
resignation,  the  story  of  which  is  given  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Tilton  in  his 
sketch  of  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church,  in  Part  II,  Chapter  10. 

When  Lancaster  received  an  inflation  of  her  population,  about 
1800,  there  came  to  her  many  shades  of  belief  that  did  not  readily 
yield  to  the  prevailing  religious  thought  and  practices  of  the  town. 
Among  these  new-comers  were  people  whose  training  had  been 
in  other  evangelical  sects.  In  1800,  John  Langdon  and  Rosebrook 
Crawford,  two  Methodist  ministers,  appeared  in  Lancaster,  introduc- 
ing new  methods  of  religious  propagandism.  The  refined,  quiet, 
dignified  and  rational  methods  of  Rev.  Mr.  Willard  were  opposed 
by  their  very  opposites.  These  men  were  loud  enthusiasts,  making 
use  of  sensational  means  to  uproot  and  supplant  the  moderate 
"  standing  order,"  as  manifested  in  the  First  Congregational  church 
of  Lancaster.  While  the  friends  of  the  First  Church,  as  it  was  com- 
monly called,  were  shocked  at  this  new  order  of  teachers,  they  were 


l80  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

a  minority  of  the  population,  and  the  sympathies  of  the  new-comers 
were  largely  with  the  new  preachers.  The  community  was  deeply 
agitated  over  the  matter  of  competition,  and  even  came  to  open 
conflict  with  the  new  order  of  religious  teachers.  The  hot-headed 
and  less  reasonable  element  of  the  conservative  followers  of  Mr. 
Willard  took  Rosebrook  Crawford  to  the  river  and  ducked  him  and 
offered  him  some  other  insults,  chiefly  by  connecting  his  name  with 
certain  scandals,  which,  to  an  impartial  mind,  seem  to  have  had 
some  color  of  truth  in  them.  Langdon  escaped  violence  as  his 
record  seemed  clean ;  and  aside  from  that  he  was  a  man  of  consid- 
erable ability  and  character,  and  did  much  to  plant  his  church  in 
these  northern  towns.  They  held  their  services  about  town  in  pri- 
vate residences  and  schoolhouses,  and  made  many  converts.  The 
home  of  Dennis  Stanley,  where  Capt.  Alexander  M.  Beattie  now 
lives,  was  one  of  their  favorite  preaching  places  for  many  years. 
Exhorters  and  preachers  of  that  sect  were  common  here  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  having  made  some  converts  to  their  creed,  the 
church  after  a  time  adopted  a  wiser  policy.  They  sent  a  more  in- 
telligent, and  in  fact  an  educated,  class  of  ministers  here,  with  the 
result  of  establishing  a  strong  church  that  has  kept  the  lead  among 
the  evangelical  sects  of  the  town  ever  since  its  establishment.  When 
the  old  First  church  became  so  weak  from  desertions  from  its  ranks 
and  splits  within  it  that  it  could  not  support  services  in  the  old 
meeting-house,  the  Methodist  preachers  made  use  of  that  building 
as  their  meeting-place  for  a  time. 

It  was  not  long  after  the  coming  of  the  Methodists  to  Lancaster 
that  the  Baptists  made  a  like  invasion  of  Jefferson,  and  at  once 
began  to  overrun  the  adjoining  towns  in  manner  as  the  former 
did  in  this  town.  A  Baptist  church  was  early  formed  in  Jefferson, 
and  other  places  were  occupied  by  them  as  preaching  points. 
Between  the  Methodists  and  Baptists  no  special  rivalry  existed,  but 
both  trained  their  weapons  of  aggressive  conflict  against  the  Con- 
gregationalist  church.  They  made  many  proselytes  from  that  old 
church.  For  some  years  desertions  from  Rev.  Joseph  Willard's 
church  were  common ;  and  some  who  wished  to  get  rid  of  the 
church  tax  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  to  nominally  connect 
their  religious  contributions  to  some  other  church.  Such  persons 
could  evade  the  support  of  Mr.  Willard  by  giving  notice  to  the  town 
clerk  that  they  belonged  to  another  church.  In  1802,  this  notice 
was  served  on  the  town  clerk : 

"  Gentlemen,  Selectmen  of  Lancaster. 

"  This  may  certify  that  the  within  named  persons  have  given  their  names 
to  the  Baptist  society  in  Jefferson  and  belong  to  the  same,  to  wit :  Saml.  LeGro, 
Saml.  Springer,  Jr.,  Caleb  Page. 

"  Saml.  Plaisted,  Presiding  Elder  in  behalf  of  this  society. 
"Jefferson  February  17,  1802." 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  151 

Another  notice  to  the  same  effect  had  been  given  by  a  preacher 
of  the  Methodist  society. 

"  This  may  certify  to  all  whom  it  may  concern  that  Benjamin  Bishop 
attends  our  ministry  and  supports  the  same,  Being  a  member  of  our  Society. 

"  Signed   by  Nathan  Felch  Jr.,  a  licensed   Preacher    of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  America." 
"  Lancaster  Jan.  i,  1802." 

There  are  many  such  notices  spread  upon  the  pages  of  the  town 
records.  Some  of  the  foremost  men  and  women  of  the  town  went 
over  to  the  new  sects,  leaving  the  old  church  to  fall  into  decrepitude, 
and  its  once  loved  old  edifice  into  decay.  Emmons  Stockwell,  in 
1803,  gave  notice  that  he  had  cast  his  lot  with  the  Baptists;  and  in 
the  same  year  John  Mclntire  did  likewise.  Joel  Page  went  over  to 
the  Methodists,  asserting  in  his  notice  that  he  was  "  most  consci- 
entious in  it." 

In  181 7  Eliezer  S.  Phelps  gives  notice  that  one  Frederick  M. 
Stone  has  signified  a  "  willingness  to  support  the  gospel,  and  has 
attended  my  meeting  and  wishes  to  be  free  from  supporting  and 
paying  Joseph  Willard."  Mr.  Phelps  signs  himself  as  agent  of  the 
Methodist  society.  This  led  some  others,  among  whom  I  find  the 
names  of  Sylvanus  Chessman  and  Levi  Stebbins,  to  give  notice  that 
they  would  no  longer  pay  minister's  tax  as  they  had  not  considered 
themselves  as  members  of  the  First  church.  It  does  not  appear 
that  this  class  claimed  any  connection  with  other  churches.  They 
simply  wanted  to  quit  paying  the  tax  to  support  any  church,  other 
than  as  they  might  see  fit  to  do.  This  refusal  seems  to  have  been 
heeded  by  the  selectmen  and  assessors,  as  there  is  no  evidence  that 
they  were  taxed  after  the  notice  was  given.  Events  like  this  show 
us  how  feeble  the  law  and  public  sentiment  were  on  the  question  of 
forcing  one  to  pay  for  the  support  of  a  church  after  he  no  longer 
wished  to  do  so. 

A  period  had  been  entered  upon  in  which  the  old  First  church 
lost  its  prestige  and  influence  as  "  the  church  "  of  the  town.  It  was 
now  being  rivalled  by  two  distinct  movements  that,  as  yet,  had  not 
shown  any  haste  to  organize  churches.  It  was  the  aim  of  the 
Methodist  and  Baptist  leaders  to  convert  the  people  away  from  the 
old  church.  The  time  was  not  then  come  for  them  to  organize. 
The  Methodists  preached  here  until  1831  before  they  formally 
organized  a  church,  and  until  1834  before  building  a  meeting- 
house. 

In  the  winter  of  18 16  and  181 7,  a  woman  from  Whitefield,  called 
"  Mother  Hutchins,"  the  grandmother  of  the  well  known  Stilson 
Hutchins  of  Washington,  D.  C,  held  religious  services  in  differ- 
ent places  in  Lancaster,  more  frequently  at  the  "  Gotham  "  school- 


1 82  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

house,  in  what  used  to  be  old  District  No.  5.  She  frequently 
preached  at  the  house  of  John  Weeks  Brackett  which  stood  near 
the  red  schoolhouse  in  old  District  No.  8. 

Mr.  Brackett  became  deeply  interested  in  the  movement,  and 
while  it  was  a  source  of  comfort  and  spiritual  strength  to  him  yet  it 
proved  disastrous  to  him  financially,  for  these  religious  enthusiasts, 
for  such  they  were,  coming  from  miles  around,  lodged  themselves 
and  teams  upon  him  until  they  actually  ate  him  out  of  house  and 
home.  Before  that  time  he  had  been  a  fairly  prosperous  farmer ; 
but  from  the  neglect  of  his  business  and  the  mistaken  charity  of 
feeding  the  multitudes  that  thronged  his  house  he  lost  everything  he 
had,  and  was  forced  to  leave  the  country  to  seek  opportunity  to 
make  a  new  start  in  life.  Those  people  were  so  thoughtlessly, 
selfishly  happy  over  the  thought  that  they  were  getting  their  souls 
saved,  that  it  never  occurred  to  them  that  they  were  crowding  their 
neighbor  Brackett  into  bankruptcy  and  an  early  and  untimely  grave  ; 
but  such  proved  to  be  the  case. 

"  Mother  "  Hutchins  was  a  woman  of  very  remarkable  ability,  and 
full  of  tact  and  zeal  in  making  converts,  and  her  influence  was  not 
without  value,  as  is  often  the  case  with  zealots.  Her  influence  was 
moral,  and  ministered  unto  the  intellectual  life  of  the  people  who 
came  under  it.  She  was  a  tall,  strong  woman,  not  particularly 
masculine  in  appearance  and  manner,  at  that  time  over  fifty  years  of 
age,  kindly  and  motherly  in  spirit. 

Her  meetings  were  largely  attended  by  people  from  adjoining 
towns ;  and  when  the  enthusiasm  reached  its  height  in  the  winter 
of  18 1 8-18 19,  it  was  a  common  thing  to  see  many  women  and  girls 
lose  their  strength  and  fall  upon  the  fioor,  and  behave,  at  times,  in 
a  most  shocking  manner. 

The  staid  adherents  of  the  old  First  church  were  shocked  in  the  most 
extreme  measure  to  behold  this  wild  enthusiasm.  They  must  have 
thought  the  people  possessed  by  demons,  or  gone  mad.  Their 
religious  emotions  had  been  worked  upon  so  much  that  it  produced 
a  form  of  hysteria  of  the  nervous  system,  that  caused  them  to  com- 
pletely lose  their  energies  under  a  return  of  the  same  emotional 
excitement,  as  we  have  come  to  understand  the  disease  in  later  times. 
Then  it  was  regarded  by  those  coming  under  its  influence  as,  if  not 
miraculous,  at  least  bordering  upon  the  miraculous.  Some  whole 
families  would  be  overcome  in  their  homes  during  their  religious 
devotions;  and  at  public  meetings  it  was  "  the  proper  thing"  to  do 
to  get  under  the   "  influence." 

In  keeping  with  this  wild  enthusiasm  was  the  mistake  of  encour- 
aging many  ignorant  laymen  in  taking  part  in  conducting  their 
meetings.  Noise  and  the  relation  of  their  personal  experiences, 
real  and  imaginary,  was  taken  as   evidence   of   religiousness,  which 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  1 83 

led  the  misguided  and  designing  to  play  a  part  that  did  not  always 
redound  to  the  credit  of  their  movement.  This  condition  of  affairs 
lasted  until  some  time  after  1830,  when  the  Methodist  church  put 
upon  the  Lancaster  circuit  men  of  more  education  and  refinement 
of  character,  who  led  their  large  following  to  a  more  quiet  and  sin- 
cere manner  of  manifesting  their  religious  fervor.  This  had  a  reac- 
tionary influence  upon  the  entire  community ;  and  as  time  went  on 
religion  assumed  a  more  dignified  manner.  The  last  of  that  class 
of  noisy  preachers  was  one  Dyke,  familiarly  called  "  Brother  Dyke," 
who  built  the  first  parsonage  of  the  Methodist  church  in  Lancaster, 
which  is  still  standing  on  Middle  street,  and  occupied  by  James 
A.  Stebbins.  He  was  a  remarkable  character  in  some  respects, 
a  man  of  considerable  talent,  but  whose  forte  was  in  loud  exhorta- 
tion. 

A  Calvinistic  Baptist  church  flourished  in  town  as  early  as  1809; 
but  its  records  have  been  lost  for  many  years,  and  nothing  is  known 
of  it  beyond  the  fact  that  it  once  had  quite  a  following.  It  seems 
that  when  "  Mother  Hutchins  "  came  here  she  turned  many  of  its 
adherents  into  Freewill  Baptists,  and  its  continuity  was  broken 
until  about  i860,  when  it  was  revived  or  replanted  in  Lancaster. 
The  movement  never  was  a  strong  one,  and  was  suffered  to  die  out 
after  a  brief  struggle  for  existence. 

As  we  approach  the  middle  of  this  century  we  come  upon  many 
interesting  questions  that  engaged  the  attention  of  the  churches. 
The  people  were  not  so  provincial  or  insular  in  their  religious 
thought  as  they  were  at  the  beginning  of  the  century,  when  the  dis- 
ciples of  Whitefield  and  the  Baptists  invaded  this  region.  The 
newspaper  press  had  been  established  in  Lancaster  since  1837, 
which  may  be  always  taken  as  a  sure  sign  that  a  local  public  opin- 
ion is  breaking  down  and  that  the  people  are  beginning  to  feel  out 
in  their  thought  to  what  is  thought,  said,  and  done  in  the  world  at 
large.  At  such  times  people  of  an  isolated  community  begin  to 
take  on  a  larger  phase  of  culture,  and  at  the  same  time  become 
critical  in  their  opinions.  It  was  so,  at  all  events,  in  Lancaster. 
National  and  world-wide  questions  were  coming  to  have  a  strong 
influence  upon  all  the  institutions  of  the  community.  Politics  and 
business  had  already  felt  the  influence  of  national  movements,  and 
had  undergone  important  changes.  Lancaster  was  then  within 
forty-eight  hours  of  Boston,  the  metropolis  of  New  England,  and  the 
hot-bed  of  all  manner  of  new  movements  in  thought.  Men  of  a 
national  reputation  as  scholars  and  orators  had  been  in  the  habit  of 
coming  into  these  mountains  during  their  vacations,  and  as  lecturers 
on  the  popular  platform  of  that  day.  The  old  men  had  been  dis- 
cussing these  larger  themes  about  the  streets,  and  in  the  hotels  and 
stores,  where  the  long  winter  evenings  were  wont  to  be  spent,  and 


1 84  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

the  younger  men  and  boys  had  Hstened  to  their  observations  at  first, 
no  doubt,  with  open-eyed  wonder,  but  after  a  time  in  a  more  ques- 
tioning mood. 

Then  came  the  debating  chib,  called  in  Lancaster  the  lyceum, 
participated  in  by  the  leading  thinkers  of  the  village.  The  lawyers, 
editors,  physicians,  teachers,  and  merchants  discussed  the  live  ques- 
tions of  the  day.  We  do  not  find  the  names  of  the  clergymen  on 
its  roll  of  membership,  nor  among  the  disputants.  Perhaps  they 
were  not  interested  in  the  subjects  discussed,  as  they  were  not  what 
were  supposed  to  belong  to  their  "  sacred  "  calling.  The  themes 
considered  were  mostly  ethical  and  political  ones.  This  institution, 
one  that  did  so  much  to  train  men  to  a  ready  thought  upon  all  man- 
ner of  questions,  was  a  strong  rival  of  the  church,  which  up  to  the 
time  of  which  we  are  speaking  was  the  one  institution  that  molded 
public  opinion  with  a  masterly  hand.  Here  was  an  entering  wedge 
that  was  destined  to  split  in  twain  what  had  for  a  century  or  more 
been  the  double  function  of  the  churches  in  this  country, — the  influ- 
ence of  the  minister,  powerful  over  public  opinion  only  in  the  ratio 
of  difficulties  that  prevented  his  opinions  being  replied  to  by  his 
hearers. 

Now  that  the  newspaper  and  lyceum  had  appealed  to  the  thought 
of  men,  and  had  left  an  opportunity  for  reply, — in  fact,  they  had 
both  invited  it, — the  people  became  accustomed  to  do  their  own 
thinking,  and  uttered  their  thoughts  with  a  commendable  degree  of 
freedom,  a  freedom  not  seen  in  Lancaster  for  two  generations  under 
the  influence  of  the  established  order  of  things.  Formalities  and 
conformities  had  weighed  heavily  upon  the  mind  and  spirit  of  the 
people,  but  now  these  burdensome  accretions  of  the  community  life 
had  fallen  away,  and  they  had  even  come  to  hold  them  in  con- 
tempt. Their  thought  and  spirit  had  come  to  conform  more  closely 
to  its  actual  environment  than  to  the  traditional  ones,  in  which  they 
had  stood  in  a  false  awe  of.  For  twenty  years  men  had  been  read- 
ing and  thinking  upon  the  great  problems  that  engaged  the  thought 
of  the  ablest  minds  throughout  the  civilized  world. 

These  movements  had  their  influence  upon  the  religious  thought 
and  life  of  Lancaster,  for  they  could  no  longer  be  separated  from 
them  by  any  classification.  To  call  them  "  secular,"  or  "  mere 
morality,"  did  not  destroy  their  influence  upon  the  minds  of  the 
people.  The  time  had  come  when  men  demanded  that  religion 
take  cognizance  of  secular  and  moral  questions.  Religion,  if  it  were 
to  command  men,  must  face  every  point  of  the  social  horizon.  To 
worship  God,  and  assure  one's  self  that  he  was  saved  for  another 
world,  was  not  enough  to  satisfy  the  thought  of  the  deep  thinkers, 
of  which  class  Lancaster  had  many  at  that  time. 

Traditional  religious  doctrines  and   practices  were  called   in  ques- 


RELIGION   AND    CHURCHES.  1 85 

tion.  New  doctrines  and  practices  came  to  be  entertained,  and 
about  this  time  a  liberal,  rational,  non-creedal  church  came  into 
existence  in  Lancaster, — "  the  First  Congregational  society"  (Uni- 
tarian). This  new  society  numbered  among  its  members  the  men 
who  had  taken  strong  grounds  against  the  Mexican  War  and  slavery. 
The  minister  of  the  new  church,  Rev.  George  M.  Rice,  was  a  pro- 
nounced anti-slavery  agitator.  He  went  farther,  however,  than  his 
society  cared  to  follow  in  the  matter ;  but  the  time  had  arrived  when 
churches  must  deal  with  those  so-called  "secular  and  moral"  ques- 
tions. The  churches  lent  their  influence  strongly  to  the  temperance 
agitation  that  culminated  in  the  prohibitory  law  that  has  existed  in 
the  state  for  over  forty  years.  When  the  War  of  the  Rebellion 
broke  out,  the  pulpits  were  not  silent  on  the  great  questions  in- 
volved in  that  struggle  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  Nor  have 
they  been  often  lacking  in  the  courage  to  deal  with  questions  out- 
side of  their  creeds  in  the  past  quarter  of  a  century. 

Soon  after  the  migration  of  Irish  to  this  country,  following  the 
period  of  famine  in  Ireland,  there  were  settled  in  Lancaster  some  of 
that  race  of  people  who  have  been  for  so  many  centuries  devotees 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Some  time  after  1850,  their  num- 
bers had  increased  in  Lancaster  to  an  extent  that  enabled  them  to 
hope  for  religious  teachings  of  their  own  church,  and  in  time  a 
church.  Services  were  held  here  at  irregular  intervals  until  1858, 
when  the  old  Deacon  Farrar  place  on  Main  street,  where  the  par- 
sonage and  church  now  stand,  was  bought  by  the  late  Father 
Noiseux  and  remodeled  into  a  residence  for  the  priest,  and  a  chapel 
in  which  services  were  held  for  some  years.  A  church  was  insti- 
tuted, and  as  time  has  gone  by  the  numbers  have  increased  so  that 
to-day  it  is  the  largest  religious  society  in  Lancaster,  numbering 
more  communicants  than  all  the  other  societies  combined.  The 
present  building,  "All  Saints"  was  erected  in  1877. 

About  the  same  time  the  Calvinistic  Baptist  society,  already  re- 
ferred to,  was  organized.  The  Protestant  Episcopal  society  was 
organized  about  the  same  time. 

Since  that  time  the  history  of  religion  in  Lancaster  has  been  very 
similar  to  that  of  any  other  community  in  New  England.  One  sees 
here  the  same  excess  of  denominationalism  over  and  above  genuine 
religious  conviction  of  thought  and  charity  that  prevails  throughout 
the  country  at  large.  Every  sect  numbers  among  its  adherents 
intelligent,  earnest,  sincere  men  and  women  who  are  the  salt  of  the 
earth,  and  who  exert  that  true  conservative  spirit  that  while  it  does 
not  run  to  excess  in  the  erratic  notions  and  practices  of  the  times  yet 
does  not  go  backward  to  the  dead  men's  ideas  in  the  outgrown  past 
for  their  example.  They  are  capable  of  making  and  of  following 
their   own  examples  when   circumstances  of  greater  enlightenment 


1 86  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

demand  it  of  them.  They  are  the  true  conservators  of  rehgion  and 
its  institutions  who  use  them  as  the  instrumentahties  of  spiritual 
growth,  rather  than  bow  down  to  them  as  fetiches. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 
LANCASTER  IN  RELATION  TO  THE  VERMONT  CONTROVERSY. 

We  cannot  well  pass  by  a  matter  so  grave  as  that  of  the  so-called 
Vermont  Controversy  without  pausing  to  give  it  our  serious  consid- 
eration. This  triangular  controversy  between  New  York,  New 
Hampshire,  and  Vermont  drew  forth  from  General  George  Washing- 
ton the  statement  that  the  future  of  American  independence  might 
have  been  sacrificed  by  a  wrong  termination  of  it.  A  question  of 
such  serious  magnitude,  and  one  in  which  Lancaster  bore  some  part, 
deserves  careful  and  thorough  study  at  our  hands. 

This  controversy,  that  came  so  near  working  the  serious  mischief 
that  Washington  saw  as  one  of  its  possibilities,  sprang  from  the  pol- 
icy of  Governor  Benning  Wentworth  indiscriminately  granting  lands 
by  charters  for  new  towns  in  a  territory  that  was  in  dispute 
between  his  state  and  New  York.  As  we  have  said,  elsewhere. 
Governor  Wentworth  thought  to  get  the  start  of  the  governor  of 
New  York  by  granting  charters  to  the  lands  in  dispute,  and  so 
granted  no  less  than  sixty  charters  in  a  single  year — 176 1 — for 
towns  in  the  disputed  territory  on  the  west  side  of  the  river.  His 
grants  also  extended  up  the  east  side  of  the  Connecticut  river  a  con- 
siderable distance,  making  a  solid  body  of  townships  in  the  fertile 
valley. 

In  1 764  the  dispute  had  grown  so  bitter  between  the  two  states 
that  New  York  took  an  appeal  to  the  king,  who  declared  the  west- 
ern bank  of  the  Connecticut  river,  from  the  northern  line  of  Massa- 
chusetts to  the  forty-fifty  degree  of  latitude,  the  boundary  between 
New  Hampshire  and  New  York.  For  a  period  of  more  than  twelve 
years  the  towns  on  either  side  of  the  river  put  different  constructions 
on  the  rulings  of  the  king.  New  Hampshire  towns,  or  those  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  claimed  that  the  king's  ruling  applied  only  to 
the  future  and  did  not  undo  the  grants  by  Governor  Wentworth, 
while  the  towns  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  claimed  that  the  king 
meant  to  undo  Governor  Wentworth's  grants,  and  that  they  were  in 
New  York,  and  must  look  to  that  state  to  make  their  titles  valid  by 
rechartering  the  townships.  As  we  shall  see  presently  Lancaster 
took  the  same  view  of  the  matter  that  the  other  New  Hampshire 
towns  did,  but  later,  when  another  complication  of  the  question 
arose,  she  failed  to  act  with  the  seceding  towns  on  the  western  side. 


IN    RELATION   TO   THE   VERMONT    CONTROVERSY.  1 87 

The  matter  dragged  its  weary  length  along  with  little  friction  from 
1764  to  the  time  of  the  breaking  out  of  the  Revolutionary  War, 
when  it  took  a  new  turn,  one  wholly  unexpected  to  everybody. 

Both  in  New  Hampshire  and  New  York  those  disaffected  towns 
involved  in  the  controversy  of  the  past  twelve  years  interpreted  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  as  absolving  them  from  all  allegiance 
to  either  of  the  two  states,  and  that  they  were  left  in  what  they  chose 
to  call  "  a  state  of  nature."  Immediately  a  movement  was  set  on 
foot  to  form  a  new  state  out  of  the  towns  on  the  upper  Connecticut 
valley  that  were  granted  since  1761.  The  movement  was  welcomed 
by  some  sixteen  towns  in  New  Hampshire  which  accordingly  re- 
fused to  send  delegates  to  the  state  convention  that  was  called  to 
meet  at  Exeter  in  1779  to  frame  a  state  constitution. 

During  the  second  year  of  the  Revolutionary  struggle,  and  while 
matters  were  far  from  certain  as  to  how  the  issues  of  the  war  would 
result,  the  towns  west  of  the  river  had  called  a  convention  which  met 
at  Windsor,  and  framed  a  constitution  and  declared  themselves  a 
new  and  sovereign  state.  The  sixteen  recusant  towns  in  New  Hamp- 
shire now  petitioned  the  acting  government  in  1779,  for  permission 
to  ally  themselves  to  the  new  state  of  Vermont.  This,  of  course,  was 
refused  them  by  the  New  Hampshire  government,  and  from  that 
time  forward,  for  a  period  of  three  years,  the  strife  grew  hotter.  Both 
New  Hampshire  and  New  York  had  disregarded  the  boundary  es- 
tablished by  the  king  in  1764;  and  it  seemed  at  one  time  as  if  the 
disputed  territory  might  be  divided  pretty  evenly  between  the  two 
states,  thus  preventing  the  newly  formed  state  of  Vermont  from 
becoming  a  state  after  all.  This  caused  Vermont  to  redouble  its  dil- 
igence in  the  matter  of  securing  recognition  as  a  sovereign  state. 
The  state  of  New  Hampshire  had  renewed  its  claim  to  the  towns 
west  of  the  river  in  the  call  for  the  convention  in  1779.  The  Ver- 
monters  now  pressed  their  claims  westward  into  New  York  as  well 
as  eastward  into  New  Hampshire.  It  was  at  this  juncture  of  the  con- 
troversy that  Lancaster  was  drawn  into  it.  The  town  shared  the 
belief  that  the  towns  west  of  the  river  should  go  with  those  east  of  it 
as  granted  by  Governor  Wentworth,  some  seventy-five  in  all,  and  if 
the  towns  west  of  the  river  were  to  go  to  the  formation  of  a  new 
state  Lancaster  was  willing  to  share  their  destiny  with  them.  Besides, 
the  government  of  New  Hampshire  had  done  little,  almost  nothing, 
to  aid  the  towns  in  this  Upper  Coos  country. 

There  were  living,  at  the  time,  in  the  Connecticut  River  valley 
many  people  who  had  come  from  the  state  of  Connecticut;  and  if 
the  territory  west  of  the  river  was  to  be  divided  they  would  much 
rather  have  seen  a  new  state  formed  of  the  dissatisfied  towns  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  under  the  name  of  New  Connecticut.  This  feeling 
had  some  advocates  in  Lancaster,  and  when  a  convention  to  consider 


1 88  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

that  question  was  called  to  meet  at  Dresden,  then  a  part  of  Hanover 
belonging  to  Dartmouth  college,  Lancaster  at  once  called  a  town- 
meeting  to  convene  July  12,  1779,  at  the  house  of  Jonas  Wilder, 
who  had  only  come  to  Lancaster  the  year  before  from  Massachusetts, 
to  elect  a  delegate  to  the  Dresden  convention.  Major  Jonas  Wilder 
was  chosen  as  the  representative  of  the  town  to  that  convention.  The 
meeting  also  declared  itself  on  the  question  at  dispute  by  the  follow- 
ing vote :  "  Voted  by  all  the  legal  voters  of  this  town  of  Lancaster 
that  it  is  their  minds  unanimously  that  the  whole  of  the  New  Hamp- 
shire Grants  on  both  sides  of  the  Connecticut  River  hold  all  to- 
gether." What  action  that  convention  took,  or  whether  it  was  con- 
founded with  the  one  held  at  Cornish,  in  which  thirty-four  towns  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river  were  represented,  we  do  not  know  as  no 
records  of  either  are  known  to  have  been  made.  It  may  be  inferred, 
however,  that  nothing  of  importance  was  done  as  the  movement  to 
form  the  state  of  New  Connecticut,  with  Dresden,  the  seat  of  Dart- 
mouth college,  as  its  capital,  disappeared  from  the  drama  of  state- 
making. 

Vermont,  however,  seems  to  have  gone  on  with  her  government, 
and  welcomed  some  towns  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  into  her  legis- 
lature. Haverhill  and  Lebanon  were  represented  in  the  Vermont 
legislature,  as  was  also  Apthorp,  while  Lancaster  which  was  classed 
with  the  latter  town  still  continued  to  be  represented  in  the  New 
Hampshire  legislature.  A  rupture  between  Vermont  and  the  towns 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river  took  place  when  the  latter  requested 
to  be  erected  into  a  separate  county.  The  most  that  the  Vermont 
legislature  would  do  was  to  set  them  off  as  a  probate  district. 

About  this  stage  of  the  affair  the  legislature  of  New  Hampshire 
brought  the  matter  to  the  attention  of  congress,  while  Vermont  made 
threats  of  allying  herself  with  the  British.  While  congress  took 
notice  of  the  matter  there  was  some  doubt  as  to  the  powers 
of  the  new  congress  but  in  the  letter  of  General  Washington, 
referred  to  above,  to  Governor  Chittenden  of  Vermont,  he  frankly  in- 
formed him  that  congress  could,  and  under  certain  condition  would 
use  its  power  to  coerce  the  state  of  Vermont  into  the  recognition  of 
New  Hampshire's  claims  to  the  territory  east  of  the  river.  That 
persuaded  Vermont  into  a  peaceable  settlement  of  the  dispute,  and 
the  towns  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  returned  to  full  allegiance  with 
the  mother  state,  under  whose  fostering  care  some  of  them  had  been 
highly  favored.  This  kept  about  13,000  of  New  Hampshire's  85,000 
of  population  in  the  state. 

Through  all  this  period  of  doubt  and  disturbance  Lancaster  never 
seceded  from  her  state.  She  favored  the  formation  of  a  new  state 
within  the  valley  of  the  great  river  that  formed  their  first  and,  for  a 
time,  only  highway  to  the  lower  country.      It  is  not  known  whether 


SOME    EARLY   MARRIAGES   AND    DEATHS.  1 89 

anybody   in   Lancaster   ever   favored    the   dismemberment   of    New- 
Hampshire  for  the  promotion  of  Vermont  or  any  other  state  west  of 
the  river.     The  fact  that  Lancaster   took    no  action  to   get  into  the 
state  of  Vermont  may  be  taken   as  an  evidence  that  her  intentions 
were  patriotic  and  loyal;   but  if  a  new  state  was  to  be  formed  by 
including  all  the  towns  granted  by  Governor  Wentworth  in  the  Con- 
necticut valley  they  no  doubt  favored  the  project.     What  steps  they 
would  have  taken  to  sever  their  ties  with   New  Hampshire  can  only 
be  idle  speculation,  as  not  a  record  exists  to  show  their  attitude  on 
the  question  of  such  severance.      Lancaster  never  took  any  farther 
action  on  the  question  after  the  Dresden  convention.     When  Ver- 
mont demanded  of  congress  that  she  be  admitted  into  the  Union  in 
1780,  while  her  controversy  with  New  Hampshire  over  the  boundary 
question  was  pending,  she  went  so  far  as  to  say  that  if  admission  was 
denied  her  then  she  would  have  to  make  the  best  possible  arrange- 
ments with  the  British  government,  when  she  went,  so  that  Lancaster 
could  not  have  followed  her.      Lancaster  had  taken  up  arms  against 
Great  Britain,  and  had  nothing  to  gain  by  laying  them  down.     The       / 
town  had  its  own  Independent  Company  of  Rangers,  led  by  Major// 
Benjamin  Whitcomb,  in  the  field,  beside  nearly  all   its  available  men 
outside  of  this  company  were  either  enlisted   in  other  companies  or 
else    doing    duty   as    scouts    or   as    garrison    for   the    three   forts   in 
Northumberland  and  Stratford.      Lancaster  was  unalterably  opposed 
to  the  British   government,    for   at   the  time   they   had   manifested  a 
disposition  to  make  use  of  the  Indians  against  the  frontier  towns,  in 
fact,  this  section  had  suffered   no  little  alarm   from   Indian  depreda- 
tions  incited    by  the  war.     The   people   were  loyal   to  the  cause  of 
American  independence,  and  would  not  take  any  risk  of  losing  what 
it   had   then  begun  to  promise,  by  allying  themselves  with  a  state 
that    threatened   to   carry  them   into    the    hands   of    their  enemies. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

SOME  EARLY  MARRIAGES  AND  DEATHS.— 1785-1850. 

By  Echuai-ds  Bucknam,    y.   P.  : 

Nathan  Caswell  to  Lois  Eames,  Nov.  i,  1785. 
William  Johnson  to  Polly  Stockwell,  Nov.  13,  1786. 
George  Brown  to  Polly  Bucknam,  Sept.  3,  1789. 
Nathaniel  Lovewell  to  Charlotte  Stockwell,  Dec.  27,  1792. 
John  Mclntire  to  Sally  Stockwell,  March  19,  1792. 
Richard  Claire  Everett  to  Persis  Wilder,  Dec.  17,  1793. 


190  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

John  Sanborn  to  Sally  Crawford,  of  Guildhall,  Vt.,  Nov.  12,  1795. 
Ezekiel  Bruce  to  Hatabel  Crosby,  both  of  Southbury,  Mass.,  April 

30,  1787. 
Jacob   Emerson,  of   Lunenburg,  Vt.,  to    Polly   Hartwell,  April   19, 

1797. 
Daniel  How,  of  Guildhall,  Vt.,  to  Eunice  Bucknam,  Sept.  7,  1788. 
Dr.  Francis  Wilson  to  Tempa  Giddings,  of  Hartland,  Conn.,  Dec, 

1788. 
Levi  Lucas  to  Sally  Smith,  Nov.  27,  1800. 

Marriages    by    Other    yustices  of   the  Peace    and  Clergymen : 

Titus  O.  Brown  to  Susanna  Bundy,  Feb.  16,  1794. 

Thomas  Miner,   of   Littleton,   N.  H.,  to   Abigail   Page,    March   11, 

1795- 
Jonathan  Springer  to  Eunice  Wilder,  Oct.  5,  1795. 
Nathaniel  Babb,  of  Guildhall,  Vt.,  to  Olive  McLitire,  March  2,  1796. 
Jonathan  Rosebrook  to   Polly   Monroe,  of   Guildhall,  Vt.,   July    17, 

1796. 
Sylvanus  Chessman  to  Betsey  Blodget,  Nov.  17,  1796. 
William  Lovejoy  to  Polly  Moor,  of  Northumberland,  Dec.  29,  1796. 
John  Brackett  to  Eunice  Clark,  of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  April  26,  1797. 
Francis  Cram  to  Polly  Gustin,  Feb.  13,  1797. 
Levi  Willard  to  Dorcas  Farnham,  June  i,  1797. 
James  Perkins  to  Lucy  Wilder,  Nov.  2,  1797. 
Joseph  Twombley  to  Dorcas  Applebee,  Dec.  28,  1797. 
Hope  Brown  to  Irena  Rosebrook,  Dec.  31,  1797. 
Manasah  Wilder  to  Nancy  Springer,  March  29,  1798. 
Joshua  Hopkinson,    of   Guildhall,  Vt.,  to  widow   Polly  Rosebrook,, 

Sept.  I,  1799. 
Artemas  Wilder,  Jr.,   to   Catherine   Sherbon,    of   Conway,  Oct.   26, 

1799. 
Uriel  Rosebrook   to  Susan  Fowle,  of  Guildhall,  Vt.,  July  15,  1800. 
John  Waldron,  of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  to  Submit  Taylor,  Dec.  29,  1800. 
Azariah  Webb  to  Eliza  Weeks,  Jan.  i,  1801. 
Richard  Eastman  to  Persis  Faulkner,  May  5,  1801. 
Dr.  Jedediah  Chapman  to  Eunice  Wilder,  Oct.  28,  1801. 
John  Springer  to  Lydia  Hartshorn,  of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  Feb.  8,  1801. 
Geo.  Ingerson  to  Betsey  Libbey  Hawley,  Feb.  26,  1801. 
Aaron  Hill,  of  Canada,  to  Hannah  Hopkins,  Sept.  27,  1801. 
Elias  Chapman  to  Polly  White,  March  18,  1802. 
Jack  Page  to  Betsey  Burgen,  July  13,   1802. 
Sylvester  Faulkner  to  Polly  Cram,  Dec.  19,  1802, 
Ezra  Otis  to  Dolly  Farnham,  Dec.  30,  1802. 
Peter  Fuller,  of  Dalton,  to  Betsey  Hodgson,  Feb.  23,  1803. 


SOME   EARLY   MARRIAGES   AND    DEATHS.  1 91 

David  White  to  Nabby  Chapman,  Feb.  29,  1803. 

Henry  Philbrook  to  Betsey  Stiles,  Aug.  ii,  1803. 

Samuel  Glover  to  Rachael  Taylor,  Aug.  19,  1804. 

Thomas  Jenison,  of  Walpole,  to  Martha  Moore,  Jan.  31,  1805. 

Joseph  Peabody,  of  Northumberland,  to  widow  Hannah  Farnham, 

March  1 1,  1805. 
James  Twombley  to  Rebekah  Twombley,  March  14,  1 805, 
Jonas  Benman  to  Abigail  Layton,  Nov.  3,  1805. 
John  W.  Weeks  to  Martha  Brackett,  Nov.  17,  1805. 
Joseph  Farnham  to  Mary  Robertson,  Dec.  25,  1806. 
Jonathan  Cram  to  Katy  C.  Chapman,  Aug.  9,  1807. 
Seth  Fames,  of  Northumberland,  to  Peggy  Moore,  March  6,  1808. 
Francis  Wilson  to  Betsey  Moore,  Oct.  27,  1808. 
Adino  N.  Brackett  to  Mary  W.  Weeks,  Nov.  i,  1808. 
Ephraim  Stockwell  to  Sally  Greenleaf,  Nov.  20,  1809. 
James  B.  Weeks  to  Betsey  Stanley,  Jan.  i,  18 10. 
Walter  Philbrook  to  Nancy  Brown,  Jan.  4,  18 10. 
Reuben  Stephenson  to  Mary  Baker,  Feb.  25,  18 10. 
Samuel  White  to  Sally  Freeman,  April  2,  t8io. 
Joseph  Balch  to  Eliza  LeGro,  Jan.  31,  181 1. 
Timothy  Durgin,  of  Colebrook,  to  Maria  Page,  Jan.  19,  181 1. 
Samuel  Hartwell  to  Martha  Thomas,  March  31,  181 1. 
Joseph  Pearson,  Jr.  to  Sophia  Baker,  Feb.  17,  181 1. 
Reuben  W.  Freeman  to  Betsey  Hartwell,  March  25,  18 12. 
John  Mclntire  to  Susanna  Bucknam,  Nov.  4,  18 12. 
Wilham  Mitchell  to  Rebecca  Martin,  April  15,  1812. 
Moses  Darby  to  Ruth  Gotham,  April  14,  18 12. 
Warren  Porter  to  Celinda  Cram,  Oct.  14,  18 13. 
John  Kilby  to  Tamson  Wentworth,  Nov.  ii,  1813. 
Moses  Martin  to  Dorcas  Holmes,  Feb.  8,  18 14. 
Abner  Stone  to  Deborah  Moulton,  of  Jefferson,  June  19,  18 14. 
Eben  Lane  to  Sophia  Chessman,  May  15,  18 14. 
Benjamin  Hunking  to  Drusilla  S.  Everett,  May  16,  1814. 
E.  Andrew  to  Nancy  Greenleaf,  Nov.  23,  18 14. 
Wm.  Huggins  to  Comfort  Moore,  Jan.  30,  18 14. 
John  Huckins  to  Lucy  Hemmenway,  Dec.  i,  18 14. 
Edward  Spaulding  to  Sally  Moore,  Dec.  i,  18 14. 
John  Moore  to  Harmony  Freeman,  Jan.  30,  1815. 
Noah  White,  of  Piermont,  to  Fanny  Moore,  Feb.  14,  181 5. 
Moses  T.  Hunt  to  Martha  Willard,  April  30,  181 5. 
Benj.  Wentworth  to  Lucinda  Hayes,  Aug.  23,  181 5. 
Edward  Boardman  to  Sarah  Brackett  Weeks,  Jan.  25,  18 16. 
Samuel  A.  Pearson,  Esq.,  to  Sarah  Ann  Boardman,  June  5,  18 16. 
James  Batchelder  to  Betsey  Holmes,  Nov.  14,  18 16. 
John  Dow  to  Polly  Swan,  June  6,  18 16. 


192  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Amos  LeGro  to  Roxanna  Daggett,  June  9,  18 16. 

Alpheas  Hutchins  to  Eunice  Greenleaf,  Feb.  26,  18 17. 

Hezekiah  Smith  to  Sarah  LeGro,  June  26,  181 7. 

Samuel  LeGro  to  Fanny  Marden,  Oct.  16,    18 17. 

John  Currier,  of  Corinth,  Vt.,  to  Mary  Moore,  Oct.  20,  18 17. 

Ephraim  Cross,  of  Derby,  Vt.,  to  Lucy  Messer,  Dec.  30,  1817. 

Benj.  C.  Stephens  to  Sally  Faulkner,  April  2,  1818. 

Lieut.  Charles  Baker  to  Margaret  Notton,  Nov.  29,  181 8. 

Benj.  Hayes  to  Eliza  Twombley,  Aug.  9,  18 18. 

Benj.  Stephenson  to  Mary  Wilson,  Oct.  24,  18 19. 

Heber  Blanchard  to  Fanny  Leavens,  Oct.  25,  18 19. 

Wm.  Curtis,  of  Medford,  to  Emily  Johnson,  Sept.  19.  18 19. 

James  Marden  to  Hannah  LeGro,  March  21,  1820. 

James  Balch,  of  Lunenburg,  to  Nancy  Moore,  Nov.  30,  1820. 

Benj.  D.  Alexander,  of  Dalton,  to  Sally  Brooks,  Sept.  12,  1820. 

David  Weed,  of  Whitefield,  to  Betsey ,  April  27,  1820. 

William  D.  Spaulding  to  Debby  F.  Stephenson,  Feb.  11,  1821. 
Daniel  Stebbins  to  Louisa  Moore,  March  11,  1821. 
Maj.  John  W.  Weeks  to  Persis  F.  Everett,  March  15,  1821. 
Shackford  Wentworth  to  Hannah  Smith,  March  18,  1821. 
John  W.  Spaulding  to  Electa  Stebbins,  March  29,  1821. 
Greenleaf  Philbrook  to  Lavinia  Gotham,  June  4,  1821. 
Abel  Leavens  to  Sophronia  Willard,  Nov.  29,  1821. 
Wm.  Bullard  to  Elmira  Perkins,  August  7,  1821. 

Robert  C.  Shackford  to  Nancy  Cutter ,  June  20,  1821. 

Dudley  Merrill  to  Eunice  LeGro,  Feb.  3,  1822. 

Asa  Hood  to  Mary  Putnam,  July  i,  1822. 

Charles  J.  Stewart,  Esq.,  to  Eliza  Austin,  of  Jefferson,  July  4,   1822. 

George  Darby  to  Eliza  Farnham,  April  17,  1822. 

Benj.  Stanley  to  Harriet  Page,  June  30,  1822. 

Jacob  Batchelder,  of  Lyman,  to  Martha  Holmes,  June  2,  1823. 

Oliver  Merrill  to  Sarah  Mclntire,  Oct.  30,  1823. 

Wm.  Moore  to  Eliza  W.  Spaulding,  Jan.  29,  1823. 

John  Willard  to  Sophronia  Stebbins,  April  10,  1823. 

Francis  Leavens  to  Abigail  LeGro,  June  12,  1823. 

Samuel  Banfield  to  Dorcas  Twombley,  April  29,  1823. 

William  Farrar  to  Triphenia  Burgin,  Aug.  19,  1823. 

Willard to  Frances  B.  Wilson,  March  18,  1824. 

Geo.  Gamsby,  of  Thetford,  to  Olivia  Hodgson,  Dec.  23,  1824. 
John  Hunt  to  Martha  P.  Moore,  J-an.  2,  1826. 

William  D.  Spaulding  to  Sarah  Ann  Goss, ,  1826. 

Geo.  Draper,  of  Brattleboro,  to  Lucy  R.  Barnard,  Feb.  6,  1826. 
Charles  Bellows  to  Elvira  Wilson,  June  29,  1826. 
Henry  White  to  Ann  Moore,  Dec.  26,  1826. 


DEATHS    OF   PROMINENT   PERSONS.  1 93 

DEATHS    OF    PROMINENT   PERSONS    FROM    THE   EARLIEST 
TIMES    TO    1850. 

We  do  not  offer  the  following  list  of  deaths  as  complete,  the 
imperfect  sources  of  information  preventing.  The  names  and  dates 
here  given  are  taken  from  various  sources,  and  are  reliable,  though 
not  as  full  as  we  should  like  to  have  had  them. 

May  II,  1800,  Jonathan  Hartwell. 

July  31,  1 80 1,  Betsey,  wife  of  Deacon  Jonas  Baker,  aged  45. 

Aug.  23,  1 801,  Joseph  Farnham,  Esq.,  aged  62. 

March  15,  1802,  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder,  aged  ^y . 

March  iq,  1804,  Eunice,  wife  of  Jonathan  Springer. 

July  19,  1804,  Widow  Deborah  Turner,  aged  88. 

July  15,  1806,  Elijah  Page,  aged  21. 

Aug.  19,  1809,  Joseph  Daggett,  aged  38. 

Feb.  5,  1808,  Martha,  wife  of  John  W.  Weeks. 

July  25,  1808,  the  wife  of  David  Greenleaf. 

April  28,  1809,  Nathaniel  White,  aged  57. 

Feb.  4,  1 8 10,  Col.  Jonas  Wilder,  aged  79. 

181 1 — Francis  Wilson,  aged  49;  Lieut.  Jonathan  Cram,  Aug.  28, 
of  small  pox,  aged  — ;  Mary,  wife  of  Stephen  Wilson,  aged 
45  ;   Asa  W.  Burnap,  aged  45. 

1813 — John  Wilson,  aged  80;  Lieut.  Humphrey  Cram,  aged  41; 
Nicholas  White,  aged  54;  Col.  Stephen  Wilson,  aged  45; 
Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  aged  26;  Jonathan  Cram,  aged  28; 
Soloman  Hemmenway,  aged  64;  Caleb  W.  Wilson,  aged  55  ; 
Dea.  Joseph  Brackett,  aged  73  ;  John  Haven,  aged  78  ;  John 
Moore,  aged  62  ;  Polly,  wife  of  Col.  Stephen  Wilson,  aged  45  ; 
Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  aged  64;  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam,  aged 
72  ;    Orasmus  Page,  son  of  Moses,  aged  14,  died  in  the  army. 

1 8 14 — Mary,  Avife  of  the  late  Jos.  Brackett,  aged  70. 

181 5 — Hon.  R.  C.  Everett,  aged  51  ;   William  Bothwell,  aged  66. 

18 1 7 — Mrs.  Ann  Hazen,  aged  83;  Rachel,  widow  of  Capt.  David 
Page,  aged  69. 

18 18 — Capt.  John  Weeks,  aged  69;   Daniel  Howe,  aged  54. 

1819 — Ephraim  Mahurin,  aged  78;    Emmons  Stockwell,  aged  79; 

1820 — Mrs.  Ruth  Adams,  wife  of  Andrew  Adams,  aged  83. 

1821 — Elisha  Wilder,  aged  87;    Mrs.  Mehitabel  Wilder,  aged  %•]. 

1822 — Artemas  Wilder,  aged  48  ;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Hunnux,  aged  6^. 

1825 — Silas  Chessman,  aged  84. 

1826 — John  Aspinwall,  aged  26;    Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  aged  66. 

1827 — Ruth  Stockwell,  aged  81  ;  Jonas  Baker,  aged  74;  John  Bur- 
gin,  aged  'j6. 

1829 — Thomas  Peverly,  aged  32  ;   Joel  Page,  aged  58. 
14 


194  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

1830 — David  Page,  Jr.,  aged  85  ;    David  Greenlcaf,  aged  80;   Will- 
iam Lovejoy,  aged  58. 
1832 — Andrew  Adams,  aged  97  ;   Benjamin  Boardman,  aged  66. 
1835 — Bryant  Stephenson,  aged  y6. 

1836 — John  Mason,  aged  59;    Mrs.  Bryant  Stephenson,  aged  — . 
1837 — Charles  J.  Stewart,  aged  46. 

1840 — S.  A.  Pearson,  aged  56;    Benjamin  Stanley,  aged  42. 
1841 — Coffin  Moore,  aged  71. 
1842 — Jonathan  Twombley,  aged  81. 
1843 — Ashael  Going,  aged  72;   John  Wilder,   aged   80;    Maj.  Joel 

Hemmenway,  aged  62  ;   Frederick  Messer,  aged   70 ;   Thomas 

Hodgdon,  aged  86;   Joanna  Hays,  aged  81. 
1845 — Edward  Spaulding,  aged  79;    Thomas  Carlisle,  aged  64. 
1846 — Josiah  Bellows,  2d,    aged  72;    George  W.  Perkins,  aged  68; 

Stephen  Wilson,  aged  81. 
1847 — Benjamin  Adams,  aged  66;   Adino  N.  Brackett,  aged   70; 

Manasah  Wilder,  aged  78. 
1849 — Asa  Wesson,  aged  54;    Stephen   Hartford,  aged  64;   Widow 

Lovejoy,  aged  72. 
1850 — Dea.    William  Farrar,   aged  69;    John   Mclntire,  aged   85; 

Joseph  C.  Cady,  aged  46;    Samuel  Wentworth,  aged  93. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 

SOME    EARLY    PRIVATE    ACCOUNTS    WITH    THE    TOWN. 

It  will,  no  doubt,  interest  the  reader  to  know  something  definite 
in  regard  to  the  early  transactions  of  individuals  with  the  town. 
Fortunately,  among  the  private  papers  of  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam 
and  "Governor"  Page  we  have  some  of  their  accounts  with  the 
town  from  1772  to  1792.  These  are  not  only  curious,  but  they 
throw  side  lights  upon  the  story  of  the  development  of  the  new 
community,  and  it  is  for  this  latter  reason  that  we  give  them  here. 
A  new  settlement  must  have  one  or  more  active  men  of  a  practical 
turn  of  mind  to  direct  things.  It  happened  that  David  Page  and 
Edwards  Bucknam  possessed  the  requisite  qualities  for  leadership. 
They  both  were  born  leaders  and  pioneers,  and  Bucknam  was  pos- 
sessed of  an  almost  universal  genius  and  able  to  do  about  anything 
that  needed  doing  in  such  a  new  community,  hence  we  find  him 
connected  with  so  many  of  the  early  transactions  of  the  town. 
Page  was  the  nominal  head  of  the  colony,  which  won  him  the  hon- 
orary title  of  "  Governor." 

In  the  following  accounts,  kept  by  General  Bucknam,  we  discover 
what  valuable  services  he  rendered   the   little  community  from   its 


SOME   EARLY    PRIVATE   ACCOUNTS    WITH    THE   TOWN. 


195 


earliest  days  down  to  a  time  when,  as  we  have  seen  elsewhere,  the 
population  was  much  increased  and  capable  men  were  compara- 
tively plenty  to  what  they  were  during  the  first  thirty  years  of  the 
settlement.  General  Bucknam  had  served  the  town,  both  under  its 
proprietary  and  civil  managements,  as  clerk  for  twenty  years.  He 
was  on  many  of  its  most  important  committees,  and  often  commis- 
sioned to  perform  valuable  services  for  the  people,  and  for  that  rea- 
son his  accounts  are  of  value  and  interest  to  the  student  of  history. 
From  these  accounts  it  will  be  discovered  that  it  was  in  the  capacity 
of  town  clerk,  collector,  and  agent  of  the  town  that  he  performed 
most  of  these  transactions.  Not  infrequently,  however,  he  per- 
formed some  humble  service  in  making  roads,  surveying  the  lines 
of  the  town  lands,  and  making  long  journeys  to  perform  some  ser- 
vice for  the  proprietors  of  the  town. 

"  The  Proprietors  of  the  Township  of  Lancaster  to  Edwards  Bucknam,  Dr. 

"  1772,  June,  To  14  days  worlc  at  4  sh.          .....  _;^2: 16:00. 

"  "  ,  Nov.    To  17  da\s  work  on  roads  at  4  sh.            .          .          .  3:8  :oo. 

1773,  May,  To  9  days  work  at  4  sh.  per  day      .          .          .          .  i  :   6:00 
*'  "  ,  June,  To  8  days  work  at  4  sh.    "      "         .          .          .          .  1:12  :oo 

1774,  May,  To  10^  days  work  at  4  sh. 
Paid  Ezra  Currier  for  work  done  sd  road  1 772-1 773, 
Paid  Moses  Page  for  work  on  the  road  in  1 772-1 773, 
Paid  Emmons  Stockwell  for  work  on  sd  road  1 772-1 773, 
Paid  David  Page  Esq.  for  work  done  in  1772,  1773,  1774, 
Paid  David  Cross  for  work  done  on  the  road  in  1 772-1 773, 
Paid  William  Marshall  for  work  done  on  Marshall   Bridge,   and   I 

have  his  receipts  therefor        ....... 


2 :  6 :oo. 
2  :i3  :oo 
3 :io :oo. 
4 :I2 :oo. 
5 :  8 :oo. 
6:15:   6. 


I :oo :oo. 


;^49: 12:00." 
To  work  done  on  the  roads  from  the  23rd.  of  May  1775,  to  May,  1787. 


^     c-  ^  {        ^1  '  /      Paid   David   Page  Esq.   for  work  on  sd  roads 
to  Sept.  25th.  ^  &  M 

Paid  Capt.  David  Page  for  work  on  roads       .... 

Paid  Lt.  Emmons  Stockwell  for  work  on  roads  ) 

and  have  his  receipts     .......  ^ 

Paid  Col.  Jonas  Wilder  for  work  on  roads     .          .          .          .  . 

Brought  forward  ......... 

Carried  forward      ........ 

1778,  Paid  David  Page  Esq.  Eighty-four  Pounds 

which  was  four  dollars  on  each  right 

voted  to  him  for  building  mill 
To  David  Page  Esq.  said  thirty  Pounds  voted  to  him  to  } 
re-build  the  mills  after  being  burnt        .  .  .  .  ^ 

To  Jacob  Treadwell  Paid  fifteen  Pounds  voted  by  the 
Proprietors  as  their  proportion  to  cutt  &  open  the 

Road  to  the  Eastward  of  the  White  Hills 
Brought  forward 


^16:13:00 

21 :07  :oo 

7  :    I  :    3 

5:13:00 

13  :    6  :    2 

7:    8:    5 


71:   9:    5 
49:12:00 

•  .£121:    I  :    5 

.     ^86:   8:   o. 

•  i;30:  o:  o. 

•  ^15:  o-   o. 

.      131  :   8:   o. 
121  :    I  :    5. 

£252  ■■  9-   5-" 


196 


HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 


"  1774,  To  collecting  one  assesment  of  seven  dollars  on  each  right 
for  72  Rights         ........ 

To  one  assesment  of  ^30  voted  to  David  Page  Esq. 
To  one  assesment  of  ^15   to  cutt   Marshall   road   at  4   sh.  3d.  per 
right,  collected       .....  .  . 

To  one  assesment  of  two  dollars  on  each  right  for  roads 

To  one  assesment  of  two  dollars  on  each  right  for  roads 

To  one  assesment  of  two  dollars  a  Right  for  lotting 

To  one  assesment  of  three  dollars  a  Right  for  lotting  out  said  town 


Brought  forward 


•      ^5 

8 

0. 

5 

8 

0. 

5 

8 

0. 

5 

8 

00. 

5 

8: 

0. 

5 

8 

0. 

1     5 

8 

0. 

£37 

16 

0. 

252 

9: 

5- 

£^9°- 

5: 

5-" 

Carried  forward 


"  1767.   The  Proprietors  of  the  Township  of  Lancaster  to  Edwards  Bucknam 
Dr. 

March  loth.     To  attending  their  meeting  at   the  house  of  David 

Page,  Esq.  as  their  clerk  at  6  sh.    .  .  .  .  .  .^0:6:0 

To  I  day  myself  attending  their  meeting  of  Mar.  12  by  adjournment, 

as  clerk         .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         0:6:0 

Oct.  23rd,  1772,  To  niNself  going  from  Hampton  to  Portsmouth  to 
advertise  a  Proprietors'   meeting,  35    miles,  three  days  myself 
&  horse  &  expenses        .  .  .  .  .  .  •  .  1:4:0 

To  paying  of  the  Printer  for  printing  ye  Warrants  .  .  .  0:18:   o 

1773  y^  \    To  myself  one  day  attending  the  Proprietois'  meeting  as 

June  8    \  clerk      .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  0:6:0 

1773 
August  26 


To  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 


£r-  6 


^      ,     >    To  one  day  attending  their  meeting 

May.  To  i  Day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
June.  To  i  Day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
Aug.  loth.     To  I  Day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

A'  ^    >    To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk    . 

1780 
Apl.  4th. 

1783 

Oct.  14th. 

1785 

Feb. 25th. 

Aug.  1 8th.     To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

^  ,     S    To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

June  20th.     To  h  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
Nov.  20.     To  h  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

^   '      ^v    /    To  h.  day  m3'self  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

Dec.  25th.     To  h  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 

\'         .    >    To  i  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
Jan  1st.  ^  ■'      ■'  01  o 


To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 
To  I  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk 


o  :  6 :   o. 

o  :  6 :   o. 

o  :  6 :   o. 

o  :  6 :   o. 

o  :  6 :   o. 

o  :  6  :   o. 

o  :  6  :   o. 


SOME    EARLY    PRIVATE   ACCOUNTS    WITH    THE   TOWN. 


197 


June.     To  i  day  myself  attending  Propr.  meeting  as  clerk      .  .       ^o  :  3:  o. 

1780.  >    To  myself  &  horse  three   days  going  from  Hampstead  to 
Feb.    ^  Exeter  &  to  Col.  Thornton  to  git  him  to   call  a  Propr. 

meeting  for  the  Proprs.  of  Lancaster  &  my  expenses  to  paying 
Col.  Thornton       .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .         0:6:6. 

PI      >    To  one  Bound  Book  to  Recording  the  Proprs.  Proceedings         o:io:  o. 


Brot  Forward  in  Silver 


£300:   7:   S. 


"July  2d.  1790.  Settled  the  above  acct :  and  Due  to  the  Pro- 
prietors of  Lancaster  from  Edwards  Bucknam  Esq.  as  Collector 
Eighteen  Pounds,  Sixteen  Shillings  and  four  jjence-half-penny. 

Jonas  Wilder  ^  Committee  of  the 

Emmons  Stockwell  >      Proprietors  of 
John  Weeks  _)      Lancaster." 

On   the  above  settlement  the   following  receipt,  in   the  handwriting  of  Capt. 
John  Weeks,  was  given  Bucknam  : 

"  Lancaster  July  2nd.  1790, 
"  Received  of  Edwards  Bucknam  Esqr.  Three  hundred  and  Ninety  pounds, 
twelve  shillings  in  full  of  all  Demand  against  him  and  against  the  late  David  Page 
Esqr :  deceased  as  Collectors  of  Taxes  for  the  Township  of  Lancaster  Excepting 
Eighteen  pounds.  Sixteen  shillings  and  four  pence-half-penny  which  sum  the  said 
Bucknam  is  now  Indebted  to  the  Proprietors  of  said  Lancaster  as  Collector  for 
said  Proprietors. 

Jonas  Wilder  \  Committee  of  the 

Emmons  Stockwell     >      Proprietors  of 
John  Weeks  j      Lancaster." 

"  1790       >    The  Proprietors  of  the  Township  of  Lancaster  to  Ed- 
July  gth.  ^  wards  Bucknam,  Dr. 

To  5  days  myself  serveying  in  running  the  Town  plot  Planing  the 
same  into  74  lots  &  assertaining  the  quantity  of  undivided  Land 
in  said  Town  at  12  sh.  per  day 

To  3  men  i  day  with  me  at  5  sh.  6  d.  per  day 

To  myself  3  days  surveying  at  12  sh.     . 

To  myself  6  days  at  surveying  at  12  sh. 

To  3  men  6  days  with  me  surveying  at  5  sh.  6d.     . 

Paid  to  Moses  Page  for  work  in  linding   hands   with    th 
days  at  5  sh.  6d.  •  .  .  .  . 

Due  Bill  by  the  committee    ..... 

Do         Do         Capt.  Weeks  .... 

Paid  Jonas  Baker  acct.  ..... 

Do  Dennis  Stanley  finding  hands  with  surveyor     , 

Paid  Emmons  Stockwell  account  with  surveyor 

Paid  Col.  Jonas  Wilder  acct.  with  surveyor   . 

T^      >    To  paying  I2sh.  for  Coppy  of  ye  Charter 


We  do  not  find  any  account  of  the  settlement  of  this  last  account 
among  the  private  papers  of  General  Bucknam,  and  as  the  Proprie- 


•    £3 

0 

0. 

0 

16 

6. 

I 

16 

0. 

3 

12 

0. 

4 

19 

0. 

e  surveyor  5 

I 

7 

6. 

I 

7 

6. 

0 

12 

0. 

14 

17 

0. 

I 

4 

9- 

9 

0 

0. 

•  33 

2 

9- 

0 

12 

0. 

£62: 

5: 

6." 

198 


HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 


tors'  Records  have  been  lost  we  have  no  source  of  information  ;    but  it 
was  probably  settled  as  other  accounts  of  Bucknam's  were. 

General  Bucknam  was  one  of  the  administrators  of  the  will  of  David 
•Page,  and  the  later's  private  accounts  fell  into  the  hands  of  Buck- 
nam, and  they  have  been  preserved  along  with  his  papers.  Among 
them  we  find  this  account  with  the  town : 


"  David  Page's  account  with  the  Proprietors  for  the  work  done. 

"  Lancaster  June  26th.  i 

"  To  one  days  and  half  work 

Nov.  1772  to  Four  days  work 

December         Eight  days 

April  1773       Two  days 

to  work  Fourteen  days  and  half 

To  work  three  days  and  half 

To  work  Four  days 

To  two  days 

To  Clearin  the  River     . 
November  1773  to  five  days  and  half 
February  1773  three  days  work 
April  1773  Five  days  work  . 

to  three  days  and  half    . 

to  work  Four  days 

to  two  days  at  Samuells 

to  four  days  man  . 

May  30  to  John  one  day 

June  2  day  three  and  half  same 
May  1774  to  work  at  the  highways  12  days 


774- 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


£0 

4 

6- 

0 

12 

o- 

I 

4 

o* 

0 

8 

o- 

2 

18 

o- 

0 

12 

o- 

0 

16 

o- 

0 

8 

o- 

0 

4 

o- 

0 

16 

6- 

0 

9 

o- 

I 

0 

o- 

0 

14 

o- 

0 

14 

o- 

0 

8 

0. 

0 

3 

0. 

0 

12 

0. 

1 

8 

0. 

^15:   8:   6.' 


THE   OLD-FASHIONED    HOLIDAYS— RELIGIOUS    HOLIDAYS, 
MUSTERS,    AND    RAISINGS. 

In  the  early  days  of  Lancaster  Christmas  was  not  observed  ex- 
cept in  the  breach  of  the  rule  for  its  observance.  The  Puritans  had 
condemned  it  as  savoring  too  much  of  Popery,  or  at  least  as  under 
the  patronage  of  the  church  of  England,  both  of  which  were  odious 
to  them.  The  people  here  were  influenced  by  the  conservative  no- 
tions of  their  ancestors  in  these  matters,  and  this  holiday,  now  so 
universally  observed  was  neglected  until  about  1875.  In  this  respect 
there  is  nothing  for  us  to  chronicle  in  Lancaster  that  was  not  com- 
mon in  almost  all  New  England  villages.  There  were  a  few  men, 
however,  who  did  make  some  account  of  Christmas,  chief  among 
whom  was  Captain  John  Weeks.  He  never  failed  to  call  around 
him  his  family  and  friends  to  partake  of  roast  goose  on  Christmas 
day. 


THE   OLD-FASHIONED    HOLIDAYS.  199 

Fast  day  had  not  lost  its  original  sigi^ificance  and  taken  a  new  mean- 
ing as  it  later  did.  It  was  observed  with  a  good  conscience.  From 
the  rise  of  the  sun  to  its  going  down  not  a  morsel  of  food  did  any 
one  dare  to  take.  This  strictness  was  not  peculiar  to  devout  and 
religious  people,  but  all  shared  in  it  alike.  It  was  the  one  day  of 
the  whole  year  when  the  conduct  of  saint  and  sinner  did  not  differ. 

There  came  a  time,  about  the  beginning  of  the  present  century, 
when  the  strictness  of  Fast  day  observance  began  to  relinquish  its 
hold  upon  a  portion  of  the  community.  With  a  settled  state  of 
peace  and  prosperity,  when  no  foreign  foe  seemed  to  be  lurking 
about  our  borders,  and  prosperity  had  come  to  the  country,  there 
seemed  less  reason  for  fasting,  and  more  reason  for  feasting.  Thanks- 
giving day  grew  more  important  from  year  to  year  until  it  had  sup- 
planted Fast  day  in  interest  for  the  masses.  Fast  day  began  to  be 
used  for  an  occasion  of  amusement.  The  older  people  took  it  more 
as  a  day  of  rest,  a  brief  respite  from  the  heavy  and  prolonged  labors 
common  in  the  life  of  the  early  times,  while  the  young  men  and 
boys,  with  a  surplus  of  energy  to  put  into  motion  made  it  an  occa- 
sion for  horseback  riding.  It  came  at  a  season  when  the  roads  were 
in  that  condition,  the  older  people  were  accustomed  to  call,  "  be- 
tween sleighing  and  wheeling."  In  fact  wheeled  vehicles  were  scarce 
at  the  time,  and  as  the  sleigh  was  no  source  of  comfort  in  the  mixture 
of  snow  and  mud  that  usually  characterizes  the  roads  on  that  day, 
they  naturally  took  to  horseback  riding.  This  practice  was  continued 
so  long  that  it  gained  that  force  of  custom  which  makes  a  thing 
respectable  in  the  eyes  of  those  who  participate  in  it.  If  the  men 
and  women  of  a  century  ago  could  see  a  troop  of  small  boys  dash- 
ing up  Main  street  at  a  break-neck  speed,  and  on  reaching  the  end 
of  the  street  wheel  round  and  dash  off  in  the  opposite  direction, 
repeating  the  process  for  hours,  on  the  Fast  day  of  to-day,  they 
would  think  it  a  most  oudandish  desecration  of  the  day.  But  the 
day  has  lost  its  original  meaning,  as  nobody  now  believes  that  he 
should  "mortify  the  flesh"  to  win  the  favor  of  God.  We  have  come 
to  think  that  God  is  pledged  to  the  help  of  all  his  creatures  in  the 
right.  We  know  now  that  we  must  think,  and  put  ourselves  in  right 
attitudes  to  enjoy  the  favor  of  the  All  Father.  We  do  not  regret 
that  civic  Fast  days  are  no  longer  kept  as  our  ancestors  kept  them, 
but  that  they  have  become  seasons  of  amusement. 

Our  modern  Memorial  day,  May  30th,  has  become  the  patriot's 
day  of  remembrance  of  national  and  individual  obligations. 

Memorial  day  was  first  observed  in  Lancaster  in  1869.  As  the 
day  for  its  observance  fell  on  Sunday  the  clergy  and  churches  were 
not  at  all  in  sympathy  with  it,  nor  did  either  take  part  in  the  observ- 
ances. The  old  soldiers  were  determined,  however,  to  do  honor  to 
the  memory  of  the  comrades  who  had  fallen  in  battle  at  their  sides, 


200  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

or  by  disease  in  camp  or  on  the  march.  As  they  appeared  upon  the 
streets  with  banner  and  music  the  sight  appealed  at  once  to  pubhc 
spirit  and  sympathy  and  the  people  followed  them  to  the  graves 
of  loved  and  honored  dead.  Since  then  the  clergy  and  churches 
have  been  in  most  hearty  accord  with  the  veterans  in  this  most 
becoming  memorial  of  our  deceased  soldiers. 

Lancaster  was  one  of  the  first  towns  in  the  northefti  part  of  the 
state  and  adjoining  parts  of  the  "north  country"  to  make  public  ap- 
propriations for  the  fit  observance  of  Memorial  day,  and  has  always 
been  very  liberal  in  its  support  of  Memorial  day  observances. 

Thanksgiving  day  was  the  great  day  that  every  boy  was  glad  to 
see  come,  as  it  meant  feasting  and  the  reunion  of  families ;  and  youth 
and  maiden  hailed  it  as  the  day  that  flooded  their  lives  with  sun- 
light, joy,  and  love.  Not  infrequently  the  day  was  preceded  by 
dancing,  as  the  evening  before  Thanksgiving  and  New  Year  were  set 
apart  to  that  amusement  into  which  the  young  people  of  every  com- 
munity entered  with  zest. 

This  holiday  has  changed  less,  perhaps,  than  any  other  on  the 
calendar.  To-day  the  people  spend  it  as  their  ancestors  did  a  hun- 
dred years  ago,  in  feasting  and  family  reunions.  Thanksgiving  does 
not  exceed  Christmas  to-day  as  a  holiday.  Everybody  keeps  Christ- 
mas, though  business  is  not  entirely  suspended  as  on  Thanksgiving 
day. 

The  holidays  of  the  early  settlers  that  gave  everybody  the  chance 
to  give  way  to  the  spirit  of  mirth  and  merry-making  were  the  muster 
da)^s.  The  general  muster  and  the  May  and  fall  trainings  were 
the  most  important  holidays.  These  were  the  days  of  all  days  that 
brought  the  people  together  for  a  real  hearty  time.  It  gave  the  boys 
a  chance  to  see  the  men  muster,  and  the  }'outh  of  eighteen  years 
was  included  among  the  men,  as  the  militia  requirements  included 
all  males  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five.  These  the 
captain  of  the  company  notified  to  appear  at  such  time  and  place  as 
seemed  most  suitable.  The  law  required  every  man  to  appear  at 
the  training  grounds  "armed  and  equipped  with  a  musket  and  bayonet 
in  good  condition,  knapsack,  canteen,  cartridge  box,  capable  of  hold- 
ing twenty-four  rounds  of  ammunition,  priming  wire  and  brush,  and 
two  spare  flints." 

It  was  a  custom  to  approach  the  officers'  quarters  before  sunrise, 
and  by  firing  of  guns,  beating  of  drums,  and  other  vociferous  dem- 
onstrations, "  wake  them  up,"  and  call  for  a  speech,  which  was 
always  supposed  to  be  closed  promptly  for  the  first  "  ration  of 
grog."  In  this  the  militia  were  never  disappointed,  for  rum  was 
considered  as  much  a  necessity  at  a  training  as  powder  was  in  a 
battle.  Without  those  potations,  a  muster  or  training  would  have 
been  a  tame,  perfunctory,  and  spiritless  performance  of  duty. 


THE    OLU-FASHIONED    HOLIDAYS.  201 

The  rudiments  of  military  exercise  were  quite  well  understood  by 
the  men  and  boys,  but  the  exercises  were  not  of  the  polished  and 
precise  order  that  the  many  old  soldiers  about  town  had  seen  in 
actual  service  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  the  War  of  1812. 
It  is  remembered  that  some  of  those  old  veterans  could  but  illy  con- 
ceal their  contempt  for  the  whole  performance,  and  we  need  not 
wonder  that  a  training  in  a  country  village,  removed  by  hundreds  of 
miles  from  the  scenes  of  war,  should  seem  a  sort  of  boy's  play  to  men 
who  had  seen  service  under  some  of  the  best  military  disciplinarians 
of  our  two  wars  with  Great  Britain.  That  we  give  a  better  impression 
of  the  early  drills,  I  will  insert  here  a  military  announcement  that 
went  the  rounds   in    1799,  and   a  "manual  of  arms"  used  at  that 

time : 

"  Hanover,  New  Hampshire, 

"  27th.  June,  1799. 
"  Brigadier  Genl.  Bucknam, 
"Sir: 

"  Major  General  Brewster  is  informed,  by  a  communication  from  His  Excel- 
lency Governor  Gilman,  of  his  intention  to  review  the  2nd  Division  of  Militia,  in 
the  Month  of  September  next.  If  agreable  it  is  the  Major  General's  wish  that 
you  would  attend  a  meeting  of  the  Field  Officers  of  some  of  the  Regiments  in 
your  Brigade  (to  whom  notice  will  be  given  by  the  Major  General)  at  the  dwell- 
ing house  of  Major  Joseph  Bliss  in  Haverhill  on  Monday  the  fifteenth  day  of  July 
next,  at  two  o'clock  afternoon,  to  concert  the  most  proper  measures  to  advance 
the  respectability  of  the  Grafton  militia  on  the  occasion.  A  general  review  of  as 
many  regiments  as  it  may  be  practicable  to  convene  together  is  contemplated.  It 
is  a  favorite  object  with  the  Major  General  that  the  Sixth  Brigade,  which  he  has 
lately  had  the  honor  of  commanding,  as  their  Brigadier,  should  at  the  Review 
make  a  display  of  as  great  taste  and  knowledge  in  military  art  as  any  other  corps 
in  the  State  of  New  Hampshire. 

«'  By  order  of  Major  General  Brewster, 

"  Wm.  Woodward,  Aid  de  Camp. 

"P.  S.  Be  so  kind  as  to  inform  the  field  officers  of  the  twenty-fourth  regi- 
ment of  the  meeting  and  request  their  attendance.     \V.  W." 

The  following  "  manual  of  arms,"  in  the  handwriting  of  General 
Bucknam,  though  it  bears  no  date  or  other  mark  by  which  we  can 
be  certain  of  the  fact,  was,  no  doubt,  prepared  for  this  or  similar 
occasions,  when  it  was  desired  that  his  brigade  should  make  a  good 
appearance  in  the  muster  or  review.      It  ran  as  follows : 

1 1 .  Draw  Rammer. 

12.  Ram  down  cartrage. 

13.  Return  Rammer. 

14.  Shoulder  firelock. 

15.  Order  firelock. 

16.  Ground  firelock. 

17.  Take  up  firelock. 

18.  Shoulder  firelock. 

19.  Secure  firelock. 

20.  Shoulder  firelock. 


'  I . 

Attention. 

2 . 

Raise  firelock. 

3- 

Cock  firelock. 

4- 

Take  aim. 

5- 

Fire. 

6. 

Half  cock  firelock. 

7- 

Handle  cartrage. 

8. 

Prime. 

9- 

Shut  pan. 

10. 

Cliarge  with  cartrage. 

202  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

21.  Fix  Bayonet.  25.   Charge  Bayonet. 

22.  Shoulder  firelock.  26.   Shoulder  firelock. 

23.  Present  arms.  27.   Advance  arms. 

24.  Shoulder  firelock.  28.   Shoulder  firelock." 

Having  gone  through  these  evolutions  in  the  "  manual  of  arms," 
the  instructions  of  the  manual  continues  : 

.    "The  Colonel  then  commands  by  Platoons to  the  right  Wheel  march,  the 

whole  wheel  by  platoons  to  the  right  and  march  by  the  General,  the  Colonel  at 
the  head  of  the  Batahon  with  the  Major  behind  him  followed  by  the  Drums  of  the 
Right  Wing  the  Adjutant  on  the  left  of  the  fifth  platoon. 

"  The  officers  and  colors  salute  when  within  eight  paces  of  the  General  and  the 
Colonel  having  saluted  advances  to  him." 

"  Inspection  of  batalion  : 

"After  having  been  reviewed,  the  officers  fall  into  the  ranks,  the  colonel  then 
orders  By  Companies  to  the  Right  Wheel,  march  —  a  quater  round  then  halt, 

when  Captain  orders  non-comiccioned  officers  to  the  front  march the  officers 

take  post  4  paces  &  non-commissioned  2  paces  in  front  of  their  Companies 

the  whole  when  the  General  is  within  30  paces  order  Present  Arms.  When  ye 
General  arives  on  the  left  then  the  Colonel  orders  Shoulder  Firelocks. 

"  The  Inspector  begins  on  ye  right  with  ye  field  &  staff  officers  &  inspects  the 
companies  and  when  inspection  is  over  the  Colonel  forms  the  batalion  and  causes 
any  exercises  or  manoevre  the  Inspector  shall  think  proper." 

The  old  soldiers,  the  remnants  of  noted  armies,  were  the  leaven 
that  leavened  the  whole  mass,  for  the  citizen-militia  took  great  pains 
to  imitate  their  military  carriage  and  manners.  Poor  as  the  militia 
training  must  have  been,  one  can  yet,  at  this  late  day,  tell  who  had 
the  good  fortune  to  share  in  its  advantages,  for  it  had  great  advan- 
tages. There  is  a  remnant  of  the  old-timers  left  who  profited  by 
the  training  of  those  musters,  and  they  show  it  in  their  bearing  and 
manners,  that  are  above  those  of  the  younger  generation  in  point  of 
elegance.  It  would  be  well  if  the  young  men  of  to-day  could  have 
some  such  training.  It  would  relieve  them  of  much  awkwardness 
that  is  characteristic  of  the  movements  of  the  younger  men  of  our 
day.  In  the  graded  and  well-managed  schools  of  the  cities  and 
larger  villages  this  is  partly  made  up  by  a  system  of  drills  that, 
while  they  are  not  in  accordance  with  military  discipline,  are  yet 
beneficial  in  correcting  the  faults  of  bearing  and  manner,  and  teach 
a  boy  how  to  use  his  legs  in  an  orderly  fashion.  It  is  to  be  regret- 
ted that  our  system  of  public  education  does  not  make  a  greater 
effort  at  training  the  youth  to  bear  themselves  in  better  form  than 
they  drift  into  if  left  to  their  own  unguided  habits. 

In  the  autumn  came  the  half  day  of  drills,  but  the  great  day  was 
that  of  the  general  muster.  The  only  regiment  of  the  section  was 
the  old  Twenty-fourth,  which  for  a  long  time  was  enrolled  from  the 
whole  of  Coos  county,  giving  a  well-selected  quota  of  men  of  good 
bearing  in  the  ranks.     The  only  "Independent  Company"  was  the 


THE    OLD-FASHIONED    HOLIDAYS.  203 

troop.  This  company  was  a  well-mounted  one;  the  men  were  good 
riders,  and  at  one  time  numbered  as  many  as  forty  horsemen.  Their 
uniforms  were  quite  imposing,  consisting  of  black  trowsers,  red  coats 
with  black  trimmings,  helmets  of  leather  with  scarlet  sides  and  red 
plumes  eight  inches  long  standing  erect,  with  bear  skin  trimmings 
extending  from  the  front  over  the  tops  of  the  caps,  while  yellow 
bands  and  gorgeous  tassels  dangled  over  their  backs.  Their  arms 
consisted  of  long  sabres,  a  pair  of  "horse  pistles  "  in  holsters  cov- 
ered with  bear  skin. 

The  most  popular  commanders  of  this  company  were  Captains 
Thomas  Carlisle,  Charles  Hilliard,  and  John  Loomis.  There  were 
several  other  persons  who  shared  in  the  honor  and  distinction  of  the 
command  of  this  noted  company,  but  these  I  have  named  were  the 
notables  among  them  all. 

This  company  took  the  leading  part  in  all  the  manoeuvres  and 
sham  fights  which  invariably  closed  a  regimental  muster.  They 
bravely  charged  against  the  infantry  squares,  discharging  their  pis- 
tols and  retreating  as  the  manual  called  for.  For  this  performance 
a  good  horse  was  an  important  factor.  The  horses  differed  as  much 
as  the  men.  Some  of  the  horses  used  in  the  troop  were  remarka- 
ble for  the  intelligent  spirit  with  which  they  entered  into  the  duties 
of  the  occasion.  Most  notable  among  them  was  a  large,  black 
horse  with  a  white  face,  that  Maj.  John  Weeks  brought  from  the 
army  at  the  close  of  the  War  of  18 12,  and  which  was  always  in 
demand  at  the  musters.  He  was  a  fine  beast,  with  a  high  step  and 
proud  manner.  When  dressed  in  his  regimental  trappings,  he  mani- 
fested great  pride  and  seemed  to  know  his  part  as  well  as  his  rider, 
and  not  infrequently,  it  seemed,  he  knew  it  a  little  better  than  his 
rider.  This  animal  was  used  in  several  regiments,  being  passed 
from  one  to  another  for  some  years. 

In  1823  an  artillery  company  was  formed,  with  John  Wilson  as 
captain,  and  in  1828  Capt.  Perley  Foster  settled  in  Whitefield,  and 
military  organizations  and  activities  at  once  revived.  He  was  a 
great  religious  and  military  enthusiast.  He  had  been  in  the  regular 
army,  and  managed  a  gun  on  McDonough's  fleet  in  the  battle  on 
Lake  Champlain.  This  service  gave  Captain  Foster  great  prestige 
among  the  military  spirits  of  his  time.  He  soon  organized  a  rifle 
company,  the  ofificers  of  which  were  Capt.  Perley  Foster ;  Henry 
Fiske,  lieutenant;  Thomas  H.  Kimball,  ensign.  The  uniform  of 
this  company  consisted  of  blue  coats  richly  embellished  with  bright 
metal  buttons,  tall  bell-crowned  fur  hats,  with  shining  metallic  plates 
in  front  and  white  plumes  of  liberal  size  with  red  tips,  and  gaiters  of 
the  same  colors  as  the  head-gear.  This  company  soon  became  very 
popular  with  the  people.  Among  the  boys  who  drank  in  all  this 
inspiration    and    military  glory  from   the   standpoint  of  lookers-on^ 


204  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

was  Captain  Foster's  own  son,  who  won  great  distinction  in  the  late 
War  of  the  RebelHon — Maj.  and  Maj.-Gen.  John  G.  Foster. 

One  who  saw  those  musters  can  never  forget  the  joy  it  gave  the 
boys  to  see  their  fathers,  uncles,  and  sometimes  older  brothers, 
deport  themselves  creditably  on  the  training-field,  and  win  the 
applause  of  their  neighbors — the  old  men,  women,  and  children. 

One  of  the  old-time  stones  told,  is  that  of  the  muster  held  here  in 
1845,  on  H.  F.  Holton's  plain.  Gen.  R.  M.  Richardson  commanding. 
A  company  of  infantry,  sometimes  called  "flood  wood,"  from  an 
adjacent  town,  appeared,  and  were  without  musical  escort,  so  the 
captain  applied  to  Allen  Smith,  an  18 12  drummer,  and  Stephen 
Hayes,  a  veteran  fifer,  for  the  occasion.  As  this  company  appeared 
on  the  field,  these  old  veterans  struck  up  the  "  Rogue's  March,"  and 
the  company  was  placed  in  line.  Anything  that  was  music  was 
good,  and  as  no  one  of  the  company  knew  much  about  different 
tunes,  it  passed  off  well  until  the  captain  was  told  how  he  and  his 
men  came  on  the  field.  "Thunder!  "  said  the  captain,  "I  supposed 
it  was  Hail  Columbia."     The  band  hid  immediately. 

All  this  may  look  to  the  younger  generation  of  our  day  as  the 
glory  of  a  child's  play  with  his  "  tin  soldiers,"  but  not  so,  as  the 
sequel  will  show.  There  came  an  evil  day  when,  through  the  mis- 
taken greed  of  a  few  men,  the  state  was  induced  to  pay  for  the  ser- 
vice rendered  on  the  training  field.  The  true  military  spirit  that 
had  moved  the  men  of  the  early  days  to  such  a  wonderful  degree 
began  to  decline,  and  the  paid  service  was  rather  looked  down  upon 
as  a  sort  of  mercenary  chance  to  earn  a  small  fee.  The  pride  and 
glory  of  the  old-time  musters  and  trainings  passed  away,  and  left 
the  people  no  adequate  compensation  for  the  care  they  had  exer- 
cised all  those  years  to  keep  a  class  of  citizen  soldiers  in  proper 
training.  I  do  not  question  the  superior  organization  of  the  militia 
under  the  later  arrangement,  but  it  removed  it  too  far  from  the  peo- 
ple. The  new  order  of  militia  no  longer  interested  the  masses,  giv- 
ing pleasure  to  the  men  and  nothing  less  than  unbounded  joy  to  the 
boys,  as  the  old  system  did.  Its  glory  had  departed,  and  the  pleas- 
ures it  afforded  to  old  and  young  has  become  a  memor)'  only. 

The  decline  of  the  musters  and  trainings  did  not  leave  the  people 
without  a  holiday  or  day  of  recreation,  for  the  "raisings"  took  the 
place,  in  a  large  measure,  of  the  day  of  amusement  afforded  by  the 
musters.  The  raising  of  a  large  building  in  early  times  was  no 
small  affair.  To  raise  the  heavy  hewn  frames  called  for  all  the  able- 
bodied  men  in  the  neighborhood,  for  the  builders  had  to  rely  on 
them  for  help.  The  frames  were  generally  very  heavy,  as  the  sills, 
plates,  posts,  and  beams  were  seldom  less  than  eight  inches  square, 
and  of  solid  timbers.  If  the  building  was  to  be  a  large  one,  it 
would   require   upwards  of  fifty  men  to   raise  it.     Accordingly  the 


THE    OLD-FASHIONED    HOLIDAYS.  205 

requisite  number  would  be  invited,  and  that  gave  the  boys  a  holi- 
day. Every  boy  for  miles  went  to  the  raising  to  which  the  men  of 
his  family  were  invited ;  they  felt  entitled  to  that  much  pleasure,  at 
least,  to  see  the  building  go  up.  Whether  they  were  permitted  to 
partake  of  the  dinners  provided  on  such  occasions  for  the  workmen, 
and  the  potations  that  were  considered  an  indispensable  article  at 
raisings,  my  information  does  not  warrant  me  in  stating,  farther  than 
that  almost  any  boy  could  be  useful  on  such  an  occasion  in  some 
capacity  when  he  was  counted  a  worker  among  the  company.  If 
he  were  not  large  enough  and  industrious  and  curious  enough  to 
carry  water  for  the  crowd,  carry  tools  to  the  workmen,  or  run 
errands,  then  we  are  not  so  sure  about  his  prestige  and  standing. 
He  probably  stood  afar  off  with  open-mouthed  wonder  at  the  ope- 
rations going  on  before  his  sight.  It  may  well  be  counted  a  misfor- 
tune to  any  one  who  has  never  been  a  boy  at  a  raising,  first  as  an 
on-looker,  then  as  actor  in  some  humble  capacity,  as  the  carrying 
of  the  water-pail  or  handing  the  tools  to  the  busy  workmen,  and, 
finally,  taking  a  man's  part  in  the  more  responsible  parts  of  the  ope- 
ration, an  experience  the  younger  generation  knows  nothing  of. 

When  invitations  were  extended  to  man  or  boy  to  attend  a  rais- 
ing, it  was  in  good  faith,  and  no  one  thought  of  treating  such  an 
invitation  with  any  slight  whatever,  as  he  would  be  expected  to  be 
present  or  give  some  plausible  excuse  for  his  absence.  When  all 
hands  were  present  on  the  grounds,  a  friendly  drink  was  taken,  and 
then  the  business  was  proceeded  with  in  the  following  fashion  : 

First  the  two  sides  of  the  structure  were  put  together  on  the  sills 
and  underpinnings  and  securely  pinned  in  the  joints.  Long  poles 
called,  in  the  vernacular  of  the  trade,  "  follerin  poles,"  were  chained 
to  the  upper  and  outside  corners.  The  next  step,  generally,  was  to 
stop  and  take  another  drink  preparatory  to  the  tug  of  war  that  was 
coming.  This  feature  of  the  business  being  attended  to,  and  all 
being  in  perfect  readiness,  the  master  workman  distributes  the  men 
at  such  places  in  which  he  thinks  they  can  best  serve.  The  oldest  and 
most  trusty  men  were  assigned  to  the  task  of  tending  the  foot  posts, 
to  guide  the  tennon  into  the  mortice  as  the  framed  side  rises  serenely 
in  the  air,  The  master  workman  now  took  a  position  from  which  he 
could  see  all  his  men,  and  from  which  all  could  see  him  as  he  gave 
orders.  He  called  out  in  lusty  and  commanding  tones,  "  Are  you 
all  ready?"  When  all  had  responded  affirmatively  to  the  question, 
he  commanded,  "  Pick  'er  up,"  in  response  to  which  every  man  laid 
out  his  strength  to  comply  with  the  command.  The  frame  was 
lifted  as  high  as  men  could  lift  by  hand,  when  handspikes  and  pike- 
poles  were  brought  into  use.  The  master  workman  next  called  out, 
"  Heave  at  the  follerin-poles."  The  "  foUerin-poles  "  having  been 
duly  "  heaved  on,"  the  frame  was  raised  until  the  tennons  sank  home 


206  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

in  the  mortices,  and  the  whole  side  reached  a  perpendicular  position. 
It  was  then  securely  fastened  by  temporary  braces  and  stays.  The 
second  side  went  up  after  the  same  manner  as  the  first,  after  which 
•'  all  hands  took  another  drink,"  and  had  a  short  breathing  spell. 
They  next  proceeded  with  ends,  and  middle  timbers  of  the  frame,  in 
the  same  manner  as  with  the  sides.  At  this  point  a  situation  of 
affairs  was  reached  in  which  the  courage  and  agility  of  the  more 
venturesome  and  level-headed  young  men  could  show  off  their  skill 
to  great  advantage.  Some  one  was  needed  to  mount  to  the  corners 
and  guide  the  tennons  into  the  mortices  and  pin  them  together.  This 
task  generally  fell  to  the  lot  of  apprentices  at  the  carpenter's  trade, 
or  the  carpenter's  assistants,  called  joiners  and  finishers,  or  in  the 
absence  of  such,  to  some  young  man  possessed  of  the  requisite 
courage  and  skill  for  a  task  so  far  above  ground. 

Once  the  body  of  the  frame  was  up,  and  the  beams  in  place,  the 
next  step  was  that  of  placing  the  rafters  in  position,  a  pair  at  a  time, 
when  they  would  be  securely  pinned.  This  done,  the  work  of  pin- 
ning the  ribs  to  which  the  shingles  were  to  be  fastened  was  divided 
between  two  forces  that  strove  for  the  privilege  of  placing  the  ridge- 
pole, which  privilege  belonged  to  the  party  that  got  their  ribs  on 
first.  This  was  the  finishing  touch  of  a  raising,  the  last  thing  the 
assembled  crowd  could  do  for  the  building.  The  time  for  merri- 
ment had  come.  Although  many  drinks  had  been  indulged  in  up 
to  that  point,  nobody  would  be  drunk,  just  a  little  jolly,  with  once  in 
a  while  one  a  little  hilarious. 

Hon.  James  W.  Weeks  gives  the  following  account  of  this  kind  of 
ceremony.  It  was  a  large  barn  on  the  place  of  Asahel  Allen,  where 
Phineas  Hodgdon  now  lives,  that  was  raised   and   to  be   "  named  "  : 

"The  Southend  of  the  frame  stood  ten  or  twelve  feet  from  where 
Allen  afterward  had  his  cooper  shop  for  making  pearl-ash  barrels, 
so  that  the  ridge-pole  at  that  end  of  the  building  must  have  been 
fully  forty  feet  high.  Two  men,  one  at  each  end  of  the  frame,  clam- 
bered to  the  ridge-pole,  bottle  in  hand,  and  on  reaching  the  top  or 
ridge,  stood  erect.  The  one  at  the  south  end  called  out,  'This  is  a 
fine  frame  and  deserves  a  good  name.'  All  hands  responded, 
'  Oh,  yes  !  Oh,  yes  ! '  and  'What  shall  we  call  it?'  The  man  on  the 
north  end  of  the  ridge  responded  by  giving  a  high-sounding  name, 
upon  which  the  man  at  the  other  end,  James  Meserve,  once  a  sailor, 
responded,  '  Oh,  yes  !  '  and  proceeded  to  recite  some  doggerel  verse 
that  ended  in  these  lines : 

'  The  owner  is  a  cooper,  a  jolly  old  soul, 
We  11  drink  all  his  rum,  but  leave  the  ridge-pole.' 

"  Standing  erect,  they  drained,  each  one,  his  bottle,  while  all 
hands  below  cheered  in  the  loudest  tones.  All  took  another  drink, 
and  the  raising  was  over,  every  man  started  for  his  home.  So  ended 
the  old-fashioned  raisings." 


TEMPERANCE    ORGANIZATIONS.  20/ 

CHAPTER    XVIII. 

TEMPERANCE  ORGANIZATIONS. 

Sixty  years  ago  there  were  no  temperance  organizations,  and 
little  was  said  or  done  in  the  way  of  agitating  what  we  call  the  tem- 
perance question  to-day.  In  fact,  it  may  be  doubted  if  the  people 
of  that  time  had  any  questions  ov^er  the  drink  habit.  About  every- 
body drank  New  England,  or  West  India,  rum,  and  kept  a  little 
brandy  in  the  house  for  special  occasions,  as  in  times  of  sickness, 
marriages,  births,  funerals,  and  the  visits  of  the  minister.  The 
laborers  in  the  field  had  their  dram  at  eleven,  and  again  at  four 
o'clock,  and  thought  it  sustained  their  flagging  energies  against  the 
excessive  toils  incident  to  pioneer  life. 

With  all  this  habitua-l  drinking,  the  people  of  the  town  could  not 
be  called  drunkards.  It  was  extremely  rare  for  one  of  those  old- 
time  fellows  to  become  what  they  called  a  "  toper,"  or  what  we  now 
call  a  drunkard.  Every  family  kept  a  supply  of  rum,  which  was 
considered  as  much  of  a  necessity  as  bread.  Those  who  could 
afford  it  generally  laid  in  at  once  enough  to  last  through  the  year. 
If  one  expected  to  have  a  log  house,  or  a  frame  one,  or  a  "  clearing 
bee,"  during  the  course  of  the  year  he  must  have  some  rum  to  treat 
his  neighbors  properly.  The  most  casual  caller  would  expect  some- 
thing set  out  to  drink,  and  he  who  did  not  comply  with  that  custom 
was  considered  by  his  friends  and  neighbors  as  too  "  close-fisted  and 
stingy"  to  be  respectable.  If  on  any  occasion  any  one  imbibed  too 
freely  and  became  drunk  or  disorderly,  he  was  scorned  by  his 
neighbors,  and  his  sin  was  rebuked  by  his  minister.  These  habits 
were  deeply  imbedded  in  the  social  life  of  this,  as  other  New  Eng- 
land communities. 

When  grave  offences  were  committed  against  law,  public  senti- 
ment, or  morality,  the  fact  was  not  then,  as  now,  charged  to  the 
drink  habit.  The  quantity  of  alcohol  in  their  drinks  was  not  very 
great,  and  then  the  rugged,  out-door  life  they  led  did  not  make 
them  such  ready  victims  to  its  ravages  as  are  the  victims  of  drink  at 
the  present  time.  There  is  a  superstition  or  tradition  that  the  liquor 
was  purer  then  than  now ;  but  that  was  only  relatively  true.  It  is 
true  that  there  was  much  less  adulterated  liquor  used  then  than  now. 
But  that  it  was  purer  than  the  same  article  that  is  made  to-day,  is 
not  true.  It  is  very  true  that  the  alcohol  in  the  liquor  of  to-day, 
that  is  procured  in  dram-shops,  is  not  as  injurious  as  are  the  adul- 
terants that  are  put  into  it  to  increase  the  profits  to  the  venders. 

Whisky  was  not  much  used,  and  but  little  known,  in  Lancaster 
until  about  1815,  when  its  manufacture  from  potatoes  was  com- 
menced.     Even   then    it  was   not   regarded   as  fit  for  use,   but  was 


208  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

shipped  off  to  trade  for  other  commodities.  It  was  of  such  a  fiery 
nature  as  to  literally  burn  the  throat  of  the  drinker,  and  no  one 
cared  for  it  save  as  a  source  of  revenue  or  gain. 

Up  to  1845  there  had  never  been  known  a  case  of  delirium 
tremens  in  town.  Some  years  previous  to  that  date  drinks  contain- 
ing larger  proportions  of  alcohol,  and  also  adulterated  drinks,  had 
produced  a  number  of  drunkards,  some  of  whom  suffered  from 
delirium  tremens  about  the  middle  of  the  present  century.  As  this 
condition  of  affairs  became  somewhat  common,  a  number  of  ladies 
began  to  make  a  move  to  induce  the  men  to  take  the  pledge  to 
abstain  from  intoxicating  drinks.  This  was  not  an  organized  move- 
ment at  first,  but  after  a  few  years  it  opened  the  way  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  "  Total  Abstinence  Society,"  under  the  auspices  of 
w^hich  meetings  were  held  about  town  in  the  schoolhouses.  As  is 
the  case  in  such  movements  the  pledge  was  signed  chiefly  by 
women  and  children  who  of  all  classes  least  needed  the  reform.  It 
no  doubt  did  the  boys  good  to  pledge  themselves  against  drinking; 
but  the  men  most  addicted  to  the  evil  habit  were  not  easily  induced 
to  make  so  strong  a  resolve  as  to  quit  drinking  rum  and  gin.  The 
movement  had  some  good  results  in  creating  a  public  sentiment 
against  drunkenness.  Even  habitual  drinkers  began  to  leave  off 
drink  to  some  extent.  They  would  fall  back  into  the  old  habit  on 
holidays,  town-meetings,  musters,  and  other  occasions.  The  men 
of  Lancaster  who  had  been  convinced  that  drink  was  a  serious  evil 
began  to  moderate  their  habits  rather  than  abstain  from  the  use  of 
liquor  altogether. 

The  legislature  in  1791  passed  a  law  entitled  "An  act  to  regulate 
licensed  houses,"  which  remained  in  force  until  far  into  the  present 
century.  It  provided  that  no  person  should  carry  on  the  calling  of 
"  taverner  or  retailer "  of  liquors  without  a  license  procured  from 
the  selectmen  of  the  town.  A  violation  of  this  feature  of  the  law 
subjected  the  offender  to  a  fine  of  forty  shillings,  and  any  one  could 
sue  for  the  same  and  recover  for  himself  half  the  fine,  the  other  half 
going  to  the  county.  Such  license  had  to  be  duly  recorded  in  the 
town  records. 

A  license  could  only  be  issued  for  a  term  of  one  year.  The  law 
provided  that  no  taverner  should  suffer  any  of  the  inhabitants  of  the 
town  to  remain  in  his  house  tippling  after  nine  o'clock  p.  m.,  or  on 
the  Sabbath,  nor  at  any  time  to  drunkenness,  nor  should  he  sell  to 
minors,  or  servants,  without  their  parent's  or  master's  consent.  He 
should  not  allow  any  gaming  of  any  kind  to  be  conducted  in  his 
house  or  on  his  premises.  The  retailer  was  not  allowed  to  sell  any 
mixed  drinks  of  any  kind  in  less  quantity  than  one  pint,  and  that 
was  not  to  be  allowed  to  be  drunk  on  his  premises.  All  these 
provisions  were  backed  up  by  fines  ranging  from  twenty  to  forty 


TEMPERANCE    ORGANIZATIONS.  209 

shillings  for  each  and  every  offence.  In  the  main  they  were  lived 
up  to  by  the  taverners  and  store-keepers.  I  cannot  learn  that  any 
of  them  ever  violated  these  provisions  in  this  town. 

One  finds  many  such  licenses  recorded  on  the  town  records. 
They  were  granted  to  many  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town, 
including  the  names  of  Emmons  Stockwell,  Fortunatus  Eager, 
Edwards  Bucknam,  Jonas  Wilder,  Richard  C.  Everett,  Sylvanus 
Chessman,  Stephen  Wilson,  Artemas  Wilder,  Jr.,  John  Toscan, 
Jonathan  Carlton,  Thomas  Carlisle  &  Co.,  Benjamin  Hunking, 
Francis  and  John  Wilson,  William  and  Noyes  Dennison,  Charles 
Baker,  Benjamin  C.  Stevens,  Ephraim  Mahurin,  Samuel  White,  and 
many  others  less  known  to  history  than  they,  but  all  keeping  their 
transactions  within  the  bound  prescribed  by  law.  Most  of  them 
were  simply  retailers  of  it  as  an  article  of  trade  in  their  stores,  where 
it  was  as  much  an  article  of  barter  and  trade  as  any  other,  and  sub- 
jected the  dealer  to  no  odium  or  condemnation  as  he  did  not  allow 
it  to  be  consumed  in  his  place  of  business.  This  line  of  trafftc,  how- 
ever, was  destined  to  suffer  a  great  change.  When  the  "  Washing- 
tonian  Movement "  reached  Lancaster  about  1845,  with  its  battle- 
cry  of  "  moral  suasion,"  the  stores  began  to  give  up  the  trade  in 
liquors  until  in  a  few  years  it  was  left  wholly  to  the  taverns.  The 
farmers  still  kept  their  supplies  in  their  cellars  to  be  used  at 
the  annual  "  butcherings,  sheep-washings,  sheep-shearings,  and  in 
haying." 

About  this  time  the  churches  began  to  take  active  measures 
against  intemperance.  The  Orthodox  Congregational  church, 
formed  in  1836  by  seceders  from  the  First  Congregational  church, 
had  pledged  themselves  in  their  church  covenant  not  to  use  dis- 
tilled liquors,  except  as  medicine.  No  church,  however,  had  been 
active  in  preaching  against  intemperance  openly  as  a  specific  evil. 
The  Washingtonian  movement  was  organized,  and  for  some  years 
did  much  good  in  counteracting  the  evil  of  intemperance.  As  a 
sort  of  offset  to  the  temperance  movement  there  sprung  up  a  habit 
of  brewing  so-called  "  health  drinks."  Among  these  were  spruce 
beer  and  birch  beer.  The  "  brewing  day,"  in  the  spring  of  the 
year,  was  one  of  much  importance.  The  tender  twigs  of  spruce, 
alder  bark,  and  tags  (the  catkins),  wild  cherry  bark,  mountain  ash 
bark,  princess  pine,  dandelion  roots,  and  various  other  roots  and 
barks,  that  might  be  thought  to  possess  flavoring  or  medicinal 
qualities,  were  sometimes  added.  This  medley  of  roots  and  barks 
were  boiled  and  the  liquid  strained  off  and  allowed  to  "work." 
This  was  the  spring  and  summer  tonic  of  many  of  the  best  families 
in  town.  This  stuff  was  no  better  than  some  of  the  drinks  the 
people  had  been  persuaded  to  give  up.  It  cultivated  an  appetite 
for  stronger  stimulants  much  more  effectively  than  it  "strengthened" 
15 


210  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

the  users  of  it.     Even  this  form  of  drink  did  not  escape  the  hearty 
denunciations  of  the  Washingtonians. 

From  1845,  down  to  within  a  few  years,  many  temperance  organ- 
izations were  instituted,  as  we  have  shown  elsewhere,  all  of  which 
have  contributed  to  the  development  of  a  sound  public  sentiment 
against  intemperance. 

The  public  action  of  the  town  in  relation  to  the  matter  are  of 
interest  to  the  student  of  social  affairs.  In  the  very  early  years 
grog  was  furnished  at  the  expense  of  the  town  in  connection  with 
labor  performed  on  the  highways,  bridges,  and  other  public  enter- 
prises. On  one  occasion  when  there  were  some  logs  drifted  against 
or  into  the  bridge  over  the  Connecticut  river,  the  town  voted  to 
authorize  Sylvanus  Chessman  to  notify  the  people  to  haul  them  off, 
and  at  the  completion  of  the  job  give  them  a  drink  of  grog  at  the 
expense  of  the  town;  and  again  in  1805,  when  the  bridge  over 
Isreals  river  was  torn  down  to  give  place  to  a  new  one,  the  town 
voted  to  invite  men  enough  to  do  the  work  with  no  other  compen- 
sation than  the  liquor  they  needed  to  drink  while  engaged  at  the 
work.  In  1830  sentiment  had  so  changed  that  the  town  voted  that 
no  part  of  the  money  voted  for  highways  should  be  spent  for  spirit- 
uous liquors. 

In  1846  there  was  an  article  in  the  warrant  for  the  annual  town- 
meeting,  asking  whether  the  town  would  instruct  the  selectmen  not 
to  grant  any  licenses  for  the  sale  of  liquors.  The  measure  was  de- 
ferred by  a  vote  to  postpone  action ;  but  the  postponement  was 
only  for  a  year  as  at  the  next  annual  meeting  a  vote  was  had  upon 
the  question  whether  "  it  was  expedient  to  prohibit  the  license  and 
sale  of  liquor  and  spirits."  Sixty-seven  votes  were  given  in  the 
afifirmative,  and  seventy-eight  in  the  negative.  This  was  not,  how- 
ever, a  full  vote.  Many  persons  did  not  vote  at  all,  as  is  shown  by 
the  fact  that  the  vote  for  governor  at  the  same  meeting  was  three 
hundred  and  thirty-five,  or  one  hundred  and  ninety  more  than  all 
the  votes  cast  on  the  license  question. 

Maine  had  her  prohibitory  law,  and  the  subject  of  prohibiting  the 
sale  of  liquors  as  the  surest  means  of  preventing  drunkenness  was 
gaining  ground  with  the  people.  The  discussion  of  the  subject 
drew  nearly  all  the  people  into  the  expression  of  their  opinions,  and 
of  course  there  was  little  to  be  said  in  favor  of  the  liquor  traffic,  and 
nothing  in  favor  of  the  use  of  alcoholic  drinks,  so  public  sentiment 
grew  stronger  with  the  passing  years,  until  at  the  annual  town-meet- 
ing of  1 85 1,  it  was  voted  not  to  license  taverns  or  stores  to  sell 
liquor.  This  was  done  under  the  old  local  option  law,  which  has 
later  given  place  on  the  statute  books  to  a  law  that  is  prohibitory  in 
its  aims. 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  211 

CHAPTER   XIX. 
POLITICAL  HISTORY. 

Lancaster  from  a  very  early  period  has  held  a  prominent  place  in 
the  political  history  of  the  state.  Its  earliest  settlers  were  men  from 
the  older  towns  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  seat  of  government,  and 
naturally  they  were  interested  in  the  affairs  of  state.  They  had, 
from  their  youth,  been  in  close  contact  with  the  leading  politicians 
and  statesmen  of  New  Hampshire  and  New  England.  Very  natur- 
ally when  they  had  become  the  prominent  men  of  a  new  town  they 
continued  to  feel  their  former  interest  in  the  important  questions  of 
state  somewhat  intensified  by  the  consciousness  of  added  responsi- 
bilities as  the  leaders  of  the  new  town. 

No  political  questions  of  any  great  magnitude  affected  Lancaster 
until  after  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War.  Previous  to  that 
time  the  questions  that  challenged  their  attention  and  interests  had 
been  one-sided  questions,  like  those  of  defence  against  the  Indians, 
French,  and  British,  and  the  Vermont  Controversy.  Those  were 
simply  business  affairs  that  did  not  require  party  action.  The  peo- 
ple comprised  a  unit  on  all  issues  involved  in  them ;  and  once  they 
were  settled  the  people  were  free  to  give  their  attention  to  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  policy  of  the  general  and  the  state  govern- 
ments. 

Though  far  removed  from  the  scenes  of  party  contest  that  went 
on  in  the  towns  along  the  seaboard,  the  men  of  Lancaster  were 
neither  ignorant  nor  indifferent  concerning  the  state  government. 

The  first  action  taken  on  any  political  measure  in  Lancaster  was 
at  the  annual  town-meeting  of  1783,  after  Meshech  Weare  had  been 
elected  president  of  the  provisional  government  that  preceded  the 
adoption  of  the  constitution  of  1784.  Much  dissatisfaction  with  the 
government  existed  in  some  parts  of  the  state.  Lancaster,  however, 
was  satisfied  with  the  form  of  government  and  voted  unanimously, 
"  That  the  present  form  of  government  now  in  force  in  this  state  be 
continued  in  full  force  until  the  loth  day  of  June,  1784."  There 
were  but  six  votes  cast  at  that  time,  but  they  were  all  in  favor  of 
the  government  as  it  then  existed. 

In  the  warrant  for  the  annual  meeting  of  1784,  every  voter  who 
paid  taxes  was  notified  to  bring  in  a  vote  for  president  of  the  state, 
and  a  senator.  Weare  received  eight  votes,  all  that  were  cast,  for 
president,  and  Moses  Dow  the  same  number  for  senator.  In  1785, 
the  thirteen  votes  of  the  town  were  cast  for  John  Langdon  for  presi- 
dent. In  1786  there  were  eleven  votes  cast  for  George  Atkinson 
for  president,  and  the  same  number  for  Moses  Dow  for  senator. 
The  same  number  of  votes  were  cast  for  the  Grafton  county  officers. 


212  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

maintaining  the  town's  habit  of  voting  unanimously  for  all  candi- 
dates. In  their  devotion  to  Atkinson  they  threw  their  votes  away 
as  he  only  received  a  few  hundred  of  the  whole  vote  of  the  state, 
which  was  eight  thousand.  His  votes  were  reckoned  among  "  eight 
hundred  scattering "  in  the  election  returns.  Just  what  was  Lan- 
caster's reason  for  voting  for  so  unpopular  a  candidate  we  do  not 
know.  He  must  have  numbered  some  of  the  leaders  here  among 
his  personal  friends  to  have  carried  the  entire  vote  of  the  town. 
Then,  too,  such  events  seem  to  indicate  that  a  few  men  must  have 
practically  controlled  the  majority  of  the  voters  in  town.  There 
seems  to  have  been  little  use  of  the  names  of  the  great  political 
parties  of  the  time,  for  they  are  not  mentioned  in  any  public  or 
private  documents  of  that  time.  We  find,  however,  the  use  of  other 
terms  that  indicate  pretty  well  how  public  opinion  ran  here.  In 
the  record  of  the  vote  for  state  officers  in  1787  the  town  clerk,  Gen. 
Edwards  Bucknam,  says:  "Twenty  votes  were  cast,  and  were 
divided  by  political  candidates.  Twelve  friends  to  popular  rights, 
however,  prevailed."  Gen.  John  Sullivan,  the  Federalist  candidate, 
received  the  votes  of  the  "twelve  friends  of  popular  rights." 
Whether  the  eight  voters  who  voted  against  General  Sullivan  should 
be  counted  as  anti-Federalists  we  have  no  assurance.  A  time  had 
come,  however,  when  an  intense  party  spirit  was  to  characterize  the 
voting  in  Lancaster.  The  formation  of  the  constitution  of  the 
national  government  was  to  bring  that  document  before  the  people 
for  adoption.  The  election  of  the  state  government,  that  was  to 
vote  upon  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States  in  1788,  was  one  of 
the  most  important  matters  that  had  ever  engaged  the  attention  of 
our  local  politicians  and  embryo  statesmen.  Six  states  had  already 
adopted  the  constitution,  and  others  were  to  act  about  the  same 
time  that  New  Hampshire  would,  which  made  it  a  matter  of  great 
importance  whether  the  friends  or  the  foes  of  the  constitution  should 
win.  A  few  hundred  votes  might  turn  the  scale  one  way  or  the 
other.  Langdon  and  Sullivan  were  candidates  for  president,  and 
divided  the  vote  nearly  even.  There  were  only  thirteen  votes  cast 
that  year.  Sullivan  received  six,  while  his  competitor  received 
seven. 

Later,  in  the  same  year,  when  the  first  election  for  members  of 
congress  occurred,  the  votes,  twenty-seven  in  all,  were  divided  as 
follows:  Samuel  Livermore,  eight;  Benjamin  Bellows,  eight;  Elisha 
Paine,  two ;  Christopher  Toppan,  one ;  Paine  Wingate,  one ;  John 
Pickering,  one,  and  Simon  Olcott,  six.  For  presidential  electors  the 
vote  stood  as  follows:  Beza  Woodward,  eight;  Benjamin  West, 
nine;  Elisha  Paine,  eight ;  Woodbury  Langdon,  nine;  Christopher 
Toppan,  eight;  Moses  Dow,  two,  and  Samuel  Livermore,  one. 

.Party   spirit  had    taken   possession    of   the   people,  and  contests 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  213 

began  to  be  bitter  and  earnest.  In  1788,  the  candidates  for  gov- 
ernor were  John  Langdon,  Republican,  and  General  Sullivan,  Fed- 
eralist. Langdon  received  eight  votes,  and  Sullivan  only  seven. 
Nearly  half  of  the  votes  of  the  town  were  not  cast  when  that  ofifice 
was  voted  for,  either  from  a  feeling  of  indifference  or  because  the 
factions  to  which  the  non-voters  belonged  had  no  candidates. 

The  election  of  1789  was  a  hotly-contested  one  as  there  were  four 
candidates  for  president,  and  all  of  them  were  good  men.  The  issue 
was  on  their  party  alliances  and  not  on  their  merits  as  statesmen 
or  their  efficiency  to  fill  that  office.  In  Lancaster  John  Picker- 
ing, Federalist,  received  every  vote  cast.  Pickering,  however,  was 
beaten  by  General  Sullivan  when  the  election  was  carried  before  the 
legislature.  When  the  election  came  around  the  following  year  with 
Pickering  as  Federalist  candidate  sixteen  votes  were  cast  for  him, 
with  only  four  against  him,  in  favor  of  Joshua  Wentworth.  Neither 
candidate,  however,  was  chosen  as  the  legislature  elected,  and  Dr. 
Josiah  Bartlett  was  their  choice. 

The  full  number  of  twenty-seven  votes  were  cast  at  this  election. 
Both  candidates  for  congress  in  1793,  Jeremiah  Smith  and  John  S. 
Sherbourne,  received  the  full  ^ote  of  the  town.  No  serious  changes 
had  taken  place  in  the  division  of  the  vote  on  other  officers  during 
the  last  few  years;  but  in  the  election  of  1794,  opinion  had  so  effec- 
tually changed  that  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  town  the 
whole  vote  was  given  to  Beza  Woodward  who  ran  for  governor  in 
opposition  to  John  Taylor  Gilman,  the  long-tried  Federalist  leader  of 
the  state.  The  number  of  votes  cast  that  year  was  thirty-five.  As 
once  before,  the  entire  vote  of  the  town  went  for  nothing  by  being 
given  to  the  candidate  who  stood  no  show  of  election,  as  Gilman 
received  four  votes  to  Woodward's  one.  During  the  long  term  of 
Governor  Gilman's  holding  the  office — thirteen  years — politics  in 
Lancaster  were  at  a  low  ebb.  It  is  impossible  to  discover  any  evi- 
dence of  more  than  the  most  common-place  interest  in  elections. 
Other  matters  seem  to  have  engrossed  the  attention  of  the  people. 
The  town  had  seventy  polls  in  1794,  and  its  wealth  had  increased 
considerably,  so  that  when  the  state  tax  reached  twenty-seven 
thousand  dollars  Lancaster's  proportion  was  thirty-eight  dollars 
and  eleven  cents,  which  was  a  large  sum  for  those  times.  The 
school  tax  was  one  hundred  and  sixty-six  dollars  and  sixty-seven 
cents,  one  third  of  which  had  to  be  paid  in  silver  money,  and  two 
thirds  could  be  paid  in  marketable  wheat  at  the  rate  of  one  dol- 
dollar  a  bushel.  The  people  were  more  concerned  about  paying  a 
little  more  than  two  hundred  dollars  taxes,  than  they  were  about  the 
difference  between  a  Federalist  and  a  Republican  acting  as  governor 
of  the  state. 

Under  the  lone  and  honest  administration  of  Governor  Gilman 


214  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  state  enjoyed  a  marked  degree  of  prosperity.  Law  and  order 
characterized  the  conduct  of  the  people  everywhere ;  and  a  good 
class  were  attracted  to  the  state  as  settlers.  Many  from  the  older 
communities  south  of  the  state  came  into  it  and  settled  upon  its 
cheap  and  abundant  lands.  In  this  general  immigration  Lancaster 
shared,  as  the  fame  of  the  Upper  Coos  country  had  gone  abroad. 
As  the  century  was  drawing  to  a  close  a  new  order  of  things  was 
apparent  in  the  life  of  the  town.  The  hard  struggle  for  existence 
was  to  give  way  to  a  better  condition  of  things.  New  settlers  were 
now  coming  to  buy  the  vacant  lands,  and  to  open  up  new  farms, 
and  build  homes.  Most  of  these  newcomers  were  men  and  women 
of  marked  worth  and  character.  From  Portsmouth,  Greenland, 
and  other  of  the  older  settled  towns  there  came  many  men  and 
women  of  ability,  of  mind  and  character,  and  fully  fitted  in  other 
respects  to  enter  into  the  renewed  life  of  the  town.  This  influx 
of  intelligent  population  made  many  improvements  of  things  pos- 
sible. They  changed  the  character  of  the  town  to  a  great  extent, 
though  their  political  relations  did  not  immediately  work  a  great 
change  in  the  party  standing  of  the  vote  of  the  town.  In  1801 
there  were  cast  for  Gilman  fifty-six  votes  for  governor ;  but  a  year 
later  he  only  received  fifty-three,  while  his  competitor,  John  Lang- 
don,  received  seven. 

A  point  had  been  reached  in  the  development  of  the  town  when, 
through  immigration  and  the  reaching  of  their  majority  of  a  large 
number  of  the  sons  of  the  older  settlers,  the  voters  rapidly  increased 
until  in  1804  there  were  ninety-nine  votes  cast  in  the  state  election. 
The  candidates  that  year  were  Gilman  and  John  Langdon.  Gilman 
received  ninety  votes  while  Langdon  got  only  nine.  The  contest 
was  a  hot  one  from  a  party  point  of  view.  The  two  great 
parties,  Federalist  and  Democratic-Republican,  were  bitterly  arrayed 
against  each  other  over  grave  national  issues.  The  election  of  Jef- 
ferson as  president  had  filled  the  Federalists  with  gloom.  They 
abused  the  president  and  predicted  all  kinds  of  calamities  as  certain 
to  take  place  because  of  the  change  in  the  party  administration  of 
the  general  government.  Lancaster  then  became  so  thoroughly 
aroused  over  party  politics  that  thenceforth  she  has  always  been 
divided  in  her  vote  on  strict  party  lines.  The  time  had  gone  by 
when  any  man  could  secure  all  her  votes  for  any  high  office  in 
either  state  or  national  governments. 

It  was  at  that  election  of  1804  that  the  first  ofificials  of  Coos 
county  were  elected.  Party  lines  did  not  hold  as  strictly  in  the 
selection  of  county  officers  as  they  did  in  the  election  of  state  and 
national  officers.  Although  Moses  P.  Payson  received  seventy-five 
votes  for  senator  in  the  twelfth  district  as  against  five  for  William 
Tarlton,  it  would  seem  that  many  voters  broke  over  the  party  lines 


POLITICAL   HISTORY.  21  5 

when  it  came  to  voting  for  county  officers.  William  Lovejoy  re- 
ceived eighty-seven  votes  for  register  of  deeds,  while  his  competitor, 
Stephen  Wilson,  only  received  two.  Joseph  Peverly  received  seven- 
ty-seven for  treasurer,  while  Jeremiah  Eames  for  the  same  office 
only  received  one.  Stephen  Wilson  was  a  good  man,  while  it  may 
be  doubted  if  Lovejoy  was  his  equal  in  point  of  popularity.  These 
facts  go  to  show  that  the  voters  were  governed  more  by  their  politi- 
cal opinions  or  preferences  for  particular  fitness  in  the  candidate  for 
office ;  and  that  they  had  got  done  voting  at  the  dictation  of 
prominent  local  leaders.  At  all  events  from  this  time  forward  the 
development  of  political  parties  went  on  more  rapidly  than  before 
in  town.  There  was  much  zeal  displayed  in  local,  as  well  as  state 
and  national,  politics.  Federalism  was,  and  had  been,  rampant  and 
triumphant  for  more  than  a  decade,  and  it  seemed  as  if  it  was  so 
thoroughly  entrenched  in  the  confidence  of  the  people  that  it  would 
hold  sway  for  many  a  year  to  come ;  but  such  appearances  were 
deceptive,  for  at  the  election  of  1805,  John  Langdon,  the  bitter  and 
obstinate  opponent  of  Federalism,  was  elected  governor  by  a 
majority  of  four  thousand.  For  some  years  the  vote  of  Lancaster 
was  so  divided  that  a  fair-sized  majority  went  to  the  support  of  the 
Democratic-Republican  party. 

The  prophesies  that  the  country  would  go  to  ruin  under  the  ad- 
ministration of  Jefferson  proved  false.  On  the  contrary  there  was 
much  prosperity  enjoyed ;  and  some  of  the  peculiar  doctrines  of 
his  party  were  either  ignored  or  violated  by  Jefferson,  as  in  the 
matter  of  the  "  Louisiana  Purchase."  The  president  and  his  party 
won  friends  everywhere,  even  in  far-off  Lancaster.  There  was  left 
but  a  remnant,  and  that  not  a  very  large  one,  of  the  Federalists.  At 
the  election  of  1808,  only  thirty-five  votes  were  cast  in  Lancaster. 
Of  them  Langdon,  Republican,  received  eight;  Oilman,  the  tried  and 
proven  Federalist,  received  sixteen.  Jeremiah  Smith,  Federalist, 
got  one  vote,  and  R.  C.  Everett,  ten.  This  was  evidently  due  to  the 
complete  reversion  of  political  power  in  the  election  of  1805,  for  the 
election  of  the  year  following  was  without  the  appearance  of  rivalry 
among  the  parties.  It  is  difficult  to  surmise  the  cause  of  such  a 
heavy  decline  in  the  votes  cast  for  the  two  popular  party  candidates 
in  1808,  on  any  other  ground  than  that  of  a  complete  indifference 
in  politics  from  the  defeat  of  1805,  during  the  next  two  years.  At 
all  events  but  few  of  the  people  voted.  Many,  no  doubt,  were  in- 
fluenced by  the  religious  opposition  to  Jefferson.  He  was  called  an 
atheist,  and  it  was  said  he  was  hostile  to  religion,  the  church,  and 
especially  the  Bible.  Jefferson  was  nothing  of  the  kind  nor  was  he 
hostile  to  church  or  Bible.  Good  old  Deacon  Wilder  was  one  of 
the  "false  prophets"  in  Lancaster;  and  as  he  was  popular  in  the 
church  probably  influenced  many  persons  into  a  state  of  political  in- 


2l6  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

difference  during  the  few  years  referred  to.  The  events  leading  up 
to  the  embargo  act,  and  the  non-intercourse  act,  had  the  effect  to 
arouse  the  FederaHsts,  who  were  the  chief  commerciaHsts  of  New 
England,  to  renewed  activity  in  1808.  The  excitement  did  not 
reach  Lancaster,  however,  that  year ;  but  in  the  following  year  the 
town  felt  the  influence  of  the  mighty  wave  of  public  sentiment  that 
was  sweeping  over  the  entire  country.  The  commerce  of  the  country 
was  being  ruined  ;  and  industries  of  every  kind  were  being  paralysed. 
The  commerical  prosperity  enjoyed  for  many  years  by  Portsmouth 
had  been  completely  ruined  ;  and  the  Federalists  believed  that  the 
Republican  administration  and  party  were  responsible  for  it.  The 
Federalists  wanted  our  marine  protected  against  British  and  French 
interference,  and  the  administration  had  suffered  it  to  be  outraged  on 
the  very  coasts  of  our  own  country.  A  distrust  and  revulsion  of 
public  sentiment  favored  the  chances  of  the  Federalist  party  coming 
back  into  power;  and  in  1809  there  was  one  of  the  hottest  party 
contests  that  have  ever  •  been  seen  in  this  country.  A  Federal 
delegation  to  congress  had  been  secured  in  New  Hampshire.  This 
gave  the  Federalists  new  hopes,  and  they  put  forth  most  heroic 
efforts  to  carry  the  state,  which  they  did  by  a  majority  of  a  little 
more  than  two  hundred  for  Jeremiah  Smith  as  governor.  Nearly 
thirty-one  thousand  votes  were  cast,  while  at  the  preceding  elec- 
tion not  more  than  fifteen  thousand  votes  were  thrown,  of  which 
Langdon,  Republican,  had  received  thirteen  thousand,  and  Oilman, 
Federalist,  twelve  hundred  and  sixty-one,  with  a  few  hundred  scat- 
tering votes  for  other  candidates. 

In  1809  Lancaster  aroused  from  her  indifference.  While  she  had 
but  thirty-five  votes  in  1808,  in  1809  she  cast  ninety-five  votes, 
of  which  Jeremiah  Smith,  Federalist,  received  seventy-three,  and 
Langdon,  Republican,  twenty-two.  A  renewed  interest  in  politics 
was  taken,  and  in  18 10  one  hundred  and  eight  votes  were  cast,  of 
which  Jeremiah  Smith  received  eighty-five  and  Langdon  twenty- 
three.  This  marks  quite  a  growth  in  the  Federal  party.  That 
party,  however,  had  gained  control  of  the  entire  state  government 
and  the  delegation  in  congress.  This  tidal  wave  of  political  rever- 
sion turned  back  in  the  opposite  direction  the  next  year,  and  as 
completely  put  everything  in  the  hands  of  the  Republicans.  A 
compensation  for  this  may  be  found  in  the  fact  that  it  spared  New 
Hampshire  the  humiliation  that  would  have  inevitably  followed  the 
election  of  a  senator  and  members  of  congress  opposed  to  the  ad- 
ministration, and  such  a  party  representation  in  congress  might  have 
prevented  the  declaration  of  war,  a  calamity  that  would  have  been 
simply  incalculable  in  its  effects  upon  the  destiny  of  the  United 
States.  The  Federalists  of  New  England  were  blind  to  the  faults  of 
Great  Britain,  while   they  magnified   the   sins  of  France  against  our 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  2  1/ 

commerce  into  gigantic  proportions.  The  Republicans,  on  the  con- 
trary, were  bold  to  denounce  the  wrongs  of  England  against  our 
commerce.  Federalism  had  a  strong  hold  upon  Lancaster  voters, 
who  were  conservative,  and  seem  to  have  had  less  respect  for  the 
national  government  than  their  otherwise  patriotic  conduct  in  the 
past  would  lead  one  to  expect.  There  was  a  remnant  of  the  people 
of  the  state,  however,  that  were  moved  by  the  recollection  of  British 
wrongs  to  Americans,  and  in  the  election  of  i8ii  gave  Langdon  a 
majority  of  nearly  three  thousand  votes.  This  called  upon  him  an 
unmerited  amount  of  abuse  from  the  Federalist  party  of  the  state. 
They  forgot  his  patriotic  services  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution,  and 
heaped  upon  him  every  imaginable  reproach ;  but  the  legislature 
supported  his  policy,  and  together  they  held  the  state  to  her  duty 
during  that  period  of  crisis.  The  Federalists  boldly  talked  of  sepa- 
ration from  the  Union  and  an  alliance  with  England.  While  that 
sentiment  was  sustained  by  many  voters  in  this  town,  there  were  few 
who  dared  openly  to  advocate  it.  Much  strong  feeling  existed  on 
the  subject. 

In  1 8 ID,  during  the  period  of  intense  party  strife,  the  question  of 
the  revision  of  the  state  constitution  was  voted  on.  Lancaster  gave 
but  one  vote  in  favor  of  it,  and  forty  against  it.  This  was  not  a 
political  question,  and  as  party  strife  ran  high,  neither  party  cared 
to  risk  any  change  in  the  constitution  lest  it  should  operate  against 
its  future  welfare. 

In  the  election  of  1812  the  full  strength  of  the  Federalist  party 
was  shown  by  its  vote  in  this  town.  All  the  candidates,  among 
whom  was  Daniel  Webster,  candidate  for  congress,  received  ninety- 
one  votes,  while  the  opposition  only  carried  twenty^-seven.  The 
Republicans — or  as  they  were  then  beginning  to  be  called,  Demo- 
crats— carried  the  election,  securing  the  election  of  William  Plumer, 
Jr.,  as  governor.  He  had  been  up  to  that  date  a  Federalist,  but 
upon  the  stirring  questions  of  the  day  he  could  no  longer  be  classed 
with  the  Federalists.  Through  the  campaign  of  that  year  Plumer 
was  accused  before  the  public  as  having  been  once  a  zealous  Bap- 
tist preacher,  and  then  an  unbeliever.  The  fact  that  he  was  for 
years  a  Federalist,  and  had  become  a  Democrat,  was  charged  against 
him.  Through  the  sectarian  religious  prejudice,  as  well  as  party 
prejudice,  against  him  and  Judge  Smith,  the  election  was  thrown 
into  the  legislature,  where  he  received  one  hundred  and  four  votes 
to  eighty-two  against  him,  in  favor  of  Oilman.  He  made  a  good 
governor,  and  carried  New  Hampshire  proudly  through  the  War  of 
18 12.  His  Democratic  predecessor  had  kept  the  state  militia  in 
good  condition,  so  that  when  Plumer  came  into  office  he  found  it 
no  hard  task  to  comply  with  the  demands  upon  the  state  for  sol- 
diers for  the  war  then  upon  the  country.     Lancaster  was  not  slow  in 


2l8  HISTORY    OF  LANCASTER. 

responding  to  that  call,  for  Capt.  John  W.  Weeks  raised  a  company 
and  was  attached  to  Col.  Moody  Bedel's  regiment,  the  Eleventh 
United  States  Infantry,  mainly  made  up  of  New  Hampshire  men. 
A  majority  of  the  one  hundred  and  forty-six  men  in  Captain  Weeks's 
company  were  Democrats;  some  of  them,  after  their  return  to  civil 
life,  were  among  the  leading  local  politicians  of  that  party. 

Party  lines  were  closely  drawn  in  Lancaster.  The  excitement  and 
the  issues  at  stake  in  the  war  did  not  change  the  relative  number 
of  votes  between  the  parties.  In  the  election  of  1814  the  Federal- 
ists cast  ninety-one  votes  for  Oilman,  while  only  twenty-nine  were 
given  Plumer.  The  small  vote  for  the  latter  is  to  be  accounted  for 
in  the  absence  of  so  large  a  number  of  men  in  the  army  who  were 
Democrats,  and  who,  had  they  been  at  home  would,  no  doubt,  have 
given  Plumer  nearly  as  large  a  vote  as  Oilman  received.  The  Fed- 
eralist party  had  espoused  a  bad  cause  in  obstructing  certain  meas- 
ures of  the  war,  which  was  now  drawing  to  a  close  with  a  complete 
vindication  of  the  position  taken  by  the  Democrats.  The  Federalist 
party  had  received  its  death  wounds,  inflicted  by  its  own  hand.  Its 
adherents  in  Lancaster  yielded  slowly  and  with  anything  but  patri- 
otism and  gracefulness.  As  a  condemned  party  it  died  hard.  Men 
of  prominence  continued  to  vote  with  it  long  after  its  doom  was 
sealed  by  public  sentiment  recorded  in  a  vote  against  it  that  in- 
creased every  year  by  a  significant  majority  throughout  the  country. 
This  general  decline  of  their  party  had  no  effect  upon  Lancaster 
Federalists ;  they  adhered  to  the  dying  party  with  a  devotion  that 
was  anything  but  commendable.  As  late  as  18 16,  when  Joseph 
Sheafe  of  Portsmouth  was  the  Federalist  candidate  for  governor, 
he  received  seventy-two  votes  to  thirty-nine  for  Plumer,  who  was 
elected  by  a  decisive  majority.  The  Federalists  sustained  a  com- 
plete defeat,  as  had  been  foreseen  by  Oilman,  who  refused  to  be  any 
longer  his  party's  candidate  for  governor. 

Seeing  their  party  was  going  to  its  doom,  many  Federalists 
voted  for  Plumer  in  181 7.  He  received  that  year  fifty-one  votes, 
the  same  number  that  Sheafe  did.  For  state  senator,  the  vote  was 
the  same. 

In  the  following  year  there  were  only  ninety-one  votes  cast,  of 
which  Plumer  received  fifty-one,  and  Jeremiah  Mason  forty.  Plumer 
was  elected  by  about  the  same  relative  majority  throughout  the  state 
that  he  received  in  Lancaster.  The  pace  of  Federalist  decline  had 
been  set,  and  Lancaster  was  falling  into  line  for  a  change  to  the 
opposite  party. 

In  the  election  of  18 19  the  difference  had  grown  still  greater,  for 
Samuel  Bell,  Democratic  candidate  for  governor,  received  fifty-seven 
votes,  while  William  Hale,  Federalist,  only  received  thirty-nine. 
The  votes  for  members  of  congress  show  a  most  remarkable  depart- 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  219 

ure  from  the  party  vote  for  governor.  No  less  than  fifteen  persons 
were  voted  for,  with  the  following  results :  Josiah  Butler,  forty-nine ; 
William  Plumer,  Jr.,  forty-three;  Nathaniel  Upham,  forty-eight; 
Clifton  Claggett,  forty-four;  Joseph  Buffum,  Jr.,  forty-one ;  Arthur 
Livermore,  seventy-six  ;  Joseph  Buffum,  five  ;  William  Plumer,  one  ; 
Jeremiah  Smith,  forty-three ;  John  Haven,  forty-two ;  Stephen 
Moody,  four;  Parker  Noyes,  forty-one;  Levi  Jackson,  forty-one; 
Mills  Olcott,  thirty-six ;  Jonathan  Wilcox,  two.  This  result  of  vot- 
ing was  partly  due  to  the  irregular  manner  of  bringing  congres- 
sional candidates  before  town  elections,  but  mainly  to  the  spirit  of 
political  independence  that  characterizes  people  at  the  time  of  party 
decadences  when  they  are  readjusting  themselves.  The  voters  were 
disposed  to  assert  some  right  to  select  the  men  of  either  party 
most  in  favor  with  them.  Besides,  the  so-called  "Era  of  good 
feeling  "  was  at  hand  in  which  everybody  was  rejoicing  at  the  re- 
turn of  prosperity  and  peace.  Our  country  had  taken  her  stand 
on  great  international  questions,  and  had  won  the  day.  The  na- 
tion was  honored  abroad  and  loved  at  home.  The  Federalists 
were  heartily  ashamed  of  the  part  they  played  in  that  great  drama, 
and  the  Democratic-Republican  party  had  covered  itself  with  honor 
by  its  management  of  the  war  and  the  manner  in  which  national 
harmony  was  produced.  A  spirit  of  perfect  union  and  concord 
was  now  ushered  in.  Party  spirit  ran  low  at  the  time.  Samuel 
Bell,  Democratic-Republican  candidate  for  governor  in  1820, 
received  nearly  all  the  votes  of  the  town,  one  hundred  and  twelve, 
with  seven  recorded  as  "scattering."  No  great  excitement  took 
place  over  the  election  of  president.  It  was  a  foregone  conclusion 
that  Monroe  would  be  elected.  At  the  November  election  the 
highest  number  of  votes  cast  for  electors  was  twenty-three  for  Ezra 
Bartlett.  William  Plumer  received  twenty,  and  the  other  six,  from 
eight  to  nineteen  votes.  There  was  little  to  indicate  party  spirit 
except  that  a  few  Federalist  votes  were  cast  for  Jeremiah  Mason  and 
Jeremiah  Smith  in  the  election  of  1821.  The  former  got  one  vote, 
and  the  latter  six,  while  Samuel  Bell  was  honored  with  one  hundred 
and  fourteen.  Ezekiel  Webster  also  got  two  votes.  Bell  had  proven 
himself  a  good  executive  ofificer  and  had  won  the  confidence  of  the 
people,  and  therefore  he  received  the  bulk  of  the  votes.  Nothing 
was  to  be  gained  by  voting  him  down  for  another,  though  any  of 
his  rivals  that  year  were  his  equal  in  worth  and  ability  as  citizens 
and  statesmen. 

In  the  following  year  Bell  received  ninety-seven  votes,  and  Mason 
only  three.  Not  more  than  three  fourths  of  the  people  voted,  for 
there  must  have  been  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  voters 
in  town  at  the  time.  In  the  election  of  1823,  party  spirit  again 
broke    out  in   something   of   its   old-time  fervor.      Samuel  Dinsmore 


220  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

was  the  Democratic-Republican  candidate,  with  young  Levi  Wood- 
bury opposing  him.  Lancaster  gave  Dinsmore  one  hundred  and 
nine  votes,  and  thirty-one  to  Woodbury.  John  Wilson  was  elected 
representative  that  year  on  party  issues,  as  Adino  N.  Brackett  had 
been  two  years  before.  The  vote  for  congressman  was  much 
divided.  Edmund  Parker  received  fifty-five,  Richard  Odell  thirty, 
and  Arthur  Livermore  thirty-six.  There  were  that  year  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  voters  in  town,  only  one  hundred  and  twenty-one 
of  whom  exercised  the  right  of  franchise.  This  would  seem  to  indi- 
cate considerable  indifference  in  the  matter  of  party  relations.  The 
next  year  the  country  was  much  stirred  over  the  four  candidates  for 
president,  and  New  Hampshire,  and  Lancaster  even,  partook  of  that 
excitement.  The  four  candidates  of  that  campaign  Vv'ere  Andrew 
Jackson,  John  Quincy  Adams,  Henry  Clay,  and  William  H.  Craw- 
ford. An  effort  had  been  made  to  secure  regular  party  candidates 
through  the  Caucus  System,  but  it  failed,  and  the  campaign  degen- 
erated into  a  personal  scramble  for  the  office,  giving  rise  to  the 
designation  of  the  campaign  as  "  The  scrub  race  for  the  presidency." 
So  far  as  New  Hampshire  was  concerned  the  issues  of  the  race  lay 
between  Adams  and  Jackson.  The  real  issue  was  over  the  so-called 
construction  of  the  constitution  of  the  United  States.  The  terms 
"Loose"  and  "Close  Constructionists"  were  used  to  determine 
whether  the  candidates  favored  a  close  or  loose  construction  of  the 
constitution  in  regard  to  matters  of  "  Internal  Improvements  and  a 
Tariff  for  the  Protection  of  American  Industries."  These  designa- 
tions so  completely  ignored  the  old  party  names  that  they  became 
the  forerunners  of  a  new  name  and  new  party.  Adams  was  elected 
as  a  "  Loose  Constructionist "  by  the  house  of  representatives,  as  the 
popular  vote  failed  to  make  a  choice.  Because  of  the  united  oppo- 
sition to  Adams's  administration  of  the  "  Strict  Constructionists," 
the  Democratic-Republican  party,  which  by  this  time  was  struggling 
to  either  swallow  or  drop  its  tail  and  go  by  the  designation  of 
Democrats  alone,  Adams  and  Clay,  led  their  factions  under  the 
name  of  "  National  Republicans,"  which  name  a  few  years  later  was 
changed  to  that  of  "Whigs."  Under  both  those  names  the  party 
maintained  the  Loose  Construction  principles  of  the  Federalist 
party.  In  that  memorable  campaign  Lancaster  gave  Levi  Wood- 
bury, Jacksonian  Democrat,  one  hundred  and  twelve  votes,  and 
David  L.  Morril,  Loose  Constructionist,  twenty-five  votes  only.  For 
electors  the  Adams  candidates  all  received  fifty-four  votes,  except 
Moses  White  who  received  only  forty  ballots. 

Both  of  the  leading  parties  had  lost  their  distinctive  names  and 
had  come  to  accept  others  not  calculated  to  last  long  as  they  simply 
designated  a  national  policy  that  would  certainly  be  settled  soon. 
This  directed   attention  to  the  ability  and  integrity  of  the  candidates 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  221 

to  carry  that  question  of  the  construction  of  the  constitution  to  an 
early  issue.  In  the  election  of  1825,  coming  within  a  week  of  the 
inauguration  of  Adams  and  Calhoun,  the  Loose  Construction  party's 
candidate,  David  L.  Morril,  all  but  carried  the  town  of  Lancaster 
unanimously,  for  he  received  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  votes, 
with  only  two  against  him.  In  the  state  he  received  nearly  thirty 
thousand  as  against  five  hundred  and  sixty-three,  set  down  as 
"  scattering."  The  elections  were  conducted  with  reference  to 
national  questions ;  there  were  no  state  or  local  political  questions 
in  this  state  or  town. 

Andrew  Jackson  was  growing  in  popularity,  and  his  name  had  in 
it  a  charm  for  the  old-time  Democrats.  Adams  was  losing  popu- 
larity all  the  time.  When  Benjamin  Pierce  was  put  forward  in 
1826,  as  a  Jacksoriian  Democratic  candidate  for  governor,  he  proved 
to  be  the  most  popular  man  before  the  voters.  He  received  one 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  votes  in  Lancaster,  and  Morril,  who  had 
been  so  popular  the  year  before,  only  got  twenty-four  votes.  The 
excitement  over  the  two  champions — Adams  and  Jackson — was  so 
great  as  to  call  out  the  heaviest  vote  ever  cast  in  Lancaster,  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-three.  So  popular  had  Pierce  become  that  the  next 
year  he  received  an  almost  unanimous  vote  throughout  the  state. 
This  year  John  W.  Weeks  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  as  a 
Jacksonian  Democrat,  and  Richard  Eastman  was  elected  as 
representative. 

Matters  were  shaping  themselves  to  involve  Lancaster  in  the  hot- 
test political  contest  she  had  ever  seen.  As  politics  had  turned  so 
largely  upon  personal  leadership,  instead  of  on  political  questions,  the 
contest  that  was  coming  for  1828  was  to  be  a  hot  one.  Jackson's 
grievances  had  been  preached  all  over  the  country  so  much  that  the 
masses  began  to  sympathize  with  him  as  a  wronged  man.  His 
heroism  at  the  battle  of  New  Orleans — his  marked  personality — 
appealed  to  the  people  strongly ;  they  were  anxious  to  vindicate 
him. 

At  the  March  meeting  of  that  year,  John  Bell,  the  Adams  can- 
didate, received  one  hundred  and  two  votes,  while  Pierce,  the 
Jacksonian  candidate,  got  eighty-eight.  This  shows  a  marked  gain 
of  the  Jackson  party.  In  the  November  meeting  for  choice  of 
presidential  electors,  the  Adams  candidates  received  one  hundred 
and  fourteen  votes  to  one  hundred  for  the  Jackson  men.  Jackson 
was  elected  president,  however,  and  when  another  election  occurred 
his  influence  was  visible  in  the  result  of  the  ballot.  The  Adams 
candidate,  John  Bell,  only  received  ninety-five  votes  for  governor, 
while  Pierce  carried  one  hundred  and  twelve  votes.  Pierce  was 
badly  beaten  in  the  state,  but  that  did  not  cool  the  ardor  of  his 
party  whose  hero-leader  was  in  the  presidential  chair.     Of  the  two 


2  22  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

hundred  and  ten  voters  in  town,  two  hundred  and  seven  cast  their 
votes  at  that  election  There  was  no  indifference  to  stop  any  one 
from  voting  then,  as  had  often  been  the  case  before.  Party  feeHng 
and  party  zeal  were  rife  that  were  to  crystallize  into  two  strong  na- 
tional parties.  The  next  year,  1830,  shows  another  hot  contest  be- 
tween the  followers  of  the  two  great  champions.  Matthew  Harvey 
was  the  Jacksonian  candidate  for  governor,  with  Timothy  Upton 
arrayed  against  him  as  an  Adams  man.  There  was  a  decided  Dem- 
ocratic gain,  for  Harvey  got  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  votes,  and 
Upton  only  ninety-six.  The  Adams  party  were  not  holding  their 
own  in  the  contests,  while  the  Jackson  party  were  making  rapid  gains. 
It  was  at  this  election  that  Jared  W.  Williams  was  first  elected  rep- 
resentative as  a  Jacksonian  Democrat.  That  was  the  beginning  of 
a  bright  political  career  for  Williams.  He  entered  public  life  on 
the  high  tide  of  Jacksonian  Democracy,  and  held  his  place  until  his 
death. 

The  campaign  of  1831  was  a  hotly  contested  one,  and  one  of 
considerable  interest  to  Lancaster.  The  candidates  for  governor 
were  Samuel  Dinsmore,  Democrat,  and  Ichabod  Bartlett,  an  Adams 
man,  who  still  held  to  the  Federalist  principles.  Bartlett  was  one 
of  the  most  famous  lawyers  in  the  state,  ranking  with  Daniel  Web- 
ster, Levi  Woodbury,  and  Jeremiah  Mason.  Party  ties  were  strong 
and  could  not  be  broken  for  even  so  gifted  a  man  as  Bartlett.  His 
devotion  to  doctrines  held  by  Adams  was  against  him.  His  op- 
ponent received  one  hundred  and  forty-four  votes,  while  he  only 
secured  seventy-nine.  The  state  and  town  were  too  much  de- 
voted to  Jackson  to  swerve  an  inch  for  even  the  best  men  in  the 
state.  The  vote  for  members  of  congress  this  year  was  substan- 
tially the  same  as  that  for  governor,  with  the  exception  of  Maj. 
John  W.  Weeks  of  Lancaster,  who  received  a  heavier  vote  than  any 
other  candidate.  He  was  one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the 
town,  and  as  a  matter  of  compliment  some  of  his  neighbors  crossed 
the  party  lines  to  vote  for  him.  The  following  year  showed  no 
important  change  in  the  situation;  the  same  candidates  for  gov- 
ernor were  up  and  received  substantially  the  same  vote  as  the  year 
before.  Dinsmore  received  one  hmidred  and  thirty-eight,  and  Bart- 
lett sixty-six.  Nineteen  less  votes  were  cast  than  on  the  previous 
year,  which  was  of  more  interest,  as  members  of  congress  were 
elected  that  year,  and  in  1832  only  state  and  county  officers  were 
elected,  which  did  not  call  out  the  full  vote. 

The  year  1833  was  of  uncommon  interest  in  the  history  of  poli- 
tics in  this  state,  as  in  that  campaign  the  Adams  party  almost 
entirely  disappeared  from  the  political  arena.  Incredible  as  it  may 
seem,  the  party  of  John  Quincy  Adams,  the  lingering  relic  of  Fed- 
eralism, received  almost  no  votes  that  year.     The  party's  candidate 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  223 

for  governor,  Arthur  Livermore,  one  of  the  most  noted  jurists  in  the 
state  and  a  man  of  unimpeachable  character,  only  received  three 
thousand  nine  hundred  and  fifty-nine  votes  in  the  entire  state,  while 
his  competitor,  Samuel  Dinsmore,  received  twenty-eight  thousand 
two  hundred  and  seventy-seven.  Dinsmore  carried  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven  votes  in  Lancaster,  and  Francis  Ferrin  of  Lancas- 
ter, one. 

The  following  year  the  vote  for  governor  was  almost  unanimous. 
William  Badger  received  one  hundred  and  eleven  out  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirteen  cast  in  this  town.  Jared  W.  Williams  was  elected 
to  the  state  senate  by  a  handsome  majority,  as  was  Richard  Eastman 
to  the  house  of  representatives.  The  Jacksonian  Democracy  was 
now  dominant  throughout  the  country.  Devotion  to  Jackson's  party 
was  about  synonynous  with  patriotism.  Jackson  had  gotten  his 
opponents  under  his  feet,  and  his  party  was  following  his  example 
everywhere. 

William  Badger  of  Gilmanton  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for 
governor  in  1834,  and  received  one  hundred  and  eleven  votes  in 
Lancaster,  while  Ichabod  Bartlett  could  count  but  two.  Badger's 
vote  in  the  s^ate  was  twenty-eight  thousand  five  hundred  and  forty- 
two,  as  against  one  thousand  six  hundred  and  thirty-one  for  Bartlett. 

These  annual  contests  were  often  reversed  in  a  measure,  and  it 
happened  that  in  1835  the  Whig  candidate  carried  away  from  his 
Democratic  competitor  many  votes.  Joseph  Healey,  Whig  candi- 
date for  governor,  received  about  fifteen  thousand  votes  in  the  state, 
and  seventy-one  of  them  were  cast  for  him  in  Lancaster,  as  against 
one  hundred  and  twelve  for  Badger,  the  Democrat. 

Until  this  time  New  Hampshire  had  no  party  leader  who  was  not 
the  shadow  of  some  politician  of  national  prominence ;  but  there 
was  coming  the  time  when  one  of  her  own  sons  was  destined  to 
become  the  controlling  spirit  in  her  political  contests.  That  person- 
ality was  Isaac  Hill  of  Concord.  Isaac  Hill  had  been  in  Concord 
as  editor  of  the  Amei'ican  Patriot  since  1809;  and  now,  after 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  of  devoted  service  to  politics,  he 
had  succeeded  in  moulding  public  opinion  after  the  fashion  of  his 
own  mind.  He  was  a  man  of  decided  convictions  and  tireless  ener- 
gies. He  wrote  with  great  force  and  clearness,  carrying  to  others 
the  sincere  convictions  that  prompted  him.  Naturally,  he  had  be- 
come the  most  influential  politician  in  the  state,  and  was  destined 
to  be,  henceforth,  the  controlling  spirit  of  the  Democratic  party; 
and  so  effectually  did  he  dominate  it  that  it  was  not  long  before  the 
term  "Isaac  Hill  Democrat"  was  as  current  as  "Jacksonian  Demo- 
crat" had  been.  The  hero  of  New  Orleans  was  eclipsed  by  the 
editor  of  the  Patriot  in  New  Hampshire.  Mr.  Hill  had  been  named 
by  President  Jackson  for  a  place  in  the  treasury  department  in  1830, 


224  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

but  the  senate  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination.  Hill's  next  move 
was  to  secure  his  election  to  the  United  States  senate,  which  he 
easily  accomplished. 

Isaac  Hill  was  master  of  the  political  situation  in  New  Hampshire, 
for  he  had  the  most  devoted  support  of  such  men  as  Pierce,  Hibbard, 
Atherton,  and  others  of  ability  and  prominence  throughout  the 
state.  His  will  was  supreme  in  the  councils  of  his  party;  and  when 
he  planned  one  of  those  annual  political  contests  it  always  went 
as  he  directed.  Success  attended  his  leadership,  and  his  friends 
became  evermore  devoted  to  him.  When  he  sought  election  as 
governor  in  1836,  he  carried  everything  before  him.  In  Lancaster 
he  received  ninety-eight  votes,  while  Joseph  Healey,  Whig,  secured 
but  one  vote.  More  than  one  half  of  the  voters  did  not  vote  that 
year,  for  Lancaster  had  nearly  two  hundred  and  thirty  polls  at  the 
time.  The  Whigs,  as  the  successors  of  the  Federalists,  were  quite 
numerous  in  Lancaster ;  but  they  lacked  leadership  to  bring  them 
into  action  against  such  an  organized  force  as  the  "  Isaac  Hill 
Democrats,"  with  local  leaders  like  Jared  W.  Williams  and  Maj. 
John  W.  Weeks,  and  still  others  younger  and  more  ardent  than 
these. 

It  is  worthy  of  note,  though  not  of  any  political  or  party  signifi- 
cance, that  at  this  election  a  vote  was  called  for  the  expediency  of 
erecting  an  asylum  for  the  insane.  The  vote  was  seventy  in  favor 
of  the  measure,  with  only  eight  against  it  in  this  town.  Pretty 
nearly  the  same  unanimity  was  expressed  by  the  towns  of  the  state, 
and  the  asylum  was  erected  at  Concord.  There  was  no  political  or 
organized  effort  made  against  this  object.  The  votes  cast  against 
it  were  simply  such  as  are  always  cast  against  any  public  expendi- 
tures by  people  too  ignorant  or  selfish  to  appreciate,  or  discrimi- 
nate in  regard  to  such  measures. 

The  election  of  1837  was  even  more  perfectly  dominated  by  the 
Hill  party  than  that  of  the  preceding  year.  The  old  governor 
received  every  vote  cast  for  that  ofifice,  unless  the  town  clerk  was 
remiss  in  his  duty  of  making  proper  record,  for  not  a  vote  was 
recorded  as  cast  for  the  Whig  candidate.  Isaac  Hill  received 
ninety-nine  votes.  Jared  W.  Williams  was  elected  to  congress  with 
no  votes  cast  for  his  rival ;  but  strange  as  it  may  seem,  Adino  N. 
Brackett,  a  Whig  of  pronounced  opinions,  was  elected  to  the  legis- 
lature. This  must  be  accounted  for  on  the  ground  of  his  superior 
fitness  for  that  office  which  he  had  filled  a  number  of  terms  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  all  persons  regardless  of  party. 

A  time  had  now  come  when  Lancaster  was  to  become  the  scene 
of  hot  party  contest.  The  Whigs  had  been  without  local  or  state 
leaders  of  any  magnetism  or  ability  to  cope  with  so  formidable  a 
rival  as  Isaac  Hill  and  his  cohorts.      The  Whig  party  was  without  a 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  225 

press  to  advocate  their  doctrines.  They  now  began  to  organize  and 
establish  newspapers  for  their  dissemination.  In  Lancaster  a  com- 
pany of  the  most  prominent  Whigs  was  formed  for  the  publication 
of  a  newspaper,  the  White  Monntain  y^gis,  published  under  the 
firm  name  of  A.  Perkins  &  Co. 

The  paper  was  edited  by  Apollos  Perkins,  and  the  composition 
and  press  work  were  performed  by  himself  and  another  young  man 
by  the  name  of  J.  F.  C.  Hayes,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  a 
resident  at  Groveton,  where  he  died  April  30,  1898.  For  a  full  ac- 
count of  this  paper  the  reader  is  referred  to  Chapter  11,  Part  II, 
of  this  history.  This  paper  was  very  ably  edited.  Its  first  issue 
was  on  Tuesday,  May  22,  1838,  in  which  the  editor  presented  an 
address  to  his  patrons,  in  which  he  set  forth  his  aims  to  conduct  a 
thoroughly  sound  Whig  newspaper,  holding  ever  to  the  principles  of 
Washington  and  his  compatriots.  The  editorials  were  very  able,  and 
its  influence  in  arousing  the  lethargic  Whigs  in  Lancaster  and  other 
towns  in  Coos  county  can  be  seen  in  the  first  election  held  after  the 
launching  of  this  new  enterprise.  The  March  meeting  had  been 
carried  by  the  Isaac  Hill  party,  for  the  old  leader  was  still  in  his 
prime,  and  not  a  follower  of  his  had  ever  weakened  under  the  per- 
suasions of  the  opposition. 

Lancaster  gave  Hill  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  votes,  and  the 
Whig  candidate  carried  off  one  hundred  and  seventeen.  This  was 
pretty  nearly  the  full  vote  of  the  town.  Richard  Eastman,  Demo- 
crat, for  representative  received  one  hundred  and  seventy  votes, 
Adino  N.  Brackett,  Whig,  carried  to  his  party  one  hundred  and 
nineteen  votes,  leaving  three  to  be  recorded  as  "  scattering."  The 
influence  of  the  ^Sgis  was  to  be  seen  in  the  election  of  1839.  It 
had  aroused  its  party,  and  had  succeeded  in  stirring  the  opposition 
into  a  fury.  The  old  men  of  the  Hill  party  led  in  council,  but  its 
young  men  led  in  the  open  assaults  upon  the  enemy  in  the  cam- 
paign. It  was  at  this  time  that  John  S.  Wells  and  Harry  Hibbard 
threw  themselves  into  the  front  ranks  of  the  Democratic  party  and 
made  themselves  names  as  party  champions  of  no  small  degree. 

Wells  was  a  young  lawyer  of  marked  ability,  and  Hibbard  was 
a  law  student  of  remarkable  versatility  and  volubility  of  speech. 
Wells  was  the  Hill  party's  candidate  for  representative  against 
Royal  Joyslin,  a  Whig  and  man  of  considerable  influence  in  the 
community,  one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  the  town  since  1825. 
Wells  received  the  full  party  vote,  and  defeated  Joyslin.  Hibbard 
had  been  very  active  in  the  campaign,  and  the  grim  humor  and 
sarcasm  of  the  leading  men  of  that  time  suggested  to  them  that 
perhaps  he  had  been  a  little  too  forward  for  one  of  his  years,  and 
one  man  promptly  nominated  him  for  hogreeve.  The  idea  was 
no  sooner  expressed  than  it  was  accomplished.  Mr.  Hibbard  found 
16 


226  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

himself  an  officer  of  the  town  to  the  merriment  of  his  poHtical  rivals. 
This  was  intended  as  a  rebuke  to  him ;  but  he  promptly  announced 
his  intention  of  faithfully  filling  the  office  even  to  the  extent  of 
"  taking  up  the  biggest  hog  in  town  the  first  time  he  met  him  on 
the  streets,"  meaning  thereby  the  man  who  made  the  motion  upon 
which  he  had  been  elected  to  an  office  that  carried  with  it  some 
degree  of  stigma,  especially  to  one  who  aspired  to  something  higher. 
Higher  honors,  however,  were  awaiting  young  Hibbard.  At  the 
ensuing  session  of  the  legislature  he  was  made  assistant  clerk  of  the 
house,  a  position  he  filled  with  much  ease  and  dignity.  In  after 
years  he  became  a  prominent  leader  in  his  party,  and  a  lawyer  of 
great  repute.  He  was  later  member  of  congress,  and  candidate  for 
United  States  senator. 

In  the  presidential  contest  of  1840  political  excitement  ran  high 
in  Lancaster.  The  national  contest  lay  between  Harrison  and  Van 
Buren,  men  of  marked  ability  as  candidates.  The  campaign  in  Lan- 
caster, as  elsewhere,  was  known  as  the  "  hard  cider  campaign." 
Lancaster  was  much  agitated  over  the  contest.  Enos  Stevens,  Whig 
candidate  for  governor,  received  ninety-nine  votes,  and  John  Page, 
Democrat,  one  hundred  and  forty-two.  John  S.  Wells  was  again 
elected  representative  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  votes. 
Democratic  electors  received  one  hundred  and  sixty-four  votes, 
while  the  Whigs  carried  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  thirty-six. 

This  shows  a  marked  growth  of  Whig  sentiment  in  two  years  since 
they  began  to  stir  themselves  for  a  better  party  organization.  Much 
of  this  gain  must  be  credited  to  the  White  Mountain  y^gis,  which 
was  now  reaching  nearly  every  family  in  town,  and  its  influence 
must  have  been  considerable  as  it  tore  the  veil  of  political  hypocrisy 
off  the  leading  questions  of  the  day.  So  powerful  had  this  new 
paper  become  that  the  leaders  of  the  Democratic  party  saw  the  im- 
portance of  establishing  a  rival  paper,  which  they  did  by  issuing  the 
first  number  of  the  Cods  Democrat  on  Tuesday,  September  11,  1838. 

The  enterprise  was  promoted  and  backed  by  such  leaders  of  the 
party  as  Maj.  John  W.  Weeks,  Jared  W.  Williams,  and  John  S. 
Wells.  The  office  of  the  paper  was  in  the  Wells  building,  now  the 
store  of  E.  R.  Kent  and  the  banking-rooms  of  the  Lancaster  Savings 
Bank  and  the  Lancaster  Trust  Company  on  Main  street.  The  edi- 
tor of  the  new  paper  was  James  M.  Rix,  a  young  man  of  excellent 
ability  and  a  devoted  Democrat.  He  had  associated  with  him  in 
the  enterprise  as  a  partner  J.  R.  Whittemore,  w^ho  was  styled  propri- 
etor and  publisher.  The  editors  of  these  rival  papers,  both  young 
men  of  talent,  were  not  disposed  to  handle  each  other's  sayings  with 
much  tenderness  or  considerateness.  Their  editorials  were  often 
more  forcible  than  polite,  but  they  served  to  deepen  party  spirit  and 
keep  alive  the  flames  of  partisan  strife. 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  22/ 

Party  lines  were  beginning  to  break  along  a  new  line  of  cleavage 
hitherto  unknown  in  American  politics.  The  Abolitionists  were 
making  demands  upon  the  political  parties  of  the  country,  and  as 
they  were  slow  to  recognize  and  favor  their  demands  a  new  party 
was  being  called  into  the  arena  of  political  discussion  and  destined 
to  make  its  demands  known  at  the  polls.  In  the  campaign  of  1841, 
the  Abolitionist  party,  the  Free  Soil  party,  first  appeared.  The 
Democratic  party  carried  the  state  by  a  large  majority.  It  received 
over  twenty-nine  thousand  votes,  while  Enos  Stevens,  the  Whig  can- 
didate, received  twenty-one  thousand,  and  Daniel  Hoit,  the  Free 
Soil  candidate,  received  nearly  three  thousand  votes  in  the  state. 
In  the  Lancaster  vote  the  results  were :  John  Page,  Democrat, 
received  the  usual  majority.  William  Holkins,  Free  Soil  candidate 
for  governor,  received  five  votes.  John  S.  Wells  and  Royal  JoysHn 
were  the  candidates  for  representative.  Wells  received  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  votes  to  Joyslin's  one  hundred  and  fifteen.  So  well 
was  this  election  conducted  that  it  shows  every  voter  as  voting. 

The  Whigs  were  making  a  gain  even  in  New  Hampshire,  dom- 
inated as  it  was  by  the  influence  6f  Jackson  and  Isaac  Hill.  In 
Lancaster  they  were  reducing  the  Democratic  majorities  every  year. 
In  the  election  of  1842,  with  three  candidates  for  governor,  Hub- 
bard, Democrat,  only  received  ninety-four  votes.  Anthony  Colby, 
Whig,  received  eighty-one,  and  John  H.  White,  Independent  Dem- 
ocrat, sixty-two.  The  records  show  no  Abolitionist  vote.  John  S. 
Wells  was  again  elected  to  the  legislature  with  a  much-reduced 
majority.  This  quadrangular  form  of  contest  had  tended  to  deepen 
the  interest  of  all  parties  in  the  issues  of  the  near  future.  It  was 
evident  that  with  two  Democratic  parties  and  an  Abolition  party 
in  the  field  advantage  must  be  to  the  Whigs.  This  gave  them 
fresh  hopes  of  carrying  the  town  and  state  at  no  distant  day. 
The  next  year  there  were  four  candidates  for  governor :  Henry 
Hubbard,  Democrat;  Anthony  Colby,  Whig;  John  H.  White, 
Independent  Democrat;  and  Daniel  Hoit,  Free  Soil.  Hubbard  led 
with  ninety-four  votes ;  Colby  followed  next  with  eighty-one ; 
White  was  third  on  the  list  with  sixty-two  ;  and  Hoit  had  but  four 
this  year.  There  could  be  no  choice  made  for  representative,  and 
the  town  was  not  represented  at  the  June  session  of  the  legislature 
of  that  year.  The  split  in  the  Democratic  ranks  had  left  them  no 
stronger  than  the  Whigs.  The  campaign  of  1844,  with  Henry  Clay 
as  the  Whig  candidate  for  president,  stimulated  the  Whigs  to 
renewed  energy  and  effort  to  win  the  contest.  With  them  it  was  a 
foregone  conclusion  that  Clay  would  be  elected,  and  the  hope 
inspired  the  Whigs  of  Lancaster  to  put  forth  their  best  efforts  to 
ride  into  power  on  the  high  tide  of  popular  interest  in  the  party's 
presidential  candidate.     There  were  the  four  candidates  for  governor 


22  8  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

as  on  two  previous  years.  John  H.  White,  a  resident  of  Lancaster, 
was  the  standard-bearer  of  the  Independent  Democrats ;  Anthony 
Colby,  the  Whig  representative;  John  H.  Steele,  Democrat;  and 
Daniel  Hoit,  Free  Soiler.  In  the  state  Steele  received  a  small 
majority,  while  White  received  nearly  two  thousand  votes.  The 
Whigs  polled  fifteen  thousand,  and  the  Free  Soilers  nearly  six  thou- 
sand votes.  In  the  town  meeting  there  was  great  excitement.  The 
scale  had  turned.  The  Whigs  were  coming  to  the  front.  So  easily 
were  they  carrying  the  day  that  they  brought  forth  for  representa- 
tive William  D.  Weeks,  a  young  man  only  twenty-six  years  of  age, 
who  received  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  votes  as  a  Whig.  Amos 
LeGro,  Democrat,  received  but  ninety-six,  John  H.  Spaulding  had 
ten  votes,  and  John  Aspenwall,  five.  Col.  Ephraim  Cross  of  Lan- 
caster received  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  votes  for  state  senator, 
as  against  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  for  all  other  candidates.  He 
was  a  well-known  Democrat,  but  being  a  citizen  of  Lancaster  and  a 
man  much  esteemed  by  all  his  neighbors  he  received  many  compli- 
mentary votes  from  other  parties  and  factions. 

In  the  November  election  of  that  year  the  Democrats  again  car- 
ried the  town  for  their  electors  for  president,  receiving  as  many  as 
one  hundred  and  sixty  votes.  The  Whig  candidates  received  one 
hundred  and  thirteen,  and  the  Free  Soil  party  eighteen  votes.  This 
turn  of  the  vote  from  that  of  the  March  meeting  was  a  great  sur- 
prise and  disappointment  to  the  Whigs. 

At  that  election  two  state  measures  were  voted  upon.  The  ques- 
tion of  calling  a  constitutional  convention  for  the  revision  of  the 
constitution  of  the  state  was  one,  and  it  was  negatived  by  nearly  the 
entire  number  of  votes  cast.  The  other  question  was  upon  abolish- 
ing capital  punishment.  This  was  likewise  voted  against  by  two 
hundred  and  two  votes  to  ninety  in  favor  of  its  abolishment. 
Lancaster  has  always  held  human  life  in  sacred  esteem,  and  at  no 
time  has  public  sentiment  been  in  favor  of  dealing  lightly  with  him 
who  would  ruthlessly  destroy  the  life  of  his  neighbor ;  nor  is  this 
sentiment  tempered  with  cruelty.  The  citizens  of  the  town  have 
always  been  noted  for  their  humanity.  They  are  bold  and  fear- 
less in  criticism  of  one  another,  but  they  never  have  been  fighters 
among  themselves.  Their  political  and  other  contests  have  often 
been  bitter,  but  no  man  ever  lifted  his  hand  against  his  neighbor  in 
mortal  combat. 

The  annual  election  of  1845  presents  no  severe  contest.  There 
were  three  parties  in  the  field  with  their  candidates  for  governor. 
The  Democrats  presented  Governor  Steele  again.  He  received  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  votes.  Anthony  Colby,  the  Whig  candi- 
date, received  ninety-one,  and  Daniel  Hoit,  Free  Soiler,  twenty-four. 
The  Free  Soil  party  had  made  a  gain  of  six  in  a  year.     The  Abo- 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  229 

lition  sentiment  was  destined  to  grow  in  Lancaster,  though  it  had 
arrayed  against  it  two  strong  competitors.  At  that  election  Harvey 
Adams,  a  Democrat,  was  elected  representative,  and  Col.  Ephraim 
Cross  was  reelected  to  the  state  senate. 

The  following  year  politics  grew  more  interesting  for  Lancaster 
people.  It  had  become  apparent  that  the  Democratic  party  was 
liable  to  a  defeat  in  1846.  Some  anxiety  was  felt  by  its  leaders 
in  town  as  to  who  could  carry  the  state  against  the  growing  Whig 
party.  Jared  W.  Williams  put  the  question  to  Maj.  John  W.  Weeks, 
whom  the  party  had  better  bring  forward  as  a  candidate  for  gov- 
ernor at  the  election  of  that  year?  The  Major  replied,  "Be 
governor  yourself."  That  was  the  first  intimation  of  such  a  possi- 
bility for  Williams.  Thinking  the  matter  over  seriously,  however, 
he  threw  himself  into  the  field  and  secured  the  party's  endorsement 
of  himself  as  candidate  for  governor.  Excitement  in  Lancaster 
ran  high  over  the  candidacy  of  Williams.  He  carried  a  heavy  vote 
in  his  own  town,  receiving  one  hundred  and  ninety-eight.  Colby, 
the  Whig  candidate,  who  was  elected  by  the  legislature,  received 
only  sixty-nine  votes.  The  Free  Soil  candidate,  Nathaniel  S.  Berry, 
secured  twenty-eight  votes,  an  increase  of  four  over  the  previous 
year.  Harvey  Adams  was  again  elected  representative  by  the  usual 
vote. 

Mr.  Williams  was  not  elected  ;  but  the  next  year,  not  discouraged 
by  his  defeat,  he  tried  the  question  over,  and  this  time  secured  a 
majority.  He  received  only  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  votes  this 
year,  which  was  twelve  less  than  the  previous  year.  Colby  and 
N.  S.  Berry  ran  again  as  candidates  of  the  Whig  and  Free  Soil  parties. 
Their  combined  votes  did  not  exceed  one  hundred  and  twenty. 

It  was  at  this  election  that  James  M.  Rix,  for  nine  years  the  able 
and  successful  editor  of  the  Cods  Democrat,  entered  the  political 
arena  as  a  candidate.  He  was  chosen  representative  by  a  good 
majority.  Mr.  Rix  was  an  able  and  a  bold  local  leader,  and  did 
much  to  mold  opinion  in  this  section  of  the  state.  He  was  honest, 
impetuous,  and  often  irritable  in  speech  and  action,  a  merciless 
critic  of  his  political  opponents.  He  was  a  patriotic  citizen,  and 
his  party  had  unbounded  confidence  in  him.  He  was  reelected  to 
the  legislature  the  following  year.  At  this  election  of  1848,  Gov- 
ernor Williams  was  reelected  by  a  slender  majority  over  Nathaniel 
S.  Berry,  Free  Soil  candidate.  Williams  received  32,245  votes  in 
the  state,  and  Berry,  28,829.  There  were  468  set  down  as  "  scat- 
tering." The  Whigs  had  no  candidate  that  year,  which  left  the 
contest  between  the  Democrats  and  Free  Soilers.  Lancaster  gave 
Williams  one  hundred  and  ninety-two  votes,  and  Berry  one  hundred 
and  six.  In  Lancaster,  as  throughout  the  state,  the  majority  of  the 
Whigs  voted  with  the  Free  Soil  party  when  they  had  no  candidate 


230  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

of  their  own.  This  was,  no  doubt,  an  ominous  sign  to  the  Demo- 
crats, who  could  not  but  see  in  it  a  fate  awaiting  them.  Again,  in 
in  1849,  there  were  three  candidates  for  governor.  The  Democrats 
brought  forward  Samuel  Dinsmore,  Jr.,  who  received  30,107  votes 
against  18,764  for  Levi  Chamberlain,  Whig,  and  7,045  for  Berry, 
Free  Soil  candidate.  In  Lancaster,  Dinsmore  received  one  hundred 
and  eighty-two  votes ;  Chamberlain,  eighty-four,  and  Berry,  twenty- 
eight.  The  vote  had  fallen  back  to  the  old  party  limits  of  several 
years  before.  At  this  election,  Benjamin  F.  Whidden  was  elected  to 
the  legislature  as  a  Democrat.  Mr.  Whidden  later  left  the  party  and 
united  with  the  Republican  party,  as  many  other  Democrats  did. 
Mr.  Whidden  was  reelected  the  next  year.  He  was  again  chosen 
representative  in  1867.  He  held  other  offices;  he  was  solicitor  for 
Coos  county,  judge  of  probate,  and  held  an  appointment  under  the 
national  government  as  first  minister  to  the  republic  of  Hayti. 

Politics  had  become  very  much  disturbed  about  1850.  The  Abo- 
litionists, arising  as  a  party  in  1844,  were  not  a  strong  party  in 
Lancaster ;  but  they  were  persistent.  There  was  here  a  station  of 
their  "  underground  railroad "  for  helping  runaway  negroes  into 
Canada.  The  original  members  of  the  party  were  from  the  old 
Whig  party,  and  there  was  a  hope  that  the  entire  Whig  party  would 
espouse  their  cause,  which  hope  was  later  realized.  The  Demo- 
cratic party  had  already  split  in  two,  the  come-outers  styling  them- 
selves "  Independent  Democrats,"  and  John  H.  White,  a  Lancaster 
man,  had  been  their  candidate  for  governor  in  1842  and  1844. 

The  candidates  for  governor  in  1850  were  Samuel  Dinsmore,  Jr., 
Democrat,  Levi  Chamberlain,  Whig,  and  Nathaniel  S.  Berry,  Free 
Soil.  Dinsmore  received  the  usual  heavy  vote  of  the  party,  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-one.  The  Whigs  cast  ninety-six  votes  for  Chamber- 
lain, and  Berry  only  got  twenty-three.  The  vote  had  stood  stubbornly 
at  about  these  figures  for  some  years,  showing  a  firm  determination 
on  the  part  of  the  voters  to  hold  their  ground  against  any  change 
that  might  be  lurking  in  the  near  future,  so  full  of  threatening  possi- 
bilities. 

This  year  there  was  a  special  election  called  in  October  to  choose 
delegates  to  a  constitutional  convention  at  Concord,  on  the  sixth  of 
November.  John  H.  White,  a  Democrat  of  independent  proclivi- 
ties, was  sent  as  delegate  from  Lancaster.  His  choice  was  one 
agreeable  to  all  parties,  as  he  was  not  an  extreme  party  man. 

The  next  year  was  one  of  uncommon  political  activity  and  inter- 
est, and  1 85  I  went  down  on  the  page  of  New  Hampshire's  history 
as  its  most  remarkable  campaign.  The  Democratic  convention 
nominated  that  year  the  Rev.  John  Atwood,  of  New  Boston,  for 
governor.  No  sooner  was  he  in  the  field  than  he  was  interviewed 
and  written  to  on  the  slavery  question.     He  soon  became  entangled 


POLITICAL   HISTORY.  23 1 

in  the  position  he  took  on  the  question,  and  drew  down  upon  him- 
self a  vast  amount  of  hostile  criticism,  even  from  his  own  party,  as 
his  sympathies  carried  him  in  the  direction  of  the  Free  Soil  party's 
position,  Mr.  Rix,  editor  of  the  Cods  Democrat,  was  pronounced 
in  his  opposition  to  him.  Others  discussed  the  question  of  a  min- 
ister entering  the  political  field,  and  very  many  silly  things  were  said 
that  marked  his  critics  as  being  either  ignorant  or  hypocritical.  The 
feeling  was  so  bitter  against  Mr.  Atwood  that  the  party  reconvened 
the  convention  and  dropped  Mr.  Atwood  from  the  ticket,  substitut- 
ing for  him  Samuel  Dinsmore,  Jr.,  who  had  twice  been  elected. 
Resolutions  were  passed  severely  condemning  Mr.  Atwood.  Hav- 
ing been  soundly  berated  by  the  Democrats  as  being  a  Free 
Soiler,  Mr.  Atwood  was  taken  up  by  that  party  on  the  eve  of  the 
election,  and  made  its  candidate  for  governor.  The  hostility  of  the 
Coos  Democrat  to  him,  evidently  based  upon  the  supposition  that 
he  was  in  sympathy  with  the  Abolitionist  people,  but  veiled  under 
the  popular  feeling,  based  wholly  on  ignorance,  that  a  minister  has 
no  political  rights,  led  many  Democrats  and  Whigs  to  his  support. 

The  excitement  ran  high  in  Lancaster;  so  that  when  the  election 
came,  Mr.  Atwood  received  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  votes. 
Samuel  Dinsmore,  Democrat,  received  only  eighty-nine.  Thomas 
E.  Sawyer,  Whig,  received  eighty-two,  and  Joel  Eastman,  not  a  reg- 
ular candidate,  one.  The  vote  of  Lancaster  was  similar  to  that  of 
the  state  at  large,  Atwood  received  12,049  votes;  Dinsmore,  27,- 
425;  Sawyer,  18,458.  The  Whig  vote  had  fallen  seventy-four  be- 
low that  of  1850  in  the  state;  the  Democrats  had  lost  3,326,  and 
the  Free  Soil  party  had  gained  5,577  in  the  state,  Lancaster  was 
thus  in  line  with  the  state  in  the  reversion  of  its  votes. 

No  candidate  that  year  could  command  a  majority  for  the  legis- 
lature, and  the  town  was  not  represented  at  the  June  session,  James 
M,  Rix  was  his  party's  candidate  for  the  state  senate  that  year,  and 
was  not  elected  by  the  popular  vote  and  Joseph  Pitman  of  Bartlett 
was  chosen  by  the  legislature.  His  own  town  gave  him  only  a  plural- 
ity of  one.  His  vote  was  one  hundred  and  three,  while  Isaac  Abbott 
of  Littleton  received  only  one  less  than  Rix,  and  Pitman  eighty-nine. 
Lyman  Blandin  received  fifteen  votes,  Rix  had  overdone  his  as- 
sault on  Atwood,  and  had  turned  many  of  his  friends  from  his  sup- 
port. The  people  had  said  by  their  votes  that  the  minister,  no  more 
than  the  lawyer,  physician,  merchant,  or  farmer,  should  be  ruled 
out  of  public  service,  Rix's  defeat  was  simply  a  party  bolt  among 
Democrats, 

The  election  of  the  following  year  shows  different  results,  Mr, 
Atwood  was  again  the  Free  Soil  party's  candidate  for  governor,  and 
received  but  one  hundred  and  three  votes.  Sawyer,  Whig,  received 
the  same  number  that  Atwood  did;   and  Thomas  E,  Martin,  Demo- 


232  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

crat,  one  hundred  and  four.  There  was  one  vote  each  for  Joel  East- 
man and  Lewis  Cass,  who  were  not  regular  candidates.  At  this 
election  Mr.  Rix  again  came  forward  as  his  party's  candidate  for 
the  state  senate,  and  was  this  time  successful  by  a  small  majority. 
George  A.  Cossitt  was  chosen  representative. 

The  election  of  1853  is  an  important  one  as  marking  the  turning 
of  some  of  the  old  leaders  to  the  Free  Soil  party.  Among  that 
class  was  John  H.  White,  who  this  year  was  the  Free  Soil  can- 
didate for  governor.  He  received  only  thirty-four  votes  in  his  own 
town,  but  a  fair  vote  in  the  state.  Governor  Martin  was  again  a 
candidate,  and  received  one  hundred  and  forty  votes.  James  Bell, 
Whig,  received  one  hundred  and  twelve.  James  M.  Rix  was  again 
elected  to  the  senate,  and  this  year  was  president  of  that  body. 

The  Kansas-Nebraska  trouble  was  now  at  its  height,  and  in  Lan- 
caster there  was  much  sympathy  felt  for  the  Free  Soil  party.  A 
contribution  of  clothing  and  other  things  had  been  collected  here 
and  forwarded  to  the  sufferers  in  that  struggle  against  the  en- 
croachments of  the  slave  power.  Staunch  Whigs-  took  a  lively  inter- 
est in  the  matter.  The  state  was  drifting  away  from  her  Democratic 
moorings.  In  Lancaster  the  excitement  was  deepening  every  year. 
Nathaniel  B.  Baker,  Democrat,  received  one  hundred  and  one  votes 
for  governor;  James  Bell,  Whig,  got  one  hundred  and  six  ;  Jared  Per- 
kins, Free  Soiler,  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight.  On  the  other 
candidates  the  vote  was  divided  more  evenly,  due  wholly  to  local 
causes.  It  was  this  year  that  Jacob  Benton  entered  the  political 
arena  as  a  Whig  candidate  for  the  legislature.  He  was  elected, 
receiving  one  hundred  and  forty  votes.  John  W.  Lovejoy  and 
William  Burns,  the  latter  a  Democrat,  received  something  over  fifty 
votes  each  for  the  same  ofifice. 

Lancaster  was  much  affected  by  the  changes  that  were  now  going 
on  throughout  the  country.  The  Know  Nothing  party,  a  secret  po- 
litical clan,  was  organized  here.  It  had  a  hall,  where  it  held  its 
secret  sessions,  in  a  carriage-shop  standing  where  the  stable  of 
the  Van  Dyke  residence  now  is.  The  building  was  later  moved  to 
the  corner  of  High  and  Summer  streets,  and  is  now  owned  by 
Wheelock  H.  Little.  Here  a  little  band  met  in  the  upper  story  to 
do,  nobody  knows  just  what.  The  rancor  of  the  movement  was 
directed,  however,  against  foreign  born  citizens  holding  office.  The 
organization  contributed  somewhat  to  intensify  the  excitement  and 
feeling  then  prevailing,  and  continued  two  years.  There  is  quite 
an  exaggerated  tradition  still  afloat  of  how  Editor  Rix  got  an 
observer,  said  to  have  been  William  H.  Smith,  to  unite  with  the 
society  and  get  its  secrets  for  him  to  make  a  grand  exposure  of  the 
party ;  but  when  sifted,  it  turns  out  to  be  of  no  importance  what- 
ever.    The  new  party  did,  however,  rally  together  32,769  votes  for 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  233 

Ralph  Metcalf  in  1855,  by  which  he  was  elected  governor.  He  re- 
ceived two  hundred  and  sixty  votes  in  Lancaster,  the  largest  vote 
ever,  up  to  that  date,  given  any  candidate  for  that  office.  Governor 
Baker,  Democrat,  only  received  ninety-four;  Asa  Fowler,  Free  Soil, 
five  ;  James  Bell,  Whig,  fifteen.  Jacob  Benton  and  Edmund  Brown, 
Know  Nothing  candidates  for  representatives,  received  the  same  vote 
that  Metcalf  did.  This  was  the  first  year  that  Lancaster  was  entitled 
to  two  representatives  in  the  legislature.  Benton  had  dominated  the 
Whig  party  the  year  before,  and  now  had  carried  it  over  to  the  new 
party  of  Know  Nothings,  called  at  this  time  the  American  party, 
and  Edmund  Brown  was  a  Free  Soil  leader. 

The  spring  election  of  1856  was  one  of  great  excitement,  and 
marks  the  beginning  of  a  change  destined  to  deepen  the  feel- 
ings of  jealousy  between  the  factions  now  coming  together  to  form 
a  new  party  against  the  Democrats.  This  was  the  last  election  in 
which  the  Whig  party  appeared  under  that  name,  as  was  also  the 
case  with  the  new  American  party  and  the  Free  Soil  party.  Daniel 
A.  Bowe  had  started  the  Coos  Republican  as  an  anti-Nebaska  or- 
gan in  Lancaster,  a  newspaper  destined  to  wield  a  large  influence  in 
the  town  in  the  years  to  come.  The  Republican  party  was  be- 
ing organized  throughout  the  country  in  January  of  that  year,  though 
old  party  names  were  still  recognized  in  the  March  meeting  in  Lan- 
caster. The  new  party  was  not  named  in  the  town  records  until  the 
November  election  of  that  year. 

On  January  30,  1856,  a  convention  was  held  at  the  town  hall  to 
organize  for  action  against  the  Democratic  party.  This  convention 
was  for  the  whole  of  Coos  county.  Among  the  Lancaster  men  who 
took  an  active  part  in  its  deliberations  and  actions  were :  E.  F.  East- 
man, B.  F.  Whidden,  Jacob  Benton,  John  H.  White,  William  R. 
Stockwell,  Edmund  Brown,  John  M.  Whipple,  Daniel  A.  Bowe,  and 
A.  L.  Robinson.  These  were  appointed  a  committee  for  the  town 
of  Lancaster,  to  organize  the  party.  Other  committees  were  ap- 
pointed for  other  towns  in  the  county. 

Seth  Savage  was  chairman  of  this  convention ;  William  R.  Joyslin, 
secretary.  The  secretaries  of  the  permanent  organization  were  B.  B. 
Ockington  and  O.  M.  Twitchell.  Some  eight  resolutions  were 
passed  against  slavery  and  its  extension,  the  repeal  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  sectionalism,  armed  invasion  of  Missouri  and  Kansas, 
the  national  administration,  endorsing  the  action  of  New  Hampshire's 
representatives  in  congress  relative  to  the  election  of  speaker,  and 
other  measures. 

The  first  Republican  town  caucus  was  held  Jan.  26,  1856,  John 
H.  White,  chairman  ;    Henry  O.  Kent,  secretary. 

Delegates  to  Connty  Convention. — B.  F.  Whidden,  S.  W.  Cooper, 
Charles  Plaisted,  and  Seth  Savage. 


234  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Delegates  to  State  Convention. — J.  Benton,  S.  W.  Cooper,  W. 
R.  Stockwell,  J.  M.  Whipple,  and  D.  A.  Bowe. 

At  the  March  election  Ichabod  Goodwin,  Whig,  received  for  gov- 
ernor but  four  votes ;  John  S.  Wells,  Democrat,  one  hundred  and 
three  votes;  Governor  Metcalf,  American  or  Republican,  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-one  votes.  The  only  Democrat  that  received  any 
favor  at  the  hands  of  Lancaster  was  William  Burns,  one  of  the  best 
citizens  of  the  town.  He  was  elected  state  senator  by  a  good  ma- 
jority in  the  12th  District,  and  was  reelected  the  following  year. 

At  the  November  election  the  fight  was  between  the  new  Repub- 
lican party  and  the  Democrats,  destined  to  be  the  two  parties  of  im- 
portance in  the  country  for  many  a  year  to  come.  The  Republican 
electors  each  received  three  hundred  and  one  votes,  while  the 
Buchanan  or  Democratic  electors,  only  received  one  hundred  and 
thirty-six  each.  The  tide  had  now  turned.  The  Whigs  and  Free 
Soilers  had  united  forces  against  the  old  Democratic  party.  There 
was  not  perfect  harmony  between  these  two  wings  of  the  new  party. 
Still  some  lingering  relics  of  the  old  strifes  of  the  past  lurked  in 
them. 

Among  the  Independent  Democrats,  or  Free  Soilers,  were  such 
men  as  John  H.  White,  Edwin  F.  Eastman,  Edmund  Brown,  Samuel 
H.  LeGro,  George  A.  Cossitt,  and  others.  Jacob  Benton,  as  we 
have  said,  was  the  dominant  leader  of  the  Whig  contingent  of  the 
new  party.  His  associates  were  Royal  Joyslin,  William  D.  Spauld- 
ing,  Richard  P.  Kent,  Horace  Whitcomb,  Turner  Stephenson,  and 
other  younger  men.  The  leading  Democrats  were  James  M.  Rix, 
George  C.  Williams,  James  W.  Weeks,  William  Burns,  William 
Heywood,  A.  J.  Marshall,  and  J.  A.  Smith,  with  a  considerable  fol- 
lowing of  younger  men. 

The  Republican  party,  as  the  champion  of  the  anti-slavery  senti- 
ment, now  rapidly  growing  more  popular  and  powerful  every  day, 
gathered  to  its  support  many  young  men  of  activity  in  Lancaster. 
They  formed  a  semi-military  company  known  by  the  name  of 
"  Wide  Awakes,"  under  Henry  O.  Kent  as  captain  who  had  served 
as  assistant  clerk  of  the  lower  house  of  the  legislature  in  1855-56, 
and  who  later  was  chief  clerk  of  the  house  in  i857-'59,  and  Ossian 
Ray  as  lieutenant.  This  band  did  much  to  arouse  interest  in  the 
new  party.  Their  opponents  tried  to  ridicule  them  into  oblivion  by 
casting  reproaches  upon  their  youthful  ages ;  but  their  tin  horns 
were  blown  even  more  lustily;  they  sang  patriotic  songs,  and 
marched  in  uniforms  and  with  flying  banners  to  no  little  advantage 
to  their  party. 

On  December  20,  1856,  a  Republican  club  was  organized  in  Lan- 
caster, with  Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  president.  The  vice-presidents 
were  Jacob  Benton,  Edmund  Brown,  Albro  L.  Robinson,  Charles 


POLITICAL   HISTORY.  235 

Plaisted,  and  Thomas  S.  Hodgdon.  Henry  O.  Kent,  corresponding 
secretary ;  William  A.  White,  recording  secretary.  Executive  com- 
mittee :  Oliver  Nutter,  David  B.  Allison,  Samuel  F.  Spaulding, 
Robert  Sawyer,  James  S.  Brackett,  and  Chapin  C.  Brooks.  This 
club  was  an  active  body  in  the  local  campaigns,  and  did  much  to 
develop  the  phenomenal  strength  of  the  new  party. 

The  March  meeting  of  1857  saw  the  two  parties.  Democrat  and 
Republican,  squarely  arrayed  against  each  other  in  their  first  local 
contest.  The  candidates  for  governor  that  election  were  John  S. 
Wells,  one  of  the  most  prominent  Democrats  in  the  state,  and  Wil- 
liam Haile,  Republican,  a  manufacturer  new  to  politics.  Haile  re- 
ceived two  hundred  and  eighty-one  votes,  and  Wells  one  hundred 
and  thirty-seven.  Haile  was  elected.  He  was  again  his  party's 
candidate  in  1858,  and  elected  again.  He  received  in  Lancaster 
two  hundred  and  ninety-eight  votes,  while  Asa  P.  Gate,  Democrat, 
only  received  one  hundred  and  sixteen.  The  new  party  gained 
the  balance  of  power  in  town,  and  for  some  years  held  an  even 
vote  on  almost  all  important  offices.  In  the  contest  of  1859,  the 
Republican  vote  numbered  two  hundred  and  ninety-four  for  governor; 
the  Democrats  secured  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  for  Mr.  Gate. 
George  G.  Williams,  recently  a  Democrat,  was  sent  to  the  legisla- 
ture as  colleague  of  Seth  Savage,  Republican. 

From  1 86 1  to  1872  division  and  conflict  existed  within  the  domi- 
nant party,  entailing  important  consequences.  In  the  latter  year  a 
large  and  influential  section,  acting  at  first  as  independent,  or  "lib- 
eral "  Republicans,  with  others  of  like  mind,  perfected  a  state  organ- 
ization, and  in  November  sustained  a  joint  electoral  ticket,  with  the 
Democrats  for  Greeley  and  Brown,  running  a  complete  state  and 
congressional  ticket  at  the  March  election  of  1873,  and  formally 
uniting  with  the  Democracy  on  a  common  platform  and  ticket  in 
March,  1874. 

As  the  movement  involved  state  and  national  politics,  it  is  con- 
sidered here  no  farther  than  to  refer  to  local  candidates  and  results. 

In  1 86 1  was  one  of  the  hottest  contests  in  the  March  meeting 
ever  seen  in  town.  Moody  P.  Marshall  and  Henry  O.  Kent  were 
the  Republican  nominees  for  representatives,  but  a  third  Republican 
candidate  was  run.  After  two  full  days  balloting  there  was  no 
choice,  and  the  town  was  unrepresented  in  the  legislature. 

The  candidates  for  governor  were  Nathaniel  S.  Berry,  the  old 
Free  Soil  leader,  Republican,  who  received  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
five  votes,  and  Gen.  George  Stark,  descendant  of  the  Revolutionary 
hero.  Democrat,  who  received  one  hundred  and  thirty-nine  votes. 

In  1862  the  contest  was  intensified  by  discussion  of  the  issues  of 
the  great  Givil  War  then  in  progress.  Governor  Berry  was  again, 
the  candidate  with  two  hundred  and  eighty-six  votes  to  one  hundred 


236  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

and  nine  for  General  Stark.  Paul  J.  Wheeler  of  Newport,  who  ran 
as  a  "  War  Democrat,"  received  twenty-five  votes. 

The  Republican  nominees  for  representatives  were  again  Messrs. 
Marshall  and  Kent,  and  they  were  elected,  there  being  but  thirty-two 
Republican  votes  in  opposition. 

The  campaign  of  1863  saw  three  state  tickets,  headed  respectively 
by  Joseph  A.  Gilmore  (superintendent  Concord  railroad),  Repub- 
lican, ex-Judge  Ira  A.  Eastman,  late  of  the  supreme  bench,  Demo- 
crat, and  Walter  Harriman  (afterward  colonel,  and  brigadier-general 
of  volunteers),  "War  Democrat."  Gilmore  had  two  hundred  and 
ninety-eight  votes,  Eastman,  one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  Harri- 
man, two. 

Moody  P.  Marshall  and  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Republicans,  were 
chosen  representatives  by  the  usual  party  majority. 

In  1864  Governor  Gilmore  was  again  the  Republican  candidate 
with  three  hundred  and  four  votes,  and  Edward  W.  Harrington  of 
Manchester,  Democrat,  with  one  hundred  and  tw^enty-three  votes. 

Samuel  H.  LeGro  and  Dr.  James  D.  Folsom,  Republicans,  were 
elected  representatives  by  the  usual  majorities. 

In  1865  Frederick  Smyth  and  Edward  W.  Harrington,  both  of 
Manchester,  were  respectively  the  Republican  and  Democratic 
gubernatorial  nominees,  each  polling  the  regulation  party  strength. 

Ossian  Ray  and  Edward  Spaulding  were  the  Republican  nomi- 
nees for  the  legislature,  but  William  F.  Smith,  also  a  Republican, 
w^as  run,  and  William  F.  Smith  and  Edward  Spaulding  were 
elected. 

In  1866  Governor  Smyth  was  the  Republican  nominee,  with  three 
hundred  and  six  votes,  and  John  G.  Sinclair,  the  Democratic  nom- 
inee, with  one  hundred  and  thirty-three  votes. 

After  two  days'  balloting  for  representatives  the  town  voted  not 
to  send. 

In  1867  there  was  a  bitter  contest  for  governor  throughout  the 
state  between  Walter  Harriman  and  John  G.  Sinclair.  In  Lancas- 
ter Harriman  had  three  hundred  and  twenty-three  votes,  and  Sin- 
clair, one  hundred  and  forty-two  votes. 

Benjamin  F.  Whidden  and  Charles  Plaisted,  Republicans,  were 
elected  to  the  legislature.  Jacob  Benton  was  the  nominee  of  the 
Republicans  for  congress,  and  Ossian  Ray  for  the  state  senate. 

In  1868  Harriman  received  three  hundred  and  sixteen  votes  for 
governor,  and  John  G.  Sinclair,  two  hundred  and  two  votes. 

A  successful  effort  was  made  by  the  Republicans  to  unite  the 
party  on  representatives,  and  Henry  O.  Kent  and  Ossian  Ray  were 
nominated.  Both  were  voted  for  on  one  and  the  same  ballot,  in- 
geniousl}^  arranged  like  this 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  237 


HENRY  O.  KENT. 
■AVH  NVISSO 


SO  that  by  turning  the  ballot  from  right  to  left,  or  left  to  right,  would 
bring  the  name  of  the  particular  friend  of  any  Republican  voter  on 
top. 

The  candidates  received  the  full  party  vote  and  were  elected. 

At  the  presidential  election  in  November  the  Grant  electors  re- 
ceived three  hundred  and  fifty  votes,  and  the  Democratic  electors, 
one  hundred  and  fifty. 

In  1869,  Onslow  Stearns,  Republican,  superintendent  of  the 
Northern  railroad,  received  three  hundred  and  twenty-nine  votes, 
and  Gen.  John  Bedell  of  Bath,  one  hundred  and  fifty-three  votes. 

Henry  O.  Kent  and  Ossian  Ray  were  again  representatives  as 
before.  Dr.  John  W.  Barney  of  Lancaster,  Democrat,  was  state  sen- 
ator, and  Josiah  H.  Benton,  Jr.,  of  Lancaster,  assistant  clerk  of  the 
house. 

The  town  had  great  weight  and  influence  in  the  legislatures  of 
1868  and  1869.  The  former  year.  Colonel  Kent  was  chairman  of 
the  committee  on  railroads,  and  Mr.  Ray,  chairman  of  the  commit- 
tee on  elections.  In  1869  Mr.  Ray  was  chairman  of  the  judiciary 
committee,   and  Colonel   Kent  chairman   of  the  finance  committee. 

These  four  committees  largely  shape  legislation.  Important 
schemes  for  railway  development  were  pending,  and  as  the  outcome 
of  the  work  of  the  sessions,  the  Concord  &  Montreal  railroad  was 
extended  north  from  Littleton  in  1869,  reaching  Lancaster  in  Octo- 
ber, 1870,  and  the  Grand  Trunk  a  year  later.  A  new  court-house 
at  Lancaster  was  secured  by  vote  of  the  delegation,  and  important 
changes  in  the  statutes  were  considered  and  determined,  em- 
bracing the  application  of  the  election  laws  to  contested  cases. 

In  1870  the  Temperance  party  and  the  Labor  Reform  party  were 
organized  in  the  state.  The  Labor  Reform  people  held  meetings 
Feb.  28,  1870,  addressed  by  John  G.  Crawford,  who  came  to  Lan- 
caster from  Michigan  in  1869,  and  who  now  resides  in  Manchester, 
and  March  2  by  Mr.  Hayward  of  Worcester,  Mass. 

Lancaster  politics  were  unsettled  and  there  were  four  candidates 
for  governor;  Governor  Stearns  had  two  hundred  and  thirty-five 
votes,  John  Bedel  one  hundred  and  twenty-seven  votes,  Samuel 
Flint  of  Lyme,  Labor  Reform,  seventy-two  votes,  and  Lorenzo  Bar- 
rows, Prohibitionist,  fifty-three  votes. 

There  was  no  choice  of  representative  this  year  by  reason  of 
existing  causes  and  this  quadrangular  gubernatorial  contest. 


238  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  campaign  of  1871  was  a  critical  one  in  the  state,  and  Lancas- 
ter was  affected  by  the  peculiar  features  of  the  contest. 

Rev.  James  Pike  of  Newmarket,  a  Methodist  clergyman  and 
former  presiding  elder,  late  colonel  i6th  N.  H.  V.,  and  member  of 
congress,  was  the  Republican  gubernatorial  nominee  with  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-seven  votes,  James  A.  Weston,  ex-mayor  of  Man- 
chester, Democrat,  one  hundred  and  ninety-six  votes,  while  Lemuel 
P.  Cooper  of  Croydon,  Labor  Reform,  and  Albert  G.  Corning,  Pro- 
hibitionist, had  between  them  and  a  Mr.  Walker,  not  a  regular 
nominee,  twenty-one  votes. 

No  candidate  had  a  majority  of  the  popular  vote  and  the  election 
going  to  the  legislature,  Weston  was  elected,  the  first  Democrat  to 
be  governor  since  Nathaniel  B.  Baker  in  1854. 

A  union  betvv^een  Democrats  and  a  portion  of  the  Republicans 
elected  James  LeGro,  a  former  Republican,  and  Benjamin  F.  Hunk- 
ing.  Democrat,  representatives,  and  so  close  was  the  house  of  rep- 
resentatives, that  this  delegation  held  the  balance  of  power,  electing 
William  H.  Gove,  of  Weare,  speaker,  and  aiding  to  so  fill  the  sena- 
torial vacancies  in  convention,  as  to  make  James  A.  Weston  gov- 
ernor. 

In  1872  Governor  Weston  received  two  hundred  and  thirty-nine 
votes  for  governor,  and  Ezekiel  A.  Straw,  of  Manchester,  the  Repub- 
lican nominee,  two  hundred  and  ninety-nine  votes,  while  thirty  votes 
were  divided  between  Lemuel  P.  Cooper,  Labor  Reform,  and  John 
Blackmer,  Temperance  candidates. 

John  W.  Spaulding  and  Seneca  B.  Congdon,  Republicans,  were 
elected  representatives. 

The  "  Liberal  Republican  "  party  was  this  year  organized  in  state 
and  nation,  the  national  convention  being  holden  at  Cincinnati, 
where  Horace  Greeley,  the  great  editor,  and  ex-Gov.  B.  Gratz 
Brown,  of  Missouri,  were  selected  as  candidates  for  president  and 
vice-president. 

Henry  O.  Kent  was  a  delegate  at  large  to  this  convention,  mem- 
ber of  the  national  committee,  and  chairman  of  the  state  committee, 
acting  with  Hon.  John  G.  Sinclair,  chairman  of  the  Democratic  state 
committee,  in  the  management  of  the  joint  campaign,  after  the  na- 
tional Democracy  had  endorsed  the  Cincinnati  candidates,  and  a 
joint  state  electoral  ticket  had  been  nominated  in  separate  state  con- 
ventions of  the  Democratic  and  Liberal  Republican  parties. 

Grant  and  Colfax  was  the  Republican  national  ticket  nominated 
in  the  national  convention  at  Philadelphia  to  which  Ossian  Ray  was 
a  delegate  at  large. 

Mr.  Greeley  was  the  guest  of  Henry  O.  Kent  at  Lancaster, 
August  12,  1872,  and  then  addressed  a  great  concourse  from  the 
porch  of  the  Lancaster  House.    A  mass  meeting  was  organized  in  the 


IIOKACK    (;i<KKI.EV    IX    LANCASTER,    187: 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  239 

Lancaster  House  grounds,  William  Burns,  chairman,  addressed  by 
Hon.  J.  R.  Doolittle  of  Wisconsin,  and  other  distinguished  leaders. 

At  the  November  election  the  Grant  electoral  ticket  had  three 
hundred  and  four  votes,  and  the  Greeley  ticket,  two  hundred  and 
fifty-four. 

In  1873  the  Liberal  Republicans  held  a  state  convention,  placing 
a  full  state  and  local  ticket  in  the  field.  Samuel  K.  Mason,  a  law- 
yer of  Bristol,  was  the  nominee  for  governor.  The  old  parties  had 
the  same  candidates  as  before.  Governor  Straw  polling  two  hundred 
and  seventy  votes,  ex-Governor  Weston,  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  votes,  Blackmer,  fifty  votes,  and  Mason,  forty-six  votes. 

John  W.  Spaulding  and  Seneca  B.  Congdon  were  again  elected 
representatives  by  the  Republicans. 

In  1874  General  Luther  McCutchins  of  New  London,  a  well- 
known  farmer,  was  nominated  for  governor  by  the  Republicans. 
The  Democrats  and  Liberal  Republicans  held  state  conventions  at 
Concord  on  the  same  day,  and  through  a  committee  of  conference 
united  upon  a  common  platform  and  candidate,  ex-Governor  Wes- 
ton. Mr.  Blackmer  was  again  the  Prohibition  nominee.  The 
union  between  Democrats  and  Liberal  Republicans  consolidating 
votes  was  successful ;  Governor  Weston  being  elected  by  a  ma- 
jority of  1,465.  The  vote  of  Lancaster  was  McCutchins,  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-nine  ;  Weston,  two  hundred  and  sixty-three  ;  Black- 
mer, twenty. 

George  S.  Stockwell  and  Edward  Savage,  nominees  of  the  Demo- 
cratic-Republican party,  were  elected  representatives. 

It  was  the  policy  of  the  party  thus  formed  to  place  as  nominees 
on  its  ticket  men  whose  antecedents  were  of  both  the  former  parties. 
In  accordance  with  this  policy,  Hiram  Roberts  of  Farmington( Dem- 
ocrat) was  in  1875  nominated  for  governor,  and  Henry  O.  Kent  of 
Lancaster  (Liberal  Republican)  was  nominated  for  congress  in  the 
third  district.  Person  C.  Cheney  of  Manchester  was  the  Republican 
candidate  for  governor,  and  Nathaniel  White  of  Concord  the  Pro- 
hibition candidate.  Col.  Henry  W.  Blair  of  Plymouth  was  Repub- 
lican nominee  for  congress  in  the  third  district. 

The  canvass  was  a  very  heated  one.  Cheney  and  Blair  were 
elected.  In  Lancaster  the  gubernatorial  vote  was  Cheney,  three 
hundred  and  thirteen ;  Roberts,  two  hundred  and  ninety-three,  and 
a  small  vote  for  White. 

Colonel  Kent  was  defeated  by  a  small  majority  and  plurality,  run- 
ning ahead  of  his  ticket  particularly  in  Coos  county  and  Lancaster. 
He  ran  again  in  1877,  against  Colonel  Blair,  and  in  1878  against 
Major  Evarts  W.  Farr,  the  latter  being  the  first  biennial  election  in 
the  state,  at  each  test  running  largely  ahead  of  his  ticket  and  espe- 
cially in  his  home  county  and  town. 


240  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

John  E.  Dimmick  and  James  McCarten,  Republicans,  were 
elected  representatives  by  a  strict  party  vote. 

The  year  1876  was  noted  for  political  feeling  and  fervor.  Gov- 
ernor Cheney  was  the  Republican  candidate  for  governor,  with  three 
hundred  and  twenty-nine  votes.  Capt.  Daniel  Marcy,  of  Ports- 
mouth, a  retired  sea  captain  and  former  member  of  congress,  was 
the  Democratic  candidate  with  three  hundred  votes,  while  Asa  Ken- 
dall, Prohibitionist,  had  fourteen  votes. 

Dimmick  and  McCarten  were  again  elected  representatives. 

In  November  the  Hayes  electors  received  three  hundred  and 
twenty-nine  votes,  the  Tilden  electors  two  hundred  and  ninety-six 
votes,  and  there  were  sixteen  scattering. 

Although  William  Clough,  Francis  Kellum,  James  W.  Weeks, 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  and  other  Democrats  had  been  elected  select- 
men at  times  since  1861,  it  was  not  until  1877  that  the  town  ofifices 
generally,  were  filled  by  Democrats. 

Benjamin  F.  Prescott  of  Epping  was  in  1877  Republican  candi- 
date for  governor  with  three  hundred  and  six  votes,  while  Daniel 
Marcy,  Democrat,  had  three  hundred  and  fourteen,  and  there  were 
twenty-nine  scattering. 

George  S.  Stockwell  and  Francis  Kellum,  Democrats,  were  elected 
representatives. 

The  congressional  vote  was  contested  in  a  spirited  manner  by  Col, 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Democrat,  and  Col.  Henry  W.  Blair,  Republican. 
Lancaster  gave  Blair  two  hundred  and  seventy-six  votes,  and  Kent 
three  hundred  and  fifty-eight,  with  sixteen  returned  as  scattering. 

The  election  of  1878  was  the  first  held  under  the  new  constitu- 
tion which  provided  for  biennial  elections.  A  constitutional  con- 
vention had  been  called  in  1876,  and  framed  the  fourth  constitution 
of  the  state.  The  late  Hons.  William  Burns  and  Jacob  Benton 
were  the  delegates  from  Lancaster  to  that  convention. 

The  ticket  was  a  compromise  one  representing  both  parties.  Mr. 
Burns  had  been  his  party's  candidate  for  congress  in  1859,  1861, 
and  1863,  in  the  old  Third  district,  always  carrying  a  large  vote, 
but  failing  of  election  by  small  majorities.  Hon.  Jacob  Benton 
had  been  the  successful  Republican  candidate  for  congress  in  1867 
and  1869. 

This  new  order  of  things,  with  no  state  election  in  March  and  a 
November  election  every  two  years,  was  not  calculated  to  lessen 
political  agitation,  but  rather  to  increase  it.  It  gave  more  time  for 
organization  and  the  selection  of  candidates.  Much  interest  was  felt 
in  the  November  election  under  the  new  constitution.  The  Republi- 
can candidate  for  governor  was  Gen.  Natt  Head,  who  received  two 
hundred  and  t\venty-eight  votes  in  Lancaster,  to  three  hundred  and 
twenty-two  for  Frank  A.  McKean,  Democrat.     Asa  S.  Kendall  was 


POLITICAL   HISTORY.  24 1 

again  the  Prohibition  party  candidate,  but  no  votes  are  recorded  to 
his  credit.  Warren  G.  Brown  of  Whitefield,  candidate  of  the  new 
Greenback  party,  received  ninety-nine  votes.  His  entire  vote  in 
the  state  was  6,407.  That  party  had  an  organization  here,  havincr 
met  on  Feb.  27,  1878.  The  leading  men  were:  L.  F  Moore  Zeb 
Twitchell,  A.  R.  Tinkham,  D.  C.  Pinkham,  J.  G.  Crawford,  D  A 
Nevers,  and  George  W.  Garland.  It  cast  a  decreasing  vote  in  the 
state  for  about  six  j^ears,  when  it  passed  from  the  arena. 

At  this    f^rst  biennial    election    Jared   I.    Williams    and    William 
Clough,    Democrats,   were  elected   representatives.     Mr.    Williams, 
like  Mr.  Kellum,  who  was   representative   in    1877,  was  a  Catholic' 
and  held  his  seat  in    the    house  while   the   constitution  prohibited 
Catholics  from  holding  that  ofifice.     Whatever  was  said   about  the 
matter  was  in  undertones,  as  the  people  of  the  state  were  heartily 
ashamed  of  the  sectarian  exclusion  of  a  growing  class  of  good  citi- 
zens;  but  it  was  not  until  1889  that  the  last  vestige  of  that  intoler- 
ance was   expunged  from    the  constitution   although    it  had  been  a 
dead  letter  for  many   years.     The    toleration    act  of   seventy  years 
before  was  only  a  half-way  measure ;  it  left   the   state   a    Protestant 
Christian  institution.     The  Catholic  and  Jew,  no  matter  how  good  a 
citizen  he  was,  or  how  much  taxes  he  paid,  was  not  allowed  to  parti- 
cipate in  the  affairs  of  state.     He  was  not  a  party  to  self-o-overn- 
ment.      He  had  a  Protestant,  Christian  guardian  appointed  fSr  him 
known  as  the  state  of  New  Hampshire.     This  lingering  relic  of  the 
barbarous  Middle  Ages  has  finally  passed  away,  and  every  intelli- 
gent citizen  IS  proud  of  the  fact.     The  good  sense  of  the  commu- 
nity, and  Its  political  practices  in  Lancaster  were  an  age  in  advance 
of  the  constitution  of  the  state ;   and  there  was  no  valid  ground  for 
sectarian  prejudice  against  that  particular  sect.     The  fact  is  that  no 
man   was   excluded    from    full    participation    in   the    action    of   any 
party  and  emoluments  of  office,  in  Lancaster,  on  the  ground  that  he 
was  a  Catholic.     Lancaster  has  never  had  occasion  to  be  ashamed 
of  her  Catholic   population,   or   to   distrust   them.     They  are   crood 
citizens,  law-abiding  and  patriotic.     When  the  call  came  for  soldiers 
to  defend  the  constitution  and  flag  in   1861,  the  most  devout  of  that 
sect  were  among  the  volunteers  from  Lancaster.     They  have  never 
demanded  anything  at  the  hands  of  their  neighbors  on  the  crround 
of  their  peculiar  faith.     They  participate  in  all  the  civil  and  p^olitical 
affairs  of  the  town  and  state  as  citizens,  their  children  are  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  and   they  mingle  with  their  Protestant  neicrh- 
bors  socially,  and   nobody  stops  to  think  of  sectarian  differences  • 
long  may  it  be  before  any  change  for  the  worse  takes  place 

Major  Evarts  W.  Farr,  congressman  from  this  district,  died  in  the 
late  autumn  of  1880.  A  vacancy  thus  occurring,  a  special  election 
was  ordered  and  held.     Ossian  Ray  of  Lancaster  at  once  entered 


242  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  field  as  a  candidate  for  the  Republican  nomination.  Hons.  Ira 
Colby,  Levi  W.  Barton,  and  Chester  Pike  were  also  candidates. 
The  convention  was  at  West  Lebanon,  and  Mr.  Ray  was  nominated 
over  all  opposition  on  his  forty-fifth  birthday,  viz.,  December  13, 
1880.  His  majority  in  the  election  following  to  fill  out  the  unex- 
pired term  of  Major  Farr  from  then  till  March,  1881,  and  to  suc- 
ceed himself  for  two  years  thereafterwards,  was  more  than  5,000 
over  Jewett  D.  Hosley,  of  Lebanon,  the  Democratic  candidate.  He 
was  re-elected  in  1882.  In  his  election  Coos  county  gave  him  its 
first  Republican  majority,  although  Abraham  Lincoln  had  carried 
the  county  by  a  plurality.  In  congress  Mr.  Ray  was  on  the  com- 
mittee of  invalid  pensions  and  of  claims.  He  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  securing  a  term  of  the  federal  court  at  Concord,  and  also 
in  procuring  an  appropriation  of  $200,000  for  a  court-house  and 
post-ofifice  building  at  Concord  ;  also  for  $200,000  for  a  post-office 
at  Manchester.  He  was  active  in  reducing  letter  postage,  abolishing 
duty  on  sugar,  and  in  protecting  all  our  own  industries. 

In  this  campaign  of  1880,  Charles  H.  Bell  was  the  Republican 
candidate  for  governor,  Frank  Jones  of  the  Democratic  party,  War- 
ren G.  Brown  was  again  brought  forward  by  the  Greenback  party, 
and  George  D.  Dodge  by  the  Temperance  party.  Bell  carried 
three  hundred  and  fifty  votes  in  Lancaster,  and  Jones  only  one  less. 
There  were  this  year  only  two  votes  cast  for  other  candidates,  and 
they  are  recorded  as  "  scattering." 

The  vote  on  presidential  electors  stood  :  Garfield  electors,  three 
hundred  and  fifty-two,  and  Hancock  electors,  three  hundred  and 
forty-eight. 

The  Democratic  party  this  year  named  Frank  Smith  and  Mat- 
thew Monahan  as  their  candidates.  The  Republicans  put  for- 
ward Chester  B.  Jordan  and  James  Monahan.  After  a  hot  contest 
Jordan  defeated  Smith  by  one  vote.  In  the  June  session  of  1881, 
Mr.  Jordan  was  elected  speaker  of  the  house,  a  position  he  filled 
with  dignity  and  ease.  Mr.  Jordan  was  destined  to  become  an 
important  factor,  not  only  in  town  but  state  politics ;  and  if  indi- 
cations are  to  be  depended  upon  he  will  carry  off  the  highest  honors 
his  state  can  confer  upon  one  of  its  citizens.  He  will  appear  again 
upon  the  scene. 

The  campaign  of  1882  was  an  exciting  time  in  Lancaster,  as 
it  was  throughout  the  state.  The  candidates  for  governor  were 
Samuel  W.  Hale,  Republican ;  Martin  Van  Buren  Edgerly,  Demo- 
crat. The  Greenback  and  Temperance  parties  had  candidates,  but 
they  are  not  mentioned  in  the  returns  in  this  town.  Hale  received 
three  hundred  and  fourteen  votes,  and  Edgerly  three  hundred  and 
eighteen,  while  twenty  votes  were  recorded  as  scattering. 

The    Democratic    party    brought   forward    Col.   Henry    O.    Kent 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  243 

and  Judge  William  S.  Ladd  as  candidates  for  representatives,  and 
elected  them  by  fair-sized  majorities.  Hon.  Irving  W.  Drew,  one 
of  Lancaster's  ablest  lawyers,  was  this  year  elected  to  the  state 
senate  by  a  good  majority  as  a  Democrat. 

The  contest  of  1884  was  not  less  vigorous  in  this  town  than  that 
of  the  previous  two  elections.  Being  a  presidential  election  it 
gave  some  added  interest  to  the  campaign.  The  hot  contest 
between  Blaine  and  Cleveland  throughout  the  country  served  to 
arouse  the  voters  of  Lancaster  to  do  their  best  for  their  respective 
party  leaders  at  the  polls.  Blaine  received  three  hundred  and 
thirty  votes,  Cleveland  three  hundred  and  eighty-four,  leaving 
twenty-five  to  go  on  record  as  scattering.  This  was  practically  the 
full  vote  of  the  town,  strenuous  efforts  having  been  made  to  get 
every  voter  to  the  polls. 

The  candidates  for  governor  were  Moody  Currier,  Republican, 
who  received  three  hundred  and  thirty-two  votes;  John  M.  Hill, 
Democrat,  who  received  three  hundred  and  eighty-three.  Twenty- 
five  votes  were  recorded  as  scattering. 

Col.  Henry  O.  Kent  was  this  year  elected  to  the  state  senate 
over  William  R.  Danforth  of  Stratford,  Republican.  Colonel  Kent 
received  the  appointment  as  naval  officer  of  the  port  of  Boston  from 
President  Cleveland  in  1885,  and  entered  upon  his  duties  January  i, 
1886,  serving  until  May  20,  1890. 

Frank  Smiith  and  Matthew  Monahan,  Democrats,  were  chosen 
representatives  by  the  usual  party  majority. 

The  contest  of  the  next  year,  1886,  was  less  exciting,  and  not  so 
large  a  vote  was  cast  as  in  the  two  previous  elections.  The  contest 
for  the  governorship  was  between  Charles  H.  Sawyer,  Republican, 
who  carried  three  hundred  and  ninety-seven  votes,  and  Thomas 
Cogswell,  Democrat,  who  received  three  hundred  and  sixty-one. 
There  was  a  number  of  votes  set  down  in  the  returns  as  scatter- 
ing, which  this  year  counted  eleven.  A  spirited  contest  for  state 
senator  was  waged  between  Hon.  C.  B.  Jordan  and  Samuel  E.  Paine, 
of  Berlin,  the  latter  winning  by  a  moderate  majority,  Mr.  Jordan 
running  largely  ahead  of  his  ticket.  Charles  A.  Cleaveland  and 
Robert  McCarten,  Democrats,  were  chosen  as  representatives. 

The  next  year,  1888,  being  also  a  presidential  election,  more  inter- 
est was  manifested  in  politics  National  questions  cast  their  shad- 
ows over  local  ones  and  often  changed  their  hues.  The  national 
contest  was  a  warm  one,  involving  great  issues,  much  exaggerated,  of 
course.  It  called  out  a  large  vote,  eight  hundred  and  sixteen  in  this 
town. 

The  Republican  party  offered  David  H.  Goodell  as  their  candi- 
date for  governor,  who  received  three  hundred  and  seventy-eight 
votes.  Charles  H.  Amsden  was  the  Democratic  nominee,  and  car- 
ried off  four  hundred  and  thirty  votes. 


244  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

For  president  Benjamin  Harrison  received  three  hundred  and 
eighty  votes.  Grover  Cleveland  polled  four  hundred  and  twenty- 
seven.     There  were  only  two  scattering  votes. 

For  representatives  to  the  legislature  Matthew  Smith  and  John 
M.  Clark,  Democrats,  were  chosen. 

Lancaster  had  now  been  carried  by  the  Democrats  continuously  in 
four  elections,  and  that  of  1890  approached.  It  lacked  the  added 
interest  of  a  presidential  election  to  call  out  a  full  vote ;  only  six 
hundred  and  sixty-seven  of  the  more  than  eight  hundred  voters  of 
the  town  came  to  the  polls.  The  gubernatorial  candidates  were : 
Hiram  A.  Tuttle,  Republican;  Charles  H.  Amsden,  Democrat.  Tut- 
tle  carried  three  hundred  and  eighty-one  votes,  and  Amsden  three 
hundred  and  seventy-six,  leaving  but  ten  votes  to  be  returned  as 
scattering. 

The  town  now  had  attained  a  population  of  3,367,  which  entitled 
it  to  three  representatives  in  the  legislature.  Joseph  D.  Howe,  Pat- 
rick Small,  and  George  Farnham,  all  Democrats,  were  elected. 

The  campaign  of  1892  was  one  of  much  excitement  and  of  un- 
common interest  in  its  local  features.  As  usual  with  elections  every 
four  years,  when  national  issues  help  to  magnify  the  importance  of 
the  state  and  town  questions,  this  year  saw  much  more  than  a  com- 
mon contest.  Grover  Cleveland  and  Benjamin  Harrison  were  again 
in  the  field. 

The  Harrison  electors  received  four  hundred  and  twelve  votes, 
while  the  Cleveland  electors  carried  the  town  with  four  hundred  and 
thirty.  The  Republican  candidate  for  governor,  John  B.  Smith  of 
Hillsborough,  received  four  hundred  and  six  votes.  Luther  F.  Mc- 
Kinney,  Democrat,  got  four  hundred  and  three.  Edgar  L.  Carr, 
Prohibitionist,  received  fourteen  votes.  The  Republicans  elected 
their  candidates  for  representatives.  They  were  Willie  E.  Bullard, 
Alex  M.  Beattie,  and  Gilbert  A.  Marshall.  The  Republican  party 
had  returned  to  power  on  national  issues.  There  were  no  local  issues 
competent  to  turn  the  scale  of  party  for  many  years  past. 

The  campaign  of  1894  was  one  of  much  interest  in  Lancaster,  as 
Col.  Henry  O.  Kent  was  the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor. 
The  Republicans  brought  forward  Charles  A.  Busiel  of  Laconia,  for 
many  years  a  stalwart  Democrat  who  had  gone  over  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  on  the  tariff  doctrine,  believing  in  a  protective  tariff. 
Lancaster  was  one  of  the  chief  battle-fields.  Candidate  Busiel, 
United  States  Senators  Gallinger  and  Chandler,  to  say  nothing  of 
lesser  lights  of  the  Republican  party,  spoke  before  large  and  enthu- 
siastic audiences  here. 

The  Democrats  cultivated  their  opportunities  no  less  zealously, 
with  the  result  that  when  the  polls  closed  at  the  November  election 
of  that  year,  Kent   received  four   hundred   and  sixty-four  votes  to 


POLITICAL    HISTORY.  245 

four  hundred  and  twelve  for  Busiel.  The  Prohibition  party  polled 
fourteen  votes  for  Daniel  C.  Knowles.  George  D.  Epps  received 
five  votes  as  candidate  of  the  Labor  party.  Frank  Smith,  Demo- 
cratic candidate  for  the  state  senate,  received  four  hundred  and 
seventeen  votes,  while  Thomas  H.  Van  Dyke,  Republican,  carried 
four  hundred  and  twenty-five. 

John  L.  Moore  and  James  W.  Truland,  Republicans,  and  Wil- 
liam R.  Stockwell,  Democrat,  were  elected  as  representatives  this 
year. 

In  point  of  interest,  excitement,  and  anxiety  as  to  the  results  that 
might  follow  it,  no  election  has  surpassed  that  of  1896,  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  town.  Being  a  presidential  election,  great  national 
issues  were  brought  forward,  and  state  and  town  politics  were 
molded  almost  wholly  by  national  questions. 

The  Republican  party  presented  for  president  William  McKinley 
of  Ohio  and  the  Democratic  convention  nominated  William  J.  Bryan 
of  Nebraska,  who  received  the  endorsement  of  the  Populists  and 
Silver  Republicans.  John  M.  Palmer  was  the  nominee  of  the  "  Na- 
tional Democrats,"  while  the  Temperance  people  had  two  tickets 
in  the  field. 

The  vote  in  Lancaster  was  McKinley,  519;  Bryan,  290;  Palmer, 
18,  and  Prohibitionists,  8. 

George  A.  Hartford,  George  W.  Lane,  and  James  A.  Monahan, 
Republicans,  were  elected  representatives. 

No  small  share  of  the  popular  interest  of  this  election  was  cen- 
tered about  the  state  tickets.  Colonel  Henry  O.  Kent  was  again 
the  Democratic  candidate  for  governor.  George  A.  Ramsdell  was 
the  Republican  candidate.  Kent  received  three  hundred  and  ninety- 
two  votes  in  Lancaster,  and  Ramsdell  three  hundred  and  ninety. 
There  were  over  a  thousand  names  on  the  check-list,  but  the  highest 
vote  cast  was  only  835.  Many  persons  evidently  did  not  vote. 
Ramsdell  was  elected  by  a  majority  of  2 1 ,007  over  Kent,  who  ran 
ahead  of  the  Democratic  presidential  ticket  by  7,062  votes  in  the 
state,  the  adverse  plurality  against  him  being  16,119  votes  less  than 
against  the  presidential  ticket. 

Another  Lancaster  man  was  up  this  year  for  the  important  office 
of  state  senator — Hon.  C.  B.  Jordan,  Republican.  The  Democratic 
candidate  for  the  same  office  was  Edward  Herbert  Weston,  of 
Whitefield.  Mr.  Weston  made  a  very  vigorous  canvass  of  the  dis- 
trict; Mr,  Jordan  did  not  make  a  speech  or  leave  his  daily  pursuits 
to  canvass  for  support ;  but  when  the  vote  was  counted  he  ran 
ahead  of  his  competitor  by  three  hundred  and  nine  votes  in  Lancas- 
ter, and  in  the  district  1,413. 

Mr.  Jordan's  election  was  no  more  than  announced  when  his 
friends  brought  his  name  forward  as  a  candidate  for  president  of  the 


246  HISTORY   OF   Lx\NCASTER. 

senate,  which  honor  came  to  him  by  a  unanimous  vote  of  the  senate. 
This  office  he  has  filled  with  commendable  dignity  and  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  that  body. 

Since  biennial  elections  under  the  constitution  of  1878,  the  town- 
meetings  in  March  have  become  gradually  less  political ;  less  under 
the  control  of  party  management  than  before.  Affairs  are  con- 
ducted on  a  business  and  prudential  basis  instead  of  on  a  political 
and  partisan  one  as  before  the  separation  of  the  state  elections  from 
the  town-meeting.  The  parties  still  hold  their  caucuses,  but  some- 
times they  come  together  on  a  single  ticket  for  selectmen,  town 
clerk,  treasurer,  and  other  minor  offices.  This  in  no  way  interferes 
with  bringing  independent  candidates  before  the  meetings  for  any 
office.  This  arrangement  has  been  an  advantage  to  the  town  as 
it  secures  less  interference  with  strictly  business  affairs. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  LANCASTER. 

The  life  of  a  community  is  not  all  told  in  prose.  We  live  in  vain 
if  the  muse  comes  not  to  some  of  our  number,  and  with  her  magic 
touch  awakens  the  inspiration  of  song,  to  soothe  and  cheer  the  tried 
and  often  disconsolate  soul.  Life  is  not  to  be  measured  alone  in  the 
currency  of  the  market-place.  Truth,  like  the  shield,  has  two  sides. 
The  one  is  often  plain  and  prosaic,  while,  if  we  be  able  to  turn  the 
other  side  in  the  light  of  an  inspiration,  it  maybe  pleasing  and  beau- 
tiful to  a  wonderful  degree.  It  would  have  been  strange  if  all  this 
beauty  that  fills  the  landscapes,  the  sky,  the  homes  and  lives  of  Lan- 
caster, had  not  found  some  expression  in  verse  or  color. 

The  natural  scenery  is  unsurpassed,  and  the  life  of  the  community 
has  not  been  devoid  of  that  culture,  refinement  of  taste  and  inspira- 
tion that  appeal  to  the  imagination  and  taste  of  men,  breaking  forth 
in  songs  of  melody  or  color. 

There  have  been  a  number  of  persons  who  have  written  verse  of 
some  worth,  entitling  them  to  recognition  in  the  history  of  their 
town,  whether  they  were  born  here,  or  happened  to  write  here  under 
inspiration  that  was  peculiarly  local.  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent  and  Nellie 
Cross  (now  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Dennison  of  Yokohama,  Japan)  were 
born  in  Lancaster,  while  Albert  Kimball,  Rev.  George  Osgood,  and 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Harris  were  residents  of  Lancaster  for  only  a  short  pe- 
riod, though  these  latter  wrote  under  the  inspiration  that  came  to 
them  here,  and  nothing  would  have  called  forth  the  same  verses 
elsewhere.     Their   poems,  here  inserted,  are  for  that  reason  essen- 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  LANCASTER.  247 

tially  of  Lancaster,  and  are  entitled  to  a  place  in  the  anthology  of 
the  town. 

A  portion  of  the  poetry  that  I  should  have  liked  to  insert  here 
will  be  found  in  Part  II,  in  the  chapter  on  the  "  Centennial  Celebra- 
tion of  the  Settlement  of  the  Town."  They  could  not  be  taken  out 
of  their  natural  settings  in  that  chapter,  as  they  form  a  part  of  it,  and 
the  reader  is  referred  to  it  for  poems  of  Henry  O.  Kent  and  Mrs. 
Mary  B.  C.  Slade. 

FREMONT.* 
By  Henry  O.  Kent. 

Fremont,  Fremont,  H  is  a  name  that  thrills 

The  free  of  our  native  land, 
That  echoes  in  glee  from  our  eastern  hills, 

And  the  state  of  the  golden  sand. 

Fremont,  Fremont,  't  is  a  nation's  shout 

That  rings  unchallenged  wide  ; 
Aye  well  the  battle-cry  peals  out 

For  God  and  Freedom's  side. 

Fremont,  Fremont,  't  is  a  name  for  all, 

From  South  to  frozen  North ; 
Fremont,  'tis  the  spell  that  bursts  the  thrall; 

That  bids  the  right  go  forth. 

Fremont,  on  no  disunion  flag. 

Doth  that  name  proudly  wave  ; 
It  speaks  of  deeds  by  stream  and  crag, 

It  rings  from  patriot's  graves. 

Disunion,  oh,  we  spurn  the  cry 

And  fling  it  back  in  scorn  ; 
Bright  gleams  above,  our  Eagle's  eye 

To  victory  sweeping  on. 

What !  did  our  sires  whose  blood  bedews 

The  height  of  Bunker  Hill, 
Whose  shoeless  feet  tracked  Jersey's  snows. 

And  crimsoned  Eutaw's  rill 

Fight,  that  the  spirit  of  the  free 

Should  sink  at  last  o'erpowered? 
And  dying,  bleeding  liberty 

Fall  'neath  oppression's  rod  ? 

Did  congress  in  their  glorious  might 

Within  that  grand  old  hall. 
Mean  it  a  farce,  when  they  wrote 

Of  ' '  equal  rights  to  all  ?  " 

*This  song  was  set  to  music  by  Ellen  A.  White,  daughter  of  Col.  John  H.  White  and  sung 
through  the  stirring  campaign  of  1856. 


248  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Then  peal  the  cry,  the  battle-cry 
From  Maine  to  Texas'  shore  ; 

Aye,  let  our  anthem  echo  high, 
The  Union  sweeping  o'er  ! 

A  feeling  warm  for  our  brothers  all 
Amid  the  sunny  South  ; 

And  a  pledge  anew,  to  the  firm  and  true. 
Of  the  stern  unchanging  North. 

A  shout  for  Union,  loud  and  strong, 
A  shout  for  Kansas  free  ; 

Aye,  a  thundering  cheer  our  ranks  along, 
Fremont  and  Victory ! 


THE  OLD  WILLOW.* 
By  Nellie  W.  Cross  (now  Mrs.  Henry  W.  Dennison). 

Graceful  willow,  tall  and  stately. 

Queen  of  all  our  village  trees. 
Taking  May's  sweet  bloom,  sedately 

Swaying  in  the  gentle  breeze  ; 
What  a  tale  your  leaves  might  flutter. 

If,  like  Delphi's  priestess  fair. 
We  could  hear  the  words  they  utter, 

Trembling  in  the  evening  air. 

What  a  calm,  unvarnished  story, 

Free  from  mortal  hopes  and  fears  ; — 
Like  a  patriarch,  wise  and  hoary. 

You  could  tell  of  vanished  years ; 
What  a  tale  of  autumn  splendor. 

What  a  dream  of  summer  dead, 
Sighs  for  Spring's  caresses  tender 

Lavished  on  your  stately  head. 

What  a  tale  of  joy  and  sadness. 

Could  you  tell  each  passing  scene. 
Changes  fraught  with  grief  and  gladness. 

Since  your  branches  first  were  green ; 
Ernest  youth  and  happy  maiden 
y  That  have  loitered  'neath  your  shade ; 

Weary  hearts,  with  cares  o'erladen. 

Careless  children  that  have  played  ; 

*  The  Old  Willow  stood  in  front  of  the  Lancaster  House,  and  was  the  pride  of  the  village.  It 
was  killed  by  the  burning  of  that  hotel  Sept.  27,  1878,  and  was  cut  down  Jan.  27,  18S1.  This  was 
the  last  of  a  row  of  Lombardy  poplars  and  willows  that  Judge  Richard  C.  Everett,  the  grandfather 
of  Nellie  W.  Cross,  had  set  out  from  the  court-house  to  the  south  line  of  the  lot  to  the  south  line 
of  present  Foundry  St.,  about  the  year  1800.  Judge  Everett  then  owned  all  the  land  on  that  side 
of  the  street  between  the  two  points  above  named. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Erdix  T.  Wilson,  of  Barton,  Vt.,  we  are  able  to  present  in  this  book  a 
reproduction  of  a  photograph  of  the  old  willow  taken  when  he  was  a  photographer  here.  The  late 
Richard  P.  Kent  was  standing  under  the  tree. 


The  Old  Willow,  near  Lancaster  House. 

Destroyed  by  Fire  of  187S. 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  LANCASTER.  249 

Since  from  yonder  verdant  meadow, 

Where  the  rippling  waters  flow, 
You  were  brought  for  grace  and  shadow 

More  than  sixty  years  ago  ; 
Still  the  blue  skies  bend  above  you,    ' 

On  your  limbs  green  mosses  cling, 
Spring's  first  sunshine  seems  to  love  you 

In  your  boughs  the  robins  sing. 

So,  while  Time  his  march  is  keeping. 

Conquering  all  we  loved  and  knew. 
May  you  watch  the  years  retreating, 

Like  a  sentinel,  firm  and  true  ; 
And  when  mortals  die  around  you. 

Seasons  fade  and  years  go  by ; 
With  the  glory  age  has  crowned  you. 

May  your  branches  greet  the  sky. 


MAY. 

BY   NELLIE    W.    CROSS. 

Yes  ;  May  is  coming  o'er  the  hills, 
Her  eyes  all  bright  with  daisies. 

Her  hands  with  opening  blossoms  fiUed- 
The  theme  of  poet's  praises. 

And  as  I  watch  her  lingering  steps. 
And  hear  her  soft  winds  playing. 

My  mind  went  wandering  o'er  the  years 
To  when  I  went  a-Maying. 

Again,  with  many  hopes  and  fears. 

Forgetful  how  time  passes, 
I  join  upon  the  village  green 

The  many  lads  and  lasses. 

Again,  the  wild  bees'  drowsy  hum 

Is  floating  o'er  the  meadow  ; 
Again,  I  hear  the  whispering  trees. 

And  watch  their  waving  shadows. 

Again,  I  sing  the  sweet  old  songs. 
And  hail  the  bright  spring  weather; 

Again,  I  wander  o'er  the  hills, 
Jenny  and  I  together. 


And  though  long  years  have  passed  since  then. 

And  we  grown  strangely  sober, 
As  May's  sweet  lingering  light 

Gives  place  to  life's  October. 


250  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

When  Spring  comes  smiling  o'er  the  hills, 
Old  paths  my  heart  will  stray  in ; 

With  Jenny  by  my  side  again, 
I  seem  to  go  a-Maying. 


THE  SUNSET  BURIAL. 

BY    REV.    GEORGE    OSGOOD.* 

Can  we  forget  the  holy  hour 

When  on  the  hillside  green, 
All  gleaming  bright  with  leaf  and  flower 

The  rain  drops  clear  were  seen? 

When  landscapes  in  their  summer  bloom 
Seemed  bathed  in  lovliest  light, 

As  hung  in  folds  the  clouds  of  gloom. 
Along  the  mountain's  height? 

Can  we  forget  the  prayers  we  breathed. 

The  tender  tears  we  shed. 
The  sweet  and  stainless  flowers  we  wreathed 

For  one  whose  soul  had  fled? 

Forget  her,  as  her  spirit  passed 

In  beauty,  peace,  and  love. 
To  rest,  from  weariness  and  pain, 

To  happier  scenes  above? 

Oh,  no  !  her  face,  sweet  and  serene. 

Shall  rise  before  our  sight, 
As  when,  in  placid  smiles,  was  seen 

Her  spirit's  lingering  light — 

Then  shall  our  hearts  be  pure  and  good. 

As  we  remember  still. 
That  by  her  dying  bed  we  stood. 

And  on  the  burial  hill. 


TO    MY    BROTHER. 

BY   MRS.    J.    B.    HARRIS. 

From  that  now  cherished  home 
A  thought  does  sometimes  stray, 
O'er  the  dim,  distant  hills. 
Where  the  bright  waters  play, 

*  The  author  of  this  poem,  now  living  at  Kensington,  N.  H.,  says  :  "It  was  suggested  by  the 
burial  of  Maria  Crawford,  daughter  of  Thomas  J.  Crawford  of  White  Mountain  fame,  but  living  dur- 
ing his  last  days  at  Lancaster;  Sunday,  July  24,  1S63,  after  a  day  of  showers,  as  we  were  grouped 
around  the  grave,  when  all  the  shrubs  were  brilliant  in  the  sunlight,  and  the  White  Mountains  were 
robed  in  clouds  as  if  mourning  for  their  child."  The  Rev.  Mr.  Osgood  was  then  pastor  of  the 
Unitarian  church. 


POETS    AND    POETRY   OF    LANCASTER.  25  I 

To  waken  sweet  thoughts 

Of  Ufa's  sunny  morn, 

Where  we  played  'mong  the  hills, 

And  the  forest  birds  sang. 

I  think  of  thee,  brother. 

The  long,  weary  day  ; 

Tho'  thine  eye  has  grown  dim, 

Thy  locks  turning  gray  ; 

And  my  heart  wanders  out. 

When  the  stars  are  asleep. 

To  kiss  thee  good-night,  brother. 

Good-night,  ere  I  sleep. 

When  I  sit  down  to  play 
Some  sweet  favorite  air, 
I  miss  one  loved  chord 
I  may  never  more  hear ; 
'Tis  lost  on  the  breeze, 
^Mong  the  hills  far  away,. 
Like  the  notes  of  the  harp. 
Which  the  wild  winds  play. 

Fond  memory  points, 

With  a  tear  in  her  eye. 

To  the  cold  tide  that  has  borne 

My  loved  ones  away. 

But  the  bright  star  of  hope 

Shines  yet  to  illumine 

Our  pathway  of  tears 

Through  the  dark,  chilling  gloom. 


GONE    BACK    TO    HEAVEN. 

BY   ALBERT    KIMBALL. 

Lay  him  to  rest  in  his  little  bed, 

Not  where  he  lately  was  wont  to  lie. 

But  give  him  a  couch  'mong  the  quiet  dead. 
With  never  a  murmured  lullaby. 

Darling  Ally  is  wrapped  in  sleep — 
Calmest  slumber  that  mortal  knows — 

And  none  to  his  side  with  a  smile  shall  creep, 
To  awake  his  limbs  from  their  long  repose. 

The  lids  have  fallen  in  dark  eclipse 

Over  those  orbs  once  bright  with  glee ; 

A  beautiful  palor  is  on  the  lips. 

Their  marble  sweetness  is  sad  to  see. 

The  golden  tint  of  the  hair  has  flown  ; 

The  fair,  round  forehead  is  damply  chill ; 
The  dainty  hand  is  a  thing  of  stone. 

The  heart  of  the  sleeper  is  hushed  and  still. 


252  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

God !  Can  it  be  that  the  life  has  passed 
Out  from  the  beautiful  form  of  clay? 

That  only  the  casket  is  left  at  last. 

And  the  spirit  immortal  has  soared  away? 

That  never  again  on  this  earthly  shore 
Dear  Ally's  innocent  laugh  shall  ring? 

His  artless  prattle  no  longer  pour. 

That  sounded  sweeter  than  birds  of  spring 

That  never  again  shall  the  lashes  rise — 
Downy  lashes,  how  soft  they  seem  ! 

Gently  veiling  those  deep  blue  eyes 

That  lighted  a  home  with  their  cloudless  beam? 

That  never  again  shall  the  cherub  face 
On  loving  bosom  for  rest  recline? 

And  never  again,  in  close  embrace. 

Sorrowing  mother,  be  pressed  to  thine? 

These  are  the  thoughts  that  surge  and  roll, 
And  burst  to  tears  in  the  tempests  swell ; 

While  out  over  the  waves  of  the  troubled  soul 
Comes  the  dismal  voice  of  the  tolling  bell. 

Oh,  it  is  hard  for  the  heart  to  bear ! 

But  the  cup  so  bitter  we  may  not  shun  ; 
Still  we'll  utter  our  humble  prayer, 

"  Father  in  Heaven,  Thy  will  be  done." 


LINES. 

[Dedicated  to  the  family  of  the  late  Lieut.  John  G.  Lewis.*     By  Albert  Kimball.] 

Tolls  the  bell  in  solemn  tones. 

Telling  with  its  muffled  breath 
Tales  at  which  the  spirit  moans 

O'er  the  victories  of  death, — 
Death,  whose  sway  encircles  all. 

Making  slaves  of  proudest  kings, 
When  the  fatal  shadows  fall 

Of  dread  Azrael's  sable  wings. 

Slowly  moves  the  funeral  train. 

And  with  sad,  reluctant  tread. 
Breaking  heart,  and  burning  brain, 

March  the  living  with  the  dead. 
Die  those  hearts  to  earthly  hope, 

Bruised  by  traitor's  chastening  rod, 
As  the  dusty  portals  ope. 

For  that  loved  and  lifeless  clod. 

*John  G.  Lewis  was  first  lieutenant  of  Company  H,  9th  N.  H.  Volunteers.  He  was  killed  in  the 
battle  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  December,  1S62.  His  body  was  brought  home  and  buried  in  the  old 
cemetery,  with  Masonic  Rites,  Dec.  18,  1S62. 


POETS  AND  POETRY  OF  LANCASTER.  253 

How  the  soul  sinks  down,  and  down, 

Into  realms  of  deepest  gloom, 
When  cruel  death's  awful  frown 

Wakes  the  terrors  of  the  tomb  ; 
When  a  dear  one's  clay  is  cold, 

In  its  narrow  mansion  hid, 
And  when  other  clay  is  rolled 

Heavy  on  the  coffin's  lid. 

'Tis  a  soldier's  fate  we  weep, 

'T  is  a  soldier's  grave  we  scan, — 
Let  the  gallant  Lewis  sleep, 

Undisturbed  by  warring  man  ! 
Far  from  battle's  strife  and  din, 

Mid  the  smiling  scenes  of  peace, 
Here  the  hero  enters  in 

Where  his  toils  forever  cease. 

Here — 'mong  old  familiar  ways, 

Sweet  with  joys  that  could  not  pall 
In  the  bright,  unclouded  days. 

Ere  he  heard  his  country's  call 
Call  him  forth  with  stern  alarm, 

Where  the  waves  of  conflict  rose. 
Bade  him  raise  his  loyal  arm 

'Gainst  her  fierce  and  haughty  foes, — 

Here,  where  home  had  arched  its  sky, 

Where  its  light  made  all  things  dear. 
Where  loved  faces  blest  his  eye, 

And  loved  voices  charmed  his  ear. 
Where  warm  friendship  and  regard 

Round  them  wove  their  Mystic  Tie, — 
Here  his  fame  can  ne'er  be  marred, 

He7-e  his  memory  shall  not  die. 

Here  affection's  tongue  will  tell. 

Half  with  pity,  half  with  pride. 
How  the  patriot  martyr  fell 

By  the  Rappahannock's  side. 
When  the  hellish  missile  broke. 

Charged  with  death,  and  pain,  and  woe, 
How  he  met  the  mortal  stroke 

Bravely,  as  he  faced  the  foe. 

God  of  Heaven  !  at  Thy  command, 

When  shall  war  and  carnage  end? 
When  shall  man  with  bloodless  hand 

Greet  his  brother  as  his  friend  ? 
When  shall  Moloch's  reign  be  o'er? 

When  shall  Right  assume  her  throne. 
And  our  slighted  flag  once  more 

Wave,  unrivaled,  and  alone? 

God  of  Heaven  !  to  Thee  we  call 
In  our  nation's  trying  hour, — 


254  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Give  us  grace  to  suffer  all, 

Give  us  purpose,  give  us  power  ! 

Lead  our  wavering  steps  aright. 
Guard  and  guide  us  from  above. 

Through  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
To  the  dawn  of  peace  and  love. 


CHAPTER   XXI. 
EARLY    MAILS,    POST    RIDERS,    AND    POST-OFFICES. 

Mails,  Post  Riders,  and  Post-offices.  There  were  arrangements 
for  communication  by  letter  before  1692,  in  some  of  the  more 
thickly  settled  colonies  of  New  England.  On  Feb.  17,  1692,  King 
William  and  Queen  Mary  constituted  Thomas  Neale  postmaster- 
general  for  the  colonies;  and  17 10,  an  Act  of  Parliament  estab- 
lished a  uniform  system  for  all.  When  this  plan  had  been  in  ope- 
ration more  than  sixty  years,  Benjamin  Franklin  was  appointed 
postmaster-general ;  but  his  conduct  gave  offense  to  the  king,  and 
he  was  removed  in  1774.  Immediately  one  William  Goddard 
planned  what  he  called  a  "  Constitutional  Postofifice,"  and  the  colo- 
nial congress  adopted  it  July  26,  1775,  with  Franklin  as  postmas- 
ter-general. The  Articles  of  Confederation  and  the  Constitution 
gave  congress  full  power  over  the  post-oflfices  of  the  country.  In 
1790,  congress  took  action  on  the  matter  continuing  the  post-ofifice 
as  it  had  been  conducted  under  Franklin.  Two  years  later  congress 
fixed  the  rates  of  postage,  which  were : 

"For  every  single  letter,  conveyed  by  land,  not  exceeding  forty  miles,  eight 
cents.  Over  forty,  and  not  exceeding  ninety  miles,  ten  cents.  Over  ninety 
miles,  and  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  twelve  and  a  half  cents. 
For  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  and  not  to  exceed  three  hundred,  fifteen  cents. 
For  three  hundred  miles,  and  not  to  exceed  four  hundred,  twenty  cents.  For 
four  hundred  miles,  and  not  to  exceed  five  hundred,  twenty-five  cents.  For  every 
double  letter,  or  a  letter  composed  of  two  pieces  of  paper,  double  the  above  rates. 
For  every  package  weighing  one  ounce,  or  more,  at  the  rate  of  four  single 
letters  for  each  ounce.  Newspapers,  one  cent  each,  when  not  exceeding  one 
hundred  miles,  but  not  to  exceed  one  cent  each  in  the  state  in  which  they  are 
published." 

With  these  extravagant  rates  were  also  established  some  very 
stringent  rules.  A  letter  or  parcel  had  to  be  deposited  in  the  post- 
office  a  half  hour  before  the  time  for  the  mail  to  depart  or  else  it 
had  to  lay  over  until  the  next  mail.  All  letters  and  packages  to 
and  from  the  president  and  vice-president  of  the  United  States,  and 
certain  other  officers,  passed  free  of  postage.  Mail  was  delivered  to 
parties  to  whom  it  was  addressed  and  an  account  kept  with  them, 
and  a  bill  was  presented  once  a  quarter  for  collection.     The  entire 


EARLY   MAILS,    POST    RIDERS    AND    POST-OFFICES.  255 

revenue  from  postage,  for  many  years,  constituted  the  pay  of  the 
post  rider.  Later  the  postmaster  received  a  share  of  it ;  and  not 
until  near  the  end  of  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  did  he  collect 
the  postage  on  its  own  account. 

Under  these  old  arrangements  for  carrying  the  mails  in  colonial 
days,  Lancaster  was  not  affected.  There  were  no  post  riders  until 
the  beginning  of  the  present  century.  For  over  thirty  years  the  first 
settlers  had  to  get  their  letters  from  here  to  other  points  by  persons 
who  happened  to  be  going  to  those  places  they  wished  to  commu- 
nicate with ;  and  letters  reached  Lancaster  in  the  same  slow  and 
uncertain  way.  I  have  before  me  a  letter  sent  by  Edwards  Buck- 
nam  to  Jonathan  Grant,  who  was  then  attending  a  term  of  court  at 
Plymouth,  that  went  as  far  as  Littleton,  and  from  there  the  carrier 
of  it  changed  his  mind  and  went  to  Portland,  from  which  point  he 
next  went  to  Exeter.  From  there  he  sent  the  letter  to  Charlestown 
by  another  party  going  there  on  business.  There  it  laid  for  over 
two  months  before  there  was  an  opportunity  to  send  it  to  Haver- 
hill, N.  H.,  by  another  party. 

After  another  month  it  was  sent  to  Plymouth,  and  had  it  not 
fallen,  accidentally,  into  the  hands  of  a  friend  of  Mr.  Grant,  who  for- 
warded it  to  him  in  Alban}/,  N.  Y.,  there  is  no  telling  if  he  would 
ever  have  received  it.  It  could  not  have  reached  the  sender,  unless 
some  one  had  violated  the  laws  in  opening  it,  for  there  was  no  other 
way  to  find  out  from  whom  it  came.  Through  the  carelessness,  and 
sometimes  dishonesty,  of  such  carriers  valuable  letters  often  were 
lost  or  stolen,  to  the  loss  and  inconvenience  of  the  senders  of  them. 
Not  infrequently  people  did  not  dare  to  take  the  risk  of  sending 
important  information,  especially  in  times  of  war,  for  fear  their  letters 
would  be  stolen,  or  rifled  of  their  contents.  Then  the  high  rates 
of  postage  made  it  necessary  for  people  to  write  as  seldom,  and  as 
short  letters,  as  possible.  He  was  not  a  true  friend,  in  those  days 
when  money  was  so  scarce,  who  would  write  double  letters,  and  too 
often,  for  it  would  subject  the  receiver  of  them  to  considerable  cost 
to  pay  for  them. 

An  instance  of  those  days,  where  a  bill  for  goods,  that  should 
have  been  packed  with  the  articles,  was  forwarded  by  mail  to 
Richard  P.  Kent,  with  unpaid  postage  of  18  3-4  cents.  The  mer- 
chant inveighed  against  such  needless  extravagance,  and  protested 
that  he  "could  not  be  burdened  with  postage  to  such  an  enormous 
amount"  as  the  correspondent's  method  entailed. 

The  writing  material  of  those  early  days  was  crude.  There  were 
no  envelopes  in  which  to  inclose  letters.  They  were  written  on 
sheets  of  rough,  hand-made  paper,  and  so  folded  as  to  keep  the 
writing  out  of  sight.  There  were  many  ingenious  methods  of  fold- 
ing to  make  them  neat,  strong,  and  safe.     They  were  held  together 


256  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

by  wafers  or  melting  a  bit  of  sealing  wax  and  dropping  it  upon  the 
edges  or  corners  where  they  overlapped.  Among  the  many  old 
letters  that  have  fallen  into  my  hands  there  is  one  from  a  young 
lady  of  one  of  the  "  first  families"  of  the  settlement  to  her  lover, 
which  was  sealed  with  hard  boiled  maple  sugar.  Whether  that  act 
was  symbolical  of  the  "sweet  nonsense"  it  contained,  or  whether 
she  had  no  sealing  wax,  I  cannot  say.  The  missive  was  written  in 
what,  I  believe,  was  the  first  attempt  at  poetry  in  Lancaster ;  and  but 
for  its  crudenesss  I  should  be  tempted  to  give  it  here  as  such 
example.     It  was  rather  a  matter  of  the  heart  than  of  the  intellect. 

When  Lancaster  received  its  first  mail  at  the  hands  of  a  regular 
mail  carrier,  we  cannot  say ;  but  so  far  as  we  have  any  authentic 
information  the  first  mail  carrier,  or  post  rider,  to  this  section,  was  one 
William  Trescott  of  Danville,  Vt.,  who  rode  the  district  in  18 12. 
We  find  an  old  advertisement,  published  in  Athol,  Mass.,  in  which 
he  called  upon  subscribers  in  Lancaster  who  wished  to  pay  for  their 
papers  in  produce  to  leave  it  at  Carlisle's  store.  His  route  laid 
through  Danville,  St.  Johnsbury,  and  Barnet,  in  Vermont;  Littleton, 
N.  H.,  Concord,  Waterford,  and  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  and  Lancaster.  He 
was  at  the  time  an  old  man  over  sixty  years  of  age,  and  rode  a  little 
short  and  spiritless  black  horse,  which  was  also  quite  old.  Trescott 
was  by  trade  a  sieve  maker,  and  used  to  carry,  on  his  trips  on  the 
mail  route,  a  lot  of  the  rims  for  his  sieves  strung  on  the  neck  of  his 
horse.  These  he  bartered  at  his  stopping  places,  and  to  some 
extent  along  the  road.  He  was  a  quaint  figure  in  a  broad-rimmed 
hat  and  brown  coat,  mounted  upon  a  pair  of  saddle-bags  full  of 
mail  with  his  overcoat  rolled  up  and  strapped  on  behind  his  saddle. 

The  first  postmaster  in  Lancaster  was  Stephen  Wilson,  the  mer- 
chant at  the  north  end  of  the  street.  Just  when  he  received  his 
appointment  is  not  known  with  any  degree  of  certainty ;  but  we 
have  certain  knowledge  of  the  fact  that  he  was  postmaster  in  1803  ; 
and  that  at  that  time  the  mail  came  from  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  which 
was  the  nearest  ofifice.  From  there  it  was  carried  on  horseback,  as 
we  have  described  it,  at  the  hands  of  Mr.  Trescott.  Whether 
another  preceded  him  is  very  uncertain.  At  the  time  referred  to 
his  route  had  grown  to  include  several  new  ofifices  that  had  been 
established  near  the  line  between  these  two  northernmost  ones. 

Col.  Stephen  Wilson  held  his  office  until  1807,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Abram  Hinds,  then  a  lawyer  practising  here.  He  was 
later  register  of  deeds.  Mr.  Hinds  held  the  office  for  a  term  of  five 
years,  and  was  succeeded  by  another  lawyer,  S.  A.  Pearson.  Mr. 
Pearson  kept  the  ofiice  in  his  law  ofifice,  in  the  home  of  the  late 
H.  A.  Fletcher,  on  Main  street.  He  was  a  very  popular  postmaster, 
and  held  the  office  for  seventeen  years,  the  longest  term  it  has  ever 
been  held  by  any  man  here.     During  his  incumbency,  about   1825, 


EARLY   MAILS,    POST    RIDERS,    AND    POST-OFFICES.  257 

the  mails  began  to  arrive  twice  a  week  from  Haverhill.  By  this 
time  the  roads  had  become  good  enough  to  justify  the  use  of  a  two- 
horse  wagon  in  carrying  the  mail.  This  arrangement  served  a 
double  purpose ;  the  mail  carrier  could  carry  an  occasional  passen- 
ger and  small  bundles  between  the  several  points  on  his  route,  which 
was  a  common  practice,  and  no  doubt  was  the  germ  of  the  wonder- 
ful express  system  of  transportation  for  small  articles,  now  so  much 
in  use. 

In  the  second  issue  of  the  White  Mountain  ^gis,  June  29, 
1838,  we  find  this  advertisement: 

"Lancaster,  Littleton,  Haverhill,  Hanover  and  Lowell  Mail  Stage.  Throuc-h 
in  two  days  !  The  southern  mail  will  leave  Lancaster  every  Tuesday,  Thursday 
and  Saturday,  at  5  o'clock  a.  m.  and  arrive  at  Haverhill  same  day,  in  season  for 

the  Telegraph  Mail  down  Connecticut  River. This  arrangement  will  make  a 

direct  hne  from  Lancaster  to  Lowell,  Mass.,  in  two  days  by  way  of  Hanover. 
Returning,  leaves  every  Tuesday,  Thursday  and  Saturday,  and  arrives  at  Lancas- 
ter next  day,  at  5  p.  m. 

"L.  A.  Russell  &  Co.,  Proprietors. 
"  Littleton,  May  29,  1838." 

The  following  description  of  the  arrival  of  mails,  the  postmasters, 
the  post-ofifices  and  the  distribution  of  mails  I  find,  from  the  pen  of 
Lieut.  James  S.  Brackett,  in  the  Lancaster  Gazette  in  1885,  and 
give  it  here  as  it  presents  us  a  vivid  picture  of  things  as  they 
appeared  to  a  young  lad,  over  sixty  years  ago  : 

"Fifty  years  ago  the  mail  was  brought  from  Haverhill  in  a  barouche  drawn  by 
two  horses.  The  barouche  was  succeeded  by  the  more  pretentious  and  elegant 
coach  drawn  by  four  horses,  and  the  Jehu  who  handled  the  lines  and  with  mi<rhty 
flourish  and  crack  of  whip  reined  in  the  fiery  steeds  at  the  post-office  door,''and 
with  pride  and  pomp  whirled  his  panting,  foaming  team  around  to  the  hotel 
where,  with  politeness  and  dignity,  he  handed  down  the  passengers,  was  the  envy 
of  all  the  boys  who  stood  agape  and  witnessed  the  wonderful  feat. 

"Those  were  days  of  simplicity  in  the  country  towns,  and  the  arrival  and 
departure  of  the  mails  three  times  in  each  week  were  occasions  of  moment 
Some  anxious  hearts  were  in  waiting  to  hear  from  absent  friends  or  the  news  from 
distant  places,  but  there  was  no  rush  to  the  'delivery'  as  now;  the  postmaster 
took  with  care  the  letters  and  papers  from  the  mail-bag,  and  called  the  name  of 
each  person  who  had  the  fortune  to  receive  a  letter  or  package,  and  if  the  person 
was  present  it  was  handed  out  to  him  ;  if  not,  the  package  was  put  into  a  drawer 
or  laid  upon  a  shelf  or  table  to  await  the  time  it  should  be  called  for.  After  a 
while  it  was  found  convenient  to  have  letter  '  pigeon-holes '  constructed  and 
arranged  alphabetically  that  time  might  be  saved  in  looking  over  the  accumula- 
tion, as  a  paper  or  letter  might  be  required.  Postage  was  not  prepaid  as  nowa- 
days, but  the  postmaster  charged  the  amount  due  on  a  package  to  the  receiver 
if  he  was  known  and  able  to  pay  his  debts,  and  once  a  quarter  presented  his  bill' 
If  the  receiver  was  a  stranger  or  an  impecunious  individual,  the  posta<^e  was 
required  before  delivery.  ^ 

"Dr.  Benjamin  Hunking  was  the  first  postmaster  whom  I  remember   succeed- 
ing Samuel  A.  Pearson   in    1829.     Dr.  Hunking  was  an   earnest  and  consistent 
18 


258  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

Jacksonian  Democrat,  and  for  that  reason  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  post- 
master. For  several  years  the  office  was  kept  in  the  house  where  he  lived,  now 
known  as  '  Elm  Cottage.'  The  mail  matter  was  so  limited  that  the  little  closet 
in  his  sitting-room  sufficed  for  the  reception  of  all  that  came  or  went,  and  when  a 
letter  was  called,  the  doctor,  and  in  his  absence,  any  member  of  the  family, 
would  go  to  that  small  closet,  look  over  the  letters  and  papers  and  hand  out  the 
required  package.  The  doctor,  owing  to  professional  and  other  business,  soon, 
however,  appointed  as  his  deputy  Reuben  L.  Adams,  a  man  well  and  favorably 
known  in  this  vicinity  ;  whereupon  the  office  was  moved  down  street,  and  kept  for 
a  while  in  a  little  room  at  the  south  end  of  the  front  piazza  of  the  house  built  by 
Harvey  Adams,  which  afterward  became  the  property  of  Presbury  West,  and  is  now 
owned  and  occupied  by  Nelson  Sparks,  corner  of  Main  and  Elm  streets.  In  1842 
Dr.  Hunking  resigned,  '  rather,'  he  said,  'than  be  removed  from  office,'  and  the 
appointment  of  Mr.  Adams  was  secured. 

"When  Gen.  Taylor  became  president,  Robert  Sawyer,  being  a  Whig,  and 
quite  ardent  in  his  political  faith,  was  given  the  post-office.  It  was  at  that  time 
considered  quite  singular  that  a  man  who  had  so  recently  become  a  resident  of 
the  town  should  receive  the  appointment,  but  Mr.  Sawyer  discharged  his  duties 
to  the  general  satisfaction  of  the  citizens.  Of  course  when  Franklin  Pierce,  New 
Hampshire's  favorite  son,  assumed  the  administration,  Mr.  Sawyer  '  stepped 
down  and  out,'  and  Harvey  Adams,  who  had  always  been  a  Democrat,  a  native  of 
the  town,  and  a  very  respectable  citizen,  succeeded  to  the  office  of  postmaster. 
An  office  was  fixed  up  in  what  is  now  the  Shannon  building,  and  presided  over 
by  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Flora  Adams  Darling.  James  A.  Smith  having  rendered 
important  service  to  the  party  was  next  made  postmaster  and  performed  its  duties 
well. 

"  Royal  Joyslin,  an  old-time  Whig,  who  had  long  resided  in  town  and  been 
identified  with  its  interests,  and  a  man  of  sterling  integrity,  was  appointed  post- 
master under  President  Lincoln.  Mr.  Oliver  Nutter,  who  had  been  in  town  but 
a  few  years,  a  Republican,  was  appointed  in  place  of  Mr.  Joyslin.  He  was  suc- 
ceeded by  John  W.  Spaulding,  and  he  by  Charles  E.  Allen." 

Such  was  the  post-office  and  its  management  in  the  days  that 
have  gone  by,  and  the  Hke  of  which  will  never  be  seen  again. 
Lancaster  is  now  within  eight  hours  of  the  metropolis  of  New  Eng- 
land by  mail,  and  the  telegraph  and  telephone  have  brought  it  within 
speaking-distance  of  the  whole  nation.  No  community  is  now  left 
to  itself  as  in  former  times.  If  any  improvement  is  made  in  the 
means  of  communicating  information  it  affects  the  whole  country  at 
once. 

As  the  railroads  approached  Lancaster  it  began  to  receive  daily 
mails  in  1850,  when  the  stage  lines  could  make  daily  trips;  and 
when  the  Concord  &  Montreal  railroad  reached  Lancaster  in  1870, 
mails  began  arriving  twice,  and  soon  four  times,  a  day.  With  the 
completion  of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad  in  1890,  the  mail  service 
was  twice  that  of  the  previous  twenty  years,  giving  the  town  as  good 
mail  facilities  as  could  be  desired. 

In  1886  a  post-ofifice  was  established  at  South  Lancaster,  with  E. 
A.  Steele  postmaster.  In  the  latter  part  of  that  same  year  a  post- 
ofhce  was  established  at  the  "  Grange,"  at  East  Lancaster,  with  Wil- 
liam G.  Ellis  as  postmaster.     These  ofhces  have  been  a  great  con- 


EPIDEMICS   THAT   HAVE   VISITED   THE   TOWN.  259 

venience  to  the  people  living  in   the  remoter  parts  of  the  town,  and 
in  towns  adjoining. 

The  southwestern  portion  of  the  town  gets  its  mail  at  "  Scotts  "  in 
Dalton,  while  a  large  portion  of  Guildhall  and  Lunenburg  in  Ver- 
mont, and  Northumberland  and  Jefferson  in  New  Hampshire,  use 
the  post-ofTfice  at  Lancaster  village. 


CHAPTER   XXIL 

SOME   EPIDEMICS    OF    DISEASES    THAT    HAVE   VISITED    THE 

TOWN. 

It  is  a  common  tradition  that  the  early  settlers  of  Lancaster  were 
a  very  healthy  class  of  people ;  that  very  little  sickness  existed  for 
many  years,  and  that  perhaps  seldom  serious  in  character  and 
results.  All  those  claims  may  well  be  true,  because  none  but  the 
most  healthy  and  rugged  sort  of  people  would  have  thought  of 
undertaking  life  in*  a  wilderness  so  remote  from  all  sources  of  relief 
as  the  town  then  was.  That  their  descendants  for  one  or  two  gen- 
erations were  almost  as  hardy  and  healthy  as  themselves  was  no 
doubt  equally  true.  It  would  have  been  strange  if  it  had  not 
been  so. 

The  conditions  of  life  in  a  new  country  were  always  favorable  to 
health.  The  people  were  compelled  to  lead  an  active  and  abstemi- 
ous, out-door  life.  There  was  little  or  no  excitement  upon  which  to 
fritter  away  their  nervous  energies  after  their  periods  of  labor.  All 
worked  hard  ;  but  if  they  suffered  from  muscular  fatigue,  healthy 
food  and  rest,  for  which  they  had  abundant  leisure,  would  restore 
them  again  soon,  and  even  leave  them  stronger  for  the  severe  and 
continuous  exercises  incident  upon  a  pioneer  life.  There  was  no 
idleness  with  its  vices  and  excesses  that  blight  the  life  of  a  people 
as  nothing  else  does.  If  attacked  by  disease  their  abundant  vitality 
enabled  them  to  make  a  speedy  and  favorable  recovery  with  none 
but  the  simplest  of  remedies,  if  indeed  they  always  had  so  much  as 
that.  Accidents,  for  various  and  obvious  reasons,  we  are  inclined 
to  think  were  fewer  among  them  than  among  us  of  to-day.  In  fact, 
there  was  less  opportunity  for  accidents.  The  people  of  those  early 
times  used  fewer  vehicles  and  machinery  than  we  do ;  their  houses 
were  generally  one-story  cabins ;  they  had  almost  no  calls  to  ex- 
pose themselves  to  the  dangers  of  accidents  commonly  known  to  us. 

As  communities  grow  older  and  larger  they  produce  changes  in 
the  conditions  of  life  that  foster  certain  diseases  and  vices  that  prey 
upon  the  vitality  and  character  of  men.  When  the  population  was 
widely  scattered   over  a  comparatively  larger   area  than   now,  filth 


26o  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

did  not  accumulate  rapidly  enough  to  pollute  the  air,  the  water,  and 
the  food  with  the  germs  of  disease.  If,  through  ignorance,  care- 
lessness, or  by  accident,  one  family  was  attacked  by  a  contagious 
disease  the  conditions  were  against  its  spread  to  other  families. 
Every  family  had  its  own  water  supply  in  some  convenient  spring 
or  well ;  there  were  no  dishes  or  utensils  used  by  scores  of  people 
in  common,  as  at  present;  there  were  few  places  of  public  resort, 
or  promiscuous  gathering  to  scatter  disease.  As  a  consequence 
there  were  for  many  years  no  contagions  to  devastate  the  popu- 
lation. 

In  1839  Capt.  John  W.  Weeks  wrote  a  sketch  of  Lancaster  in 
which  he  said  of  dyspepsia :  "  Dyspepsia  with  its  languid  and  down- 
cast look  is  beginning  to  make  its  appearance  among  us ;  but  as 
farming  and  gymnastic  exercises  are  becoming  again  fashionable, 
it  is  hoped  that  disorder  will  soon  be  as  little  known  as  it  was  among 
our  fathers."  In  that  hope,  however,  the  captain  was  reckoning 
without  proper  assurance,  for  that  disease  has  always  been  pre- 
valent. 

JEpidemics  of  Small  Pox. — In  the  Provincial  Papers,  Vol.  6,  page 
794,  I  find  that  the  general  court,  on  Friday,  June  26,  177 1,  acted 
upon  a  petition  from  the  selectmen  of  Lancaster  relative  to  small 
pox.  The  town  records  do  not  show  that  it  was  of  sufificient  mag- 
nitude to  call  for  a  record  of  their  action,  nor  did  the  action  of  the 
general  court  seem  to  indicate  that  the  outbreak  was  a  very  serious 
one,  although  the  disease  was  at  that  time  quite  prevalent  in  vari- 
ous sections  of  New  England.  In  181 1  the  disease  broke  out 
again.  This  time  it  was  alarming  enough  to  justify  calling  a  town- 
meeting  at  the  meeting-house  on  August  26,  to  take  action  with 
respect  to  authorizing  some  one  to  "  inoculate,  and  to  establish  one 
or  more  pest-houses."  Constable  Reuben  Stephenson  and  John 
Wilson  (the  latter  was  not  an  ofificer)  personally  notified  the  one 
hundred  and  one  to  appear  at  the  meeting,  as  above  stated.  It 
was  voted : 

"  To  erect  a  hut  or  camp  in  the  jail-yard  and  confine  to  said  limits  persons  and 
their  families  when  afflicted. 

"  That  the  town  request  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  to  license  Dr.  Benjamin 
Hunking  as  a  physician  to  attend  the  houses  that  may  be  erected." 

There  were  several  cases,  none  of  which  was  fatal.  By  prompt 
action  it  was  stamped  out  in  a  short  time,  and  did  not  spread 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  village  after  the  confinement  of  the  cases  in 
the  pest-house  in  the  jail  yard.  It  was  not  necessary  to  urge  pre- 
caution as  the  people  held  it  in  great  fear,  more,  probably,  on 
account  of  the  disfigurations  it  left  than  the  fatality  of  the  disease. 
So  great  was  the  fear  that  it  was  often  impossible  to   secure  com- 


EPIDEMICS   THAT    HAVE   VISITED   THE   TOWN.  26 1 

petent  nurses  for  the  persons  sick  with  it ;  and  the  physician  who 
attended  a  case  was  not  Hkely  to  get  any  other  calls  while  there  was 
any  danger  of  the  spread  of  the  disease.  In  consequence  of  this 
fear  he  generally  remained  with  his  small-pox  patients  until  they 
recovered  or  died,  then  disinfected  himself  and  went  back  to  his 
other  patients.  During  the  period  intervening  between  that  out- 
break of  the  disease  and  the  next  one  in  1849,  there  were  several 
scares  over  alarms  that  went  the  rounds  that  small-pox  had  broken 
out;    but  they  were  unfounded. 

In  1849  Stephen  Hovey,  living  then  next  south  of  the  Josiah 
Bellows  house  above  the  fair  grounds,  had  small-pox.  The  rumor 
got  out  that  it  was  in  the  village,  and  people  were  afraid  to  come 
here  to  transact  any  business.  It  caused  a  stagnation  for  some 
weeks.  The  editor  of  the  Cods  Democi'at  stated  in  his  paper  April 
II,  that  there  had  not  been  a  case  of  the  disease  within  the  village 
limits  for  thirty  years,  and  that  there  was  no  danger  to  any  one 
coming  freely  into  the  stores  or  upon  the  streets.  It  did  not,  how- 
ever, allay  the  fear  until  the  cases  were  entirely  recovered. 

Mr.  Hovey  took  the  disease  in  February,  and  died  March  15, 
1849.  He  was  attended  by  Dr.  Eliphalet  Lyman,  once  a  noted 
physician.  He  seems  to  have  had  poor  judgment  in  the  manage- 
ment of  either  the  disease  or  the  nurse.  Aunt  Eunice  White,  for  a 
dispute  arose  between  them  as  to  whether  the  room  should  be  kept 
hot  or  cold.  The  doctor  piled  wood  on  the  fire  and  heated  up  the 
house,  but  as  soon  as  he  was  gone  the  nurse  opened  the  windows 
and  cooled  it  down.  Hovey  died,  either  from  the  disease,  the  treat- 
ment, or  the  nursing.  We  do  not  attempt  to  locate  the  responsi- 
bility. So  fearful  of  the  disease  were  his  neighbors  that  sufificient 
help  to  decently  bury  him  could  not  be  had.  He  was  placed  in  a 
rude  cofifin  and  gotten  into  the  yard  where  it  was  put  on  a  bob 
sled,  and  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen  to  a  point  near  the  woods 
south  of  his  house  and  buried  about  where  the  Maine  Central  Rail- 
road track  crosses  the  line  of  the  farm  in  rear  of  the  General  Cong- 
don  place. 

Other  members  of  his  family  took  the  disease,  but  recovered  from 
it.  Meanwhile  the  town  authorities  had  sent  Dr.  John  Dewey  to 
Boston,  Mass.,  for  vaccine  matter,  and  on  his  return,  March  15, 
proceeded  to  have  everybody  in  town  vaccinated.  The  disease 
made  no  further  ravages,  and  the  fear  subsided  for  many  years. 
Vaccination  was  regarded  as  a  satisfactory  safeguard  against  small- 
pox, and  the  people  sought  safety  in  its  practice. 

This  disease  made  its  appearance  again  in  1865,  in  a  more  for- 
midable manner  than  ever  before.  In  July  of  that  year,  eight  cases 
were  discovered  in  the  old  Coos  Hotel,  then  standing  where  Lin- 
scott's  store  and  the  barber  shops  do  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 


262  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Canal  streets.  There  were  living  in  that  hostelry  at  the  time 
twenty-one  persons,  all  of  whom  had  been  exposed  to  the  con- 
tagion by  the  thirteenth  of  the  month.  The  selectmen  acted 
promptly,  and  removed  all  the  occupants  of  the  house,  with  their 
bedding  and  other  things  necessary  to  their  comfort,  to  the  old 
Daniel  Spaulding  place  on  Page  Hill,  three  miles  out  of  the  village, 
where  they  were  taken  care  of.  All  the  cases  made  a  favorable 
recovery. 

Since  that  time  no  alarms  of  its  presence  have  existed,  though  I 
understand  there  have  been  several  cases  of  the  disease,  which 
owing  to  prompt  and  careful  treatment  did  not  spread  to  other 
persons  about  them. 

Scarlatina. — In  1813,  scarlatina,  or  what  was  represented  by 
Capt.  J.  W.  Weeks  in  1839  as  such,  broke  out  in  a  most  malignant 
form  during  the  early  spring;  and  in  three  months  carried  off 
twenty-seven  persons  of  whom  thirteen  were  heads  of  families. 
Among  this  class  were  some  of  the  most  prominent  men  of  the 
town — John  Moore,  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Deacon  Joseph 
Brackett,  Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  Humphrey  Cram,  and  a  number  of 
younger  men.  It  was  most  notably  severe  among  older  people  and 
children  of  feeble  constitutions.  The  first  case  was  that  of  William 
Stanley,  a  son  of  Dennis  Stanley,  who  had  been  to  Portland  on  busi- 
ness. Soon  after  his  return  he  came  down  with  the  disease  and 
died.  It  continued  to  spread,  and  created  great  excitement  among 
the  people  as  they  probably  did  not  understand  its  nature  or  the 
proper  treatment  of  it.  It  was  generally  considered,  at  the  time, 
as  a  somewhat  mysterious  disorder  that  had  direct  connection  with 
the  uncommonly  severe  weather  that  had  just  been  passed  through. 
Mrs.  J.  B.  Weeks,  a  daughter  of  Lieutenant  Stanley,  remembered 
for  many  years  that  the  eaves  of  the  houses  did  not  drip  for  the 
period  of  three  months  in  midwinter.  Further  than  leaving  the 
people  somewhat  debilitated,  the  weather  could  have  had  nothing 
to  do  with  the  disease,  either  in  causing  or  spreading  it.  The  fa- 
tality of  the  disease,  and  the  loss  of  so  large  a  number  of  promi- 
nent men  and  women,  cast  a  gloom  over  the  community  for  many 
years,  and  it  is  referred  to  now  by  older  people  with  a  shudder. 

Cholera. — A  considerable  degree  of  excitement  ran  through  the 
town  in  1857,  over  the  rumor  that  two  men  had  died  of  Asiatic 
cholera.  They  were  Wm,  Rowell,  August  5th,  and  D.  G.  Smith, 
proprietor  of  the  Coos  Hotel,  August  12th.  It  is  not  now  possi- 
ble to  gain  definite  knowledge  of  the  true  nature  of  the  disease 
from  which  those  two  men  died ;  .  but  it  may  well  be  doubted 
whether  it  was  anything  more  than  cholera  morbus,  a  summer 
complaint  quite  common  at  that  season  of  the  year,  and  not  con- 
tagious as  was  feared  at  the  time. 


EPIDEMICS   THAT    HAVE   VISITED   THE   TOWN.  263 

Typhoid  Fevej'. — The  most  dreaded  of  the  contagious  diseases 
that  have  occurred  for  many  years  has  been  typhoid  fever.  Per- 
haps it  has  not  created  as  much  fear  and  excitement  as  some 
others;  but  its  hold  upon  the  community  from  1840,  until  within 
twenty  years,  or  less,  has  been  strong. 

When  the  only  water  supply  of  the  village  consisted  of  the  springs 
and  wells  near  the  houses,  where  the  pollution  of  the  soil  penetrated 
to  their  waters,  this  disease  was  fearfully  prevalent.  Until  1871 
there  were  no  sewers  to  carry  off  the  slops  and  the  surface  waters. 
These  laid  until  the  soil  took  them  up,  or  until  they  evaporated, 
.accompanied  by  more  or  less  noxious  gases,  and  were  hot  beds 
for  the  propagation  of  the  germs  of  various  diseases.  Typhoid 
fever  is  the  result  of  filth.  When  man  gets  the  soil  about  his  dwell- 
ing and  water  supply  filled  with  pollutions  of  all  sorts,  he  is  making 
conditions  that  favor  this  dreadful  malady.  Once  it  reaches  the 
springs  or  wells  from  which  water  is  taken,  its  spread  is  certain  and 
rapid  in  proportion  to  the  amount  of  the  water  used. 

The  disease  was  epidemic  in  the  village  in  1864.  At  times  there 
were  more  than  a  dozen  cases,  all  confined  to  a  very  limited  area ; 
none  of  them  was  south  of  the  court-house.  Again  in  1881  there 
were  some  twenty  cases,  all  confined  to  the  southern  end  of  Main 
street.  The  cause  of  their  spread  was  found  by  Dr.  F.  A.  Colby, 
who  studied  them  and  reported  to  the  State  Board  of  Health,  to 
have  been  local. 

Since  those  two  instances  there  have  been  cases  in  different  parts 
of  the  town,  but  not  epidemic. 

Since  the  putting  in  of  what  was  known  as  the  "  Allen  system  " 
of  water  pipes  from  several  good  springs  outside  the  village  limits, 
which  were  kept  pretty  clean,  the  number  of  cases  has  been 
gradually  decreasing.  Since  the  present  system  of  water-works 
has  been  generally  supplying  the  citizens  of  the  village  with  pure 
water  the  disease  has  been  losing  its  hold   upon  the  community. 

Difhthe7-{a. — This  disease  first  made  its  appearance  in  town 
during  March,  1863,  when  two  deaths  resulted  from  it.  The  first 
was  a  child  of  J.  H.  Woodward's,  which  died  March  17.  The  next 
to  succumb  to  its  fatal  ravages  was  Maria,  daughter  of  Asahel 
Allen,  March  18.  Other  cases  recovered,  but  the  community  was 
wild  with  fear  lest  it  should  decimate  the  village.  The  source  of 
that  outbreak  is  not  known  with  any  degree  of  certainty. 

There  were  occasional  cases  of  it  until  1879  and  1880,  when  it 
became  epidemic  again.  Much  excitement  prevailed  over  it  at  that 
time  as  there  were  many  cases -and  a  number  of  deaths.  From  July 
2,  1879,  to  February  5,  1880,  there  were  not  less  than  twenty  deaths 
from  it.  It  invaded  the  homes  of  cleanliness  and  comfort  as  well 
as  those  of  filth  and  squalor.      Its  only  victims  were  children. 


264  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

Again  in  1895  and  1896  it  broke  out  with  the  result  of  some 
dozen,  or  possibly  more,  cases  with  only  two  deaths.  The  use  of 
antitoxin,  the  new  remedy,  was  found  very  effective  in  all  the 
cases  in  which  it  was  used,  and  has  tended  to  allay,  somewhat,  the 
fear  of  people  that  it  is  an  almost  necessarily  fatal  disease. 

During  February  and  March,  1832,  there  was  an  epidemic  of  what 
the  people  then  called  "canker  rash."  It  was  so  general  through- 
out the  town  as  to  cause  the  authorities  to  close  the  schools. 
Thirty  children  died  of  the  disease  in  the  two  months  that  it  pre- 
vailed. Just  what  the  disorder  was  is  hard  to  say.  The  name  is  a 
common  one,  and  is  not  recognized  as  conveying  any  definite  knowl- 
edge of  the  disease.  It  is  not  impossible  that  it  was  diphtheria  in  a 
milder  form  perhaps  than  is  common.  The  same  disease  is  said  to 
have  broken  out  in  1774  and  1775,  from  which  more  than  a  dozen 
deaths  resulted. 

Scai'let  Fever. — This  disease  has  only  been  known  to  have  been 
alarmingly  epidemic  once  in  Lancaster,  though  for  many  years 
there  have  been  more  or  less  cases  of  it.  From  November,  1873, 
to  April,  1874,  there  were  many  cases  from  which  there  were 
twenty-one  deaths  recorded.  From  that  time  to  the  present  year 
there  have  been  occasional  cases  both  in  the  village  and  in  the 
country  districts,  with  but  few  fatalities.  The  number  of  cases  is 
steadily  growing  less  from  year  to  year,  and  soon  it  may  be  hoped 
that  the  disease  will  be  quite  as  infrequent  as  some  of  the  other 
contagious  diseases  have  become. 

Consumption. — Although  consumption  is  seldom  thought  or 
spoken  of  as  becoming  epidemic,  yet  it  is  a  contagious  disease  that 
has  wrought  sad  havoc  among  the  people  of  Lancaster.  Very  early 
in  the  present  century  it  was  supposed  that  this  so-called  pulmonary 
disorder  was  a  result  of  the  climate  alone.  The  climate  is  a  factor 
in  its  development,  but  never  in  its  inception.  It  is  a  germ  disease, 
and  unless  the  germs  of  tuberculosis  be  introduced  into  the  system 
through  food  or  drink,  or  by  contact  in  some  way,  the  climate 
would  never  cause  a  man  to  be  sick  of  consumption,  It  is  often  so 
slow  in  its  course  after  the  inoculation  of  the  system  that  many 
people  fail  to  associate  the  real  cause  with  the  first  visible  effects 
that  strike  terror  to  their  hearts. 

Another  fallacious  notion  about  this  disease  is  that  it  is  hereditary, 
passing  from  one  generation  to  another.  Just  how  much  truth  there 
may  be  in  that  notion  is  not  well  known  to-day ;  but  it  is  probably 
an  admixture  of  fact  and  fallacy,  and  of  but  little  importance  in 
determining  the  probabilities  of  the  disease.  Even  in  what  are 
regarded  as  hereditary  cases  of  consumption,  there  are  mediums  for 
the  spreading  of  the  germs  from  one  generation  to  another  as  above 
indicated. 


EPIDEMICS   THAT    HAVE   VISITED   THE   TOWN.  265 

Just  what  were  the  mediums  of  its  spread  in  this  town  from  1840 
to  1890,  is  not  now  ascertainable;  but  that  the  germs  of  the  dis- 
ease were  spread  through  the  medium  of  food,  drink,  and  contact  is 
beyond  doubt.  Beef,  milk,  and  possibly  some  other  articles  of  food 
and  drink  are  the  chief  sources  of  its  spread.  It  is  a  well-known 
fact  to-day  that  cattle  take  tuberculosis,  and  through  the  consump- 
tion of  their  flesh  and  milk  the  disease  is  communicated  to  man.  A 
second  dangerous  means  of  its  spread  is  through  the  sputa  of  the 
infected  person.  This  is  often  spat  upon  the  walks  and  floors,  and 
carried  on  the  feet  of  others  into  their  homes,  where  upon  becom- 
ing dry  it  floats  in  the  air  and  is  inhaled,  when  if  the  lungs  be  the 
least  sore  the  germs  find  a  footing  in  the  system  favorable  to  their 
growth. 

However  it  happened,  the  disease  existed  in  this  town  from  about 
1830  to  1890,  when  it  began  rapidly  to  decline.  Some  years  there 
were  nearly  fifty  deaths  from  this  disease  alone ;  and  at  no  time 
during  that  period  were  there  less  than  half  that  number  per  year. 

The  rapid  decrease  in  the  number  of  cases  of  this  malady  is  due 
to  the  several  factors  of  purer  water,  healthier  beef  and  milk.  The 
bulk  of  the  meat  eaten  in  the  village  to-day  is  from  the  Western 
states,  where  conditions  are  more  favorable  to  the  production  of 
healthy  meats.  The  Western  meats  are  carefully  inspected  by  the 
government,  and  what  is  not  healthy  does  not  reach  us.  The  people 
who  produce  their  own  milk  and  butter  have  better  facilities  now 
for  securing  a  healthy  product  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of 
the  town ;  and  those  who  produce  milk  and  butter  to  supply  the 
market,  exercise  more  care  in  keeping  their  cows  healthy  and  get- 
ting the  products  into  the  market  in  proper  conditions. 

With  a  better  enforcement  of  the  health  laws,  purer  water  supply, 
good  surface  drainage  and  sewers,  and  a  more  intelligent  compli- 
ance with  the  laws  of  health  on  the  part  of  the  people  at  large,  Lan- 
caster has  become  one  of  the  healthiest  places  in  northern  New 
England.  A  study  of  its  vital  statistics  reveals  the  fact  that  in  1846, 
with  a  population  of  1,400,  there  were  224  deaths  that  year;  in  the 
following  year  with  a  decrease  of  population  there  were  246  deaths; 
in  1848,  there  were  234  deaths;    1849,  there  were  177. 

Those  were  times  when  everybody  drank  spring  water,  or  that  of 
a  well  that  drained  his  dooryard ;  there  were  no  sewers,  and  the 
surface  of  the  streets  were  not  graded  to  carry  off  the  waters  from 
snow  and  rains ;  there  was  no  regard  for  health  laws ;  no  atten- 
tion was  paid  to  the  sanitary  conditions  of  things  anywhere  in  the 
town,  save  as  the  intelligence  of  now  and  then  a  single  family  would 
dictate  that  they  should  exercise  some  care  of  their  own  premises. 
No  one  then  could  so  readily  require  and  compel  his  neighbors  to 
keep   their  premises  clean    as  he  can  now  do  through  the  board  of 


266  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

health.  The  natural  result  of  all  this  change  is  that,  with  a  popula- 
tion three  times  as  great  as  we  had  in  1845,  the  number  of  deaths 
has  fallen  below  fifty  a  year.  In  1895  there  were  but  thirty-seven 
deaths,  three  of  which  were  from  old  age ;  one  was  a  transient 
guest  coming  to  one  of  the  hotels  sick,  and  died  there ;  five  were 
infants  of  stillbirths.  That  leaves  but  twenty-six  persons  who  died 
of  disease ;  and  even  some  of  those  diseases,  as  apoplexy,  cannot  be 
attributed  to  climate  or  other  local  conditions. 

For  the  present  year  there  were  fifty-one  deaths.  This  includes 
three  infants  that  died  at  birth;  two  drowned  ;  three  of  old  age; 
one  homicide  (accidental),  leaving  but  forty-two  that  died  of 
disease. 

These  two  years  represent  the  extremes  reached  in  the  death  rate 
since  1890 ;  and  the  average  of  these  two  years  is  the  same  as  that  for 
the  last  six  years — 44.  From  this  should  be  taken  the  average  of 
deaths  from  accident,  old  age,  and  others  not  resulting  from  disease 
— an  average  of  ten  per  year,  leaving  but  thirty-four  as  the  average 
number  of  deaths  from  disease  per  year,  which  makes  less  than  ten 
in  a  thousand  of  the  population. 

In  the  light  of  these  facts  it  may  be  confidently  stated  that  this 
town  is  as  healthy  a  place  in  which  to  live,  as  one  can  find  with  so 
many  of  the  conveniencies  and  luxuries  of  life  as  are  to  be  found 
here.  With  the  improvements,  already  referred  to,  there  is  every 
reason  to  expect  a  marked  improvement  in  the  health  conditions  in 
the  town  in  the  immediate  future. 

The  vital  statistics  of  the  State  Board  of  Health  show  Lancaster 
to  be  second  to  no  other  town  in  the  state  for  healthfulness.  The 
death  rate  is  far  below  the  average  for  the  state. 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 
THE    RAILROADS. 

No  matter  has  been  of  more  vital  interest  to  Lancaster  than  that 
of  railroad  connection  with  the  other  sections  of  the  state,  and  with 
the  markets  in  which  she  must  buy  and  sell  the  things  from  which 
her  people  were  to  get  their  subsistence  and  comforts.  When 
railroad  construction  became  an  assured  fact  within  the  state  the 
people  here  at  once  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  probabilities  of 
getting  a  road  so  far  north  as  to  connect  them  with  the  rest  of  the 
fast-going  world,  for  it  was  apparent  to  any  one  of  a  discerning  mind 
that  the  old  stage-coach  pace  had  been  broken,  and  that  to  prosper, 
the  people  of   even  so  remote  a  town   as   Lancaster   would   have  to 


THE   RAILROADS.  26/ 

reach  that  pace  or  be  left  to  see  her  sons  and  daughters  forsake  her 
for  other  fields  of  enterprise. 

In  the  history  of  this  town  we  see  how  a  railroad  coming  within  a 
day's  journey  by  team  of  a  prosperous  community,  disturbs  it  and 
throws  every  sort  of  enterprise  out  of  relation  and  harmony  with 
similar  ones  on  the  line  of  the  roads.  Accordingly  when  railroads 
were  an  assured  fact  north  of  Concord,  the  people  in  Lancaster  be- 
gan to  make  arrangements  to  encourage  the  completion  of  a  road 
to  this  point,  by  means  of  a  branch  from  the  main  line  on  the  Con- 
necticut river  up  the  Ammonoosuc  River  valley. 

The  practical  business  men  of  that  day  saw  that  with  a  railroad  up 
that  valley,  the  town  would  be  only  a  few  hours  further  from  Boston 
than  the  towns  below  it  with  which  they  had  sustained  a  rather 
uneven  rivalry  in  point  of  business  for  some  years,  and  which  towns 
if  nearer  the  proposed  railroad  would  bolt  ahead  and  leave  Lancas- 
ter an  unprosperous  back  district.  This  the  people  did  not  intend 
to  see  happen  if  a  live  effort  on  their  part  could  prevent  a  fate  so 
direful. 

The  matter  of  a  railroad  was  discussed  in  all  its  features  pro  and 
con  for  several  years,  when  the  leading  spirits  in  town  made  a  bold 
move  to  bring  about  what  seemed  the  most  needed  of  all  things — a 
railroad. 

The  following  notice  appeared  in  the  Cods  County  Democrat^ 
December  28,  1844: 

"Notice  is  hereby  given  that  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Coos  county  will  be 
holden  at  the  Court  House  in  Lancaster,  on  the  nth.  day  of  January  next,  at 
ten  o'clock,  forenoon,  for  the  purpose  of  considering  the  expediency  of  connect- 
ing the  City  of  Montreal  with  the  seaboard  east  of  the  City  of  Boston.  All  per- 
sons desiring  the  accomplishment  of  the  above  object  are  invited  to  attend  ! " 

Signed  by  the  following-named  sixty-five  men : 

"A.  N.  Brackett,  G.  W.  Perkins,  David  Burnside,  John  W.  Hodgdon,  Thomas 
S.  Hodgdon,  L  B.  Gorham,  Nelson  Cross,  John  Bellows,  Turner  Stephenson, 
George  W.  Moore,  A.  N.  Brackett,  Jr.,  J.  W.  Lovejoy,  Wm.  D.  Spaulding,  H. 
C.  Harriman,  Wm.  J.  Brown,  J.  W.  Barney,  Chas.  B.  Allen,  Allen  Smith, 
Edward  Melcher,  Stephen  Hayes,  Joseph  Roby,  Francis  Wilson,  William  Samp- 
son, Harvey  Adams,  George  Alexander,  Lewis  C.  Porter,  Jacob  Benton,  Samuel 
Rines,  Lucitanus  Stephenson,  Saunders  W.  Cooper,  Hosea  Gray,  Heber  Blan- 
chard,  Reuben  L.  Adams,  Benjamin  Hunking,  Charles  Bellows,  John  H.  White, 
Gorham  Lane,  John  S.  Wells,  Harvey  Howe,  Richard  P.  Kent,  Reuben  Stephen- 
son, John  Wilson,  J.  C.  Cady,  George  Bellows,  Zadoc  Cady,  Guy  C.  Cargill, 
Royal  Joyslin,  Frederick  Fisk,  Robert  Sawyer,  Wm.  T.  Carlisle,  James  H.  Hall, 
Asa  Gould,  Thomas  B.  Moody,  Joseph  Mathews,  Asa  Wesson,  J.  W.  Williams, 
John  C.  Moore,  Samuel  Mclntire,  Briant  Stephenson,  Horace  Whitcomb,  Anson 
Fisk,  Charles  Cady,  Joel  Hemmenway,  Joseph  Moulton,  George  W.  Ingerson." 

Just  what  was  said  and  done  at  that  meeting  I  have  been  unable 
to  learn  beyond  the   fact  that  a  survey  of  a  railroad  was  determined 


268  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

upon,  and  carried  out.  As  a  result  of  that  survey  a  road  was  pro- 
jected from  the  main  Hne  of  the  Boston,  Concord  &  Montreal  rail- 
road in  the  town  of  Haverhill  (at  Woodsville)  to  Lancaster,  on  prac- 
tically the  same  survey  that  was  later  followed  in  building  the  present 
road.  "  Railroad  meetings"  were  held  at  all  points  of  any  impor- 
tance along  the  proposed  line  of  the  road  from  the  time  of  that  sur- 
vey until  it  had  become  a  settled  fact  that  a  road  was  to  be  built. 
In  Lancaster  such  a  meeting  was  held  at  the  old  Coos  Hotel,  kept 
by  Joseph  C.  Cady,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Canal  streets. 
There,  on  November  22,  1847,  were  gathered  an  assemblage  of 
Lancaster's  business  men  to  take  into  consideration  what  steps  were 
necessary  to  be  taken  to  secure  a  railroad  either  from  the  south  or 
from  the  east,  as  the  Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  railroad  (now  the 
Grand  Trunk)  was  talked  of,  and  active  measures  had  been  taken 
toward  securing  a  charter  for  it  from  the  approaching  term  of  the 
legislature. 

One  result  of  this  meeting  was  inducing  the  company  to  ask  for 
a  charter  over  one  or  the  other  of  two  routes  from  Gorham  north- 
ward so  that  it  might  choose  the  most  available  one.  There  was  a 
willingness  on  the  part  of  the  promoters  of  that  road  to  come  to 
Lancaster ;  but  it  was  not  known,  at  the  time,  whether  a  road  could 
be  built  through  the  towns  of  Randolph  and  Jefferson  on  account 
of  the  hilliness  of  that  section  of  country.  The  people  of  this  town 
believed  that  a  road  could  be  built  through  those  towns  and  down 
the  Isreals  river  valley  through  Lancaster  and  up  the  Connecticut 
river  to  reach  its  proposed  northerly  course  to  the  St.  Lawrence 
valley.  The  Lancaster  people  were  too  slow  in  the  matter  of  settling 
the  question  of  feasibility  of  a  road  through  the  Isreals  river  valley 
route.  Had  they  foreseen  a  fact  that  time  was  to  change  the  course 
of  that  road  to  the  disadvantage  of  this  town  they  might  have  pre- 
vented a  charter  issuing  without  an  alternative  route  from  Gorham 
as  the  charter  was  issued  on  June  30,  1847.  But  Josiah  Little,  of 
Portland,  president  of  the  road,  had  bought  the  water  power  at 
Berlin  Falls  in  1844;  a"cl  by  the  time  the  road  was  graded  as  far 
as  Gorham,  it  had  become  certain  that  boundless  wealth  was  stored 
in  the  timber  lands  that  would  be  made  accessible  by  running  the 
road  up  the  Androscoggin  river.  A  result  of  that  decision  is  seen 
in  the  changing  of  the  country  about  Berlin  Falls  from  a  howling 
wilderness  into  a  prosperous  city  (chartered  as  a  city  1897),  with 
a  population  far  in  excess  of  that  of  Lancaster;  all  of  which  is  due 
to  the  manufacturing  of  lumber  and  products  from  the  timber  of 
that  section,  and  throwing  much  trade  along  the  line  of  that  road 
which  might  have  been  concentrated  here  by  having  the  road  con- 
structed on  the  proposed  route  through  Lancaster. 

A  strong  effort  was  made,  however,  by  Lancaster  men  to  secure 


THE    RAILROADS.  269 

the  road  over  that  route.  A  public  meeting  was  held  at  Town 
hall,  February  16,  1850,  from  which  resulted  a  survey  of  the  pro- 
posed route.  At  a  subsequent  meeting,  at  the  same  place,  March 
20,  1850,  for  the  same  purpose  the  directors  of  the  company  were 
present  and  conferred  with  the  citizens,  and  some  rays  of  hope  still 
remained  for  the  construction  of  the  road  on  their  proposed  route. 
The  survey  went  forward  during  the  early  fall  of  that  year,  and,  as 
everybody  expected,  proved  that  the  route  was  practicable.  The 
survey  showed  that  the  grade  was  only  sixty  feet  to  the  mile  from 
Bowmans  to  Gorham,  the  only  section  of  the  route  that  was  in  any 
way  doubtful.  The  survey  was  made  by  the  company's  own  engi- 
neers, and  was  satisfactory  in  every  particular. 

While  these  movements  of  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  were  going  on  a 
move  was  being  made  to  connect  Lancaster  with  the  B.,  C.  &  M. 
R.  R.  to  the  south  by  building  a  road  from  the  main  line  of  that 
road  to  connect  with  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  at  some  point  in  Lan- 
caster. A  charter  to  that  effect  was  issued  by  the  legislature 
December  25,  1848,  to  the  White  Mountain  Railroad  company,  as 
the  outcome  of  a  railroad  convention  held  in  Littleton  September 
16,  1848,  which  was  largely  attended  by  Lancaster  people,  and 
others  along  the  proposed  line  of  that  road.  A  committee  of  ten 
men  were  appointed  to  cause  a  survey  to  be  made,  which  they  did, 
following  in  the  tracks  of  the  previous  one  we  have  mentioned. 
This  effort  was  brought  to  naught  through  the  magnifying  of  sup- 
posed difificulties  in  its  way.  The  real  difficulty  may  be  discovered 
in  the  fact  that  on  January  3,  1849,  ^  ^^^w  charter  was  granted  by 
the  legislature  to  the  Connecticut  River  and  Montreal  R.  R.  Co.  to 
build  a  road  "  from  some  point  on  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R  R.,  at  or  near 
the  mouth  of  the  Ammonoosuc  river  in  Haverhill,  or  the  terminus 
of  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.,  up  the  Connecticut  river  to  Lancaster,  most 
convenient  for  connection  with  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R." 

Between  the  White  Mountain  R.  R.  Co.  and  the  Connecticut 
River  &  M.  R.  R.  a  dispute  arose  that  was  carried  before  the  rail- 
road commissioners,  who  held  a  hearing  on  the  question  as  to  which 
company  had  the  lawful  right  to  build  the  road.  Their  decision 
was  rendered  May  24,  1849,  in  favor  of  the  latter  company.  Hav- 
ing gained  their  end  this  company  was  not  satisfied  to  go  on  and 
build  the  road  according  to  the  condition  of  its  charter.  The  incor- 
porators of  the  White  Mountain  Railroad  under  the  charter  of  Dec.  2  5 , 
1848,  were:  Royal  JoysHn,  R.  P.  Kent,  Jas.  W.  Weeks,  Wm.  D. 
Spaulding,  Wm.  Burns,  Presbury  West,  Jr.,  N.  D.  Day,  L.  Johnson, 
L.  Montgomery,  John  M.  Gove,  and  Morris  Clark.  This  road  was 
designed  to  be  an  extension  of  the  C.  &  M.  R.  R.,  from  Woodsville 
to  Lancaster. 

This  road  was  built  as  far  as  Littleton  in  1853,  and  for  a  number 


2/0  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

of  years  no  move  was  made  by  the  company  to  fulfil  its  contract 
with  the  state  to  construct  the  road  to  Lancaster.  Satisfied  that  the 
company  intended  to  let  the  matter  rest  where  it  then  stood,  the 
people  of  this  section  interested  themselves  and  secured  the  forma- 
tion of  a  new  company — the  Ammonoosuc  Valley  R.  R.  Co.  A 
charter  was  granted  this  company  July  14,  1855,  authorizing  it  "to 
buy  the  White  Mountain  Railroad  and  to  build  a  road  from  said  rail- 
road in  Littleton  to  some  point  on  the  At.  &  St.  Lawrence  R.  R.  in 
Lancaster."  At  this  time  there  was  an  arrangment  between  the 
latter  company  and  some  of  the  citizens  of  Lancaster  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  branch  of  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  from  Northumber- 
land to  Lancaster,  which  was  considered  in  the  legislature  of  1854. 
Later,  through  the  violation  of  the  agreement  by  the  company,  it 
was  not  carried  out,  which  we  shall  see  caused  the  Ammonoosuc 
Valley  R.  R.  Co.  to  break  its  contract  with  the  people,  or  rather 
violate  its  charter,  through  which  the  same  was  forfeited. 

When  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  had  gone  up  the  Androscoggin  val- 
ley in  1850,  and  was  completed  to  Northumberland,  a  movement 
was  set  on  foot  in  Lancaster,  by  a  number  of  citizens  who  had  been 
so  long  engaged  in  the  effort  to  get  a  railroad,  to  secure  a  branch 
of  that  road  from  Northumberland  into  Lancaster  down  the  Connec- 
ticut river.  They  had  been  successful  in  securing  from  the  company 
an  agreement  to  that  end  ;  and  the  star  of  hope  still  shone  in  their 
horizon.  The  company,  however,  saw  fit  to  break  its  agreement  and, 
to  heal  the  wound  their  conduct  made,  tendered  the  citizens  the  sum 
of  $20,000  as  a  forfeit  for  their  non-compliance  with  the  agreement. 

When  this  project  failed  the  Ammonoosuc  Valley  R.  R.  Co. 
dropped  their  projected  road  from  Littleton  to  Lancaster.  Nothing 
more  was  done  to  further  the  matter  of  road  building  until  the  win- 
ter of  i858-'59,  when  another  popular  movement  among  inter- 
ested citizens  led  to  the  formation  of  the  White  Mountain  Railroad 
company,  which  secured  a  charter  June  27,  1859,  for  a  road  "from 
Woodsville  to  some  point  on  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.,  to  take  the 
property  of  the  White  Mountain  Railroad  and  succeed  it."  This  effort 
came  to  naught,  like  so  many  others,  chiefly  because  of  financial 
difficulties  in  the  way  of  its  construction.  Nobody  believed  that  the 
road  would  pay,  and  that  it  would  cost  so  much  to  build  it  that  it 
could  not  be  made  a  success  in  any  sense.  Before  these  objections 
could  be  fully  cleared  up  by  proper  considerations,  the  Civil  War  had 
broken  out  and  drawn  attention  away  from  such  enterprises.  Every- 
body was  so  absorbed  in  the  great  questions  of  the  war,  raising  sol- 
diers, paying  bounties,  and  supporting  the  families  of  the  men  who 
enlisted  in  the  service  of  their  country,  that  no  time  or  disposition 
was  left  for  building  railroads  until  the  fate  of  the  war  was  known 
and  decided. 


THE    RAILROADS.  2/1 

Near  the  close  of  the  war,  or  in  the  early  months  of  1864,  another 
effort  was  set  on  foot  to  secure  the  building  of  the  much-planned- 
for  railroad  from  Littleton  to  Lancaster.  A  new  company  was 
formed  under  the  name  of  the  Coos  Railroad  Company,  which 
secured  a  charter  July  16,  1864,  for  building  a  road  "  from  the  ter- 
minus of  the  White  Mountain  Railroad  in  Littleton  to  some  convenient 
point  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  (formerly  the  At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.) 
in  Northumberland."  The  people  set  themselves  resolutely  to  the 
task  again  with  renewed  courage  ;  but  alas  !  No  immediate  results 
followed  their  earnest  efforts.      No  road  could  then    be  built. 

A  road  as  far  as  Littleton  was  a  good  thing  for  Lancaster,  but  if 
that  was  a  blessing,  a  road  running  into  town  was  of  a  hundredfold 
more  value  to  their  enterprises.  The  connection,  by  team,  with  the 
At.  &  St.  L.  R.  R.  was  much  better  than  with  the  road  at  Littleton 
as  it  was  not  one  half  as  great  a  distance,  so  all  the  freight  that 
could  be  moved  over  that  road  reached  Lancaster  by  way  of  North- 
umberland. It  was  plain  that  if  the  roads  to  the  south  were  to 
share,  to  any  very  great  extent,  in  the  traflEic  of  the  northern  section 
of  the  county  they  must  reach  Lancaster,  at  least,  if  not  the  Grand 
Trunk.  Various  efforts  were  made  during  the  next  four  years  to 
induce  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.  Co.  to  take  hold  of  the  matter,  and 
help  along  the  building  of  the  road.  The  company  finally  made 
the  proposition  to  the  towns,  through  which  it  was  to  pass,  that  if 
they  would  prepare  the  roadbed  free  of  cost  to  the  company,  and 
ready  for  the  iron,  that  it  would  then  lay  the  iron  and  operate  the 
road.  This  brought  the  matter  to  a  point  where  it  was  finally  set- 
tled by  the  town  issuing  bonds  to  enable  the  company  to  build  the 
road.  The  road  was  built  to  Whitefield  early  in  1869,  a  formal 
opening  of  which  was  held  in  May  of  that  year.  On  June  5,  1869, 
at  a  special  town-meeting,  Lancaster  voted  256  to  50  to  bond  the 
town  to  the  amount  of  five  per  cent,  of  its  valuation  (all  the  law 
allowed)  to  the  Boston,  Concord  &  Montreal  Railroad  company,  on 
condition  that  the  company  build  a  road  into  Lancaster  by  the  first 
of  July,  1 87 1.  To  this  the  company  readily  acceded,  and  at  once 
made  preparations  to  build  the  road,  though  actual  operation  did 
not,  for  some  reason,  begin  until  the  spring  of  1870.  On  April  30, 
1870,  S.  S.  Thompson,  of  Lyndonville,  Vt.,  and  John  Lindsey,  of 
Lancaster,  took  the  contract  to  grade  the  road  from  Whitefield  to 
Lancaster.  They  did  their  work  rapidly  and  well,  so  that  by  the 
first  of  October  the  track  was  being  laid  into  the  village ;  and  on 
October  10,  1870,  nine  months  before  the  limits  of  time  set  for  the 
completion  of  the  road,  the  cars  were  running.  The  first  train  of  out 
freight,  consisting  of  thirteen  cars  of  cattle  and  sheep,  loaded  at  the 
Chessman  road,  was  carried  over  the  road  on  that  date.  The  first 
passenger  train  had  come  from  Whitefield  on  the  fifth  of  October. 


272  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Regular  passenger  trains  were  not  run  until  about  the  end  of  the 
month. 

This  was  an  event  not  to  be  passed  over  slightly,  so  a  public  and 
formal  opening  was  decided  upon  for  October  29.  Many  distin- 
guished guests  were  invited  from  abroad,  and  everybody  in  and 
near  Lancaster  turned  out  to  celebrate  the  event.  A  committee 
was  appointed  to  attend  to  arranging  all  the  details  of  the  occasion, 
and  invite  those  whom  it  was  thought  should  be  present  and  parti- 
cipate in  the  exercises. 

The  committee  consisted  of  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Hon.  Jacob 
Benton,  Hon.  B.  F.  Whidden,  Col.  B.  H.  Corning,  Hon.  Ossian 
Ray,  and  Mr.  John  Lindsey. 

Col.  Henry  O.  Kent  was  chief  marshal  of  the  day,  with  Edmund 
Brown  and  B.  H.  Corning  as  aids.  The  Lancaster  Cornet  band 
furnished  music. 

An  excursion  train  was  run  from  Plymouth  on  that  day,  leaving 
there  at  forty  minutes  past  seven,  reaching  Lancaster  a  little  before 
noon.  The  train  was  drawn  by  the  new  engine  named  Lancaster, 
which  had  recently  been  built  for  the  road  by  A.  Blood  of  Man- 
chester. The  conductor  was  the  noted  old  stage-driver,  Seth  Green- 
leaf,  son  of  David  Greenleaf,  the  miller  of  Lancaster.  His  mother 
was  Ruth  Stockwell  Hutchins,  granddaughter  of  Emmons  Stockwell. 
Seth  Greenleaf  had  driven  stage  from  Lancaster  to  Concord  and 
Boston  when  the  trip  required  three  days  ;  and  now  after  all  those 
years  he  was  privileged  to  run  the  first  train  of  cars  into  his  native 
town. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  excursion  train  it  was  met  by  the  committee, 
and  hailed  by  the  citizens  who  had  turned  out  in  large  numbers. 
The  invited  guests  from  a  distance  were  escorted  to  the  Lancaster 
House  and  American  House  by  the  committee,  band,  and  citizens, 
where  at  both  places  sumptuous  dinners  had  been  prepared  for  the 
invited  company.  The  chief  function  was  at  the  Lancaster  House, 
where  Landlord  Elijah  Stanton  had  prepared  a  most  elaborate  din- 
ner. Hither  the  main  part  of  the  company  of  invited  guests  and 
citizens  were  escorted.  There  were  present  the  following  persons 
from  out  of  town  : 

John  E.  Lyon  of  Boston,  president  of  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.  Co. ; 
J.  A.  Dodge  of  Plymouth,  superintendent  of  the  road ;  Francis 
Cogswell  of  Boston,  president  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad  ;  Stephen 
Kenrick,  president  Concord  &  Portsmouth  Railroad  ;  S.  N.  Bell,  pres- 
ident Suncook  Valley  Railroad;  A.  H.  Tilton  of  Tilton,  J.  P.  Pitman 
of  Laconia,  J.  W.  Lang  of  Meredith,  directors  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R. ; 
Hon.  G.  W.  Kittredge  of  Newmarket,  director  B.  &  M.  R.  R. ;  ex- 
Governor  Frederick  Smyth  of  Manchester,  Gen.  Natt  Head  of  Hook- 
sett,  Col.  John  H.  George,  Nathaniel  White,  Hon.  N.  W.  Gove,  Gen. 


THE    RAILROADS.  2  73 

M.   T.   Donahoe,    Col.    Peter   Sanborn,   Hon.    Charles   P    Sanborn' 
George  A^Pillsbury,  Col.  Charles  H.  Roberts,  Hon.  John  KTmball' 
John  V.   Barron    Capt.   William  Walker,  Col.  Thomas  J.  Whipple 
and   others  of   Concord,    N.   H. ;    Mayor  James  A.   Weston,  Hon 
E.  W.  Harrington,  Col.  James  S.  Cheney,  Hon.  M.  V.  B.  Edgerly 

M      \^'''\^'^'^'    ^'°°^'  J"^g^    L.W.    Clark,  and    others    o'i 
Manchester    N.    H.     William   B.   Dodge,   Benjamin   L.  Reed,  Seth 

A   rSii  w7  ^'"^''^''  ^""-  ^-  ^-  L°^^"-  ^-  «•  Frothingham, 
A.  F.  S,  e,  Wm.am  F.  Homer,  and  John  Cilley  of  Boston,  Mass. 
Hon.  Oilman  Scripture  and  Hon.  A.  H.  Dunlap  of  Nashua,  N    H 
Hon.  Daniel  Barnard  of  Franklin,  N.  H.,  George  W.  Hills  and  D^ 
Aaron  Ordway  o   Lawrence,  Mass.,  J.  H.   Huntress  of  Centre  Har^ 
W-n-     \?°''  ?^^°«^'sett.  Stark  Tolman  of  Lowell,  Mass.,  Hon 
Wilham  Blair    John  C.Moulton,  and  E.  A.  Hibbari  of  L;con'a; 
N.  H.,   Col.  A.   H.   Bellows  of  Walpole,   N.   H.,   Mai    George   D 
Savage  of  Alton   N.  H.,  George  M.  fierring  of  Farmiligton?  I    S.] 
Gen     /    M    ^-    ^-dair    of    Bethlehem,    Gen.    John     Bedel     and 
Gen.    J^  M.    Jackman    of    Bath,    N.    H.,    Sylvester    Marsh,    Hon 
Harry  Bingham,    Hon.    George   Bingham,    Maj.   E.   W    Farr    Col' 
Cyrus  Eastman,  and   Hon.  C.  W.  Rand  of  Littleton,  N.  H  ,  and  re- 
porters    or   the  press   of   Concord,   Boston,    Manchester.   Laconia 
Lake  Village,  and  Portland.  ^^dconia. 

The  company  having   been  seated  at  the  table,  divine  blessing 
was  asked  by  Rev.  H.  V.  Emmons  of  Lancaster  ^ 

h.M^'u'Z^'  'K^-^y  ^""^  '^^"^'^"^   P^^'y  ^^^^^    <^aned  to  order 

H^n  b"f  Whidd  """  if  i'^  ^^""'"^^  ^^  arrangements,  when 
^rTr.il  Wh'dde"  was  called  upon  to  preside,  which  he  did  with 
gracefulness  and  dignity.  After-dinner  speaking  was  indulged 
m  by  many  persons  until  it  was  time  to  march  back  to  ake  the 
train  on  its  return  trip.  Hon.  Mr.  Whidden  made  a  pleasant  speech 
of  welcome  which  was  replied  to  by  President  John  E.  Lyon  in 
which  he  recounted  some  of  the  experiences  of'  his  compTy  n 
building  the  new  road.  Other  speeches  were  made  by  Colone" 
Kent,  President  Cogswell  of  the  B.  &  M.  R.  R.,  Hon.  OsLn  Ra" 

lowell    r"  ^"''^"J'=    ^"^"^    ^'""'^^   ^-   Marden,    editor   of    the 

Lowell   C^..r..r    read    a   poem;    Hon.   Jacob   Benton,    Col.  J    H 
George,   Hon.   Daniel   Barnard,  John   B.   Clark,  editor   Manchester 
wTj^nT    Z"'""l^T^'  ^°^-  ""''''  Sanborn,  Gen.  Natt  Head 
R  'lo'i^      if'      T'^-  "•  ^""^^P'  Seth  Adams,  and   Hon.  Cheste 
B   Jordan  a  1  spoke  briefly.     The  exercises  closed  with  the  sinJin.^ 

Whii:  t^Z'^  '^  ''^  ^"^^^^^^°"  ^'  '  ^-^-  ^-  Stubbs  of  Lisb'n^ 
While  these  exercises  were  going  on  at  the  Lancaster  House  sim: 
liar    ones    were    being    enacted    at    the    American     House     where 
speeches    were    made    by  Hon.   Harry  Bingham,    Col    Thomas    T 
Whipple,   Judge   L.  W.   Clark.  Hon.   E.   W^  Ha;rington:  anrGen.' 


2  74  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

M.  T.  Donahoe.  These  exercises,  highly  enjoyed  by  all  present, 
but  by  none  so  much  as  Lancaster  people,  were  closed  in  time  to 
march  back  under  the  escort  of  the  committee,  band,  and  citizens 
to  take  the  train  at  twenty  minutes  past  three  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

Thus  was  celebrated  one  of  the  most  important  events  in  the  his- 
tory of  northern  New  Hampshire,  and  one  of  the  most  significant 
railroad  enterprises  in  the  state,  since  the  building  of  the  main 
line  of  the  road ;  but  withal,  it  came  twenty  years  too  late  to  give 
Lancaster  the  full  benefit  that  a  railroad  should  have  given.  Had 
the  effort  of  1846  resulted  in  the  building  of  the  proposed  road, 
there  is  no  room  to  doubt  that  Lancaster  would  to-day  have  been 
one  of  the  most  prosperous  cities  in  the  state.  Railroads  make, 
and  sometimes  unmake,  communities.  At  all  events  they  exercise 
a  potent  influence  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  towns.  Like  all  our 
blessings,  if  properly  managed,  they  are  a  benefit,  if  not,  they 
become  a  curse  that  eats  out  the  life  of  a  community. 

The  new  road  was  without  a  proper  depot  building  until  the 
spring  of  1871,  when  a  moderate-sized  one  was  erected  north  of 
where  the  present  one  now  stands.  This  gave  way  in  1893  to  the 
present  most  creditable  structure,  pleasing  to  the  citizens  and  a 
credit  to  the  company. 

In  1872  the  road  was  extended  to  Groveton  in  Northumberland 
to  connect  with  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway,  an  arrangement  very 
gratifying  to  the  people  at  both  ends  of  the  extension. 

In  1873  these  small  roads  were  consolidated  with  the  B.,  C.  & 
M.  R.  R.,  the  owners  of  them  receiving  the  company's  bonds  to  the 
amount  of  $30,000,  at  six  per  cent,  interest  as  a  consideration. 

From  June,  1884,  to  June,  1887,  the  road  was  under  the  manage- 
ment of  the  Boston  &  Lowell  Railroad  company,  which  company 
had  leased  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.,  for  ninety-nine  years.  In  1887 
the  Boston  &  Lowell  leased  it  to  the  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad 
company,  under  which  company  its  management  now  is. 

T/ie  Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  f orfeit  ^$20,000. — Returning  to 
this  matter,  we  find  that  at  a  meeting  held  in  the  town  hall,  August 
24,  1854,  some  sort  of  arrangement  was  made  between  the  citizens 
and  the  representatives  of  the  railroad  company  by  which  the  latter 
were  to  build  the  branch  from  Northumberland  to  Lancaster.  Fail- 
ing to  keep  their  contract  with  the  people,  the  company  forfeited  to 
them  the  sum  of  $20,000  as  the  outcome  of  proposed  legislation  at 
Concord. 

There  were  fifty-four  citizens  who  had  carried  on  this  measure  in 
the  interest  of  the  town,  but  without  any  legal  authority  to  do  any 
act  that  would  involve  the  town  financially.  Neither  had  there  ever 
been  any  action  taken  by  the  town  as  a  party  to  these  transactions. 


THE    RAILROADS.  275 

They  had  from  first  to  last  been  carried  forward  by  private  indi- 
viduals acting  together  for  what  they  considered  the  interests 
of  their  town.  Now  finding  themselves  with  so  large  a  sum  of 
money  in  their  hands  that  did  not  legally  belong  to  them,  nor  yet 
did  it  legally  belong  to  the  town,  these  men  felt  themselves 
morally  bound  to  use  it  to  promote  some  important  public  interest. 
After  much  deliberation  it  was  decided,  first  to  pay  $2,000  for  all 
expenses  previously  incurred,  and  to  use  the  balance  in  building  a 
good  hotel,  something  the  town  was  much  in  need  of  for  many 
years.  Accordingly  these  men  met  July  22,  1856,  and  took  formal 
action  to  organize  themselves  into  a  private  company  to  carry  out 
this  purpose.  Several  meetings  were  held,  and  officers  were  elected 
to  carry  their  plans  into  effect.  A  committee  was  chosen  to  audit 
accounts  for  money  spent,  and  time  devoted  to  the  effort  to  secure  y 
the  branch  road.  That  committee  consisted  of  John  Dewey,  Rue-  1/ 
ben  C.  Benton,  and  William  Heyvvood.  Another  committee  was 
chosen  to  select  a  site,  and  buy  land  on  which  to  build  the  pro- 
posed hotel,  and  consisted  of  William  Burns,  Jacob  Benton,  John  W. 
Barney,  John  H.  White,  and  Richard  P.  Kent.  Five  directors  were 
chosen,  and  a  treasurer,  who  was  placed  under  bonds  for  the  faith- 
ful disposition  of  the  money  according  to  the  directions  of  the 
company,  which  now  took  the  name  of  the  Lancaster  Hotel  Com- 
pany. 

An  effort  was  later  made  to  turn  the  amount  of  this  money 
remaining  after  the  expenses  allowed  by  the  auditors  were  paid 
over  to  Lancaster  Academy,  but  the  majority  still  favored  the  hotel 
project,  and  the  committee  for  that  purpose  was  instructed  to  go 
on  and  build  the  hotel  as  planned.  Accordingly,  the  lot  of  ground 
where  the  present  Lancaster  House  now  stands  was  purchased  of 
Dr.  John  Dewey,  and  a  good  three-story  hotel,  the  first  Lancaster 
House,  was  built.  After  its  completion  it  was  rented  for  some  time, 
and  finally  the  directors  of  the  hotel  company  decided  to  sell  it. 
Although  the  hotel  represented  a  property  value  of  about  $15,000, 
it  was  decided  to  sell  it  for  a  nominal  sum,  regarding  the  difference 
between  the  price  asked  and  the  actual  value  of  the  property  as  a 
bonus  to  the  purchaser  in  consideration  of  its  proper  management 
as  a  necessary  convenience  of  the  town. 

The  sum  of  $7,000  was  realized  out  of  the  sale  of  the  hotel, 
which  was  turned  over  to  the  Lancaster  Academy  upon  condition 
of  David  A.  Burnside  of  that  institution  using  the  money  to  com- 
plete a  new  building  for  the  school,  which  it  did,  and  it,  in  due  time, 
received  the  money. 

Out  of  this  failure  to  get  a  railroad,  the  town  got  as  an  offset  to 
the  disadvantage  sustained  by  the  failure,  a  good  hotel  and  the 
academy,  then,  as   for   many  years,  the  pride  of  the  town,  a  build- 


2/6  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

ing  that  gave  it  a  new  lease  on  life  and  sent  it  on  a  useful  ca- 
reer for  the  next  quarter  of  a  century.  It  is  difficult  to  think  of 
any  better  use  that  sum  of  money  could  have  been  put  to  in  order 
to  serve  the  best  interests  of  the  town.  Lancaster  needed  nothing, 
then,  so  much  as  a  good  hotel,  and  the  one  built  by  that  committee 
was  a  first-class  one.  Then,  too,  it  was  before  the  days  of  high 
schools.  The  common  school  of  that  time  was  not  equal  to  the 
demands  for  a  practical  education.  For  such  the  people  had  to 
look  to  academies,  and  the  one  located  here  could  render  the  people 
better  service  than  any  other  away  from  home ;  so  the  endowment 
to  it  was  timely  and  wise.  The  committee  was  the  town's  "  faithful 
steward"  in  these  important  measures. 

The  Kilkenny  Railroad. — In  1879  the  Kilkenny  railroad,  from 
Lancaster  to  the  town  of  Kilkenny,  was  first  projected  and  char- 
tered as  a  logging  road  to  reach  a  heavy  body  of  spruce  and 
hardwood  timber  on  Kilkenny  mountains  and  about  the  foothills. 
It  was  projected  by  Lancaster  men,  some  of  whom  were  inter- 
ested in  the  timber  of  the  section  it  was  calculated  to  reach,  while 
others  interested  themselves  in  the  matter  simply  to  help  along 
an  enterprise  of  considerable  value  to  the  business  interests  of  the 
town,  as  connected  with  existing  business. 

A  company  was  organized  under  the  name  of  the  Lancaster  & 
Kilkenny  Railroad  company,  and  a  charter  procured  July  18,  1879, 
to  build  a  road  "from  some  point  on  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.  near 
the  bridge  over  Isreals  river  to  the  forks  of  Garland  brook,  near 
the  base  of  Round  mountain  in  the  town  of  Kilkenny." 

The  directors  were :  Henry  O.  Kent,  Frank  Smith,  B.  H.  Corning, 
Joseph  A.  Dodge,  and  Samuel  N.  Bell.  The  officers  were:  H.  O. 
Kent,  president ;  J.  I.Williams,  clerk;  S.  H.  LeGro,  treasurer;  ex- 
ecutive committee :   J.  A.  Dodge,  H.  O.  Kent,  and  Frank  Smith, 

The  company  employed  an  engineer,  Col.  Charles  C.  Lund  of 
Concord,  to  make  a  survey,  which  revealed  a  practicable  route. 
This  plan  contemplated  the  erection  of  saw-,  pulp-,  and  paper-mills, 
on  the  property  of  the  Lancaster  Manufacturing  Company  at  the 
upper  dam,  in  the  village;  but  the  land  coming  under  control  of 
"  promoters,"  it  was  not  carried  out.  The  road  would  have  gone 
up  Isreals  river  to  the  Weeks  meadow,  and  then  across  by  the 
"  Grange  "  to  the  "  Willard  Basin."  Later,  the  "  Littleton  Lumber 
Co.,"  of  which  Charles  Eaton  and  Henry  C.  Libbey  were  the  prin- 
cipal men,  secured  a  new  charter,  and  built  in  1887  a  surface  road 
leading  from  near  the  station  via  the  rear  of  Summer  Street  cemetery 
to  the  old  line  near  Spaulding  mills,  in  District  15,  and  with  this 
line  cleared  the  land,  manufacturing  the  timber  outside  the  town 
limits. 

The  Maine   Central  Railroad. — As  early  as   1864  an  attempt 


Coaching  Parade,  1895. 


Maine  Central  Station. 


THE    RAILROADS.  2/7 

was  made  to  get  a  railroad  built  through  the  White  Mountain 
Notch,  where  the  Maine  Central  railroad  now  runs.  A  company  was 
formed  under  the  name  of  the  Portland,  White  Mountain  &  Ogdens- 
burg  R.,  R.  Co.,  and  a  charter  procured  from  both  the  Maine  and 
New  Hampshire  legislatures.  The  charter  granted  by  the  New 
Hampshire  legislature  was  for  a  road  "from  any  point  on  the  east- 
erly boundary  of  the  state,  in  Carroll  county,  to  connect  with  the 
Portland  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad  of  Maine,  to  some  point  on  the 
westerly  boundary  of  the  state,  in  Monroe,  Littleton,  Dalton,  or 
Lancaster." 

For  some  reason  no  progress  was  made  within  the  time  prescribed 
by  the  charter,  and  on  July  7,  1869,  it  was  extended  for  five  years. 
This  charter  also  expired  because  no  work  was  done  on  the  pro- 
posed road  within  that  time,  and  nothing  came  of  it  further  than  to 
keep  the  importance  of  a  road  through  that  section  before  the 
people  until  the  right  time  came  to  secure  it.  The  projectors  of 
that  road  were  Maine  and  Vermont  parties. 

In  1875  the  Portland  &  Ogdensburg  Railroad  was  built  from  Port- 
land to  Fabyan's,  reaching  the  latter  place  August  7,  1875.  There 
connection  was  made  with  a  branch  of  the  White  Mountains  Rail- 
road, then  under  the  control  of  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  R.  R.,  by  which 
means  they  reached  Scott's  Junction,  and  from  there  built  two  and 
one  half  miles  of  track,  which  enabled  them  to  make  connection 
with  the  St.  Johnsbury  &  Lake  Champlain  Railroad.  The  company 
concluded  that  they  could  not  reach  Littleton,  and  in  1877  asked 
the  legislature  to  confirm  their  rights  to  the  portion  of  road  from 
Scott's  to  Lunenburg,  which  was  conceded,  and  the  arrangement 
still  continues. 

In  the  spring  of  1883  a  charter  was  granted  the  Upper  Coos  Rail- 
road Company  to  build  a  narrow-gauge  road  from  North  Stratford 
to  Pittsburg,  to  connect  with  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad.  Their 
capital  stock  was  only  $45,000,  a  sum  utterly  insufficient  to  build, 
equip,  and  operate  a  good  road,  and  there  was  a  demand  for  a 
serviceable  road  over  that  route.  Eleven  thousand  dollars  of  that 
sum  was  paid  in,  when  Frank  Jones  of  Portsmouth,  Charles  A. 
Sinclair  of  Portsmouth,  and  George  Van  Dyke  of  Lancaster  agreed 
to  take  the  enterprise  off  the  hands  of  its  promoters  and  build  a 
standard-gauge  road  on  condition  of  a  bonus  of  $25,000  being  raised 
for  them.  This  offer  was  accepted  and  the  bonus  raised.  The  old 
directors  at  once  resigned  and  a  new  board  was  elected,  consisting 
of  Frank  Jones,  J.  B.  Cook,  G.  M.  Armstrong,  I.  W.  Drew,  Enoch 
Sweat,  C.  A.  Sinclair,  and  George  Van  Dyke.  The  officers  were: 
George  Van  Dyke,  president;  J.  B.  Cook,  treasurer;  Enoch  Sweat, 
general  manager.     The  capital  stock  was  limited  to  $350,000. 

The  road  was  built  and   opened   for  trafitic  to  Colebrook,  Novem- 


2/8  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

ber  29,  1887.  From  Colebrook  it  was  later  extended  to  the  Cana- 
dian Pacific.  This  opened  up  a  short  route  to  Quebec;  and  as  the 
Canadian  Pacific  and  the  Maine  Central  roads  were  friendly  to  each 
other,  it  led  to  the  construction  of  what  is  now  the  Maine  Central 
road  through  Lancaster  when  in  1890  the  latter  road  got  control  of 
the  old  Portland  &  Ogdensburg,  through  the  White  Mountains.  In 
1893  the  Maine  Central  leased  that  road  and  the  Upper  Coos  Rail- 
road, and  laid  a  track  from  the  main  line,  just  over  the  line  in  the 
town  of  Carroll,  through  Whitefield,  Jefferson,  Lancaster,  and 
Northumberland  and  thence  across  the  Connecticut  river,  and  up 
that  stream,  crossing  over  to  connect  with  the  line  of  the  Upper 
Coos  Railroad  at  Stratford  Junction,  where  it  also  connects  with  the 
Grand  Trunk.  This  gave  Lancaster  a  second  railroad  connection, 
by  which  it  now  possesses  good  facilities  for  reaching  any  point  of 
interest  in  the  business  or  social  world. 

With  the  coming  of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad  in  1890,  the  popu- 
lation of  the  village  was  augmented  more  than  at  any  time  in  its 
history,  as  there  were  many  families  connected  with  the  operation 
of  the  road  that  have  had  to  reside  here.  The  location  of  the 
round-house  here  requires  a  number  of  men  to  care  for  the  machin- 
ery of  the  road.  It  is  expected  that  at  no  very  distant  day  the 
road  will  erect  repair  shops  here,  also.  The  company  have  a  fine 
depot  and  freight  sheds  and  have  made  other  improvements  on  their 
property  that  add  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  road  and  grounds. 


PART   II. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

Geology — Botany — Fish — Reptiles — Mammals — Insects — Birds — Address 
BY  Col.  H.  O.  Kent  Before  New  Hampshire  Fish  and  Game  League. 

The  history  of  Lancaster  would  be  incomplete  if  we  did  not  say 
something  of  its  natural  history.  Lack  of  space,  however,  forbids 
us  going  into  detailed  treatment  of  the  several  branches  of  natural 
history  of  the  town.  It  is  thought  best  to  give  a  brief  account  of 
its  plant  and  animal  life,  as  it  exists  to-day,  with  mention  of  the 
more  important  plants  and  animals  that  once  abounded  here  but 
are  now  extinct. 

GEOLOGY. 

Lancaster  is  underlaid  by  the  unstratified,  or  basic  and  acidic, 
rocks  which  are  of  the  oldest  formation.  These  rocks  are  a  coarse 
granite  or  gneiss  of  variable  composition.  There  is  considerable 
syenitic  gneiss  met  with  in  town,  and  a  very  little  mica  schist. 

Overlying  this  bed  of  rock  are  several  varieties  of  soils,  deposited 
as  drift  of  the  glacial  period,  or  by  sedimentation,  decay  of  the  old 
gneiss  rocks,  or  by  river  drifts.  The  irregular  angles  of  the  primi- 
tive rock  ledges  were  all  polished  and  worn  by  the  glaciers.  Val- 
leys were  plowed  out,  ridges  thrown  up,  often  leaving  ponds,  the 
bottoms  of  which  now  afford  vast  meadows  of  uncommon  fertility. 

Before  the  Connecticut  river  broke  through  the  Fifteen-mile  falls, 
in  the  adjoining  town  of  Dalton,  the  valley  where  Lancaster  now 
stands  was  a  vast  lake  through  which  that  river  ran,  and  into  which 
Isreals  river  and  many  smaller  streams  then  emptied  their 
waters.  With  the  successive  breaks  in  the  rocks  of  the  ledge  form- 
ing these  falls,  the  waters  of  the  lake  were  drawn  off  with  sufficient 
rapidity  to  cut  new  channels  for  the  rivers  and  leave  terraces  in 
many  places  testifying  to  the  magnitude  of  the  lake  and  rivers. 
Four  distinct  terraces  were  formed  within  the  limits  of  the  village  of 
Lancaster.  The  first  is  that  on  Pleasant  street,  extending  to  the  end 
of  Cottage  street.  It  formed  the  plain  on  which  the  old  town  meet- 
ing-house stood.  The  second  terrace,  on  the  same  side  of  Isreals 
river,  is  that  level  on  which  Elm  street  runs.  This  terrace  forms 
the  vast  level  of  Main  street.  When  the  waters  rushed  out  to  form 
this  level  or  terrace  the  mound,  on  which  was  located  the  first  ceme- 


252  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

tery  of  the  town,  became  an  island  around  which  the  waters  found 
their  way,  leaving  it  behind  as  a  monument  of  their  ravages.  The 
third  terrace  is  seen  south  of  where  the  Boston  &  Maine  Railroad 
crosses  Isreals  river,  in  the  section  once  known  as  Egypt,  while  the 
fourth  and  last  one  is  the  level  of  the  lower  meadows  along  Isreals 
river  and  the  Connecticut.  In  all  these  terraces  the  waters  kept 
lowering  until  to-day  they  flow  fully  fifty  feet  lower  than  they  did 
when  the  lake  covered  the  valley.  This  change  took  place  at  the 
close  of  the  ice  flow  of  the  glacial  period,  or  when  it  melted  so 
rapidly  as  to  produce  water  faster  than  the  channels  could  carry  it 
off. 

Throughout  the  town  the  glacial  drift,  or  till,  covers  the  slopes  and 
often  the  summits  of  the  hills.  The  bowlders  and  irregular  blocks 
of  stone  spread  over  the  town  vary  greatly  in  size  and  character  of 
formation.  Very  few  fossils  are  found,  and  those  only  in  the  drift. 
The  drift  varies  greatly  from  coarse  gravel  to  immense  bowlders, 
some  of  them  weighing  many  tons.  One  of  these  granite  bowlders, 
near  the  line  between  Lancaster  and  Northumberland,  afforded  all 
the  stone  for  the  stone  house  in  which  I.  W.  Hopkinson  lives  on 
Main  street,  the  county  jail,  and  other  buildings. 

The  vast  deposits  of  the  drift  afford  rock  for  building  purposes, 
and  the  terraces  sand  for  mortar  and  other  uses.  The  soil  varies 
in  kind  and  quality  from  coarse,  gravelly  and  often  rocky,  to  sandy 
loam  with  many  meadows  where  once  were  swamps  in  which  deep 
deposits  of  vegetable  matter  were  laid  down,  now  a  source  of  almost 
inexhaustible  richness.  The  soil  is  generally  fertile,  and  with  proper 
treatment  yields  a  fair  return  to  the  farmers  and  dairymen. 

There  are  no  minerals  of  any  importance  within  the  limits  of  the 
town.  There  are  slight  but  unmistakable  traces  of  gold-bearing 
quartz  in  the  southern  part.  In  the  vicinity  of  Martin  Meadow 
pond  there  is  the  outcropping  of  a  quartz  formation  that  bears 
slight  traces  of  gold.  There  is  also  a  fringe  of  drift  around  Mar- 
tin Meadow  hills,  extending  northward  toward  the  Connecticut 
river  almost  to  the  village  on  the  South  Lancaster  road.  The  quartz 
in  which  it  is  found  is  attached  to  large  bowlders  that  were  trans- 
ported from  across  the  Connecticut  river.  The  same  quartz  is  found 
over  vast  distances  north  and  west  of  Lancaster.  Slight  deposits 
of  iron  ore,  mostly  bog  ore,  are  to  be  found  in  several  portions  of  the 
town.  As  early  as  1794,  when  Emmons  Stockwell  rented  a  mill 
privilege  on  Isreals  river  (where  Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s  mills  now  are) 
he  reserved  the  right  to  take  water  out  of  the  dam  for  the  use  of 
"  iron  works  "  that  he  contemplated  building  to  use  this  bog  ore. 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER.  283 

THE   TREES    AND    PLANTS    OF    LANCASTER. 
By  Rev.  George  H.  Tilton. 

The  botany  of  Lancaster  does  not  differ  essentially  from  that  of 
other  towns  lying  in  the  same  range  of  vegetation.  To  an  observer 
of  its  primitive  forests,  however,  the  sombre  colors  of  the  Canadian 
evergreens  would  appear  somewhat  modified.  The  dark,  conical 
tops  of  the  black  spruce,  mingled  with  the  lighter  fir  balsams,  would 
characterize  the  Vermont  hills  lying  in  our  belt,  and  also  the  Kil- 
kenny and  White  Mountain  ranges,  but  the  forest-crowned  heights 
of  Lancaster  were  mainly  of  another  sort.  Here  grew  abundantly 
the  rock  maple,  the  spreading  beech,  the  silvery  white  birch,  and  to 
some  extent  the  red  oak.  Other  trees  were  intermingled,  but  these 
predominated.  One  hundred  years  ago  the  whole  town  was  heavily 
wooded,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  small  clearings  which  had  been 
made  by  the  early  settlers.  To  an  observer  from  the  top  of  Mount 
Prospect,  the  eye  would  detect  scarcely  a  break  in  the  dense  forest, 
except  the  pond  at  Martin  Meadow,  the  waters  of  the  Connecticut, 
the  Beaver  Meadows  on  the  South  Lancaster  road,  and  the  small 
clearing  where  the  village  now  stands.  As  the  eye  swept  down 
from  the  variously  wooded  summits  of  the  hills,  and  rested  on  the 
higher  swells,  it  would  behold  a  luxuriant  growth  of  maple  and 
beech,  dwelling  with  special  delight  upon  the  magnificent  forests  of 
rock  maple,  which  furnished  an  abundant  supply  of  sugar  for  the 
early  settlers,  and  which  it  is  a  shame  in  the  present  scarcity  of 
groves  to  destroy  for  the  mere  greed  of  gain.  Descending  still 
lower,  and  surveying  the  vast  Connecticut  intervale,  the  eye  would 
scan    hundreds  of  acres  covered  with  tall  and  stately  pines. 

These  primeval  pines  grew  to  an  enormous  size,  and  if  standing 
to-day  would  be  worth  a  vast  fortune  to  their  owners.  Maj.  J.  W. 
Weeks,  one  of  the  town  fathers,  in  his  sketch  of  Lancaster,  describes 
one  of  them  as  four  feet  in  diameter  with  the  trunk  perfectly  sound 
and  straight  ninety-eight  feet  from  the  ground  where  it  was  twenty- 
two  inches  in  diameter.  Specimen  boards  from  these  primitive  trees 
may  still  be  seen  in  a  fence  on  the  Holton  premises  at  the  head 
of  Main  street. 

Shading  off  from  the  dense  pines  and  nearer  the  river  might  be 
seen  the  butternut,  which  is  indigenous  to  the  soil,  the  black  cherry 
of  large  size,  the  choke  cherry,  a  few  birches,  and  above  all  the 
stately  elm  towering,  in  some  instances,  to  the  height  of  sixty  feet 
up  to  the  first  limbs.  Glancing  again  over  the  landscape,  the  eye 
would  also  observe  certain  swampy  areas,  which  were  covered  with 
cone-bearing    trees,   the    black    spruce,   fir    balsam,   tamarack,   and 


284  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

hemlock  freely  intermingling.  This  may  answer  in  general  for  a 
description  of  our  primitive  forests,  though,  of  course,  one  class  of 
trees  is  wont  to  shade  off  gradually  into  another,  and  in  some  places 
the  hard  woods  and  the  cone-bearers  would  be  found  growing  to- 
gether. 

Among  the  other  trees  may  be  mentioned  the  arbor  vitae,  the 
black  ash  with  its  thin  layers  of  wood  used  in  basket  work ;  the 
poplar,  of  which  three  species  are  found  here :  the  large  poplar, 
now  in  demand  for  the  manufacture  of  wood  pulp ;  the  aspen-leaved 
poplar,  noted  for  the  tremulous  motion  of  its  leaves,  and  the  balm 
of  gilead  {Populus  candica^ts) ,  -which,  is  often  planted  for  ornament. 

Besides  the  rock  maple,  the  source  not  only  of  sugar  but  of  the 
famous  "  bird's-eye  "  maple,  there  is  also  the  white  maple,  a  tall, 
handsome  tree  which  is  tapped  for  sugar,  and  often  transplanted  for 
ornament,  the  red  maple  which  grows  in  swampy  places,  and  which 
furnishes  the  variety  called  "  curled  maple,"  so  esteemed  in  cabinet 
work. 

In  addition  to  the  white  birch  already  mentioned,  there  is  the 
yellow  and  the  black  birch,  both  used  for  lumber.  The  largest 
white  birches  in  the  country  are  found  in  the  White  Mountain  belt, 
some  of  them  measuring  two  feet  in  diameter.  The  red  cedar  grows 
in  this  belt,  but  very  few,  if  any,  trees  are  now  to  be  found  in  town. 
The  hemlock  has  largely  disappeared.  No  chestnut  or  white  oak 
grow  here.  The  red  oak  was  most  common  on  the  Martin  Meadow 
hills.  The  acorns  were  formerly  fed  in  large  quantities  to  the  swine 
and  the  beechnuts  supplied  food  to  the  innumerable  pigeons  which 
came  in  the  spring  of  the  year  and  nested  on  the  mountains. 

The  primitive  vegetation  of  Lancaster  was  far  more  luxuriant  than 
the  present  growth,  owing  partly  to  the  richness  of  the  virgin  soil, 
and  partly  to  the  more  abundant  water  supply.  Now  that  the  coun- 
try has  been  so  largely  denuded  of  its  forests,  there  is  less  humidity 
in  the  air,  and  all  plant  life  suffers  loss.  The  lakes  and  streams  are 
much  smaller  than  formerly.  On  this  point  the  oldest  residents  of 
the  town  speak  very  positively.  They  say  that  Isreals  river,  e.  g., 
together  with  the  streams  and  springs  which  feed  it,  have  one  third 
less  water  on  an  average  than  they  had  fifty  years  ago.  Even  sup- 
posing the  annual  rainfall  to  be  the  same,  the  moisture  is  not 
retained  as  formerly  so  as  to  sustain  a  luxuriant  plant  growth,  and 
cause  a  steady,  even  flow  in  the  streams. 

The  splendid  forests  of  a  century  ago  were  gradually  cleared  by 
the  pioneers  of  the  town  and  their  descendants.  Lumber  was  of  no 
value.  The  gigantic  pines  of  the  intervale  were  cut  and  burned  so 
far  as  the  fire  would  consume  them,  and  thousands  of  the  uncon- 
sumed  trunks  were  thrown  into  the  Connecticut  and  carried  down 
the  stream.     The  hard  woods  were  utilized  by  being  burned  to  ashes 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  285 

and  made  into  "  salts  of  lye  "  as  the  people  called  the  potash  thus 
obtained.  For  many  years  this  was  an  important  article  of  com- 
merce, and  in  the  great  scarcity  of  money  furnished  a  common 
medium  of  exchange. 

Among  the  shrubs  of  Lancaster  worthy  of  special  mention  are  the 
following : 

The  American  yew  (  Taxus  canadensis) .  This  is  a  low,  strag- 
gling, prostrate  bush,  found  in  moist  woods.  Its  fruit  is  unique 
resembling  a  red  berry,  round  and  pulpy.  Within  this  pulpy  disk 
and  nearly  inclosed  by  it  is  a  small  nut-like  seed.  One  would  never 
suspect  from  the  berry  that  it  belonged  to  the  cone-bearing  family ; 
and  yet  the  "berry"  is  really  a  disguised  cone.  It  is  the  only 
species  of  yew  in  the  United  States.  The  mountain  ash  is  another 
of  our  indigenous  shrubs.  It  has  a  wide  range  of  growth,  and  is 
found  on  rocky  mountain  sides  and  along  the  banks  of  streams. 
Its  ample  clusters  of  bright  red  berries  give  it  a  remarkable  bril- 
liancy in  the  autumn.  In  Europe  it  is  called  the  Roman  tree,  where 
it  is  associated  with  superstitious  notions,  being  used  for  divining 
rods,  amulets,  etc.  As  the  European  variety  grows  a  little  larger 
than  our  own,  it  is  preferred  for  cultivation. 

The  hazelnut  is  quite  common,  and  is  gathered  by  the  children 
for  its  sweet,  nutritious  kernel. 

The  high  cranberry  (  Vibtwmun  opulus)  grows  quite  abundantly 
along  the  roadsides.  Its  tart,  red  berries  are  often  eaten  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  the  meadow  cranberry,  which  is  also  indigenous  to  the 
town. 

Blackberries  and  raspberries  are  abundant,  and  so  are  blueberries. 
The  huckleberry  i^Gaylussacta  resinosal)  is  not  found  here.  The 
wild  gooseberry  and  black  currant  may  be  found  here  and  there  by 
roadsides  and  in  pastures,  particularly  on  Stebbins  hill. 

The  purple-flowering  raspberry  or  "  mulberry  "  i^Rubtis  odoratus) 
grows  luxuriantly  on  Mt.  Prospect  and  elsewhere.  It  is  a  very 
showy  plant  when  in  blossom  in  July,  and  its  berries  are  edible. 

One  or  two  of  the  smaller  species  of  sumach  is  found  here  ;  but 
not  the  poisonous  variety  commonly  known  as  "dogwood"  (^J^/itis 
venenata).  The  poison  ivy  which  belongs  to  the  same  genus  is 
occasionally  seen. 

The  common  and  the  red-berried  elder  both  grow  along  the 
roadsides.  The  moosewood,  the  alder,  and  the  willow  are  all  found 
in  their  proper  habitat.  There  are  several  species  of  cornel,  which 
are  the  true  dogwoods,  and  all  innocent.  Among  these  is  the  pretty 
dwarf  cornel  or  bunch-berry. 

We  have  also  the  rhodora,  a  species  of  rhododendron.  It  grows 
abundantly,  flowering  in  June  before  the  leaves  are  developed. 
This  beautiful  flower  suggests  Emerson's  lines  written   in   its  honor, 


2  86  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

"  Dear,  tell  them  that  if  eyes  were  made  for  seeing 
Then  beauty  is  its  own  excuse  for  being," 

Of  the  smaller  plants,  Lancaster  presents  a  great  variety.  A  com- 
plete list  is  not  at  hand,  and  if  it  were  it  would  have  little  interest 
in  a  popular  history.  The  following  are  a  few  of  the  most  interest- 
ing species : 

The  hepatica  is  the  first  plant  to  open  its  petals  in  the  spring. 
There  is  a  sunny  spot  on  the  southeast  slope  of  Mt.  Prospect,  on  the 
Jacobs  farm,  where  the  blossoms  of  this  charming  plant  open  by 
the  middle  of  April,  while  the  snow  yet  lingers  in  its  neighborhood. 
It  is  a  member  of  the  crowfoot  family,  and  is  therefore  first  cousin 
to  the  buttercups,  anemones,  marsh  marigolds,  etc. 

The  Mayflower  or  trailing  arbutus  {^E^igcsa  re^ens)  is  another 
of  the  early  blossomers.  There  is  one  place  in  town  where  it  may 
be  found,  though  only  in  small  quantities.  This  spot  is  near  the 
outlet  of  Martin  Meadow  pond.  It  is  a  small,  attractive  blossom, 
with  a  most  delicate  fragrance — a  universal  favorite. 

The  spring  beauty  (^Claytonia  Virginica)  is  also  one  of  our 
early  flowers,  blossoming  about  the  first  of  May.  The  plant  grows 
from  a  small  tuber,  and  has  two  narrow  opposite  leaves  from  three 
to  five  inches  long  and  a  pretty  rose-colored  blossom,  its  petals 
being  streaked  with  pink  veins.  It  grows  abundantly  on  our  mead- 
ows.    It  belongs  to  the  purslane  family. 

The  twin-flower  {Linnaea  bo?'ealis)  was  named  for  the  great 
botanist,  Linnjeus.  It  belongs  to  the  honeysuckle  family.  It  is  a 
tiny  plant  with  small,  roundish  leaves,  and  three  peduncles,  each 
bearing  at  the  top  a  pair  of  nodding,  bell-shaped,  roseate,  fragrant 
flowers.  Its  month  is  June.  It  is  a  charming  little  flower  and 
should  be  more  generally  known.  It  is  partial  to  moist,  rocky 
shades,  and  may  be  found  in  large  quantities  by  the  roadside  in  the 
woods  just  beyond  Baker's  hill.     It  was  one  of  Emerson's  favorites. 

"  The  slight  Linnaea  hangs  its  twin-born  heads." 

The  forget-me-not  (^Myosotis)  is  universally  admired.  It  grows 
in  wet  places,  having  a  special  fondness  for  the  margin  of  brooklets. 
It  is  in  blossom  from  May  until  August.  Before  opening  the  raceme 
is  coiled  up  like  a  scorpion  and  for  this  reason  the  plant  is  known 
as  "  scorpion  grass."  It  has  a  pretty  blue  blossom  with  a  yellow 
centre  and  is  first  cousin  to  the  heliotrope.  It  grows  in  several 
places  in  town,  but  is  far  more  abundant  in  the  adjoining  town  of 
Lunenburg. 

The  composite  family  has  a  large  representation  here.  One  of 
its  most  showy  members  is  the  cone  flower  (^Rudbeckia  htrta), 
with  large  yellow  rays,  spreading  from  a  brown,  cone-like  centre. 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   LANCASTFR.  28/ 

In  August  it  is  conspicuous  in  grass  fields  among  the  daisies  Then 
there  is  the  golden  ragwort  of  the  meadows;  the  purple  thorough- 
wort  and  the  boneset,  the  elecampane,  the  pearly  everlasting;  ?he 
fireweed  {Eplobtuni  augustifolium) ,  springing  up  where  woods 
have  been  cleared  and  the  ground  burnt  over;  the  bur-marigold  or 
beggar-ticks  of  which  the  dry  akenes  adhere  to  the  dress  with 
their  two-barbed  awns;  the  wild  lettuce,  the  dandelion,  the  wild 
sunflower,  the  fleabanes,  and  the  whole  troop  of  asters  and  golden- 
rods.  ^ 

The  lily  family  is  represented  by  the  bright  Canada  lily  of  the 
meadows  the  Solomon's  seal  of  the  woods,  the  bellwort,  with  a  yel- 
lowish blossom  and  commonly  known  as  wild  oats ;  the  white  and 
purple  trillium  or  wake  robin;  the  pretty  smilicina,  common  in 
woods  and  low  grounds  and  much  used  in  bouquets,  often  called 
improperly  '-the  wild  Hly  of  the  valley";  the  dog's-tooth  violet, 
yellow  adders  tongue  {Eryihronium  Amcricanum),  is  everywhere 
conspicuous  with  its  yellow  blossoms  in  the  month  of  May 

To  this  family  belongs  the  beautiful  clintonia  of  the  woods  It 
maybe  recognized  by  its  two  or  more  broad,  smooth  leaves  near 
the  ground,  from  whose  base  rises  a  naked  scape  about  six  inches 
high,  bearing  an  umbel  of  greenish-yellow  flowers  in  June  and  a 
cluster  of  bright  blue  berries  in  the  autumn.  In  this  connection 
may  be  mentioned  the  charming  blue  iris,  or  flower-de-luce  of  the 

AI?.  r'V  l;''''i''^.  ^f^'  ""^  *"  numerous  pondweed  family. 
Also  the  Nymfhiads,  including  the  yellow  pond  lily,  a  favorite  food 
of  the  beaver  and  moose;  and  the  white  water  lily,  esteemed  for  its 
beauty  and  fragrance.  The  orchid  family  has  many  interesting 
plants,  including  the  handsome  lady  slipper.  The  prince  pine 
the  pyrola,  the  sarsaparilla,  and  the  checkerberry  {Gatdtheria) 
are  all  natives  of  our  woods.  The  fumatory  family  is  represented 
breedres^'  "^^""^^'"-^'"'"ge  and   the   Dicentra   or  Dutchman's 

Our  milkweeds  are  conspicuous  for  their  showy  blossoms  and 
their  pods  filled  with  a  fluffy  down,  nature's  wings  for  wafting  the 
seeds.  The  strawberry  should  be  mentioned  both  for  its  use  and 
beauty;  nor  should  the  sweet  violets  and  bluets  of  early  summer  be 
passed  by. 

These  are  some  of  the  more  striking  and  interesting  of  our  native 
plants,  but  to  mention  and  describe  them  all  would  require  a  volume 
especially  if  we  were  to  add  a  description  of  the  lower  forms  of  ve-e- 

i^-°wu  ^'^''^''  ^^'"''  "^^"^  "'^^^^S'  "tosses,  and  lichens,  in  alfof 
which  the  town  is  especially  rich.  As  these  would  awaken  little 
popular  interest,  only  a  single  example  of  each  will  be  siven  Of 
grasses,  the  blue-joint  is  the  most  showy,  and  is  esteemed' as  a 
food  for  cattle.     Of  the  ferns,  the  beautiful  maidenhair  easily  bears 


288  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

the  palm  and  is  not  uncommon,  especially  in  the  Mt.  Prospect 
woods.  Of  the  club  mosses,  the  three  most  common  species  are 
found  here  in  abundance.  Of  mosses,  the  genus  Fiinai-ia  is,  per- 
haps, the  most  common.  Among  the  lichens,  anyone  may  recog- 
nize the  Usnea  barbata  by  its  hanging  in  fringes  from  evergreens 
in  the  swamps  something  after  the  manner  of  the  "long  moss" 
(  Ttllandsta)  of  the  Southern  states. 

FISH. 

The  darters  {Poecilicthys). — Striped  darter  {P.  lincatus)  ;  dot- 
ted darter  (P.  puncttilatus)  ;  Johnny  darter  {Boleosotna  brevi- 
^matae) . 

Perch  {Percidae). — Yellow  perch  {P.  Jluvescens)  ;  trout  perch 
(^Percopsis  giittatus) . 

Bass  i^Microfterus). — Big-mouthed,  black  h^iss,  {M.Jiuvidamis)  ; 
small-mouthed,  black  bass  (J/,  salmoides). 

Sunfish  {Pomoiis). — Common  sunfish  {P.  aureus). 

Trout  (Salmo). — Brook  trout  (^S .  fontinalis) ^  several  varieties. 

Minnow  {^Melantira). — Mud  minnow  {M.  limi). 

Esocidae. — Muskellunge  iyEsox  nobili'ar)  ;  little  pickerel  {E. 
sahnoneus) . 

Dace  (ySemotihis) . — Common  chub,  or  horned  dace  (6".  corj)or- 
ulis) . 

Shiners  (^Noteniigonis) . — Common  shiner  {^N.  Americanns) . 

Suckers  (^Catostoniiis) . — Common  mud  sucker  (C  teres)  \  red 
horse  (  Teretuhis  diiqiiesnei) . 

Bull  heads  (^Amimiriis) . — Common  bull  head  i^A.  Americaniis)  ; 
bull  pout  (yA  vulgaris) . 

Eels  {Agtiillidae) . — Common  eel  {A.  vtilgarus) . 

REPTILES. 

Turtles  (^Testiidinata) . — Northern  box  turtle  [Ctstudo  ornatits)  ; 
commong  snapping  turtle  (^Chelydra  stirpentiyms)  ;  soft-shelled 
turtle  (^Aspidonectes  spinifer) . 

Note. — Hon.  J.  W.  Weeks  tells  me  that  the  eel  was  not  known  in  Lancaster  until  the 
otter  had  become  extinct.  It  was  supposed  that  the  otter  destroyed  them.  The  salmon 
was  once  so  plenty,  before  dams  were  built  on  the  Connecticut  river,  as  to  have  been  one 
•of  the  recognized  sources  of  food  for  the  early  settlers.  Every  family  was  expected  to 
salt  down  a  barrel  of  salmon  for  the  year.  They  did  not  become  extinct  until  about  1808. 
They  remained  in  the  river  through  the  winter  until  about  that  date.  Shad  probably 
reached  Lancaster  in  their  ascent  of  the  Connecticut  river;  but  if  they  did  they  were  not 
regarded  as  of  any  importance  as  salmon  were  so  abundant.  The  two  were  hindered 
from  ascending  the  river  by  the  dam  at  Turner's  Falls  in  1803.  At  Littleton  they  were 
recognized,  and  an  "  inspector  of  shad  and  salmon  "  was  one  of  the  officials  of  the  town. 
Trout  were  found  here  by  the  first  settlers  in  inexhaustible  quantities,  and  continued 
plenty  until  the  streams  were  filled  with  sawdust  from  the  mills.  Since  then  they  have 
not  been  so  plenty,  but  by  carefully  stocking  the  streams  the  fish  commissioner  has  kept 
them  plentiful  enough  to  make  trout  fishing  one  of  the  recreations  of  the  town,  and  an 
inducement  to  summer  tourists  to  visit  it. 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER.  289 

Snakes  (^Opkidia). — Spotted  water  snake  (^Trofidonotiis  sife- 
don)  \  striped  water  snake  {T.  liberis)  \  garter  snake  {^Eutaenia 
sir  talis)  ;  black  snake  {Scotophis  alleghaniensis)  ;  green  snake 
(^Liopeltis  vernalis). 

AMPHIBIANS. 

Frogs  (^Ranidae) . — Leopard  frog  {^Rana  haleciana)  ;  green 
frog  (7?.  fo7itinalis)  ;  wood  frog  (7?.  sylvatica)  ;  bull  frog  (7?. 
pipens) . 

Tree  frogs  {Hylidae). — Tree  toad  {Hyla  versicolor)  ;  spotted 
tree  toad  (Chorophiltis  maculata)  ;  striped  tree  frog  (C  triseri- 
atus) . 

Toads  i^Btifonidae) . — Common  toad  {Bufo  Americanus) . 

Salamanders  and  newts  {Urodela). — Spotted  triton  {Diemycty- 
lus  viridecens)  ;  red  evet  (Z?.  miniatiis)  ;  red  triton  {Spelerpes 
ruber);  spotted  salamander  {Amblistoma  punctatimi)  ;  Jefferson's 
salamander  (^A.  'Jeffersonianuni) . 

MAMMALS. 

The  order  Fclidae  was  once  represented  by  the  following  species 
that  have  now  become  extinct : 

Panther  {^Felis  concolor)  sometimes  wandered  through  Lancas- 
ter. One  remained  for  nearly  a  year  in  town  during  1832.  He  was 
humorously  named  the  "Sub-treasury,"  that  political  question  be- 
ing one  of  considerable  consequence  at  the  time.  He  was  hunted 
down  and  killed  on  Mount  Prospect.  Canada  lynx  were  once  plenty, 
as  were  also  the  Siberian  lynx,  known  as  the  bob-cat.  The  black 
cat,  or  fisher  as  he  was  known  here,  was  once  so  plenty  as  to  have 
been  a  great  nuisance  to  the  hunters  and  trappers.  He  followed 
their  lines  of  sable  traps  and  robbed  them  of  their  game.  The  wild- 
cat {L,ynx  rtiftis)  was  occasionally  met  with  in  early  times. 

The  fox  (  Canidae) . — Red  fox  (  Vulpes  fulviis)  ;  gray  fox  (  V. 
Virgin  iamis) . 

The  wolf  ( Canis  occidentalis)  was  once  plentiful  here,  but  long 
since  disappeared.  The  first  wolf  known  to  have  been  seen  in  Lan- 
caster was  killed  by  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam  December  23,  1776, 
for  which  the  town  paid  him  a  bounty,  the  receipt  of  which  I  have 
before  me.  Judge  J.  W.  Weeks  informs  me  that  they  were  not 
numerous  in  Lancaster  until  from  181 5  to  1825,  at  which  latter 
time  they  were  a  source  of  much  danger  to  man,  and  destructive  to 
the  herds  of  sheep  of  which  there  were  many,  at  that  time.  They 
are  supposed  to  have  followed  the  deer,  which  animal  was  seldom 
seen  until  about  181 5,  when  they  began  to  increase  rapidly  by 
migration  from  the  West.     A  bounty  of  twenty  ($20)  dollars  was 


290  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

placed  upon  wolves  at  the  time  when  they  became  numerous,  which 
induced  the  professional  hunters  to  destroy  them  so  that  they  had 
nearly  disappeared  about  1835.  Occasionally  one  was  seen  later, 
but  no  flocks  of  them  appeared  after  that  date.  The  last  wolf 
killed  in  town  was  a  black  one  in  1839,  by  Edward  Spaulding.  The 
gray  wolf  was  quite  plenty  at  one  time.  Judge  Weeks  tells  an 
interesting  anecdote  of  a  dog  owned  by  Joel  Hemmenway,  who 
lived  near  where  Deacon  Freeman  now  does  on  the  east  road.  This 
old  dog,  named  Smutt,  was  harnessed  by  Mr.  Hemmenway  and  made 
to  work  in  running  a  churn  in  his  large  dairy.  This  he  did  not  like, 
and  one  day,  when  he  saw  his  master  getting  ready  for  churning, 
Smutt  set  out  and  joined  a  pack  of  wolves  that  infested  the  woods 
near  by.  He  was  seen  all  summer  to  come  into  the  pastures,  and 
catch  lambs  from  his  master's  flock,  and  carry  them  to  the  cowardly, 
lazy  wolves  lying  in  the  woods.  When  winter  came  on,  and  Smutt 
remembered  his  old  master's  warm  fireside,  he  returned  one  day  as 
suddenly  as  he  had  disappeared  in  the  churning  season. 

MUSTELIDAE. 

Fisher  (^Mustela  -pennantii),  once  very  plentiful,  but  now  ex- 
tinct; white  weasel  {Puto7'tus  novehoracensis)  ;  mink  (/*.  visofi)  ; 
skunk  {^Me-phitis  tnephitica)  ;  otter  {Lutra  Canadensis) ,  once 
very  plenty,  and  a  source  of  revenue  to  the  early  settlers,  but  now 
for  a  long  time  extinct ;  wolverine  (  Gtilo  luscus)  was  once  plenti- 
fully found,  and  a  source  of  trouble  to  the  settlers.  It  has  long 
since  disappeared  with  many  other  animals  familiar  to  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  town. 

Bears  (^Ursidae). — The  black  bear  {Ursus  Americanus)  has 
always  been  known  here,  and  is  still  taken  near  the  village.  W.  C. 
Sherburne,  the  clothier,  shot  one  on  Stebbins  Hill  in  1895  that 
weighed  over  four  hundred  pounds.  Others  were  seen  in  the  same 
vicinity  that  year.  The  meat  of  the  bear  was  an  article  of  food 
much  sought  after  in  early  times. 

Coon  i^Procyonidae). — The  raccoon  {P.  lotor)  has  always  been 
found  here,  and  is  occasionally  met  with  at  the  present  time. 

Cervidae  (the  deer  family). — Common  deer  {Cerviis  Virgini- 
anus).  This  beautiful  animal  was  not  known  here  until  about 
18 1 5,  when  it  began  to  make  its  appearance  in  the  southern  part  of 
the  town.  At  first  it  was  not  much  hunted,  and  from  the  natural 
increase  and  migration,  supposed  to  have  been  due  to  their  being 
pursued  by  wolves  in  New  York  and  Vermont,  became  v^ery  plenti- 
ful in  a  few  years,  since  which  time  they  have  been  much  prized 
for  their  flesh  and  skins.  They  are  still  quite  common,  so  much  so 
as  to  have  been  seen  on  the  roads  near  the  village  in  1895.     During 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER.  29 1 

the  summer  of  1895,  the  writer  saw  several  in  the  woods  within  a 
mile  or  two  of  the  village.  The  moose  (C  alces)  was  abundant 
for  a  long  time  after  the  town  was  settled.  Moose  meat  was  a 
standard  article  of  diet  for  three  generations  of  the  first  inhabitants. 
There  are  several  men  still  living  who  remember  seeing  the  moose. 

Bats  (^Vesfertilionidae). — Brown  bat  (^Scotofhihis  fiiscus)\ 
little  brown  bat  (  Ves^ertilio  siihiilatus) . 

Moles  {Talpidae). — Silvery  mole  {Scalofs  argentatus)  ;  star- 
nosed  mole  (  Condylura  cristata) . 

Soricidae. — Mole  shrew  {Blarina  bi'cvicauda)  ;  Cooper's  shrew 
{Sorex  Cooferi). 

Miiridae.  Mice,  rats. — Common  mouse  {Mus  musculiis)  ;  white- 
footed  wood  mouse  (^Hesperomys  leiicoptis)  ;  meadow  mouse 
{Arvicola  riparius)  ;  pine  mouse  {A.  -pinetorum) .  Brown  or 
Norway  rat  (J/,  deciimanus)  ;   muskrat  (^Fiher  zibethicus). 

Squirrels  {Sciuridae). — Gray  squirrel  {Sciuriis  migratorius)  ; 
red  squirrel  (-5.  Hudsoniantis)  ;  flying  squirrel  {^Pterniys  volii- 
cella)  ;  chipmunk  (yTamias  striata);  woodchuck  (Actomys 
monax). 

Hystricidae. — Canada  porcupine  (often  mistaken  for  the  hedge- 
hog), {Hystrix  dor  sat  a). 

Leporidae. — Gray  rabbit  {^Lepus  sylvaticus)  ;  northern  hare  (Z,. 
Aniericanusy. 

The  beaver  {Castor  fiber'). — In  the  history  of  Lancaster  the 
beaver  deserves  more  than  mere  mention  as  an  animal  now  ex- 
tinct. The  beaver,  long  before  this  country  was  visited  by  the 
white  man,  had  erected  dams  along  all  the  smaller  streams,  and 
after  a  time  killed  off  the  timber  on  their  borders,  in  some  places 
covering  many  acres.  After  the  first  hunters  and  trappers  had  fol- 
lowed the  Indians  in  the  chase  of  the  beaver,  hunting  him  for  his 
flesh  and  skin,  these  dams  fell  into  decay,  leaving  nice,  level,  and 
fertile  meadows  to  spring  up  to  grass.  These  "beaver  meadows" 
furnished  the  first  settlers  with  grass  and  hay  for  their  animals  until 
they  could  clear  land  and  produce  tame  hay.  Gen.  Edwards  Buck- 
nam  located  on  the  Beaver  Brook  meadows  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town,  and  others  soon  followed  him,  so  that  at  one  time  the  larger 
portion  of  the  population  was  in  that  locality.  David  Page  took 
advantage  of  a  beaver  dam  on  Indian  Brook  to  use  its  waters  for 
the  first  grist-mill  erected.  In  many  localities  the  industrious  bea- 
ver played  an  important  part  in  preparing  the  country  for  the  occu- 
pancy of  man.  The  last  one  seen  in  town  was  taken  about  eighty 
rods  from  Capt.  J.  W.  Weeks's  house  on  Prospect  farm  about  181 5. 
Mr.  Weeks  is  authority  for  the  statement  that  the  bank  beaver 
abounded  on  Beaver  Brook  and  Martin  Meadow  pond  in  his  day. 
The  first  rats  appeared  at  the  house  of  Cofhn  Moore,  near  Martin 


292  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Meadow  pond  where  Mrs.  James  Mclntire  now  lives,  in  1822.  Mice 
became  a  plague  in  185  i,  destroying  grass,  grain,  and  even  pota- 
toes in  the  ground.  Some  fields  were  completely  stripped  of  their 
crops  by  them.  Several  species  of  birds  came  to  prey  upon  them, 
among  which  was  the  labradore  or  white  owl  wdiich  has  remained 
ever  since  as  a  permanent  resident. 

INSECTS. 

Lancaster  is  rich  in  insect  life  due  to  its  luxuriant  vegetation  and 
other  conditions  favorable  to  the  life  habits  of  insects. 

The  writer,  in  three  seasons,  has  identified  over  five  hundred 
species  of  lepidoterous  (four  winged)  insects,  and  nearly  as  many 
nocteridae.  Nearly  all  of  these  are  injurious  to  man,  beast,  or 
vegetation.  These,  with  as  many  more  that  are  less  noticeable, 
furnish  food  for  a  large  number  of  insectiverous  birds  that  are  either 
permanent  residents  of  the  locality  or  else  are  regular  visitors  during 
the  summer  season.  There  are  several  species  of  small  animals 
that  seek  them  as  food  also.  The  butterflies  and  moths  are  con- 
spicuously plentiful  and  beautiful  in  Lancaster,  affording  pleasure  to 
the  eye  but  much  mischief  is  done  to  gardens,  fields,  and  forests  by 
their  larva. 

Grasshoppers  are  so  abundant  some  seasons  as  to  be  very  de- 
structive to  crops  and  pastures.  During  that  of  1895,  they  were 
exceedingly  numerous.  Fortunately  they  were  assailed  by  a  para- 
site (^Aphidius)  and  destroyed  so  rapidly  and  effectively  that  as 
many  as  thirty-seven  dead  hoppers  were  counted  on  a  single  stem 
of  herd's  grass. 

The  beautiful  shade  trees  (mostly  elms),  for  which  Lancaster  has 
long  been  noted,  have  suffered  from  the  ravages  of  the  imported 
elm  bark  louse,  a  coccid  {Gossypm'ia  ulmo),  that  made  its  appear- 
ance here  about  1890.  It  now  infests  several  species  of  shade  and 
fruit  trees.  The  oyster  shell  bark  louse  infests  apple  trees  largely 
throughout  the  town  much  to  the  injury  of  trees  and  fruit. 

Lancaster,  and  the  whole  region  southward  to  Northfield,  Mass., 
was  visited  by  an  army  of  worms  in  1770,  and  again  in  1781,  which 
caused  much  suffering  among  the  early  settlers  through  almost  com- 
plete loss  of  their  crops.  They  ate  everything  except  peas,  pump- 
kins, and  flax.  In  some  sections  the  people  were  compelled  to 
subsist  almost  wholly  on  pumpkins  and  pigeons,  then  very  plentiful. 
This  insect,  always  present  in  this  section  though  very  seldom  nu- 
merous enough  to  be  harmful,  was  no  doubt  the  common  army 
worm  (^Leiicania  tmiptincta).  The  meager  descriptions  given  of 
it  in  various  prints,  notable  among  which  is  Powers  "  History  of  the 
Coos  Country,"  describe  the  army  worm  quite  accurately. 


THE   NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER.  293 

THE   BIRDS    OF    LANCASTER. 

Few  localities  have  so  large  a  variety,  and  number,  of  birds  as 
the  town  of  Lancaster.  Nearly  all  the  birds  seen  here  at  any  time 
are  regular  residents,  or  visitors,  of  the  locality  that  appear  every 
season.  The  list  of  migratory  birds  is  a  long  one  for  so  small  an 
area,  and  the  chief  change  in  the  variety  is  one  of  increase  of  new 
species.  The  town  lies  in  a  section  of  country  that  is  most  favora- 
ble to  bird  life,  containing  a  great  variety  of  food  and  the  best  of 
nesting  facilities  for  them. 

Nearly  every  season  brings  new  species  to  increase  the  variety  of 
useful  birds.  Some  species,  once  quite  common,  are  no  longer 
seen.  Among  that  class  are  chiefly  the  game  birds,  which  have 
been  very  nearly  exterminated  by  man  and  beast.  The  advent  of 
the  English  sparrow  has  been  accompanied  by  the  steady  decrease 
of  the  more  social  birds,  like  the  robin,  bluebird,  and  swallow,  that 
like  to  build  their  nests  near  the  habitation  of  man  in  order  to  get 
farther  away  from  their  enemies  in  nesting  time.  In  some  sections 
of  the  country  the  barn  and  chimney  swallows  have  been  entirely 
driven  away  by  them ;  and  Lancaster  seems  to  have  been  affected 
in  the  same  way.  The  English  sparrow  is  a  noisy,  pugnacious,  and 
irrepressible  intruder,  hated  alike  by  men  and  birds  everywhere. 
So  far  their  number  has  been  quite  limited,  but  they  have  shown  no 
promise  of  being  anything  but  an  almost  unbearable  pest  to  man 
and  bird.  As  they  are  seed-eaters  and  scavengers  they  linger  about 
the  streets  of  the  village  where  their  kind  of  food  is  most  abundant. 
It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  they  will  not  eat  hairy  worms,  or  insects 
having  hard  wing-cases.  In  August,  1894,  I  saw  one  of  them 
wrestling  with  a  worm,  the  first  and  only  instance  I  ever  saw,  and 
yet  I  have  watched  them  closely  for  nearly  twenty  years.  The 
worm  in  this  instance  was  the  common  cabbage-worm  {^Pieris 
rapae)  which  it  pecked,  and  half  swallowed  several  times,  but  finally 
left  and  flew  away  as  if  disgusted  with  the  prospect  of  making  a  meal 
out  of  such  creatures.  This  worm  is  eagerly  eaten  by  our  common 
field  sparrow,  and   also  the  ground  sparrow. 

During  June  and  July,  1895,  English  sparrows  were  seen  to  eat 
vast  numbers  of  grasshoppers  in  the  village  of  Lancaster,  as  well  as 
several  species  of  insects  they  have  never  before  been  credited  with 
eating. 

The  number  of  our  more  social  birds  have  been  greatly  lessened 
also  by  ignorant  and  cruel  boys  who  frighten  them  away  from  the 
close  contact  they  seek  with  man.  There  is  a  wanton  destruction 
of  both  the  birds  and  their  nests.  Too  often  the  innocent  and  valu- 
able creatures  are  ruthlessly  shot  to  gratify  the  passion  for  killing 
simply  because   furnished   with    guns.     Another   lingering   relic    of 


294  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

barbarism  that  should  be  suppressed  is  the  so-called  "  squirrel 
hunt."  It  leads  to  the  destruction  of  birds,  and  can  serve  no  val- 
uable purpose  ;  but  it  brutalizes  those  engaged  in  it,  and  destroys 
large  numbers  of  the  most  useful  birds. 

Every  spring  the  bird-nesting  and  egg-collecting  craze  breaks  out 
among  the  boys,  most  of  whom  ignorantly  and  cruelly  destroy  large 
numbers  of  nests  and  eggs  of  the  most  useful  birds.  In  most  all 
such  "collecting"  the  nests  and  eggs  are  thrown  away  after  the 
first  flush  of  the  craze  is  worn  off.  The  much-hated  and  severely 
condemned  "millinery  hunter"  has  not  shown  himself  in  Lancaster 
yet,  and  may  it  be  many  a  day  before  he  does. 

Taking  all  of  these  abuses  of  our  birds  into  account,  it  is  a  wonder 
to  the  thoughtful  and  observant  mind  that  we  have  so  many  birds 
as  we  have,  to  help  us  in  the  struggle  of  life  and  to  cheer  our  oft- 
time  burdened  lives  with  their  cheerful  songs. 

During  the  year  1894  I  saw  either  alive  or  dead  one  hundred 
and  sixty-nine  species  of  birds  within  the  territorial  limits  of  the 
town  of  Lancaster.  In  addition  to  these,  there  were  reported  to  me 
on  competent  authority  eleven  others  I  had  not  myself  seen,  mak- 
ing in  all  one  hundred  and  eighty  species  living  for  some  portion  of 
the  year  in  the  town.  Observations  during  the  first  six  months  of 
1895  increased  the  number  by  ten  additional  species. 

For  a  high  latitude  Lancaster  is  favorably  situated  as  a  congenial 
resort  for  both  winter  and  summer  birds.  It  is  surrounded  by  hills 
or  mountains,  and  traversed  by  numerous  streams  of  various  sizes, 
besides  containing  several  ponds  of  considerable  size.  The  streams 
and  ponds  are  flanked  by  marshes  and  banks  of  varied  degrees, 
affording  excellent  feeding  and  nesting  facilities,  as  does  the  whole 
undulating  and  varied  surface  of  the  town. 

The  enemies  of  bird-life,  excepting  those  named  above,  are  as 
few  as  one  meets  with  anywhere.  The  long,  cold  winters  keep  the 
snakes  few  and  feeble.  The  owls  have  very  nearly  disappeared, 
and  the  hawks  are  but  few  in  number.  The  squirrels,  especially 
the  little  red  squirrel,  which  is  the  worst,  are  among  the  worst 
enemies  of  the  birds  in  nesting-time.  These  have  nearly  disap- 
peared from  the  town. 

The  chief  enemies  the  birds  have  to  contend  with  to-day  are  the 
fox  and  skunk.  They  destroy  many  of  those  that  nest  on  the 
ground.  They  have  probably  done  more  in  exterminating  certain 
of  our  game  birds  than  hunters  have,  as  most  of  them  either  nest 
on  the  ground,  or  feed  there  while  quite  young,  and  fall  ready  vic- 
tims to  these  two  animals. 

The  conditions  favorable  to  the  life  of  the  migratory  birds  are 
seldom,  if  ever,  stationary.  Their  geographical  distribution  by 
species   and   number  is  a  question    of    climate    and    food   entirely. 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  295 

The  migratory  habit  is  one  they  acquire  under  those  conditions. 
There  would  be  no  object  for  our  summer  birds  leaving  if  their 
food  did  not  give  out  by  either  being  killed  by  the  cold  weather,  or 
driven  into  winter  quarters.  Their  return  in  the  spring  is  as  much 
due  to  the  fact  that  they  have  exhausted  the  food  supply  of  their 
winter  quarters,  as  to  find  a  warmer  climate.  As  they  approach  the 
former  summer  quarters  they  find  their  food  growing  plentier  again. 

The  food  supply  of  this  town  is  most  abundant,  nor  is  it  likely  to 
fall  short  for  either  the  summer  or  the  winter  migrants.  The  seed- 
eaters  always  find  an  abundant  crop  of  seeds,  and  the  few  fruit- 
eaters  that  come  here  subsist  chiefly  on  the  wild  berries,  of  which 
there  is  always  a  crop.  We  have  no  birds  that  are  confined  solely 
to  a  fruit  diet,  but  only  such  as  prefer  it  to  anything  else.  The  in- 
sect-eaters will  find  their  supply  controlled  always  by  the  season 
preceding  their  visits.  A  mild  winter  is  sure  to  be  followed  by  an 
abundant  crop  of  insects,  as  is  also  a  summer  season  that  is  favora- 
ble to  the  growth  of  vegetation.  Even  a  cold  winter,  if  it  follow 
such  a  summer,  is  not  unfavorable  to  a  large  number  of  insects. 
Extreme  wet  and  dry  summers  are  the  least  favorable  to  insect  life, 
as  they  have  a  greater  effect  on  it  than  either  heat  or  cold.  The 
wet  and  dry  seasons  also  control  the  food  supply  of  the  winter 
migrants. 

The  rapid  destruction  of  forests  in  lumbering  interests  has  in  a 
great  measure  tended  to  drive  away  species  once  common  and  abun- 
dant; but  it  has  created  conditions  favorable  to  the  life  of  many 
other  species  that  have  taken  their  place,  so  that  our  bird  fauna 
increases.  New  species  find  in  this  change  conditions  more  favor- 
able to  their  manner  of  life.  The  change  of  climate  consequent 
upon  the  destruction  of  the  forests  has  been  rather  an  element  of 
instabiliity  than  of  extremity  of  heat  or  cold.  The  effect  it  has  had 
on  the  bird  fauna  is  due  to  the  changes  in  the  plant  and  animal  life 
by  which  their  food  supply  was  affected.  These  changes  follow  the 
changes  in  the  vegetable  life  of  the  country.  The  disappearance 
of  the  early  and  larger  growth  of  trees  has  been  favorable  to  an  in- 
crease in  the  insects  that  find  easier  access  to  the  more  abundant 
foliage  of  the  second  growth,  and  brush  springing  up  as  the  larger 
trees  are  removed.  Then,  too,  the  increased  area  of  open  lands  in 
cultivation,  or  under  pasturage,  give  larger  chances  for  insects  to 
breed  and  find  their  food,  which  has  tended  to  draw  to  the  locality 
large  numbers  of  insectivorous  birds. 

The  economic  importance  of  our  birds  is  the  chief  one,  and  will 
remain  so  for  the  future,  despite  the  growing  interest  in  their 
aesthetic  importance  as  a  means  of  affording  pleasure. 

During  the  two  hundred  years  that  the  birds  have  been  studied 
in  this  country  great  changes  have  been  noted  in  them.      Some  that 


296  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

under  primitive  conditions  were  useful  to  man  have  become  injuri- 
ous; but  a  much  larger  number  of  those  formerly  injurious  have 
become  useful  to  us  in  many  of  our  interests.  Of  this  class  we  may 
name  the  blackbird,  bobolink,  and  the  kingbird  {Tyrannus). 
These  changes  in  the  character  of  the  birds  are  due  to  the  growth 
of  human  population  and  industries,  forcing  upon  them  a  changed 
environment.  Many  birds  that  were  formerly  shy  and  retiring  are 
coming  to  live  closer  to  human  habitations,  and  manifest  a  greater 
degree  of  confidence  in  us.  They  seem  to  be  friendly  to  our  indus- 
tries, too.  Those  capable  of  affording  us  the  greatest  service  and 
pleasure  are  steadily  becoming  more  abundant  in  the  thickly  settled 
communities  if  the  timber  is  not  wholly  destroyed,  or  if  it  has  in  a 
measure  been  replaced  by  the  planting  of  orchards. 

Then,  too,  the  birds  have  some  share  in  making  conditions  more 
favorable  to  their  increase  and  distribution,  in  spreading  the  seeds 
of  their  own  food  supply  over  a  wider  territory.  Both  our  land  and 
water  birds  carry  about  and  scatter  seeds  that  adhere  to  their  feet 
and  beaks,  in  the  dirt  with  which  they  are  generally  coated.  By 
this  means  they  plant  for  their  own  future  necessities  in  a  way  of 
which  they  are  unconscious,  and  which  is  often  unknown,  or  over- 
looked by  us.  The  seeds  of  some  plants  eaten  by  them  pass  unin- 
jured through  their  bodies  to  be  widely  scattered  in  their  flights. 
The  universality  of  the  raspberry,  blackberry,  mountain  ash,  and 
wild  gooseberry  is  wholly  due  to  this  means  of  dispersion,  as  well  as 
many  of  the  weeds  and  grasses. 

Certain  others,  like  the  jay  and  woodpecker,  hide  acorns,  beech- 
nuts, and  seeds  of  various  kinds  for  their  winter  supply,  and  failing 
to  find  or  need  them,  they  grow  far  from  where  they  matured.  In 
this  way  many  of  our  most  valuable  trees  have  been  widely  spread. 
Some  of  the  noxious  weeds  and  grasses  have  been  spread  by  the 
birds  to  whose  feathers  they  have  adhered  by  means  of  the  hooks 
and  awns  of  the  seeds.  During  the  season  of  1894,  I  witnessed  an 
instance  of  a  bird  clearing  its  feathers  of  the  sand  burr  which  does 
not  grow  within  miles  of  the  place  it  was  dropping  the  seeds.  I 
have  frequently  seen  them  clearing  themselves  of  several  varieties  of 
the  wild  rye  and  oats  that  grow  abundantly  about  the  town. 

Such  facts  as  these  admonish  us  to  exercise  a  wise  care  in  our 
treatment  of  the  birds.  Many  of  them  that  formerly  had  a  bad  rep- 
utation in  this  section  of  country,  and  which  are  ruthlessly  destroyed, 
are  becoming  very  useful  to  human  interests.  Among  such  is  the 
blackbird  which  lives  almost  wholly  on  bugs  and  worms  that  infest 
the  meadows  and  pastures,  doing  great  damage  to  the  grass.  This 
bird  never  encroaches  on  the  farm  and  garden  crops  so  long  as  he 
can  find  insects  in  the  meadows  and  pastures.  In  this  town  he 
earns  a  hundredfold  more  than  he  destroys  for  us.     The  extermina- 


THE   NATURAL   HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER.  297 

tion  of  this  one  species  would  involve  heavy  losses  on  meadow 
grasses  by  the  rapid  increase  of  insects  that  would  follow  their  dis- 
appearance. 

So  with  most  of  our  birds ;  we  lose  very  little  by  their  presence 
in  comparison  with  what  we  gain  by  their  help,  or  what  we  should 
lose  if  it  were  not  for  the  services  they  render  us.  But  for  them  we 
would  be  overrun  in  a  few  years  by  injurious  weeds  and  insects  that, 
if  they  did  not  make  agriculture  and  grazing  impossible,  would 
make  it  so  expensive  in  fighting  those  pests  that  all  profit  would  be 
lost  to  us.  It  requires  many  thousands  of  seeds  a  day  to  support 
a  seed-eater,  and  scarcely  less  insects,  to  feed  the  most  hearty  eaters 
among  the  insectivorous  birds.  The  little  yellow  thistlebird  eats  vast 
numbers  of  thistle  and  dandelion  seeds  every  day,  and  even  feeds 
its  young  in  the  nest  on  them.  Every  brood  of  these  birds  raised 
makes  our  work  of  fighting  these  pestiferous  weeds  so  much  easier. 
The  finches  and  warblers  feed  on  plant  lice  in  their  various  stages  of 
growth.  The  woodpeckers,  fiuthatches,  and  creepers  eat  the  eggs 
and  larvffi  of  many  insects  that  are  deposited  in  the  bark  of  the 
trees.  Certain  of  the  warblers,  vireos,  and  flycatchers  feed  on 
insects  that  infest  the  under  sides  of  leaves  and  escape  the  notice  of 
other  insect-eaters.  Who  has  not  watched  the  little  creepers  inspect- 
ing the  under  sides  of  the  limbs  and  leaves  of  our  fruit  trees  for 
insects?  Thrushes,  starlings,  finches,  robins,  and  nearly  all  of  our 
native  sparrows  eat  insects  that  hide  on,  or  in,  the  ground.  The 
cowbird  eats  the  insects  that  infest  our  domestic  animals ;  and  also 
the  intestinal  worms  voided  by  them,  preventing  new  broods  of  the 
worm.  The  bobolink  eats  vast  numbers  of  grasshoppers  and  crickets, 
the  latter  of  which  are  equally  as  injurious  as  the  former  though  not 
generally  known  to  be  much  of  anything  but  night  singers.  The 
red-winged  blackbird  is  of  the  same  habit  to  a  large  extent.  The 
few  fruit-eaters  we  have,  just  about  equal  the  damage  they  do  by  the 
spread  of  the  wild  berries,  especially  the  raspberry  and  blackberry. 
But  for  the  birds  these  would  soon  become  extinct,  and  cut  us  off  in 
two  of  the  delicacies  of  this  locality. 

From  these  facts  we  see  no  ground  of  alarm  in  respect  to  any 
result  from  the  presence  of  our  present  birds.  What  little  damage 
some  of  them  do  is  more  than  balanced  by  the  benefits  we  derive 
from  their  presence.  Shall  we  not,  then,  learn  to  treat  the  little 
creatures  with  more  kindliness,  and  encourage  them  to  live  among  us 
as  freely  as  they  seem  inclined  to  do? 

A   CHECK-LIST    OF   THE    BIRDS    OF   LANCASTER. 

[Note. — Birds  are  generally  counted  as  belonging  to  the  localities  in  which  they 
breed;  but  many  of  them  visit  localities  unfitted  for  breeding  purposes  with  as  much 
regularity  as  they  return  to  their  breeding  places,  and  should  therefore  be  counted  as 


298  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

belonging  to  the  places  in  which  they  are  to  be  seen  every  year.  Such  rule  has  been 
followed  in  the  preparation  of  this  list  It  includes  all  the  birds  that  one  will  see  during 
the  course  of  the  year  whether  residents  or  migratory  visitors.  In  both  repects  they 
sustain  an  important  relation  to  the  locality,  and  are  ranked  together  in  this  list. 

It  has  been  thought  best  to  make  the  list  an  English  one,  and  accompany  it  with  a 
technical  list,  in  parentheses.  The  numbers  following  the  names  of  species  are  those  of 
the  check-list  of  the  "  American  Ornithologists'  Union,"  and  those  in  parenthesis  are 
from  "Coues'  Key  and  Check-List  of  North  American  Birds."  These  numbers  are 
given  for  the  convenience  of  those  who  may  wish  to  identify  and  study  the  birds.  Many 
birds  have  more  than  one  vulgar  name.  These  are  all  given  to  avoid  confusion  on  the 
part  of  persons  who  know  the  birds  only  by  the  untechnical,  or  common,  names. 

Valuable  service  was  rendered  the  writer,  in  the  preparation  of  this  list,  by  Mr.  Fred 
B.  Spaulding,  a  local  "collector  "of  birds'  eggs,  whose  long  acquaintance  with  the  birds 
of  the  locality  is  very  e.xtensive.] 

Order  Pygopodcs  (diving  birds). 

Family  Podicipidae  (grebes)  : 

Pied-bilied    Grebe;    water-witch;    hell-diver    {Podilynihtis  fodi- 
cep),  6-(852). 

Family  Urinatoridac  (loons)  : 

Loon;    great  northern  diver  {Urinator  inibcr),  7-(840). 

Black-throated   loon;     black-throated  6a\q.x  {Urinator  arcticus), 
9-(842). 

Red-throated   loon;    red-throated   diver  {Urinator  Imnnic),  1 1- 
(844). 

Family  Alcidae  (puffins)  : 

Black  guillemot;   sea  pigeon  (Cepp/nis  gryile),  27-(87i). 

Order  Ansercs   {Lamcllirostral  swhwrncvs) . 

Family  Anatidae  (ducks,  geese,  and  swans)  : 

Sub-family  IMcrginae  (mergansers). 

American  merganser ;   fish  duck ;    goosander  {Alcrganser  Amer- 
icanus),  i29-(743). 

Red-breasted  merganser ;   Shelldrake    {Merganser  serator),    130 

-(744)- 

Hooded    merganser;     top-knot   {Lophodytes   cucullatus),    131- 

(745)- 

Sub-family  Anatinae  (river  and  pond  ducks)  : 

Mallard;    green  head  ;    mallard  duck  (Anas  hoschas),  i32-(707). 
Black  duck;    dusky  duck  {Anas  obsctcra),  i33-(708). 
Baldpate ;  American  widgeon  {Anas  Avierieana),  I37-(7I3). 
Green-winged  teal  {Anas  Carolinensis),  I39-(7I5). 
Blue-winged  teal  {Anas  discors),  i40-(7i6). 
Wood  duck  ;   tree  duck  ;   snm.n\QX  dnck  {Aix  sponsa),  i44-(7i9). 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  299 

Sub-family  Fuh'guUnae  (bay  and  sea  ducks)  : 

Canvasback  {Aythya  vaUisneria),  i47-(724). 
American  gokien  eye  ;    whistler ;    garrot  (  Glaucionetta  clangida 
Americana),!^  i-(725 ). 

Sub-family  Anserinae  (geese)  : 
Canada  goose;  common  wild  goose  {Braiita  Canadensis), {j 02). 
Order  Hcrodoncs   (herons,  bitterns,  etc.). 
F'amily  Ardeidae  (herons  and  bitterns)  : 

American  bittern  ;  marsh  hen ;  shitepoke  ;  stake  driver  {Botau- 
rus  lentiginosus),  190— (666). 

Least  bittern  {Ar delta  exilis),  igi-{66'j). 

Great  blue  heron;    blue  crane  (Ardea  /lerod/as),  i94-(655). 

Little  green  heron;  fly  up  the  creek;  poke  {Ardea  virescens), 
20i-(663). 

Order  Pahidcolae   (cranes,  rails,  etc.). 

Family  Rallidae  (rails). 

King  rail ;   marsh  hen  {Rallus  elegans),  20^-{6'j6). 

Virginia  rail  {Rallus   Virginianus),  2i2-(677). 

Carolina  rail;    sora ;    ortolan;    crake  {Porzana  Carolina),  214- 

(679). 

Yellow  rail ;  yellow  crake  {Porzana  noveboracensis) ,  2 1  5— (680). 

American  coot ;  mud  hen  ;  blue  peter ;  crow  duck  {Fiilica  Amer- 
icana), 22i-(686). 

Order  Limicolae  (shore  birds). 

Family  Phalaropodidae  (phalaropes). 

Wilson's  phalarope  (Phalaropus  tricoloi'),  224-(6o2). 

Family  Scolopacidae  (snipes,  sandpipers,  etc.). 

American  woodcock  {Philohela  minor),  228— (605). 
Wilson's  snipe;   English  snipe;   jack  snipe  {Gallinago  delicata), 
230-(6o8). 

Pectoral  sandpiper;    krieker  {Pringa  niaculata),  239— (616). 
Yellow  legs;   lesser  tattler  {Totanus  flavipes,  255-(634). 
Solitary  sandpiper ;    wagtail;    ti^-u^  {Po/anus,   solitaries),  2^6— 

{657). 

Field  plover;  upland  plover  {Bartraniia  longicaiida),  261— 
(640). 


300  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Spotted  sandpiper;    peet-weet;    teeter  tail   {Actttis  maailarta), 
263-(638). 

Family  Charadnidae  (plovers)  : 

Kildeer;     kildeer    plover;     ring  plover     {yEgialitis     vocifera), 

273-(584-) 

Piping    plover;    piping  ring    plover    {^/Egialitis    vieloda),    277- 

(587). 

Order  Gallinae   (gallinaceous  birds). 

Family  Tetraonidae  (grouse,  quail)  :  n 

Bob-white;  quail;    partridge  {Coli'niis  Virginianus),  289-(57i). 
Canada  grouse;   spruce  partridge  i^Dendrogra^iLS  Canadensis), 

298-(555)- 

Ruffed  grouse;    partridge;    pheasant    i^Bonasa    jinibcl/us),  ^,00- 

(565). 

Canada  ruffed  grouse  {Bonasa  iimbclliis  togata),  300a-(566). 

Order  Cohmibae    (pigeons  and  doves). 

Family  Colunibidae  (pigeons  and  doves)  : 

Mourning    dove;    Carolina    dove   (^Zanaidnra    macroiwa),  ^16- 
(544). 

Order  JRaptores   (birds  of  prey). 

Family  Falconidae  (falcons,  hawks,  and  eagles)  : 

Marsh    hawk;    mouse    hawk;    \\2irr\Qr  {Cirats  Httdsonius),  2,?)i- 

(489). 

Sharp-shinned  hawk  {^Acci^iter  volex),  332-(494). 

Cooper's  hawk;   chicken  hawk  {Accipiier  cooeri),  333-(495). 

American  goshawk  {Acctpitcr  aij'icapillus) ,T)'i)A^-{^g6) . 

Red-tailed    hawk;    red-tailed     buzzard  ,{Buteo    borcalis),    337- 
(516). 

Red-shouldered  hawk ;    hen  hawk;   chicken  hawk  {Biiteo  hnea- 
tus),  339-(520). 

Broad-winged  hawk  {Bu/eo  latissinitts),  343-(524). 

American  rough-legged  hawk  {Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johan- 
«?5),  347a-(525). 

Pigeon  hawk  (yFaIco  columbarius),  35  7-(505). 

American  sparrow  hawk  {Falco  sparvcrius),  36o-(5o8). 

American  osprey ;    fish  hawk  i^Pandion  hat /'actus   Carolinensis)     ' 
364-(538). 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  3OI 

Family  Btirbonidae  (horned  owls,  hoot  owls,  etc.,  S.)  : 

American  long-eared  owl;  Wilson's  owl  {^Asio  Wi/somantis), 
366-(472). 

Short-eared  owl  {Asio  accipitrinus) ,  367-(473). 

Barred  owl;   hoot  owl  {^Syj'nium  nehulosum^ ,  368-(476). 

Great  gray  owl  {Scotiaptex  cineretim) ,  370-(474.) 

Richardson's  owl  {IVyctala  tengmalini  J^ichardsoni),'^'ji—(^4$)2). 

Saw-whet  owl;    acadian  owl  {IVyctala  acadica),  372-(483). 

Screech  owl;    mottled  owl  (Megascops  asio),  373-(465). 

Great  horned  owl;  Virginia  horned  owl  {Bubo  Virgmmntcs) , 
375-(462). 

Snowy  owl;    white  owl  {JVyctea  nyctea),  376-(479). 

American  hawk  owl  {Surnia  iihila  caparoch) . 

Order  Coccyges   (cuckoos,  kingfishers,  etc.). 

Family  Cuculidae  (cuckoos)  : 

Yellow-billed  cuckoo  {Coccyzus  Am  eric  amis),  387-(429). 
Black-billed  cuckoo  {Coccyzus  erythrophthahmis) ,  388-(428). 

Family  Alcedinidae  (kingfishers)  : 
Belted  kingfisher  {Ccryle  alcyon),  390-(423). 

Order  Pici  (woodpeckers). 
Family  Picidae  (woodpeckers)  : 

Hairy  woodpecker  {Dryobates  villosus),  393-(433). 

Downey  woodpecker  {Drxobates  pabescens),  394-(44o). 

Arctic  three-toed  woodpecker;  black-backed,  three-toed  wood- 
pecker {Picoidcs  arcticus),  400-(443). 

American  three-toed  woodpecker;  banded-backed  three-toed 
woodpecker  {Picoides  Amertcanus),  401— (444). 

Yellow-bellied  sapsucker ;  yellow-bellied  woodpecker  {Sphyra- 
piczis  varius ) ,  402- ( 446 ) . 

Pileated  woodpecker  {Ceop/i/oeus  pi/eatus),  405-(432). 

Flicker;  high-hole;  yellow-hammer;  golden-winged  wood- 
pecker {Cola-pies  auratus),  4i2-(457). 

Order  Macrochires  (goatsuckers,  swifts,  and  hummingbirds). 

Family  Cafri?nulgidae  (nighthawks  and   whip-poor-wills)  : 

Whip-poor-will  {Antrostomiis  vocifertis),  4i7-(397). 
Nighthawk ;     bull-bat;    goatsucker    {Chordeiles     Jl'rginianus), 
420-(399). 


302  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Family  Micropodidac  (swifts)  : 

Chimney  swift;  chimne}'  swallow  {Chacltira  ^eagica),  423— 
(405). 

Family  Trochilidac  (hummingbirds)  : 
Ruby-throated  hummingbird  {Trochilus  coluhris),  428-(409). 

Order  Passer es  (perching  birds). 
Family  Tyranidac  (flycatchers)  : 

Kingbird;  bee  martin;  tyrant  flycatcher  {^Tyranmis  tyrannus^, 
444-(369). 

Crested  flycatcher;  great  crested  flycatcher  {^Myriachiis  crinitiis), 

452-(373)- 

Phoebe  ;  pevvee  ;  bridge  bird  ;  pewit  flycatcher  {Sayornis ^hoebe) ^ 

456-(379)- 

Olive-sided  flycatcher  {Contofus  borcalis^,  459-(38o). 

Wood  pewee  {Contofus  vtrens)  46i-(382). 

Yellow-bellied  flycatcher  (yEui-pidonax favivcntj-is  (463-(388). 

Trail's  flycatcher  Empidonax  traillii)  466a-(385). 

Least  flycatcher ;   chebec  (yEmpidonax  minimiis  (467-(387). 

Family  Alndidae  (larks)  : 
Horned  lark;    shore  lark  {Octcoris  alpestris),  474-(82). 

Family  Corvidac  (crows,  jays)    : 

Blue  jay  {Cyanocitta  cristata),  477-(349). 
Canada  jay  {Perisorcns  Canadensis),  484-(359). 
Northern  raven ;    American   raven  {Corviis    corax  principalis), 
486a-(338). 

American    crow;   common    crow   {Corvtis   Anier/canus),    488— 

(340). 

Family  Ictcridae  (blackbirds  and  orioles)  : 

Bobolink;  reedbird  ;  ortolan;  ricebird  ;  butterbird  ;  skunk  black- 
bird ( Dolichonyx  oryz/vortis ) ,  494-(  312). 

Cowbird  ;  cow  bunting;    lazy  bird  {Afo/oi/irus  aler),  4g^-[^i}). 

Red-winged  blackbird  (Ageiaius  p/weniceus),  498-(3.i6). 

Meadow  lark;  field  lark;  meadow  starling  {SturneUamag\in), 
50i-(320). 

Orchard  oriole  {Icterus  spiiritcs),  5o6-(324). 

Baltimore  oriole;  firebird;  golden  robin ;  hang-nest  (^Icterus 
galbula),   507-(326). 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  "303 

Rusty  grackle  ;  rusty  blackbird  {Scolecofhagus  CaroUmis),  509- 
(331). 

Crow  blackbird;  bronzed  grackle  {^liscalus  qitisaila  aeneiis), 
5iib-(337)- 

Family  Fringillidae  (finches  and   sparrows)  : 

Evening  grosbeak  {Cocothraustes  vesfertimis),  5i4-(i89). 
Pine  grosbeak  {Pinicola  enucleator),  5i5-(i90). 
Purple  finch  {Carpodacus  fu?-pure7is) ,  5i7-(i94). 
House   sparrow;    English    sparrow    {Passer    doviesliais),   000- 
(192). 

American  crossbill;  red  crossbill  {Loxia  airvirosira  minor), 
S2i-(i99). 

White-winged  crossbill  {Loxia  leucoftera),  522-(i98). 

Redpole;  red  linnet;  lesser  redpole  {AcantJiis  linaria),  528- 
(207). 

Greater  redpole  {AcantJiis  linaria  rostrata),  528b-(2o8  part). 

American  goldfinch  ;  yellow  bird  ;  thistle  h'wd  {Spimis  trisiis), 
529-(2i3). 

Pine  siskin;    pine  finch;    pine  linnet  {Sfimis  finus),  533-(2i2). 

Snowflake;    snow  bunting  {PlectropJicnax  nivalis),  534-(2i9), 

Lapland  longspur  {Calcariits  laf^onicns),  536-(22o). 

Vesper  sparrow;  bay-winged  bunting;  grass  finch  {Poocaetes 
graniineus),  540-(232). 

Savanna  sparrow {Ammodramtcs  sandzvichensis  savanna),  54^a- 
(227). 

Henslow's  sparrow ;  Henslow  bunting  {Ammodra^nus  henslozuii) , 
547-(236). 

White-crowned  sparrow  {Zonotrichia  leucop/irys) ,  5S4-(276). 

White-throated  sparrow;    Peabody  bird  {Zonotrichia  albicollis) 
558-(275)._ 

Winter  chippy;    tree  sparrow  {Sfizclla  monticola),  559-(268). 

Chipping  sparrow;  chippy;  hair-bird  {Spizella  socialis),  560- 
(269). 

Field  sparrow  {Spizella  pisilla),  563-(27i). 

Snowbird;  junco ;  black  snowbird;  slate-colored  junco  {Jiinco 
hyemalis),  567-(26i). 

Song  sparrow  {Melosfiza  fasciata)  ,581  -(242  ) . 

Lincoln's  sparrow  {Melospiza  lincolni),  583-(242). 

Swamp  sparrow  {Melospiza  Georgiana),  584-(243). 

Fox  sparrow  {Passer ella  iliaca) ,"585-(282). 

Towhee;  towhee  bunting;  joree  ;  chewink  ;  marsh  robin  (P/'/i-Z/o 
erythrophthalmiis) ,  5  8  7-  (  3  o  i  ) . 

Rose-breasted  grosbeak  {Habia  ludoviciana),  595-(289). 

Indigo  bunting;  indigo-bird;  blue  linnet  {Passer ina  cyanea), 
598-(295).  -^  ^ 


304  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Family  Tanagridae  (tanagers)  : 

Scarlet  tanager ;    black-winged  redbird  {^Piranga  erythromclas), 

6o8-(i54). 

Summer  tanager  ;    summer  redbird  {^Piranga  rubra) ,  6 io-(  155). 

Family  Hirnndinidae  (swallows)  : 

Purple  martin  {Progna  subis),  6ii-(i65). 

Cliff  swallow;  eave  swallow;  mud  dauber  {PetrochcUdon  luni- 
frons),  6 1 2- (162). 

Barn  swallow  {Chelidoii  eryikrogastcr) ,  6i3-(i59). 
White-bellied  swallow;    tree  swallow  (  Tachycineta  bicolor),  614— 

Bank  swallow;  sand  martin;  sand  swallow  (^Cliv/cola  riparia), 
6i6-(i63). 

Family  Ampeliae  (waxwings)  : 

Bohemian  waxwing  {Anipelis  garrtilus) ,  6 1 8— ( 1 66) . 
Cedar   waxwing;    cedar-bird;    cherry-bird  (^Ampelis  cedroruni), 
619  (167). 

Famil}'  Laniidac  (shrikes)  : 

Northern  shrike;    butcher-bird  {Laniiis  borealis),  621— (186). 
Loggerhead  shrike  {^L.aniiis  liidovicianus) ,  622— (187). 
White-rumped  shrike  [I^anius  ludovicianiis  excubitorides) ,  622a— 
(188  part). 

Family   Vireonidae  (vireos)  : 

Red-eyed  vireo  ;  red-eyed  greenlet  (  Vireo  olivaceus) ,  624-(  1 70) . 
Philadelphia  vireo  (  Vireo  Philadelphicus),  626-(i73). 
Warbling  vireo;    warbling  greenlet  (  Vireo  gilvus) ,  627-(i74). 
Yellow-throated  vireo  (  Vireo  jiav if rons) ,  628-(i76). 
Blue-headed    vireo;    solitary    greenlet    {Vireo    solitariiis),  629- 

White-eved  vireo  ;  white-eyed  greenlet  (  f7/vc»  noveboracensis), 
63i-(i8ij. 

Family  Mniotiltidae  (wood  warblers)  : 

Black  and  white  creeper ;  black  and  white  warbler  {Mniotilta 
varia),  636-(9i,  92). 

Golden-winged  warbler  (^Helniinthophila  chrysoptera),  642— 
(102). 

Nashville  warbler  {Helmmtkophila  rujicapilla),  645-(io6). 

Oranged-crowned  warbler  {HeiminthopJiila  celata),  646— (107). 

Tennessee  warbler  {Hclminthopiiila  peregrina) ,  647-(i09). 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 


J^i 


Partila  warbler ;  blue  yellow-backed  warbler  ( Com-psothly^is 
Aine7'icana),  648-(93 ) . 

Cape  May  warbler  {Dend7'oica  tigrina),  650-(i26). 

Yellow  warbler;  yellow  bird;  summer  yellow  bird;  "wild  ca- 
nary"' {^Dendroica  acstiva),  652-(iii  part). 

Black-throated  h\ue\\?irh\er {Dcndj-oica  caerulcscens) ,6^4-(^i  17). 

Yellow-rumped  warbler;    myrtle  warbler  {Dendroica  coronata), 

655-(ii9)- 

Magnolia  warbler;  black  and  yellow  warbler  {Dcndroica  macu- 
losa), 657-(i25). 

Chestnut-sided  warbler  (^Dendroica  Pennsylvanica) ,  659-(i24). 

Bay-breasted  warbler  (JDendroica  casianea^,  660— (123). 

Black-poll  warbler  (^Dcndroica  striata),  66 1-(  122). 

Blackburnian  warbler ;  orange-throated  warbler  {Dcndroica 
blackburniac),  662-(i2i). 

Black-throated  green  warbler  {Dcndroica  vircjis),  667-(ii2). 

Pine  warbler;   pine-creeping  warbler  {Dcndroica  vigorsii),  671- 

(134). 

Yellow  red-poll ;  yellow  palm  warbler  {Dcndroica  ■pahnariun 
hypoc/irysca),  672a-(i33). 

Golden-crowned  thrush  ;    oven  bird  {Seiuras  autocapillus),  674— 

(134). 

Water  thrush;  water  wagtail  {Scinnis  novcboraccnsis),  675- 
(136). 

Mourning  warbler  {Geothlypis  Philadelphia),  679-(i42). 

Maryland  yellow-throat ;  yellow-throated  ground  warbler  (  Geoth- 
lypis trichas),  681 -(141). 

Wilson's  warbler ;  green  black-capped  yellow  warbler  (^Sylvania 
piisilla),  685-(i47). 

Canadian  warbler  ;  Canadian  fly-catching  warbler  {Sylvania  Can- 
adensis), 686-(i49). 

American  redstart  (^Sctofhaga  ruticilla),  687-(i52). 

Family  JMotaciUidac  (wagtails  and  pipits)  : 

American  pipit;    titlark  {Anthus  Pennsyhanicus),  6g'j-{^g). 

Family  Troglodytidac  (thrashers,  wrens,  etc.)  : 

Catbird  {Galeoscoptcs  Carolinensis),  ^04— {16). 
Brown  thrasher;    brown  thrush;    big  brown  wren   {Harporhyn 
elms  riifiis),  705-(i7). 

House  wren  {Troglodytes  a'edon),  72i-(74). 
Winter  wren  {Trolodytcs  hienialis),  722— (76). 

Family  Certhiidac  (creepers)  : 
Brown  creeper  {Cert  hia  familiar  is  Americana),  /26-{62). 


306  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Family  Paridae  (nuthatches  and  tits)  : 

White-breasted  nuthatch  ;  tomtit  {Sitta  Carolinensts),  'j2']-{^']). 
Red-belhed    nuthatch;    Canada    nuthatch    {Sttta    Canadensis), 

728-(59). 

Chickadee;    black-capped  chickadee  {Parus  atricapillus),  7^^- 

(44). 

Hudsonian  chickadee  {^Pariis  Htidsomcus),  740-(49.) 

Family  Sylviidac  (Old  World  warblers,  kinglets  and  gnatcatchers)  : 

Golden-crowned  kinglet;  golden  crowned  wren  {^Regidus  sa- 
trafa),  748-(34). 

Ruby-crowned  kinglet  (^Re^iiliis  calendula^),  749-(33)- 
Blue-gray  gnatcatcher  {Polioptila  caerulea^,  75i-(36). 

Family  Turdidae  (thrushes,  bluebirds,  and  robins)  : 

Wood  thrush;    song  thrush  {Tii-rdiis  miistclinus),  755-(6). 
Wilson's  thrush;    tawney  thrush;    veery    {Tiirdus    fiisccscois). 

756-(7)- 

Gray-cheeked  thrush  {^Turdus  aliciae'),  757-(i2). 

Bicknell's  thrush  (  Turd  lis  aliciac  Bicknelli),  757a-(i2  part). 

Olive-backed  thrush  ;  Swainson's  thrush  ;  swamp  robin  (  T-iirdiis 
jistulatus  Sivainsonii) ,  75  8a-(  13). 

Hermit  thrush ;  cathedral  bird ;  swamp  angel  ( Tiirdiis  aona- 
laschkac  fallasii),  759a-(  10). 

American  robin;    robin  (yMeriila  migratoria),  (i). 

Bluebird  {Sialia  sialis),  'j66-{2'/). 

The  annual  address  before  the  New  Hampshire  game  and  fish 
league,  at  Manchester,  N.  H.,  April  7,  1885,  by  Hon.  Henry  O. 
Kent,  is  of  such  local  interest  and  so  applicable  to  Lancaster's 
fish  and   game,  that  we  insert  it  here   in  part : 

Invited  to  address  the  fish  and  game  league  of  the  state,  an  organization  whose 
labors  have  been  of  recognized  usefulness  to  its  people  wherever  known  and 
understood,  and  to  whose  originators  and  founders  they  owe  a  debt  of  remem- 
brance and  appreciation,  as  yet  quite  likely  underrated  and  not  understood,  I  hesi- 
tated to  accept  the  pleasant  assignment ;  not  from  disinclination  to  contribute  my 
mite  of  information  or  experience  relative  to  the  interesting  and  important  topics 
involved,  but  because  for  many  years  I  have  not  had  leisure  to  indulge  in  the 
exhilarating  and  restful  experiences  incident  to  wooing  the  woods  and  the  waters 
of  our  state,  and  therefore  have  no  claim  as  a  sportsman,  even  as  an  amateur,  to 
address  this  assemblage. 

Among  the  incidents  of  my  youth, — along  with  measles,  spelling  schools,  and 
schoolboy  loves, — was  the  not  uncommon  attack  of  cacoethcs  scribendi,  peculiar  to 
imaginative  and  callow  years;  and  the  result,  an  intermittent  eruption  of  metrical 
composition.  At  a  later  period,  when,  I  trusted,  this  frivolity  was  forgotten,  an 
appreciative  friend  of  those  earlier  days  solicited  a  "  poem"  to  mark  the  anniver- 
sary of  some  local  society ;  in  obedience  to  which  request,  and  after  several  jerky 
attempts,  the  machine  ground  out  its  farewell  to  poesy  in  manner  following . 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER.  307 

Long  years  have  passed  since  last  its  crank 

Moved  round  at  Poesy's  decree. 
The  flowers  that  then  bespread  each  bank 

And  blossomed  o'er  life's  dewey  lea 
In  memory's  gardens  blossom  still ; 

But  the  dull  cares  of  daily  life 
Have  banished  far  my  rhyming  mill 

As  little  useful  in  the  strife. 

And  so,  as  there  remained  the  memory,  only,  of  sports  once  pleasantly  familiar, 
I  hesitated  to  exhibit  my  inexperience  and  unfamiliarity  with  the  affairs  of  the 
present,  and  address  this  league  of  sportsmen. 

But  your  president  is  a  gentleman  fertile  in  expedient  and  fatal  in  plausi- 
bility, comprehensive  in  mental  scope,  and  one  on  whose  genial  brow  authority 
sits  enthroned  ;  and  so  it  came  that  when,  in  reply  to  my  plea  of  long  disuse  and 
inexperience,  he  suggested  tha.t  I  might  properly  present  for  your  delectation  the 
resources,  the  attractions,  and  the  capacities  (for  business,  pleasure,  and  sylvan 
sport)  of  my  county  of  Coos,  like  the  typical  coon  that  I  think  must  have  given 
the  memorable  and  historic  response  to  Colonel  Clarke  instead  of  Captain  Scott, 
I  "  came  down,"  both  from  my  tree  of  supposed  vantage  and  from  the  highlands 
of  Coos,  to  meet  and  address  the  sportsmen  of  the  state  by  the  Falls  of  Namos- 
keag,  and  to  discuss,  if  not  the  Utopian  desires  of  the  epicures  of  ancient  Derry- 
field  as  to  the  wants  of  this  present  world  "  and  the  world  to  come,"  the  capaci- 
ties and  attractions  of  Coos,' the  importance  of  the  revenues  derived  through  the 
advent  of  pilgrims  for  health  and  exercise  thereto  to  the  revenues  and  prosperity 
of  the  state,  and  the  magnitude  of  results  involved  in  the  propagation  and  pro- 
tection offish  and  game  within  our  limits. 

Let  us  glance  at  the  earlier  history  of  our  northern  section,  its  traditions  and 
peoples. 

When  Col.  John  Goffe,  of  Bedford  (for  whom,  I  assume,  was  also  named  Goffe's 
Falls,  on  the  Merrimack),  raised,  in  1763,  under  authority  of  Benning  Wentworth, 
royal  governor  of  the  province  of  New  Hampshire,  his  regiment,  forming  a  part 
of  the  force  intended,  say  the  old  commissions,  "for  tlie  conquest  of  Canada," 
under  command  of  General  Amherst,  his  corps  was  filled  by  hardy  pioneers  and 
adventurers,  ready  to  seek  new  homes  on  the  borders  of  the  receding  wilderness. 
At  the  expiration  of  service  in  Canada,  four  of  his  officers,  with  a  portion  of  his 
command,  sought  their  homes  on  the  Merrimack  by  the  Indian  trail  from  Cham- 
plain  to  the  Connecticut  and  across  the  highlands  of  New  Hampshire  to  their  own 
river.  Returning  thus,  they  struck  the  Connecticut  at  the  broad  meadows  now  in 
Haverhill  and  Newbury, — then  known  in  Indian  legends  as  the  Cohos,  and  returned 
there  to  aid  in  founding  the  towns  referred  to.  As  settlements  extended  up  the 
stream,  and  broad  meadows  were  found  and  occupied  on  the  present  site  of  Lan- 
caster, that  region  was  called  the  "  Upper  Cohos;"  and  later,  when  quaint  Philip 
Carrigain,  the  genial  Irish  secretary  of  state,  whose  map  is  even  now  the  most 
desirable  authority  on  New  Hampshire  as  it  was,  visited  the  more  recent  settle- 
ments under  the  shadow  of  the  lesser  Monadnock  at  Colebrook,  forty  miles  north 
of  Lancaster,  he  bestowed  upon  that  section  the  title  of  "  the  Cohos  ado7'e  ihe 
upper  Cohos,"  the  territory  designated  thus,  being  the  old  home  of  the  Coo-ash- 
auke  Indians  and  now  nearly  all  included  in  the  limits  of  Coos  county. 

The  name  "  Cobs"  is  derived  from  the  Indian  word  '•  Cohos,"  of  the  dialect  of 
the  Abernaqiiis,  a  confederacy  of  tribes  once  inhabiting  New  Hampshire,  western 
Maine,  and  northerly  to  the  St.  Lawrence  river.  The  word  is  further  derived  from 
"  Coo-ash,"  signifying  j?^/«,?j'.  It  is  known  that  the  Indian  inhabitants  of  a  section 
were  generally  entitled  by  some  name  descriptive  thereof,  and  the  tribe  occupy- 
ing this  region  was  known  as  the  "  Coo-ash-aukes."  or  Dwellers  in  the  Pine  Tree 
Country,  from   Coo-ash,  pines,  and  a^tke,  place.     This  title  applied  especially  to 


308  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  locality  and  inhabitants  north  of  the  mountains  and  along  the  Connecticut 
valley  above  Moosilaukc. 

The  outlet  of  Massabesic  lake  is  still  known  by  its  Indian  name  "  Cohos 
brook,"'  and  the  country  around  was  once  a  dense  forest  of  pines — Coo-ash.  It 
seems  probable  that  this  name- — Cooash — was  carried  north  by  Indian  exiles 
from  the  lower  Merrimack,  when  driven  from  their  old  abodes  by  the  advance  of 
the  whites — to  seek,  as  says  the  chronicler,  a  new  home,  "around  the  head 
waters  of  the  Connecticut,"  and  we  learn,  in  corroboration  of  Indian  occupancy 
of  this  section  at  this  period — that  after  the  massacre  at  Cocheco  (Dover)  in 
1689,  instigated  by  Kan-ca-ma-gus,  he  and  his  followers  fled  north  "  and  joined 
the  bands  at  the  sources  of  the  Saco,  Amariscoggin,  and  Connecticut " — the  Coo- 
ash region.  The  streams  in  this  section  abounding  in  trout — their  native  food — 
all  the  way  from  the  lower  to  the  upper  Cohos,  the  territory  became  known  as 
their  Na»iaos-coo-auke,  or  pine-tree  fishing-place — a  nomenclature  transformed 
and  perpetuated  in  the  modern  name  "  Ammonoosuc,"  still  held  by  three  streams 
within  this  ancient  domain. 

The  wild  and  picturesque  river,  rushing  down  from  the  slopes  of  Waumbek 
Methna  through  the  rich  meadows  of  Lancaster  to  join  the  Connecticut,  is  said  to 
have  borne  the  Indian  name  Sin-gra-ivae  \  but  as  this  word  is  unknown  in  deriva- 
tion it  is  probable  that  the  name  Si-woog-an-atike,  itself  a  corruption  of  Sawa-coo- 
nauke,  signifying  "  burnt  pine  place,"  is  nearer,  if  not  the  exact  name,  thus 
defined  and  corrected.  It  is  easy  to  believe  that  away  back  in  the  dusk  of  tradi- 
tion, the  country  had  been  despoiled  by  fire  of  its  growth  of  pines,  the  legend  only 
remaining  to  supply  the  name. 

The  Canadian  home  or  head  village  of  the  Cooash-aukes  was  at  Abenaquis,  or 
St.  Francis,  as  their  settlement  is  still  called,  on  the  St.  Lawrence.  After  the 
defeat  of  the  Pequakets  by  Lovewell,  in  1725,  the  broken  remnant  of  that  tribe 
retired  to  St.  Francis  ;  and  the  bands,  invading  or  occupying  our  present  terri- 
tory, were  more  frequently  known  as  the  "St.  Francis  Indians  "  than  by  their 
original  designation  as  Abenaquis  or  Coo-ash-aukes. 

Descendants  of  these  broken  tribes  still  live  in  the  village  of  St.  Francis. 
Among  those  who  returned  to  their  old  hunting-grounds  in  New  Hampshire  were 
two  families  of  distinction,  of  which  the  chiefs  were  known  as  "  Captain  Joe"  and 
"Captain  John."  They  were  active  in  pre-Revolutionary  days,  and  both  took 
part  with  the  colonists  in  that  struggle.  "Old  Joe"  died  at  Newbury,  in  the 
"  Lower  Cohos,"  in  18 19,  and  is  buried  in  the  original  cemetery  of  the  town  at 
the  Ox  Bow.  Captain  John  led  a  small  party  of  Indians,  enlisted  from  Cohos 
and  vicinity,  and  received  a  captain's  commission.  He  died  a  violent  death  after 
peace  had  been  restored,  and  was  also  buried  at  the  Lower  Cohos.  He  was  known 
among  che  Indians  as  Soosup  or  Snssup,  and  left  one  son  called  "  Pial  Sussup," 
— "  Pial  "  being  the  Indian  for  Philip.  There  is  some  reason  for  the  belief  that 
this  "  Pial,"  son  and  heir  of  Captain  John,  an  original  Coo-ash-auke  chief,  who 
went  from  the  Upper  Cohos  to  St.  Francis  or  Abenaquis,  and  who  returned  to  aid 
the  patriots,  with  a  small  band  of  Cohos  Indians,  was  the  "  Philip.  Indian  chief, 
resident  in  Upper  Cohos  and  chief  thereof,"  who  gave  to  Thomas  Fames  of 
Northumberland  the  now  famous  deed  of  June  8,  1796,  conveying  to  him  and  his 
associates  the  present  county  of  Coos,  together  with  a  portion  of  the  county  of 
Oxford  in  Maine,  then  a  part  of  Massachusetts ;  being  the  instrument  known  as 
the  "  King  Philip  Deed." 

While  it  is  a  source  of  regret  that  the  descriptive  and  euphonious  nomenclature 
of  the  aborigines,  has  largely  disappeared  from  the  hills  and  streams  of  their 
hunting-grounds,  it  is  a  source  of  pleasure  that  it  is  occasionally  retained,  Whit- 
tier,  in  his  "Bridal  of  Penacook,"  having  embalmed  in  imperishable  verse 
several  of  the  ancient  designations,  two  of  which  pertain  to  the  country  of  the  Coo- 
ash-aukes.    He  say's : 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER.  309 

"  They  came  from  Sunapee's  shores  of  rock — 
From  the  snowy  source  of  Si-woo-ga-nock, 
From  rough  Coos,  whose  wild  woods  shake 
Their  pine  cones  in  Umbagog  Lake." 

That  the  white  settlers  of  modern  Coos  were  of  English  origin  is  evident  from 
the  nomenclature  of  the  towns,  which,  indeed,  granted  by  an  English  governor- 
general,  would  naturally  be  of  English  derivation.  Hence  the  name  of  the  ducal 
and  royal  house  of  Lancaster  applied  to  the  earlier  and  principal  settlement, 
Northumberland,  Percy,  Dartmouth,  and  Cockburne ;  while  the  name  of  the 
family  manor  of  the  Wentworths  at  Bretton,  in  the  county  of  York  (the  ancient 
seat  being  ''Bretton  Hall")  is  duplicated  in  "Bretton  Woods,"  now  Carroll, 
where,  there  is  reason  to  believe,  it  was  the  original  intent  to  erect  an  American 
barony. 

Before  bidding  farewell  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of  Coos,  the  earliest 
hunters,  when  fish  and  game  did  so  abound-;  shall  I  weary  your  patience  and 
demonstrate  anew  my  peculiarities  as  orator  of  this  occasion  if  I  give  to  you  the 
story  of  Metallak  as  it  was  told  to  me  in  boyhood  in  the  woods — Metallak,  the 
last  of  the  Abenaquis  in  Cohos,  the  final  hunter  of  the  Coo-ash-aukes  over  the 
territory  of  his  fathers? 

Sportsmen  who  voyage  up  the  Magalloway,  to  or  through  Parmachene,  or  over 
those  delightful  bodies  of  water  prosaically  known  as  the  "  Rangely  Lakes,"  hear 
frequent  mention  of  the  word  "Metallak."  It  is  preserved  in  the  name  of  the 
point  once  running  out  into  IMollychunkamunk,  now  submerged  by  the  accumu- 
lated waters  of  the  "  Improvement  Company  ;  "  in  a  brook  running  into  the  Magal- 
loway, and  in  an  island  in  lower  Umbagog. 

It  is  true  that  Captain  Farrar,  with  rare  denseness  of  appreciation,  has  bestowed 
the  name  "Metallic"  in  his  guide-books,  alike  upon  chief  and  localities,  as 
though  the  one  were  really  a  specimen  of  native  copper,  and  the  other  the  loca- 
tion of  mineral  deposits.  Yet  there  are  those  who  knew  these  woods  and  waters 
before  the  invasion  of  the  vandals  or  the  days  of  guide-books ;  and  to  them  the 
old  nomenclature  is  dear,  to  be  perpetuated  when  the  days  of  the  iconoclasts  are 
ended.  And  so,  despite  guide-books  and  modern  "  discoverers,"  we  retain  the 
memory  and  the  name  of  "  Metallak,"  and  tell  his  story  here. 

Metallak  was  the  son  of  a  chief,  and  from  his  earliest  youth  was  taught  the  use 
of  weapons  and  the  craft  of  the  woods.  He  grew  up  tall,  lithe,  and  active,  the 
pride  of  his  tribe ;  and,  after  its  custom,  took  to  his  wigwam  the  fairest  among 
its  maidens.  He  built  his  lodge  in  the  old  home  of  his  tribe,  the  Coo-ash- 
aukes,  on  the  waters  of  the  Amariscoggin ;  and  for  her  ransacked  the  woods 
for  the  softest  furs  and  the  choicest  game.  Two  children,  a  son  and  daughter, 
came  to  them,  and  gave  to  the  parents'  hearts  the  joy  that  is  born  of  offspring. 
Years  sped ;  the  old  chief  by  the  St.  Lawrence  died,  and  Metallak  was  the  head 
of  his  tribe.  The  frown  of  the  Great  Spirit  was  dark  upon  his  people.  One  by 
one  its  warriors  in  the  woods  sickened  and  passed  away.  Metallak,  in  his  lodge 
on  the  point  in  the  lake,  watched  and  mourned  the  downfall  of  his  race ;  and 
swift  runners  told  him  how  the  stately  tree  of  his  tribe  was  stripped  of  its  branches  ; 
but  his  mate  and  his  children  were  left  to  him,  and  he  vowed  to  the  Great  Spirit 
to  remain  on  the  hunting-grounds  of  his  tribe  until  he  should  be  called  to  the 
happy  hunting-grounds  of  his  fathers.  Gradually,  as  fall  the  leaves  of  the  forest 
when  the  winds  of  autumn  are  abroad,  fell  the  once  mighty  Abenaquis,  until 
Metallak  and  his  family  were  alone.  The  son,  not  sharing  the  stern  feeling  of 
the  sire,  as  he  grew  older  sighed  for  the  society  of  the  pale  faces,  and  left  the 
lodge  in  the  forest  to  find  a  home  with  the  new  companions  of  his  choice.  The 
daughter  had  visited  at  St.  Francis,  and  had  joined  her  fate  with  a  young  warrior 
of  the  tribe,  before  the  great  sickness   that  decimated  them;  and   he,  with  the 


3IO  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

English  goods,  easy  of  attainment,  had  robed  his  dusky  bride  in  garments  that  a 
white  woman  might  envy.  5he  is  represented  as  strikingly  beautiful,  and  when 
she  visited  her  father  in  the  wilderness  he  was  almost  awed  by  her  charms  and 
her  queenly  attire. 

About  this  time,  while  closing  a  moccasin,  Metallak  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
an  eye.  Time  sped.  The  bride  of  his  youth  sickened  and  died, — a  sad  blow  for 
the  desolate  chief.  She  who  entered  his  lodge  when  youth  was  high  and  his 
tribe  had  a  place  in  the  land,  who  had,  with  him,  endured  long  years  of  adversity, 
was  called,  and  he  was  alone. 

Mournfully  he  laid  the  body  in  his  canoe,  together  with  the  trinkets  which  in 
life  had  been  dear  to  her,  and  gliding  out  from  the  sheltered  shore  took  his  way 
across  the  narrow  strait  and  down  its  course  to  the  broad  reach  of  Mollychunk- 
amunk,  past  the  whispering  pines  and  sunny  beaches,  guided  by  the  roar  of 
Amariscoggin,  where  he  shoots  his  crested  waters  toward  the  more  quiet  expanse 
of  Umbagog.  Entering  the  rapids  he  sat  erect  in  the  stern  of  his  canoe — his 
beloved  and  lost  companion  in  repose  before  him — and  with  skilful  hand  guided 
the  frail  bark  with  its  precious  burden  through  the  seething  waters,  past  danger- 
ous rock  and  whirling  eddy,  until  it  shot  out  upon  the  sunlit  expanse  of  the  lower 
lake ;  still  down,  past  where  the  river  debouches  on  its  way  to  the  sea,  to  where, 
in  the  broad  expanse,  rises  the  green  island  that  now  bears  his  name.  Here  he 
dug  her  grave  and  buried  her,  after  the  fashion  of  his  people ;  and  without  a  tear 
seated  himself  upon  the  mound.  Night  came,  but  he  moved  not ;  the  wolf  howled 
from  the  mainland,  the  song  of  the  night-wind  was  on  the  air ;  but  he  heeded 
not ;  morning  came  and  passed  ;  night  again  and  morning  ;  and  still  he  sat  upon 
the  grave.  It  was  not  until  the  morning  of  the  third  day  that  he  left  the  sacred 
spot.  He  built  him  a  hut  near  it,  leaving  it  only  to  procure  necessary  sustenance. 
Years  went  by,  during  which  he  was  occasionally  seen  by  the  hunters  and  trap- 
pers who  visited  the  region,  but  his  eye  had  lost  its  fire,  and  his  step  was  less 
firm  than  of  old.  In  the  year  1846  two  hunters  came  across  him  in  the  woods. 
It  was  in  November,  and  a  very  rainy  time.  He  had  fallen  down,  and  upon  a 
stub,  thus  extinguishing  his  remaining  eye.  He  was  without  lire  or  food,  and 
upon  the  point  of  starvation.  They  built  a  fire,  collected  wood,  gave  him  provi- 
sions, and  left  him  for  assistance.  With  this  they  returned,  and  carried  him  to 
Stewartstown,  on  the  Connecticut,  where  he  lingered  a  few  years,  a  public  charge 
on  the  county  of  Coos.  He  now  rests  apart  from  the  wife  he  loved  so  well ;  but 
his  name  and  memory  linger  in  the  haunts  of  his  manhood ;  and  reference  to  the 
modern  hunting-grounds  of  Coos  would  be  incomplete  without  the  story  of  Metal- 
lak,— the  last  of  his  race  within  our  present  boundaries,  the  last  hunter  of  the 
ancient  Coo-ash-aukes. 

To  the  story  of  Metallak  let  me  append  the  story  and  the  tragedy  of  two  w/iite 
hunters  on  the  same  grounds ; — the  story  of  Robbins,  the  murderer,  and  his  vic- 
tim, Hines. 

Where  the  Diamond  glances  down  from  the  forests  of  College  Grant,  entering 
the  Magalloway  under  the  shadow  of  Mount  Dustin,  is  a  farm  originally  cleared 
by  a  hunter  named  Robbins.  He  was  a  stern,  vindictive  man,  and  wild  stories 
were  early  abroad  concerning  his  deeds.  In  the  fall  of  1S26,  in  company  with 
several  companions — Hines,  Cloutman,  and  Hayes, — all  hunters  by  profession, 
he  went  upon  the  Androscoggin  waters  to  trap  sable.  The  party  continued  their 
hunt  successfully  until  the  first  snows  fell,  when,  leaving  Robbins  in  care  of  the 
property,  his  comrades  started  on  a  last  visit  to  the  traps,  extending  over  a  line 
of  twenty  miles.  On  their  return  the  camp  was  found  burned  and  Robbins  and 
the  furs  gone.  They  were  without  provisions  and  sixty  miles  from  inhabitants  ; 
but  with  great  privation  and  suffering  they  were  able  to  work  their  way  into  the 
settlements.  On  their  return  they  instituted  a  suit  in  the  courts  of  Coos  county 
against  Robbins,  which  was  carried  to  a  successful  conclusion  and  execution  was 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER.  311 

issued.  Spring  again  came  around,  when  Robbins  proposed  to  Hines  to  hunt 
once  more,  promismg  to  turn  his  share  of  the  proceeds  towards  the  extinguish- 
ment  of  the  adjudged  debt.  Hines  consented,  and  taking  with  him  his  son  of 
fifteen  years,  proceeded  to  the  hunting-grounds  around  Parmachene  lake.  Again 
they  were  successful,  when  one  day,  as  Hines  was  returning  to  camp,  he  was  met 
by  Robbins  and  shot.  The  boy  was  killed  by  a  blow  from  a  hatchet  and  Rob- 
bins  was  lett  with  the  bloody  spoil.  The  bodies  were  found  and  a  search  insti- 
tuted. Robbins  was  arrested  in  the  woods  by  Lewis  Loomis  and  Hezekiah  Par- 
sons of  Colebrook,  after  a  desperate  resistance,  and  lodged  in  Lancaster  jail. 
Having  some  confederate,  he  obtained  tools  and  commenced  preparations  for  his 
escape.  Working  diligently  at  the  window  of  his  room,  in  the  old  Elm  Tree  jail, 
he  succeeded  in  loosening  the  gratings,  each  day  concealing  his  work  by  hang- 
ing over  it  his  blanket,  under  the  pretext  that  the  room  was  cold,  and  the  window 
admitted  air.  When  all  was  in  readiness,  he  made  his  exit,  and  the  night  before 
his  trial  was  to  have  commenced  he  was  missing,  nor  was  any  search  successful. 
Public  opinion  was  strongly  against  the  jailer,  as  being  in  league  with  the  prisoner, 
and  was  near  manifesting  itself  in  a  rude  manner.  Strange  rumors  were  afloat 
lor  years  concerning  his  whereabouts  and  career,  but  nothing  definite  was  known 
by  the  pubhc  ot  his  subsequent  life  or  final  decease. 

FISH    AND    GAME. 

I  well  remember,  as  a  boy,  that  a  fine  string  of  trout  could  always  be  easily 
taken  from  the  bridge  on  Main  street  across  Isreals  river  in  Lancaster,  and 
that  a  local  character,  one  Tinker  Wade,  was  accustomed  frequently  to  secure  a  ' 
peck  or  more  of  these  luscious  fish  by  the  clumsy  process  of  mixing  powdered 
coccuhis  tndicus  with  bran,  making  pellets,  which  thrown  at  random  upon  the 
water  rom  this  bridge  would  be  speedily  devoured  by  the  jumping  trout  to  intox- 
icate them,  when  they  would  leap  out  of  the  water  or  float  upon  its  surface,  an 
easy  spoil  to  the  hand  or  the  stick  of  the  tinker. 

The  entire  Cohos  country,  at  the  time  of  its  settlement  by  the  whites,  abounded 
in  tish  and  game,  and,  indeed,  was  among  the  most  prolific  of  the  huntin<r- 
grounds  of  the  aborigines.  For  many  years  after  settlers  had  opened  up  the 
forest  all  over  this  extent  of  territory,  and,  indeed,  after  considerable  towns  had 
sprung  up  therein,  the  game  of  the  woods  and  the  fish  of  the  streams  existed  in 
prolusion,  but  the  advance  of  clearings,  the  lumber  operations,  and  the  century 
of  hunting  and  fishing  that  has  followed  has  materially  diminished  the  supply  and 
exterminated  some  species.  Of  the  larger  game,  it  is  rare  to  find  a  moose  or 
caribou,  a  wolt  or  a  beaver.  Salmon  have  entirely  disappeared,  and  trout,  in 
many  once  prolific  localities,  seem  to  be  vanishing  as  did  the  salmon  and  shad. 
It  IS  only  in  the  secluded  ponds  and  the  small  streams  above  the  mills  in  the 
torests  that  trout  are  now  taken. 

When  settlers  from  the  lower  Cohos  penetrated  the  wilderness  covering  the 
present  county  of  Cods,  they  found  in  abundance  the  moose,  caribou,  deer,  the 
wolf,  the  bear,  the  lynx,  the  otter,  the  beaver,  the  red  and  cross  fox,  the  marten 
or  sable,  the  mink,  the  muskrat,  the  hedgehog,  the  woodchuck.  Of  birds,  the 
partridge  or  rufted  grouse,  and  pigeon  ;  and  of  fish,  the  salmon,  and  perhaps  the 
shad,  and  trout.  So  common  were  the  moose,  that  it  was  not  unusual  for  scores 
to  be  slain  by  a  single  hunter  in  a  season.  The  greatest  destruction  of  this  ani- 
mal occurred  annually  in  March,  when  the  snow  was  deep  and  had  stiff-ened  after 
a  thaw.  They  were  then  destroyed  by  professional  hunters,  who  took  only  the 
skin,  tallow,  and  nose,  which  last  named  part,  together  with  a  beaver's  tail,  were 
favorite  tid-bits  to  the  epicures  of  the  forest.  One  season,  a  hunter  named 
r|.athan  Caswell  killed  ninety-nine  moose  in  the  vicinity  of  Lancaster,  most  of 
them  wantonly,  not  even  saving  the  tallow  or  skins.     This  wasteful  outrage  so 


312  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

brought  him  into  disrepute  with  the  settlers  that  they  refused   him   their  houses, 
and  finally  drove  him  from  the  region. 

Later,  moose  were  plenty  around  the  head  waters  of  the  Connecticut,  but 
being  hunted  with  dogs  and  on  the  crust,  they  were  soon  practically  exterminated. 
It  is  told  that  one  of  the  Hilliards  destroyed  eighty  in  one  season,  after  which 
wholesale  massacre,  they  practically  disappeared.  South  of  Lancaster  village,  and 
in  the  town  limits,  rise  three  conical  peaks,  Mounts  Orne,  Pleasant,  and  Prospect, 
knovi'n  as  the  "  Martin  Meadow  Hills,"  and  south  of  Mounts  Pleasant  and  Orne 
is  a  sheet  of  water  of  about  four  hundred  acres,  known  as  "  Martin  Meadow 
Pond."  This  was  a  favorite  resort  for  moose  and  deer,  and  an  unfailing  rendez- 
vous for  the  settler,  when  "  the  family  was  out  of  meat."  This  pond  was  in  the 
low  pine  territory  extending  through  parts  of  Dalton,  Carroll,  Whitefield,  and 
Jefferson,  in  which  last  named  town  is  "  Pondicherry,"  or  Cherry  pond,  at  the 
northern  base  of  Cherry  Mountain,  the  entire  region,  in  the  early  days,  being 
a  favorite  resort  of  the  moose.  To  illustrate  their  abundance,  I  quote  from  an 
old  manuscript  in  my  possession,  written  by  the  late  Hon.  John  W.  Weeks. 

"An  early  settler,  by  the  name  of  Dennis  Stanley,  a  lieutenant  in  the  Conti- 
nental army,  and  a  man  of  strong  mind  and  perfect  veracity,  informed  the  writer 
that  being  '  out  of  meat  and  wanting  a  moose  skin  to  buy  a  certain  luxury,  then 
much  used,  and  too  often  at  the  present  day  (New  England  rum),  went  alone  to 
Cherry  pond  for  a  supply,  carrying  his  old  gun,  which  had  been  so  much  used 
that  by  turning  powder  into  the  barrel,  it  would  prime  itself.  He  had  scarcely 
struck  fire  in  his  camp  when  he  heard  several  moose,  wading  from  the  shallow 
side  of  the  pond  toward  deep  water.  He  then  uncorked  his  powder-horn,  put 
several  bullets  in  his  mouth  and  waited  until  the  moose  in  front  was  nearly 
immersed  in  water.  He  then  waded  in,  where  the  water  was  about  one  foot  in 
depth,  and  took  his  position,  not  in  the  rear  of  the  moose,  lest  they  should  swim 
over  the  pond ;  but  at  a  right  angle  with  their  track  and  at  easy  musket  shot  from 
it.  On  his  appearance,  the  moose — four  in  number — as  he  had  anticipated, 
chose  rather  to  wade  back  than  to  swim  over,  and  commenced  their  retreat  in  the 
same  order  in  which  they  had  entered  the  pond ;  that  was,  one  behind  the  other, 
at  some  distance  apart.  In  a  moment,  the  moose  that  had  been  in  the  rear  was 
now  in  front  in  the  retreat,  and  coming  within  reach,  he  was  shot  at ;  the  powder- 
horn  was  then  applied  to  the  muzzle  of  the  gun,  a  bullet  followed  from  his  mouth 
with  the  celerity  which  hunters  only  know;  the  second  moose  was  fired  at;  the 
third  and  fourth  in  rapid  succession,  when  Lieutenant  Stanley  found  time  to  give 
■a.  fifth  discharge  at  the  moose  in  the  rear.  Three  fell  at  the  water's  edge,  the 
other  staggered  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  where  he  fell  dead." 

The  moose  seems  almost  to  have  been  an  antediluvian  animal  and  out  of  place 
in  the  highlands  of  New  England.  The  long  fore  legs  precluded  grazing  from 
level  ground,  or  from  drinking  from  the  level  of  its  feet.  It  could  only  browse  on 
twigs  and  trees,  sometimes  inserting  its  teeth  through  the  bark,  stripping  it  off 
and  masticating  as  it  raised  its  head.  I  remember,  while  on  the  state  boundary 
in  1858,  after  seeing  moose  signs,  coming  upon  a  mountain  ash  that  had  been 
stripped  in  the  manner  indicated,  to  a  height  of  thirteen  feet  from  the  ground. 
Another  peculiarity  of  the  moose  was  the  uncouth  long  upper  lip,  prehensile 
almost  like  a  trunk,  the  broad  nostrils  that  could  be  tightly  closed,  the  false  lid  to 
the  eye,  all  indicating  the  adaptability  of  the  animal  to  feed  under  water;  and 
indeed  it  was  and  is  their  custom,  as  is  well  known,  to  congregate  in  the  soft, 
muddy  margins  of  the  ponds,  feeding  largely  on  lily  pads  and  the  roots  of  the 
pond  lily,  which  they  tore  up  from  beneath  the  water. 

Major  Weeks's  manuscript,  before  referred  to,  gives  this  description  of  the  horns 
of  this  forest  monarch  :  "Nothing  can  exceed  the  symmetry  and  beauty  of  the 
limbs  and  horns  of  the  moose.  The  round  part  of  the  horns,  or  that  next  the 
head,  is  about  fourteen  inches   in  length,  when  it   becomes   palmated,  and  is  in 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER.  313 

some  instances  twelve  inches  broad,  surmounted,  in  one  instance,  told  me  by 
Edward  Spaulding,  now  living  (1839),  ^Y  seventeen  spikes  on  each  horn.  A 
horn  now  before  me  is  one  and  one  half  inches  in  diameter  at  the  base,  and  eight 
inches  in  length,  terminating  in  a  point.  The  largest  class  of  horns  spread  five 
feet,  and  weigh  about  live  hundred  pounds." 

The  last  moose  familiar  to  Lancaster  people  was  one  owned  and  kept  by  Louis 
Annance,  a  St.  Francis  Indian,  who  forty-five  years  ago  had  a  lodge  a  mile  east 
of  the  village,  near  the  Sawacoonauk  or  Isreals  river.  Annance  was  a  iame 
Indian,  and  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Masonic  Lodge  at  Lancaster.  He,  how- 
ever, lived  in  the  style  of  his  fathers — his  pappooses  were  strapped  to  boards  and 
hung  up  in  the  lodge  or  carried  on  the  back  when  traveling,  and  the  moose  was 
kept  for  exhibition. 

From  the  manuscript  of  Major  Weeks  before  referred  to,  I  copy  a  description 
of  the  location  of  these  animals  together  with  some  hints  as  to  their  habits. 

About  two  miles  southwest  of  the  town  centre  is  a  large  tract  of  alluvial  land 
called  "  Martin  Meadow"  (the  meadows  in  the  present  school  district  No.  2),  from 
an  early  hunter  whose  name  was  Martin.  He  caught  an  immense  number  of 
beaver  from  Beaver  brook,  which  meanders  through  the  meadow ;  beaver  dams 
on  this  brook  can  yet  be  traced  in  one  instance  for  about  fifty  rods  in  length  and 
near  five  feet  in  height.  There  are  others  of  less  extent,  yet  all  exhibiting  extra- 
ordinary skill  and  ingenuity,  superior  to  some  bipeds  who  attempt  the  erection  of 
dams.  The  banks  of  this  brook  are  perforated  in  hundreds  of  places,  which  show 
the  former  residences  of  bank  beaver,  a  kind  smaller  than  those  wonderful  archi- 
tects who  build  dams  and  erect  houses,  several  feet  in  diameter,  with  a  layer  of 
poles  through  the  middle  which  divides  them  into  two  stories,  in  one  of  which, 
their  food  for  winter,  consisting  of  bark  and  small  poles,  cut  about  two  feet  in 
length,  is  deposited,  while  the  other,  covered  with  leaves,  is  their  resting  place 
during  the  inclement  season.  The  entrance  to  both  kinds  of  habitation  is  always 
below  low  water  mark,  from  which  point  they  ascend,  through  a  subterranean 
passage,  often  several  rods  long,  to  their  dark,  yet  comfortable,  abode. 

The  Beaver  brook,  here  referred  to,  from  the  clearing  up  of  the  land  around  its 
sources,  has  much  shrunk  in  volume,  and  now  flows  sluggishly  through  the  low 
meadow,  known  to  its  owners  as  "the  bog."  It  enters  the  Connecticut  near  the 
"  Brick  Schoolhouse,"  near  which  was  the  residence  of  Edwards  Bucknam,  a 
follower  of  "  Governor  Page,"'  the  first  settler  of  the  town.  "  He  was  a  man,'" 
says  the  record,  "  of  unbounded  hospitality  and  usefulness,  was  a  dead  shot  with 
his  '  smooth  bore,'  could  draw  teeth,  let  blood,  perform  the  duties  of  priest  in 
marrying,  was  one  of  the  most  skilful  and  accurate  surveyors  in  the  state,  was 
proprietor  and  town  clerk  (his  house  and  records  being  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1772),  was  afterwards  general  of  militia,  became  regardless  of  property  and  died 
poor."  It  may  be  added  that  he  was  buried  near  his  home,  on  the  heights  of  a 
promontory  overlooking  the  valley,  where  for  an  hundred  years  the  whispering 
branches  of  the  sentinel  pines,  standing  over  his  lonely  and  unmarked  grave, 
have  told  his  story  to  the  winds  and  sighed  his  requiem. 

Wolves  were  frequent  in  the  Cohos  country  at  the  time  of  its  settlement,  and 
did  not  entirely  disappear  until  within  the  last  thirty  years.  Old  residents  of 
Lancaster  have  informed  me  that  they  frequently  heard,  thirt3--five  years  ago,  the 
howl  of  the  wolf  from  the  woods  east  of  the  village,  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
distant.  The  last  wolf  captured  in  that  town  was  about  1840,  and  by  Mr. 
Edward  Spaulding,  then  an  old  man,  and  one  of  the  first  white  persons  in  town. 
He  had  set  a  trap  on  the  northern  slope  of  Mount  Pleasant,  near  his  farmhouse 
and  south  of  the  village,  and  repairing  to  it  found  therein  a  large  •gray  wolf.  The 
animal,  by  its  struggles,  was  in  danger  of  freeing  himself,  when  Mr.  Spaulding 
attacked  him  with  a  stake  which  lie  carried,  and  succeeded  in  disabling  and  finally 
killing  him.      I  well  remember,  as  a  child,  the  sight  of  the  skin  as  shown  in  the 


314  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

village,  and  of  the  wondering  interest  with  which  I  listened  to  the  story  of  the 
battle  between  the  old  man  with  his  club  and  the  gaunt  monster  of  the  forests. 

As  exhibiting  the  numbers  and  ferocity  of  these  dread  animals  during  the 
earlier  settlement  of  the  Cohos  country,  I  give  the  following  incident,  told  me  by 
my  mother,  who  had  it  from  her  great-grandfather,  John  Mann,  the  first  settler  of 
Orford  in  the  Lower  Cohos,  who  came  to  that  town  in  1765,  commencing  his  first 
house  and  clearing  on  the  Connecticut  interval,  a  little  west  of  where  the  present 
homestead  stands,  on  the  broad  main  street  running  through  that  pleasant  village. 

Mr.  Mann  was  engaged  in  clearing,  and  had  in  his  employ  a  stalwart  negro, 
who  is  remembered  by  tradition  as  especially  powerful  and  fearless.  Wolves 
abounded  and  were  exceedingly  fierce;  indeed  it  was  the  custom  to  leave  the 
woods,  where  choppers  were  engaged,  each  day  before  sundown.  On  the  occa- 
sion referred  to,  the  sun  going  down  behind  the  hills  on  the  west  side  of  the  Con- 
necticut, and  the  shadows  beginning  to  darken  the  recesses  of  the  forest,  grand- 
father shouldered  his  ax,  telling  the  negro  to  follow  him,  in  his  return  to  the 
house  and  security.  The  man  was  engaged  on  a  giant  tree  and  hesitated,  saying 
that  he  meant  to  lay  that  low  before  leaving.  Telling  him  that  it  was  unsafe  to 
remain,  and  bidding  him  follow,  Mr.  Mann  started  for  home,  expecting  the  black 
to  obey  him.  Arrived  there,  he  discovered  that  he  was  alone,  but  momentarily 
expected  the  arrival  of  the  other.  Night  came  but  not  the  negro,  and  a  great 
noise  of  wolves  was  heard  in  the  woods  he  had  left.  It  would  have  been  death  to 
return  in  the  darkness  alone,  and  through  the  hours  of  that  long  night,  amid  the 
howls  from  the  forest,  he  waited,  powerless  to  help  or  save.  With  the  morning 
light  he  hastened  to  the  spot  where  he  left  the  man  the  day  before,  to  find  seven 
wolves  lying  dead,  a  bloody  ax,  and  the  ghastly  relics  of  the  daring  fellow,  who 
had  remained  at  his  work  too  long.  He  had  been  attacked  by  a  lavenous  pack, 
selling  his  life  after  a  terrific  struggle.  I  have  never  seen  this  incident  in  print, 
but  I  heard  it  in  my  childhood,  and  recently  it  was  again  told  me,  as  it  came  from 
the  aged  pioneer,  who  told  it  to  his  great-grandchild  in  her  girlhood. 

Deer  abounded,  but  are  now  rare.  They  were  finally  driven  away  by  chasing 
them  with  dogs,  nor  will  they  be  plenty  in  the  deep  woods  that  yet  remain  if  this 
practice  is  continued.  Dogs  follow  them  on  the  crust,  as  the  wolves  used  to 
pursue  and  exterminate  them,  and  the  more  limited  forest  area,  together  with  the 
increased  number  of  hunters  in  later  years,  has  accomplished  what  the  wolves 
failed  to  do,  driven  the  deer  absolutely  from  broad  areas  of  our  country.  It  is 
believed  that  where  deer  still  remain,  hunting  with  firearms  alone  will  not 
depopulate  or  drive  them  away,  but  they  fly  from  the  lands  when  dogs  are  put 
upon  their  trail. 

Deer  formerly  existed  in  vast  numbers  in  the  pine  forests  of  Jefferson,  Carroll, 
Whitefield,  Dalton,  and  the  southern  part  of  Lancaster.  This  abundance  was 
largely  due  to  an  agreement  among  the  people  of  those  towns  to  keep  dogs  off  the 
deer,  and  many  dogs  were  killed  that  they  might  not  chase  them.  Another 
reason  for  the  plentiful  supply,  aside  from  their  natural  fecundity  and  increase 
when  in  a  manner  protected,  was  because  they  fled  from  hunters  and  hounds  used 
for  their  capture  around  Littleton  and  adjacent  forests  in  Vermont.  One  hunter 
in  Lancaster  took  forty  deer  in  one  season,  and  Mr.  James  B.  Weeks  one  year, 
without  effort  or  chase,  shot  fifteen  from  his  farm  on  the  southern  slope  of  Mount 
Prospect.     Deer  are  now  comparatively  rare. 

The  black  bear  was  very  common,  and  indeed  is  now  frequently  taken  in  Coos. 
A  summer  rarely  passes  wherein  one  or  more  are  not  captured  on  the  slopes  of 
the  Pilot  range  and  Starr  King,  not  more  than  four  or  five  miles  from  Lancaster 
village.  The  animal  lives  on  roots  and  weeds,  with  occasional  variations  of  diet, 
comprising  berries,  green  corn,  or  a  fat  sheep  from  the  outlying  flock.  He 
enjoys  the  wild  turnip  and  other  indigenous  roots,  digging  them  with  one  claw 
as  neatly  as  a  man  would  run  his  forefinger  around  in  mellow  ground ;    briefly. 


THE   NATURAL    HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER.  315 

the  food  of  the  bear  is  whatever  a  hog  eats,  with  mutton  extra.     They  seldom 
attack  men  ;  hardly  ever  unless  in  defence  of  their  young. 

_  Partridges,  or  ruffed  grouse,  were  once,  and  until  quite  recently,  very  plenty  • 
just  now,  however,  they  are  rare.  This  scarcity  is  attributable  to  the  large 
increase  of  the  red  fox,  who  preys  upon  him  with  devastating  effect.  Reynardls 
not  now  poisoned  as  formerly,  and  hence  has  largely  multiplied.  His  pelts 
abound  in  the  country  stores,  and  his  tracks,  after  a  light  snow,  trace  a 
labyrinth  over  every  field  and  hillside.  Partridges  have  disappeared  before  him. 
The  wild  pigeon,  once  also  very  plenty,  is  now  comparatively  rare.  Thirty 
years  ago  every  buckwheat  field  in  the  fall  swarmed  with  pigeons.  They  had 
regular  roosts,  from  which  they  swarmed  down  on  the  fields ;  "an  old  device  was 
to  have  a  "  pigeon  bed  "  for  a  decoy,  with  a  net  so  arranged  as  to  be  thrown  over 
the  bed  at  will,  when  the  birds  had  alighted.  I  have  the  experience  of  a  present 
citizen  of  Lancaster,  who  informs  me  that  when  a  boy  he  caught  forty  dozen 
pigeons  one  autumn,  from  a  bed  on  his  father's  farm  on  iMt.  Prospect. 
_  In  the  autumn  of  1844  James  W.  Weeks  of  Lancaster  was  engaged  in  surveys 
in  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  county,  near  the  boundary  range.  He  says 
that  he  then  on  one  occasion  passed  through  a  "pigeon  roost"  extending  over  a 
two  hours'  walk,  the  trees  being  full  of  nests  built  upon  crossed  twigs  laid  upon 
the  branches;   the  ground  literally  sprinkled  with  shells  beneath  them. 

Salmon  ceased  in  Cohos  about  1808.  Up  to  that  time  they  came  up  the  Con- 
necticut at  least  so  far  as  Stewartstown,  forty-five  miles  north  of  Lancaster,  there 
being  a  notable  place  there  known  as  the  "Salmon  Hole."  They  abounded  in 
Lancaster  and  ascended  the  Ammonoosuc  so  far  as  the  Fabyan  place  in  the  White 
Mountains.  Mr.  Edward  Spaulding  of  Lancaster  used  to  say  that  the  early  settlers 
relied  as  much  on  catching  and  salting  down  an  annual  barrel  of  salmon,  as  later 
farmers  did  upon  salting  down  the  yearly  supply  of  pork.  In  the  great  eddy  at 
the  head  of  the  "Fifteen  Mile  Falls "  in  Dalton,  near  the  mouth  of  "John's 
river,"  the  location  ot  Captain  John  Stark's  capture  by  the  Indians,  was  a  famous 
"  salmon  hole,"  where  the  noble  fish  apparently  rested  in  the  somewhat  cooler 
water  discharged  by  the  smaller  stream,  after  the  ascent  of  the  falls  Here 
people  resorted  from  all  the  region  round  about,  as  they  did  to  Namoskea^r 
and  for  a  similar  purpose.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Isreals  river  in  Lancaster  was\ 
similar  salmon  hole. 

The  first  dam  across  the  Connecticut  in  Massachusetts  was  built  about  the  end 
of  the  last  century;  but  these  early  dams,  lower,  and  equipped  with  "aprons," 
did  not  offer  the  obstacles  to  the  ascent  of  the  stream  bv  these  vigorous  fish  pre- 
sented by  their  successors;  and  so  the  salmon,  in  lessened  numbers,  continued 
to  return  from  the  sea,  until  higher  dams  impeded  their  progress. 

Recent  efforts  to  restock  the  Connecticut  and  some  of  it's  tributaries  with  this 
fish  have  been  only  moderately  successful,  and  can  never  be  of  practical  avail 
until  generous  fishways  are  constructed  at  all  the  obstructing  dams. 

There  is  little  absolute  certainty  that  shad  were  once  common  to  our  waters, 
although  at  Littleton,  in  Grafton  countv,  there  is  a  record,  in  1792,  of  the  elec- 
tion of  "inspectors  of  salmon  and  shad,"  leaving  the  presumption  that  shad  were 
then  known  there.     If  so,  they  doubtless  came  higher  up  the  streams. 

Trout,  the  natural  and  delicious  fish  of  New  England,  once  peopled,  in 
crowded  abtindance,  every  stream  of  our  hills  and  ponds  of  our  valleys.  They  have 
in  some  places  disappeared  before  the  voracious  pickerel,  but  the  sawdust  of  the 
lumberman  is  more  fatal  to  them  than  the  hunger  of  this  destrover  or  the  arts  of 
the  angler.     The  day   has  passed  when  the   local  bard  could 'truthfully  record 

"  In  the  silent  hollows, 

The  red  trout  groweth  prime 

For  the  miller  and  the  miller's  son 

To  angle  when  they  've  time." 


3l6  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

For  then,  lulled,  almost,  by  the  drowsy  monotone  of  the  grist  mills,   the  trout 
slumbered  in  each  alder-shaded  pool  of  all  our  streams. 

Wherever  there  is  a  sawmill  the  dust  clogs  the  stream  and  the  trout  disappear 
from  below  it.  For  trout  to  propagate  and  multiply,  clear  water  is  essential,  with 
a  reasonable  large  reach  of  still,  deep  water  for  a  winter  retreat.  Obstacles 
removed,  they  suddenly  reappear  and  rapidly  multiply.  A  few  years  ago  an  old 
dam  on  the  Otter  brook,  in  Lancaster,  was  down  and  free  egress  given  to  the 
waters  of  the  stream  ;  sawdust  also  ceased.  A  gentleman,  going  his  rounds  on 
the  meadow  below,  saw  in  a  shallow  pool  in  the  grass,  several  trout;  procuring  a 
handful  of  shingles,  by  sticking  them  down,  he  cut  off  their  retreat,  and  by  gradu- 
ally advancing  them,  worked  the  fish  upon  the  dry  land,  when  he  took  eighteen 
fine  trout,  half  filling  a  Shaker  pail  and  weighing  about  one  pound  apiece.  These 
fish  had  come  down  through  the  broken  dam  on  the  first  opportunity  and,  in  the 
absence  of  obstructions  and  the  fatal  sawdust,  had  multiplied  and  thriven.  If  the 
day  ever  comes  when  our  streams  are  pure,  they  will  again  be  filled  with  this 
delicious  fish. 


CHAPTER    II. 

LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AND    CEMETERIES. 

The    Derivation    of    the    Names    of    Localities    and    Places   in   and 

ABOUT   Lancaster. 

By  Hon.  James  \V.  Weeks. 

Lancaster  and  Lunenburg  were  undoubtedly  named  from  the 
Massachusetts  towns  of  the  same  name.  It  is  reasonable  to  so 
attribute  them,  inasmuch  as  many  of  the  original  grantees  were  from 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  those  Worcester  county  towns. 

Marthi's  Mcadozv. — According  to  tradition  one  Martin  in  very 
■early  times  trapped  beaver  on  the  vast  meadows  to  which  his  name 
in  time  became  attached.  He  seems,  whoever  he  was,  to  have  been 
of  a  roving  disposition,  and  discovering  these  beaver  meadows  was 
accustomed  to  come  to  them  to  replenish  his  stores  of  furs.  No 
one  ever  knew  where  he  came  from  or  where  he  went.  He  must 
have  come  here  a  long  time  before  the  first  settlers,  for  when  they 
arrived  they  found  the  beaver  dams  somewhat  gone  into  decay  and 
the  meadows  covered  with  grass  as  the  waters  had  receded.  The 
fact  of  that  meadow  affording  vast  quantities  of  hay  determined  the 
first  settlers  to  locate  near  it,  as  did  the  presence  of  grass  on  the 
Connecticut  river  determine  the  settlement  of  Stockwell  and  Page 
far  up  that  stream.  Major  Weeks  is  authority  for  the  statement 
that  the  beaver  dams  were  five  feet  high,  as  much  as  fifty  rods  long, 
and  covered  with  trees  in  his  day.  This  fact  would  indicate  vast 
numbers  of  them,  and  a  long  and  uninterrupted  occupancy  of  the 
streams  to  accomplish  such  stupendous  results.  Re-v.  Stephen  Wil- 
liams, who,  with  his  father,  was  captured  by  the  Indians  at  the  sack- 


White  Mountains  from  District  No.  io. 


Makux  .Mi:auow  Pond. 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AN®    CEMETERIES.  317 

ing  of  Deerfield  in  1 704,  and  hunted  and  fished  with  them  in  Lower 
Coos  for  a  long  time,  says  in  his  diary,  "We  killed  on  one  brook  as 
many  as  eighty  beavers."  It  is  not  unlikely  that  they  visited  this 
famous  home  of  the  beaver.  At  all  events  they  must  have  been 
equally  abundant  here,  from  which  fact  the  meadow  is  rightly 
named.  The  hills  and  pond  adjacent  to  the  stream  and  meadows 
have  taken  the  same  name — Martin  Meadow  hills,  Martin  Meadow 
pond. 

Isreals  River  and  'Johns  River. — These  streams  were  named 
after  Isreal  and  John  Glines,  brothers,  who  trapped  along  their 
waters.  Each  one  located  his  camp  on  the  stream  that  after  a  time 
w^as  referred  to  as  his  river.  At  just  what  date  they  located  here  is 
not  definitely  known ;  but  Johns  river  was  known  by  that  name 
when  John  Stark,  who  was  captured  by  the  Indians  and  carried  to 
Canada  in  1752,  camped  near  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  refers  to 
it  b}'  that  name  in  the  account  of  his  captivity.  A  tradition,  accord- 
ing to  General  Bucknam,  as  related  by  Esquire  Brackett,  was  that 
sometime  prior  to  1752,  John  Glines  was  passing  up  the  Connecti- 
cut river  in  his  canoe  when  an  Indian  shot  at  him  from  the  shore, 
and  missing  his  aim,  Glines  returned  the  fire  killing  the  Indian. 
That,  of  course,  made  it  unsafe  for  him  to  remain  in  the  vicinity,  as 
there  was  an  unfriendly  feeling  existing  between  the  Indians  and 
whites  at  the  time.  The  Glines  brothers  were  said  to  have  been 
connections  of  ]\Irs.  Sally  (Bishop)  Stanley,  and  came  from  Bos- 
cawen,  then  Contoocook. 

Inelian  Brook. — This  brook  running  through  the  village,  cross- 
ing North  Main  street  near  the  jail,  derives  its  name  from  the  cir- 
cumstance of  a  few  Indian  families  having  their  wigwams  near  its 
mouth  shortly  after  the  first  settlers  came  here.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  one  squaw  died  and  was  buried  there,  but  that  a  short 
time  afterward  her  bones  were  dug  up  and  carried  to  Canada  for 
Christian  interment  under  auspices  of  Jesuit  missionaries,  who  in 
those  days  exercised  a  great  influence  over  the  Indians  of  the  region 
north  of  here  who  frequently  sojourned  along  the  head  waters  of 
the  Connecticut. 

Nash  Stream. — This  stream  was  named  for  one  Sam  Nash,  a 
vagabond  hunter,  who  hunted  in  that  vicinity,  and  hung  about 
Lieutenant  Stanley's  in  hope  of  getting  food  and  shelter  from  Mr. 
Stanley. 

Nash  and  Sawyer^ s  Location. — This  location  was  named  for 
Timothy  Nash  and  Benjamin  Sawyer,  the  former  of  Lancaster  and 
the  latter  of  Conway.  They  obtained  a  grant  of  land  in  1771,  in 
consideration  of  building  a  road  through  the  Notch  of  the  White 
Mountains.  The  whole  of  the  grant  laid  to  the  west  of  the  'Notch, 
and  was  surveyed  by  Edwards  Bucknam  in    1773.      Much   has  been 


3l8  HI8T0RY   OF    LANCASTER. 

written  and  published  concerning  the  discovery  and  improvement  of 
the  roadway  through  the  Notch,  and  also  concerning  the  names  of 
the  builders  of  that  road  that  is  misleading,  which  calls  for  correc- 
tion at  our  hands.  Timothy  Nash  was  a  citizen  of  Lancaster.  On 
the  1 2th  of  March,  1772,  he  was  appointed  one  of  a  committee  "  to 
look  out  and  mark  out  a  road  to  Pigwaket."  Nash  had  discovered 
the  pass  in  1771,  while  pursuing  a  moose  which  disappeared 
through  the  Notch.  Confiding  his  secret  to  Sawyer,  they  hastened 
to  the  governor  and  got  themselves  appointed  on  a  committee  to 
lay  out  a  road  through  the  newly-discovered  mountain  pass,  then  an 
Indian  trail  of  which  there  was  legend.  Sawyer  does  not  seem  to 
have  had  anything  to  do  with  the  road  north  of  the  mountains.  He 
was  a  well-known  character  about  Conway,  where  many  interesting 
anecdotes  were  told  of  him. 

Sawyer'' s  Rock  derived  its  name  from  the  fact  that  Benjamin 
Sawyer  on  one  occasion  was  pursuing  a  moose  that  tried  to  ascend 
the  rock,  which  was  covered  with  ice,  and  fell  backward  off  it,  upon 
which  Sawyer  ran  up  and  cut  his  "  hamstrings  "  with  a  knife,  a  feat 
that  brought  to  him  great  renown  among  the  pioneers. 

Bitrnside  Mcadozvs. — The  extensive  meadows  of  that  name 
located  in  Lancaster  and  Northumberland,  were  originally  beaver 
meadows  to  which  one  Burnside  resorted  for  grass  to  feed  his  stock 
as  he  had  not  at  the  time  of  his  settling  in  Northumberland  cleared 
enough  land  to  produce  hay  for  stock. 

Burnside  Brook. — This  is  the  brook  running  through  Burnside 
Meadows,  and  derived  its  name  from  the  same  source — Thomas 
Burnside. 

Otter  Brook. — A  small  stream  that  empties  into  Isreals  river 
from  the  north  about  half  way  between  Lancaster  Village  and  Jeffer- 
son Mills.  It  got  its  name  from  the  otter  that  inhabited  it  in  vast 
numbers.  In  the  early  records  of  the  town  it  was  known  as  Great 
brook  also.  The  farm  on  which  Spofford  A.  Way  lives  was  named 
"  Great  Brook  Farm  "  by  Titus  O.  Brown,  who  lived  upon  it  about 
that  time,  and  upon  which  he  raised  the  tobacco  that  formed  the 
first  article  of  commerce  shipped  through  the  White  Mountain  Notch 
road  toward  the  sea-coast  from  Lancaster. 

Great  Brook. — This  brook,  as  known  to-day,  was  first  called 
Marden's  brook,  but  at  a  later  date  was  changed  to  its  present 
name,  and  with  the  smaller  stream  running  between  the  houses  of 
James  and  John  Marden  has  taken  the  name  of  Marden's  brook. 

Mount  Prospect. — The  high  mountain  knob  lying  directly  south 
of  the  village  was  named  Mt.  Prospect  at  a  very  early  date  on 
account  of  the  extended  view  to  be  had  from  its  summit  of  the  entire 
surrounding  country. 

Mount  Willard  and  Willard's  Basin. — Mt.  Willard  is  the  round 


(iKKAT  Rock  and  Schoolhouse. 


Grange  Villa(;e  a  \ 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AND    CEMETERIES.  319 

mountain  in  Kilkenny.  Willard's  Basin  is  the  large  tract  of  com- 
paratively level  land  lying  to  the  west  of  Mt.  Willard.  These  were 
named  for  Jonathan  Willard  who  came  from  Charlestown,  N.  H. 
He  was  a  relative  of  Governor  Hubbard  and  Hon.  Enos  Stevens, 
and  also  grandfather  of  Mrs.  Soloman  Hemenway.  For  some  rea- 
son Willard  abandoned  his  family  and  friends,  and  about  the  time 
Page,  Stockwell,  and  Bucknam  came  to  Lancaster  he  appeared.  He 
was  an  eccentric  character,  and  lived  for  many  years  in  entire  soli- 
tude in  the  forests,  with  no  other  company  than  his  dog  Pilot.  Once 
in  a  while  he  would  visit  Captain  Stockwell,  and  after  remaining  a 
few  days  return  to  his  solitary  retreat  in  the  dense  forest.  After 
many  years  when  he  had  become  quite  infirm  his  son  came  and  took 
him  back  to  Charlestown. 

Egy^t. — The  extensive  meadows,  known  as  the  "  Brooks'  Mead- 
ows," on  the  Connecticut  river,  now  owned  by  Frank  Smith  &  Com- 
pany, obtained  the  name  of  Egypt  during  the  cold  seasons  prior  to 
18 17,  when  they  were  the  only  lands  in  Lancaster  on  which  corn 
would  ripen,  and  "  going  to  Egypt  for  corn  "  became  a  common 
expression.  It  is  handed  down  by  tradition  as  a  fact  that  Col.  Syl- 
vanus  Chessman,  who  owned  the  land  at  that  time,  was  accustomed 
to  build  fires  around  his  cornfields  to  w^ard  off  the  frost  and  thus 
save  his  corn  crop  from  utter  loss.  These  lands  once  belonged  to 
Jeremiah  Wilcox,  an  early  settler  who  left  town  about  1800,  after 
which  the  lands  were  owned  by  Ezra  Brooks  who  occupied  the 
Wilcox  house  which  stood  on  the  west  side  of  the  Dalton  road,  a 
short  distance  north  of  where  Jason  H.  Woodward  now  lives. 

Paris. — The  farm  next  above  Wilcox's  on  the  river  was  called 
Paris  from  the  circumstance  that  Colonel  Chessman  made  plaster  of 
Paris  there  which  he  used  as  a  fertilizer  on  his  lands.  This  material 
is  otherwise  known  as  gypsum,  or  land  plaster. 

THE    STREETS    AND    PARKS. — NAMES    OF    STREETS,  WHEN   AND  HOW 
NAMED. — CENTENNIAL  PARK. — SOLDIERS'  PARK. 

Lancaster  is  noted  for  its  broad,  clean,  and  shady  streets.  Among 
the  earliest  settlers  in  the  village  there  was  an  inherent  love  of  trees, 
and  the  Lancaster  of  to-day  is  full  of  that  most  exquisite  beauty  that 
only  trees  can  impart.  The  older  streets,  Main,  North  Main,  Mid- 
dle and  Elm  streets,  are  lined  with  gigantic  elms  that  almost  arch 
the  streets.  There  was  an  old  elm  standing  in  the  middle  of  Main 
street  nearly  opposite  Centennial  park  that  was  too  sacred  to  cut 
downi.  It  stood  there  defying  the  storms  and  pleasing  the  eyes  of 
the  people  of  Lancaster  until  Jan.  10,  1849,  when  it  was  blown 
down.  There  is  an  elm  tree  in  front  of  Mary  Young's  house  on 
Main  street,  planted  by  Titus  O.   Brown,    1795.     Judge  Everett  at 


320  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

a  very  early  date  planted  a  row  of  Lombardy  poplars  from  the  court- 
house down  past  where  the  Lancaster  House  now  stands,  but  they 
have  long  since  perished  while  the  stately  elms  continue  to  hold  up 
their  heads  full  of  life  and  beauty. 

Lancaster  has  always  been  justly  proud  of  its  streets ;  and  for 
some  few  years  past  an  interest  has  been  deepening  in  the  feeling 
and  thought  of  the  people  for  parks.  Lancaster  is  now  blessed  with 
two  handsome  parks  that  promise  much  beauty  and  comfort  for  the 
years  to  come. 

STREETS. 

As  the  first  settlers  of  Lancaster  were  farmers  somewhat  scattered 
over  its  territory  the  original  streets  were  at  first  but  portions  of  the 
roads  leading  from  one  section  to  another  of  the  town  in  which  the 
scattered  families  lived.  After  a  time  the  village  began  to  grow 
along  the  upper  end  of  what  is  now  Main  street,  and  a  little  later 
the  business  places  followed  the  mills  toward  Isreals  river,  and  upon 
the  erection  of  a  passable  bridge  over  that  stream  they  arose  on  the 
road  to  Whitefield,  and  south  toward  the  Bucknam  settlement. 
In  process  of  time,  neither  history  nor  tradition  tell  us  just  when, 
the  road  from  the  Stockwell  and  Page  settlement  to  the  Isreals 
river  bridge  and  beyond  to  the  forks  of  the  roads  leading  to  White- 
field  and  down  the  river  took  the  name  of  Main  street,  while  the 
one  down  the  river  toward  the  Bucknam  settlement  got  the  name  of 
Elm  street.  So  with  several  others,  names  came  but  by  no  definite 
legal  process  as  at  present  in  vogue. 

As  long  as  the  village  was  small,  and  all  business  clustered  on  a 
few  streets,  and  everybody  knew  where  everybody  else  lived,  and  no 
other  demands  existed  for  the  definite  naming  of  streets  they  went 
either  unnamed  or  by  such  names  as  those  living  on  them  saw  fit  to 
give  them. 

In  1862,  after  some  discussion  of  the  matter,  a  popular  meeting 
was  called  for  the  purpose  of  naming  the  streets  of  Lancaster  village. 
The  meeting  assembled  in  town  hall  on  a  Friday  evening,  September, 
1862.  The  gathering  was  duly  organized  by  the  election  of  ex-Gov. 
J.  W.  Williams  as  chairman,  and  Henry  O.  Kent  as  secretary.  On 
motion  a  committee  of  one  or  more  from  each  street  and  place  w^as 
selected  to  report  names  to  be  applied  to  the  streets.  The  commit- 
tee reported  and  its  report  was  adopted  by  the  meeting.  The 
names  they  gave  the   streets  and   places  were  as  follows  : 

Main  Street. — From  Horace  F.  Holton's  house  to  the  town  hall. 
Laid  out  1796. 

Ehn  Sti'eet. — From  the  American  House  (south  end  of  Main 
street)  to  W.  G.  Wentworth's  (old  Parson  Willard  place).  Laid  out 
1795- 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,   AND    CEMETERIES.  32 1 

Middle  Street. — From  Main  street  near  the  north  end  of  the 
lower  bridge,  east  to  village  limits.      Laid  out  1792. 

Mechanic  Street. — From  town  hall  across  the  upper  bridge  to 
Middle.     Laid  out  1852. 

Prospect  Street. — From  south  end  of  Main  street  and  past 
houses  of  Wm.  Boswell  and  VV.  L.  Rowell  (as  then  occupied)  to 
village  limits  on  Whitefield  road.      Laid  out  1795. 

Cottage  Street. — From  Prospect  street  past  J.  L  Williams's  and 
W.  A.  Folsom's  (now  Underwood  and  Whipple).  Laid  out  at  an 
early  date,  but  recognized  by  the  selectmen  1864. 

Portland  Street. — From  Prospect  street  up  the  Meeting-house 
hill  and  toward  Jefferson  Mills.      Laid   out  1796. 

Pleasant  Street. — From  Portland  street  on  the  common  eastward 
past  the  house  of  T.  S.  Underwood  (now  Heywood,  Eaton,  et  als.). 
Laid  out  i860.      Extended  to  Mechanic  street  1866. 

High  Street. — From  Main  and  past  the  houses  of  Nelson  Kent 
and  Frank  Smith.      Laid  out  1853. 

Suimner  Street. — From  Middle  street  to  High  street.  Laid  out 
1855,  and  extended  from  High  street  to  North  street  1859. 

North  Street. — From  the  head  of  Main  street  at  the  Holton 
place  toward  Northumberland.  Laid  out  1796  with  Main  street. 
(Changed  1891  to  North  Main  street.) 

Bridge  Street. — From  the  north  end  of  Main  street  toward  the 
Toll  bridge  on  the  Connecticut  river.  Laid  out  1855,  before  that  a 
private  way  since  1804. 

3fill  Street. — From  Main  street  at  the  south  end  of  lower  bridge, 
easterly  along  the  river,  past  H.  Adams's  shop.  Now  occupied  by 
F.  Smith  &  Co.'s  mills,  and  vacated  by  common  consent  as  a  private 
way. 

Water  Street. — From  Elm  street  down  Isreals  river  past  the  old 
starch  mill,  now  Richardson's  furniture  factory.     Laid  out  1848. 

Lancaster  Place. — The  square  between  the  Lancaster  House 
and  the  buildings  south.      Laid  out  1879. 

Kent  Place. — The  passageway  and  square  north  and  in  the  rear 
of  R.  P.  Kent  &  Son's  store.     A  private  way. 

Church  Street.  The  place  south  and  in  rear  of  the  Methodist 
church.     A  private  way. 

Those  were  all  the  streets  then  existing.  At  the  meeting  above 
referred  to,  it  was  voted  on  motion  that  the  clerk  enter  these  names 
in  a  book  for  future  reference.  A  motion  also  prev^ailed  by  which 
"H.O.Kent,  A.  J.  Marshall,  and  Edmund  Brown  were  made  a 
committee  to  prepare  suitable  signs  with  the  names  of  the  streets 
thereon  and  affix  them  at  the  intersection  of  the  streets  and  places, 
and  that  the  expense  of  such  signs  be  defrayed  by  the  people  living 
on  the  streets  or  places  where  they  are  affixed."     The  proceedings 


322  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

of  that  meeting  were  published  in  the  Coos  Republican  by  vote  of 
the  meeting. 

Since  that  time  streets  have  been  laid  out  by  authority,  and  named 
as  follows : 

Park  Street. — From  Prospect  street  to  Portland  street  on  the 
south  side  of  the  old  Mdeting-House  common.  Laid  out  and  named 
in  1861. 

Canal  Street. — From  Main  street  near  north  end  of  lower  bridge 
to  the  Thompson  Manufacturing  Co.'s  shops.  Laid  out  and  named 
in  1867. 

Williams  Street. — From  Elm  street  to  Prospect  street.  Laid 
out  1867,  and  named  after  ex-Gov.  J.  W.  Williams. 

Williams  Place. — The  square  between  the  Williams  House  and 
the  Roby  cottage.     Now  a  private  way. 

Winter  Street  — From  Elm  street  on  top  of  Baker  hill  to  inter- 
sect Water  street.     Laid  out  and  named  in  1869. 

Railroad  Street. — From  Main  street  to  Summer  street  exten- 
sion.     Laid  out  and  named  in  1870. 

Cemetery  Street. — From  the  B.  &  M.  railroad  near  the  depot  to 
Summer  street.     Laid  out  and  named  in  1875. 

Hill  Street. — From  Middle  street  north  to  intersect  Bunker  Hill 
street  extension.     Laid  out  in  part  1875,  and  extended  1895. 

Walcott  Street. — From  Summer  street  to  the  passage  way  west 
of  the  B.  &  M.  railroad  sheds.  Laid  out  and  named  in  1876  for 
Dr.  Walcott. 

Wallace  Street. — From  B.  &  M.  depot  northerly  to  Kilkenny 
street.      Laid  out  and  named  in  1877. 

Banker  Mill  Street. — From  Main  street  east.  Was  widened 
and  named  in  1877,  ^^^  extended  in  1889. 

Spring  Street. — From  Elm  street  to  Water  street.  Laid  out 
and  named  in  1880,  but  was  known  as  Hanson  street,  named  after 
the  Hanson  place  nearly  opposite  it,  formerly  the  "Parson  Willard 
house,"  and  also  Arsenal  street,  as  the  old  arsenal  stood  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  that  and  Elm  street. 

Kilkenny  Street. — From  North  Main  street  to  Wallace  street. 
Laid  out  and  named  in  1882. 

Causeway  Street. — From  Summer  street,  easterly.  Limit  in- 
definite.    Laid  out  and  named  in  1889. 

Burnside  Street. — From  Elm  street  to  Prospect  street.  Laid 
out  and  named  in  1891  for  D.  A.  Burnside. 

Fletcher  Street. — From  Middle  street  to  Bunker  Hill  street. 
Laid  out  and  named  in   1894. 

CENTENNIAL    PARK. 
On  July   14,  1864,  at  the  close  of  the  centennial  celebration  of 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AND    CEMETERIES.  323 

the  settlement  of  Lancaster  several  liberal  persons,  former  residents 
of  the  town,  subscribed  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  buy  the 
lands  upon  which  some  of  those  exercises  took  place  as  a  public 
park  or  common  to  commemorate  the  event.  The  persons  sub- 
scribing were : 

Edward  D.  Holton,  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  $50;  Samuel  White,  $^q  • 
Gen.  R.  M.  Richardson,  Portland,  Me.,  $25;  Seth  Greenleaf,  $25;' 
Charles  O.  Baker,  Portland,  Me.,  $10;  L.  F.  Moore,  $50;  C  B 
Allen,  $10;  J  B.  Brown,  Portland,  Me.,  $50;  James  H.  White," 
Chicago,  111..  $25;  John  E.  White,  Chicago,  111.,  $25  ;  L  C  Por- 
ter, St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.,  $10;  C.  W.  Baker,  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt  ,  $c  • 
Ossian  Ray,  $25  ;   James  Holton,  Bangor,  Me.,  $25. 

These  donations  were  made  on  the  expressed  condition  that  the 
town  should  increase  the  amount  sufficiently  to  purchase  the  plot 
from  Samuel  Twombly. 

u,^\\,fu''''''^  !?'?  meeting  held  November  8,  1864,  it  was  voted 
^  that  VVilham  D.  Weeks  be  a  committee  of  the  town  to  complete 
the  purchase  of  the  land,  and  take  a  deed  of  it  for  the  town  ''  It 
was  also  "voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  to  procure  the  necessary 
amount  of  money  upon  the  credit  of  the  town  to  carry  out  the  vote 
of  the  town  upon  the  adoption  of  the  fourth  article  of  the  warrant  " 
■  t\  .  meeting  it  was  voted  to  designate  the  plot  as  "Centennial 
Park,  which  name  occurs  in  the  deed,  and  in  subsequent  records  of 
the  town.  At  the  annual  town  meeting,  March  13,  1866  the 
selectmen  were  instructed,  by  vote,  to  sell  or  exchange  certain  por- 
tions of  the  land  so  as  to  improve  the  shape  and  size  of  the  park 
An  exchange  was  made  with  the  Orthodox  Congregational  society," 
much  to  the  advantage  of  the  park  grounds. 

At  that  same  meeting  it  was  voted  to  instruct  the  selectmen  "  to 
lay  out  and  ornament  Centennial  Park  by  fencing,  grading  and  set- 
ting out  trees."  Samuel  H.  LeGro.  James  W.  Weeks,  and  Charles 
B.  Allen  were  the  selectmen.  They  appointed  Henry  O  Kent  to 
superintend  the  work  of  laying  out  and  grading  the  grounds,  and 
planting  trees.  There  were  one  hundred  and  nine  trees  set  out  at 
the  first  planting.  Many  of  these  trees  were  quite  large  and  valuable 
Some  of  them  were  presented  to  the  town  by  gentlemen  not  at  that 
time  residents  of  Lancaster. 

In  1867,  the  selectmen  were  petitioned  to  lay  out  a  street  around 
the  park ;  but  did  not  see  fit  to  grant  the  petition,  upon  which 
retusal  the  county  commissioners  were  appealed  to.  They  viewed 
the  premises,  and  granted  a  road  or  street.  This  street  reduces  the 
size  of  the  grounds,  leaving  no  room  outside  it  for  decorative  pur- 
poses, and  makes  the  lot  seem  smaller  than  it  really  is  The  street 
however,  was  the  least  of  the  troubles,  as  boys  and  young  men  soon 
proceeded  to  pull   up,   girdle,  and   otherwise  destroy  trees  because 


324  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

they  interfered  with  ball  games  on  the  grounds.  The  town  author- 
ities took  no  steps  to  put  a  stop  to  these  desecrations,  and  the 
work  of  destruction  went  on  until  the  effects  of  improvements  were 
almost  lost.  But  little  interest  was  taken  in  this  park  for  many- 
years,  until  it  was  fast  becoming  an  eyesore  and  disgrace  to  the  vil- 
lage, when  the  question  of  trying  to  redeem  and  put  it  in  decent 
condition  again  was  agitated  by  several  persons  to  the  extent  of 
getting  it  brought  before  the  attention  of  the  selectmen,  and  secur- 
ing their  action  in  the  matter  of  improvements  in  the  summer  and 
fall  of  1895.  They  graded  down  the  land  and  seeded  it;  and  in 
the  spring  of  1896,  through  the  efforts  of  Miss  Mary  N.  Brackett, 
money  enough  was  raised  to  purchase  twenty  trees,  and  forty  others 
were  contributed  by  various  individuals,  one  of  which  was  given  by 
the  Eastern  Star,  and  seven  by  Mr.  John  Costello  who  superintended 
the  setting.  The  children  of  the  various  rooms  in  the  public  school 
having  contributed  money  were  allowed  to  plant  trees  as  their  own. 
The  grounds  having  been  laid  out  by  the  selectmen  and  places 
designated  for  setting  the  trees,  the  schools  were  allowed  a  half  hol- 
iday, April  24,  to  be  observed  as  Arbor  Day.  They  entered  into 
the  spirit  of  the  occasion,  and  each  department  of  the  school  set 
their  own  trees  with  songs  and  recitations. 

The  park  now  is  in  a  fair  way  to  become  a  place  of  beauty  during 
the  next  few  decades ;  and  public  sentiment  and  taste  for  things 
beautiful  will  protect  it  against  abuses.  A  suitable  playground  has 
been  purchased  in  the  rear  of  the  high  school  building  by  the  town. 

soldiers'  park. 

After  the  old  meeting-house  was  moved  down  the  sand  hill  in 
1845,  the  lot  upon  which  it  had  stood  so  many  years  became  known 
as  Meeting-House  common.  For  some  years  no  care  was  taken  of  the 
common,  and  sand  was  carted  away  as  people  felt  inclined  to  do  so, 
by  which  it  became  uneven  and  unsightly.  About  1884  steps  were 
taken  to  put  it  into  better  shape  as  a  public  park ;  and  soon 
after,  by  common  consent,  the  care  of  it  was  left  to  E.  E.  Cross 
post  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and  it  has  since  gone  by  the  name  of  Soldiers' 
Park  in  consequence  of  their  planting  memorial  trees  dedicated  to 
the  memory  of  soldiers  from  Lancaster  who  fell  on  the  battle- 
fields or  have  died  since  the  war.  The  trees  now  growing  there 
were  all  set  out  and  dedicated  with  appropriate  services,  and  marked 
with  the  names  of  those  for  whom  they  were  intended  as  memorials. 

The  care  of  the  park  was  committed  into  the  hands  of  a  commit- 
tee consisting  of  Henry  O.  Kent,  Jared  I.  Williams,  and  Parker 
J.  Noyes,  past  commanders,  by  the  G.  A.  R.  post.  Under  their 
care.it  has  become  one  of  the  most  attractive  spots  in  the  village, 


Soldi KRs'  Park. 

Former  Site  Old  Meeting-house. 


Centennial  Park  and  High  School  Blulding. 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AND    CEMETERIES.  325 

and  every  year  adds  to  its  beauty.  William  L.  Rowell  and  S.  H. 
LeGro  are  entitled  to  the  credit  of  arousing  interest  in  this  land,  and 
preserving  it  as  a  delightful  park  where  it  is  hoped  some  day  a  sol- 
diers' monument  will  be  erected. 

This  park  is  doubly  dear  to  the  people  of  Lancaster.  For  many 
years  the  old  meeting-house  drew  to  that  hill  all  the  people  for 
worship  in  times  of  peace,  and  for  counsel  in  times  of  war,  or  on 
occasions  that  demanded  their  deliberations  on  matters  of  state. 
At  several  times  efforts  have  been  made  to  locate  the  Lancaster 
academy,  or  public  school  buildings,  on  it;  but  such  movements 
have  always  been  voted  down  by  decisive  majorities. 

The  following  are  the  names  of  those  soldiers  for  whom  trees  have 
been  planted  : 

Col.  Edward  E.  Cross,  Edward  B.  Wilder,  James  S.  Lucas,  Cyrus 
Savage,  Simon  Connary,  John  G.  Lewis,  Wm.  H.  Allen,  Freedom 
M.  Rhodes,  John  W.  Bucknam,  Barnard  Sweeney,  Wm.  H.  Heath, 
Francis  Heywood,  Fred  A.  Wentworth,  Joseph  Hart,  David  LeGro, 
Alden  Lewis,  John  G.  Lewis,  2d,  Horatio  O.  Lewis,  Thomas  P. 
Moody,  W.  M.  Gushing,  Albion  E.  Evans. 

THE    OLD    CEMETERY. 

It  does  not  appear  that  any  definite  place  of  interment  was  set 
apart  in  Lancaster  until  in  the  spring  of  1779,  when  at  a  town  meet- 
ing held  Feb.  12,  it  was  voted  "  that  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards 
Bucknam,  Lieut.  David  Page,  Lieut.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Mr.  Moses 
Page,  and  Mr.  Dennis  Stanley,  be  a  committee  to  pitch  a  burying 
field  in  some  convenient  place,  in  said  town  as  soon  as  may  be." 

It  does  not  appear  upon  the  records  that  this  committee  ever 
made  a  report.  The  next  action  on  the  part  of  the  town,  so  far  as 
the  records  show,  was  in  1799,  when  in  making  the  warrant  for  the 
annual  town  meeting  article  9th  read  :  "  To  see  if  the  town  will  pur- 
chase any  lands  easterly  of  the  Meeting-House  common  for  the 
purpose  of  a  burying  ground  instead  of  the  ground  now  made  use  of 
for  that  purpose." 

At  the  meeting  which  occurred  March  12,  it  was  voted  "  that  the 
selectmen  lay  out  the  grounds  now  occupied  for  a  burying  ground, 
which  was  voted  by  the  proprietors  for  the  use  of  the  town."  That 
evidently  had  reference  to  the  old  cemetery  on  the  mound  as  it 
exists  to-day. 

At  the  annual  town  meeting  of  March  12,  1800,  it  was  "  Voted  to 
raise  forty  dollars  to  be  laid  out  on  the  burying  ground  in  labor  in 
the  month  of  June  next  by  order  of  a  committee,  at  the  same  rates 
an  hour  that  the  highway  money  is  to  be  worked  out,  and  if  the 
work  is  not  done  when  called  for,  the  money  of  each  delinquent  is 
to  be  collected." 


326  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

"Voted  Titus  O.  Brown,  Jonathan  Cram,  Joseph  Hinman,  a  com- 
mittee to  superintend  the  clearing  of  the  burying  ground." 

This  committee  took  a  deed  of  the  land  from  Humphrey  Cram  in 
the  name  of  the  town,  making  the  old  cemetery  the  rightful  property  of 
the  town  ;  and  in  it  have  been  gathered  to  their  final  rest  nearly  all  the 
prominent  men  and  women  connected  with  the  pioneer  enterprises 
of  Lancaster.  The  deed  of  the  cemetery  was  put  on  record  in  1806, 
and  with  many  other  valuable  records  was  burnt  in  the  court-house 
fire  in  1886.  After  the  loss  of  the  county  records  an  authentic  plan 
or  map  of  the  cemetery,  as  designated  by  that  deed,  was  put  on 
record  about  1890,  and  calls  for  more  land  on  the  east  side  of  the 
plot  than  is  now  within  the  fence  surrounding  it. 

For  nearly  fifty  years  we  do  not  meet  with  the  old  cemetery  on 
the  records  of  the  town  as  receiving  any  attention  at  town  meetings, 
from  which  it  is  to  be  inferred  that  it  had  become  the  recognized 
and  satisfactory  place  of  interment.  About  1854,  it  had  become  ap- 
parent that  it  was  soon  to  become  small,  if  not  too  small,  for  the  needs 
of  the  town.  In  that  year  the  selectmen  were  instructed  at  the  annual 
town  meeting  to  have  the  grounds  surveyed  and  fenced.  It  is  to  be 
inferred  from  a  subsequent  action  of  the  town  that  the  selectmen  dis- 
charged their  duty  in  the  premises.  In  1856,  the  selectmen  were 
instructed  "  To  fence  and  lay  out  the  burying  ground,  and  move  the 
fence  back  on  to  the  line  of  the  lands  deeded  by  Humphrey  Cram." 
James  W.  Weeks  was  appointed  to  lay  out  the  grounds  and  make 
such  improvements  as  might  be  practicable.  He  did  not  move  the 
fence  as  it  was  ordered.  He  laid  out  the  grounds  with  as  much 
system  as  previous  interments  would  permit,  and  even  caused  some 
removals  in  order  to  make  new  lots,  and  built  the  avenues  around 
the  hill  as  they  now  are.  He  also  set  out  the  pine  trees  that  now 
adorn  it,  and  tried  some  experiments  in  terracing  with  witch  grass, 
which  have  been  reasonably  successful.  There  appears  to  have 
been  no  marking  out  of  lots,  or  fixing  bounds  to  individual  rights 
prior  to  the  laying  out  of  the  grounds  by  James  W.  Weeks  in  1856. 
Some  families  had  encroached  upon  others,  so  that  many  removals 
have  been  made  to  the  new  cemetery  on  Summer  street. 

There  is  a  tradition  that  either  the  original  proprietors  or  Major 
Wilder  had  given  this  sand  mound  to  the  town  for  a  cemetery  at  a 
very  early  date ;  but  just  how  that  may  have  been  we  are  unable  to 
ascertain.  By  some  means  the  meadow  and  house  lots,  twenty- 
nine,  fell  into  the  possession  of  Humphrey  Cram  who  held  and 
had  them  recorded  with  no  reservation.  The  records  do  not  show 
that  Humphrey  Cram  received  any  consideration  for  the  land  when 
he  gave  the  town  a  quitclaim  deed  for  it.  The  reasonable  inference 
is  that  he  recognized  the  rightfulness  of  the  town's  claim  upon  it 
and  surrendered  it. 


Old  Cemetery. 


f^  *■ -i  •   "■-:,^^ 

) 

▲  lb  a' 

HA.  ^ ..dHHailMflHI 

t  .■?■ 

'•  ii              _„  -1- 

RiP^ 

-^■■iarz-:  y 

e^^R^^eWP^ 

r ^ — 

■~rr^-^    iSi 

i#^kl.'^'r"-^^'rf" 

T  ^  -«:^  -- ■      ■ 

^^jM*  a?  „,ii  js.  "T^m 

.^y..a#*?^3p(i:..,^^^              • 

,^ 

-  ■    ---,;•■'■•'■"*■ 

.■■■■. 

-^^ 

^ 
^ 

Summek-Stkeet  Cemeteky. 


LOCALITIES,    STREETS,    PARKS,    AND    CEMETERIES.  32/ 

The  mound  was  originally  covered  by  a  dense  growth  of  pines, 
the  stumps  of  which  were  utilized  in  fencing  it  in  1800.  The 
stumps  were  dug  out  and  rolled  down  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  to  form 
the  fence.  On  the  back  end  and  side  of  the  ground,  a  heavy  stone 
wall — along  Main  Street  from  the  entrance  to  the  Gem  House,  now 
the  site  of  the  Unitarian  church,  existed  from  a  very  early  date. 
When  a  better  fence  was  erected  in  1856,  it  became  necessary  to 
remove  many  of  those  old  stumps  which  were  still  sound. 

In  the  early  days  burials  were  made  at  various  places  throughout 
the  town.  In  school  district  No.  2,  there  were  several  graves  a 
short  distance  south  of  the  house  of  Sylvanus  Chessman  on  the 
Bucknam  farm.  There  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam  was  buried.  There 
were  also  burials  near  the  Marden  brook  on  the  LeGro  farm  on  the 
Jefferson  road  and  elsewhere. 

Human  bones  were  found  many  years  ago  on  the  James  Rose- 
brook  farm  in  school  district  No.  6,  now  owned  by  Cass  and  Hart- 
ford. Just  who  was  interred  there,  and  when,  there  is  not  even  a 
tradition.  When  the  smallpox  prevailed  in  Lancaster  in  181 1, 
several  of  those  who  died  were  buried  on  the  farm  now  owned  by 
James  W.  Weeks  and  son.  Among  that  unfortunate  number  was 
Jonathan  Cram. 

THE    SUMMER    STREET   CEMETERY. 

In  1868  it  had  become  evident  that  the  old  cemetery  was  inade- 
quate to  the  requirements  of  the  town,  and  steps  were  taken  to 
secure  lands  and  lay  out  a  new  one.  There  was  no  chance  of 
enlarging  the  original  one  on  account  of  the  character  of  the  lands 
adjoining  it.  So  at  the  annual  town  meeting  of  that  year  the  ques- 
tion was  discussed,  and  a  committee,  consisting  of  William  D.Weeks, 
Richard  P.  Kent,  and  Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  was  appointed,  and 
given  authority  to  receive  proposals  and  report  at  the  November 
meeting  of  that  year.  This  committee  reported  in  favor  of  a  plot  of 
land  on  the  Holton  farm  on  the  bank  of  the  Connecticut  river  just 
south  of  the  mouth  of  Indian  brook.  The  report  was  recommitted. 
The  selectmen  were  instructed  to  appoint  a  committee  of  five  to 
examine  into  the  matter  of  locating  a  cemetery.  Their  committee 
consisted  of  Henry  O.  Kent,  Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  William  F. 
Smith,  and  Emmons  D.  Stockwell. 

A  special  meeting  was  called  September  18,  at  which  that  com- 
mittee reported  in  favor  of  the  lands  now  occupied  by  the  new  cem- 
etery on  Summer  street.  The  report  was  unanimously  adopted,  and 
a  committee  of  three  appointed  to  take  a  deed  of  it  in  the  name  of 
the  town,  lay  out,  fence,  and  prepare  it  for  use.  The  selectmen, 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  and  Charles  B.  Allen,  appointed 
as  that  committee  Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  Henry  O.  Kent,  and  Kim- 


328  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

ball  B.  Fletcher.  They  qualified  and  went  to  work  to  carry  out 
their  instructions.  Mr.  Fletcher  soon  resigned  from  the  committee, 
but  the  other  two  members  went  on  with  the  arduous  task  com- 
mitted to  their  hands,  and  for  twelve  years,  without  compensation, 
worked  to  bring  the  cemetery  into  the  condition  it  now  is.  At  the 
annual  meeting,  March  8,  i88i,  this  committee  made  its  final  report 
and  resigned  a  well-executed  work  into  the  care  of  other  hands. 

The  selectmen  appointed  W.  E.  Bullard,  Geo.  N.  Kent,  and  Jared 
I.  Williams  trustees  to  succeed  the  former  committee  in  1882.  The 
trustees  have  added  more  land  on  the  street,  or  entrance  from  Sum- 
mer street,  by  which  it  is  much  improved.  In  1885  the  selectmen 
appointed  Charles  A.  Howe  and  Charles  E.  Mclntire  trustees. 

There  are  many  fine  and  costly  monuments  in  this  cemetery,  and 
every  year  adds  to  its  artistic  and  tasteful  development. 

Here  many  men  and  women  prominent  in  the  middle  and  later 
periods  of  the  town's  history  have  found  their  last  resting-place,  and 
hither  turn  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the  living  in  fond  recollection 
of  those  near  and  dear  to  them,  and  conspicuous  in  the  affairs  of  the 
town,  state,  and  nation. 

CATHOLIC    CEMETERIES. 

In  the  year  1869  lands  were  purchased  on  Spring  street  for  a 
Catholic  cemetery  by  the  Rev.  Fr.  Noisseaux,  and  laid  out  and 
blessed  by  him  the  same  year.  This  cemetery  having  become  too 
small  to  much  longer  accommodate  the  wants  of  that  large  church, 
the  Rev.  Fr.  Creamer,  in  1895,  bought  land  on  North  Main  street 
for  a  new  cemetery,  which  has  been  laid  out  and  consecrated — 
a  spacious  and  beautiful  spot. 

ANOTHER   TOWN   CEMETERY. 

There  is  a  cemetery  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the  town,  in  old 
school  district  No.  10,  not  far  from  Clark's  Mills,  which  has  its 
sexton  annually  elected  and  which  is  the  spot  of  many  interments. 


CHAPTER    III. 
MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE    TOWN. 

Early  Statistics — Prices — Old  Houses — Business  Directories  of  the 
Town  in  1828,  1856,  and  1875,  ^s  Kept  by  the  Late  R.  P.  Kent 
IN  HIS  Diary — Business  Directory  in  1896. 

The  first  census  of  the  town  was  taken  by  Capt.  Edwards  Buck- 
nam  on  September  22,  1775,  and  undoubtedly  was  by  order  of  his 


MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  329 

military  superiors  for  the  purpose  of  determining  the  available  men 
for  the  army  of  the  Revolution.     I  give  it  in  his  own  words : 

"  No  of  all  souls  in  Lancaster,  Sept.  22,  1775  • 
Males  under  16  years,  17.     Males  from   16  to  50,  not  in  the  army,  15.     Males 
above  50,  gone  in  the  army,  2.     Females,  27.     Negroes  and  slaves  for  life,  none. 
Total,  61.     Eight  guns  iit  for  use.     Seven  guns  wanted,  and  11  pounds  powder. 
E.  Bucknam,  Selectman." 

This  census  shows  the  growth  of  the  town  during  the  first  eleven 
years.  In  eight  years  from  that  time  the  selectmen,  Edwards  Buck- 
nam, Jonas  Wilder,  and  Emmons  Stockwell,  took  another  census 
which  showed  a  white  population  of  only  64.  There  were  then 
eight  framed  dwelling-houses,  two  of  which — the  Holton  house  and 
the  L  of  the  old  Stockwell  house — are  still  standing.  There  were 
of  barns  and  other  buildings,  five.  The  number  of  acres  of  land 
was  23,040. 

In  1790  the  population  had  increased  to  161,  although  there  were 
only  ten  houses  in  town  in  1798.  In  1799  there  were  91  voters. 
This  was  largely  due  to  migrations  of  young  men,  the  names  of 
many  of  which  attract  attention  in  the  various  records  of  the  times. 

In  1800  the  population  had  run  up  to  440.  The  increase  of 
houses  did  not  keep  pace  with  this  growth,  for  there  were  only  fif- 
teen houses  in  the  village  in  1804.  This,  of  course,  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  at  that  time  the  town  was  strictly  an  agricultural  com- 
munity. There  was  but  little  inducement  to  develop  a  village  when 
every  one  was  busy  clearing  land  and  cultivating  it.  At  this  time, 
however,  a  new  era  dawned  upon  the  town,  and  the  tide  of  life  set 
toward  the  village  more  than  ever  before.  In  1803  the  "Upper 
Coos  Country  "  was  made  into  the  county  of  Coos,  with  Lancaster 
as  a  shire  town,  the  act  to  take  effect  January  i,  1805.  Here  the 
courts  were  to  sit  in  the  future.  There  was  now  a  rapid  growth  of 
population,  so  that  at  the  end  of  18 10  there  were  in  town  as  many 
as  717  people.  Many  new  industries  had  sprung  up  during  those 
years  of  rapid  growth.  The  War  of  181 2  drew  a  large  number  of 
men  away  from  town — about  50.  This  had  the  effect  to  retard  the 
growth  of  population  and  industries  for  some  years.  In  1820  the 
population  was  only  644.  There  were  then  four  stores,  three  phy- 
sicians, three  lawyers,  five  justices  of  the  peace,  one  minister,  eight 
school  districts,  with  four  schoolhouses,  two  hotels,  two  gristmills 
and  two  sawmills,  and  two  carding-mills,  where  cloth  was  fulled  and 
dressed. 

During  the  next  ten  years,  from  1820  to  1830,  the  population 
grew  rapidly  again,  so  that  at  the  latter  date  it  reached  i',i87. 

Since  then  the  growth  has  been  normal  and  steady.  In  1840  the 
population  was  1,360;  in  1850  it  had  reached  1,559;  and  in  i860 
there  were    living    in  town   2,020  souls.     The   Civil  War    made    a 


330  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

heavy  drain  upon  the  town.  It  sent  many  men  into  the  service,  but 
by  1870  the  population  had  risen  to  2,248.  The  census  of  1880 
shows  a  population  of  2,721.  During  the  last  fifteen  years  the  pop- 
ulation has  nearly  doubled,  due  to  rapid  immigration  and  railroad 
construction.     The  census  of  1890  gives  the  population  as  3,373. 

PRICES. 

I  have  been  able  to  learn  the  prices  paid  for  many  articles  of  bar- 
ter and  commerce  during  the  early  years  of  the  town,  and  think  it 
of  interest  to  the  present  and  future  generations  to  give  them  as 
showing  that  pioneer  life  subsisted  on  things  that  came  high. 

Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam  kept  some  articles  for  barter,  and  from 
his  papers  still  in  existence  I  glean  some  prices  as  follows : 

"  1774,  Calico,  $1.00,  per  yard.  1779,  i  Pr.  Leather  Breeches,  $7.50.  i  Doz. 
Buttons,  3  shillings,  {.75  cts).  i  Beaver  hat,  $10.50,  or  7  bushels  of  wheat. 
1781,  Leather  for  a  Pr.  of  Breeches,  $4.50.  1897,  i  Pr.  Spectacles  sold  to  Capt. 
John  Weeks,  .30  cts." 

These  prices  were  in  the  silver  currency  of  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States,  both  of  which  were  in  circulation  here  at  that  time. 

From  the  ledger  of  Stephen  Wilson,  who  kept  a  store  in  the  old 
Wilson  Tavern  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street  from  1799  to  1803, 
I  take  the  following  prices,  comprising  his  charges  to  customers, 
and  credits  given  to  them  for  commodities  taken  in  exchange  for 
goods : 

"  1799.  Salt,  $3.60,  bu.  ;  cow,  $14 ;  India  Cloth,  62  1-2  cts.  yd. ;  Serge  $3.50 
yd.  ;  Forest  Cloth  $2.59  yd.  ;  Shawl  $1.25  ;  Calico  62  1-2  cts.  yd.  ;  Silk  Handker- 
chief $1 .67  ;  Needles  12  cts.  doz.;  Baize  35  cts.  yd.;  Breeches  cloth  $1.50  yd.; 
Raisins  20  cts.  lb.  ;  Pearlash  83  cts.  lb.;  Ashes  12  1-2  cts.  bu.;  Onions  $1.  ;  Hay 
$6,  pr  Ton. 

"  1800.  Pigeons  12  1-2  cts.  doz. ;  Flax  seed  83  cts.  bu.  ;  Turnips  25  cts.  bu.  ; 
Malt  $1 .33,  bu. ;  Apples  14  cts.  bu.  ;  Pumpkins  2  cts.  apiece ;  Beef  5  i  -2  cts.  lb. ; 
Turkeys  53  1-2  cts,  each;  Ribbon  12  1-2  cts.  yd.;  Fish  7  cts.  lb.  ;  Cambric  $2.12 
1-2  yd.;  Nails  .66  cts.  per  100;  Gloves  50  cts.  per  Pr.  ;  Rum  $2.  gal.;  Calico 
57  cts.  yd.  ;  Potatoes  33  1-3  bu.  ;  Corn  66  2-3  bu. ;  Oats  25  cts.  bu.  ;  Pork  6  2-3 
cts.  lb.;  Spirits  Turpentine  18  cts.  pt.;  Spanish  Brown  85  cts.  lb.  ;  Sole  Leather 
30  cts.  lb.;  Calico  84  cts.  yd.  ;  Coftee  50  cts.  lb.  ;  i  qt.  Pitcher  59  cts.  ;  i  Pt. 
Tumbler  20  cts.;  Putty  14  cts.  lb.;  Brandy  25  cts.  Pt. ;  Beans  50  cts.  bu.  ;  5 
Knives  and  forks  $1  ;  Molasses  $1.16  2-3  gal.  ;  Wine  50  cts.  Pt.  ;  Wheat  $1  bu.  ; 
Butter  33  cts.  lb.  ;  6  Plates  .67  cts.  ;  Glauber  salts  33  cts.  lb,  ;  Cotton  wool  50 
cts.  lb.  ;  Ginsing  20  cts.  lb.  :  Flannel  75  cts.  yd.;  Cheese  9  cts.  lb.  ;  Flax  25  cts. 
lb.  ;  Tea  65  cts.  lb.  ;  Tobacco  (leaf)  20  cts.  lb.  ;  Tallow  16  cts.  lb.  ;  Rice  7  1-2 
cts.  lb.  ;  Lemons  $1.25  doz. 

"  1 80 1.  Cabbage  4  cts.  per  head;  Butter  12  1-2  cts.  lb.  ;  Axes  67  cts.  ;  Calico 
83  cts.  yd.;  Turkey  $1.30  ;  Wood  75  cts.  cord;  Wages  60  cts.  per  day  ;  Veal 
9  cts.  lb.  ;  Oxen  $25  a  head;  Barley  $1  bu.  ;  Cotton  Cambric  $1.20  yd.  ;  Scythe 
$1.33;  Psalm  Book  62  cts.  ;  Jack  Knife  50  cts.  ;  Salt  $3  bu. 

"  1802.  Apples  $1  bu.;  Baskets  50  cts.  ;  Mink  Skin  65  cts.;  Wheat  $1.25  bu.; 
Maple  Sugar  16  2-3  cts.  lb. ;  Geese  Feathers  62  1-2  cts  lb. ;  Loaf  Sugar  33  1-3 
cts.  lb." 


MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  33 1 

The   following  prices    are   taken  from   the   day-book   of  Asahel 

^Z%:u^v''''  %'''''  '^^^  ^^°"  ''''''  ^^^^^  and  also  nan- 
aged  the  fuIIing-mill  a  portion  of  that  time : 

GincrerSi  r^  h  w  T  u  r  '  ^  ^^'"''^^  ^7  cts.  :  Bombazette  50  cts.  yd  • 
'jinger  »i.i2  lb.  Hankerchiefs  ^4  cts.-  Fo-p-c  ir  rtc  H«,  .  Axr  •*•  ,';'''••'"•' 
cts.  quire;  6  qt.  Pail  75  cts  •  Suaar  ^o  r  .    Ih     r.^..       ^^  '  ^"^'"^  ^^P^'  ^5 

cts   a  roll-  Zl'u  'h,'-'  '"'■'  "','  '5   ""■'  ^^^"  Pv^^  ("'"^'i  Room  Paper)  7, 
c.s?lb  ;'co«l'Y'am'Jc.i  ?b"  w'v'l'  ''' '  '^"'=^'  »'"  '<>  »'-5o;  Yarn  78 

5 .-.  c..  „^;  f^b7«"!..:''si.eT;;f:?o?'Gei:;  rc.;'r.^.'»""  '^-'^  ''■''-' 

ton  Co.h  So'°Ss™vd'  Chim;,^f-,i  """  '  "i  "'■  "^  '  ladies  Shoes  „  ;  Co.- 

Na.s  ,e  ..I  c.s"^,b.f  BH^iTpSt  f^o";::- z^^- j  v'i,.Tr..*.v,=d""*'  *'  ^'-  • 

m2'Z^^.T-  ''''''  '°'  f  """]'"=^  °'  y"^^'  ""'"   b^'te'-  ^^ids,  and 
hro  ,r.         ^         "^'"  °'  P™duction  in  manufactured  commodities 

be  observed" that'hl  """^"  j--"-  '"  "-  -ho'-ale  markets.     It  vi  i 
De  oDserved  that  home  products  were  quite  cheap,  while  all  articles 

zi  7eikrz::''i:i\  ^"^  '^' '"  p^^^- '°  ^^  -counted  fot; 

rn^h  freight  rates.     It  took  a  team  twelve  to  fifteen  davs  to  m!,Z 
oiDetter   roads   the   same  trip  could   be   made   in  ten  davs      Fven 

he": teThis  wa ""'  *'  '  ,'""'  '°  ^"^'P  P-^'-'^  '°  Port  nd^^'d 
the  rate  this  way  was  no  less.     After  manv  years  prices  ran  down 

.830    t^oTdforT    °'/"  .=''"°^"°'-'   '°-   "'   the  wheat  crop'; 
.a^e;^:iV:;^i!'r,'l3--;™idere^ 

de-d'in'eTr^^caVer."^^^"^  '°  *^ '-'  ""'  ^»--'--   ^  °- 

Pri™rhon'Z'°/l^°'  '  """  ""'''  °'^'=''"  ''°'"-d  ^'"d  washing,  in 
privaehou.es,  at  $1.50  per  week.     At  tliat   time   R.    P    Kent   and 

^^Et  °s?  e"t  ITI^'  °"'  ''%r'  •'"'"'•"g'  "-  Sampsoi;"store 
in  urance  The  h^*  '  ^'f  ,  ^''"^  ^'"''^  ='''°"'  ^■°  '^•^«.  ^-nd  no 
System    of   h  \  '.5"'  °'  "'"  ""^'-'^ha-'^  was  done  chiefly  on  a 

system  of  barter  and  credit.  "Notes  of  hand  due  bills  Lh 
orders,"  from  a  creditor  upon   his  debtors,  were  a     common  in  the 

Very  mtl    nZT''"   '""'"=^   '"  "^-'°  ^^  ^ank  checks  are  t^^day 

very  nttJe  money  was  in  use  in  trade.  ^  ' 


332  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

The  near  approach  and  final  coming  through  Lancaster  of  the 
railroads  worked  a  greater  change  in  trade  than  anything  else  in  the 
history  of  the  town.  Now  the  conditions  of  commercial  life  are  the 
same  here  as  elsewhere.  The  merchant  of  Lancaster  to-day,  like 
those  of  all  other  communities,  attends  to  his  business  and  awaits 
the  coming  of  the  traveling  representatives  of  the  manufacturers 
and  wholesale  dealers  with  their  samples  to  select  his  stock  of  goods, 
or  uses  the  mails  to  give  his  orders,  which  are  filled  with  dispatch. 

The  prices  of  some  farm  products  have  declined  since  the  rail- 
roads have  brought  the  Lancaster  farmer  into  competition  with  the 
West,  while  other  products  like  hay,  eggs,  butter,  potatoes,  have 
increased,  the  mountain  houses  making  an  excellent  market  for  the 
farm  products  of  the  town  and  region. 

SOME    OLD    HOUSES. 

With  an  abundance  of  the  finest  timber  that  ever  grew,  and  the 
early  erection  of  sawmills,  the  most  prosperous  settlers  of  the  town 
were  soon  tempted  to  build  frame  houses.  In  1783,  within  nineteen 
years  of  the  coming  of  the  first  families  to  town,  there  were  eight  frame 
houses.  The  log  cabins  have  been  so  long  given  up  for  commodi- 
ous frame  structures  that  the  town  has  in  it  to-day  many  very  old 
houses  in  a  good  state  of  preservation.  The  first  frame  building 
erected  in  town  was  what  is  now  the  L  to  the  house  on  the  old 
Stockwell  farm  as  elsewhere  stated.  Just  at  what  date  it  was  built  is 
not  exactly  known,  but  the  tradition  is  well  accepted  that  it  is  the 
o\dcsty?-ame  structure  standing  in  Lancaster. 

T/ie  old  Wilde?-  House,  now  better  known  as  the  "  Holton  House," 
was  the  first  two-story  house  in  town.  Maj.  Jonas  Wilder  was  a 
man  of  considerable  wealth,  and  a  large  family.  He  began  this 
work  on  the  noted  "Dark  Day,"  May  19,  1780,  which  has  fixed 
the  exact  date  of  this  old  landmark.  The  darkness  was  so  great 
that  workmen,  who  were  engaged  in  excavating  for  the  cellar, 
were  compelled  to  stop.  Filled  with  terror,  as  they  must  have  been, 
they  possibly  thought  the  end  of  time  was  upon  them.  But  as 
kindly  nature  resumed  the  even  order  of  things,  work  went  on ;  and 
on  July  26,  1780,  the  frame  was  raised.  Just  how  soon  the  house 
was  completed  we  do  not  know.  All  the  work  was  done  by  hand. 
The  boards  were  planed  by  hand  tools;  the  nails  wrought  upon  the 
blacksmith's  anvil.  Such  nails  were  costly  at  that  time.  In  1767 
they  cost,  at  wholesale,  70  cents  per  100.  In  1801  they  were  sold 
for  16  2-3  cents  per  pound.  For  many  years  Major  Wilder's  house 
was  used  as  an  inn,  and  also  as  a  place  of  holding  religious  meet- 
ings before  the  town  built  a  meeting-house. 

The  Ev€7-ett  House. — In  1793  Richard  Everett  came  to  Lancaster 
to  settle  in  the  practice   of  law.     He  had  already  been  here,  but 


Emmons  Stockwell  House. 

Ell,  1768;  Front  about  1780. 


Brackett  Homestead. 

Ell  in  1794. 


Blacksmith  Shop. 

Foot  Sand  Hill. 

(Stage  wagon  found  mounted  on  roof.) 


HoLTON  House,  1780 


Edward  Spaulding  Farm  on  Stebbins  Hif.l. 

One  of  the  First  Clearings  in  Town. 


Sugar  Party  at  E.  S.  P'reeman's. 


MATERIAL    GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  333 

had  gone  to  college  and  aftenvard  studied  law.  Having  been 
engaged  to  one  of  Major  Wilder's  daughters  he  determined  to  make 
Lancaster  his  home.  He  was  married  in  1793;  and,  as  near  as 
can  be  learned,  built  his  house  where  is  now  the  corner  of  Main 
and  High  streets  the  following  year,  where  he  lived  until  his  death 
March  22,  181 5. 

On  his  return  from  the  term  of  court  held  at  Haverhill  in  1803, 
at  which  time  it  was  made  known  that  there  would  be  held  in  1805 
the  first  term  in  the  new  county  of  Coos,  at  Lancaster,  Mr.  Everett 
set  about  the  task  of  enlarging  this  house  to  accommodate  the  three 
judges  who  were  to  hold  that  court.  He  built  an  addition,  which 
comprises  the  two  north  rooms.  Tradition  makes  these  rooms' 
the  lodging-place  of  many  notable  judges  and  lawyers,  among  whom 
were  Daniel  Webster,  Levi  Woodbury,  Ichabod  Bartlett,  and  Josiah 
Bell. 

The  Rosebrook  House. — The  old  square,  flat-roofed  house  on 
North  Main  street,  owned  by  John  S.  Ingerson,  was  probably  the 
second,  and  not  later  than  third,  two-story  frame  house  built  in  town. 
It  was  built  by  Charles  Rosebrook;  but  at  just  what  date  cannot 
now  be  learned  with  any  degree  of  certainty.  Among  the  other 
very  old  houses  are  the  Joyslin  house  on  Middle  street,  where  Dr. 
Frank  Spooner  lived  ;  the  Baker  house,  on  Elm  street;  the  ell  of  the 
Brackett  house,  on  the  South  Lancaster  road ;  the  Weeks  house, 
on  Mt.  Prospect  farm  ;  the  Hunnex  house  on  North  Main  street. 
All  these  are  very  old ;  and  beside  them  there  are  many  others 
nearly  as  old. 

Richard  P.  Kenfs  Statistics,  and  Directories  of  Lancaster . — 
The  late  Richard  P.  Kent,  who  was  a  very  methodical  man  in  all 
matters,  has  left  us  in  his  diaries,  and  personal  memoranda,  several 
very  complete  directories  of  the  business  concerns  of  the  town  from 
1825,  when  he  came  to  Lancaster,  down  to  nearly  the  time  of  his 
death.  From  these  we  are  able  to  show  the  condition  of  business 
enterprises  at  various  intervals,  from  which  the  reader  may  easily 
draw  comparisons  between  the  Lancaster  of  from  sixty  to  twenty 
years  ago  and  to-day.  We  give  these  statistics  and  directories  in 
his  own  language,  as  copied  from  his  diaries. 

STATISTICS    AND    DIRECTORY   OF    THE    VILLAGE    IN    1828. 

Lancaster  Academy  organized. 

Taverns. — Wilson's,  at  north  end  of  Main  street,  stage  tavern, 
Francis  Wilson,  proprietor ;  Wilder's  tavern  (Holton  House);  Coos 
Hotel,  Ephraim  Cross,  proprietor;   American  House. 

Stores. — Guy  &  William  Cargill,  at  North  End,  R.  P.  Kent  &  Co., 
at  South  End. 

Post-office. — Kept  by  S.  A.  Pearson,  in  his  law  ofhce  (in  the  old 
building  known  as  the  Fletcher  house,  on  Main  street). 


334  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Mills. — Two  grist-mills,  Wesson  Mill  and  Stockwell  Mill;  two 
sawmills  adjoining  the  grist-mills,  as  above. 

Clothing  Works. — John  S.  Haines  had  a  cloth-mill  at  the  lower 
dam,  and  A.  Going,  one  on  Canal  street  (where  N.  H.  Richard- 
son's shop  stands). 

Tannery. — Burnside's  (on  Elm  street,  where  the  creamery  now 
stands). 

Furniture  Factory. — Francis  Bingham  (on  Elm  street,  west 
of  where  the  Burnside  House  now  stands). 

Tailor. — George  W.  Perkins. 

Blacksmiths. — Harvey  Adams,  Warren  Porter. 

Dwelling  Houses. — The  Going  house,  standing  at  foot  of  Baker 
Hill.  Later  was  moved  by  Stephen  Hadley  to  the  corner  of  Main 
and  North  Main  streets,  and  occupied  by  Stephen  Wilson.  It  is 
now  known  as  the  "  Lindsey  house." 

The  Rosebrook  and  Hunnex  houses  on  North  Main  street. 

Pearson's  house,  in  which  his  law  of^ce  and  the  post-ofifice  were 
kept. 

The  Boardman  house,  on  Main  street,  just  across  the  Boston  & 
Maine  Railroad,  and  now  occupied  by  Ethan  Crawford.  This  house 
was  built  by  Benjamin  Boardman,  who  kept  a  store  at  one  time  in 
the  northeast  corner  room. 

The  Deacon  Farrar  house,  now  the  priest's  house  at  the  Catholic 
church  (1859). 

The  Everett  house,  better  known  as  the  "  Cross  house  "  (on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  High  streets). 

A  one-story  house  on  Main  street  (opposite  Lancaster  House), 
burnt  in  1840.      (Turner  Stephenson's.) 

Dr.  Stickney's  house. 

Reuben  Stephenson's  house,  on  corner  of  Main  and  Middle  streets 
(now  next  east  of  Cross  house  on  High  street.) 

The  mill  house,  belonging  to  the  Stockwell  Mills,  on  Middle  street, 
near  where  William  Clough's  dwelling-house  stands,  and  occupied 
by  David  Greenleaf,  the  miller. 

The  old  mill  house,  corner  of  Middle  and  Main  streets,  near 
where  the  Lancaster  National  Bank  building  stands. 

The  old  "Wesson  House"  (on  Middle  street).  Maine  Central 
tracks  run  through  site  of  cellar. 

STATISTICS    AND    DIRECTORY    OF   THE   VILLAGE    FOR    1856. 
POPULATION    OF   THE  VILLAGE   ABOUT    7OO. 

Public  Buildings. — Court-house  of  brick ;  jail  an  old  and  poor 
building;  county  building  for  offices,  on  Middle  street,  where  Frank 
Smith  &  Co.'s  store  now  is;  academy;  three  churches, — Congrega- 
tional, Unitarian,  Methodist;   two  schoolhouses,  Nos.  i  and  12. 


1^\'i-;rett  JrloMKSTEAD  (Col.  Cross  Place),  1844:   j;lilt   1794. 


Everett  Homestead  (Mr.s.  1'.  F.  Ciiasi,  ).  1899. 


MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  335 

Wheehvrights. — A.  J.  Marshall,  large  shop,  with  steam  power, 
employs  from  fifteen  to  twenty  men  in  the  manufacture  of  wagons, 
buggies,  sleighs,  carts,  bedsteads,  furniture.  Keeps  shop  for  iron- 
ing, painting,  and  trimming  carriages  and  sleighs. 

Harvey  Adams  has  a  large  shop  wath  water-power  (where  the 
Monnahan  blacksmith  shop  stands  just  above  lower  bridge)  for  the 
manufacture  of  carriages  and  sleighs.  Employs  about  half  as  many 
men  as  Marshall. 

Saddlers  and  Harnessmakers. — Allen  Smith  and  Horace  Whit- 
comb. 

Watchmaker  and  Jeiveler. — C.  B.  Allen,  new  shop  and  large 
stock  of  goods  (where  Syndicate  block  now  is.) 

Shoemakers. — Orange  Smith,  Vernon  Smith,  Heber  Blanchard, 
Alfred  Greenleaf,  Willard  Jackson. 

Foundry. — Owned  and  carried  on  by  S.  &  W.  M.  Rines.  Man- 
ufactures plows,  cultivators,  stoves,  and  mill-gearing. 

House  Carpenters. — N.  B.  Wilson,  Zebulon  Black,  William  Row- 
ell,  Lyman  Rowell,  William  S.  Clark,  William  C.  Fiske,  Henry  Wil- 
liams, Rufus  Hodgson,  William  Boswell,  Chester  Stebbins,  David 
Young,  Edward  Melcher. 

Tailors. — Robert  Sawyer,  T.  S.  Underwood,  cutter  and  foreman 
in  employment  of  D.  A.  Burnside. 

Bricklayers  and  Masons. — Jacob  Hamlin  and  Charles  Baker. 

Gtins7niths. — Thomas  Morse  and  Daniel  T.  Johnson. 

Dagiierrean  Artist. — F.  White. 

Patent  Horse-rake  Factory. — By  Fenner  M.  Rhodes. 

Blacksmiths. — Warren  Porter,  S.  R.  &  Geo.  Willey,  O.  W.  Bemis, 
and  shops  in  connection  with  the  wheelwright  manufacturies. 

Gravestone  Makers. — H.  J.  Rounds  &  Co. 

Printing  Offices. — Bowe  &  Allison,  publish  the  Coos  Refublican^ 
a  weekly  paper.     J.  I.  Williams  publishes  the  Cods  Democrat. 

Stores. — (Dry  goods,  groceries,  and  hardware.)  R.  P.  Kent, 
Moore  &  Wentworth,  R.  L.  Adams  &  Co.,  D.  A.  Burnside,  In- 
crease  Robinson,  and  Royal  Joyslin. 

Book  and  Drug  store. — Dr.  John  W.  Barney. 

Milliners. — Mary  Smith  and  E.  A.  Everett. 

Town  Agent  for  the  sale  of  Liquors. — Robert  Sawyer. 

Groceries. — Frank  Smith  and  Abel  H.  Wesson.  (These  were 
rather  restaurants  than  groceries  as  is  understood  by  the  term  to- 
day.— Ed.) 

Taverns. — The  American  House,  kept  by  Frederick  Fiske  ;  the 
Coos  Hotel,  kept  by  D.  G.  Smith. 

Lawyers. — Jacob  Benton,  Ossian  Ray,  William  Heywood,  S.  W. 
Cooper,  Turner  Stephenson,  J.  W.  Williams,  G.  C.  Williams,  J.  I. 
Williams,  George  A.  Cossitt,  Hiram  A.  Fletcher. 


336  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Physicians. — Jacob  E.  Stickney,  John  W.  Barney,  J.  D.  Folsom, 
Freedom  Dinsmore,  Benjamin  Hunking,  and  E.  Lyman. 

Clergymen. — George  M.  Rice,  Unitarian;  Prescott  Fay,  Congre- 
gationalist;   James  Adams,  Methodist. 

Bank. — The  White  Mountain  Bank,  capital  $50,000;  G.  C.  Wil- 
hams,  cashier;    J.  B.  Sumner,  president. 

Grist-mill. — Owned  by  John  Dewey,  newly  fitted  up,  and  one  of 
the  best  in  the  state. 

Sawmills. — One  owned  by  S.  &  W.  M.  Rines,  with  upright  saw; 
one  by  O.  E.  Freeman,  with  circular  saw,  in  the  building  formerly 
occupied  for  cloth-dressing  and  carding  (at  the  south  end  of  the 
dam). 

Tow7i  Hall. — Occupying  the  second  story  of  the  building  used 
by  Royal  Joyslin  for  his  store  (being  the  old  meeting-house). 

Odd  Fellows'  and,  later,  Masonic  Hall. — In  the  attic  over  town 
hall. 

'■'■Know  Nothing s  Hall.'''' — A  hall  in  the  Burnside  store,  fur- 
nished for  the  Know  Nothings,  but  now  used  for  a  variety  of  pur- 
poses. 

Kent''s  Hall. — A  small  hall  in  the  chamber  of  my  store ;  has 
been  used  by  Sons  of  Temperance,  Masons,  brass  band,  singing- 
schools,  and  other  things. 

STATISTICS  OF  LANCASTER,   1875. 

Churches. — Congregational,  Charles  E.  Harrington,  pastor; 
Methodist  Episcopal,  James  Noyes,  pastor;  Baptist,  no  minister; 
Unitarian,  no  minister;  Catholic,  Isadore  H.  Noiseaux,  priest; 
Episcopal,  J.  B.  Goodrich,   rector. 

Physicians. — Mark  R.  Woodbury,  Frank  Bugbee,  Ezra  Mitchell, 
Nath.  H.  Scott,  allopathists ;   Dan  Lee  Jones,  homeopathist. 

Lawyers. — Burns  &  Heywood  (Wm.  Burns,  Henry  Heywood), 
Ray,  Drew  &  Heywood  (Ossian  Ray,  Irving  W.  Drew,  and  Wm. 
Heywood),  Fletcher  &  Fletcher  (Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  Everett 
Fletcher),  Daniel  C.  Pinkham,  John  G.  Crawford,  Jacob  Benton, 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  George  A.  Cossitt  (not  in  practice),  William 
S.  Ladd  (now  a  judge,  and  out  of  practice). 

Stores. — Richard  P.  Kent  &  Son  (Richard  P.  Kent,  Edward  R. 
Kent),  general  variety  store  ;  James  A.  Smith,  general  variety  store  ; 
Porter  Brothers  (Henry  H.  Porter,  Horace  R.  Porter),  general 
variety  store;  Rowell  &  Rhodes  (James  M.  Rowell,  Wm.  H. 
Rhodes),  general  variety  store;  Orrin  Tubbs  &  Son  (Orrin  Tubbs, 
George  Tubbs),  general  variety  store;  Kent  &  Griswold  (Nelson 
Kent,  Charles  L.  Griswold),  dry  goods;  Samuel  G.  Evans,  general 
variety  store ;  Cleaveland  &  Powers  (Chas.  A.  Cleaveland,  Jonas 
Powers),  groceries   and   crockery;     Richard  W.   Bailey,  groceries ; 


^MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  337 

Walter  S.  Bailey,  oyster  saloon ;  Albion  G.  Evans,  groceries ; 
Emmon  S.  Smith,  nuts,  fruits,  and  oysters;  William  Shannon,  gro- 
ceries; David  S.  Smith,  groceries;  Charles  A,  Nutter,  fruits,  nuts, 
and  oysters;  Frank  Smith  &  Co.  (Frank  Smith,  A.  M.  Bullard), 
grain  and  flour;  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh  &  Co.  (Erastus  V.  Cobleigh, 
Richard  P.  Kent),  stoves  and  castings,  tinware,  house  furnishings, 
and  tin  shop;  Mrs.  Rhodes,  millinery  goods;  Mrs.  N.  Sparks,  mil- 
linery; Parker  J.  Noyes,  drugs,  medicines,  books,  and  stationery ; 
Vernon  E.  Smith  &  Co.  (Vernon  E.  Smith,  D.  C.  Pinkham),  boots 
and  shoes ;  Nathaniel  G.  Stickney,  boots  and  shoes ;  Thomas  S. 
Underwood,  merchant  taillor;  Edward  Savage,  drugs,  medicines, 
books,  and  stationery. 

Insiirance. — Henry  O.  Kent,  agent,  Coos  Mutual,  and  many 
stock  companies. 

Coos  County  Savings  Bank. — Henry  O.  Kent,  treasurer. 

Jewelers. — Clrarles  E.  Allen,  George  A.  Martin. 

Furniture. — N.  H.  Richardson. 

Hotels. — Lancaster  House,  B.  H.  Corning,  proprietor;  American 
House,  Francis  Richardson,  proprietor;  Dew  Drop  Inn,  Bernice 
Stuart,  proprietor. 

House  Painters. — Dooley  &  Blair  (Fred  Dooley,  George  W. 
Blair),  Edward  Stuart. 

Landscape  Painter. — Edward  Hill. 

Carriage  Factory. — A.  J.  Marshall,  manufacturer  of  carriages, 
sleighs,  furniture,  painting,  and  blacksmithing. 

Iron  Foundry. — Ellis  &  Olcott  (Thos.  S.  Ellis,  Barzillai  T. 
Olcott). 

Machine  Shops. — A.  Thompson  &  Co.  (Alexander  Thompson, 
Charles.  Bellows,  Kimball  B.  Fletcher,  Frank  Twitchell). 

Harness  Shops. — Horace  Whitcomb  &  Co.  (Horace  Whitcomb, 
R.  Baxter  Whitcomb)  ;  Charles  Howe,  Enoch  L.  Colby  &  Son 
(Enoch  L.  Colby,  Charles  F.  Colby). 

Sash,  Blinds,  and  Boors. — Smith  &  Burns  (Frank  B.  Smithy 
Charles  E.  Burns). 

Marble  Shop. — Johnson  C.  Hunter. 

Bagucrrean  Artist. — Erdix  T.  Wilson. 

Blacksmiths. — Riley  Hosmer,  Mathew  Monahan,  Jas.  McCarten. 

Bricklayers  and  Plasterers. — Henry  C.  Forbush,  Jacob  Hamlin. 

Soap  Boiler. — William  Bonett. 

Shoemakers. — Shepard  Knight,  Josiah  Payne. 

House  Carpenters. — Peter  N.  Shores,  William  L.  Rowell,  David 
Young,  Joseph  C.  Reed,  Joseph  L.  Nutter,  Edward  Melcher,  Hollis 
Jordan,  Ephraim  Smith,  Charles  Smith,  J.  A.  Stebbins,  David 
Goodall,  Alonzo  Stillings,  Benjamin  F.  Leonard,  George  S.  Wolcott, 
John  H.  Smith,  Frank  B.  Smith. 

22 


338  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Ncws^a^ers. — Coos  Republican,  owned  by  an  association; 
Tndepetident  Gazette,  Geo.  H.  Emerson,  editor  and  proprietor. 

Tannery. — A.  J.  Congdon,  not  in  operation  at  present. 

Lancaster  Manufacturing  Co. — Henry  O.  Kent,  treasurer; 
John  S.  Koster,  manufacturing  agent ;  manufactures  straw  and 
manila  wrapping  paper. 

Milk  Dealers. — John  H.  Hopkinson,  John  W.  Savage. 

jFile  Cutters. — Moody  &  Cave  (George  Moody,  George  E.  Cave). 

We  give  below  a  directory  of  the  business  enterprises  of  the  town 
to-day.  This  shows  the  natural  growth  of  more  than  a  century  and 
a  quarter,  of  the  enterprise  of  the  town.  Many  business  establish- 
ments have  existed  under  conditions  that  have  passed  away,  giving 
place  to  those  born  of  the  inevitable  changes  that  are  characteristic 
of  the  life  of  every  community,  and  the  country  at  large. 

DIRECTORY    OF   LANCASTER,    1 896. 

Merchants. — R.  P.  Kent  &  Son.  Edward  R.  Kent,  surviving 
partner;   Blood  &  Marshall;    Bailey  Brothers;    Kent  &  Roberts. 

Groceries. — J.  L.  Bass;  Howe  Brothers;  Clough  &  Sawyer;  R, 
P.  Kent  &  Son ;  Frank  Smith  &  Co. ;  W.  E.  Ingerson  &  Co. ; 
Nourse  Brothers. 

Hardware. — L.  F.  Moore  ;  Frank  Smith  &  Co. ;  Kier  &  McCaf- 
fery. 

Drug  Stores. — P.  J.  Noyes  Manufacturing  Co. ;  Fred  C.  Colby; 
G.  W.  Carpenter. 

Candy  and  Friiit  Stores. — F.  S.  Linscott;  S.  N.  Evans;  J.  R. 
Flanders. 

Boot  and  Shoe  Stores. — E.  E.  Smith  &  Co.;  I.  W.  Quimby; 
Geo.  V.  Moulton. 

Shoetnakers. — Vernon  Smith,  T.  Cunningham. 

Ilarnessmaker. — Charles  Howe. 

'Jezvelers. — W.  I.  Hatch  ;   Whitcomb  Brothers. 

Milliners. — Mrs.  S.  G.  Evans;  Cook  &  Stoughton ;  Ella  M. 
Twombley. 

Furniture  Stores. — Richardson  &  Porter;   Cummings  &  Co. 

Variety  and  Toy  Stores. —  C.  E.  Kimball;    Fred  C.  Colby. 

Barbers. — Charles  Thompson;   John  Mclntire  ;   Fred  Laforce. 

Bakers. — Lancaster  Bakery;    Mrs.  Alex.  Thompson. 

Meat  Markets. — Clough  &  Sawyer;  Frank  Smith  &  Co.;  J.  L. 
Bass;   Chas.  A.  Hill. 

Banks. — Lancaster  Savings  Bank ;  Lancaster  National  Bank ; 
Lancaster  Trust  Company ;    Siwooganock  Savings  Bank. 

Tailors  and  Clothiers. — T.  S.  Underwood  &  Son ;  Lane  Cloth- 
ing Company;   W.  C.  Sherburne;    C.  Dietrich. 


MATERIAL   GROWTH    OF   THE   TOWN.  339 

Livery  Stables. — Murphy  Brothers;  J.  E.  McGraw ;  G.  M. 
Stickney;    C.  H.  Gotham;    Lancaster  House  Livery. 

Laundries. — Lancaster  Steam  Laundry;  Leon  Wah,  Chinese 
Laundry. 

Bicycles.— \i.  N.  Beach;  W.  L.  Rowell.Jr. ;  A.  F.  Rowell ;  R.  P. 
Kent  &  Son. 

Lllectric  Light  Plant. — Lancaster  Electric  Light  Company. 

Telephone  and  Telegraph. — New  England  Telegraph  and  Tele- 
phone Company  ;   Western  Union  Telegraph  Company. 

Laivyers. — L  W.  Drew;  C.  B.  Jordan;  W.  P.  Buckley  (firm  of 
Drew,  Jordan  &  Buckley)  ;  Fletcher  Ladd  ;  Everett  Fletcher  (firm 
of  Ladd  &  Fletcher)  ;  W.  H.  Shurtleff ;  Edmund  Sullivan  (firm  of 
Shurtleff  &  Sullivan);  Crawford  D.  Henning;  Merrill  Shurtleff; 
Jared  L  Williams;  Henry  O.  Kent. 
-Auctioneers. — John  T.  Amey  ;    George  M.  Stevens. 

Physicians.— Ezx2iM\tc\\Q\\\  W.  H.  Leith;  E.  F.  Stockwell ;  H. 
B.  Carpenter;    D.  L.  Jones;    Frank  Spooner. 

Ministers. — G.  H.  Tilton,  Congregationalist ;  R.  L.  Danforth, 
Methodist;  Joseph  Fames,  Episcopal;  M.J.  B.  Creamer,  Catholic; 
A.  N.  Somers,  Unitarian. 

Civil  Engineers  and  Surveyors. — J.  L  Williams;  H.  T. 
Osborne. 

Blacksmiths. — J.  M.  Millette;  James  McCarten ;  Hosmer  & 
Ryan. 

Mills  and  Sazumills. — Frank  Smith  &  Co.,  grist-mill  and  sawmill ; 
James  O.  Stevens,  grist-mill;  Ethan  A.  Crawford,  grist-mill;  J. 
M.  Whipple,  sawmill. 

Factories. — Thompson  Manufacturing  Company;  Richardson  & 
Porter,  furniture  manufactory;  Frank  Smith  &  Co.,  doors,  sash, 
and  blinds;  P.  J.  Noyes  Manufacturing  Co.,  medicines;  Hosmer  & 
Ryan,  steel  sleds  ;  Harry  Jones,  belt  hooks  ;  Isreals  River  Creamery, 
manufacturers  of  butter. 

Marble  and  Granite  Works. — A.  G.  Wilson  &  Co.,  marble  works ; 
Diamond  Granite  Works,  V.  V.  Whitney,  proprietor. 

Insurance  Agents. — Geo.  M.  Stevens  &  Son ;    Nourse  &  Kent. 

Printing  Offices  and  Newspapers. —  The  Coos  County  Demo- 
crat, ].  D.  Bridge,  editor  and  proprietor:  The  Lancaster  Gazette, 
Amos  F.  Rowell,  editor  and  proprietor. 

Hotels. — The  Lancaster  House,  L.  B.  Whipp,  proprietor;  the 
Williams  House,  J.  M.  Hopkins,  proprietor. 

Boarding  TIo2ises. — The  Village  Boarding  House,  Mrs.  J,  H, 
Heaney,  proprietor;  the  Stewart  House,  Mrs.  Call,  proprietor; 
Green's  Cottage,  Frank  Green,  proprietor. 

Painters. — A.  B.  Meacham,  sign,  ornamental,  and  carriage 
painter;   Fred  Dooley,  carriage  and  house  painter;   F.  E.  Congdon, 


340  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

house  painter  and  paper  hanger;    E.  R.  Stewart,  house   painter  and 
paper  hanger ;   George  Gould,  house  painter  and  paper  hanger. 

Cari'iage  Makers. — George  S.  Norris ;    S.  W.  Van  Ness;    Frank 
Peabody. 

Contractors  and  Builders. — John  H.  Smith  ;    Simons  &  Connor ; 
E.  W.  Wyman. 

Bricklayers  and  Plasterers. — H.  C.    Forbush,   Robert   Dexter; 
Charles  Couture  ;    Barney  McGinley. 

Stone  Masons. — W.  C.  Putnam;    Peter  Small;   John   and  David 
Parks. 

Wool  Carding:— ^.  W.  Hartford. 

Dressmakers. — Mrs.   Bishop;    Mrs.  A.   D.  Warren;     Miss   Mc- 
KilHps. 

Photographers. — D.  E.  Rowell ;    A.J.  Rosebrook. 

Art  Teachers. — Mrs.  I.  W.   Ouimby,   teacher   of  oil  and  water 
color  painting;    Miss  Belle  Whipple,  teacher  of  art  embroidery. 

Dray7nen. — Thomas  Sullivan;    Charles  L.  Sedgell ;  C.  H.  Inger- 
son ;   W.C.Sherwood;   George  Cummings. 

Hackmen. — Thomas  Howard  ;   Michael  Conroy;    Patrick  Hurley. 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THE   DOMESTIC   LIFE    OF    LANCASTER    IN    EARLY   TIMES. 
By  Hon.  James  W.  Weeks. 

Few  persons  who  have  not  actually  passed  through  it,  can  have 
any  idea  of  the  changes  which  have  taken  place  in  the  domestic  life 
of  the  town  within  the  last  sixty  years. 

The  town  of  Lancaster  has  never  been  behind  other  towns  and 
cities  in  New  England  in  the  matter  of  adopting  new  ideas  whether 
they  be  for  good  or  for  ill.  In  some  of  the  old  and  westerly  towns 
of  Massachusetts  the  old,  colonial  type  of  domestic  life  prevailed 
not  fifty  years  ago,  while  the  newer  ideas  had  taken  strong  hold 
here  in  Lancaster.  The  domestic  life  in  Lancaster  remained  almost 
without  change  for  the  first  seventy  years  of  its  settlement.  There 
were  the  same  industries ;  the  large  families,  nearly  independent  of 
the  outside  w^orld  ;  the  abundance  of  all  the  necessaries  of  life ;  the 
absence  of  foreign  business ;  the  same  absence  and  almost  igno- 
rance of  wealth.  The  town  was  a  sort  of  little  republic,  almost 
independent,  and  with  all  the  elements  of  prosperity  within  its  own 
limits.  The  tanner  tanned  the  hides  and  sent  finished  leather  to 
Boston ;  the  hatter  sheared  the  lambs  and  made  the  hats  for  the 
people,  and  sent  felts  (shapes  for  hats)  to  market;  the  clothier 
carded  the  wool  and  dressed  the  cloth  woven  by  the  women  in  their 


THE   DOMESTIC    LIFE    OF    LANCASTER.  34I 

homes ;  the  blacksmith  not  only  shod  the  horses  and  oxen,  but 
made  all  manner  of  things  composed  of  wrought  iron  except  scythes 
and  shovels ;  the  shoemaker  had  a  place  in  every  family  sometime 
during  the  year  when  he  made  the  shoes.  Every  farmer  had  a 
flock  of  sheep,  and  he  also  raised  flax.  Both  the  wool  and  flax 
were  worked  up  in  the  homes  of  the  people  by  hand  methods. 
A.  N.  Brackett,  Esq.,  said,  in  an  address  before  the  Agricultural 
society  in  1822,  that  "At  least  two  thirds  of  all  the  cloth  used  in 
Lancaster  was  of  home  manufacture."  Large  a,mounts  of  both 
woolen  and  linen  cloths  were  exchanged  at  the  stores  for  such 
goods  as  could  not  be  manufactured  in  the  homes  of  the  people.* 

If  the  pioneers  of  Lancaster  clung  to  their  log  cabins  after  the 
building  of  sawmills  it  was  only  for  a  brief  period,  for  they  had  the 
choicest  of  timber  in  great  abundance. f  Not  only  in  Lancaster, 
but  throughout  the  Connecticut  River  valley,  the  house  was  but  one 
story,  but  of  ample  proportions  on  the  ground  plan.  At  least  one 
fourth  was  occupied  by  the  kitchen,  out  of  which  opened  a  buttery 
and  stairway.  Overhead  the  beams  were  bare,  from  which  hung 
numerous  hooks.  Upon  these  rested  three  or  four  poles,  called 
clothes-poles,  and  all  manner  of  things  found  a  place  upon  them. 
Usually  the  kitchen  was  a  large  room  of  perhaps  fifteen  by  twenty- 
four  feet,  with  a  door  opening  directly  out  into  the  weather.  There 
was  an  immense  fireplace  of  seven  or  eight  feet  wide  and  three  feet 
deep.  To  this  fireplace  a  hardwood  log  was  brought,  sometimes 
drawn  on  a  hand  sled.  This  log  was  between  three  and  four  feet 
long,  and  often  twenty  inches  in  diameter.  The  coals  of  the  previ- 
ous day's  backlog,  as  it  was  called,  were  drawn  forward,  and  this 
new  backlog  rolled  into  place  against  the  brick  or  stone  back  of 
the  fireplace.  A  long-handled  shovel  and  a  pair  of  tongs  were 
called  into  use  by  the  operation  of  replenishing  the  fire  in  this  man- 
ner. On  the  backlog  another  log,  as  large  as  would  lay  there,  was 
placed.  This  one  was  called  the  back-stick.  The  fire  dogs  were 
then  set  up  against  these,  and  another  large  stick  called  the  fore- 
stick  laid  upon  them,  and  the  brands  and  coals  were  filled  in  along 
with  small  wood  when  the  fire  was  fixed.  From  that  burning  mass 
a  glow  of  heat  reached  every  corner  of  the  room.  A  crane  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  hold  a  five-pail  kettle  full  of  water  was  hung  to  the 
left  jamb.  On  this  was  a  trammel,  with  hooks  which  could  be 
taken  up  or  let  down  as  occasion  demanded,  and  also  another  hook 
on  which  pots  and  kettles  were  hung  in  cooking.  A  capacious 
brick  oven  was  built  on   one  side  of  the   fireplace.     This  oven  was 

*  I  liave  before  me  the  ledger  of  Gen.  John  Wilson,  who  kept  a  store  at  the  north  end  of  Main 
street  for  the  years  1799  and  1800,  in  which  I  find  inany  credits  to  his  customers  who  ran  accounts 
for  "  flax,  and  woolen  yarns,  linen  and  woolen  cloths." — Ed. 

t  The  selectmen  took  a  census  of  the  town  in  1783,  and  report  eight  frame  houses  and  five  barns 
and  other  buildings.     Three  of  those  buildings  remain  standing  to-day. — Ed. 


342  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

heated  once  a  week  when  the  family  baking  was  done.  These  com- 
prised the  outfit  for  heating  and  baking  and  cooking  in  the  old-time 
kitchen. 

There  were  a  dozen  strong-framed  kitchen  chairs,  with  seats 
woven  of  elm  bark  or  of  basket  stuff  of  some  kind  ;  a  long,  move- 
able, pine  table,  capable  of  seating  ten  or  a  dozen  persons,  while 
turned  down  against  the  wall  was  a  smaller  table,  supported  by  a 
brace  when  in  use,  upon  which  the  bread  was  kneaded.  The  fam- 
ily, without  distinction,  except  the  small  children  who  had  bread 
and  milk  morning  and  night,  took  their  meals  at  the  long  table  in 
the  kitchen.  At  the  midday  meal  (dinner),  all  the  children  who 
were  large  enough  to  sit  at  the  table  ate  their  meals  with  their 
parents. 

A  word  about  the  cooking  utensils :  There  was  the  large  "  dinner 
pot,"  in  which  pieces  of  beef  or  pork,  with  the  berry  or  suet 
pudding,  was  boiled.  The  bean  or  pea  porridge  was  made  in  this 
same  pot.  There  was  a  broad,  flat-bottomed  kettle  in  use  for  frying 
doughnuts  and  baking  pancakes,  and  in  which  potatoes  were  also 
boiled.  Then  there  w^as  another  one  known  as  the  dish  kettle. 
Next  in  importance  was  the  gridiron  ;  and  long-handled  frying-pan  in 
which  to  fry  meats  or  griddle  cakes.  The  "  Dutch  oven"  held  its 
place  for  a  long  time,  but  was  finally  superseded  by  the  tin  baker. 
This  oven  was  a  broad,  flat-bottomed  kettle,  with  long  legs  and  an 
iron  lid  or  cover  with  a  rim  turned  up  about  an  inch  and  a  half  high 
around  it.  This  lid  had  a  ring  in  the  middle  by  which  it  was 
handled  with  tongs.  In  using  this  oven  a  bed  of  coals  was  drawn 
forward  and  the  oven  set  in  them.  The  bread  or  biscuit  were  placed 
in  the  oven,  the  lid  was  placed  in  position,  and  then  a  few  shovels- 
ful  of  burning  coals  were  placed  on  top  of  it.  It  baked  in  a  man- 
ner not  surpassed  by  any  modern  ovens.  Potatoes  were  roasted, 
not  baked,  in  the  ashes,  and  the  "Christmas  goose"  was  roasted  by 
suspending  it  before  the  fire  on  the  kitchen  hearth,  being  often 
basted  from  the  dripping-pan  by  means  of  a  long-handled  spoon. 

In  the  old  kitchens,  when  not  in  use  for  work-rooms,  or  for  din- 
ing purposes,  the  boys  would  gather  in  the  evening  to  play  their 
tricks  and  pranks,  many  of  which  often  "  tended  wonderfully  "  to 
develop  their  youthful  muscles.  If  the  games  were  not  conducted 
on  scientific  principles  they  surely  were  not  effeminate.  Occasion- 
ally some  boy  more  studious  than  the  majority  were,  would  throw 
himself  upon  his  face  and  study  his  lessons  in  his  school  work,  or 
read  some  book  in  which  he  was  interested,  by  the  light  of  blazing 
pine  knots  on  the  hearth.  Those  knots  and  pitchy  pieces  of  wood 
were  called  "  lightwood."  That  sort  of  light  was  far  superior  to 
the  tallow  candle  of  later  times,  or  even  the  oil  lamp  that  succeeded 
the  tallow  candle  and  preceded  the  use  of  kerosene  oil. 


THE   DOMESTIC    LIFE    OF   LANCASTER.  343 

Adjoining  the  kitchen  was  the  sanctum  of  the  mistress  of  the 
house  into  which  the  noisy  boys  were  seldom  allowed  to  enter ; 
this  was  the  nursery  where  generally  slumbered  an  infant  in  an 
old-fashioned  cradle.  There  would  be  found  also  the  younger 
children.  If  the  family  did  not  have  a  girl  of  ten  or  twelve  years  of 
age  to  look  after  the  infants,  one  was  secured  from  some  neighbor 
who  had  a  surplus  of  such  help.  There  in  her  sanctum  the  mistress 
of  the  house  did  her  work,  which  consisted  in  making  and  mending 
clothes,  often  making  over  old  garments  until  they  "were  just  as 
good  as  new."  Here  she  was  preceptress  of  her  own  children, 
teaching  them  by  conversational  methods  accompanied  by  a  disci- 
pline that  was  as  firm  as  it  was  tender.  This  room  contained  a  fire- 
place, not  so  large  as  that  of  the  kitchen,  but  ample  for  the  comfort 
of  the  inmates.  There  was  also  a  bed,  turned  up  against  the  wall, 
a  lot  of  strong  wooden  chairs  disposed  about  the  room,  with  a  table 
in  the  centre  upon  which  laid  the  sewing  and  other  handiwork  of 
the  matrons  of  those  days.  There  stood  a  lightstand  upon  which 
laid  the  family  Bible  and  a  few  other  books.  The  elder  daughters 
of  the  family,  when  not  engaged  elsewhere,  were  to  be  found  here 
with  their  mother  assisting  her  with  the  work  of  the  family.  There 
the  clock,  that  imposing  device  for  measuring  the  flight  of  time, 
was  to  be  found,  and  often  was  its  face  scanned  by  the  tireless 
matron  who  had  to  plan  her  labors  so  as  to  bring  out  many  occu- 
pations on  schedule  time. 

In  the  more  pretentious  houses  there  was  another  apartment 
similar  to  this  room  called  the  "square  room,"  without  carpet. 
But  there  came  a  time  when  carpets  of  home  manufacture  began  to 
appear,  accompanied  by  some  elegant  furniture. 

There  was  generally  a  small  bedroom  with  a  spare  bed,  out  of 
the  way  of  the  noise  of  the  kitchen,  with  a  fireplace  in  it.  This 
room  was  used  only  on  rare  occasions  for  company,  or  in  case  of 
sickness.  The  children  of  the  family  occupied  the  second  floor  as 
their  sleeping  apartment.  The  beds,  except  of  the  very  poorest 
people,  were  of  feathers.  There  were  no  mattresses  those  days. 
Beds  were  either  feathers  or  straw.  Every  farmer,  and  nearly 
everybody  was  a  farmer,  even  the  minister,  doctor,  merchant,  and 
mechanics,  all  cultivated  some  land,  and  therefore  had  their  flocks 
of  geese.  Two  or  three  times  in  a  season  the  geese  were  picked  ; 
the  fine  feathers  w^ent  for  making  beds,  and  the  quills  were  saved  up 
and  brought  a  good  price  for  making  pens.  Metallic  pens  had  not 
then  appeared,  and  whoever  could  write  had  to  use  the  quill  pen. 
There  was  then  both  a  jackknife  and  a  "  penknife."  Every  writer 
had  to  learn  the  art  of  making  and  repairing  pens  with  his  small- 
bladed  knife.  These  "  goose-picking  times  "  were  times  of  excite- 
ment, and  the  boys  were  all  on  hand  to  catch  the  birds.     The  girls 


344  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

would  don  their  oldest  clothes  and  tie  a  handkerchief  over  their 
heads  to  protect  their  hair  from  the  flying  feathers  and  down.  An 
old  stocking  was  run  over  the  heads  of  the  geese  to  prevent  from 
biting,  and  the  work  of  taking  all  the  available  feathers  pro- 
ceeded. 

Every  family  made  its  own  butter,  cheese,  soap,  and  candles. 
The  dipping  of  candles  took  place  in  the  fall  after  the  "  butchering" 
season  when  the  tallow  was  rendered,  and  candle-dipping  was  a  day 
hardly  less  to  be  remembered  than  the  picking  of  the  geese.  In  the 
process  of  candle-making  the  little  children  took  great  delight. 
With  glee  they  watched  the  dipping  of  the  dozen  or  more  wicks 
hung  upon  rods  into  the  molten  tallow  in  a  great  kettle,  and  sus- 
pended from  slats  placed  upon  the  backs  of  chairs,  to  cool  from 
repeated  dippings  until  they  were  of  the  required  size.  Candles 
were  later  run  in  tin  molds  when  but  few  were  required.  Candle 
wicking  was  an  important  article  of  trade  at  the  stores.  Sometimes 
in  case  of  necessity  tow  was  substituted  for  the  cotton  wick,  but 
with  poor  results. 

The  making  of  sausages  was  another  notable  day's  work,  looked 
forward  to  with  interest.  All  hands  were  busily  engaged  cutting 
the  meat  with  knives.  The  manufacture  of  soap  was  a  notable 
event  of  the  year,  and  took  place  in  the  early  spring.  The  scraps 
of  fatty  meats,  waste  grease,  bones,  and  the  like  were  saved  up  from 
the  winter's  stock  of  meats  and  boiled  out  for  "  soap  grease." 
Then,  too,  the  accumulation  of  ashes  from  the  winter  fires  was 
large.  Leaches  were  set  up  and  the  lye  run  off.  The  great 
kettles  were  filled  with  lye  and  condensed  by  boiling,  after  which 
the  requisite  amount  of  grease  was  added  for  soft  or  hard  soap, 
as  they  wished.  This  was  an  important  industry  in  every  home,  and 
called  for  a  considerable  degree  of  skill  to  always  get  good  soap. 

Every  family,  especially  every  farmer,  killed  and  packed  his  own 
meat  for  the  season.  A  fatted  cow  or  ox  along  with  several  hogs 
were  slaughtered.  A  portion  was  hung  up  to  freeze,  while  the 
larger  part  was  salted  down  for  the  later  season  of  the  year. 
Pork  was  summer  meat.  Very  little  fresh  meat  was  eaten  in 
summer  except  game  and  fish.  In  the  warmer  season  when  a  calf, 
lamb,  or  sheep  was  killed,  portions  of  the  carcass  were  distributed  . 
among  the  neighbors  to  be  paid  in  the  same  kind  and  quantity  a 
few  days  or  weeks  later  when  they  should  slaughter  an  animal. 
A  well-stocked  poultry  yard  was  an  important  source  of  food  sup- 
ply. The  forests  and  streams  were  full  of  game  and  fish,  and  much 
of  it  was  taken;  but  there  were  no  "sportsmen"  to  destroy  it  as  in 
later  times,  when  game  and  fish  were  wantonly  exterminated  for  the 
mere  pleasure  of  killing  with  improved  devices  of  destruction. 

In  the  fall  an  ample  supply  of  all  the  then-known  vegetables  filled 


THE   DOMESTIC    LIFE    OF    LANCASTER.  345 

the  cellars  of  the  Lancaster  farmers  of  early  years.  Apples  of  good 
quality  were  abundant  for  winter  use;  and  eight  or  ten  barrels  of 
cider  were  not  considered  an  over-stock  for  the  winter  drinks  of 
family  and  visitors.  All  the  women  drank  cider,  and  most  of  the 
men  took  something  stronger  without  feeling  that  they  were  violat- 
ing any  law,  human  or  divine.  Even  the  minister,  when  he  called, 
was  asked  to  "take  a  little  Jamaica"  which  he  never  thought  of 
refusing.  (The  ledger  of  J.  Wilson  shows  that  good  Parson  Willard 
even  bought  his  own  brandy  by  gallons  and  quarts. — Ed.)  The 
ladies  at  quiltings  and  other  social  times  would  take  a  little  toddy ; 
and  it  was  a  common  practice  to  give  it  to  the  babies,  to  relieve 
them  of  their  peculiar  ills. 

Among  the  articles  of  household  furnishings  essential  to  the  com- 
fort of  our  great-grandparents  was  the  warming-pan.  This  was  a 
brass  or  copper  pan,  twelve  or  fifteen  inches  in  diameter  and  quite 
shallow  with  a  cover  perforated.  It  had  a  wooden  handle  three  or 
four  feet  long.  It  was  filled  with  glowing  coals  from  the  kitchen 
fire  and  when  slid  around  between  the  sheets,  gave  them  a  thorough 
warming  so  that  they  were  entirely  comfortable  to  get  into.  The 
people  aimed  to  use  flannel  blankets  in  cold  weather,  but  often  such 
were  not  available,  when  they  had  to  resort  to  linen  which  though 
they  might  have  been  bleached  until  white  as  snow  still  possessed 
all  the  chill  of  the  snow.  Linen,  being  a  good  non-conductor  of 
heat,  made  a  pleasant  garment  for  the  hot  season  of  the  year,  but  a 
very  cold  one  for  winter  use.  Cotton  either  as  clothing  or  sheeting 
was  then  unknown.  Ludicrous  mistakes  were  sometimes  made  in 
using  the  warming-pan.  Not  in  Lancaster,  but  very  near  it,  lived 
an  old  gentleman  of  note  who  w^as  grievously  afflicted  with  rheuma- 
tism. Being  a  captain  and  a  sort  of  privileged  character,  he  could 
swear  most  vehemently,  possessing  anything  but  a  sweet  temper. 
His  devoted  wife  was  not  remarkable  for  shrewdness  or  wit,  but  was 
a  most  excellent  nurse.  She  was  told  that  the  fumes  of  burning 
sugar  dropped  upon  the  warming-pan  were  a  good  remedy  for  rheu- 
matism. She  dropped  it  on  the  lid  of  the  pan  one  evening  and 
warmed  the  bed.  The  sugar  melted  and  spread  out  like  wax. 
She  turned  to  the  old  gentleman  and  said,  "Jump  right  in.  Captain, 
it  is  piping  hot  now."  The  captain  crawled  in,  but  he  jumped  out 
much  quicker  than  he  got  into  bed.  The  storm  that  raged  for  a 
time  in  that  house  is  difficult  to  describe,  and  we  leave  it  to  the 
reader's  imagination  to  depict  the  scene.  It  is  said,  however,  that 
the  captain  got  better  of  his  rheumatism. 

When  families  were  large,  the  chambers  were  usually  roughly 
divided  into  rooms.  We  have  been  speaking  of  Lancaster  as  it  was 
prior  to  1825.  There  were  a  few  houses  of  more  than  one  story, 
some  of  which  were  "  air  castles  "  (the  fronts   roughly  finished   and 


346  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

the  family  living  in  one  corner).  Most  houses,  however,  were  well 
finished  and  commodious.  There  were  always  some  exceptions. 
There  have  always  been  rough  people  in  Lancaster,  who  lived 
roughly;  but  in  the  main  people  lived  as  comfortably  here  as  in 
other  communities  of  like  age  and  opportunities.  We  have  hinted 
at  the  industries  of  the  time  in  speaking  of  the  manufactures  of  wool 
and  flax.  One  would  think  that  the  girls  and  women  of  "ye  olden 
time"  had  little  leisure,  for  they  not  only  spun  the  wool  and  flax 
and  wove  the  cloth,  but  helped  with  milking,  and  always  took  the 
entire  care  of  the  milk,  making  butter  and  cheese.  With  all  those 
tasks  it  does  not  appear  that  there  existed  that  awful  pressure,  both 
physical  and  mental,  that  has  been  depleting  our  country  of  its 
native-born  population.  Our  ancestors  had  few  books,  but  they 
read  what  they  had  with  a  degree  of  thoroughness  that  is  uncommon 
among  the  reading  masses  of  to-day.  The  boys  read  history  and 
biography,  perhaps  because  they  could  not  get  literature  like  the 
New  Yo7'k  Ledger^  stories  of  adventure  in  the  Wild  West,  and  the 
like  of  which  boys  read  to-day.  The  girls  read  "The  Children  of 
the  Abbey"  and  "Scottish  Chiefs,"  and  the  like. 

Girls  had  what  they  called  "  stints,"  as  the  spinning  of  a  certain 
number  of  skeins  of  yarn,  or  the  weaving  of  a  certain  number  of 
yards  of  cloth  in  a  day.  Any  smart  girl  could  finish  her  "stint" 
in  a  half  day.  It  did  not  cost  more  to  spin,  weave,  and  make  up  a 
"pressed  cloth"  dress  then  than  it  does  now  to  trim  and  make  a 
worsted  dress. 

All  underclothing  was  of  home  manufacture.  In  boy's  clothing 
there  was  a  great  economy  secured  in  its  character ;  the  wool  or 
flax  when  worked  into  cloth  was  of  unbroken  fiber,  hence  the 
strength  of  the  fabric  was  equal  to  that  of  leather. 

Specimens  of  fancy  needle  work  that  have  come  down  to  us  from 
our  grandmothers,  together  with  the  letters  they  wrote,  reveal  a  cul- 
tivated taste  that  equals  that  of  to-day ;  and  in  every  respect  they 
were  the  equals  of  those  who  grace  any  place  in  life.  They  fully 
adorned  their  station.  The  boys,  when  occasion  required  it,  worked 
with  their  fathers  and  at  the  same  kinds  of  work.  There  were  no 
idle  boys ;  and  the  boy  who  could  not  shoot  well  at  long  range 
or  catch  trout,  was  in  poor  repute  among  either  boys  or  men. 
One  of  the  fixtures  of  the  house  in  those  times  was  the  long  gun 
hung  on  hooks  in  the  kitchen  with  the  powderhorn  and  bullet 
pouch  hanging  under  it.  It  kept  its  place  for  a  long  time  after 
there  was  any  use  for  it.  It  was  a  formidable  instrument  of  destruc- 
tion. The  barrel  was  about  four  feet  long,  and  it  carried  nearly  an 
ounce  ball  which  crushed  or  paralyzed  whatever  it  struck.  If  this 
style  of  gun  was  charged  with  double  B  shot  for  ducks  or  geese  it 
swept   a  space  a   yard    and   a  half  wide   at   a   distance  that  would 


THE    DOMESTIC    LIFE    OF   LANCASTER.  347 

astonish  a  sportsman  of  to-day.  Such  a  gun  in  the  hands  of  Buck- 
nam,  Blake,  or  Stanley  was  good  for  a  moose  at  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards ;  and  at  a  much  later  period  there  were  those  who  were 
sure  of  a  deer  at  the  same  distance.  Those  old  hunters  usually 
charged  their  gun  with  two  bullets  or  a  double  charge  of  shot,  with 
the  requisite  amount  of  powder,  and  when  they  discharged  it  a  tre- 
mendous report  rang  through  the  neighborhood. 

With  respect  to  the  amusements  of  boys,  we  have  said  the  old 
kitchen  was  practically  given  up  to  them  in  the  evening.  There 
they  played  their  games  and  tricks,  and  practised  jokes  on  one  an- 
other. One  of  their  tricks  was  to  place  a  pin  in  the  rail  (batton)  of 
the  kitchen  door  about  ten  inches  from  the  floor.  Then  a  boy  laid 
down  on  his  face  and  stomach,  his  feet  near  the  pin,  and  tried  to 
throw  himself,  first  onto  his  head,  then  rise  upon  his  hands  and 
walk  backward  upon  his  hands  and  try  to  take  the  pin  out  of  the 
door  with  his  teeth.  Some  boys  could  perform  the  feat,  but  many 
of  them  would  utterly  fail.  Another  trick  was  making  a  circle  with 
chalk  about  six  feet  from  the  floor  and  a  foot  in  diameter  on  the 
wall.  A  boy  would  go  back  to  the  other  end  of  the  room, 
take  a  candle  in  his  hand,  fill  a  plate  with  water,  take  it  by 
the  rim  with  his  teeth,  walk  the  length  of  the  room  without 
spilling  any  of  the  water,  and  touch  the  center  of  the  circle  with  the 
plate.  On  one  occasion  a  number  of  quiet  and  sober  boys  were 
gathered  in  Captain  Stephenson's  kitchen  trying  this  last-named  trick. 
In  the  company  was  one  of  the  neighborhood  "  old  fellows  "  who 
had  an  exceedingly  sharp-tongued,  sour  wife  (this  was  before  the 
days  of  saloons  and  he  had  to  consort  with  the  boys  in  the  kitchen). 
So  he  sought  social  excitement  among  the  boys.  His  presence  was 
not  welcome.  So  the  boys  got  him  to  try  their  trick  as  a  means  of 
driving  him  out.  They  were  using  a  pewter  plate,  and  had  brought 
a  wad  of  tow  as  inflamable  as  powder,  and  folded  it  over  the  rim  of 
the  plate  under  pretext  of  avoiding  marking  the  plate  with  their 
teeth.  They  fitted  him  out  and  sent  him  toward  the  circle.  As  he 
took  the  plate  in  his  teeth  portions  of  the  tow  were  arranged  so  as  to 
fall  down  upon  his  breast.  With  the  candle  in  his  hand,  the  plate 
filled  to  the  rim  with  water,  his  eyes  upon  the  circle,  he  took  up  his 
line  of  march,  and  proceeded  bravely  as  he  had  a  good  set  of  teeth. 
It  seemed  to  have  become  necessary  to  hold  the  candle  very  close 
in  order  to  see  that  he  did  not  spill  any  of  the  water.  When  he  got 
about  half  way  across  the  room,  by  some  apparent  accident  the 
candle  flame  touched  the  tow  and  set  it  on  fire.  It  flashed  as  quick 
as  lightning.  All  hands  fell  to  and  assisted  in  putting  out  the  fire 
which  was  not  accomplished  until  his  face,  hands,  hair,  whiskers,  and 
eyebrows  were  badly  scorched.  Man  was  made  upright  but  "  boys 
have  sought  out  many  inventions." 


348  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Ill  regard  to  the  dress  of  those  days  I  ma}'  say,  that  the  com- 
mon dress  of  the  women  was  simple  and  durable,  almost  entirely 
manufactured  by  their  own  hands.  Flannels  formed  the  larger  por- 
tion of  their  dress  goods,  and  were  colored  to  suit  the  taste  of  the 
wearer.  Their  dresses  were  made  in  a  manner  that  no  woman  of 
to-day  need  be  ashamed  to  wear.  Silks  were  more  common 
than  to-day,  but  they  were  worn  only  on  rare  or  state  occasions.  A 
•  sort  of  calico,  called  chintz,  served  for  an  afternoon  dress.  The  bon- 
nets or  hats  assumed  all  the  variety  of  shapes  of  the  present  day. 
The  choicest  of  furs  were  in  general  use  by  the  women  of  that  time. 
Our  grandmothers  did  not  consider  themselves  properly  dressed  for 
cold  weather,  without  the  sable  muff  that  would  let  the  arm  into  it  up 
to  the  elbows,  and  protect  the  whole  upper  portion  of  the  body 
when  held  up  before  their  faces. 

Mrs.  Major  Weeks's  muff  and  cape  probably  contained  as  many  as 
eighty  prime  sable  skins.  These  skins  were  often  dressed  and  made 
up  by  those  who  wore  them.  The  feet  of  both  women  and  children 
were  protected  by  good,  strong  calf-skin  shoes,  or  boots  made  by 
the  local  shoemaker.  A  pair  of  thin  morocco  slippers  were  held  in 
high  esteem  when  our  mothers  wished  to  show  off  their  feet  to  ad- 
vantage. In  winter  all  wore  good,  heavy  knit  socks  outside  their 
shoes. 

There  were  those  who  thought  the  wearing  of  ornaments  of  any 
kind  a  deadly  sin.  They  usually  wore  very  dark  clothing,  some- 
times drab.  Their  bonnets  were  pasteboard  frames  covered  with 
cambric  of  the  desired  color,  drawn  tight  over  it  by  means  of  strings 
sewed  to  the  covering.  When  finished  they  were  in  the  shape  of  a 
flour  scoop.  That  class  did  not  attend  church  at  the  old  meeting- 
house. 

The  clothing  of  the  men  was  called  "  sheep's  gra}%"  that  is,  a  mix- 
ture of  white  and  black  wool.  Nearly  every  farmer  kept  a  few  black 
sheep,  or  brown  ones,  for  the  purpose  of  making  gray  cloth.  This 
cloth  when  dressed  by  the  "  clothier  "  made  garments  that  no  one 
need  be  ashamed  to  wear.  An  every-day  suit  of  these  clothes 
seemed  to  defy  the  effects  of  time  and  use.  After  a  }'ear  or  two  of 
wear  in  sun  and  storm,  it  was  not  easy  to  tell  what  the  original  color 
had  been  unless  it  was  "  sheep's  gray."  The  men  at  their  work 
usually  wore  a  frock  of  striped  woolen  cloth,  or  a  leather  apron  fall- 
ing a  few  inches  below  their  knees.  This  apron  was  divided  in  the 
lower  part  and  tied  around  the  legs  with  strings,  the  lower  one  being 
a  little  below  the  knees.  This  garment  was  put  aside  when  not 
at  their  work.  Those  men  who  affected  some  style  had  a  coat  of 
broadcloth  and  a  fancy  vest  of  some  kind  of  figured  goods.  As  to 
hats  they  varied  in  shape  about  as  much  as  at  the  present  time.  But 
a  hat  made  by  Frederick   Messer   or  Ephraim  Cross  was   no  slight 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  349 

affair.  The  hat  might  get  "  rusty,"  but  did  not  wear  out.  At  one 
time  the  dress  hats  made  of  fur  were  ridiculously  large  and  a  more 
absurd  shape  could  scarcely  be   imagined. 

As  every  farmer,  and  all  were  farmers  until  about  1835,  killed  his 
own  meats  there  were  many  hides  and  skins  to  go  to  the  tanner, 
which  after  about  a  year,  returned  as  leather.  At  the  approach  of 
cold  weather,  Heber  Blanchard,  John  Dow,  and  other  shoemakers 
commenced  their  rounds  called  "  whipping  the  cat."  Each  with 
his  kit  of  shoemakers'  tools  took  up  his  place  in  one  corner  of  the 
kitchen  of  one  of  his  customers,  where  he  stitched  and  pegged  away 
until  the  whole  family  were  thoroughly  shod  for  the  winter  from  the 
oldest  down  to  the  youngest  child.  This  task  finished,  his  presence 
was  welcomed  at  the  next  house.  In  this  way  the  people  of  Lancas- 
ter had  their  shoemaking  done  for  more  than  two  generations.  While 
this  operation  was  going  on  rolls  of  cloth  from  the  "  clothiers  "  be- 
gan to  come  home.  The  clothier  received  his  pay  for  dressing  the 
cloth  in  wheat,  butter,  cheese,  sugar,  and  other  produce  from  the 
farm.  Soon  after  the  shoemaker  followed  the  tailor  with  his  tapes 
and  shears  and  a  couple  of  sewing  women.  He  cut  the  clothing, 
especially  the  coats  and  other  important  garments,  and  the  women 
made  them  up.  The  sewing  women  sometimes  cut  as  well  as  made 
boys'  clothes.  The  tailor  took  his  pay  in  farm  produce,  but  the 
sewing  girls  always  required  cash  at  fifty  cents  a  day.  The  cloth- 
ing was  thus  made  by  tailors  and  sewing  women  going  from  house 
to  house  as  did  the  shoemakers. 


CHAPTER  V. 

GAMES,  SPORTS,  AND  AMUSEMENTS  OF  EARLY  TIMES. 

The  Public  Gatherings,  Social  Entertainments,  Frolics,  Games,  and 
Customs  of  Earlier  Days — Regimental  Musters — Terms  of  Court 
— Spelling  Schools — Donation  Parties — Quilting  and  Paring 
Bees — Turkey  Shoots  or  Shooting  Matches — Squirrel  Hunts — 
Pitching  Quoits — Round,  Long,  and  Drive  Ball — Athletic 
Sports — Huskings,  with  Scraps  of  Husking  Songs. 

By  Henry  O.  Kent. 

In  no  respect,  perhaps,  has  the  change  within  the  last  half  century 
been  greater  to  residents  of  Lancaster,  than  in  the  character  of  public 
gatherings  and  social  customs  and  amusements. 

Before  the  advent  of  railroads  and  telegraphs  there  was  little  from 
the  outside  world  to  challenge  the  attention  of  the  people.     The 


350  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

merchant  made  semi-annual  trips,  spring  and  fall,  to  Portland  or 
Boston,  to  purchase  goods, — there  were  no  commercial  travelers. 
The  clergymen  attended  annual  conference,  the  lawyers  the  courts 
in  the  adjoining  counties,  and  on  rare  occasions  at  Concord  or 
Portsmouth,  and  political  magnates  attended  the  state  conventions. 
The  local  newspaper  was  the  medium  of  intelligence  and  compen- 
dium of  information,  save  when  Hill's  JVew  Uamps/iire  Patriot,  or 
McFarland's  New  Hampshire  Statesman  secured  lodgment  in 
occasional  families.  The  people  were  self-reliant  in  their  gatherings 
and  amusements  as  in  material  things. 

The  annual  regimental  muster,  and  the  semi-annual  terms,  in 
May  and  November,  of  the  higher  courts,  all  at  Lancaster,  were  the 
great  occasions  of  the  year. 

The  county,  in  addition  to  its  present  territory,  until  1848,  com- 
prised the  towns  of  Jackson  and  Bartlett,  below  the  White  Moun- 
tains, now  annexed  to  Carroll  county. 

There  were  two  regiments  of  militia  in  Coos,  the  original  Twenty- 
fourth,  and  later  the  Forty-second,  corresponding  in  territory  to  the 
present  northern  judicial  district  for  the  Twenty-fourth,  and  the 
southern  judicial  district  for  the  Forty-second.  The  occasion  of  the 
annual  fall  parade,  when  the  regiment  was  assembled  and  exercised 
by  its  ofificers,  and  inspected  and  reviewed  by  the  brigade  general,  was 
in  fact  as  in  name,  a  "  muster  day," — a  muster  of  the  people  from 
far  and  near  to  accompany  the  local  troops,  to  witness  the  evolu- 
tions, to  make  necessary  purchases,  meet  business  appointments, 
exchange  greetings  with  friends,  and  have  a  good  time  generally. 
From  before  dawn  until  late  at  night,  a  representative  crowd  thronged 
the  streets,  pressed  upon  the  picket  line,  and,  thoroughly  good 
humored,  stored  up  experiences  to  be  narrated  during  the  coming 
year. 

The  terms  of  court  were  of  equal  interest.  Lancaster  was  then 
the  full  shire  of  the  county ;  litigation  was  general,  each  town  was 
likely  to  have  its  famous  case,  and  both  plaintiff  and  defendant  had 
loyal  following  among  kindred  and  neighbors.  The  old  work  of 
counterfeiting  silver  coin  was  then  in  frequent  operation,  and  crimi- 
nal actions,  while  not  common,  were  not  infrequent.  A  grand  jury, 
with  two  petit  juries,  the  numerous  parties  and  witnesses,  made  up  a 
retinue  that  filled  the  quiet  hamlet  to  overflowing.  Hotel  accom- 
modations were  limited.  The  Court  usually  had  rooms  at  some  pri- 
vate house,  while  the  lawyers  preempted  the  Coos  Hotel,  the  best 
hostelry  of  the  region.  The  American  House  was  packed,  and  the 
overflow  filled  the  "  Temperance  House,  By  George,  Howe  Enter- 
tainment for  men  and  Beasts,"  as  the  swinging  sign  of  George 
Howe's  little  Temperance  House,  standing  where  J.  P.  Haseltine's 
building  on  Main  street  now  is,  quaintly  announced, — filled   it  so 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  35  I 

full  that  Artemas  Ward,  then  an  apprentice  at  the  printing  business, 
and  a  boarder  therein,  averred  that  "  Brother  Howe  "  would  put  a 
juryman  to  bed,  with  his  limited  accommodations,  and  as  soon  as  he 
was  asleep  take  him  carefully  from  his  couch  and  hang  him  up  on 
a  -peg  in  the  spare  room  till  morning,  serving  each  new  comer  the 
same  way,  and  again  awaking  them,  in  turn,  in  the  bed  from  which 
they  had  been  taken. 

Trials  were  hotly  contested ;  the  court-house  was  continually 
filled  for  a  term  of  from  four  to  six  weeks,  Saturdays  and  Mondays 
included,  and  the  scenes  at  the  court-house  furnished  the  staple  for 
discussion  and  narrative  in  the  homes  of  the  county.  The  mer- 
chants were  busy  "  during  court,"  people  turned  an  honest  dollar  by 
taking  "  court  boarders,"  and  our  visitors  brought  a  freshness  of 
demeanor,  independence,  and  varied  experience  to  the  county  seat, 
at  once  entertaining  and  valuable,  aside  from  materially  increasing 
the  business  and  life  of  the  village  during  their  sojourn. 

Up  to  about  this  time,  1S50,  the  apprentice  system  prevailed  in 
all  the  shops  of  the  town.  There  was  then  no  closing  of  the  stores 
on  any  evening,  no  lectures,  sometimes  a  "  lyceum "  at  the 
academy,  a  "  debating  society,"  or  a  spelling  school,  but  these  were 
rare  occurrences.  From  September  to  March  the  shops  were 
lighted  and  the  apprentices  "worked  evenings."  From  March  to 
September  work  ceased  in  the  shops  at  sunset. 

It  was  a  summer  recreation  on  Saturday  evenings  for  the  appren- 
tices "  after  they  had  knocked  off  work,"  and  such  clerks  as  could 
get  away  from  their  respective  stores,  together  with  the  occasional 
law  student,  or  "  academy  teacher,"  to  "go  in  swimming"  in  the 
clear  cool  waters  of  the  river,  not  as  now  polluted  by  sewerage  and 
sawdust,  but  fresh  from  the  crystal  springs  and  deep  forests  on  the 
slopes  of  Mount  Washington,  fragrant,  almost,  with  the  odors  of  the 
pines  and  the  hemlocks,  and  musical  with  the  song  of  the  trees  and 
the  winds. 

The  mill  pond  was  the  place  chosen,  the  hour  just  after  dark. 
The  mill  pond  was  the  deep,  clear  pool  above  the  dam,  between  the 
sawmill  and  the  fulling-mill,  where  the  dam  now  is,  above  Main 
Street  bridge,  ten  feet  or  more  in  depth,  clean  gravel  bottom,  while 
below  the  dam  lurked  cavernous  depths  to  tempt  the  adventurous 
diver.  A  "spring  board,"  a  tough  spruce  plank,  was  always 
extended  from  the  flume  above  the  old  sawmill,  on  the  northern 
bank,  out  over  the  deep,  clear  water,  and  athletic  exercises  of  a  high 
order  were  performed  thereon, — a  swift  dart  from  the  bank  across 
the  plank,  and  a  bounding  leap  into  the  water ;  a  balancing  of  the 
body  communicating  a  springing  motion  to  the  end  of  the  plank, 
and  a  spring  from  this  tense  leverage,  throwing  the  di\'er  high  in 
air ;   or,  best  of  all,  a  somersault  between  the  plank  and  the  water, 


352  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

striking  the  latter  with  hands,  pahns  together  extended,  above  the 
head,  were  the  feats  in  greatest  demand  and  received  with  the 
greatest  favor,  while  the  daring  spirits  dove  into  the  abyss  below 
and  beneath  the  dam,  emerging  in  subterranean  recesses  under  the 
planking;  or  above  the  dam,  "  swum  under  water,"  to  the  ecstatic 
alarm  of  smaller  boys  and  admiring  friends.  For  years  during  the 
warmer  season  this  was  the  weekly  gathering  and  revel  of  the  young 
men  and  boys  of  the  village. 

Pitching  "  quates  "  (quoits)  was  another  and  favorite  amusement 
much  practised  by  clerks  and  students  who  had  occasional  leisure 
during  the  golden  summer  days.  Two  stakes,  or  pins,  were  set  or 
driven  into  the  ground  from  fifty  to  sixty  feet  apart,  protruding,  per- 
haps, six  or  eight  inches ;  the  players,  armed  with  fllat,  iron  scale 
weights,  or  stones,  or  sometimes  horseshoes,  placed  the  left  heel 
against  one  of  these  "  hubs,"  the  other  foot  extended  before  him, 
the  weight  or  missile  in  his  right  hand,  and  essayed  to  heave  and 
land  it  so  it  would  touch  the  other  hub,  or  be  as  near  it  as  possible. 
The  succeeding  player  attempted  the  same  thing,  being  privileged 
to  knock  away  his  predecessor's  quoit  by  his  own,  if  possible.  He 
who  landed  his  quoit  nearest  the  hub,  was  the  victor  of  that  score, 
and  an  agreed  number  of  points  made  up  the  game. 

Wrestling  was  a  favorite  pastime,  and  a  test  of  quick  foot,  quick 
eye,  and  lithe  body.  There  was  the  "  side  hold,"  "  back  hold," 
"  back  to  back,"  "  arm's  length,"  each  expressive  of  the  position  of 
the  friendly  contestants.  If  a  man  was  brought  to  his  knees,  he 
was  beaten;  if  he  was  laid  upon  his  back,  he  was  vanquished. 
There  were  noted  champions  in  Lancaster  and  the  towns  around 
about.  "A  wrestle — a  wrestle,  make  a  ring  " — was  sure  to  call  a 
goodly  crowd,  who  made  a  ring  around  the  athletes,  to  see  fair  play 
and  encourage  favorites.  There  were  stalwart,  sinewy  boys  and 
young  men  always  ready  to  uphold  the  honor  of  "proud  Lancaster, "^ 
and  equally  wary  and  "  cordy "  fellows  on  our  borders,  who  dis- 
puted our  preeminence.  Jefferson  was  especially  prolific  in  splendid 
specimens  of  physical  manhood.  Every  muster  field  had  its  hero. 
The  old  meeting-house  common  knew  what  wrestling  meant,  the 
stable  yards  of  the  Coos  Hotel  and  American  House,  and  even  the 
precincts  of  the  Temperance  House,  were  arenas  for  these  gladi- 
ators, transferred  in  winter  to  the  broad  floors  of  the  hotel  stables. 
Accidents  were  rare,  and  muscle,  courage,  and  local  and  physical 
pride  were  alike  developed. 

Rolling  tenpins  was  another  popular  amusement.  The  original 
"  ninepins,"  set  in  the  form  of  a  cocked  hat  at  the  farther  end  of 
the  hard-wood  alley,  were  under  the  anathema  of  legislation,  so 
another  pin  was  inserted  in  the  middle  of  the  triangle  of  nine,  and 
"tenpins"  was  a  legal  and  commendable  game,  developing  muscle 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  353 

and  calling  into  use  delicate  touch  of  the  ball  and  quick  conception 
of  the  "  break  "  it  was  desirable  to  make.  Phenomenal  "strings" 
were  rolled  on  Cady's  old  alley,  in  rear  of  the  Coos  Hotel,  situate 
on  the  edge  of  a  little  rolling  green  field  sloping  down  to  the  river, 
and  about  where  the  row  of  small  houses  now  is  between  Canal  and 
Main  streets.  The  "spares,"  "strikes,"  and  "flops"  of  those  days  lin- 
ger yet  in  the  memory  of  many  a  Lancaster  boy  of  maturing  years. 

"Fireworks"  were  unknown,  but  effervescing  patriotism  was 
never  unknown  to  the  denizen  of  our  town.  Fourth  of  July  was 
always  celebrated,  and  a  Fourth  of  July  evening  would  have  been  a 
dismal  failure  but  for  a  flaming  beacon  on  the  sawed-off  limb  (fifty 
feet  above  the  street)  of  the  old  elm  tree  then  standing  in  the  cen- 
tre of  Main  street,  about  opposite  the  south  line  of  Centennial  park ; 
and  "  throwing  fire  balls."  These  "  fire  balls"  were  a  domestic  pro- 
duct. A  great  lot  of  candle  wicking  soaked  in  a  tub  of  turpentine 
was  the  crude  article,  loosely  wound  to  a  ball  of  perhaps  six  inches 
in  diameter,  and  left  until  use  in  the  inflammable  bath.  The  pro- 
duct awaited  the  dark  and  the  deft  manipulation  of  the  throwers. 
The  ball,  taken  from  its  bath,  was  lighted,  and  thrown  by  its  first 
sponsor,  to  be  caught  bare  handed  by  the  next  and  instantaneously 
dispatched  on  another  blazing  flight  through  the  sky.  The  rapidity 
of  handling  prevented  burning  hands,  and  deft  players  would  soon 
have  the  air  alive  with  fiery  arcs,  tangents,  parabolas,  and,  as  the 
balls  burned  out,  blazing  stars  of  fragments. 

"  Round  ball "  was  the  country  ancestor  of  modern  "  baseball." 
Parties  "  chose  up  "  by  matching  hand  over  hand  on  a  "  ball  club." 
He  who  last  could  hold  the  end  of  the  club  by  the  edge  of  his  closed 
hand,  above  the  hand  of  his  rival,  with  a  grip  sufficiently  strong  to 
swing  it  without  its  falling,  had  the  first  choice.  The  "  umpire,"  or 
his  prototype,  "kept  tally"  by  cutting  notches  on  a  wooden  "tally 
stick  "  as  parties  were  caught  out,  or  "  ran  round  the  goolds,"  and 
a  given  number  of  "  tallies  "  made  the  game.  When  one  side  was 
"  caught  out,"  the  other  had  a  chance. 

"  Long  ball "  was  a  kind  of  cross  between  "  round  ball "  and 
"drive  ball,"  and  was  a  favorite  game.  We  find  it  in  the  diary  of 
a  former  citizen,  whose  advent  to  town  was  seventy  years  ago,  that 
the  day  of  his  arrival  "being  Election  Day  (June),  I  engaged  in  a 
game  of  Long  ball  on  the  Holton  Common." 

Drive  ball  was,  perhaps,  akin  to  modern  football,  save  that  it  was 
played  with  bats  and  a  ball  of  common  size,  each  side  endeavoring 
to  drive  the  other  up  or  down  the  long  street,  by  forcing  the  ball 
beyond  them. 

"Three-year-old  cat"  and  "four-year-old  cat"  were  ball  games 
for  juveniles.  Each  game  had  a  pitcher  and  catcher,  and  one  or  two 
at  the  bat  or  bats,  all  in  line,  the  ball  being  thrown  alternately 
23 


354  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

each  way ;  the  game  being  in  "catching  out"  the  boy  at  the  bat, 
who  then  took  the  pitcher's  or  catcher's  place. 

"Lifting  at  stiff  heels"  was  another  athletic  test,  one  party  ex- 
tending himself  on  his  back  on  the  ground,  his  legs  straight,  close 
together,  and  stiff  at  the  knees;  the  lifter  placing  himself  astride 
these  legs  at  the  feet,  clasping  his  hands  under  them  at  the  calves, 
and  essaying  to  raise  his  prostrate,  but  thoroughly  alive,  subject  to 
an  upright  position;  the  contortions  of  the  "  stiff"  frequently  baffling 
the  muscle  of  the  champion.  Any  movement  of  the  prone  body 
was  admissible;    only  the  legs  must  be  kept  "  stiff." 

It  is,  perhaps,  pertinent  to  preserve  here  the  mystic  formulae  of 
childhood,  through  the  observance  of  which  high  questions  were 
decided  and  mighty  champions  selected,  or,  perchance,  caitiff  pre- 
tenders unmasked.  The  language  of  magic  is  recondite  and  mystic, 
and  so  came  down  to  the  youth  of  Lancaster  from  the  days  of  the 
Druids,  if  not  from  Caspar,  Melchior,  and  Balthazar. 

Ranged  in  a  trembling  or  expectant  line,  the  neophites  watched 
the  finger  of  the  Sybil,  in  turn  transfixing  each,  accompanied  by  the 
mysterious  polyglot, — 

"  Entry,  mentry,  cutery  corn, 

Apple  seeds  and  apple  thorn, 

Wire,  brier,  limber  lock, — 

Six  geese  in  a  flock. 

Sit  and  sing  by  the  spring, — 

O-u-t — out!" 
or,— 

"  One-e-ry — u-ger-y — ick-er-y  ann, 

Philosy,  pholosy, — Nicholas  John, — 

En-e  me-ne  mo-ne-mi, — Pester  lady  bode  si, — 

Argy — dargy — walk  !  " 

the  one  remaining  of  the  company  in  either  case  being  champion 
or  victim  as  the  game  decreed. 

The  "  shooting  match,"  or  "  turkey  shoot,"  was  another  occa- 
sion appealing  strongly  to  the  marksmen  and  young  men  of  the 
community.  These  matches  were  holden  in  the  autumn,  and  usu- 
ally just  before  Thanksgiving.  While  turkeys  were  the  usual  game 
competed  for,  chickens,  and  sometimes  other  fowl,  were  placed 
upon  the  stands. 

These  matches  were  sometimes  held  at  the  north  end,  about  the 
Holton  place  or  Francis  Wilson's,  the  site  of  Mrs.  Jacob  Benton's 
residence,  but  the  favorite  and  usual  spot  was  Cady's  meadow. 
Here  were  combined  the  proximity  of  the  hotel,  and  incidentally  its 
bar,  the  ten-pin  alley  on  one  side  of  the  lot,  and  central  location. 

Cady's  meadow,  fifty  years  ago,  was  the  land  now  covered  by 
Canal  street  and  the  buildings  on  either  side,  and  so  far  east  as  the 
rear  of  the  original  lots  on  Main  street.     It  was  a  green,  pleasant 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  355 

field,  sloping  down  from  the  hotel  buildings  and  ten-pin  alley  to 
Isreals  river,  in  the  centre  of  which  was  an  emerald  island,  now 
nearly  worn  away,  then  known  as  Cady's  island.  In  the  midst  of 
this  meadow  was  a  large,  graceful  elm,  its  roots  laved  by  the  bab- 
bling little  brook  that  coursed  down  from  Bunker  hill,  crossing 
Main  street  in  front  of  the  J.  A.  Smith  store,  then  the  site  of  Sam 
Rines's  blacksmith  shop. 

The  turkeys  or  other  prizes  were  fastened  by  their  legs  upon 
stands,  generally  a  board  nailed  to  the  top  of  a  stake  driven  into 
the  ground,  the  stakes  being  at  the  lower  end  of  the  lot  near  the 
present  shops  of  the  Thompson  Mfg.  Co.  The  marksmen  were  at 
the  other  end  of  the  field,  or  nearer,  as  the  rules  allowed;  the  arms 
were  rifles,  and  to  secure  the  prize  the  ball  must  draw  blood,  the 
price  per  shot  being  regulated  before  the  lists  opened.  Marksmen 
came  from  near  and  far,  and  the  day  was  not  without  its  excitement, 
the  cracking  rifles,  the  frightened  birds,  and  the  incidents  of  the 
shoot  combining  to  fill  out  the  picture. 

Of  perhaps  broader  interest  was  the  "  squirrel  hunt."  This,  too, 
occurred  in  the  fall  after  the  leaves  had  fallen.  Some  two  recog- 
nized good  fellows  were  agreed  upon  as  captains,  who  then  pro- 
ceeded to  "  choose  sides"  until  every  skilled  marksman  or  owner  of 
a  good  weapon  was  enlisted  on  the  one  side  or  the  other.  The  day 
which  should  terminate  the  hunt  was  then  fixed  and  the  list  and 
value  of  all  game  was  agreed  upon.  As  the  occasion  was  called  a 
squirrel  hunt,  the  squirrel — common  red  squirrel — was  taken  as  the 
unit  of  count  and  rated  as  lo.  Every  animal  known  to  the  region 
was  listed,  the  black  bear  being  500,  and  figures  approximating 
the  scarcity  of  the  animal  or  difficulty  of  capture  applied  to  each. 

The  two  sides  were  to  scour  the  country,  and  diplomacy  as  well 
as  powder  and  shot  was  called  into  account.  It  mattered  not  how 
the  tokens  of  game  were  procured — actual  possession  determined 
the  count.  The  tail,  ears,  or  head  of  the  animal,  as  the  case 
might  be,  must  be  the  evidence  when  the  game  was  counted  up. 
This  was  the  finale  of  the  several  weeks'  hunt.  Judges,  who  had 
been  agreed  upon,  met  at  one  of  the  village  hotels  on  the  evening 
of  the  last  day  of  the  hunt,  and  to  them  was  submitted  by  either 
side  in  turn  all  the  heads,  tails,  ears,  of  animals  shot  or  secured. 
The  count  was  made,  and  the  side  having  the  smallest  score  was 
bound  to  pay  for  a  supper,  and  the  best  the  tavern  afforded,  for  all 
the  hunters  of  both  sides. 

Great  skill  must  be  exercised  by  the  judges  that  only  fresh  game 
should  be  counted.  Old  game  used  in  other  places  or  at  former 
hunts  must  be  discovered  and  thrown  out  if  possible.  In  one  of  the 
last  of  these  hunts,  an  ingenious  apprentice,  whose  wit  was  more 
active  than  his  legs  or  gun,  actually  manufactured  a  lot  of  leather 


356  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

muski'at  tails,  which  successfully  passed  the  scrutiny  of  the  com- 
mittee and  decided  the  hunt. 

It  was  a  notable  evening — that  of  the  hunting  supper.  The  roar- 
ing tavern  fireplaces,  the  ruddy,  jolly  hunters,  the  loaded  tables, 
the  jest,  song,  and  thoroughly  good  fellowship,  marked  an  occasion 
that  dwells  pleasantly  in  memor}'. 

Donation  parties  were  common  among  all  the  denominations. 
They  were  held  to  eke  out,  or  to  add  to,  the  pay  and  comforts  of 
the  minister.  The  date  was  after  harvest  and  "  killing  time  "  and 
the  first  snow.  All  the  people  came,  and  brought  of  their  abun- 
dance, grain,  meat,  sled-length  wood,  homespun  cloth,  rolls,  maple 
sugar,  butter,  from  the  farm  ;  furniture  or  iron  work  from  the  shops ; 
goods  from  the  stores ;  and  the  miscellaneous  items  selected  by  the 
village  people.  Father,  mother,  children — old  folks  and  young 
folks — came  to  see  the  pastor,  shake  hands,  visit  with  attending 
neighbors,  express  their  goodwill,  enjoy  an  abundant  lunch  selected 
by  a  committee  of  ladies  from  their  own  benefactions,  listen  to  the 
swelling  tones  of  some  grand  old  hymn  by  the  church  choir,  a 
kindly,  earnest  prayer  from  the  minister,  and  the  benediction. 
Many  a  year  was  the  spare  pantry,  the  empty  woodyard,  the  vacant 
mow  filled  to  bursting  by  kindly  parishioners,  and  bonds  of  love 
between  pastor  and  people  renewed  and  strengthened  through  these 
gatherings.  There  is  a  shading  to  almost  every  picture,  and  until 
the  days  of  their  decadence  donations  were  as  here  set  down. 
There  were  always  some  stingy  souls  manifested  thereat,  whose 
punishment  doubtless  came  in  the  crackling  of  their  own  shriveled 
consciences  and  the  quiet  but  observant  comments  of  their  more 
generous  neighbors. 

The  quilting-bee  was  a  woman's  institution,  perhaps  not  unlike 
the  more  modern  "  sewing  circle."  There  were  few  if  any  dress- 
making establishments.  The  dressmaker  of  those  days,  like  the 
tailor  and  the  shoemaker,  went  around  from  house  to  house,  with 
shears,  goose,  or  lapstone,  there  remaining  until  the  season's  outfit 
for  the  family  was  completed. 

All  the  pieces  of  print,  merino,  alpacca,  or  rare  bits  of  silk  or 
satin  were  rigidly  preserved.  The  mother  and  girls  of  the  house- 
hold cut  these  pieces  of  cotton  or  silk  into  squares,  piecing  them 
together  in  kaleidoscopic  pattern,  the  many  tiny  bits  making  a 
whole  square,  and  the  many  squares,  perhaps  the  accumulations  of 
years,  the  entire  outside  of  the  quilt  or  "  bed  comforter." 

Every  well-regulated  house  had  a  set  of  quilting  frames,  smooth, 
straight  pieces  of  pine,  two  inches  wide,  one  inch  thick,  and  ten  feet 
long,  to  one  edge  of  which  was  tacked  a  stout  piece  of  cotton  cloth, 
perhaps  two  inches  wide. 

The  day  of  the  quilting-bee  came ;   the  lining  of  the  quilt  or  com- 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND   AMUSEMENTS.  357 

forter  was  placed  upon  the  floor  of  the  spare  room ;  cotton  batting 
or  cotton  wadding,  generally  batting,  to  the  desired  thickness  was 
spread  upon  this ;  the  patchwork  outside  placed  on  top  of  all,  the 
whole  being  "tacked  together"  by  occasional  threads.  Then  the 
two  long  sides  of  the  quilt  were  stitched  to  the  strips  on  the  edge 
of  two  quilting  bars,  these  bars  then  supported  at  either  end  by 
being  put  between  and  upon  the  horizontal  back-slats  of  four 
straight-back,  splint-bottomed  upright  kitchen  chairs;  the  quilt  was 
then  stretched  taut  and  held  in  place  by  the  two  remaining  bars, 
being  placed  at  either  end,  and  held  in  place  by  "  gimlets  "  bored 
down  at  the  point  of  intersection.  Maids  and  matrons  then  ranged 
their  chairs  on  either  of  the  two  sides  of  the  quilt,  the  pasteboard 
patterns  of  the  "figure  "  agreed  upon  after  deep  thought,  scalloped, 
herring-boned,  diamond,  etc.,  etc.,  laid  upon  the  surface  of  the  work, 
the  emery  balls  and  beeswax  at  hand,  the  needles  threaded,  and  the 
work  began.  As  it  progressed  the  gimlets  were  withdrawn,  the 
quilting-bars  rolled  up  and  again  fastened,  until  the  two  sides  met 
each  other,  and  the  work  was  done. 

Then  followed  the  supper,  prepared  in  the  spacious  kitchen,  be- 
fore the  open  fireplace,  and  there  partaken  of,  the  greatest  triumphs 
of  New  England  housewifery  being  then  produced  and  enjoyed 
with  neighborly  chat  and  narrative.  Many  of  these  quilts  were 
indeed  wonders,  and  exist  to-day  to  evidence  the  taste,  skill,  and 
industry  of  our  grandmothers. 

The  apple-paring  was  a  less  notable,  although  not  unusual,  gath- 
ering, and  was  enjoyed  more  particularly  by  the  young  people. 
Nearly  every  farm  had  its  apple  orchard,  and  apples  entered  largely 
into  the  sum  of  farm  products.  As  the  crop  could  not  all  be  used 
when  gathered  to  preserve  a  part,  the  apples  were  pared,  cored,  and 
sliced,  and  then  strung  on  strings  or  coarse  thread,  a  large  needle 
making  the  puncture,  the  strings  of  apple  being  hung  in  festoons 
on  the  poles,  which  were  then  suspended  in  every  kitchen,  and 
used  as  occasion  demanded,  for  drying  yarn  from  the  dye-pot, 
clothing,  pumpkins  sliced  and  cut  in  spirals  for  winter  use,  and  ap- 
ples as  here  prepared. 

Pitchers  of  cider  and  heaps  of  butternuts  were  at  hand  to  regale  the 
parers,  for  whom  a  bountiful  supper  was  furnished  when  the  work  was 
done.  The  red  apple,  with  its  attendant  salutation  from  sweetheart 
or  "  beau,"  was  never  overlooked,  in  attending  to  the  store  of  fruit. 

The  spelling-school  was  another  institution  of  much  interest,  if 
not  usefulness,  and  was  enjoyed  throughout  the  town  during  the 
autumn  and  winter  months.  Sometimes  a  school  was  organized  be- 
tween scholars  of  the  same  district,  but  more  generally  one  district 
challenged  another  district,  and  occasionally  some  district  challenged 
or  was  challenged  by  a  district  in  an  adjoining  town. 


358  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  first  thing  in  organizing  the  session  was  for  the  two  most 
accomphshed  spellers  to  choose  sides  for  the  match,  unless  one 
district  was  pitted  against  another  district.  These  leaders,  male  or 
female,  alternately  chose  one  clansman,  personally  for  his  or  her 
excellence  in  spelling,  alone.  It  was  no  anomaly  for  an  adept  to  be 
a  poor  scholar  generally  but  a  wonderful  speller.  The  attendance 
being  thus  enrolled  on  either  side,  the  opposing  forces  took  places, 
standing  in  line,  in  the  back  seats  of  either  side  of  the  schoolhouse. 
Some  favorite  was  chosen, — perhaps  the  teacher,  perhaps  the  pru- 
dential committee  for  the  district,  perhaps  the  local  magistrate,  or 
possibly  some  phenomenal  adept  from  out  of  town, — to  preside  and 
"  put  out  the  words."  Taking  his  place  in  the  teacher's  desk,  the 
visiting  citizens  filling  the  lower  seats  or  convenient  chairs,  the  busi- 
ness of  the  evening  commenced.  The  words  first  presented  were 
simple  and  harmless.  The  leader  of  the  side  challenged  had  the  first 
call ;  if  spelled  .correctly,  the  next  word  came  to  his  next  in  order ; 
but  if  failure  ensued,  the  unfortunate  member  took  his  seat,  and  the 
next  word  went  in  like  manner  to  the  other  side.  Gradually  the 
words  grew  harder,  and  the  interest  greater;  man  after  man,  or  boy 
and  girl  after  boy  and  girl,  went  down  before  the  fateful  battery  of 
wonderful  words,  selected  for  the  occasion  by  the  erudite  presiding 
genius;  at  last  but  a  diminishing  few  remained,  and  the  polyglot 
words  grew  fearful  and  strange  to  unaccustomed  ears.  At  last,  when 
excitement  was  at  fever  heat,  all  had  missed  and  been  "spelled 
down  "  but  one ;  and  then  the  decision  came,  that  his  or  her  side 
had  beaten,  and  that  he  or  she  was  the  champion  of  the  evening. 

The  ride  to  the  rendezvous  and  the  more  thrilling  ride  home  un- 
der the  stars,  over  the  crisp  and  snowy  roads,  through  welcomed 
covered  bridges  where  "  taking  toll "  was  permitted,  was  not  an 
immaterial  part  of  the  evening's  enjoyment. 

The  incidents  of  the  trial,  how  such  and  such  a  one  faltered  at  a 
new  and  astounding  word ;  how  they  went  down  before  the  recur- 
ring bombardment,  or  gathered  the  forces  of  memory  and  intui- 
tion and  repelled  the  shaft  and  won  new  honors,  were  topics  of  fire- 
side conversation  and  gratification  to  admiring  friends. 

Huskings  occurred  in  the  later  autumn  months,  and  were  largely 
attended  and  popular.  Every  farmer  raising  a  considerable  crop  of 
corn,  invited  his  neighbors  to  help  husk  it  out.  The  great  farms 
on  the  intervale  of  the  Connecticut,  however ,  were  more  natural 
corn  land,  raised  larger  crops,  and  offered  larger  opportunities  for 
this  noticeable  festival. 

The  husking  at  Col.  John  H.  White's,  Major  John  VV.  VVeeks's, 
Esquire  Adino  N.  Brackett's,  William  Brown's,  Gorham  Lane's, 
Roswell  Chessman's,  Ezra  Brooks's,  Emmons  Stockwell's,  Josiah  Bel- 
lows's,  Mrs.  Holton's,  Dr.  Benjamin  Hunking's,  Col.  Ephraim  Cross's, 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  359 

Gov.  Jared  W.  Williams's,  were,  half  a  century  ago,  notable  affairs, 
and  each  place  had  its  particular  reputation  for  the  gathering  assem- 
bled, the  variety  of  work  and  fun  likely  to  be  had  and  enjoyed,  and 
the  excellence  of  the  husking  supper  that  crowned  the  evening's 
observance. 

Let  us  look  upon  a  husking  floor  ready  for  use.  The  ears  of  corn 
are  piled  along  the  length  of  one  side  of  the  long  floor  from  the  big 
doors  at  one  end  to  the  big  doors  at  the  other,  sometimes  the  pile 
being  four  feet  on  the  floor,  and  reaching  an  equal  height  against 
the  feeding-place  or  the  mow.  On  this,  at  perhaps  ten  feet  inter- 
vals, were  placed  the  empty  baskets  to  be  filled  with  the  husked 
corn  ears  as  the  work  progressed,  pumpkins  were  placed  along  the 
base  of  the  heap  for  seats  for  the  buskers,  and  pitchforks,  the  tines 
firmly  stuck  into  the  hay  of  the  scaffold,  the  handles  projecting  out 
over  the  corn  heap,  suspended  the  lanterns  of  the  period — round 
cylinders  of  tin,  punched  with  holes  in  regular  patterns,  through 
which  holes  the  light  of  the  tallow-dipped  candle  inside  struggled 
to  give  illumination. 

Men  were  detailed  to  carry  away  and  empty  the  baskets  as  fast  as 
filled,  and  all  was  in  readiness.  The  company  assembled  by  7 
p.  m.,  and  the  work  was  usually  completed  two  hours  later,  some- 
times with  a  big  pile  of  ears,  or  a  scant  company  an  hour  later  than 
-this. 

These  were  male  gatherings,  the  damsels  reserving  their  presence 
for  "  waiting  upon  the  tables  "  at  the  supper  later  in  the  evening. 
As  the  work  progressed  singing  was  always  in  order.  There  were 
well-known  and  popular  singers  in  each  community  whose  presence 
was  much  sought  on  these  occasions,  and  who  prided  themselves 
upon  their  accomplishments  and  their  popularity.  Melody  and  tune 
was  not  necessary,  although  of  frequent  occurrence.  A  strong  voice 
and  a  collection  of  the  popular  songs  were  the  chief  requisites. 
Story-telling  and  practical  jokes  were  not  wanting,  and  the  events 
of  each  neighborhood  were  the  topics  of  homely  and  witty  comment. 
Although  the  damsels  were  not  present,  the  finder  of  the  traditional 
red  ear  came  in  for  the  marked  attention  of  the  company  in  the 
form  of  a  bombardment  of  hard  ears  of  husked  corn,  from  which  he 
was  glad  to  hide  his  head,  or  perhaps  retreat  temporarily  from  the 
scene. 

The  writer  recalls  a  husking  at  the  barn  of  a  noted  Democratic 
manager  and  politician,  a  barn  once  standing  where  the  Lancaster 
House  swings  and  tennis  grounds  now  are,  then  standing  directly 
back  from  the  big  elm  where  the  barn  of  the  William  Burns  place 
on  Main  street  now  is,  now  standing  on  Ethan  Crawford's  place 
near  the  Main  street  railroad  crossing.      (1897). 

A  good  time  was  expected  (and  had)  and  the  attendance  large. 


36o  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Among  the  crowd  was  a  zealous  Democratic  lad  from  a  home  long 
ago  laid  in  ashes,  then  standing  on  a  road  now  for  many  years 
abandoned,  and  near  the  famous  cold  spring,  from  which  the  Lan- 
caster House  is  supplied.  Harry  had  found  a  red  ear,  and  the  pelt- 
ing became  fast  and  furious.  For  a  time  it  was  borne  with  good 
humor;  but  annoyance  and  a  sense  of  personal  injury  followed, 
until  in  a  voice  choked  with  rage  and  tears,  the  victim  announced 
if  he  could  n't  "  come  down  to  Colonel  Cross's  to  a  Democrat  husk- 
ing without  getting  thi'ozved  corn  at,  he  should  vote  the  Whig 
ticket  next  election." 

The  threat  was  sufficient,  the  shower  of  husked  ears  ceased ;  but 
the  logic  of  premise  and  conclusion  is  recalled  as  not  wholly  unlike 
that  of  many  patriots  of  later  years,  as  to  their  reasons  for  the  votes 
they  give. 

Our  description  of  a  husking  would  be  incomplete  without  recall- 
ing scraps  of  the  favorite  songs  of  those  occasions  as  they  linger  in 
memory.  They  were  a  strange  composite — sentimental,  patriotic, 
and  some  bordering  upon  broad  license,  but  never  far  enough  to 
provoke  deserved  censure. 

Here  is  a  verse  of  a  wailing  song,  descriptive  of  piratical  life,  a 
calling  that  always  seems  to  have  especial  attractions  to  the  young : 

'♦  We  met  a  gallant  vessel  a-sailing  on  the  sea. 
For  mercy,  for  mercy,  for  mercy  was  her  plea ! 
But  the  mercy  that  we  gave  her,  we  sunk  her  in  the  sea, 
Sailing  down  on  the  coast  of  the  Low  Barbar-i?^." 

Another  favorite  narrated  the  sad  consequences  that  came  to  the 
young  man  who  was  false  to  his  own  true  love : 

'«  My  father's  in  his  winding  sheet. 

My  mother,  too,  appears. 
While  the  girl  I  loved  is  standing  by, 

A-wiping  off  the  tears. 
They  all  have  died  of  a  broken  heart, 

And  now  too  late  I  find 
That  God  has  seen  my  cr\xe\tee 

To  the  girl  I  left  behind." 

"Lord  Bateman"  was  always  popular,  as  the  interminable  verses 
droned  out, — 

"  Lord  Bateman  was  a  noble  lord, 
A  noble  lord  of  high  degree." 

A  song  always  received  with  hilarious  applause,  akin  in  rhythm 
and  narrative  to  "One-Eyed  Riley"  of  the  "  Fighting  Fifth,"  started 
into  full  swing  with, — 


GAMES,    SPORTS,    AND    AMUSEMENTS.  36 1 

"  There  was  a  rich  merchant  in  London  did  dwell ; 
He  had  but  one  daughter,  a  beautiful  gell. 
For  wit  and  for  beauty  none  did  her  excel ; 
And  she  married  for  her  husband  a  trooper. 
Li  whack  fol  de  riddle,  fol  lol  de  rol  diddle, 
Li  whack  fol  de  riddle  do  da." 

And  another  chronicled  the  adventures  of  a  barber  who  had  filled 
his  pockets  with  stolen  butter  and  cheese,  and  on  the  adv^ent  of  the 
owner  had  hidden  himself  uf  the  chimney : 

"  I  being  up  the  chimney  and  seated  at  my  ease. 
The  fire  began  to  melt  the  butter,  likewise  to  toast  the  cheese. 
The  master  being  in  the  house,  he  thought  the  devil  was  there ; 
For  every  drop  that  fell  in  the  fire,  oh  Lord  !  how  it  did  flare  !  " 

Love  and  shipwreck  came  in  the  ballad  of  "  Roy  Niel " : 

"  They  sailed  away  in  a  gallant  bark, 

Roy  Niel  and  his  fair  young  bride. 
There  were  joyous  hearts  in  that  bounding  oak. 

As  she  danced  o'er  the  silvery  tide. 
But  a  storm  arose  as  they  left  the  land. 

And  the  thunders  shook  the  deep. 
And  the  lightning's  flash  broke  the  short  repose 

Of  the  weary  sea-boy's  sleep. 
Roy  Niel  he  clasped  his  fair  young  bride, 

And  pressed  her  trembling  hand. 
'  Oh,  love !  'twas  a  fatal  hour,'  he  cried, 

'  When  we  left  our  native  land.'  " 

"  Young  Albion,"  a  song  of  the  Pemigewasset  river,  was  always 
eagerly  listened  to.     It  narrated  how 

•'  On  the  Pemigewasset  at  break  of  the  day, 
A  birchen  canoe  was  seen  gliding  away. 
As  swift  as  the  wild  duck  that  swam  by  its  side, 
In  silence  the  bark  down  the  river  did  glide. 
At  intervals  heard  'mid  the  bellowing  sigh. 
The  hoot  of  the  owl  and  the  catamount's  cry, 
The  howl  of  the  wolf  from  his  lone  granite  cell, 
And  the  crash  of  the  dead  forest  tree  as  it  fell. 
Young  Albion,  the  chief  of  his  warriors,  was  there, 
With  the  eye  of  an  eagle,  the  foot  of  a  deer." 

The  buskers  were  never  tired  of  hearing  how 

"  Down  in  the  lowlands  a  poor  boy  did  wander, 
Down  in  the  lowlands  a  poor  boy  did  roam. 
By  his  friends  he  was  neglected. 
He  look-ed  so  dejected, 
This  poor  little  sailor  boy,  so  far  away  from  home." 


362  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Some  lingering  trace  of  the  old  fraternal  feeling  for  France,  for 
her  help  in  our  Revolutionary  contest,  I  suppose  warmed  the  hearts 
and  prompted  the  applause  that  always  greeted  "  The  Bonny  Bunch 
of  Roses,  oh  !  "  and  the  filial  devotion  of  the  young  king  of  Italy,  as 
expressed  in  the  words, — 

"  Then  up  stepped  young  Na-po-Ie-on 

And  took  his  mother  by  the  hand, 

Saying  '  Mother,  dearest  mother,  when  I  am  able  to  command, 

'Tis  I  will  take  an  army,  and  o'er  the  frozen  Alps  I  '11  go, 

And  I  will  reconquer  Moscow,  and  return  with  the  Bonny  Bunch  of  Roses,  oh  ! ", 

Equally  a  favorite  was  the  ballad  of  "  Mary  of  the  Wild  Moor"  : 

"  One  night  the  wind  it  blew  cold, 
Blew  bitter  across  the  wild  moor. 
When  Mary  came  wandering  home. 

Wandering  home  to  her  own  father's  door, 

"  Crying,  '  Father,  oh,  pray  let  me  in  ; 
Take  pity  on  me,  I  implore, 
Or  the  child  at  my  bosom  will  die 

From  the  winds  that  blow  o'er  the  wild  moor.' 

"  But  her  father  was  deaf  to  her  cries  ; 

Not  a  sound  or  a  voice  reached  the  door. 
And  that  night  Mary  perished  and  died 

From  the  winds  that  blew  o'er  the  wild  moor. 

"  Oh,  how  must  her  father  have  felt 

When  he  came  to  the  door  in  the  morn ! 
There  he  found  Mary  dead,  and  the  child 
Fondly  clasped  in  its  dead  mother's  arms." 

But  the  candles  flicker  in  the  swaying  lanterns,  a  big  pile  of  husks 
attests  the  labors  of  the  evening,  and  the  corn  is  safely  spread  on  the 
chamber  floor  to  dry.  Adjournment  is  made  to  the  farmhouse 
kitchen,  illumined  by  the  roaring  fireplace  and  garnished  by  coils 
of  drying  pumpkin  and  strings  of  quartered  apples.  The  tables 
groan  under  stores  of  pumpkin-pies,  "  sage  cheese,  spearmint-tinc- 
tured cheese,  horsemint-tinctured  cheese,"  brown  bread,  apples,  and 
pitchers  of  cider,  the  incidents  of  the  evening  are  discussed  with  the 
supper,  and  after  an  hour  of  moral  fun  the  jolly  buskers  separate 
under  the  stars  for  the  scattered  farms  on  hillside  or  along  the  river, 
or  wend  their  way  down  the  sleeping  street,  past  the  Gun  House 
and  burying  ground,  under  the  weird  shadows  made  by  the  straight 
Lombardy  poplars  that  line  the  street,  or  the  magic  thrown  by  the 
Great  Willow  standing  on  the  left  of  the  line  reaching  south  from 
the  site  of  the  present  Lancaster  House.  Perhaps  some  adventur- 
ous   spirits,   spurning  slumber,  prepared    an    object  lesson  for   the 


MERCANTILE   ENTERPRISES    AND    MERCHANTS.  363 

village  fathers  by  launching  "  Old  Hundred  "  in  the  muddy  pool 
engendered  by  insufficient  drainage  near  the  sign-post  of  the  Coos 
Hotel,  or  with  lump  of  chalk  striped  the  red  sign-post  of  Brother 
Howe's  Temperance  House  to  the  semblance  of  a  barber's  pole  ;  but 
these  were  occasional  and  harmless  frolics,  devoid  of  malice.  Usu- 
ally a  half  hour  after  the  close  of  the  husking-supper,  town  and 
village  were  locked  in  slumber. 

The  amusements  of  the  earlier  days  were  simple,  harmless,  enjoy- 
able. They  developed  at  once  muscle,  character,  patriotism  ;  they 
nurtured  a  sturdy  race.  It  is  not  without  the  province  of  a  history 
of  the  town — the  story  of  its  birth,  life,  and  condition — to  record  in 
its  pages  this  imperfect  record  of  our  recreations  and  customs  in 
the  years  that  are  gone. 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE  MERCANTILE  ENTERPRISES  AND  MERCHANTS  OF  LAN- 
CASTER. 

At  the  time  the  town  was  settled,  the  trade  in  furs  and  skins  had 
attained  such  proportions  that  these  articles  were  as  good  as  cur- 
rency. The  first  stock  of  goods  brought  to  town  was  by  David 
Page  in  1766.  It  was  stipulated  in  the  bill  of  the  goods  that  they 
were  to  be  "  traded  out,"  and  paid  for  in  furs  and  skins,  moose  and 
bear  skins  being  particularly  mentioned  as  desirable.  In  those  first 
years  there  was  probably  very  little  money  in  circulation,  as  every 
settler  was  on  an  equal  footing  with  every  other  one.  They  had  but 
little.  The  world  lay  at  their  feet,  a  great  possibility  to  be  tried, 
and,  if  possible,  conquered,  and  homes  built  and  made  comfortable. 
Utility,  not  elegance,  was  the  quality  that  recommended  any- 
thing to  them.  When  Merchant  Molineau  of  Boston,  Mass.,  was 
putting  up  a  load  of  goods  to  be  sent  to  Lancaster,  he  included  : 
"Axes,  grindstones,  scythes,  sickles,  nails,  flints  for  their  guns,  pow- 
der, blanketing,  lampwick,  and  rum."  Articles  like  these  were 
indispensable  to  a  new  settlement,  but  their  sale  could  only  be 
effected  by  barter. 

For  several  years  David  Page  and  Edwards  Bucknam  kept  such 
important  articles  for  trade,  though  they  made  no  attempt  at  it  as  a 
business.  The  goods  were  carted  here  at  an  expense  about  equal 
to  the  first  cost.  They  came  high  and  left  little  profit  for  the 
sellers.  Fortunately,  furs  and  skins  of  bear  and  moose  were  plenty 
and  everybody  generous,  so  that  the  trader  could  no  doubt  square 
his  accounts  with  the  wholesale  merchants  in  the  cities. 

As   the    community    grew,  and    the  wants  of  the  people   became 


364  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

more  numerous,  and  they  had  more  to  buy  with,  traders  began  to 
multiply ;  and  soon  the  first  merchant  came  to  town  in  the  person- 
age of  a  French  ex-consul  from  Portsmouth,  who  lost  his  post  by 
the  accession  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  to  the  throne  of  France  on 
the  overthrow  of  the  Bourbons  in  1799.  Early  in  the  year  1800, 
he  came  to  Lancaster  and  opened  a  store  in  the  south  part  of  the 
town,  just  opposite  the  residence  of  Capt.  John  Weeks,  on  the  east 
side  of  the  road   leading  to   South  Lancaster. 

Here  for  four  years  this  man,  John  Toscan,  sold  goods  as  his 
only  business  in  a  log  house.  His  house  and  its  contents  were 
burned  in  1804,  ^^^  he  left  town  to  return  to  Portsmouth. 

The  next  person  to  become  a  merchant  in  town  was  Stephen 
Wilson.  Although  Mr.  Wilson  had  kept  goods  in  his  hotel  at  the 
north  end  of  Main  street  while  Toscan  was  a  merchant  here,  it  was 
only  for  barter  in  a  small  way.  After  the  loss  of  Toscan's  store 
there  was  a  demand  for  a  better  stock  of  goods,  and  Wilson  im- 
proved the  opportunity  to  make  his  store  the  leading  one  in  the 
village.  Very  soon  other  stores  were  opened  at  that  end  of  the 
street.  These  stores  sold  all  sorts  of  things  needed  in  a  new  coun- 
try, and  took  their  pay  in  things  as  varied  as  those  they  sold.  I 
have  before  me  the  ledger  of  Stephen  Wilson,  which  shows  a  traffic 
in  a  variety  of  things  that  are  no  longer  on  the  markets.  He 
credits  his  customers  against  their  debts  to  him  with  lumber,  butter, 
cheese,  ashes,  salts  of  lye,  furs,  eggs,  cloth  (of  home  manufacture), 
livestock,  and  the  labor  of  both  men  and  women. 

During  the  first  quarter  of  this  century  stores  were  kept  about 
the  north  end  of  Main  street,  mostly  in  dwelling  houses,  by  James 
Dewey,  Thomas  Carlisle,  William  Cargill,  George  W.  Perkins, 
George  V.  Eastman,  William  Carlisle,  John  M.  Dennison,  and 
Benjamin  Boardman.  Boardman  kept  his  goods  in  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  house  in  which  Ethan  Crawford  now  lives.  The  Car- 
gills  kept  their  stores  in  rooms  connected  with  their  dwelling  houses. 

Titus  O.  Brown,  for  some  years  one  of  the  leading  business  men 
of  the  town,  kept  a  stock  of  goods  at  the  south  end  of  Main  street, 
near  the  south  end  of  the  bridge  on  the  west  side  of  the  street.  The 
site  of  his  store  is  now  occupied  by  the  old  post-ofifice  building,  in 
which  Charles  Howe  has  his  harness  shop. 

A  little  later,  Samuel  White,  father  of  the  late  Nathaniel  White 
of  Concord,  N.  H.,  well  known  to  the  older  people  of  Lancaster, 
kept  a  store  in  his  bar-room  in  the  old  Chessman  Tavern  that  stood 
where  Kimball's  block  now  does,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Elm 
streets.     He  kept  here  as  late  as  1825. 

Nearly  all  of  these  early  storekeepers  failed.  Some  of  them  lost 
all  their  property ;   others,  the  greater  portion  of  it. 

Coming  down  to    1825,  a  new  era  in  mercantile  pursuits  in  Lan- 


Royal  Jovslin. 


James  Brack ett  Weeks. 


•^  :|K?^ 


Richard  Peabodv  Kent. 


Nelson  Kent. 


MERCANTILE    ENTERPRISES    AND    MERCHANTS.  365 

caster  began.  In  that  year  the  first  merchants  who  ever  made  a 
success  of  the  business  came  to  Lancaster — Royal  JoysHn  and 
Richard  P.  Kent.  About  the  same  time,  Guy  C.  and  WilHam 
Cargill  came  here.  They  were  also  quite  successful  as  mer- 
chants. Royal  Joyslin  was  a  nephew  of  Thomas  Carlisle,  a  mer- 
chant in  Lancaster  many  years,  but  who  did  a  small  business.  Mr. 
Joyslin  had  lived  with  his  uncle  from  1808  to  18 12,  when  he  went 
to  Bath,  N.  H.,  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  belonging  to  his  uncle,  Carlisle, 
Bellows  &  Dewey,  where  he  remained  for  ten  years,  when  he  left 
them  to  go  into  business  for  himself  in  partnership  with  Hosea 
Edson.  In  1825  he  sold  out  and  came  to  Lancaster,  bringing 
with  him  the  late  Richard  P.  Kent,  who  worked  for  him  as  clerk. 
He  opened  a  stock  in  the  "  Carlisle  Store,"  where  John  T.  Amey's 
house  now  stands.  He  opened  a  second  store  in  the  old  "  Samp- 
son Store,"  later  occupied  by  Hartford  Sweet,  on  Elm  street,  oppo- 
site the  old  American  House  stable.  For  one  year  these  two  were 
the  only  stores  in  town. 

In  1828  Guy  C.  Cargill  came  to  Lancaster  from  Bath,  N.  H., 
and  in  partnership  with  William  Carlisle,  opened  a  store  in  the  old 
Carlisle  building.  Richard  P.  Kent  formed  a  partnership  with  his 
employer,  Mr.  Joyslin,  that  year,  they  occupying  the  Sampson 
store,  or  as  it  was  often  spoken  of,  the  "  Red  Store."  Business 
had  by  this  time  begun  to  drift  toward  the  south  end  of  Main  street, 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  mills.  Very  soon  Guy  C.  Cargill  moved  his 
store  down  into  the  old  "  Green  Store,"  where  the  Evans  block  now 
stands.  About  this  time  William  Sampson  came  from  Northumber- 
land and  opened  a  store  in  the  old  Carlisle  building. 

Joyslin  &  Kent  did  a  good  business  for  four  years,  at  the  end 
of  which  time  they  dissolved  partnership,  each  acting  on  his  own 
account.  R.  P.  Kent  bought  the  Cargill  stock  (the  Green  store),, 
while  JoysHn  remained  for  three  years  in  the  old  stand.  Joyslin 
moved  the  old  "Red  Store"  (the  Carlisle  store)  down  Main  street 
to  where  the  Lancaster  National  bank  now  is,  and  occupied  it  until 
1845.  If*  ^845  the  town  removed  the  old  meeting-house  down  from 
Sand  hill  to  where  it  now  stands  as  the  main  part  of  Masonic  Tem- 
ple or  Music  Hall,  and  fitted  up  a  store  on  the  ground  floor.  The 
second  story  was  used  for  a  town  hall,  and  the  attic  was  fitted  up 
as  a  hall  for  the  Odd  Fellows.  Here  Mr.  Joyslin  continued  until 
1867,  when,  on  account  of  age  and  infirmities,  he  retired  from  bus- 
iness. He  sold  to  Porter  Brothers.  Mr.  Joyslin  was  in  business 
here  for  the  term  of  forty-two  years. 

R.  P.  Kent  occupied  the  old  "Green  Store"  until  1837,  when  he 
moved  into  the  building  formerly  standing  near  the  site  of  the  stone 
house  built  by  John  S.  Wells,  and  which,  enlarged  in  1853  and 
rebuilt  in  1890,   is  now  known  as  the   "Kent  Building,"   on   Main 


366  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Street,  where  he  remained  until  his  death,  in  1885.  In  April,  1837, 
he  took  Lewis  C.  Porter  into  partnership  with  him,  which  relation 
lasted  only  three  years.  From  1840  to  1844  Mr.  Kent  had  no 
partner.  His  brother  Nelson  was  his  clerk  since  1836;  but  in  1845 
he  took  Nelson  into  partnership,  the  firm  name  being  R.  P.  Kent 
&  Co.  This  partnership  only  lasted  three  years,  when  R.  P.  Kent 
became  the  sole  owner  of  the  store  until  1862,  when  he  took  his 
brother  Nelson  and  his  son,  Edward  R.  Kent,  into  partnership,  as 
R.  P.  Kent,  Son  &  Co.  After  seven  years  Nelson  retired  to  form 
a  partnership  with  John  W.  Spaulding.  The  old  firm  since  that 
time  has  been  known  as  R.  P.  Kent  &  Son.  Mr.  Kent,  from  his 
first  venture  in  business  in  Lancaster,  always  kept  what  was  known 
as  a  "  general  store  " — his  stock  including  almost  everything  on  the 
market.  Having  for  many  years  carried  a  heavy  stock  of  stoves 
and  tinware,  also  doing  tin  work,  he  made  that  a  separate  depart- 
ment in  1865,  and  took  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh  into  partnership  with 
him  under  the  firm  name  of  Kent  &  Cobleigh.  This  partnership 
lasted  until  1882,  when  Mr.  Kent  sold  his  interest  in  the  hardware 
business,  and  the  firm  became  Cobleigh  &  Moore. 

Mr.  Kent  was,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  the  oldest  merchant  in 
tow^n,  having  been  in  business  on  his  own  account  for  fifty-seven 
years,  and  as  clerk  three  years  in  Lancaster,  and  sixty-five  years 
from  his  first  service  as  clerk  in  a  store  at  Lyman.  The  only  one 
who  has  been  in  mercantile  pursuits  a  longer  time  in  the  town  is  his 
brother  Nelson,  who  has  been  behind  the  counter  in  stores  over 
sixty  years. 

R.  P.  Kent  was,  with  Gen.  John  Wilson,  Royal  Joyslin,  and  Apolos 
Perkins,  a  partner  in  the  publication  of  the  White  Mountain  yEgis, 
the  first  newspaper  published  in  the  town  in  1838.  From  1841  to 
1885  he  kept  a  diary,  in  which  events  that  engaged  the  attention 
of  men  in  town,  state,  or  nation  were  recorded.  In  this  way  he 
saved  much  of  local  history  from  uncertainty,  if  not  oblivion. 

He  says  of  mercantile  business  soon  after  he  came  to  Lancaster : 

"  Nearly  all  our  early  sales  were  made  on  credit  or  barter.  During  my  four 
years  with  Mr.  Joyslin  we  bought  3,000  bushels  of  ashes  yearly,  which  we 
worked  into  'potash  and  pearlash,'  mostly  the  latter,  which  netted  about  $800 
by  their  sale  in  Boston.  Large  quantities  of  grain  were  brought  in  by  farmers, 
much  of  which  we  had,  often,  to  carry  over  one  season.  The  weavil  appeared  in 
the  Connecticut  valley  in  1831,  and  through  the  destruction  of  the  winter  crop 
we  sold  one  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  at  one  dollar  per  bushel  in  the  winter  of 
1 83 1.  Large  dairies  were  kept  those  times  ;  and  most  of  the  milk  was  made  into 
cheese,  which  we  marketed  chiefly  at  Rutland,  Vt." 

Mr.  Kent  for  over  forty  years  never  missed  making  his  regular 
semi-annual  trips  to  Boston  for  the  selection  of  goods;  and  even 
after  commercial  travelers  were  on  the  road  with  their  samples,  or 


MERCANTILE    ENTERPRISES    AND    MERCHANTS.  367 

it  had  become  possible  for  merchants  to  order  by  mail,  he  still 
visited  the  wholesale  houses  and  selected  his  stocks.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  careful  and  persistent  of  men.  He  met  with  many 
losses  from  casualties,  and  the  failure  or  dishonesty  of  debtors,  but 
never  pined  over  them.  Full  of  courage,  purpose,  and  confidence 
in  the  integrity  of  business  men  with  whom  he  had  to  deal,  he  went 
on  about  the  business  he  loved,  and  made  a  success  of  it. 

After  the  death  of  R.  P.  Kent  his  son,  Edward  R.  Kent,  continued 
under  the  same  name.  (Its  business  was  closed  in  1898,  by  reason 
of  ill  health  of  the  remaining  partner.) 

Kent  &  Spauldtiig,  Kent  &  G7-iszvoId,  Kent  d:  Roberts. — 
When  Nelson  Kent  retired  from  the  firm  of  R.  P.  Kent  &  Co.,  in 
1869,  he  formed  a  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law,  John  W. 
Spaulding,  under  the  firm  name  of  Kent  &  Spaulding.  They  kept 
only  dry  goods,  and  for  a  number  of  years  did  a  good  business. 
Mr.  Spaulding  retired  from  the  firm  after  a  few  years  to  engage  in 
other  business,  when  Charles  L.  Griswold,  from  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt., 
who  had  been  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  R.  P.  Kent  &  Co.  for  a  number 
of  years,  succeeded  Mr.  Spaulding  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Kent 
&  Griswold.  Mr.  Griswold,  who  was  son-in-law  of  Mr.  Kent,  died 
in  1883,  and  Mr.  Kent  took  into  partnership  with  him  Burleigh 
Roberts,  who  remains  in  that  connection  with  him  still.      (1897). 

yames  A.  Smith. — One  of  the  first  men,  a  native  of  the  town, 
to  make  a  success  of  mercantile  business  was  James  A.  Smith, 
son  of  Allen  Smith,  for  many  years  a  leading  saddler  and  harness- 
maker  of  Lancaster.  James  A.  Smith  began  business  in  Reuben 
Stephenson's  house,  corner  of  Main  and  Middle  streets,  but  later 
built  and  moved  into  the  building  on  Main  street  where  he  re- 
mained the  rest  of  his  life.  His  store  occupied  the  site  of  S.  Rines's 
blacksmith  shop.  Here  for  about  forty  years  Mr.  Smith  carried  on 
a  very  successful  business.     He  was  a  careful  and  sagacious  man. 

Hosea  Gray. — One  of  the  most  successful  men  of  Lancaster 
was  the  late  Hosea  Gray.  For  many  years  he  conducted  a  freight- 
ing business  between  Lancaster  and  Portland,  Me.  On  one  of 
his  trips  he  had  the  misfortune  to  get  a  leg  broken,  which  made 
a  change  of  work  necessary.  He  opened  a  store  in  the  Reuben 
Stephenson  building,  corner  of  Main  and  Middle  streets.  This  old 
building  was  later  moved  to  High  street  and  converted  into  a 
dwelling  house,  and  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Thomas  C. 
Carbee.  Mr.  Gray's  success  as  a  merchant  was  so  great  that  he 
soon  had  to  seek  larger  quarters  to  accommodate  his  growing 
trade.  He  moved  into  the  old  Cargill  store,  where  the  Evans  build- 
ing now  is,  in  1857.  Here  for  a  number  of  years  he  remained. 
In  addition  to  his  store  he  bought  cattle  and  drove  them  to  the  large 
markets.      During  the  period   of  the  war,   and   later,  he  bought  up 


368  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

the  bulk  of  the  potato  starch,  then  being  made  in  large  quantities 
in  the  region,  and  held  it  for  a  rise  in  price,  which  soon  came ;  and 
he  made  a  fortune  out  of  the  transaction.  For  nearly  fifty  years 
he  was  one  of  Lancaster's  most  successful  business  men.  He  died 
August  27,  1882. 

Besides  these  there  were  many  others  who  ventured  in  mercantile 
pursuits,  and  either  finding  them  less  profitable  or  themselves  little 
adapted  to  them,  failed  or  went  out  of  trade  for  something  else. 

Among  them  were  the  following : 

R.  L.  Adams  and  Oliver  Nutter,  who  were  merchants  for  a  time. 
Charles  Bellows,  a  son  of  Josiah  Bellows,  2d.  He  bought  almost 
anything  that  promised  a  bargain,  and  in  that  way  carried  on  quite 
a  successful  business  for  many  years.  G.  F.  Hartwell  had  a  store 
a  short  time  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets,  where  E. 
Sullivan's  house  now  stands.  His  venture  was  not  a  success. 
David  Burnside  was  in  business  here  for  many  years.  He  was  a 
tanner  by  trade.  He  made  a  good  property  loaning  money  and 
owning  and  renting  real  estate  in  the  village.  He  was  interested  in 
a  variety  of  enterprises,  and  in  all  of  them  he  was  successful.  His 
son,  David  A.  Burnside,  was  a  merchant  in  company  with  Sabin  C. 
Woolson,  and  afterwards  proprietor  of  the  Lancaster  House.  Orrin 
Tubbs  conducted  a  store  on  the  site  of  the  Amey  House  for  some 
time,  but  it  was  one  of  the  short-lived  enterprises  of  the  town. 
For  some  years  S.  G.  Evans  run  a  store  in  the  Evans  block.  Be- 
sides these  there  were  many  other  ventures  in  the  mercantile  line. 

Bookstores. — Few  enterprises  in  Lancaster  are  more  worthy  a 
place  in  its  history  than  the  book  trade.  For  fifty  years  few  towns 
of  its  size  could  boast  larger  stocks  to  select  from  than  those  car- 
ried in  Lancaster. 

So  far  as  can  be  learned,  the  first  stock  of  miscellaneous  books 
brought  to  town  was  by  Perkins  &  Company,  publishers  of  the 
White  Mountain  yEgis,  in  1838.  Previous  to  that  time  some  of 
the  merchants,  had  carried  a  small  stock  of  school  books,  Bibles, 
and  religious  books.  After  this  first  newspaper  got  fairly  estab- 
lished it  began  carrying  a  considerable  list  of  publications. 

When  James  M.  Rix  began  to  publish  the  Coos  County  Demo- 
crat in  1838,  he  brought  to  Lancaster  a  very  fine  stock.  Mr.  Rix 
was  a  lover  of  books,  and  interested  himself  in  getting  his  neigh- 
bors to  read  the  very  best  volumes  in  print.  His  favorite  way  of 
calling  attention  to  a  new  stock  was  to  head  the  lists  in  the  Demo- 
crat, "  Books  that  are  Books."  Mr.  Rix  carried  also  a  stock  of 
"  Yankee  notions,"  medicines,  and  garden  seeds.  He  first  estab- 
lished his  bookstore  in  the  south  end  of  Wells'  building,  where  the 
Kent  building  now  is,  then  in  the  Hartwell  store  which  had  been 
moved  down  from  the  North  End,  to  the  site  of  P.  J.  Noyes's  block.. 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  369 

This  Store  was  burned  January  8,  1848,  by  which  fire  he  lost 
$1,400,  with  $500  insurance  on  his  stock.  He  next  moved  into 
the  building  occupied  by  I.  W.  Quimby's  shoe  store,  now  a  part 
of  Syndicate  Block,  on  Main  street.  Here  he  continued  his  trade 
in  books  until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1856.  He  did  much  to 
encourage  and  cultivate  a  taste  for  good  literature  in  the  town. 
His  own  private  library  was  large  and  of  the  very  choicest  of  books. 

The  next  book  store  in  town  was  kept  in  connection  with  a 
drug  store  by  Dr.  John  W.  Barney  and  George  F.  Hartwell,  where 
Colby's  drug  store  now  stands.  Hartwell  retired  from  the  business 
in  a  few  years,  and  Barney  conducted  it  alone  a  short  time,  when  he 
sold  it  to  Edward  Savage,  who  in  turn  run  it  a  few  years  and  sold  to 
the  late  Dr.  Frank  A.  Colby  and  E.  B.  Hamlin.  Colby  and  Hamlin 
only  run  the  store  for  two  years,  when  they  closed  out  their  stock  of 
miscellaneous  books,  but  continued  to  carry  school-books. 

P.  J.  Noyes  and  others  carried  stocks  of  school-books  also  until 
1882,  when  the  school  laws  were  changed  so  as  to  require  free  text- 
books to  be  purchased  by  the  school  officers. 

In  1882  George  H.  Colby  opened  a  book-store  in  his  brother's 
drug  store.  After  a  time  he  occupied  the  second  story  of  that 
building  with  a  large  stock  of  books  and  stationery.  He  later 
moved  into  the  Hazeltine  building  on  Main  street,  remaining  only 
a  short  time,  when  he  moved  into  the  Hartshorn  block  on  Main 
street.  Here  for  a  number  of  years  he  carried  a  large  stock  of 
books  and  stationery.  In  1894  he  moved  his  store  into  the  McGee 
building  on  Middle  street,  where  he  now  is  with  a  lar^e  stock  of 
goods. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

MANUFACTURING  ENTERPRISES    OF    THE  TOWN   FROM    ITS  SET- 
TLEMENT   TO    THE    PRESENT    TIME. 

FoT  AND  Pearl  Ashes — Cloth  and  Clothing  :  Clothing  Mills  and  Tailors 
— Tanners — Shoemakers — Gunsmiths — Furniture  Factories — Piano 
Sounding  Boards — Blacksmiths — Wagon  Makers  or  Wheelwrights — 
Clock  Factory — Harness  Makers — Hatters — Mills  :  Grist-mills  and 
Sawmills — Door,  Sash,  and  Blind  Factories — Strawboard  Mills — 
Starch  Factories — Thompson  Manufacturing  Co. — File  Factories — 
Diamond  Granite  Works. 

Pot  and  Pearl  Ashes. — Aside  from  hunting  and  trapping  fur- 
bearing  animals  and  the  moose,  whose  pelt  afforded  good  leather, 
the  making  of  pot  and  pearl  ashes  was  the  first  industry  that 
afforded  the  early  settlers  with  an  article  of  commerce  to  exchange 
in  the  markets  for  the  limited  stock  of  goods  brought  here.  The 
24 


370  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

land  was  heavily  timbered,  and  during  the  winter  months  burning  it 
for  ashes  to  sell  at  the  stores  was  a  common  occupation  for  men 
and  boys  for  many  years.  The  merchants  traded  goods  for  them, 
and  then  leached  and  boiled  the  lye  into  a  dark  salts,  sometimes 
referred  to  as  "  salts  of  lye."  This  salts  was  treated  to  a  second 
process,  which  made  the  pearl  ash  (Potassii  Carhonas  Ini^tira., 
U.  S.  P-)-  Gen.  John  Wilson  had  a  "  pearlash  "  in  the  rear  of 
I.  W.  Drew's  house  on  Indian  Brook ;  the  Cargill  store  had  one 
some  twenty  rods  south  of  Wilson's,  near  the  same  stream,  used 
also  by  Thomas  Carlisle  when  he  was  in  business  at  that  end  of  the 
village;  Benjamin  Boardman  had  his  pearlash  just  opposite  the 
stone  house  of  I.  W.  Hopkinson  on  Main  street;  Reuben  Stephen- 
son had  one  a  little  off  Middle  street,  near  where  L.  F.  Moore's 
back  store  stands ;  and  Samuel  White  had  his  on  the  south  side  of 
the  river  near  the  bridge.  The  late  Richard  P.  Kent  wrote  in  his 
Personal  Memoranda,  that  from  1828  to  1832,  while  he  was  a  part- 
ner of  Royal  Joyslin,  they  took  in  trade  three  thousand  bushels  of 
ashes  a  year.  The  business  soon  began  to  decline  after  that  date, 
and  has  long  since  been  given  up.  It  is  now  only  known  as  a  prim- 
itive and  crude  product  and  business  of  the  pioneer  age  of  the  town. 

The  early  settlers  of  the  town  were  by  necessity  compelled  to 
make  such  articles  of  apparel,  furniture,  and  implements  as  they 
used,  because  they  were  so  far  from  the  markets  as  to  make  it  prac- 
tically impossible  to  buy  all  these  things,  even  if  they  had  been 
for  sale.  The  first  load  of  goods  brought  to  town  by  Gen. 
Edwards  Bucknam  cost  more  for  transportation  than  they  were 
billed  at ;  and  these  had  to  be  bartered  for  furs  and  skins  mainly. 
Fortunately  those  early  pioneers  possessed  skill  enough  to  build 
their  own  houses,  dress  skins  and  furs,  spin  and  weave  cloth,  and 
make  their  own  clothes.  As  the  community  grew  in  numbers  and 
resources,  more  skilled  artisans  migrated  here  and  found  employ- 
ment at  their  various  trades. 

The  Mannfachire  of  Cloth  and  Clothing. — Until  about  1820, 
nearly  all  the  cloth  worn  in  Lancaster  was  made  by  hand  in  the 
homes  of  the  people.  They  spun  the  wool,  the  flax,  and  the  tow, 
and  wove  it  in  their  own  looms.  They  colored  the  yarn  or  cloth, 
largely  by  the  use  of  barks  and  a  few  simple  chemicals.  For  many 
years  the  wool  and  flax  were  even  carded  by  hand.  About  1820, 
what  was  known  as  "cotton  yarn"  began  to  be  carried  in  stock  by 
the  merchants.  This  was  used  chiefly  as  warp  in  the  weaving  of  a 
variety  of  mixed  cloths,  and  its  use  was  hailed  by  the  hard-worked 
housewives  as  a  boon,  for  it  saved  half  the  work  of  carding  and 
spinning,  and  it  made,  in  some  respects,  a  finer  article  of  clothing 
than  the  former  fabrics. 

The  various  processes  of  spinning,  weaving,  coloring  the   cloth, 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  37  I 

and  making  the  garments  came  in  alternating  seasons.  The  wool 
was  spun  during  the  early  summer,  woven  and  dyed  in  the  fall,  and 
made  up  in  the  early  autumn,  which  put  everybody  into  their 
woolen  clothes  ready  to  brave  the  winter,  while  on  the  other  hand 
the  flax  and  tow  were  dressed  in  winter,  spun,  woven,  and  made  up 
ready  for  their  adoption  on  the  approach  of  warm  weather  in  the 
spring. 

Cloth  Mills. — As  early  as  1805,  Richard  C.  Everett,  who  was 
a  man  of  considerable  means,  enterprising  and  public-spirited, 
erected  a  large  grist-mill  nearly  on  the  site  of  the  present  sawmill  on 
Isreals  river,  in  which  he  did  also  carding  of  wool  and  fulling  or 
dressing  cloth  for  those  who  made  it  and  brought  it  to  the  mill  to  be 
treated.  This  was  called  a  "cloth  mill,"  and  for  half  a  century  these 
mills  were  common.  The  Isreals  River  Manufacturing  Company 
later  for  many  years  occupied  this  site,  known  as  the  "  fulling  mill." 
In  181 5  Asahel  Going  erected  a  "  cloth  mill"  on  the  branch  of  the 
river  below  the  Main  Street  bridge,  on  what  is  now  Water  street, 
about  on  the  site  of  the  present  furniture  factory.  This  mill  did  a 
good  business  until  about  1839,  when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Fred- 
erick Fisk,  who  converted  it  into  a  pail  factory,  and  which  factory 
later  became  a  starch  mill  run  by  Fisk  &  Tillotson  (Frederick  Fisk 
and  John  M.  Tillotson),  and  after  the  starch  business  was  aban- 
doned was  converted  into  a  furniture  factory  by  N.  H.  Richardson, 
who  still  runs  it  as  such.  Wool  carding  is  still  carried  on  by  N.  W. 
Hartford  on  Canal  street,  where  rolls  are  also  kept  for  sale  by  him. 

Tailors. — Just  when  tailors  made  their  advent  in  Lancaster  is  not 
now  known.  The  first  to  follow  the  business  were  no  doubt  simply 
seamstresses  who  developed  superior  skill  in  cutting  and  planning 
garments.  After  a  time  professional  or  skilled  tailors  came  to  town. 
These,  at  first,  went  from  house  to  house,  cutting  and  fitting  the 
more  difificult  or  finer  garments.  They  w^ere  often  accompanied  by 
sewing  women,  who  made  the  articles  up  after  they  were  cut. 
The  tailor  simply  took  the  measures,  planned  and  cut,  and  then 
would  go  to  the  next  house,  followed  in  time  by  the  tailoress  or 
seamstress. 

The  first  person  to  open  a  regular  tailor  shop  in  town  was  George 
W.  Perkins,  some  time  before  1823.  Since  then  Lancaster  has 
never  been  without  a  good  tailoring  establishment.  The  successors 
of  Perkins  have  been  his  son-in-law,  George  W.  Ingerson,  Harrison 
Copp,  Jacob  Windus — "  the  German  tailor,"  Woolson  &  Co.,  Robert 
Sawyer,  l^elson  Sparks,  T.  S.  Underwood  &  Son,  Lane  Clothing  Co. 
(ready-made  clothing),  and  Christian  Deitrich.  The  last  three  are 
still  in  business  here. 

Ready-made  clothing,  of  late  years,  has  limited  the  trade  of  the 
tailors  materially,  while  large  stocks  of  that  class   of  goods  are  car- 


372  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

ried  by  several  houses, — R.  P.  Kent  &  Son,  Lane  Clothing  Co., 
Kent  &  Roberts,  and  W.  C.  Sherburne. 

Tanneries. — One  of  the  earliest  industries  of  an}'  community  is 
that  of  manufacturing  leather  for  foot  wear.  Just  when,  and  under 
what  circumstances,  the  art  was  introduced  into  Lancaster  cannot 
now  be  satisfactorily  determined.  That  hides  were  tanned  at  a  very 
early  date  we  know,  and  that  there  were  men  who  made  it  a 
business  at  or  before  the  beginning  of  this  century.  Lieut.  Dennis 
Stanley,  who  came  to  Lancaster  about  1777  or  1778,  was  a  tanner. 
He  dressed  moose  skins  for  clothing  and  tanned  hides  for  leather. 
Following  him  were  Asa  Burnap,  Jonas  Batchelor,  William  Weeks 
Moore,  and  David  Burnside.  Burnside's  tannery  was  in  operation 
within  the  memory  of  many  persons  still  living.  It  was  on  Elm 
street,  where  the  creamery  now  stands,  his  dwelling  adjoining  the 
yard  on  the  west. 

Shoemakers. — One  among  the  first  to  be  needed  in  a  new  settle- 
ment is  the  shoemaker.  Some  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Lancaster 
were  able  to  make  shoes  and  moccasins,  then  called  "  moggasheens." 

Just  previous  to  the  beginning  of  this  century  there  were  a  num- 
ber of  shoemakers,  who  went  from  house  to  house,  making  up  for 
the  people  the  leather  they  had  tanned  from  the  skins  of  the  animals 
used  for  food. 

In  January,  1786,  John  Johnson  made  shoes  for  Gen.  Edwards 
Bucknam  three  days,  and  received  four  shillings  {66  2-3  cents). 

I  have  before  me  a  bill  of  William  Brown,  shoemaker,  against 
Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam,  and  reproduce  it  here  in  order  that  the 
present  generation  may  see  what  the  shoemaker's  art  could  com- 
mand in  wages  nearly  a  century  ago. 

"Edwards  Bucknam,  To  William  Brown,  Dr. 

I-    Sh.       p. 

March  23,  1797.  To  Making  one  pr  of  boots  for  selt,      ...  7 

To  Making  one  pr  shoes  for  Son  gorg          .  3 

To  Foxing  one  pr  shoes  for  Suesy        ...  19 

To  Soling  and  meneng  one  pr  Shoes  for  gorg,  i          3 

To  Making  one  pr  Shoes  for  Suesy      ...  3 

May      13,  1797.  To  Mending  one  pr  Boots  for  Self       ...  9 

To  one  piece  of  Nankeen    .          .          .          .          .  12 

To  Making  one  pr  shoes  for  son  Edward      .          .  3 

Polly  hartwell  to  Making  one  pr  Shoes          .          .  3 

Wm.  hartwell  one  pr  Do     .....  3 

To  Foxing  one  pr  for  Do    .....  19 

Received  pay,  Wm.  Brown  .  .  .  £.1   15        6. 

July         3,  1797,   By  cash  one  Dollar     ......  6         " 

Two  years  later  John  Weeks  was  making  shoes  for  General  Buck- 
nam. From  these  dates  on  down  into  this  century  the  leading 
shoemakers   were:   Josiah  Smith,  Samuel   Hunnex,  Samuel  Went- 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  373 

worth,  John  Dow,  Heber  Blanchard,  Coffin   Moore,  Orange   Smith, 
Shepherd  Knight,  and  others  named  elsewhere. 

The  first  stock  of  ready-made  shoes  offered  in  Lancaster  was 
brought  here  by  Hartford  Sweet  in  1846.  Since  then  that  class  of 
goods  has  steadily  and  irresistibly  reduced  the  shoemaker  almost  to 
a  mender  of  shoes.  Lancaster  to-day,  with  over  5,000  population, 
has  not  as  many  shoemakers  as  it  had  when  the  population  was  only 
one  tenth  as  large. 

Gunsmiths. — In  the  settlement  of  almost  every  community  in 
New  England,  the  gun  was  an  indispensable  instrument.  If  not 
called  into  use  to  defend  the  settler's  home  from  savage  Indians  or 
jealous  rivals  seeking  the  conquest  of  territory  for  different  rulers, 
it  certainly  was  often  relied  upon  to  supply  his  table  with  meat.  A 
family  without  a  gun,  in  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  settlement  of  the 
town,  was  sadly  handicapped  in  this  respect.  The  first  person  to 
tinker  guns  and  make  them  as  a  trade,  was  Isaac  Darby,  familiarly 
known  as  "  Squire  Darby,"  the  miller.  He  attended  the  old  Wilder 
mill,  and  while  the  grist  was  grinding  mended  the  guns  that  were  out 
of  order,  or  perhaps  worked  upon  a  new  one.  It  is  said  by  some, 
still  living,  who  used  his  guns,  that  they  were  of  a  very  good  qual- 
ity of  workmanship.  At  all  events  they  had  an  enviable  reputation. 
"  Squire  Darby"  could  use  a  gun  with  deadly  effect,  if  traditidn  is 
to  be  relied  upon.  He  was  a  noted  hunter  of  bears,  and  many  of 
them  yielded  to  his  deadly  fire  with  one  of  his  long  guns. 

Another  gunsmith  of  great  notoriety  was  one  Thomas  Morse,  a 
Pennsylvania  Dutchman,  who  had  his  shop  on  Sand  Hill,  formerly 
the  meeting-house  common.  He  made  many  guns  of  a  superior 
quality,  which  won  for  him  fame  that  is  not  even  now  forgotten.  It 
is  said  that  the  late  Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
owned  seventeen  of  the  guns  made  by  Morse,  which  he  had  picked 
up  and  held  as  relics  of  the  past. 

Daniel  T.  Johnson  ("Tiger"  Johnson),  who  died  in  the  military 
service  during  the  Rebellion,  was  also  a  gunsmith. 

Furniture  Manufacturing. — What  kind  of,  and  how  much,  fur- 
niture the  first  settlers  had  we  are  not  quite  sure,  but  that  it  was 
simple  and  scanty  may  well  be  imagined  when  we  consider  that 
they  were  more  than  fifty  miles  from  any  market  where  furniture 
could  be  purchased.  Undoubtedly,  some  articles  of  a  simple  and 
rude  quality  must  have  been  used  by  the  first  and  second  genera- 
tions of  the  town's  inhabitants.  None  of  such  articles,  however,  are 
in  existence  to-day.  Very  early  in  the  present  century,  tradition 
makes  it  about  18 14,  Samuel  Philbrook  came  to  Lancaster,  and 
located  on  Mill  Brook,  south  of  the  village,  on  the  road  to  South 
Lancaster,  and  began  to  manufacture  furniture.  He  erected  what 
was  then  called  a  "  cabinet   maker's  shop,"  for  the  manufacture,  on 


374  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

a  pretty  large  scale,  of  chairs,  tables,  light-stands,  bedsteads,  and 
bureaus.  Many  of  these  articles  are  still  in  existence,  and  doing  as 
good  service  as  if  just  from  some  great  modern  factory.  Walnut  and 
wild  cherry  timber  were  very  plenty  in  those  days,  and  Mr.  Phil- 
brook  used  it  chiefly  in  the  construction  of  his  furniture. 

In  1820,  Francis  Bingham  from  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  located  in 
the  village  for  the  manufacture  of  furniture.  He  opened  a  "  cabinet- 
maker's shop  "  on  Elm  street,  next  west  of  where  the  Burnside  house 
now  stands.  He  conducted  a  very  successful  business  there  for 
many  years.  He  sold  out  to  Oliver  W.  Baker  to  take  charge  of  the 
Fairbanks  shops  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.  Mr.  Baker  continued  the 
business  for  some  time. 

At  a  later  date  Orville  E.  Freeman  and  Anderson  J.  Marshall 
conducted  furniture  manufacturing  successfully  for  a  number  of  }'ears. 
Harvey  Nutting  and  Samuel  W.  Brown  had  a  furniture  factory  in  the 
second  story  of  the  foundry  building  on  Middle  street  for  a  number 
of  years,  in  which  they  were  successful  manfacturers.  Some  articles 
of  all  these  factories  are  yet  to  be  seen  in  the  older  families,  and  in 
garrets,  where  they  have  been  doomed  to  lie  neglected  for  newer 
styles  that  have  taken  their  place. 

In  1867,  N.  H.  Richardson  and  his  brother,  H.  R.,  came  to  Lan- 
caster and  bought  out  Nutting's  interest  in  the  starch  factory  on 
Canal  street,  which  business  they  conducted  until  burnt  out  in  the 
fire  that  destroyed  the  starch  mill,  peg  mills,  and  other  buildings. 
They  later  bought  the  old  starch  mill  property  on  Water  street. 
Here  they  did  a  good  business,  making  a  fine  line  of  furniture 
that  found  a  ready  market.  Mr.  N.  H.  Richardson  took  W.  R. 
Porter  into  partnership  later.  The  firm  of  Richardson  &  Porter 
continued  to  do  a  good  business  until  the  fall  of  1895,  when  they 
became  heavily  involved,  and  made  an  assignment.  The  property 
was  bought  up  by  Fred  E.  Richardson,  a  son  of  N.  H.  Richardson, 
and  is  now  conducted  by  him. 

Eben  C.  Garland  &  Sons  built  a  sawmill  and  furniture  factory  on 
Great  Brook  about  1865,  for  the  manufacture  of  hard  wood  lumber, 
chairs,  and  casks  for  potato  starch.  They  also  used  steam  power, 
and  for  several  years  did  a  good  business.  Their  mill  was  burned. 
They  rebuilt,  but  their  losses,  and  the  building  of  the  Kilkenny  rail- 
road led  to  the  speedy  depletion  of  the  tract  of  timber  upon  which 
they  relied,  and  they  finally  failed. 

Piano  Soimding-Boay'ds. — In  1850,  John  H.  Spaulding  built  a 
sawmill  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  town,  just  beyond  the  "  Great 
Rock;  "  and  after  running  it  only  a  few  years  sold  it  to  John  M. 
Whipple,  who  converted  it  into  a  factor}'  for  making  sounding- 
boards  for  pianos.  The  plant  was  a  very  good  one  for  some  years ; 
but  Mr.  Whipple   finally  gave  his  attention  to  the  manufacture    of 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  375 

hard  wood   sheathing,  a  business  that  has  been   a  profitable   one  in 
this  section  of  country. 

Blacksiniths. — Just  at  what  time  the  first  blacksmith  established 
his  shop  in  Lancaster  is  not  known  ;  but  tradition  informs  us  that  it 
was  near  the  Holton  place,  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street.  Col. 
Sylvanus  Chessman  was  for  many  years  the  only  blacksmith  of  the 
town,  and  for  many  more  years  the  leading  one.  In  those  days  the 
blacksmith's  trade  was  a  laborious  one,  and  called  for  much  more 
skill  than  it  does  to-day.  His  material  was  not  so  well  prepared  for 
him  as  it  is  for  the  blacksmith  of  to-day.  He  forged  and  turned  his 
own  horseshoes,  made  the  nails  to  fasten  them  on  with ;  he  made 
nails  for  the  use  of  carpenters  and  joiners ;  the  axes,  hoes,  and  plow- 
irons  were  in  many  instances  of  the  local  blacksmith's  manufacture. 

Warren  Porter  was  skilled  in  making  edge  tools.  His  sign 
was  a  broad  axe,  the  symbol  of  his  skill  in  the  making  of  such  im- 
portant implements.  His  shop  was  on  Main  street,  nearly  opposite 
his  house.     He  followed  Mr.  Chessman. 

The  next  to  follow  that  trade  in  town  after  Warren  Porter  were : 
Benjamin  Bishop,  Abel  Porter,  John  Moore,  Benjamin  Adams,  l./'' 
Harvey  Adams,  and  Samuel  Rines.  Benjamin  Adams  had  his  shop 
on  the  Aaron  Guernsey  place,  three  miles  below  the  village.  He 
was  noted  for  the  excellent  quality  of  hoes  he  made.  He  branched 
out  on  one  occasion  and  distilled  potato  whiskey  on  a  limited  scale 
in  addition  to  his  trade.  His  whiskey  never  won  him  half  the  fame 
his  hoes,  shovels,  and  hay-forks  did. 

Samuel  Rines,  whose  shop  stood  where  the  J.  A.  Smith  store 
building  now  does,  was  among  the  early  village  blacksmiths.  For 
many  years  he  conducted  a  shop  on  that  site,  and  later  became  in- 
terested in  a  sawmill  standing  just  east  of  where  the  grist-mill  now 
is,  on  the  north  side  of  the  river.  He  made  a  plow  that  won 
fame  for  him;  abandoning  his  old  stand,  he  erected  a  foundry 
and  shop  near  the  sawmill,  and  devoted  much  of  his  time  to  the 
manufacture  of  his  plow.  He  purchased  the  land  between  Middle 
street  and  the  river,  including  the  mill  site  and  the  old  mill-house 
which  stood  where  William  Clough's  house  now  does,  and  built  a 
large  two-story  factory,  extending  from  Middle  street  to  the  water. 
In  the  end  next  the  street,  on  the  first  floor,  he  established  his  foun- 
dry, the  first  one  in  Lancaster.  In  the  other  end  of  the  building, 
on  the  same  floor,  he  set  up  lathes,  planers,  and  other  tools  and 
machinery.  Here  he  did  business  for  many  years  under  the  firm 
name  of  S.  &  W.  M.  Rines.  Webster  M.  Rines  was  his  son,  and 
afterwards  ran  a  sanitarium  in  Delaware,  where  he  died  recently. 
The  firm  made  great  numbers  of  the  celebrated  plows,  which  found 
ready  market  far  and  near.  Some  of  the  older  farmers  now  living 
remember  the  plow,   and   speak    of  it   as   a   fine   implement.     This 


1^6  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

shop  was  succeeded  by  J.  I.  Williams  &  Co.,  and  Thompson,  Wil- 
liams &  Co.,  predecessors  of  the  Thompson  Manufacturing  Co. 

Harvey  Adams  had  shops  at  various  places  about  the  village,  but 
while  running  his  shop  on  the  south  side  of  the  river,  near  the  old 
carding-  and  fulling-mills,  he  did  his  most  successful  business  as  a 
blacksmith.  He  is  still  remembered  by  the  older  citizens  as  a  good 
workman  and  a  good  citizen.  His  blacksmithing  was  of  a  general 
range,  making  and  mending  all  sorts  of  things.  This  stand  has 
been  occupied  by  a  smithy  ever  since  he  established  his  there, 
replacing  an  old  pot  and  pearl  ashery.  Mr.  Adams  later  became 
a  wagon  maker,  and  will  be  mentioned  again  as  such.  Since  his  time 
there  have  always  been  from  two  to  three  shops  in  the  village, 
but  the  character  of  the  work  now  done  in  blacksmith  shops  does 
not  rank  them  among  manufacturies. 

Wagon  Alakers  and  Wheehvrights. — Abijah  Darby  was  the 
pioneer  wagon  maker  of  the  town.  He  followed  the  business  for 
many  years,  making  carts  and  wagons ;  he  did  repairing  also.  He 
also  made  the  famous  "  Portland  sleighs,"  at  one  time  the  most  aris- 
tocratic vehicle  in  use  in  this  land  of  long  winters  and  fine  sleighing. 
The  business  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Darby  became  an  important  indus- 
try. When  he  reached  an  advanced  age  he  sold  out  to  Levi  Wil- 
lard,  Jr.,  in  1822,  who  was  for  a  long  time  the  leading  wagon  maker 
of  the  town,  extending  the  business  to  a  wider  range  of  vehicles 
than  Darby  had  made. 

In  1830  Stephen  Hadley  opened  a  shop  as  a  wheelwright  on  the 
site  of  Samuel  White's  old  pearl  ashery,  where  the  Monahan  shop 
now  stands.  He  conducted  a  fairly  successful  business  there  for  ten 
years,  selling  out  to  Frederick  Fisk  in  1841,  who  did  business  here 
for  only  a  short  time  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Harvey  Adams, 
the  blacksmith  before  mentioned.  Mr.  Adams  manufactured 
wagons,  sleighs,  hoes,  and  hay  forks,  and  would  have  been  very 
successful  had  it  not  been  foK  repeated  fires  and  freshets  that  ravaged 
his  shops.  He  lost  heavily  from  those  sources.  In  those  days 
much  of  the  water  of  Isreals  river,  in  times  of  freshets,  came 
down  the  old  channel  between  Mechanic  street  and  the  hill  south  of 
it  and  entered  the  main  stream  between  Mr.  Adams's  shop  and  the 
bridge.  He  was  thus  badly  exposed,  and  consequently  lost  much 
from  that  source.  He  was  finally  compelled  to  relinquish  the  busi- 
ness. 

About  this  time  one  Edward  Dufoe,  a  noted  violinist  and  favorite 
at  all  the  dances  of  the  region,  who  had  married  into  the  Stanley 
family  of  the  town,  had  a  shop  on  Main  street,  where  the  lawn  of 
George  Van  Dyke  now  is,  in  which  he  made  wagons  and  carriages. 
He  was  the  first  carriage  maker  to  make  use  of  the  eliptical  springs 
on  his  vehicles.      Previous  to  that  time  the  only  spring  in  use  was 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  377 

what  was  called  the  "thorough  brace;"  the  device  of  leather  had  its 
day,  doing  good  service,  no  doubt,  but  destined  to  yield  to  progres- 
sive ideas  of  comfort. 

In  1840  James  W.  Weeks  entered  into  partnership  with  Ashbel 
Pierce,  an  experienced  workman  from  Claremont,  N.  H.,  for  the 
manufacture  of  wagons  and  buggies.  They  located  on  the  site  now 
occupied  by  the  large  store  building  of  L.  F.  Moore  on  Middle 
street.  After  some  three  or  four  years,  not  finding  the  business  a 
paying  one,  Mr.  Weeks  bought  out  his  partner  and  closed  the  fac- 
tory, with  the  exception  of  keeping  one  or  two  men  on  repair  work. 
In  1847  he  sold  the  stand  to  the  late  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  who 
made  it  profitable.  In  1852  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  He  rebuilt 
the  factory  on  a  larger  scale,  and  continued  to  do  a  thriving  bus- 
iness until  his  retirement  from  active  life.  The  plant  was  continued 
by  Antipas  P.  Marshall,  his  son,  and  George  R.  Eaton,  doing  good 
work,  but  on  declining  profits,  as  they  had  to  compete  with  larger 
factories  that  were  then  flooding  the  country.  They  had  to  discon- 
tinue the  business  after  a  short  time,  and  the  old  factory  stood  idle 
until  1895,  when  it  was  pulled  down  and  replaced  by  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  appointed  store  buildings  in  northern  New  Eng- 
land— L.  F.  Moore's  hardware  store. 

Later,  Parcher  Brothers  sold  carriages  and  sleighs  here.  .  Beyond 
repair  work  there  is  little  done  in  the  trade  of  the  wagon  maker  or 
carriage  maker  in  Lancaster  to-day. 

Clocks. — It  is  a  matter  of  curious  interest  that  Lancaster  once 
had  in  its  bounds  a  real,  live  Yankee  clockmaker  who  for  a  time 
did  a  good  business.  At  the  beginning  of  this  century  Yankee 
genius  ran  to  clocks  as  naturally  as  ducks  take  to  water.  Nearly 
every  New  England  village  of  any  prominence  about  that  time  had 
a  clock  factory  in  it.  One  Samuel  Wright  located  here  in  1808, 
for  the  manufacture  of  clocks,  and  we  are  informed  by  tradition  that 
he  did  well  for  some  years,  until  the  larger  factories  using  machinery 
could  produce  and  sell  cheaper  clocks  than  he  could  make  by  hand. 
The  business  soon  gave  way  to  the  regular  trade,  as  at  present  con- 
ducted by  the  so-called  watchmaker  and  jeweler,  who  are  rather 
repairers  of  such  articles  than  makers  of  them.  John  W.  Williard 
opened  a  watchmaker's  shop  in  1825,  which  he  conducted  for  some 
years.  William  Purington  was  the  next  to  follow  the  business  in 
town.  He  worked  in  a  little  yellow  shop  standing  on  the  lot  now 
occupied  by  the  residence  of  the  late  Charles  E.  Allen,  as  early  as 
1837.  His  house  is  now  standing  on  Cemetery  street  near  the  Bos- 
ton &  Maine  railroad  depot,  on  the  south  side  of  the  street.  It  has 
been  somewhat  remodeled,  but  is  in  outline  the  same  as  when  Pur- 
ington occupied  it. 

After  Purington,  Charles  B.  Allen, — who  succeeded  him  and  who 


378  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

bought  his  shop,  then  standing  on  the  site  of  Eagle  block, — George 
A.  Martin,  Charles  E.  Allen,  W.  I.  Hatch,  J.  M.  Kimball,  Whitcomb 
Brothers,  and  Charles  Morse  hav^e  been  in  the  business.  Mr.  Hatch, 
the  Whitcomb  Brothers,  and  Morse  are  now  in  trade  here,  carrying 
large  stocks  of  goods  and  doing  repair  work.  Others  have,  for  brief 
periods,  followed  this  line ;  but  these  named  have  been  the  chief 
representatives  of  the  watchmakers'  and  jewelers'  craft  in  Lancas- 
ter. 

Harness  Makers  and  Saddlers. — It  was  not  until  about  1808  that 
Lancaster  became  large  enough  to  present  attractions  to  saddlers 
and  harness  makers  to  locate  here.  In  that  year  Jonathan  Carleton 
opened  a  saddler's  shop  in  the  village,  and  for  a  number  of  years 
conducted  the  business  with  reasonable  success  for  a  small  com- 
munity. 

The  next  person  to  engage  in  this  work  in  Lancaster  was  Allen 
Smith.  He  was  from  Hanover,  N.  H.,  but  learned  his  trade  in  Ha- 
verhill, N.  H.  On  the  breaking  out  of  the  War  of  1812  he  enlisted 
as  a  drummer,  serving  the  term  of  that  war  faithfully.  On  being 
discharged  he  came  at  once  to  Lancaster  and  opened  a  shop  on  the 
site  now  the  lawn  of  the  stone  house  owned  by  I.  W.  Hopkinson 
on  Main  street.  He  married  Adaline,  daughter  of  Daniel  Perkins, 
and  lived  for  many  years  where  Odd  Fellows'  block  now  is.  He  was 
a  zealous  Methodist,  and  his  house  was  the  home  of  the  itinerant 
preachers  of  that  sect. 

The  next  person  to  open  a  shop  here  was  Horace  Whitcomb, 
who  long  years  was  a  harness  maker  of  prominence  in  town.  He 
came  here  from  Newbury,  Vt.,  was  at  one  time  colonel  of  the 
regiment,  and  always  active  in  the  affairs  of  the  Congregational 
church.  His  first  shop  was  near  the  north  end  of  the  Stockwell 
bridge,  by  the  Lancaster  National  bank,  and  later  on  Middle  street 
next  east  of  Richardson  block;  his  home  is  still  standing  next  east 
of  Masonic  Temple  on  Mechanic  street. 

Later  Charles  F.  Colby  did  work  for  some  years.  For  a  number 
of  years  Charles  Howe,  who  succeeded  his  father,  Charles  Howe, 
who  came  from  Concord,  Vt,  has  been  the  leading  harness  maker, 
doing  well  since  1866.  For  several  years  A.  E.  Stratton  conducted 
a  harness  maker's  shop  on  Middle  street,  but  on  account  of  poor 
health  gave  up  business  in  the  winter  of  1895,  ^"^  died  the  follow- 
ing July. 

Hatters. — During  the  first  half  of  this  century  hats  were  made  in 
almost  every  village  of  any  size  throughout  the  country.  Lancaster 
had  a  succession  of  prominent  and  skilled  hatters  during  that  time. 
The  first  to  follow  that  trade  in  town  was  Frederick  Messer,  who 
made  his  own  felts  from  lamb's  wool  or  furs,  shaped  and  finished 
them   ready  for   the   market.     Messer's  shop   stood  very  nearly  in 


Allen  Smith. 


Joseph  Farnham. 


John  Staluird. 


Alonzo  p.  Freeman. 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  379 

Main  street,  in  front  of  James  McCarten's  blacksmith  shop,  on  what 
is  now  the  corner  of  Main  and  Mechanic  streets.  Here  at  the  foot 
of  the  steep  hill,  up  which  ran  the  wooden  stairs  to  the  plain  upon 
which  the  old  meeting-house  stood,  he  made  hats   for  many  years. 

The  next  hatter  was  Ephraim  Cross,  followed  by  Isaac  B.  Gorham. 
Their  shop  was  located  near  the  north  end  of  Stockwell's  bridge  over 
Isreals  river,  in  a  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  Colby  block. 
Here  Gorham  long  followed  his  trade.  I  find  his  illustrated  adver- 
tisement in  the  first  issue  of  the  White  Mountain  ySgis,  published  on 
May  22,  1838,  in  which  he  returns  thanks  to  his  patrons  for  their 
trade  for  three  preceding  years,  from  which  we  learn  that  he  was 
established  here  as  early  as  1835.  The  styles  are  gorgeous,  judg- 
ing from  the  cuts  that  accompany  the  offer  of  his  wares.  He  built 
the  house  next  south  of  the  Methodist  church  on  Main  street,  about 
1839.  Ephraim  Cross  carried  on  the  business  later  in  a  shop  on  his 
own  lot  near  the  corner  of  Main  and  High  streets  for  some  years. 
Hats  began  to  find  their  way  into  the  regular  channels  of  trade 
about  1840.  As  factories  arose  throughout  the  country  and  made 
cheap  and  stylish  hats,  they  gradually  forced  the  oldtime  hatter  to 
the  wall. 

Gi'ist-mills  and  Sazvmills. — One  of  the  most  interesting  chap- 
ters in  the  history  of  the  town  is  that  concerning  its  mills.  When 
the  town  was  laid  out,  the  water  privileges  on  Isreals  river  were  re- 
served as  public  property.  The  letting  of  them  for  building  mills 
has  therefore  become  a  matter  of  public  record.  Their  history  is  a 
part  of  the  public  acts  of  the  town. 

The  first  settlers  had  to  bring  their  flour  and  meal  from  Haver- 
hill, N.  H.,  or  subsist  upon  "  samp,"  which  was  simply  coarsely 
broken  corn.  Every  family  had  its  "  samp  mortar  and  pestle," 
mounted  in  or  near  the  house.  This  device  consisted  of  a  log  of 
wood  about  three  feet  long,  hollowed  out  at  one  end  in  the  shape  of 
a  mortar,  into  which  the  corn,  or  whatever  else  was  to  be  "  ground" 
and  cracked  by  a  pestle,  worked  either  by  hand  or  mounted  on  a 
spring  pole.  This  only  broke  the  grain  into  coarse  fragments, 
somewhat  like  hominy;  but  it  remained  for  a  long  time  the  chief 
food  of  the  settlers,  even  after  mills  were  in  operation. 

The  first  mill  of  any  pretensions  was  run  by  horse  power;  but  it 
was  a  failure,  and  was  soon  abandoned. 

To  David  Page  belongs  the  credit  of  building  the  first  mill  and 
sawmill  in  the  town.  As  early  as  1766,  only  two  years  after  the 
settling  of  the  town,  money  was  voted  for  building  a  mill  on  Isreals 
river,  but  probably  the  sum  was  so  small  as  to  discourage  anyone 
from  undertaking  the  task.  At  all  events,  no  mill  was  then  built  on 
the  river.  David  Page  built,  on  his  own  account,  a  grist-mill  and 
sawmill  on  Indian  brook,  just  back  of  the  Thomas  Hicks  place,  tak- 


3  So  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

ing  advantage  of  an  old  beaver  dam  as  affording  the  cheapest  and 
best  water  power.  These  mills  were  erected  in  1770,  and  were  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  a  few  years.  Tradition  says  that  he  rebuilt  them, 
and  that  they  were  burned  a  second  time ;  but  of  this  I  can  find  no 
proof.  There  is  in  existence,  and  I  have  it  before  me,  a  memoran- 
dum of  appropriations  by  the  town  while  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam 
was  town  clerk.  It  is  in  his  handwriting,  and  must  be  regarded  as 
genuine.  This  memorandum  says  that  the  town  voted  to  pay  David 
Page  thirty  pounds  to  rebuild  a  mill  that  was  burned.  It  is  supposed, 
therefore,  that  it  applied  to  the  second  mills.  David  Page  gave 
Edwards  Bucknam,  "  collector  for  the  proprietors  of  Lancaster,"  a 
receipt  for  sixty-six  pounds  lawful  money  paid  to  him  June  13, 
1775,  for  mills  he  had  built.  These  must  have  been  the  second 
mills  on  Indian  brook,  and  the  money  voted  as  an  indemnity  to 
cover  losses  sustained  in  his  efforts  to  serve  the  public,  for  at  a 
town-meeting  held  at  the  house  of  Edwards  Bucknam  June  8,  1773,  it 
was  voted  to  raise  eighty-six  pounds  for  mills  on  Isreals  river.  This 
appropriation  was  paid  to  David  Page,  Oct.  19,  1778,  the  receipt  for 
which  is  before  me.  The  mills  for  which  this  money  was  paid  were 
on  the  south  branch  of  Isreals  river,  running  at  that  time  at  the 
foot  of  Sand  hill,  and  forming  an  island  of  the  high  ground  along 
Mechanic  street,  later  known  as  Chessman's  island.  Page's  mills  on 
Isreals  river  stood  just  back  of  the  dwelling-house  of  John  Palmer. 
Tradition,  confirmed  by  indications,  say  that  at  that  time  this  south- 
ern channel  of  the  river  was  the  larger  of  the  two.  This  mill  was 
so  far  an  assured  matter  on  April  17,  1773,  that  David  Page  leased 
it  to  Hezekiah  Fuller,  the  articles  of  agreement  of  which  lease  are 
before  me.  It  was  signed  by  Page  in  his  remarkably  poor  and  pe- 
culiar handwriting,  and  Fuller  made  his  mark  to  his  name  written 
in  the  handwriting  of  Timothy  Nash,  Jr.,  who  was  one  of  the  wit- 
nesses, Samuel  Page  being  the  other  one.  As  is  seen,  the  eighty- 
six  pounds  were  not  appropriated  until  on  the  thirteenth  of  the  June 
following  this  transaction  ;  nor  was  the  money  paid  until  more  than 
three  years  later.  This  was  owing,  no  doubt,  to  the  fact  that  the 
non-resident  taxpayers  failed  to  pay  their  taxes.  Edwards  Buck- 
nam, collector,  notified  them  that  if  they  did  not  pay  up,  their  lands 
would  be  advertised  for  sale  in  the  Nezv  Hampshire  Gazette  on 
the  tax  of  Aug.  10,  1774,  to  pay  David  Page  for  rebuilding  the 
mills  on  Indian  brook,  and  the  tax  of  June  8,  1773,  to  pay  Page  for 
rebuilding  on  Isreals  river. 

This  mill  of  Page's  on  Isreals  river  must  have  been  a  poorly  con- 
structed one,  especially  its  dam,  for  we  find  Page  and  Fuller  appeal- 
ing for  help  to  rebuild  the  dam  on  Sept.  8,  1777.  There  is  a  tradi- 
tion that  this  mill  was  burned  ;  but  I  can  find  no  confirmation  of  it. 
The  mill  was  either  destroyed   or   fell   into  decay  at   an   early  date. 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  38  I 

Remnants  of  the  mill  and  dam  existed  within  the  memory  of  several 
old  men  with  whom  I  conversed  in  regard  to  it. 

77/1?  Wilder  Mills. — Major  Jonas  Wilder,  a  man  of  considerable 
wealth  for  those  days,  came  to  Lancaster  in  1778.  He  was  public- 
spirited,  and  full  of  enterprise.  In  1781  he  built  a  grist-mill  and 
sawmill  on  Isreals  river  just  above  the  granite  works  of  V.  V.  Whit- 
ney. These  mills  were  in  operation  for  a  long  time,  doing  a  suc- 
cessful business.  Here  Squire  Darby  tended  mill  for  many  a 
year.  He  is  still  remembered  by  some  of  the  oldest  men  as  a 
genial  and  ingenious  man. 

This  mill  of  Wilder's  underwent  extensive  repairs  in  181 7,  and 
after  that  time  was  known  as  the  "Wesson  mill."  The  residence  of 
the  miller,  called  "The  Mill  House,"  stood  on  the  site  of  the  tracks 
of  the  Maine  Central  railroad  near  Middle  street.  Near  where  the 
present  railroad  track  runs  there  was  a  steep  road  down  to  the  mills. 
The  mills  fell  into  decay  some  fifty  years  ago,  and  have  passed 
away,  leaving  not  a  vestige  of  their  remains  to  mark  the  spot  on 
which  they  once  served  this  community  so  well. 

Brozuns  Alills. — The  next  public  action  taken  by  the  town  con- 
cerning mills  was  at  the  annual  town-meeting,  March  13,  1792, 
when  a  committee,  consisting  of  Lieut.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Capt. 
David  Page,  Col.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Capt.  John  Weeks,  and  Lieut 
Dennis  Stanley,  was  chosen  "  to  receive  proposals  of  any  gentleman 
concerning  building  mills  on  Isreals  river  near  Stockwell's  bridge." 
Page's  mills  had  been  built  for  nineteen  years,  and  must  have  been 
destroyed  or  fallen  into  decay  at  this  time,  else  Page  would  not  very 
likely  have  been  put  on  the  committee  to  let  the  privilege  of  build- 
ing other  mills  in  competition  with  his  own  and  Wilder's. 

I  have  before  me  a  proposition,  in  writing,  from  Titus  O.  Brown, 
in  which  he  offers  to  "build  a  sawmill  and  grist-mill,  and  furnish 
good  attendance  and  keep  them  in  good  repair,  on  condition  that 
the  town  lease  to  him,  his  heirs  and  assigns,  for  the  term  of  nine 
hundred  years  such  quantity  of  the  common  lands,  on  Isreals  river, 
and  land  under  the  river;  also  the  waters  of  the  same  as  shall  be 
sufficient  to  build  a  mill  and  mill-yards,  and  also  a  road  to  the  said 
mill  privilege  for  and  during  said  term  of  nine  hundred  years;  he, 
the  said  Brown,  paying  to  the  selectmen  of  the  town  of  Lancaster 
yearly  one  ear  of  Indian  corn,  annually,  if  demanded."  This  pro- 
posal bears  date  of  March  20,  1792. 

It  seems  that  the  committee  did  not  see  fit  to  accept  it ;  but 
instead  leased  the  privilege  to  Emmons  Stockwell  on  May  7,  1792. 
I  have  the  lease  before  me  written  in  the  hand  of  Capt.  John  Weeks, 
and  signed  by  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam,  John  Weeks, 
David  Page,  and  Dennis  Stanley,  "  Committee  of  the  Town  of  Lan- 
caster," and  witnessed  by  Zerubabel  Eager  and  Stephen  Wilson. 


382  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

On  the  next  day,  May  8,  1792,  Emmons  Stockwell  re-leased  this 
privilege  to  Titus  O.  Brown  on  the  exact  terms  that  he  received  it, 
except  that  he  retained  the  right  to  erect  iron  works  and  take  water 
from  the  same  dam  that  Brown  bound  himself  to  build,  where 
the  present  dam  of  Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s  mill  now  is.  The  rental  in 
both  the  lease  and  the  re-lease  was  a  pint  of  wheat  annually  when 
called  for  by  the  selectmen,  and  the  rentals  were  decreed  to  be  for 
the  benefit  of  schools.  I  have  before  me  a  copy  of  this  re-lease  to 
Brown  by  Stockwell  in  the  hand  of  Samuel  Brooks,  recorder  for 
Grafton  county. 

By  the  terms  of  the  lease  to  Stockwell  the  mills — a  sawmill,  grist- 
mill, and  a  fulling-mill — were  to  be  located  between  Stockwell's 
bridge  and  the  old  mills  (Wilder's).  Brown  undertook  to  build  a 
sawmill  by  the  first  day  of  December,  1792,  and  a  grist-mill  "with 
a  good  bolt,"  by  the  first  day  of  December,  1793,  and  a  fulling-mill 
by  the  first  day  of  December,  1794.  He  built  the  sawmill  on  the  site 
of  the  new  block  of  Frank  Smith  &  Co.  ( 1 898 ) .  He  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  Richard  C.  Everett  by  which  the  latter  built  a  large  grist- 
mill 100  feet  long  and  three  stories  high,  in  which  there  was  run  a 
carding  and  fulling-mill.  This  mill  building  was  very  nearly  on  the 
site  of  the  present  grist-mill.  It  was  burnt  some  time  previous  to 
1800,  and  was  rebuilt  by  Titus  O.  Brown  on  the  same  site.  A  mill 
house  (miller's  residence)  stood  about  where  the  National  Bank 
building  now  does.  This  second  mill  was  also  burnt  in  18 19. 
Another,  and  a  much  better,  mill  was  erected,  and  a  mill  house 
built  on  the  south  side  of  Middle  street  about  where  William  Clough's 
residence  now  stands.  David  Greenlief,  the  noted  miller,  is  still 
remembered  by  some  of  the  older  men  who  were  then  boys.  Mr. 
Greenlief  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  was  a 
man  full  of  reminiscences  that  pleased  his  customers  to  hear  while 
waiting  for  their  grists  to  be  ground,  for  in  those  days  people  took 
their  grists  to  the  mill  in  a  bag  thrown  across  the  back  of  a  horse, 
on  top  of  which  they  rode,  and  waited  for  the  grain  to  be  ground 
and  took  it  home  in  the  same  way.  The  interval  of  waiting  was 
often  filled  by  an  entertaining  bit  of  story-telling  by  the  miller. 
This  old  mill  gave  place  in  1830  to  one  of  a  much  better  kind,  built 
by  Dr.  John  Dewey,  in  which  the  then  most  improved  machinery 
was  used. 

After  the  second  mills  on  this  site  were  burned,  the  carding  and 
fulling-mills  were  built  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  As  the  iron 
works  were  not  erected,  the  contemplated  space  saved  for  them  was 
given  up  to  fulling-mills  and  other  purposes.  An  "  up  and  down  " 
sawmill  ran  for  many  years  between  the  dam  and  the  iron  works. 
The  finding  of  bog  ore  on  the  Beaver  brook  and  Connecticut  river 
meadow  lands   filled   the  fancy   of   some  of  the  early  settlers   with 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  383 

visions  of  an  iron  furnace,  that  should  supply  them  with  enough  of 
that  indispensable  metal  for  their  own  use,  at  least,  if  no  more ;  but 
it  never  came  to  anything. 

From  this  time  onward  to  the  present,  this  dam  and  the  sites  on 
both  sides  of  the  river  have  been  occupied  by  various  persons  for 
mill  purposes.  Among  those  who  have  owned  mill  privileges  on 
these  sites  have  been :  Titus  O.  Brown,  Ephraim  and  Liberty  Stock- 
well,  John  Mclntire,  Richard  Eastman,  Moses  T.  Hunt,  Thomas 
Carlisle,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Isaac  and  Samuel  Pearson,  John  Dewey, 
Emmons  Stockwell,  Jr.,  Sylvanus  Chessman,  John  Moore,  Peter 
Paddleford,  Levi  Willard,  Philip  Paddleford,  Reuben  Stephenson, 
John  W.  Weeks,  J.  W.  Williams,  Oliver  Frost,  S.  and  W.  M.  Rines^ 
O.  E.  Freeman,  Geo.  A.  Goodrich,  J.  L  Williams,  Thompson,  Wil- 
Hams  &  Co.,  Hovey  &  Bullard,  A.  W.  Morrill,  Ellis  &  Olcott,  Smith, 
Hodge  &  Bullard,  and  Frank  Smith  &  Co.,  the  present  owners. 
Several  others  may  have  had,  and  no  doubt  did  at  times  own,  inter- 
ests in  these  mills  and  privileges,  but  these  named  were  the  chief 
Owners  of  them  for  104  years. 

Other  Sawmills  in  Lancaster. — About  1823,  or  1824,  Major 
Joel  Hemmenway  built  what  was  known  as  the  Hemmenway  mills 
on  Otter  brook,  at  what  is  now  called  the  Grange  Village,  occupy- 
ing the  site  on  which  Amadon  &  Co.'s  mills  now  stand.  He  also 
built  the  house  owned  and  occupied  by  George  Wood.  His  mill 
did  a  good  business  for  many  years,  sharing  the  patronage  of  the 
town  with  Stockwell's  sawmill  in  the  village. 

Later  John  Lang  built  a  sawmill  on  the  outlet  of  little  Martin 
Meadow  pond  on  the  Whitefield  road,  which  cut  lumber  for  some 
years.  Eben  C.  Garland  &  Sons  built  a  sawmill  on  Great  brook 
where  Edward  C.  Grannis  now  lives. 

Quite  an  effort  was  made  in  the  early  '70's  to  build  up  a  village 
at  South  Lancaster.  A  bridge  had  been  thrown  across  the  Con- 
necticut, connecting  with  Lunenburg,  one  mile  from  the  village  of 
that  name.  Lewis  Barter  of  Concord  erected  a  wholesale  grain  and 
flour  store  near  the  tracks  of  the  B.,  C.  &  M.  railroad,  and  other 
enterprises  were  started  there. 

In  1873  John  H.  Locke,  until  then  an  inn  keeper  at  Hillsborough 
Bridge,  for  many  years  until  recently  connected  with  George  Van 
Dyke  in  lumber  operations,  built  for  a  Concord  corporation  whose 
principal  members  were  Joseph  A.  Dodge,  superintendent  of  the  rail- 
road; George  Clough,  retired  conductor  and  capitalist;  George  A. 
Pillsbury,  now  of  the  great  flouring  mills  of  Minneapolis  ;  Stephen  A. 
Brown  of  Hillsborough,  et  als.,  a  large  steam  sawmill  at  this  point 
and  equipped  the  river  with  booms  and  piers. 

This  mill  after  several  years  was  leased  to  George  Van  Dyke  at 
the  commencement  of  his  business  career,  arid   after  he   had  run  it 


384  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

for  a  while  to  D.  H.  and  T.  G.  Beattie  who  were  operating  it  when 
it  burned. 

Since  the  burning  of  the  mill,  business  has  departed  from  South 
Lancaster,  only  a  cheese  factory  remaining. 

About  the  same  time  Allen  and  Hilliard  had  a  steam  sawmill 
on  the  same  stream  a  mile  south  of  the  village,  capable  of  cutting 
nearly  as  much  lumber  as  the  South  Lancaster  mills.  This  only 
existed  a  short  time.  One  Goodrich  had  a  steam  mill  on  the 
plain  opposite  the  Baker  pond  whence  it  drew  its  logs. 

For  fully  fifty  years  the  first  sawmills  only  cut  boards  and  plank 
by  the  old  upright  saws.  A  few  of  these  were  in  use  for  a  longer 
time ;  but  the  circular  saw  began  to  be  used  forty  years  ago.  The 
choice  pine  with  w^hich  this  section  abounded  was  ripped  into  great 
planks  an  inch  or  more  thick,  and  often  over  thirty  inches  wide. 
These  were  dressed  by  hand  planes,  the  uneven  marks  of  which 
are  to  be  seen  on  some  of  the  boards  that  have  been  in  old  build- 
ings for  over  a  century.  I  have  taken  the  measure  of  many  boards 
over  thirty  inches  wide  in  old  houses.  This  history  has  been  written 
on  a  table,  the  top  of  which  is  a  single  board  taken  out  of  the  walls 
of  the  "  Cross  house  "  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  High  streets,  built 
by  Col.  R.  C.  Everett  over  a  century  ago. 

Lathes  were  not  made  then  as  now.  They  consisted  of  thin,  wide 
half-inch  boards  which  were  split,  or  rather  splintered,  with  an  axe, 
and,  as  they  were  being  nailed  on  the  walls,  separated  by  a  wedge 
until  the  nails  were  driven,  affording  spaces  for  the  mortar  to  hold 
to.  Shingles  were  not  sawed,  but  split  or  riven,  here  for  many 
years.  About  1830  the  method  of  cutting  them  from  steamed 
blocks  by  means  of  a  lathe  was  introduced,  and  was  considered 
quite  an  innovation.  About  a  decade  later  the  method  of  sawing 
them  by  means  of  a  circular  saw  came  into  use,  and  prevailed  as 
long  as  there  was  suitable  timber  left  for  shingles.  There  are  now 
but  few  made  for  lack  of  timber  suitable  for  that  use. 

About  1850  the  present  method  of  manufacturing  clapboards  was 
introduced  in  Lancaster.  The  first  clapboards  were  of  equal  thick- 
ness on  both  edges,  and  of  varying  widths. 

The  first  grist-mills  were  simple  and  primitive  in  their  construc- 
tion. One  Caleb  Young  and  Peter  Blanchard  made  millstones  and 
mill  machinery  here  and  in  Northumberland. 

Since  Dr.  John  Dewey  introduced  modern  and  improved  machin- 
ery into  his  mill,  grist-mills  have  kept  pace  with  the  advances  in 
industry,  and  have  had  good  machinery.  The  grist-mill  and  saw- 
mill of  to-day  do  first-class  work  in  their  respective  lines. 

Sas/i,  Door,  atid  Blind  Facto7'ies. — The  first  person  to  make 
any  extensive  and  successful  attempt  at  manufacturing  sash,  doors, 
and  blinds  in  Lancaster,  was  the  late  Nicholas  B.  Wilson,  who  came 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  385 

here  in  1850,  and  worked  several  years  for  Col.  O.  E.  Freeman; 
and  later  went  into  business  on  his  own  account,  occupying  the  site 
and  buildings  previously  used  by  Harvey  Adams  in  the  manufacture 
of  wagons,  and  sleighs,  just  west  of  where  the  Monahan  blacksmith 
shop  now  is.  Mr.  Wilson  did  a  good  business  until  1886,  when  by 
high  water  he  lost  his  factory  and  much  valuable  machinery.  He 
was  later  succeeded  by  Leavitt  &  Hartford,  who  did  a  good  business 
for  some  years.  Since  they  retired  this  line  of  work  has  been  car- 
ried on  extensively  by  the  Thompson  Manufacturing  Company. 
During  the  year  1894,  Frank  Smith  &  Co.  erected  a  sash,  door, 
and  blind  factory,  and  planing-mill  in  connection  with  their  lumber 
business,  and  have  for  two  years  past  done  a  considerable  amount  of 
that  kind  of  work. 

Strazvboard  and  Paper  Mills. — In  1864,  the  town,  at  a  spe- 
cial meeting,  voted  to  lease  to  K.  B.  Fletcher  &  Co.,  for  the  nominal 
rental  of  one  dollar  a  year,  in  perpetuity,  the  water  of  Isreals  river 
and  its  bed,  and  the  lands  on  both  sides  of  the  stream,  as  given  by 
the  original  proprietors  to  the  town,  in  consideration  that  the  lessees 
should  erect  a  strawboard  mill,  or  other  manufacturing  concern  of 
equal  importance  to  the  town.  This  company  consisted  of  K.  B. 
Fletcher,  Edmund  Brown,  Henry  O.  Kent,  Jason  H.  Woodward, 
J.  W.  Spaulding,  Charles  W.  Roby,  Frank  Smith,  and  Charles  E. 
Allen.  Steps  were  taken  by  the  company  to  organize  and  begin 
business  on  receiving  their  lease.  Buildings  were  commenced,  and 
a  canal  cut  to  its  dam. 

In  1855,  by  special  act  of  the  legislature,  a  corporation  under  the 
name  of  the  Lancaster  Manufacturing  Company  had  been  chartered. 
The  grantees  of  that  charter  were  Jacob  Benton,  L.  F.  Moore,  Ed- 
mund Brown,  Jared  I.  Williams,  William  Burns,  Harvey  Adams, 
Royal  Joyslin,  B.  F.  Whidden,  Joseph  Roby,  Frederick  Fiske,  Hart- 
ford Sweet,  E.  L.  Colby,  H.  C.  Walker,  D.  A.  Burnside,  J.  E.  Stick- 
ney,  A.  L.  Robinson,  Turner  Stephenson,  and  Frank  Smith. 

This  corporation  was  "  authorized  to  carry  on  the  manufacture  of 
such  articles  as  are  usually  made  of  wool,  cotton,  wood,  or  timber; 
also  of  paper  and  woodenware,  in  all  the  various  departments  con- 
nected with  such  manufactures,  in  the  town  of  Lancaster,  county  of 
Coos,  New  Hampshire." 

This  corporation  had  not  organized,  and  its  valuable  franchise 
was  unused  for  a  period  of  nine  years ;  and  then  it  conveyed  its 
franchise  to  K.  B.  Fletcher  &  Co.  The  incorporators  met  in  the  office 
of  Henry  O.  Kent,  March  25,  1865,  for  the  first  time  upon  a  regu- 
larly issued  call,  and  organized  temporarily,  by  the  election  of  L.  F. 
Moore,  president,  and  Frank  Smith,  clerk.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Jason 
H.  Woodward,  John  W.  Spaulding,  C.  W.  Roby,  and  Charles  E. 
Allen,  of  the  K.  B.  Fletcher  &  Co.  firm,  were  elected  associates  in 
25 


386  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

the  benefits  of  the  charter.  It  was  next  voted  to  allow  all  the  origi- 
nal grantees  of  the  charter  to  withdraw  from  the  corporation  except 
Edmund  Brown  and  Frank  Smith,  which  they  did  do. 

The  corporation  then  voted  to  adopt  the  act  of  incorporation,  and 
also  a  set  of  by-laws  for  its  government,  and  adjourned  the  meet- 
ing to  March  29,  1865,  at  which  meeting  the  organization  was 
completed  by  the  election  of  J.  W.  Spaulding,  agent;  Henry  O. 
Kent,  clerk;    Charles  E.  Allen,  treasurer. 

The  stock  was  fixed  at  240  shares  of  $100  each,  and  was  taken 
as  follows:  Edmund  Brown,  30;  Henry  O.Kent,  30;  Jason  H. 
Woodward,  40;  J.  W.  Spaulding,  40;  Charles  W.  Roby,  40 ;  F. 
Smith,  30;    C.  E.  Allen,  15  ;   Isaac  F.  Allen,  15. 

This  gave  the  projectors  of  the  K.  B.  Fletcher  &  Co.  firm  the 
rights  and  title  of  the  Lancaster  Manufacturing  Company.  The  real 
estate  of  the  former  firm  was  transferred  to  the  latter  company; 
and  the  new  company  completed  the  factory,  and  at  once  began  the 
manufacture  of  strawboard.  This  was  for  a  number  of  years  a 
very  important  industry  for  the  community,  as  it  afforded  the  farm- 
ers a  good  market  for  the  product  of  their  farms,  and  gave  employ- 
ment to  a  number  of  people  at  good  wages. 

The  company  paid  as  high  as  from  five  to  ten  dollars  a  ton  for 
oat  and  rye  straw,  and  consumed  annually  about  five  hundred  cords 
of  wood  for  fuel.  The  community  was  well  served  by  the  business, 
but  its  projectors  had  to  wait  until  1870  for  their  first  dividend, 
which  was  only  a  ten  per  cent.  one.  They  had  spent  much  of  the 
earnings  of  the  factory  on  its  equipment  with  the  best  of  machinery. 
Their  product  was  good  and  prices  fair;  but  just  at  that  time  the 
country  began  to  be  flooded  with  strawboard,  and  with  declining 
prices  and  high  freight  rates  the  business  soon  became  an  unprofit- 
able one.  When  the  returns  for  its  product  were  so  low  as  not  to 
allow  the  manufacture  longer,  it  was  decided  to  change  to  straw  and 
manilla  wrapping-papers.  This  course  was  wise  and  profitable,  as 
the  company  made  good  profits  for  a  time.  After  a  while  the  intro- 
duction of  wood  pulp  and  active  competition  drove  the  prices 
down ;  and  although  the  company  made  a  good  article,  freights 
being  against  them,  and  in  favor  of  mills  nearer  the  market,  their 
profits  dwindled  again,  so  that  it  became  necessary  to  increase  the 
capital  stock  of  the  company  $12,000,  making  their  working  cap- 
ital now  $36,000.  Soon  the  stockholders  were  assessed  on  their 
stock  to  keep  the  mill  running.  About  1867,  S.  H.  LeGro  became 
a  stockholder,  and  as  agent  and  treasurer  of  the  company  proved 
a  valuable  member.  He  was  a  careful  and  persistent  man,  who 
always  succeeded  in  his  undertakings,  and  in  whom  all  who  knew 
him  had  perfect  confidence. 

It  was  finally  decided,  in  1879,  after  a  thorough  trial   of  its  pros- 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  387 

pects,  to  close  the  mill.  S.  H.  LeGro  and  Henry  O.  Kent  took 
the  entire  stock  and  met  the  company's  indebtedness.  They  paid  up 
all  claims,  and  sold  the  mills,  machinery,  and  stock  on  hand  to 
Thomas  M.  Stevens  of  Boston,  Mass.,  for  $20,000,  taking  in  pay- 
ment for  the  same  Stevens's  equity  in  two  apartment  hotels  in 
Boston,  Mass.  In  this  sale  only  the  property  of  the  corporation 
was  transferred  to  Stevens,  Messrs.  LeGro  and  Kent  retaining  and 
still  owning  the  stock  and  rights  granted  by  the  charter.  The 
shares  have  been  reduced  to  twenty,  and  the  Lancaster  Manufac- 
turing Company  still  exists  with  a  capital  of  $2,000.  At  its  last 
annual  meeting  Mr.  S.  H.  LeGro  (now  deceased)  was  president, 
and  Henry  O.  Kent,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

Stai'ch  Factories. — The  manufacture  of  potato  starch  was  intro- 
duced here  by  Frederick  Fisk  and  John  M.  Tillotson,  several  years 
before  the  war.  They  built  and  conducted  a  factory  or  mill  on  the 
site  of  N.  H.  Richardson's  furniture  shop,  on  Water  street,  and  were 
very  successful  in  the  business  for  some  years,  the  industry  proving 
a  valuable  one  for  the  community  as  it  afforded  a  good  market 
for  its  surplus  of  potatoes,  and  also  used  up  potatoes  otherwise 
unmarketable,  at  fair  prices,  largely  the  huge  "California"  pota- 
toes at  twelve  and  one  half  cents  per  bushel.  Other  factories  soon 
started  up  all  over  New  England,  the  market  became  over- 
stocked, and  prices  went  so  low  as  to  make  the  business  a  poor  one. 
Many  of  the  new  mills  made  a  poor  grade  of  starch,  used  larger 
quantities  of  potatoes  to  the  ton  than  formerly,  and  the  "  potato 
rot "  broke  out,  which  taken  altogether  reduced  the  w^ork  to  a 
poor  venture.  It  gradually  declined  in  Lancaster,  the  railroads  so 
appreciating  the  price  of  potatoes  for  market  as  to  make  the  man- 
ufacture unprofitable. 

The  Lancaster  Starch  Company  was  the  chief  sufferer  in  this 
manufacture.  It  was  a  joint  stock  company  of  forty  shares,  of  one 
hundred  dollars  each.  It  purchased  land  and  water  power  where 
the  Thompson  Manufacturing  Company  buildings  now  stand.  This 
company  sought  to  monopolize  the  business  in  this  section  by  buy- 
ing out  the  Fisk  and  Tillotson  mills,  of  Benjamin  H.  Plaisted  of 
Jefferson,  and  by  offering  fifty  cents  a  bushel  for  potatoes  when 
other  factories  were  buying  them  for  from  thirty-two  to  thirty-five 
cents.  Others  unloaded  their  stock  of  potatoes  upon  the  Lan- 
caster Starch  Company,  which  took  in  one  season  fifty  thousand 
bushels,  and  by  their  freezing  and  rotting  lost  a  large  portion  of 
them.  And  then  it  took  four  hundred  bushels  of  potatoes,  by 
their  processes,  to  make  a  ton  of  starch  while  other  factories  re- 
quired only  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  two  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  to  the  ton.  It  was  not  at  first  understood  that  the  higher 
grades  of  potatoes  contained  the  most  starch.      Panic  spread  among 


388  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

the  stockholders,  some  of  whom  got  rid  of  their  stock  at  ahnost  any 
figure  to  avoid  liabihty  in  the  ruin  they  foresaw.  A  fire  destroyed 
their  factory  on  Canal  street,  February  7,  1869,  together  with  the 
peg  mill  of  L.  F.  Moore  and  the  furniture  factory  of  the  Richard- 
sons.  Added  to  this  heavy  loss  were  the  many  lawsuits  that  fol- 
lowed, which  consumed  the  capital  of  the  company,  and  left  it  still 
heavily  involved  in  debt.  There  were  many  heavy  losers  among 
our  best  farmers,  but  the  heaviest  was  the  late  William  D.  Weeks, 
one  of  Lancaster's  most  honorable  men.  He  might  have  saved 
himself  by  alienating  his  stock ;  but  he  was  hopeful  of  being  able  to 
close  up  the  business  without  complete  loss,  and  save  the  credit  of 
himself  and  associates.  It  has  ever  been  the  pride  of  Lancaster 
business  men  of  the  old  stock,  that  in  all  business  enterprises  involv- 
ing risks  their  creditors  must  not  suffer  by  the  failure  of  their  ven- 
tures. Many  of  the  business  enterprises  of  that  class  of  men  have 
failed,  and  they  have  lost  heavily,  but  their  creditors  have  almost 
invariably  been  paid  to  the  last  penny  of  their  just  claims. 

Pleasant  Valley  Starch  Company. — On  October  19,  1868, 
several  farmers  from  Northumberland  and  Lancaster  met  at  the 
Great  Rock  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  15,  and  organized  a  com- 
pany for  the  manufacture  of  potato  starch.  A  site  for  a  mill  was 
purchased  of  James  Bain,  and  it  was  voted  to  erect  the  mill  at  once. 
The  ofificers  elected  were:  J.  C.  Marshall,  president ;  Moody  P.  Mar- 
shall, secretary;   James  Bain,  treasurer. 

James  Bain,  Moody  Marshall,  and  Zeb.  Twitchell  were  elected  a 
committee  to  erect  the  buildings  of  the  company.  They  employed 
Moses  Woodward  to  superintend  the  construction  of  the  mill,  he 
having  had  considerable  experience  in  the  business  of  manufactur- 
ing starch.  There  was  raised  the  sum  of  $300  to  expend  on  the 
mill;  and  the  meeting  adjourned  until  October  31,  1868,  when  a 
constitution  and  by-laws  were  adopted,  which  required  as  ofificers  a 
president,  a  secretary,  a  general  managing  agent,  these  to  constitute 
a  board  of  managers. 

The  original  shareholders  were  Robert  Jaques,  i  ;  Moody  P. 
Marshall,  5  ;  James  Bain,  2  ;  John  W.  Savage,  5  ;  Patrick  Connary, 
3  ;  Charles  Montgomery,  i  ;  Thomas  Jaques,  3  ;  William  G.  Ellis, 
I  ;  Thomas  S.  Ellis,  i  ;  John  Farnham,  3  ;  Zeb.  Twitchell,  2 ; 
George  Farnham,  2  ;  Ransom  Farnham,  i  ;  Abiathar  Twitchell,  i  ; 
Edward  Fox,  2  ;  Zebulon  Black,  i  ;  Charles  Lee,  i  ;  Thomas  H. 
Sheridan,  i  ;  Stephen  Hartford,  3  ;  William  Osborn,  i  ;  Isaac  F. 
Cotton,  2  ;    George  Cummings,  2  ;    Samuel  J.  Gerrish,  2. 

The  mill  of  the  company  was  completed  in  due  time,  and  the 
manufacture  of  starch  was  carried  on  for  a  number  of  years  with 
varied  success.  For  a  while  the  prices  kept  up  pretty  well,  and  good 
returns  were  secured  for  the  product.   The  owners  began,  after  some 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  389 

years,  to  sell  their  shares  with  which  to  pay  debts,  or  else  to  get 
happily  rid  of  a  venture  in  which  they  could  see  but  slight  hopes  of 
future  gains.  Most  of  the  shares  came  into  the  possession  of  Col. 
H.  O.  Kent  and  Mr.  J.  A.  Smith,  the  one  a  successful  financier  and 
the  other  a  successful  merchant.  From  1871  they  had  complete 
control  of  the  factory,  and  by  careful  management  made  some 
money  for  themselves  and  kept  a  better  market  for  the  farmers' 
potato  crop.  For  twelve  years  they  kept  the  mill  going;  but  the 
time  came  when  even  they  could  make  nothing  out  of  it,  and  finally 
were  forced  to  close  it  to  avoid  losses.  In  1883  it  was  closed  and 
some  of  the  property  sold.  Mr.  Kent  and  the  heirs  of  Mr.  J.  A. 
Smith  still  own  the  mill  and  water  privilege  on  Caleb  brook. 

James  W.  Weeks  ran  a  starch  mill  successfully  for  a  series  of  years 
at  Grange  Village,  and  a  good  mill  was  long  in  operation  on  Mar- 
den  brook,  near  the  Jefferson  line,  on  the  East  road. 

Pleasant  Valley  was  the  last  mill  in  operation  for  the  manufacture 
of  starch  in  Lancaster.  The  business  has  since  then  been  entirely 
given  up  as  unprofitable  in  competition  with  larger  producers  in 
other  sections  of  the  country.  While  the  lands  of  Lancaster  are 
quite  as  productive  as  those  of  other  sections  of  the  country,  it  yet 
costs  more  to  produce  and  market  a  crop  of  potatoes,  as  the  more 
improved  machinery  cannot  be  used  to  any  profitable  extent.  The 
work  has,  in  the  main,  to  be  done  by  hand,  which  increases  the  ex- 
pense of  the  crop.  The  introduction  of  railroads,  as  said,  also 
injured  the  starch  business,  as  it  enhanced  the  value  of  potatoes  for 
the  market  above  a  price  at  which  they  could  be  profitably  manu- 
factured. 

The  Thompson  Manufacturing  Company . — In  1858,  Jared  I. 
Williams  bought  out  S.  &  W.  M.  Rines,  who  were  then  running  a 
foundry  and  manufacturing  plows  and  other  articles  just  east  of  the 
site  of  the  mill  and  store  of  Frank  Smith  &  Co.  Mr.  Williams  con- 
ducted a  profitable  business  here,  using  more  improved  machinery 
than  the  Rines  firm  did.  The  business  was  conducted  under  the 
firm  name  of  J.  I.  Williams  &  Co.,  although  Mr,  Williams  was  the 
sole  owner.  The  second  story  of  the  large  building  was  used  by 
Nutting  &  Brown  with  their  furniture  business,  which  was  extensive. 
In  1865,  Alexander  and  Daniel  Thompson  were  admitted  into  the 
firm  of  Williams  &  Co.  The  Thompsons  were  men  of  great  skill 
and  ceaseless  perseverance.  They  removed  the  plant  of  the  Chase 
Foundry  Company  here  from  Concord,  Vt.,  and  consolidated  it  with 
the  plant  of  the  J.  I.  Williams  machine  shop  and  foundry.  The 
new  firm  was  styled  Thompson,  Williams  &  Co.  This  company  did 
a  good  business.  In  1869  it  was  incorporated  as  "The  Lancaster 
Iron  Works."  Under  this  name  it  only  existed  one  year,  when  the 
property   was   divided    up.      Williams    took    the    foundry   and    the 


390  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Thompsons  the  machine  shop.  WilHams  later  sold  the  foundry  to 
Richard  Hovey  and  A.  M.  Bullard.  They  soon  sold  it  to  A.  W. 
Morrill,  who  in  turn  sold  it  to  W.  H.  Ellis  and  B.  S.  Alcott,  and 
Williams  took  it  back,  and  sold  the  personal  property  to  Alex- 
ander Thompson  and  the  real  estate  to  Frank  Smith  &  Co.  The 
Thompsons  continued  to  run  the  machine  shop  on  Middle  street  until 
1873,  when  the  shops  were  burned,  making  a  total  loss.  They 
lost  about  $15,000;  but  being  men  of  boundless  courage  they  pur- 
chased the  property  of  the  lately  collapsed  Lancaster  Starch  Com- 
pany, on  Canal  street.  Here  Alexander  Thompson  laid  the  founda- 
tion of  the  present  Thompson  Manufacturing  Company  in  the  little 
one-story  dry-house  of  the  Starch  Company,  the  only  part  of  their 
plant  that  was  not  consumed  in  the  fire.  Thompson  only  pur- 
chased one  half  of  the  water  power  on  that  site.  For  the  first  year 
he  occupied  that  one  little  building,  24x30  feet,  which  is  still 
a  part  of  the  present  shops.  In  enlarging  the  shops  from  time  to 
time,  they  have  built  around  this  original  building.  After  a  hard 
struggle  in  building  up  his  business,  Mr.  Thompson  sold  a  half  inter- 
est to  K.  B.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  and  F.  H.  Twitchell,  both  of  whom  had 
been  trained  into  skilful  workmen  under  his  watchful  care.  At  this 
time  the  firm  only  employed  three  men.  They  were  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  sawmill  machinery,  general  jobbing,  and  steam  fit- 
ting. Close  attention  to  business  and  hard  work  improved  it,  so  that 
the  plant  grew  steadily  into  prominence,  and  yielded  a  good  income. 

Alexander  Thompson's  health  failed  in  the  early  spring  of  1882, 
so  he  was  forced  to  give  up  business  the  first  of  May.  He  died  the 
following  September. 

The  surviving  partners  continued  the  business  under  the  old  firm 
name  until  May  7,  1884,  when  Thompson's  interest  was  sold  to 
William  T.  Jones,  of  Whitefield,  N.  H.,  and  Charles  H.  Balch,  of 
Lancaster.  The  name  of  the  company  was  changed  to  "  The 
Thompson  Manufacturing  Company." 

On  May  21,  1888,  the  company  bought  out  the  door,  sash,  and 
blind  factory  of  Leavett  &  Hartford,  in  an  adjoining  building,  on 
the  same  water  power.  This  they  added  to  their  former  business, 
and  have  ever  since  made  it  a  profitable  industry.  This  factory  also 
turns  out  a  general  line  of  builders'  materials. 

C.  H.  Balch  died  May  18,  1889,  and  Ossian  Ray  and  Joseph  W. 
Flanders  bought  his  interest  in  the  company  the  following  Septem- 
ber. 

In  October.  1892,  a  consolidation  was  made  with  Charles  W. 
Sleeper,  of  Island  Pond,  Vt.,  formerly  of  Coaticook,  P.  Q.  By  this 
arrangement  the  Thompson  Manufacturing  Company  became  the 
manufacturers  of  a  machine,  the  invention  of  Mr.  Sleeper,  for  the 
automatic  construction  of  tin  cans  for  meats  and  fruits.     This  is  the 


MANUFACTURING   ENTERPRISES.  391 

only  machine  of  the  kind  that  takes  sheet  tin  and  cuts  and  makes  a 
completed  can  automatically.  The  new  company  have  found  in  Mr. 
Sleeper  such  a  genius  as  the  old  one  had  in  Alexander  Thompson. 

In  1893  the  private  company  formed  a  stock  company,  under  the 
same  name,  with  a  capital  of  $50,000.  It  now  employs  about  fifty 
men  throughout  the  year.  Of  late  years  it  has  been  devoting  con- 
siderable attention  to  the  manufacture  of  machinery  for  making 
wood  pulp  and  paper.  The  company  holds  patents  on  these  ma- 
chines, as  also  on  a  number  of  other  inventions,  tools,  and  devices. 

File  Works. — We  mention  as  an  evidence  of  the  enterprise  and 
genius  of  the  town,  the  fact  that  at  one  time  there  flourished  a  fac- 
tory in  which  were  made  a  very  good  grade  of  files.  It  was  located 
on  Canal  street,  and  conducted  by  Moody  &  Co., — George  Moody 
and  George  E.  Cave.  Later  it  was  owned  and  managed  by  Ellis 
&  Olcott  (Thomas  S.  Ellis  and  Barzillai  S.  Olcott).  It  was  not 
destined  to  long  survive,  in  competition  with  large  factories  turning 
out  a  larger  product  in  a  single  day  than  it  could  in  a  year.  Be- 
sides, it  was  not  located  near  enough  to  the  markets  in  which  its 
material  had  to  be  bought,  and  those  in  which  its  products  could 
find  sale. 

The  Diamond  Granite  Company . — For  a  number  of  years  V.  V. 
Whitney  had  conducted  a  private  business  in  the  manufacture  of 
granite  monuments  in  Lancaster;  but  in  1894,  in  order  to  further 
develop  the  business,  he  consolidated  with  that  of  an  incorporated 
company  under  the  name  of  "The  Diamond  Granite  Company." 
Mr.  Whitney  had  previously  erected  the  extensive  factory  and  sheds 
on  Middle  street  for  the  accommodation  of  his  work.  This  became 
the  company's  plant,  and  for  a  year  extensive  operations  were  car- 
ried on.  A  large  force  of  men  have  been  employed  in  both  the 
quarry  and  factory  most  of  the  time  for  the  last  three  years.  Some 
very  fine  work  has  been  turned  out.  They  quarry  the  Kilkenny 
granite  from  their  ledges,  taken  from  the  Kilkenny  mountains,  in  the 
southern  edge  of  the  town  of  Northumberland.  This  granite,  which 
exists  in  an  inexhaustible  quantity,  comes  to  the  surface  and  is  eas- 
ily gotten.  Its  quality  is  very  good,  as  is  shown  by  analysis.  It  is 
a  sienitic  granite,  of  three  shades, — dark  green,  bluish,  and  light 
gray.  The  most  of  it  is  of  the  greenish  tint.  Its  specific  gravity  is 
2.707,  which  is  .047  higher  than  the  average  of  sienitic  granites.  It 
possesses  a  crushing  resistance  of  15,360  pounds  to  the  square 
inch ;  and  its  heat  resisting  power  is  great,  making  it  a  valuable 
stone  for  building  and  monumental  purposes. 

Arthur  G.  Wilson  &  Company  carry  on  an  extensive  business  in 
marble  and  granite  work,  having  a  wide  and  valuable  connection. 
Their  new  shops  and  salesrooms  are  on  Elm  street,  opposite  the 
Williams  House,  where  very  fine  work  is  designed  and  completed. 


392  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

CHAPTER   VIII. 

BANKS    AND    CORPORATIONS. 

The  Lancaster  Bank — The  White  Mountain  Bank — The  Lancaster  Sav- 
ings Bank — The  Lancaster  National  Bank— The  Siwooganock  Sav- 
ings Bank — The  Lancaster  Trust  Company — The  Lancaster  Bridge 
Company — The  Coos  Mutual  Fire  Insurance  Company — Agricultural 
Societies. 

THE    BANKS    OF    LANCASTER. 

It  was  not  until  1832  that  the  business  interests  of  Lancaster 
demanded  a  bank.  Up  to  that  time  business  had  followed  the 
orderly  course  of  development  of  a  new  community.  Trade  in  the 
earliest  times  was  chiefly  "  barter."  Comparatively  little  money 
was  used.  The  early  merchants  used  the  little  ready  money  or 
credit  they  had  to  procure  a  stock  of  goods,  and  then  sold  it  out, 
mostly  for  the  produce  of  the  farms,  and  the  primitive  manufac- 
tures like  "pot  and  pearl  ashes."  These  they  shipped  to  the  cities 
in  payment  of  their  purchases.  Added  to  these  were  the  furs  and 
peltries  they  received  of  the  hunters  and  trappers ;  this  trafBc,  to 
a  limited  extent,  still  prevails  here.  Some  very  fine  lots  of  furs  and 
pelts  are  bought  up  by  the  traders  of  to-day  which  go  through 
the  same  channels  of  exchange  they  did  a  hundred  years  ago. 

An  early,  and  important,  medium  of  exchange  between  a  rural 
community  like  Lancaster  fifty  years  ago  was  the  "cattle  drover." 
This  important  personage  would  come  into  town  and  purchase  for 
ready  cash  large  herds  of  stock  from  farmers,  thus  furnishing  to  the 
community  a  large  amount  of  money  to  do  business  on.  Some  of 
the  traders  were  more  or  less  connected  with  this  means  of  ex- 
change. This,  in  time,  made  a  demand  for  a  money  exchange 
rather  than  supplying  it,  and  a  bank  was  the  result.  In  1832, 
business  men  began  to  feel  the  need  of  a  bank  and  took  steps  to 
secure  the  establishment  of  one. 

A  number  of  the  most  prominent  merchants  and  citizens  of  means 
secured  from  the  legislature  a  charter  for  a  bank  for  twenty  years. 
This  institution  was  known  as  the  Lancaster  Bank.  It  began 
business  July  ist,  1833,  in  Gen.  John  Wilson's  dwelling  house  at 
the  north  end  of  Main  street,  where  the  Benton  residence  now 
stands.  Its  incorporators  were  David  Burnside,  Benjamin  Stephen- 
son, Turner  Stephenson,  Ephraim  Cross,  and  Warren  Porter.  Its 
first  president  was  John  H,  White,  and  Gen.  John  Wilson  was  cash- 
ier. The  capital  was  $50,000.  This  capital  was  simply  subscribed  for 
and  paid  up  in  securities  of  one  kind  and  another,  and  not  wholly 
in  cash  before  starting  in  business  as  is  now  the  requirement  of  law. 


BANKS   AND    CORPORATIONS.  393 

On  July  1st,  1835,  the  bank  was  moved  to  a  room  in  what  was 
known  as  the  "  Green  store  "  standing  where  the  Evans  block  now 
does  on  Main  street  near  Isreals  river  bridge.  This  room  corres- 
ponded to  that  now  occupied  by  G.  V.  Moulton's  shoe  store,  while 
R.  P.  Kent  kept  a  store  in  the  other  end  of  the  building.  Mr.  Kent 
was  appointed  cashier  of  the  bank,  a  position  he  held  for  five  years, 
when  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Gen.  John  Wilson.  This 
bank  did  a  good  business,  and  served  the  community  faithfully  for 
the  period  for  which  it  was  chartered.  A  few  years  before  the  ex- 
piration of  its  charter  it  lost  heavily  through  the  failure  of  its 
debtors,  and  did  not  ask  for  an  extension  of  its  charter,  choosing 
rather  to  go  out  of  business  honorably,  paying  up  its  creditors,  than 
to  take  risks  in  the  future.  It  finally  closed  up  its  business  in  1855, 
two  years  after  the  expiration  of  its  charter,  without  the  loss  of  a 
cent  to  any  of  its  creditors. 

Royal  Joyslin  succeeded  John  H.White  as  president,  and  held 
that  position  throughout  the  existence  of  the  bank.  George  A. 
Cositt  succeeded  General  Wilson  as  cashier  and  held  that  position 
until  the  bank  went  out  of  business. 

The  White  Mountain  Bank. — In  1852  another  bank  was  char- 
tered under  the  name  of  "  The  White  Mountain  Bank,"  with  a  capi- 
tal of  $50,000.  Its  first  president  was  J.  B.  Sumner;  G.  C.  Will- 
iams, cashier;  directors,  J.  B.  Sumner,  Dalton ;  Barton  G.  Towne, 
Hezekiah  Parsons,  Jr.,  Colebrook ;  Moses  Woodward,  Jefferson; 
James  W.  Weeks,  E.  C.  Spaulding,  Lancaster;  and  Oliver  B.  Howe, 
Shelburne. 

This  was  a  bank  of  issue,  and  did  a  good  business  for  many  years. 
Gov.  J.  W.  Williams  became  president  in  1858,  and  continued  in 
that  office  until  his  death  in  1864.  William  Burns  succeeded  Gov- 
ernor Williams,  and  Jared  I.  Williams  was  chosen  cashier.  In  the 
redemption  of  notes,  it  was  found  that  a  former  cashier  had  made 
an  over  issue  of  some  $53,000  in  notes,  and  had  also  sunk  $40,000 
more  of  the  funds  of  the  bank. 

William  Burns,  J.  I.Williams,  J.  W.  Weeks,  and  Barton  G.  Towne 
settled  up  the  affairs  of  the  bank  in  a  creditable  manner,  though 
some  of  its  stockholders  lost  very  heavily,  especially  the  Governor 
Williams  estate. 

The  Lancaster  Savings  Bank. — This  is  the  oldest  bank  now 
doing  business  in  Lancaster.  Its  charter  was  procured  by  Col. 
Henry  O.  Kent  in  1868.  While  serving  as  bank  commissioner  of 
the  state  he  came  to  think  that  a  savings  bank  could  fill  a  useful 
place  in  Lancaster,  and  accordingly  set  about  to  establish  one.  It 
was  organized  July  29,  1868,  as  "The  Savings  Bank  of  the  County 
of  Coos."  '  Its  first  trustees  were  H.  A.  Fletcher,  R.  P.  Kent,  Henry 
O.  Kent,   A.  J.  Marshall,  B.  F.  Whidden,   Edmund   Brown,   S.   H. 


394  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

LeGro,  J.  I.  Williams,  L.  F.  Moore,  C.  W.  Smith,  E.  Savage,  and 
E.  V.  Cobleigh. 

In  1876,  James  W.  Weeks,  William  Burns,  Hosea  Gray,  A.  Guern- 
sey, J.  H.  Hopkinson  and  J.  H.  Woodward  were  elected  trustees. 
The  first  president  was  the  late  Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  a  man  of  large 
ability  and  unbending  integrity,  who  held  that  position  until  July, 
1878,  when  failing  health  obliged  him  to  retire.  Anderson  J.  Mar- 
shall was  elected  as  his  successor,  holding  the  position  until  his  de- 
cease in  1883.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  late  Richard  P.  Kent,  who 
held  the  office  from  1883  to  1885.  James  W.  Weeks  was  elected  in 
1885,  and  held  the  position  until  1894,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  and  at  his  decease  Dr.  Ezra  Mitchell,  the  present 
president,  was  elected.  Col.  H.  O.  Kent  has  been  its  treasurer  from 
the  organization  of  the  bank.  The  management  of  this  bank  has 
been  able  and  careful  from  the  first,  winning  confidence  and  a  large 
patronage  from  the  community  and  people  desirous  of  saving  against 
their  possible  needs  in  the  future.  It  now  has  assets  of  $609,282, 
as  shown  by  its  "statement  of  its  condition  June  30,  1896,"  with  a 
surplus  and  guaranty  fund  of  $33,233. 

Its  place  of  business  has  always  been  in  the  Kent  block,  on  Main 
street,  where  it  has  the  finest  appointed  banking  rooms  in  the  county, 
with  vaults  of  the  most  improved  construction.  The  charter  of  the 
bank  is  perpetual,  and  it  is  a  legal  investment  for  trust  funds.  Its 
present  officers  are  (1896)  Ezra  Mitchell,  president;  Henry  O. 
Kent,  secretary  and  treasurer;  trustees,  Henry  O.  Kent,  Ezra  Mitch- 
ell, Frank  Jones,  E.  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R.  Kent,  James  H.  Curtis, 
Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  Henry  Percy  Kent,  Stetson  Ward  Gushing, 
and  Joseph  D.  Howe. 

The  Lancaster  JVational  Dank. — This  institution  was  incorpo- 
rated in  1 88 1,  with  a  capital  of  $125,000.  It  began  business  in 
1882,  in  its  present  location  with  the  following  ofificers : 

George  R.  Eaton,  president;  Everett  Fletcher,  vice-president; 
Frank  D.  Hutchins,  cashier.  Board  of  directors:  Ossian  Ray,  Geo. 
R.  Eaton,  William  Clough,  C.  B.  Jordan,  A.  J.  Marshall,  Everett 
Fletcher,  Seneca  S.  Merrill,  R.  H.  Porter,  and  H.  O.  Coolidge. 

This  bank  has  done  a  large  and  successful  business,  and  enjoys 
the  full  confidence  of  the  community.     Its  surplus  is  $25,000. 

The  first  president  and  cashier  are  still  in  office.  The  following, 
among  Lancaster's  best  business  men,  are  its  directors: 

George  R.  Eaton,  Irving  W.  Drew,  F.  D.  Hutchins,  Burleigh 
Roberts,   George  M.   Stevens,  John  L.   Moore,  K,  B.   Fletcher. 

The  Siwooganock  Guaranty  Savings  Bank. — This  bank  was 
organized  in  1887,  with  the  following  ofificers :  W.  S.  Ladd,  presi- 
dent; F.  D.  Hutchins,  treasurer;  G.  R.  Eaton,  W.  S.  Ladd,  C.  B. 
Jordan,  W.  Clough,  E.  Fletcher,  C.  A.  Bailey,  and  F.  D.  Hutchins, 


Mt.  Prospect.  Mt.  Pleasant. 

Connecticut  River  and  Toll  Bridge. 


Lof;  Jam  at  Toll  Buidge,  1895. 


BANKS    AND    CORPORATIONS.  395 

trustees.  Its  incorporators  were:  W.  S.  Ladd,  C.  B.  Jordan,  I.  W. 
Drew,  G.  Van  Dyke,  W.  Clough,  F.  P.  Brown,  C.  T.  McNally,  J.  H. 
Dudley,  O.  Ray,  W.  R.  Danforth,  G.  M.  Stevens,  C.  A.  Cleaveland, 
B.  C.  Garland,  W.  F.  Dodge,  B.  A.  Taylor,  D.  H.  Beattie,  G.  R. 
Eaton,  F.  D.  Hutchins,  E.  Fletcher,  B.  Roberts,  C.  A.  Bailey,  A.  M. 
Beattie,  J.  I.  Parsons,  A.  R.  Evans,  F.  N.  Day,  J.  C.  Pattee,  E.  W. 
Scribner,  R.  McCarten,  S.  Cole,  L.  T.  Hazen,  S.  E.  Paine. 

This  bank  has  done  a  fine  business,  and  has  won  the  confidence 
of  the  community  as  one  of  its  safe  and  useful  institutions.  Its 
capital,  or  guarantee  fund,  is  $60,000.  Its  assets  April  i,  1896, 
$441,675. 

Its  present  officers  are :  President,  I.  W.  Drew ;  treasurer,  F.  D. 
Hutchins.  Trustees;  I.  VV.  Drew,  Geo.  R.  Eaton,  Everett  Fletcher, 
F.  D.  Hutchins,  Burleigh  Roberts,  Geo.  M.  Stevens. 

The  Lancaster  Trust  Company . — This  is  a  state  bank,  incorpo- 
rated in  1 89 1,  doing  business  in  Kent's  building  in  the  same  rooms 
also  occupied  by  the  Lancaster  Savings  bank.  Its  charter  is  a  very 
comprehensive  one,  enabling  its  managers  to  do  the  general  busi- 
ness of  a  trust  company,  discount  bank,  real  estate  and  financial 
agency.  So  far,  only  a  banking  department  has  been  organized. 
Its  cash  capital  is  $100,000. 

Its  first  board  of  oflficers  elected  June  21,  1891,  was  as  follows: 
President,  Henry  O.  Kent;  vice-presidents,  Chester  B.  Jordan,  Geo. 
Van  Dyke;  treasurer,  Henry  Percy  Kent;  secretary,  Willie  E.  Bul- 
lard.  Directors  :  Henry  O.  Kent,  Frank  Jones,  George  Van  Dyke, 
Ezra  Mitchell,  C.  C.  O'Brion,  Chester  B.  Jordan,  Erastus  V.  Cob- 
leigh,  Edward  R.  Kent,  Willie  E.  Bullard. 

This  bank  has  done  a  steadily  increasing  and  prosperous  business, 
and  is  properly  regarded  as  one  of  the  strong  financial  institutions 
of  the  state.  Its  statement  of  August  i,  1896,  shows  a  capital  of 
$100,000.      Surplus,  $8,473.29  ;    deposits,  $50,620. 

Its  present  officers  are:  President,  Henry  O.  Kent;  vice-presi- 
dents, Chester  B.  Jordan,  Ezra  Mitchell;  clerk  of  the  corporation, 
Charles  A.  Cleaveland ;  treasurer,  Henry  Percy  Kent.  Directors : 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Frank  Jones,  Chester  B.  Jordan,  Ezra  Mitchell, 
Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Charles  C.  Cleaveland,  Henry 
Percy  Kent,  H.  H.  Danforth. 

THE    LANCASTER    BRIDGE    COMPANY. 

In  the  settlement  of  the  Connecticut  river  valley,  the  rich  meadow 
lands  on  both  sides  offered  extra  inducements  to  develop  settlements 
east  and  west  of  the  river  at  the  same  time.  This  was  so  in  the 
"  Upper  Coos  "  settlement.  Lancaster  and  Northumberland  on  the 
New  Hampshire  side,  and  Lunenburg  and  Guildhall  on  the  Ver- 
mont side,  kept  abreast  of  each   other   in   their   development.      As 


396  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

pioneer  life  changed  with  the  growth  of  the  several  villages  in  these 
towns,  communication  between  them  became  increasingly  impor- 
tant, demanding  better  means  of  crossing  the  river  than  the  primi- 
tive custom  of  fording  it.  Northumberland  and  Guildhall  villages 
were  more  populous  than  Lancaster  and  Lunenburg,  for  a  time, 
from  which  consideration  those  two  villages  were  connected  by  a 
ferry  at  the  hands  of  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam,  which  he  later  sold  to 
Jonathan  Grant,  Sept.  9,  1803.  Bucknam  had  petitioned  the  gen- 
eral court,  Oct.  8,  1784,  for  the  privilege  of  using  the  river  for  build- 
ing mills  and  a  ferry,  which  privilege  was  granted  him,  and  by 
which  he  controlled  the  river  for  one  mile  below  and  above  the  falls. 

About  the  time  Bucknam  sold  his  ferry,  Lancaster  was  becoming 
a  village  of  more  importance  than  either  Guildhall  or  Northumber- 
land, as  a  trading  center.  An  increased  demand  for  better  facilities 
for  crossing  the  river  at  Lancaster  led  a  few  public-spirited  men  to 
take  steps  to  build  a  toll  bridge.  The  towns  along  the  river  were 
not  able  to  meet  the  expense  of  a  free  bridge,  and  such  a  bridge 
was  the  only  thing  that  could  be  had  at  the  time.  The  legislature 
was  applied  to,  and  granted  a  charter  by  special  act,  incorporat- 
ing the  Lancaster  Bridge  Company.  The  charter  authorized  the 
company  "  to  build  a  bridge,  and  maintain  it,  over  the  Connecticut 
river  at  a  place  called  '  Waits  Bow.'  " 

In  the  charter,  Richard  C.  Everett  and  Levi  Willard  were  desig- 
nated to  call  the  -first  meeting  of  the  stockholders.  The  lands  of  the 
company  were  not  to  exceed  five  acres  adjoining  the  bridge.  The 
rate  of  tolls  was  also  fixed  by  the  charter,  as  follows : 

"  I.  For  each  foot  passenger,  i  cent. 

2.  For  each  horse  and  rider,  4  cents. 

3.  For  each  Chaise,  Chair,  Sulky  or  other  riding  carriage,  drawn  by  one  horse, 

10  cents. 

4.  For  each  Riding  Sleigh  drawn  by  one  horse,  5  cents. 

5.  For  each  Coach,  Chariot,   Phaeton  or  other  four-wheeled  carriage  for  pas- 

sengers, drawn  by  more  than  one  horse,  20  cents. 

6.  For  each  Curicle,  12  cents. 

7.  For  each  Cart  or  other  carriage  of  burthen,  drawn  by  two  beasts,  10  cents, 

and  2  cents  for  each  additional  yoke  of  oxen  or  pair  of  horses. 

8.  For  each  horse,  exclusive  of  those  rid  on,  3  cents. 

9.  For  each  Neat  Creature,  i  cent. 

10.   For  each  Sheep  or  Swine,  d  cent,  and  to  each  team  one  person  and  no  more 
shall  be  allowed,  as  a  driver,  to  pass  free  of  toll." 

These  rates  were  to  hold  good  if  at  the  end  of  three  years  the 
profits  did  not  exceed  twelve  per  cent.  If  they  exceeded  that  in- 
come, then  the  justices  of  the  superior  court  were  authorized  to 
reduce  them  ;  and  thereafter  at  the  end  of  every  six  years  the  same 
ruling  was  to  hold.  The  court  also  had  the  authority  to  raise  them 
if  they  fell  below  six  per  cent. 


BANKS    AND    CORPORATIONS.  397 

The  incorporators  were  liable  for  the  bridge  in  the  same  terms 
that  a  town  is  for  its  roads  and  bridges,  and  was  indictable  on  the 
same  grounds  of  lack  of  repair. 

The  stock  was  issued  in  forty  shares  of  fifty  dollars  each,  and 
the  following  persons  held  it  at  the  organization  of  the  company : 
Isaac  Bundy,  2  shares;  Thomas  Carlisle,  2  shares;  Richard  C.  Ev- 
erett, 3  shares;  William  Lovejoy,  i  share;  Levi  Willard,  2  shares; 
Stephen  Wilson,  2  shares;  Jonathan  Cram,  i  share;  David  Perkins, 
2  shares;  James  Baker,  i  share;  Titus  O.  Brown,  i  share;  Hum- 
phrey Cram,  i  share ;  David  Bunday,  i  share ;  William  Hines,  i 
share;  Artemas  Wilder,  12  shares;  Elisha  Bunday,  i  share;  David 
Dana,  i  share;  Urial  Rosebrook,  i  share;  Lemuel  Holmes,  i  share; 
Asa  Holmes,  i  share ;  Samuel  Howe,  i  share ;  Timothy  Faulkner, 
I  share ;    Bowman  Chaddock,  i  share. 

The  first  corporation  meeting  was  called  for  August  20,  at  which 
a  preliminary  organization  was  effected,  with  Richard  C.  Everett, 
chairman,  and  Thomas  Carlisle,  as  clerk.  A  permanent  organiza- 
tion was  effected  September  24,  by  the  election  of  Daniel  Dana, 
president,  Thomas  Carlisle,  clerk,  and  Richard  C.  Everett,  treas- 
urer. 

This  bridge  served  a  valuable  purpose,  and  was  a  source  of  con- 
siderable profit,  though  profits  never  ran  so  high  as  to  subject  its 
rates  to  the  scaling-down  provided  for  in  its  charter.  Its  stock  was 
always  regarded  good,  and  found  buyers  whenever  its  owners  wished 
to  dispose  of  it.  During  the  many  years  of  its  existence  there  were 
sundry  changes  in  its  list  of  stockholders,  and  also  its  officers.  The 
late  R.  P.  Kent,  who  came  to  Lancaster  in  1825,  became  an  owner 
of  stock,  and  an  officeholder  in  the  corporation,  and  for  forty  years 
served  as  clerk  and  treasurer.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  one 
of  the  largest  holders  of  its  stock. 

The  first  bridge  was  built  in  1804,  and  was,  for  the  times,  a  sub- 
stantial structure;  but  in  1828  it  was  rebuilt,  and  in  1840  a  new 
one,  the  present  one,  was  built.  All  were  heavy  wooden  struc- 
tures, but  served  a  valuable  purpose  in  bringing  to  the  village  of 
Lancaster  the  trade  of  the  Vermont  side  of  the  river  for  a  consider- 
able distance. 

The  present  bridge  becoming  a  source  of  considerable  expense 
with  a  rate  of  income  too  small  to  afford  profits,  and  to  enable  own- 
ers to  replace  it  in  case  of  loss,  it  was  decided  to  sell  it  to  the  three 
towns  adjoining  it, — Lancaster,  Lunenburg,  and  Guildhall.  Accord- 
ingly steps  were  taken  to  dispose  of  it,  and  as  public  sentiment  was 
strong  against  toll  bridges,  it  was  arranged  between  the  towns 
referred  to,  to  take  action  upon  the  matter;  Lancaster  and  Guildhall, 
at  their  respective  town-meetings,  and  Lunenburg  by  private  sub- 
scription, in  the  spring  of   1894.     This  action  was  favorable  to   the 


398  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

purchase  of  tlic  bridge  by  the  three  towns  jointly.  Lancaster  ap- 
propriated $2,000,  Guildhall  $300,  and  Lunenburg  $200,  which  was 
accepted  by  the  bridge  company,  and  the  property  was  conveyed  to 
the  towns  in  the  spring  of  1894.  The  toll  house  was  sold  for  $400, 
and  a  dividend  was  made  of  the  amount  between  the  thirty-eight 
shares  standing  out  at  that  time. 

For  ninety  years  the  old  bridge  served  the  public,  and  in  keeping 
with  the  tendency  of  the  times  to  make  all  public  service  free,  it  has 
yielded  to  the  inevitable.  Its  last  ofificers  were :  Henry  O.  Kent, 
president ;  Henry  Percy  Kent,  secretary  and  treasurer ;  directors, 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Isaac  W.  Hopkinson,  and  Henry  Percy  Kent. 

THE    COOS    MUTUAL    FIRE   INSURANCE    COMPANY. 

This  company  was  incorporated  by  special  act  of  the  legislature 
July  13,  1855.  The  incorporators  were:  Benjamin  F.  Whidden, 
Charles  B.  Allen,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Daniel  C.  Pinkham,  Reuben  L. 
Adams,  David  A.  Burnside,  Aurin  M.  Chase,  Daniel  A.  Bowe,  Nel- 
son Kent,  and  William  R.  Stockwell. 

The  first  three  of  these  were  named  to  call  the  first  meeting,  which 
was  not  done  until  May  6,  1862,  when  notice  was  given  the  incorpo- 
rators to  meet  at  the  law  office  of  Benjamin  F.  Whidden  on  May  17, 
1862,  for  the  organization  of  the  company.  Only  a  temporary  or- 
ganization was  effected,  with  B.  F.  Whidden,  chairman,  and  D.  C. 
Pinkham,  secretary. 

The  act  of  incorporation,  section  16,  chapter  1794,  private  acts, 
was  adopted.  At  this  first  meeting,  William  Heywood,  Henry  O. 
Kent,  John  Whittemore,  and  S.  W.  Cooper  were  elected  associates 
in  the  corporation.  A  board  of  directors,  consisting  of  B.  F.  Whid- 
den, E.  L.  Colby.  C.  B.  Allen,  WiUiam  Heywood,  S.  W.  Cooper, 
and  Henry  O.  Kent,  was  elected. 

On  June  3,  1862,  permanent  officers  were  chosen,  consisting  of 
B.  F.  Whidden,  president;  S.  W.  Cooper,  secretary.  At  this  meet- 
ing, John  Whittemore  of  Colebrook  and  William  A.  White  of  Lan- 
caster were  appointed  a  committee  to  solicit  business  for  the  new 
company,  which  gained  the  confidence  of  the  people,  and  a  fair 
amount  of  business  was  transacted  from  the  start.  At  an  ad- 
journed meeting,  on  Aug.  13,  1862,  H.  O.  Kent  was  elected  perma- 
nent secretary,  and  held  that  position  throughout  its  existence. 

The  company,-  as  its  name  indicates,  was  wholly  mutual,  all  of 
its  patrons  becoming  members  in  the  corporation  upon  the  insur- 
ance of  their  property.  The  business  was  conducted  economically, 
and  in  every  respect  it  was  a  first-class  protection  against  loss  by 
fire,  and  as  cheap  as  mutual  insurance  could  be  afforded  at  the  time. 

Within  a  year  of  its  organization,  C.  B.  Allen,  L.  F.  Moore,  and 


BANKS   AND    CORPORATIONS.  399 

H.  A.  Fletcher  were  elected  directors,  and  served  in  that  relation 
throughout  its  existence. 

Intending  to  be  absent  from  the  state  during  the  year  of  1862, 
Mr.  H.  O.  Kent  was  authorized  by  the  directors  to  appoint  an  assist- 
ant secretary,  which  he  did  by  selecting  D.  C.  Pinkham.  Upon 
his  return  to  Lancaster,  December  i,  1862,  he  resumed  his  duties  as 
secretary  July  i,  1863. 

On  September  i,  1863,  a  new  board  of  directors  was  elected,  this 
being  its  annual  meeting.  That  board  consisted  of  B.  F.  Whid- 
den,  E.  L.  Colby,  William  Heywood,  Jacob  Benton,  L.  F.  Moore, 
C.  B.  Allen,  John  Whittemore,  Joseph  Colby,  and  Merrill  C.  Forest. 

A  schedule  of  salaries  was  established  as  follows:  President,  $10 
per  year ;  secretary,  fifty  cents  on  each  policy,  and  fifty  cents  for 
each  directors'  meeting;  treasurer,  $3  per  day  and  expenses;  all 
ofhcers  $2  per  day  for  settling  losses;  agents  fifty  cents  on  each 
policy  from  the  company,  and  the  same  amount  from  the  insured, 
and  fees  for  services  necessitating  extra  service ;  directors,  fifty  cents 
for  each  meeting,  five  cents  for  each  application  approved,  and  ten 
cents  a  mile  one  way  for  travel  in  attending  directors'  meetings, 
not  to  exceed  four  meetings  a  year. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  directors,  the  same  day,  the  following  ofhcers 
were  elected:  E.  L.  Colby,  president;  H.  O.  Kent,  secretary;  Ira 
S.  M.  Gove,  treasurer.  The  ofhces  of  the  secretary  and  treasurer 
were  located  in  the  Kent  block.  Main  street,  Lancaster.  The  busi- 
ness by  this  time  had  grown  to  promising  proportions.  Losses 
were  promptly  met,  and  the  finances  of  the  corporation  were  in  good 
condition. 

Mr.  Kent  intending  to  be  absent  again  for  some  time,  was  given 
authority  by  the  directors  to  appoint  an  assistant  secretary.  He 
appointed  George  H.  Emerson,  but  changed  it  to  William  Hey- 
wood, until  July  11,  1864,  when,  on  his  return,  he  resumed  his 
duties  in  that  ofhce  until  the  close  of  its  career.  In  1864,  the  late 
H.  A.  Fletcher  was  elected  treasurer,  and  served  in  that  capacity 
for  a  term  of  eight  years,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Charles  E. 
Allen,  who  served  in  that  relation  to  the  company  until  it  went  out 
of  business.  E.  L.  Colby  was  president  from  his  first  election  in 
1863,  until  December  30,  1875,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  William 
Heywood,  who  continued  in  that  ofhce  until  the  close  of  the  com- 
pany's career. 

John  Whittemore  of  Colebrook,  N.  H.,  F.  I.  Bean  of  Berlin, 
N.  H.,  W.  A.  White  of  Lancaster,  William  Goodman  of  Norway, 
Me.,  and  E.  L.  Colby  of  Lancaster,  served  the  company  most  of 
the  time  as  its  agents  in  the  solicitation  of  business. 

The  time  came  when  the  mutual  companies  could  not  afford  as 
cheap  insurance  as  the  old  line  companies ;    and  this  one,  as  legions 


400  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

of  others  throughout  the  country,  had  to  yield  to  the  inevitable  and 
go  out  of  business.  Accordingly  at  its  meeting  of  May  15,  1877, 
it  was  "  voted  to  discontinue  issuing  policies  after  twelve  o'clock, 
May  31,  1877,  and  to  close  up  all  business  of  the  company."  Ar- 
rangements were  made  with  the  Springfield  Fire  and  Marine  Insur- 
ance company  for  the  insurance  of  all  its  policy-holders  who  might 
wish  to  make  the  change  at  a  lower  rate  than  they  had  been  paying 
in  the  Coos  Mutual,  and  for  the  immediate  protection  of  its  policy- 
holders during  the  time  of  closing  up  business.  Due  notice  was 
sent  by  circular  letter  to  all  the  policy-holders. 

The  claims  of  the  company  were  settled,  as  also  all  its  liabilities, 
and  on  December  9,  1879,  the  last  meeting  was  held,  at  which  final 
disposition  of  its  affairs  was  made,  and  the  Coos  Mutual,  once  a 
useful  institution,  joined  that  innumerable  company  of  things  that 
have  become  outgrown  by  the  marvelous  changes  that  have  come 
over  our  modern  civilization,  concentrating  enterprises  into  larger 
and  new  forms  of  cooperation. 

Early  in  the  century  there  was  a  local  mutual  fire  insurance 
company  in  operation  in  Lancaster — we  think  the  prototype  of  its 
successor  here  referred  to.  Its  career  was  honorable,  but  it  was  not 
long  in  business.  No  trace  can  be  found  of  its  records  or  official 
lists  at  this  time. 

AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETIES    AND    RIDING    PARK. 

The  Coos   Agricultural  Society — The  Coos  and  Essex  Counties  Agri- 
cultural Society — The  Riding  Park  of  Coos  County. 

An  agricultural  society,  called  The  Coos  Agricultural  Society, 
was  organized  in  the  county  about  1820,  and  for  four  years  held 
"  county  fairs,"  with  considerable  success  at  Lancaster.  This 
society  fell  into  decay,  and  for  nearly  a  half  century  nothing  like  it 
existed  here.  Finally,  Lancaster  came  into  line  in  a  movement  that 
was  universal  in  this  country  about  1869,  and  organized  another 
agricultural  society,  and  again  held  county  fairs  of  great  interest  for 
a  number  of  years.  What  was  called  the  "  Coos  and  Essex  Counties 
Agricultural  Society "  was  organized  in  1870,  and  comprised  the 
territory  of  the  two  counties  of  those  names,  lying  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  Connecticut  river.  The  first  officers  of  this  society  were  : 
William  D.  Weeks,  president;  John  W.  Hartshorn  of  Lunenburg, 
Vt.,  and  Hazen  Bedel  of  Colebrook,  N.  H.,  vice-presidents;  Henry 
O.  Kent,  treasurer ;  Charles  E.Benton,  Guildhall,  Vt.,  and  George 
H.  Emerson  of  Lancaster,  secretaries.  There  was  also  a  large  execu- 
tive committee  selected  from  the  various  outlying  towns.  This  society 
held  fairs  with  a  considerable  degree  of  success  for  some  years,  and 
then,  with  declining  interest  and  increasing  debts,  suspended  opera- 
tions. 


AGRICULTURAL    SOCIETIES   AND    RIDING   PARK.  4OI 

In  1870  the  Riding  Park  Association  of  Coos  county  was 
organized.  This  was  composed  of  some  of  the  best  business  men 
of  the  town,  who  made  a  substantial  success  of  their  undertaking. 
An  organization  was  effected  May  26  of  that  year;  and  twenty  acres 
of  desirable  lands  were  secured  on  the  main  road  to  Northumber- 
land, a  part  of  the  Emmons  Stockwell  farm,  and  a  good  track  was 
built  and  all  other  necessary  improvements  were  made,  giving  the 
association  a  fine  track  and  grounds.  This  was  a  voluntary  cor- 
poration under  the  statutes  of  the  state.  For  a  number  of  years 
this,  like  its  predecessors,  flourished,  and  like  them  it  had  its  evil 
day.  Interest  in  speeding  horses  died  out,  and  with  diminishing 
proceeds  from  its  exhibitions  for  several  years,  it  became  a  los- 
ing undertaking,  and  after  sinking  some  eight  or  ten  thousand 
dollars  in  it  the  association  sold  it  to  George  P.  Rowell  of  New 
York,  a  former  resident  of  the  town.  He  undertook  to  revive 
interest  in  the  speeding  of  horses  and  county  fairs,  and  succeeded  in 
bringing  together  another  society  or  rather  the  reorganization  of  the 
old  Coos  and  Essex  Counties  Agricultural  societies. 

On  January  22,  1884,  this  society  was  reorganized  under  chapter 
1 5  I  of  the  General  Laws  of  New  Hampshire.  The  following  persons 
constituted  the  association :  Edward  Spaulding,  A.  J.  Congdon, 
Frank  Smith,  William  Clough,  Henry  O.  Kent,  Edward  Emerson, 
I.  W.  Quimby,  Proctor  Jacobs,  George  H.  Emerson,  William  D. 
Weeks,  Isaac  W.  Hopkinson,  W.  C.  Spaulding,  Henry  S.  Webb, 
George  P.  Rowell,  Edward  R.  Kent,  John  Lindsey,  Joseph  Winch, 
James  W.  Weeks,  John  Costello,  H.  I.  Guernsey,  Henry  S.  Hilliard. 

Since  then  forty-seven  other  persons  have  become  members  of 
the  society.  Its  first  annual  meeting  fell  on  February  2,  1884, 
when  the  following  officers  were  elected  : 

George  P.  Rowell,  president;  I.  W.  Drew,  E.  R.  Kent  of  Lancas- 
ter, and  J.  M.  Dodge  of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  vice-presidents;  I.  W. 
Quimby,  secretary;  H.  S.  Hilliard  and  H.  S.  Webb,  assistant  secre- 
taries; George  H.  Emerson,  treasurer;  J.  Winch,  G.  E.  Carbee, 
J.  Evans,  J.  H.  Woodward,  J.  W.  Weeks,  Jr..  Henry  Heywood,  and 
\\\  D.  Weeks,  directors. 

This  organization  revived  the  old-time  county  fairs,  and  added 
to  the  other  attractions  horse  trotting,  bicycle  racing,  wrestling, 
jumping,  and  a  variety  of  other  kinds  of  racing,  which  proved 
an  attraction  for  several  years.  The  agricultural  exhibits  for  a 
time  were  good,  and  then  for  various  reasons  declined,  and  finally 
were  given  up  by  their  promoters  among  the  farming  population. 
The  old  Riding  Park  Association  and  some  new  members  formed 
what  is  now  known  as  the  Lancaster  Driving  club,  and  the  grounds 
are  now  known  as  the  driving  park,  owned  mostly  by  the  Mount 
Washington  Stock  Farm  (Geo.  R.  Eaton,  Geo.  M.  Stevens,  George 
26 


402  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Van  Dyke).  This  club  holds  annually  a  fair  and  frequent  trotting 
races,  at  which  good  premiums  and  purses  are  offered,  and  which 
are  well  attended  though  it  is  not  a  money-making  enterprise  for  its 
managers.  In  fact  they  lose  money  on  it,  but  being  public-spirited 
men  they  keep  the  institution  alive  for  the  good  of  the  community ; 
and  in  this  respect  it  does  much  good  for  the  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  of  the  immediate  section  of  country.  Among  its  promoters 
are  Hon.  Irving  W.  Drew,  George  Van  Dyke,  George  R.  Eaton,  and 
George  M.  Stevens.  Its  present  officers  are:  George  R.Eaton, 
president;  George  M.  Stevens,  general  manager;  George  E. 
Stevens,  secretary ;  Fielding  Smith,  assistant  secretary;  George  E. 
Stevens,  treasurer. 


CHAPTER   IX. 
EDUCATION. 


Founding    of    Schools — Early    Teachers — Schoolhouses — School    Dis- 
tricts— The  Town  System. 

By  James  S.  Brackett. 

It  is  a  difficult  task  to  get  at  the  facts  in  relation  to  the  schools  of 
the  towai.  Certain  facts,  however,  are  a  matter  of  record,  and  are 
therefore  reliable,  while  much  more  is  traditional  and  must  pass  for 
what  tradition  is  worth.  There  is  nothing  definitely  known  of  the 
action  of  the  town  in  regard  to  education  until  the  year  1790,  when 
at  a  town-meeting  on  December  13  of  that  year  it  was  "voted  30 
bushels  of  wheat,  including  what  the  law  directs  to  be  laid  out  in 
schooling  the  present  winter."  There  had  been  schools  in  different 
parts  of  the  town  at  irregular  intervals,  taught  by  men  and  women 
who  happened  to  be  here  and  were  thought  sufficiently  proficient 
in  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  to  instruct  the  youth  of  the  set- 
tlement. 

It  is  generally  conceded  that  Mrs.  Ruth  Stockwell  {nee  Page) 
was  the  first  person  to  give  instruction  in  the  town,  but  she  kept  no 
regular  school.  The  early  settlers  were  precluded  by  the  very 
nature  of  their  surroundings  from  having  schools  or  acquiring  much 
education.  Their  immediate  task  was  one  of  securing  homes.  The 
clearing  of  their  lands  and  building  their  first  rude  houses  engrossed 
their  whole  attention.  There  was  little  time  left  for  books  if  they 
had  possessed  them,  which  they  did  not  to  much  extent.  Theirs 
was  the  struggle  for  existence.  Even  the  first  settlers  were  men  of 
some  education.  They  could  all  read  and  write,  and  were  men  of 
good  judgment  and  sound  common  sense.  They  had  their  Bibles 
and  a  few  other  books,  mostly  religious  literature,  in  their  homes. 


High  School  Building. 


Primary  Department  of 
Lancaster  Academy  and  High  School. 

(Site  of  Lancaster]Academy,  1S37-1895.) 


EDUCATION.  403 

Edwards  Bucknamwas  something  of  a  scholar.  He  wrote  a  good 
hand  and  was  a  practical  surveyor  (he  surveyed  the  town  for  the 
proprietors),  and  could  impart  his  knowledge  to  others. 

The  first  schoolmaster  in  Lancaster  of  whom  we  have  definite 
knowledge  was  Joseph  Bergin,  an  Englishman,  who  came  here  from 
Boston,  Mass.  He  arrived  at  Edwards  Bucknam's,  June  12,  1787, 
and  after  "washing  his  clothes  at  Lacous's,  June  13,  and  returned 
to  my  house  the  14th,"  as  Bucknam  wrote  in  his  diary,  must  have 
gone  to  teaching  at  once;  for  on  June  17,  John  Weeks,  writing  to 
his  wife  in  Greenland,  N.  H.,  says:  "John  (his  son,  J.  W.)  values 
much  on  his  reading  and  spelling  at  school,  as  he  gets  the  better  of 
all  his  age,  and  many  much  older.  The  schoolmaster — Mr.  Ber- 
gin an  Englishman — boarded  with  us  last  week :  we  take  turns  to 
board  him  weekly."  This,  of  course,  was  the  same  one  of  whom 
Bucknam  spoke  as  beginning  to  teach  school  June  20,  at  five  dol- 
lars a  month,  for  a  term  of  six  months.  Bucknam  also  mentions 
the  fact  that  his  son  Edward  went  to  school  to  a  Mr.  Bradley,  and 
boarded  at  D.  Stanley's.  This  school  was  in  the  Stockwell  and 
Page  neighborhood.  The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  that  sec- 
tion on  the  Stockwell  farm,  just  on  the  bluff  to  the  left  as  one  ap- 
proaches the  old  Stockwell  house.  Here  is  no  doubt  where  Master 
Bradley  taught  at  that  time. 

It  is  somewhat  singular  that  records,  or  memoranda  of  some  kind, 
were  not  kept  and  transmitted  to  us  showing  the  early  history  of 
education  in  this  intelligent  community.  I  have  heard  my  father 
say  (he  was  twelve  years  old  when  he  came  to  town  with  his  father 
in  1789)  that  all  he  attended  school  in  Lancaster  did  not  exceed  six 
months;  and  Major  John  W.  Weeks  said  that  he  never  went  to 
school  more  than  ten  or  twelve  months  in  Lancaster. 

The  teachers  were  not  well  paid  at  first.  While  Master  Bergin 
was  teaching  at  the  rate  of  sixty  dollars  a  year,  Edwards  Biicknam 
was  paying  a  common  laborer  on  his  farm  ninety  dollars  a  year. 

In  the  year  1789,  the  general  court  of  Massachusetts  gave  towns 
the  right  to  divide  their  territory  into  districts,  and  establish  district 
schools.  Lancaster,  perhaps  with  that  precedent  in  mind,  appointed 
a  committee  of  nine  persons  at  the  annual  town-meeting,  March  11, 
1794,  to  divide  the  town  into  school  districts.  We  have  no  record  of 
their  action,  but  it  is  very  probable  that  three  districts  were  then 
formed,  as  there  had  practically  been  as  many  before  that  time.  The 
town  was  settled  in  a  way  that  naturally  divided  it  into  three  sections 
of  nearly  equal  population,  and  about  equally  distant  from  the  centre 
of  the  town.  The  first  school  had  no  doubt  come  into  existence  in 
the  Stockwell  neighborhood,  the  second  in  the  Bucknam  neighbor- 
hood at  the  south  end  of  the  town,  and  the  next  one  in  what  is  now 
the  village.     As  nearly  as  can  now  be  ascertained,  the  district  com- 


404  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER.      ' 

prised  the  limits  of  the  present  High  school  district  (old  Union 
district  comprised  of  Nos.  i  and  12).  It  extended  from  the  old 
Parson  Willard  place  to  Indian  brook,  and  east  as  far  as  the  town 
was  then  settled,  which  was  nearly  the  present  village  limits.  Dis- 
trict No.  2  comprised  all  the  territory  south  of  the  Willard  lot  to 
Dalton  line,  and  has  always  retained  its  number.  District  No.  3,  all 
the  territory  north  of  Indian  brook  to  Northumberland  line,  and  east 
to  the  limits  of  the  settlement  on  Page  hill. 

This  was  the  first  action  of  the  town  in  organizing  and  providing 
for  the  management  of  its  schools.  For  nearly  thirty  years  after 
the  settlement  of  the  town,  the  only  school  advantages  it  afforded 
its  youth  were  those  of  private  schools,  sustained  through  the  pri- 
vate funds  of  the  few  settlers  who  thought  more  of  the  benefits  of  a 
simple  education  for  their  children  than  they  did  of  hoarding  their 
limited  wealth.  It  seems  that  those  who  took  the  initiative  in  the 
matter  were  the  settlers  in  that  section  of  the  town  that  has  become 
District  No.  3.  Those  who  settled  in  what  is  now  the  village  High 
school  district  and  at  the  south  end  of  the  town,  were  early  inter- 
ested in  founding  schools. 

One  can  readily  imagine  that  the  mothers  tried  to  teach  their 
children  the  alphabet,  and  that  the  fathers  contributed  their  scanty 
store  of  general  knowledge,  gleaned  from  their  earlier  lives  in  the  set- 
tlements of  Massachusetts  before  coming  to  New  Hampshire.  The 
instruction  thus  imparted  was  given,  in  many  cases,  to  the  less 
favored  of  the  companions  of  the  boys  and  girls,  and  in  this  way  the 
little  spark  of  knowledge  was  kept  from  going  out;  and  later  it  was 
kindled  into  a  bright  flame  which  has  grown  brighter  with  each  suc- 
ceeding generation,  until  its  radiance  equals  that  of  almost  any  com- 
munity in  New  England.  As  science  has  developed  and  shed  its 
light  upon  our  country,  Lancaster  has  caught  its  rays  and  concen- 
trated them  upon  the  path  of  her  life. 

Many  men  and  women  have  borne  testimony  to  the  great  difificul- 
ties  they  labored  under  in  acquiring  even  the  rudiments  of  an  edu- 
cation. Books  of  any  kind  were  scarce.  School  books  were  not 
only  scarce,  but  of  the  most  primitive  character  and  design,  and  it 
took  many  hard  knocks  to  get  their  intent  and  meaning  into  the 
minds  of  the  youth  who  sought  their  aid.  In  my  father's  possession 
was  a  manuscript  copy  of  an  arithmetic,  having  only  the  funda- 
mental rules, — that  is,  the  rules  and  examples  of  addition,  subtrac- 
tion, multiplication,  and  division,  with  a  few  examples  in  interest 
and  the  "  Rule,  of  Three."  It  was  because  there  were  so  few  books 
that  this  labor  of  transcribing  was  bestowed  upon  it ;  and  it  must 
have  been  regarded  as  a  treasure,  crude  and  simple  as  it  was. 
Judge  Everett  also  copied  arithmetics  for  his  girls. 

The  old  residents,  the  first  settlers,  have  told  us  how  they  read 


EDUCATION.  405 

and  studied  evenings  by  the  light  of  blazing  lights  of  pitch-knots  on 
the  stone  hearths  of  the  log  cabin.  Tallow  was  scarce,  and  the 
"  tallow  dip  "  was  only  used  when  some  guest  was  present,  or  on 
other  like  important  occasions,  such  as  weddings  or  funerals.  This 
"  pursuit  of  knowledge  under  difftculties "  was  after  a  hard  day's 
work  in  the  forest  or  field,  clearing  land,  or  cultivating  or  harvest- 
ing the  crops.  The  winter  afforded  more  time  for  study,  while  the 
snow  was  piled  high  about  the  cabin  and  in  the  little  clearings,  and 
the  only  path  to  a  neighbor's  cabin  was  indicated  by  the  blazed 
trees  through  woods  dense  and  deep,  and  almost  as  illimitable 
as  the  sea.  With  the  Bible  and  "  Sternhold's  and  Hopkins's  version 
of  the  Psalms,"  and  an  arithmetic,  such  as  has  been  described, 
parents  and  children  read  and  repeated  over  and  over  again,  the 
wonderful  prophesies,  or  the  sacred  songs,  or  perhaps  with  charcoal 
worked  out  the  arithmetical  problems  on  pieces  of  bark.  A  monot- 
onous life  it  was,  but  it  strengthened  many  for  the  broader  fields 
upon  which  they  entered. 

District  No.  I . — The  first  schoolhouse  in  District  No.  i  was  of 
hewn  logs,  similar  in  its  outward  construction  to  the  log  houses  of 
the  first  settlers.  It  had  rows  of  low  seats  around  the  sides.  The 
teacher's  desk  was  at  the  end  of  the  room  near  the  low  doorway 
that  admitted  the  pupils.  At  the  other  end  of  the  room  was  a  huge 
fireplace  built  of  stone,  with  a  chimney  of  the  same  material.  This 
house,  however,  gave  place  to  a  frame  structure,  occupying  nearly 
the  same  site,  early  in  this  century,  and  is  described  by  one 
who  knew  it  well,  in  the  following  narrative:  "The  schoolhouses 
indicated  pretty  clearly  how  the  settlement  progressed.  The  school- 
house  in  district  No.  i  stood  directly  north  and  adjoining  the  pres- 
ent court-house  lands.  The  northeast  corner  was  crowded  into  the 
street  twenty  feet  or  more  from  the  present  limits.  The  house  was 
a  large,  flat-roofed  structure,  capable  of  accommodating,  after  a  fash- 
ion, more  than  a  hundred  pupils.  The  windows  were  so  high  that 
the  boys  and  girls  could  not  see  into"  the  street  or  meadows  without 
standing  up.  The  house  was  warmed  by  an  immense  fireplace  some 
six  feet  wide  and  three  feet  deep.  There  was  a  broad  board  seat 
next  the  wall  all  around,  except  at  the  teacher's  desk ;  and  there 
were  as  many  as  four  or  five  rows  of  seats,  with  an  occasional  table 
on  each  side,  with  a  chance  for  entrance  at  the  ends,  and  from  a 
narrow  alley  through  the  middle.  There  were  seats  in  front  of  the 
tables  or  desks  on  which  the  smaller  pupils  sat.  These  were  often 
so  high  that  they  could  not  touch  their  feet  to  the  floor.  The  seats 
and  tables  were  raised  by  an  inclined  plane,  two  feet  or  more  at  the 
back  side  of  the  room.  Directly  opposite  the  fireplace,  and  at  the 
other  end  of  the  room,  was  the  teacher's  desk,  raised  two  steps 
above  the  fioor.      At  the  northeast  corner  of  the  house  was  a  large 


406  '       HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

entry,  where  the  boys  hung  their  hats,  and  in  the  opposite  corner 
of  the  same  end  of  the  room  there  was  a  large  closet  where  the  girls 
hung  their  cloaks  and  bonnets.  It  has  been  said  that  there  was  a  sort 
of  rivalry  between  what  is  now  the  village  school,  or  district  No.  i, 
and  school  district  No.  2.  General  Bucknam  lived  in  No.  2,  near  the 
mouth  of  Beaver  brook.  Col.  Stephen  Wilson  lived  on  the  place 
which  has  passed  successively  through  his  hands  and  Richard  Ste- 
phenson, Ephraim  Cross,  John  Mason,W.  J.  Brown,  Samuel  Rowell,  J. 
W.  Savage,  R.  W.  Dickson,  and  is  at  present  occupied  by  H.  S.  Hill- 
iard.  The  extensive  Beaver  meadows  and  the  beautiful  intervales 
made  the  location  particularly  desirable  to  Captain  Weeks  and 
Lieut.  Joseph  Brackett;  and  Joseph  Toscan  sold  goods  in  district 
No.  2  as  early  as  any  were  sold  in  town."  (MS.  of  James  W. 
Weeks.)  This  old  building,  erected  about  18 10,  in  the  village  dis- 
trict, continued  in  use,  somewhat  remodeled  inside,  until  1869,  when 
the  present  graded  school  building  was  built.  In  1870  this  old 
building  was  moved  down  Main  street  and  placed  upon  a  lot  then 
made  vacant  by  the  removal  of  the  old  county  building.  Later  it 
was  moved  to  Canal  street  and  placed  upon  the  rear  end  of  the  lot 
once  occupied  by  the  old  Coos  hotel.  The  building  was  taken  down 
in  1897. 

District  No.  2. — The  first  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  2  was  of 
logs,  and  stood  on  land  owned  by  General  Bucknam,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  road  leading  from  the  village  to  Dalton,  and  about  fifty 
rods  westerly  of  the  site  of  the  old  brick  schoolhouse  that  was  built 
in  1837  and  pulled  down  in  1889.  The  first  framed  schoolhouse  in 
that  district  was  built  in  1800,  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  at 
the  top  of  "  Brackett  Hill,"  as  it  was  called,  on  land  owned  by  Capt. 
Briant  Stephenson.  It  was  of  nearly  the  same  style  as  that  in  dis- 
trict No.  I, — a  square,  flat-roofed  structure.  The  seats,  however, 
were  on  the  northerly  side,  rising  from  the  floor  on  an  inclined  plane 
about  two  and  a  half  or  three  feet  on  the  back  side  of  the  room. 
The  space  on  the  floor  was  occupied  by  several  long,  rude  benches, 
on  which  the  little  children  sat,  enduring  torture  from  having  no 
means  of  resting  their  backs  or  supporting  themselves  from  the  floor ; 
for  in  many  cases  their  legs  actually  dangled  in  the  air.  Some 
teachers,  however,  were  thoughtful  enough  to  give  the  little  ones 
some  rest,  by  allowing  them  to  change  their  positions  by  reclining 
upon  the  benches,  if  there  was  room,  or  by  letting  them  have  a 
longer  recess  out  of  doors,  if  the  weather  would  permit  of  it.  Expe- 
rience taught  a  lesson  of  misery  never  to  be  forgotten,  as  the  small 
boys  and  girls  were  sometimes  required  to  sit  bolt  upright,  and  as 
rigid  as  mummies,  hour  after  hour.  Some  teachers,  possibly  most 
of  them,  were  thoughtful  and  considerate  of  the  comfort  of  children. 
There  was   one  teacher,  however,  whose  whole   course   of  conduct 


EDUCATION.  407 

toward  the  small  children  was  brutal.  He  was  too  great  a  coward  to 
"  tackle  "  the  older  ones.  On  one  occasion  the  day  was  very  cold, 
the  big  fireplace  was  piled  high  with  wood,  and  the  fire  roared  up 
the  great  chimney,  but  there  was  not  enough  heat  to  make  the 
room  comfortable  at  its  farthest  limits.  Many  were  the  "  permis- 
sions "  asked,  "May  I  go  to  the  fire?  "  These  were  granted.  After 
the  larger  boys  and  girls  had  been  allowed  to  go  to  the  fire  and  warm 
themselves,  and  a  place  was  open  before  the  great  fire,  a  little  fel- 
low asked,  "May  I  go  to  the  fire?"  He  was  allowed  to  do  so; 
and  one  after  another  of  the  small  boys  and  girls,  emboldened  by  his 
success,  made  the  same  requests  until  fourteen  of  them  were  ranged 
about  the  hearth,  when  with  the  fiendish  joy  of  a  savage,  the  master 
arranged  them  in  a  semicircle  about  the  roaring  fire,  then  with 
the  long  poker  he  stirred  the  fire  and  added  fuel,  keeping  every 
one  of  the  children  in  their  tracks,  while  the  blood,  in  two  or  three 
cases,  ran  from  their  noses.  He  savagely  said  to  them,  "  I  '11  learn 
you  to  ask  to  go  to  the  fire  !  "  The  school  suffered  that  act  of  sav- 
agery as  long  as  it  could,  when  some  of  the  older  boys  arose  and 
told  the  suffering  children  to  go  to  their  seats,  and  breathed  threats 
of  vengeance  against  the  cowardly  wretch,  who  dared  not  resist  their 
orders.  The  result  was,  that  some  of  the  children  were  made  ill  by 
the  roasting,  and  the  teacher  was  summarily  dismissed  from  the 
school.  This  man  was  a  clergyman's  son,  and  perhaps  he  thought 
it  best  to  put  to  a  practical  application  some  of  the  theology  of  the 
times. 

Capt.  Briant  Stephenson,  before  mentioned,  was  the  first  clerk  of 
the  district,  and  held  that  position  for  many  years.  His  handwrit- 
ing was  almost  perfect — "  plain  as  print."  He  was  a  gentleman  of 
the  old  school,  neat  in  his  personal  appearance,  and  courteous  to 
all.  The  old  book  of  records,  nearly  filled  by  him,  has  unfortu- 
nately been  lost. 

Among  the  schoolmasters  in  this  old  house  were  Samuel  Webb 
of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  John  Dwight  Willard,  James  W.  Weeks,  and 
James  M.  Rix.  Among  the  schoolmistresses  were  Miss  Eliza 
Moore,  who  later  married  Capt.  Charles  White,  Miss  Ann  L.  Whid- 
den,  Miss  Cynthia  Stanley,  daughter  of  Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley. 
Samuel  A.  Pearson  was  superintending  school  committee  for  the 
town  many  years,  and  his  visits  to  the  schools  near  the  end  of  each 
term  caused  a  great  deal  of  trepidation  among  the  pupils,  as  he  put 
them  through  a  pretty  rigid  examination,  and  was  somewhat  stern 
in  his  demeanor.  Deacon  William  Farrar  for  a  time  held  that  office. 
He  was  not  as  large  as  "  Squire  Pearson,"  nor  had  he  as  imposing 
a  presence ;  but  he  was  thorough,  and  gave  many  a  boy  and  girl  a 
"  set  back,"  who  had  come  to  think  themselves  remarkably  profi- 
cient in  their  studies.      Glibness  of  tongue  failed  to  impress  the  dea- 


408  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

con  with  a  conviction  of  the  sohd  attainments  of  the  pupils.  Like 
Gradgrind,  what  he  wanted  was  "facts,  sir,  facts."  Another  com- 
mittee man  in  his  remarks,  after  the  examination,  ahvays  alluded  to 
the  possibility  that  before  him  was  a  future  president  of  the  United 
States ;   at  least  there  might  be  a  governor  or  a  judge. 

Another  committee  man  when  he  arose  to  deliver  his  remarks, 
disclaimed  the  intention  to  make  a  speech,  but  thought  it  best  "  to 
throw  out  a  few  hints,"  invariably  interlarding  his  discourse  with 
Latin  phrases  and  quotations,  which  the  boys  and  girls  knew  as  lit- 
tle of  as  they  did  of  the  language  of  the  Indians,  who  a  few  years 
before  had  hunted  and  fished  among  these  hills  and  along  the 
streams. 

In  1836  the  inhabitants  of  district  No.  2,  after  a  long  controversy 
upon  the  location,  decided  to  build  a  brick  schoolhouse  on  the 
northerly  side  of  the  road,  near  the  mouth  of  Beaver  brook.  The 
location  was  the  worst  that  could  have  been  chosen,  the  Connec- 
ticut river  here  coming  within  four  or  five  roHs  of  the  west  and 
north  sides  of  the  building  and  the  highway,  much  traveled,  pass- 
ing close  to  the  enclosure,  with  a  high,  rocky  bank  immediately  in 
front,  leaving  no  play-ground  except  the  dusty  and  dangerous  road, 
and  what  could  be  had  by  trespass  upon  the  neighboring  fields.  It 
was  a  compromise  measure,  and  as  such  measures  generally  are, 
was  never  entirely  satisfactory  to  either  party.  The  easterly  and 
hill  portion  of  the  district  wanted  it  located  near  where  the  old 
schoolhouse  had  stood;  the  westerly  and  southerly,  or  "  Cat  Bow" 
inhabitants,  as  they  were  called,  wanted  it  still  farther  down  the 
river.  There  was  a  deed  in  existence  conveying  the  land  to  the  dis- 
trict where  the  log  schoolhouse  had  stood,  and  the  land  might  have 
been  held,  if  the  people  of  the  district  had  decided  to  build  on  that 
lot ;  but  it  reverted  to  the  owners  of  the  farm  from  which  it  had 
been  taken.  The  plot  was  thus  lost,  and  the  hill  portion  of  the  dis- 
trict was  set  off  as  District  No.  14,  in  1837. 

The  brick  with  which  the  old  brick  schoolhouse  was  built  were  made 
on  the  farm  of  Judge  Spencer  Clark  in  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  loaded  upon 
a  scow  and  floated  down  and  across  the  river  to  the  mouth  of  Beaver 
brook.  The  inner  wall  was  laid  up  with  clay  morter,  and  the  plaster 
laid  upon  the  bare  wall  without  furring  or  lathe.  One  can  readily 
imagine  the  chilliness  and  dampness  of  the  house  in  cold  or  cloudy 
weather.  There  were  no  means  of  ventilation  except  a  broad  and 
capacious  fireplace  and  chimney.  In  summer  the  bare  walls  on 
the  south  and  west  sides  would  become  heated  to  a  very  high  tem- 
perature, there  being  no  blinds  to  shut  out  the  rays  of  the 
blazing  sun,  and  its  heat  being  intensified  by  the  dusty  road  and 
scorching  bank  in  front  made  the  room  intensely  hot.  There  was 
one  compensation,  however,  the  back  windows  could   be  raised  and 


EDUCATION.  409 

the  cool  air  from  the  broad  and  beautiful  river,  and  the  fragrance  of 
the  meadows,  rich  and  fair,  penetrated  the  room  and  renewed  some- 
what the  languor  of  spirit  that  otherwise  must  have  pervaded  the 
place. 

The  first  term  of  school  taught  in  this  house  in  the  winter  of 
1 837-1 838,  was  by  the  late  Hon.  Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  then  a 
student  at  Dartmouth  college.  There  were  about  twenty-five 
pupils.  The  comforable  seating  capacity  of  the  room  was  about 
fifty.  Then  the  pupils  were  from  the  families  of  the  Berkeleys, 
Gosses,  Whites,  Chessmans,  Weekses,  Fields,  Bracketts,  Bakers,  and 
Lanes  on  the  river  road,  and  the  Hodgdons,  Mclntires,  Stebbinses, 
and  Jennisons  from  the  hill,  or  what  was  set  off  and  became  district 
No.  14.  From  over  the  river  in  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  there  were  the 
Clarks,  Moores,  and  one  or  two  other  families.  The  second  winter 
term  was  commenced  by  George  B.  Hemmenway,  also  a  student  at 
Dartmouth  college,  a  son  of  Solomon  Hemmenway,  whose  health 
failed  so  that  he  had  to  give  up  the  school.  He  went  to  Virginia 
and  remained  there  until  he  died  of  consumption  in  1844.  He  was 
a  young  man  of  great  promise.  Mr.  Whidden  filled  out  the  remain- 
der of  his  term.  Whidden  was  a  good  teacher,  and  introduced 
some  new  methods  in  his  work  by  which  the  school  greatly  prof- 
ited. There  were  then  but  two  terms  of  school  in  a  year, — a  winter 
term  of  three  months,  taught  by  a  man,  because  all  the  big  boys 
were  in  attendance,  and  a  summer  term  of  the  same  length,  taught 
by  a  woman,  because  only  the  smaller  children  attended  at  that  time 
of  the  year.  The  list  of  teachers  among  the  men  employed  in  this 
school  is  a  long  and  honorable  one, — college  students  and  those 
who  had  acquired  their  education  in  the  common  school  and  at  the 
Lancaster  academy,  men  who  subsequently  made  honorable  records 
for  themselves  in  the  great,  busy  world.  Among  the  women  were 
some  mature  and  experienced  teachers,  while  not  a  few  had  just 
entered  upon  this  means  of  obtaining  a  living,  some  of  whom  were 
successful  and  others  utter  failures.  In  those  early  days,  and  up  to 
about  i860,  this  district  held  its  reputation  as  being  foremost  in 
scholarship  of  any  in  town,  not  even  excepting  the  village  district, 
which  was  deservedly  high.  [This  may  well  have  happened,  for  the 
village  district  only  expended  $62.13  for  school  purposes  in  1853, 
of  which  $5.13  went  to  mend  the  windows,  and  $4.50  for  wood,  leav- 
ing $52.50  spent  on  teachers.  In  1859  it  spent  on  account  of  teach- 
ers $1 12.16,  since  which  time  the  expenses  have  grown  and  the 
school  has  improved  in  the  ratio  of  expense  for  teaching  talent. — 
Ed.] 

Owing  to  various  changes  in  the  population  of  district  No.  2,  the 
number  of  pupils  decreased,  and  there  was  not  that  stimulating 
rivalry  that  had  formerly  obtained,  and  the  school  lost  its  high  place 


4IO  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

in  the  rank  of  schools  in  the  town.  The  old  brick  schoolhouse  was 
thoroughly  repaired  in  1854,  by  a  committee  consisting  of  William 
A.  White,  John  S.  Clark,  and  James  S.  Brackett.  More  modern 
seats  and  desks  displaced  the  old  pine  ones,  which  bore  the  marks 
of  many  a  jackknife,  in  quaint  letters  and  designs.  In  1889  the  old 
house  was  dismantled  and  the  present  one  erected.  The  present 
schoolhouse  stands  on  the  site  of  the  barns  built  by  Andrew  Adams, 
a  cousin  of  the  famous  John  Adams,  second  president  of  the  United 
States.  Mr.  Adams  lived  on  this  farm  for  many  years,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  his  son,  Benjamin  Adams,  who  raised  a  large  family. 
This  house  is  finished  and  furnished  in  accordance  with  the  pro- 
gressive ideas  of  the  times,  with  what  is  necessary  for  the  physi- 
cal, mental,  and  moral  training  of  the  young ;  and  over  it  floats  the 
flag  of  our  country,  as  it  does  over  many  of  the  schoolhouses  in  our 
town. 

District  No,  3  comprised  the  farms  and  families  of  the  Stock- 
wells,  Pages,  Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  and  several  others.  The  first 
schoolhouse  was  built  and  maintained  for  a  number  of  years  on  the 
high  bank,  on  the  south  side  of  the  old  road,  a  short  distance  east 
of  the  old  Stockwell  house,  now  occupied  by  a  grandson  of  Emmons 
Stockwell.  On  this  farm  Emmons  Stockwell,  David  Page,  and 
Edwards  Bucknam  struck  the  first  blow  and  felled  the  first  trees  to 
make  a  settlement  in  Lancaster.  This  old  schoolhouse,  probably 
the  first  one  in  town,  was  built  on  the  same  plan  of  the  others  men- 
tioned and  described, — square,  low,  and  flat-roofed.  A.  N.  Brackett, 
then  a  young  man,  taught  here  several  terms,  and  his  experience, 
he  always  maintained,  was  of  much  benefit  to  him.  The  old  house 
became  too  small  for  the  growing  number  of  pupils,  and  another 
was  built.  It  was  later  moved  up  to  near  the  place  where  A.  J. 
Congdon  lives,  and  after  a  few  years  it  was  removed  to  the  site  now 
occupied  by  it,  on  the  more  direct  road  to  Northumberland. 

District  No.  4  was  all  that  remained  of  the  territory  not  set  off 
by  boundaries  into  school  districts  in  1794.  From  this  district 
were  taken  all  the  remaining  districts  except  No.  12,  which  was  a 
part  of  No.  i,  and  has  been  united  with  it  since  1869,  and  No.  14, 
which  was  a  part  of  No.  2.  There  was  no  schoolhouse  built  in  dis- 
trict No.  4  for  a  long  time  after  those  of  the  districts  taken  from  it. 
As  now  defined  it  embraces  the  Aspenwall,  McGerry,  and  Farnham 
neighborhoods.  The  district  has  a  comfortable  house  and  an  attend- 
ance of  over  twenty  pupils. 

District  No.  5. —  This  district  lies  along  the  road  from  the  village 
to  Jefferson  Mills,  or  Riverton,  and  the  cross-roads  westerly  from  the 
first-named  road.  The  first  schoolhouse  built  in  this  district,  then 
called  the  Gotham  district,  stood  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  lead- 
ing from  the  Jefferson  road  to  the  Judge  Eastman  place,  now^  owned 


EDUCATION.  411 

by  Charles  Chessman,  and  near  where  a  road  leaves  this  one  to 
pass  east  of  Mt.  Prospect.  It  was  like  the  other  houses  described, 
with  the  exception  of  its  desks,  which  were  so  constructed  as  to  seat 
but  two  pupils,  and  the  teacher,  without  having  an  elevated  platform 
and  desk,  had  a  table  and  chair  on  the  level  of  the  floor.  This 
house  was  very  early  used  as  a  place  of  worship  by  the  "  Calvinist 
Baptists,"  of  which  faith  were  the  Gothams.  People  of  that  faith 
from  Jefferson  and  the  east  part  of  the  town  thronged  it  on  Sundays 
to  hear  the  scriptures  expounded  from  their  point  of  view.  After 
district  No.  1 1  was  taken  from  this  district,  a  new  house,  more  mod- 
ern in  architecture  and  better  fitted  and  adapted  to  educational  pur- 
poses, was  built  on  the  west  side  of  the  Jefferson  road  and  on  the 
southern  slope  of  LeGro  hill,  a  few  rods  south  of  the  Samuel  Twom- 
bly  place. 

District  No.  6. — This  is  the  "  out  east"  portion  of  the  town.  It 
comprised  the  families  of  Goss,  Twombly,  John  Savage,  Balch,  and 
Douglas  Spaulding,  and  others.  It  became  a  separate  district  in  1825, 
and  a  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the  east  side  of  the  road,  not  far 
from  the  location  of  the  present  one.  It  conformed  to  the  scrip- 
tural teaching  and  was  built  upon  a  rock.  It  was  built  upon  a 
smooth  ledge  of  rock,  difificult  of  access.  It  resembled,  in  general 
appearance,  all  those  which  had  preceded  it  in  town.  Grace  and 
adornment  had  not  entered  into  the  practical  and  hard-worked  souls 
and  bodies  of  these  men  and  women  who  wrought  against  odds  in 
their  struggles  to  make  homes  for  their  children  and  grandchildren. 
They  conquered  the  wilderness,  and  made  it  "  blossom  as  the  rose." 
They  founded  schools  and  churches ;  and  if  their  buildings  were  not 
models  of  beauty  and  art,  their  characters  of  honesty  and  worth  are 
worthy  of  imitation  and  remembrance.  Many  persons  now  living 
can  remember  the  time  when  this  district  was  very  thinly  settled. 
The  woods  were  everywhere.  Now  it  is  beautiful  for  its  scenery, 
and  the  well-cultivated  farms,  neat  and  commodious  farm  buildings, 
all  of  which  is  indicative  of  the  intelligence  of  its  inhabitants. 

District  No.  7. — This  was,  not  long  ago,  more  sylvan  than  No. 
6 ;  but  the  same  general  character  pervades  it  now.  It  comprised, 
when  set  off  as  a  new  district,  all  of  the  territory  "out  east"  not 
embraced  in  districts  Nos.  4  and  6 ;  that  is,  all  the  territory  west- 
erly of  the  farm  of  Samuel  L.  Whidden  and  now  of  Reuben  F.  Car- 
ter, including  what  is  now  called  Grange  village  as  far  as  the  Abbott 
place.  The  present  schoolhouse  is  said  to  be  the  first  and  only  one 
the  district  has  had,  although  it  has  undergone  extensive  changes 
and  repairs,  with  improvements  upon  the  old  structure. 

District  No.  8. — This  district  covered  a  large  territory  at  first. 
It  extended  to  take  in  all  the  settlements  on  both  sides  of  Martin 
Meadow  pond  as  far  as  Abiel  Lovejoy's.     The  first  schoolhouse  was 


412  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

built  about  1820,  and  was  situated  on  the  westerly  side  of  the  road 
leading  to  East  VVhitefield  and  about  eighty  rods  north  of  the  house 
where  James  B.  Weeks  lived,  on  the  highest  point  of  land  on  the 
road.  This  house  was  somewhat  of  an  improvement  on  some  of 
the  former  schoolhouses  of  the  town.  It  retained  the  flat  roof,  high 
windows,  and  the  big  fireplace  as  its  predecessors  had.  After  this 
house  had  become  dilapidated  to  a  certain  extent,  and  had  become 
unfit  for  occupancy,  another  house  was  built  at  the  forks  of  the  road 
leading  to  Whitefield  and  East  Whitefield,  very  nearly  on  the  site 
of  the  dwelling-house  once  occupied  by  John  W.  Brackett,  a  loca- 
tion much  more  pleasant,  and  more  sheltered  from  the  bleak  winds 
that  swept  over  the  height  of  land  where  the  old  house  had  stood, 
although  it  does  not  command  as  fine  a  view  of  the  surrounding  coun- 
try. Mr.  John  W.  Brackett  and  family  were  zealous  Freewill  Bap- 
tists, and  those  people  of  the  same  faith  living^within  ten  or  fifteen 
miles  of  his  house  made  it  their  centre  of  religious  activities ;  and 
when  the  old  schoolhouse  was  not  otherwise  occupied  they  held 
their  meetings  in  it.  Many  were  the  scenes  there  and  then  enacted 
that  would  seem  very  strange  to  the  people  of  to-day.  Prior  to  the 
building  of  the  first  schoolhouse  in  this  district,  as  had  been  the 
case  in  nearly  all  the  others,  the  school  itself  "  went  around."  Hon. 
James  W.  Weeks,  who  remembers  those  events,  says  of  district  No. 
8  :  "  There  were  at  least  twenty  children  in  this  district  of  school 
age,  and  they  lived  nearly  two  miles  apart.  The  school  would  com- 
mence in  a  room  at  Cofifin  Moore's  (he  lived  where  James  E.  Mcln- 
tyre  now  does),  where  there  were  twelve  children,  but  some  of  them 
were  away.  Reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic  were  taught.  The 
school  would  continue  at  Moore's  two  or  three  weeks,  or  what  was 
his  proportion  of  the  time,  determined  by  the  number  of  pupils, 
when  it  would  be  announced  that  the  school  would  move.  The 
time  having  arrived  for  moving,  the  larger  boys  would  take  the 
benches  (which  were  made  of  slabs,  with  sticks  set  in  augur  holes 
for  legs)  upon  their  sleds,  and  go  to  J.  W.  Brackett's,  where  there 
were  ten  children.  A  room  would  be  vacated,  and  the  benches 
moved  in.  A  table  on  which  to  write Hvould  be  borrowed,  or  rudely 
constructed  of  pine  boards,  and  the  school  opened  again.  The 
teacher  boarded  with  the  family  until  their  proportion  of  the  time 
was  filled  out.  Then  the  school  would  make  another  move  to  J.  B. 
Weeks's,  and  from  there  to  Mr.  Bucknam's,  from  whence  it  next 
would  go  to  Abial  Lovejoy's,  and  round  out  its  term.  The  teachers 
were  women  competent  to  teach  the  common  English  branches, 
and  in  a  few  instances  they  were  able  to  teach  the  higher  branches." 
District  No.  9. — This  district  comprises  what  is  known  as  the 
Gore.  In  this  district  the  Leavitts,  Wentworths,  Moultons,  Smiths, 
and  Mardens*  received  their  education.     For  many  years  much  of 


EDUCATION.  413 

the  territory  of  this  district  was  a  wilderness,  but  it  is  now  mostly 
reclaimed,  as  is  most  of  the  land  of  the  entire  town. 

District  JSfo.  10. — This  district  was  taken  from  the  territory  of 
No.  8.  This  district  was  settled  by  David  Emerson,  Elder  Lewis, 
the  Taylors,  Bullards,  and  Straws.  When  the  first  schoolhouse  was 
built  in  this  district,  the  modern  ideas  of  comfort  and  economy  had 
advanced  so  far  as  to  displace  the  fireplace  by  stoves.  Fireplaces 
were  no  longer  considered  essential  in  schoolhouses,  and  stoves  had 
become  popular.  This  district  lies  in  the  extreme  southwestern  cor- 
ner of  the  town.  In  early  times  this  section  of  the  town  was  a 
famous  resort  of  game.  On  one  side  of  it  lies  that  beautiful  sheet 
of  water  known  as  Martin  Meadow  pond,  frequented  by  deer 
in  great  abundance ;  and  on  its  banks  the  otter  had  his  slides. 
Southerly  lies  Cherry  mountain,  just  beyond  a  dense  forest,  in  which 
the  shaggy  bear  was  accustomed  to  roam  in  quest  of  his  food  ;  and 
here,  too,  was  to  be  found  the  sable,  making  his  nightly  raids  upon 
the  squirrels  and  harmless  birds.  The  hunters  and  settlers  need  not 
go  far  for  game.  Now  all  this  is  changed,  and  this  district  is  a 
quiet  rural  section,  dotted  with  farms  and  much  frequented,  as 
affording  fine  views  of  the  surrounding  mountains. 

District  No.  II. — This  district  was  taken  from  No.  5,  and 
embraces  on  the  east  the  farms  of  Orange  Wilder,  Richard  East- 
man, and  Ezra  Darby;  on  the  west  the  farms  of  Joseph  Howe,  Dan- 
iel Stebbins,  and  John  W.  Hodgdon.  The  first  schoolhouse  was 
located  on  the  old  road  south  of  the  Darby  place.  For  some  years 
Judge  J.  W.  Weeks  was  the  teacher  in  this  old  house.  When  the 
present  road  to  Whitefield  was  laid  out  lower  down  the  mountain,  a 
new  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the  west  side  of  the  road,  which 
remained  in  use  until  1895,  when  it  was  abandoned  and  another  one 
built  on  the  north  side  of  the  road  over  Stebbins's  hill.  The  farms 
on  the  old  road  high  up  against  the  western  side  of  Mt.  Prospect, 
where  Twombly  and  Swan  lived,  have  been  abandoned  and  become 
grazing  fields.  This  district  is  now  a  populous  one,  and  a  good 
school  has  been  sustained  for  a  number  of  years. 

District  No.  12. — This  district  was  taken  from  No.  i,  in  1833, 
in  consequence  of  a  large  increase  of  pupils  in  the  village.  Instead 
of  enlarging  the  schoolhouse,  a  new  district  was  made  out  of  that 
portion  lying  south  of  Dr.  J.  E.  Stickney's  place,  now  occupied  by 
Kent  &  Roberts's  store  and  south  of  the  river.  A  schoolhouse  was 
built  on  top  of  the  high  sandbank  on  the  Jefferson  road,  on  what  is 
now  the  triangular  park  on  Portland  street,  cornering  on  Pleasant 
street.  The  house  was  a  small  one,  and  soon  became  too  small  to 
meet  the  demands  upon  it,  and  an  addition  was  put  on.  This  dis- 
trict took  in  the  Parson  Willard  place  on  the  west,  and  what  is  now 
Elm  street,  and  on  the  north  side,  as  far  as  stated,  including  the 


414  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Reuben  Stephenson  place  (where  the  Richardson  block  and  Eagle 
block  stand),  and  all  Middle  street  to  where  George  R.  Bush  now 
lives  on  the  east  road  to  the  western  boundary  of  district  No.  5. 
This  district  was  united  to  No.  i,  in  1869,  to  form  Union  School 
District,  No.  i. 

District  No.  13. — For  some  years  this  district  was  known  by 
this  number,  and  had  an  existence  as  a  district ;  but  it  never  had  a 
schoolhouse.  It  embraced  that  section  known  as  Page  hill.  It  is 
now  annexed  to  No.  3,  of  which  it  was  virtually  a  part  from  1794. 

District  ]Vo.  14. — This  has  been  described  in  connection  with 
No.  2.  It  was  set  off  in  1841.  It  embraces  the  farms  where  once 
lived  Capt.  John  Weeks,  Edward  Spaulding,  John  Mclntire,  and 
William  Moore,  a  brother  of  Cofhn  Moore.  It  has  a  schoolhouse 
on  the  north  side  of  the  road  leading  from  South  Lancaster  to  the 
village  over  Stebbins's  hill. 

District  No.  15. — As  late  as  1844  this  district  was  a  wilder- 
ness known  as  the  Great  Rock  district.  Its  schoolhouse  is  at  the 
forks  of  the  roads  which  lead  to  the  extreme  east  part  of  the  town, 
and  the  road  to  Lost  Nation,  in  Northumberland.  The  settlement  and 
growth  of  this  district  was  chiefly  due  to  the  building  of  mills  about 
1848,  on  Great  brook,  by  John  Hubbard  Spaulding.  These  mills 
are  now  known  as  Whipple's  mills.  It  is  now  a  highly  prosperous 
section  of  the  town,  containing  good  farms  and  good  citizens.  The 
school  now  numbers  about  twenty-five  children. 

The  Town  Syste?n. — Until  1885  the  old  district  prevailed.  With 
changes  in  the  school  laws  of  the  state,  and  the  reforms  in  the 
administration  of  the  department  of  public  instruction,  the  present 
town  system  was  put  into  practice  in  Lancaster.  There  is  much 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  its  advantages  over  the  former  system. 
It  has  secured  uniformity  of  text-books  and  better  supervision  than 
under  the  district  system.  It  is  also  true  that  better  teachers  are 
now  employed  than  before,  and  newer  methods  have  been  intro- 
duced in  instructions  now  given.  The  town  district  has  a  board  of 
education,  consisting  of  three  members.  The  town  board  for  the 
year  1896,  are  James  E.  Mclntire,  Gilbert  A.  Marshall,  and  J.  S. 
Peavy.  The  number  of  schoolhouses  in  the  town  district  is  10; 
teachers  employed,  10. 

UNION    SCHOOL   DISTRICT,  NO.   i. 

The  Union  of  Districts  Nos.  i  and  12 — The  Graded  School — Graded 
School  Building — Relation  of  the  Graded  School  with  Lancas- 
ter Academy — The  Lancaster  High  School. 

In  1869,  after  much  discussion  of  the  matter,  districts  Nos.  i  and 
12  were  united  under  the  name  of  Union  School  District,  No.  i,  for 
the  purpose  of  maintaining  a  graded  school.     The  old  schoolhouse 


EDUCATION.  415 

on  the  brow  of  the  hill  south  of  Isreals  river  was  sold  and  the  pro- 
ceeds applied  to  school  purposes.  The  school  was  conducted  in 
the  old  house  in  No.  i  until  the  present  graded  school  building 
was  erected  in  1870.  A  graded  school  was  then  organized,  and 
has  steadily  grown  in  numbers  and  usefulness.  The  records  of  the 
district  for  1 869  are  missing ;  but  from  those  of  the  next  few  years 
we  glean  the  facts  that  more  room  was  a  grave  question  that 
caused  concern  to  those  who  took  an  interest  in  the  school.  An 
effort  was  made  to  buy  the  old  court-house,  standing  where  the  pres- 
ent one  now  does,  of  the  county  for  school  purposes  ;  but  the  county 
authorities  refused  to  sell  it.  It  was  finally  decided  to  build  a  suit- 
able house,  and  the  present  graded  school  building  was  the  result. 
It  was  finished  in  1870.  An  arrangement  was  entered  into  between 
the  Union  district  and  the  Lancaster  academy,  by  which  the  more 
advanced  pupils  of  the  district  might  take  advantage  of  the  higher 
course  of  study  offered  by  the  academy,  the  district  paying  for  the 
same,  a  rate  of  tuition  about  that  usually  charged  in  high  schools. 
This  arrangement,  with  several  modifications  at  different  times, 
remained  in  force  until  the  present  year.  At  an  adjourned  annual 
school-meeting.  May  29,  1895,  the  district  voted  "to  establish  and 
maintain  a  high  school,  in  which  the  higher  English  branches  and 
the  Latin,  Greek,  and  modern  languages  shall  be  taught."  This  action 
enjoined  upon  the  board  of  education  the  necessity  of  organizing  an 
independent  high  school  as  well  as  to  retain  the  graded  school  here- 
tofore in  existence. 

In  the  early  period  of  the  existence  of  Union  District,  No.  i,  a 
prudential  committee,  of  from  one  to  three  members,  had  the  super- 
vision of  the  school.  This  was  later  changed  to  a  board  of  educa- 
tion, which  at  present  consists  of  six  members. 

In  1894  an  effort  was  made  to  secure  more  room  to  accom- 
modate the  rapidly  growing  grades  below  the  high  school.  At  first 
it  was  aimed  to  meet  this  demand  by  the  enlargement  of  the  present 
graded  school  building,  but  no  vote  was  secured.  Afterward  a 
move  was  made  to  build  a  primary  schoolhouse.  This,  too,  failed  to 
receive  the  support  of  the  voters  of  the  district.  The  matter  of  more 
room  was  agitated  for  two  years,  when,  after  several  votes  to  build 
two  primary  schoolhouses  were  voted  down,  a  vote  was  passed  to 
build  a  high  school  building,  to  cost,  when  fully  equipped,  not  over 
$35,000.  Later,  at  a  special  school  meeting,  it  was  voted  to  rescind 
that  vote. 

At  the  annual  school  meeting,  March  7,  1894,  Mrs.  K.  B.  Fletcher 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  education,  and  enjoys  the 
distinction  of  being  the  first  woman  to  serve  in  that  capacity  in  Lan- 
caster. Since  then  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Kent  was  appointed  to  serve  out 
a  part  of  the  term  for  which  Hon.  C.  B.  Jordan  was  elected  in  1895. 


•416        .  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

She  was  reelected  at  the  annual  meeting  in  1896;  and  at  that  time 
Mrs.  Lizzie  D.  Buckley  was  elected.  All  these  women  have  been 
teachers,  and  have  experience  coupled  with  a  profound  interest  in 
matters  of  education,  and  have  proven  that  women  are  valuable 
members  of  school  boards. 

The  school,  graded  and  high,  is  now  thoroughly  organized  with 
a  force  of  nine  teachers  engaged  for  the  next  school  year.  A 
new  course  of  study  has  been  arranged  by  the  board  of  educa- 
tion, and  many  needed  reforms  effected,  by  which  the  school  is  fully 
up  to  the  rank  of  the  best  high  and  graded  schools  of  the  state. 

There  were  enrolled  in  all  grades  of  the  school  last  year,  398 
pupils.  There  was  expended  for  the  same  year  on  the  school, 
$4,936.53.  The  schoof  revenue,  including  appropriation  for  build- 
ing, for  the  ensuing  year,  is  $15,329.17. 

The  board  of  education,  elected  at  the  last  annual  school-meeting, 
is  as  follows : 

For  the  term  of  three  years,  Rev.  A.  N.  Somers,  president;  Mr. 
John  L.  Moore,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

For  two  years,  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Kent  and  Dr.  E.  F.  Stockwell. 

For  one  year,  Mrs.  Lizzie  D.  Buckley  and  Mr.  Charles  A.  Howe. 

LANCASTER   ACADEMY. 

Lancaster  academy  is  one  among  the  oldest  institutions  of  sec- 
ondary education  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state.  It  was  chartered 
by  a  special  act  of  the  legislature,  December  24,  1828,  in  which 
William  Lovejoy,  John  W.  Weeks,  Jared  W.  Williams,  Richard  East- 
man, William  Farrar,  Thomas  Carlisle,  Samuel  Pearson,  Reuben, 
Stephenson,  and  Adino  N.  Brackett  are  named  as  incorporators. 
These  were  among  the  most  representative  men  of  the  town  at  the 
time.  The  state  granted  'certain  lands  as  an  endowment;  and  the 
act  of  its  incorporation  made  $10,000  the  limit  which  might  be 
held  in  real  estate  and  personal  property.  The  academy  was  or- 
ganized February  2,  1829,  with  William  Lovejoy,  president;  John 
W.  Weeks,  treasurer;  Jared  W.  Williams,  secretary,  and  the  above- 
named  incorporators  with  them  as  trustees.  This  board  of  trustees 
was  made  perpetual.  The  academy  occupied  the  old  court-house 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets,  from  its  opening  until 
1830,  when  a  new  court-house  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  pres- 
ent one ;  the  old  one  ceasing  to  be  used  as  a  court-house,  re- 
verted to  the  original  owners  of  the  land  on  which  it  stood,  the 
land  having  been  given  to  the  county  in  1804,  to  be  used  for  a 
site  for  a  court-house,  to  revert  to  the  donors  in  event  of  its 
ceasing  to  be  so  used.  The  old  building  was  given  to  the  academy, 
and  was  moved  upon  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  present  acad- 


EDUCATION.  417 

emy  and  the  Unitarian  church,  which  had  formerly  been  the  site 
of  the  Httle  "Old  Red  Gun  House"  of  the  Regiment.  The  building 
was  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  twelve  feet  on  the  front,  which 
afforded  dressing-,  recitation-,  and  apparatus-rooms,  and  surmounted 
by  a  tower  in  which  hung  the  little  old  bell  that  had  served  the 
court-house,  by  being  mounted  on  a  tripod  in  front  of  the  building. 
The  same  bell  now  does  service  on  the  graded  school  building  (see 
chapter  on  the  court-houses).  The  work  on  the  building  was  done 
by  Richard  Eastman,  one  of  the  trustees,  who  was  a  carpenter. 

For  many  years  this  academy  was  an  important  institution  of 
learning  for  a  large  section  of  country.  Students  attended  it  from 
Colebrook,  Maidstone,  Lunenburg,  St.  Johnsbury,  Whitefield,  Little- 
ton, Bath,  and  Haverhill.  Its  classes  were  large,  and  it  enjoyed  the 
labors  of  many  very  able  teachers.  From  the  time  of  its  opening 
until  within  thirty  years,  it  had  a  patronage  sufificient  to  enable  it 
to  run  as  an  independent  school ;  but  since  the  public  schools  have 
developed  rapidly  and  are  better  organized  and  equipped  with  good 
teachers  and  appliances  at  the  public  cost,  academies,  and  all  other 
private  schools,  not  amply  endowed,  have  gradually  fallen  into  de- 
cay, and  are  no  longer  able  to  compete  with  the  free  public  schools 
offering  equally  as  good  advantages.  Lancaster  academy,  having 
a  very  small  endowment,  suffered  quite  as  badly  as  the  average 
academy  in  New  Hampshire  for  lack  of  patronage. 

In  1844  the  records  show  ninety-three  students,  paying  tuition  at 
the  rate  of  $3.50  a  term,  and  the  trustees  advertising  that  good 
board  could  be  had  in  private  houses  from  $1  to  $1.50  per  week. 
Daniel  C.  Pinkham  was  then  preceptor. 

At  the  close  of  the  fall  term  of  the  school  that  year  was  held  a 
notable  exhibition,  in  accordance  with  a  rule  of  the  academy,  at  the 
old  meeting-house  on  the  hill,  it  being  the  last  public  service  of  any 
kind  held  in  that  building  before  it  was  moved  to  its  present  loca- 
tion on  Main  street.  Preceptor  Pinkham  said  of  that  event  years 
afterward:  "The  belfry  of  the  house  was  dilapidated,  the  windows 
and  doors  all  broken  down,  the  pews  were  badly  damaged,  and  in 
every  respect  the  house  was  entirely  unfit  for  occupancy.  By  board- 
ing up  the  windows  and  doors,  putting  a  stove  into  the  body  of  the 
house,  and  running  the  pipe  through  a  window,  we  made  it — not 
comfortable,  but  tenantable.  By  the  indulgence  of  the  audience, 
we  succeeded  in  going  through  with  our  performance  to  the  satis- 
faction of  the  school  and  the  public."  This  exhibition  was  an  elab- 
orate affair,  judging  from  the  following  programme  furnished  me  by 
the  late  Judge  B.  F.  Whidden  a  few  months  before  his  death ;  and 
as  it  was  a  typical  performance,  in  which  the  boys  and  girls  of  the 
school  were  required  to  take  part,  I  reproduce  it  here  for  the  benefit 
of  the  interested  ones  of  the  present  generation  and  those  to  come. 
-7 


4i8 


HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 


These  exhibitions  took  place  at  the  end  of  the  fall  term  from  the 
opening  of  the  academy  down  to  about  the  time  of  the  late  Civil 
War,  when  other  interests  took  their  place.  Also  in  the  earliest 
days  of  the  school  the  students  were  required  to  visit  the  old  meet- 
ing-house on  Sundays  and  listen  to  the  sermons,  and  on  Monday 
morning  make  a  report  of  them  as  a  part  of  their  school  duties. 

EXHIBITION! 

AT    THE    OLD    MEETING-HOUSE    IN 

LANCASTER, 

Tuesday  Evening  Nov.  26  1844.     Commencing  at  5  o'clock,  precisely,  when  will 
be  performed  the  following  pieces. 

PRAYER. 

Salutatory,  H.  C.  Harriman. 

DIALOGUE— THE  ARCHERS. 


Prince  John, 
De  Bracy, 

OUR  SCHOOL— (Orig.) 


J.  I.  Williams.  I  Locksley, 
E.  Sawyer.  |  Herbert, 


MUSIC. 


H.  O.  Kent. 
W.  R.  Joyslin. 

W.  H.  SMITH. 


RICHELIEU.     A  Drama. 


Louis  King  of  France 

Richelieu 

Chavigni  \ 

Latemas  >  Richelieti' s  Party, 

Norman   ) 

Count  de  Blenanu 

Cinq  Mars 

Fontrailles  J 


Oration — Orig. 


E.  Brown. 

J.  H.  Spaulding. 

Wm.  Stockwell. 

E.  R.  Derby. 

Curtis  Bean. 

Parsons. 

Wm.  H.  Farrar. 

G.  Stephenson. 


Duke  of  Orleans 
Henri  de  La  Mothe 
Philip  the  woodsman 
Anne  Queen  of  France 
Madam  de  Beaumonte 
Pauline  de  Beaumonte 
Mad'lle  de  Hauteford 
Louise 


Soldiers,  Robbers  and  attendants. 
MUSIC. 

THE    OMNIBUS. 


Wm.  Meserve. 

Hanson. 

J.  T.  Bullard. 

Miss  Mary  Page. 

Miss  Andalusia  Gould. 

Miss  Caroline  Perry. 

Miss  Mary  Pinkham. 

Miss  Rachael  Bullard. 


J.  H.  Balch. 


A  FARCE. 


Leger, 
Pat  Rooney, 
Mr.  Dobbs, 
Tom  Dobbs, 

Declamation. — Orig. 


E.  Brown. 

E.  W.  Porter. 

Wm.  Meserve. 

O.  G.  Stephenson. 


Farrier's  Boy, 
Julia  Leger, 
Mrs.  Dobbs, 
Ladies,  &c. 


B.  F.  Hunking. 

Miss  Harriet  Blanchard. 

Miss  Rachael  Bullard. 


B.  F.  Hunking. 


music. 


Alonzo,  Spanish  General 
Zanga,  Captive  Moor, 
Carlos,  Alonzo's  friend, 
Manuel,  Attendant. 


THE   REVENGE. 
A  TRAGEDY. 

Don  Alvarez,  a  Courtier, 


J.  H.  Balch. 

A.  B.  Davis. 

E.  W.  Porter. 

Parsons. 


Jarius  T.  Bullard. 


Leonora,  his  Daughter,       Miss  Mary  Pinkham. 
Isabella,  Moor's  Mistress,  Miss  Mary  Page. 


MUSIC. 


EDUCATION. 


419 


Oration — Orig.  •  J.  H.  Spaulding. 

MUSIC. 

To  conclude  with  the  Comedy  of 

COLLEGE    LIFE! 

Dramatised  by  the  late  Judge  Nelson  Cross  of  Boston,  Mass. 


Frank  Webber,      "j 
Capt.  Power,  I 

Charley  O'Malley  |  Co 
Harry  Nesbit,  I  s 
Cecil  Cavendish,  |  2 
Moore,  5" 

ist  Jib,  I    ■ 

2d  Jib,  J 

Mickey  Free,  Servt. 
Dr.  Mooney,  The  Purser. 


J.G 


Stephenson. 

J.  H.  Balch. 

A.  B.  Davis. 

E.  Brown. 

Clemens. 

Wm.  Meserve. 

White. 

C.  Bean. 

E.  W.  Porter. 


Lord  Beaumond, 
Sir  Geo.  Dashwood, 
Mansfield,  ]    rj 
Curtis,  I   ^ 

Melville,  ,  ^ 
Telford,  J  ^ 
Serv't  of  Sir  Geo., 


demons. 


Curtis  Bean. 

O.  G.  Stephenson. 

Clemons. 

E.  Brown. 

0.  G.  Stephenson. 


Miss  Lucy  Dashwood,  Parsons. 

Miss  Maccan  (alias  Webber),  J.  G.  Stephenson. 


Note. — The  Archers  was  from  Scott's  "  Ivanhoe," — the  passage  of  arms  at  Ashby, 
J.  I.  Williams,  son  of  Gov.  J.  W.  Williams  of  Lancaster,  still  resides  here,  and  is  a  civil 
engineer  and  surveyor.  Edmund  Sawyer,  a  son  of  Robert  Sawyer  of  Lancaster,  for 
some  years  a  tailor  in  Lancaster,  died  in  New  York,  1S56.  Henry  O.  Kent,  son  of 
the  late  R.  P.  Kent  of  Lancaster,  has  had  a  varied  and  successful  career  as  journalist, 
statesman  and  financier.  He  is  now  officially  connected  with  the  Lancaster  Sav- 
ings bank  and  the  Lancaster  Trust  Company.  W.  R.  Joyslin,  son  of  a  Lancaster 
merchant  and  now  a  Congregational  minister  at  Centreville,  Mass.  W.  H.  Smith 
(Uncle  Bill)  of  Lancaster.  Retired  from  business  cares,  and  spends  his  summers  in  Lan- 
caster, and  the  winters  with  his  son  in  Washington,  D.  C.  Edmund  Brown  was  of  Lan- 
caster, now  deceased.  J.  Hubbard  Spaulding  of  Lancaster.  He  was  connected  with  the 
Tip-Top  House,  on  Mt.  Washington,  and  wrote  and  published  "  Historical  Relics  of  the 
White  Mountains  and  a  concise  White  Mountain  Guide  "  in  1S56.  W^illiam  Stockwell, 
a  grandson  of  Emmons  Stockwell,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town,  went  to  Califor- 
nia soon  after  the  discovery  of  gold  there  in  1S49,  ^"<i  died  there,  or  on  the  way  there. 
Edwin  R.  Derby  of  Lancaster,  a  brother  of  Capt.  John  Derby,  was  a  bookseller  in  Cedar 
Rapids,  Iowa;  died  1896.  W.  H.  Farrar,  a  son  of  Deacon  William  Farrar  of  Lancaster, 
became  a  lawyer.  He  went  to  Oregon  at  an  early  date,  was  in  Washington,  D.  C,  dur- 
ing the  war,  and  died  in  Providence  Hospital  there  soon  after  the  close  of  the  war. 
John  G.  Stephenson,  son  of  Reuben  Stephenson  of  Lancaster,  went  to  Indiana.  With 
Senator  H.  S.  Lane,  he  accompanied  President  Lincoln  to  Washington  at  the  time  of 
his  inauguration  in  1861.  He  was  made  librarian  of  congress,  and  had  for  an  assistant 
the  present  incumbent  of  that  office,  A.  R.  Spofford.  He  died  at  Washington  about  ten 
years  ago.  J.  T.  Bullard,  a  son  of  Reverend  Bullard,  minister  of  the  M.  E.  church  in 
Lancaster.  Miss  Rachel  Bullard  was  his  sister.  Mary  Page  was  a  descendant  of  Capt. 
David  Page,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  town.  She  married  Thomas  Shepherd  Hall, 
and  now  lives  in  New  York.  Andalusia  Gould  was  a  Lancaster  lady.  Caroline  Perry 
was  a  daughter  of  Rev.  David  Perry,  at  the  time  minister  of  the  Congregational  church 
in  Lancaster.  Mary  Pinkham  was  a  daughter  of  Elder  Daniel  Pinkham  of  Lancaster, 
now  wife  of  Martin  L.  Burbank  of  Shelburne.  J.  H.  Balch,  a  son  of  a  Lancaster  farmer, 
went  to  Louisiana  as  a  teacher,  and  died  there.  E.  W.  Porter  of  Lancaster  was  many 
years  with  the  fire  department  of  Portland,  Me.  O.  G.  Stevenson,  a  brother  of  J.  G., 
already  mentioned,  went  to  Ohio  in  1S54,  and  later  to  Marshall,  111.,  where  he  still 
resides.  Harriet  Blanchard  was  a  daughter  of  Hebar  Blanchard  of  Lancaster  ;  was  sec- 
ond wife  of  Edmund  Brown,  now  deceased.  B.  F.  Hunking  of  Lancaster,  died  a  few 
years  since.  Albert  Bradley  Davis  became  an  actor  of  note,  and  was  for  many  years 
manager  of  McVicker's  theatre  in  Chicago,  111. 


In  1862  the  present  academy  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$2,350.  Gilman  Colby  had  the  contract  at  that  figure.  The  old 
building  was  sold  for  $70.  A  few  years  previous  to  this  time  a  sum 
of  $18,000  had  been  paid   by  the  Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  railroad 


420  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

in  default  of  a  contract  to  build  its  road  through  Lancaster.  This 
sum  of  money,  after  repaying  certain  persons  for  their  time  and 
expenses  they  had  been  to  in  securing  the  promise  of  the  road 
through  the  town,  was  at  first  invested  in  building  the  old  Lancaster 
House.  When  the  hotel  was  sold,  the  proceeds  were  turned  over  to 
the  academy. 

In  its  new  building  the  academy  has  had  a  prosperous  career  up 
to  within  the  last  few  years,  when  its  patronage  has  been  drawn  from 
it  through  the  improved  condition  of  the  public  schools.  Li  1878 
the  academy  observed  its  semi-centennial  in  an  interesting  manner. 
The  former  teachers,  students,  and  officers  assembled,  and  in  speech, 
song,  and  banquet  revived  old  memories  and  associations.  Inter- 
esting speeches,  too  long  to  reproduce  here,  were  made  by  Hon. 
B.  F.  Whidden,  D.  C.  Pinkham,  a  former  preceptor.  Judge  James 
W.  Weeks,  and  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent.  These  speeches  were  pub- 
lished in  the  Independent  Gazette,  June  12  and  19.  They  were 
full  of  reminiscences  and  anecdotes  relating  to  the  olden  times  of 
the  academy. 

In  1 88 1  an  arrangement  was  entered  into  between  the  trustees 
of  the  academy  and  the  board  of  education  of  Union  school  dis- 
trict, No.  I,  by  which  the  advanced  pupils  of  that  district  might 
have  the  benefit  of  the  instruction  and  graduation  offered  by  the 
academy,  by  the  payment  of  three  and  a  third  dollars  per  capita  per 
term,  the  minimum  sum  of  such  tuition  not  to  be  less  than  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  dollars  a  year.  This  gave  the  students  of  both 
the  same  advantages  on  the  same  conditions  with  respect  to  scholar- 
ship. This  contract  was  made  for  one  year,  with  the  understanding 
that  it  could  be  extended  or  annulled,  as  experience  might  warrant. 

This  arrangement  has  continued  in  force,  with  some  modifica- 
tions, down  to  the  present  time;  By  a  vote  of  Union  district.  No. 
I,  at  its  annual  meeting  (adjourned  session)  May  29,  1895,  the 
board  of  education  was  instructed  to  organize  and  maintain  a  high 
school.  This  action  will  necessarily  terminate  the  relation  between 
the  two  schools  as  here  described. 

The  present  board  of  trustees  of  the  academy  are  Hon.  James  W. 
Weeks,  president  and  treasurer;  Hon.  B.  F.  Whidden  (deceased), 
Col.  H.  O.  Kent,  Geo.  S.  Stockwell,  Edward  Spaulding,  Jared  I. 
Williams,  Hon.  Everett  Fletcher,  Hon.  Joseph  D.  Howe;  Hon.  E. 
Fletcher,  acting  secretary. 

The  preceptors  have  been  Nathaniel  Wilson,  Walter  P.  Flanders, 
William  H.  Hadley,  Moses  Johnson,  Ezra  E.  Adams,  George  Bars- 
tow,  Harry  Hibbard,  Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  John  H.  Wakefield, 
EHhu  T.  Rowe,  Moses  H.  White,  Thomas  L.  Wakefield,  Daniel  C. 
Pinkham,  Truman  Ricard,  Samuel  A.  Lord,  S.  E.  Cummings,  Adino 
J.  Burbank,  David  R.  Lang,  Daniel  A.  Bowe,  Sylvester  Marsh,  Har- 


^n 

1 

■ 

i 

k^^HK^^n 

^K 

liP^^^ 

HBjKh 

^^^■M 

H^P^B^^^j'^S 

m' 

Im^^^ 

H^Klni  '• 

^^s 

i-M 

m 

IW^ 

w\ 

mm 

^^^g 

i 

f'i^jBMflE| 

Bte 

^M 

Catholic  Church  and  Rectory, 


LSAIJOKE    H.    NOISSIEC 


^ i^ 

fciJt^'.- 

A) 

^^^".W.:  :'■  ■'i^. 

i 

3 

1 

m^.4.:-. 

^:;:i^.-^-^''^- 

'*'  .^K^KP^'^^^'' 

1 

!■■ 

f  ]  y  a -^> 

1  1     ^J^Mfllfci^'^l'i 

II  ■ 

N»|3| 

-fWHtltiTiiilt^          lag 

Methodist  Church. 


UX  IT. via  AN    CUL  KCH. 


THE    CHURCHES.  421 

Ian  W.  Page,  William  A.  Odell,  Lyman  Walker,  A.  W.  Tenney, 
O.  C.  Palmer,  J.  C.  Irish,  S.  A.  Jones,  A.  K.  Whitcomb,  Jonathan 
Smith,  William  W.  Holman,  William  W.  Morrill,  G.  C.  Fisher,  Rich- 
ard Sanborn, Rolfe,  J.  W.  Armington,  W,  A.  Burbeck,  Thos. 

MacomBer,  Isaac  L.  Rogers,  F.  B.  Spaulding,  and  D.  T.  Timber- 
lake. 

The  legislature  of  1897  passed  an  act  authorizing  the  acceptance 
by  Union  school  district  of  the  academy  property — conditioned  for 
the  maintenance  of  school  buildings  on  the  old  academy  site  and 
the  designation  of  "Lancaster  Academy  and  High  School"  for  both. 
The  act  was  ratified  and  the  Academy  and  High  School  are  now 
merged  as  one. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE   CHURCHES. 

The  First  Congregational  Church — The  Unitarian  Church — The  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church — The  Baptist  Church — The  Roman  Catho- 
lic Church — The  Protestant  Episcopal  Church — Other  Sects  that 
have  Preached  in  Lancaster. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH. 
By  Rev.  Geo.  H.  Tilton,  Pastor. 

It  was  customary  a  century  ago  in  New  England  for  each  town 
to  provide  for  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  within  its  own  limits. 
The  early  settlers  of  Lancaster  were  strong  men,  who  did  their  own 
thinking  and  had  the  courage  of  their  convictions.  It  could  not  be 
expected  that  they  would  agree  perfectly  respecting  the  doctrines  of 
religion.  But  as  the  town  was  new  and  the  citizens  few  in  number, 
they  could  sustain  only  one  church,  for  which  an  appropriation  was 
made  at  each  annual  town-meeting.  For  the  first  few  years,  however, 
the  neighboring  towns  of  Guildhall  and  Northumberland  cooperated 
with  Lancaster  in  paying  the  preacher's  salary,  and  he  gave  them  a 
proportionate  share  of  his  time.  Although  several  ministers  preached 
in  these  towns  each  for  a  brief  period,  we  know  little  of  their  history 
except  that  they  were  paid  largely  in  produce  raised  on  the  farms. 

As  early  as  1786  the  town  of  Lancaster  voted  "that  thirty-two 
dollars  be  assessed  to  hire  preaching  the  ensuing  summer,  and  that 
Major  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  and  Lieut.  Emmons  Stock- 
well  be  a  committee  to  hire  a  minister."  Money  must  have  been 
scarce  in  those  days,  as  we  read  that  the  Rev.  Lathrop  Thompson 
in  1787  preached  six  Sundays  for  five  bushels  of  wheat  per  day. 
On  the  1 8th  of  August,  1788,  a  meeting  of  the  freeholders  and  other 


422  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER, 

inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Lancaster  was  held  in  Col.  Jonas  Wilder's 
barn  to  take  action  about  settling  a  gospel  minister.  A  committee 
was  appointed  for  this  purpose,  with  Colonel  Wilder  as  chairman. 
Rev.  Mr.  Thompson  was  retained  for  a  time,  and  received  a  vote  of 
thanks  from  the  town  for  his  services.  In  1790,  Rev.  Benjamin  Bell 
was  hired  at  a  salary  of  three  hundred  bushels  of  wheat  annually, 
with  the  privilege  of  three  weeks'  vacation. 

In  1 79 1  a  Mr.  Thurston  preached.  During  that  year  action  was 
taken  with  regard  to  building  a  meeting-house.  A  committee  was 
appointed  to  find  a  suitable  spot,  and  after  reporting,  were  author- 
ized to  lay  out  six  acres  on  the  "  plain  above  tlie  sand  hill  "  as  the 
meeting-house  plot. 

This  committee  consisted  of  the  seven  following  names :  Cols. 
Edwards  Bucknam  and  Jonas  Wilder,  Capts.  John  Weeks  and  David 
Page,  Lieuts.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Joseph  Brackett,  and  Dennis 
Stanley. 

A  plan  having  been  adopted,  the  following  method  of  raising  the 
necessary  funds  was  recommended  : 

"  That  the  pews  be  sold  at  public  vendue.  That  each  person  give  his  note  to 
the  committee,  who  shall  be  authorized  to  receive  the  pay  and  appropriate  the 
same.  That  the  whole  sum  be  divided  into  four  parts,  to  be  paid  the  four  next 
succeeding  years.  That  four  shillings  on  the  pound  be  paid  in  cash  or  salts  of 
lye,  and  the  rest  in  wheat  at  four  shillings  per  bushel,  or  beef  at  seventeen  shil- 
lings and  sixpence  per  hundred  weight,  with  this  i^estriction,  that  the  committee 
shall  receive  each  man's  equal  proportion  of  timber,  boards,  clapboards,  shingles, 
etc.,  if  good  and  merchantable,  and  delivered  when  the  committee  shall  call  for 
them." 

These  conditions  were  accepted  by  the  people,  and  Lieuts.  Em- 
mons Stockwell,  Jeremiah  Wilcox,  Capt.  John  W^eeks,  Jonas  Wilder, 
Jr.,  and  Jonas  Baker  were  appointed  as  building  committee. 

The  meeting-house  was  ready  for  occupancy  in  1794.  Its  site  is 
known  as  "  meeting-house  hill,"  where  it  stood  until  1845,  when  it 
was  removed  to  the  foot  of  the  hill  near  Isreals  river,  and  has  since 
been  used  as  a  town  hall,  though  the  ownership  is  vested  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  by  whom  it  has  been  remodeled  and  enlarged. 

The  first  settled  pastor  was  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  a  broad, 
liberal-minded  man,  who  had  served  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 
He  was  descended  from  one  of  the  best  families  of  New  England. 
His  father  was  the  Rev.  John  Willard,  D.  D.,  of  Stafford,  Conn., 
and  his  uncle  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  Joseph  Willard,  president  of  Har- 
vard college,  and  his  great-great-grandfather,  the  Rev.  Samuel 
Willard,  was  vice-president  of  the  same  institution.  His  brother,  the 
Rev.  John  Willard,  was  settled  over  the  Congregational  church  in 
Lunenburg,  Vt.,  in  1802,  the  year  of  its  organization,  and  remained 
its  pastor  for  many  years.     And  so  it  happened  that  the  two  broth- 


THE    CHURCHES.  423 

ers,  Joseph  and  John,  were  for  a  long  time  contemporary  pastors  of 
neighboring  churches. 

The  Congregational  church  of  Lancaster  was  organized  on  the 
17th  of  July,  1794,  under  the  leadership  of  Parson  Willard,  who  was 
installed  as  its  pastor  on  the  eighteenth  of  September  of  that  year, 
the  churches  of  Conway,  Rochester,  and  Fryeburg,  Me.,  being  rep- 
resented in  the  council. 

The  original  members  of  the  church  were  twenty-four  in  number, 
and  their  names  are  given  as  follows  :  Jonas^  Wilder,  John  Rose- 
brooks,  Elisha  Wilder,  Joseph  Brackett,  Jonas  Baker,  Samuel  Phelps, 
Nathaniel  Sheperd,  Phineas  Bruce,  Reuben  Lamson,  Joseph  Wilder, 
Elizabeth  Wilder,  Mehitabel  Wilder,  Sarah  Rosebrooks,  Mary 
Brackett,  Lydia  Rosebrooks,  Mindwell  Clark,  Betty  Baker,  La- 
vina  Phelps,  Deborah  Weeks,  Persis  Everett,  Elizabeth  Saunders, 
Polly  Wilder,  Sarah  Stanley,  Ruth  Stockwell. 

These  names  are  appended  to  the  short  and  simple  creed  and 
covenant,  which  was  doubtless  drawn  up  by  Mr.  Willard,  who  acted 
as  clerk  of  the  church  till  his  resignation  in  1822.  The  creed  was 
sufficiently  indefinite  to  admit  to  membership  all  who  called  them- 
selves Christians,  whether  Armenians  or  Calvinists,  Orthodox  or 
Liberals.  The  doctrine  of  the  trinity  is  vaguely  stated  in  the  first 
article,  which  reads : 

"  We  believe  in  God  the  Father  Ahiiighty,  Maker  of  heaven  and  earth,  and  in 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  sole  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  as 
the  comforter  and  sanctifier  of  the  people  and  Church  of  God." 

There  is  no  doubt  that  this  broad  creed  represented  the  broad- 
ness of  the  pastor's  mind,  and  its  breadth  may  have  seemed  to  him 
necessary  in  order  to  include  all  the  diverse  religious  views  of  the 
members.  This  latitudinarian  creed,  however,  did  not  prevent  the 
development  of  two  factions  within  the  church,  the  one  orthodox 
and  the  other  liberal.  Mr.  Willard,  adhering  to  his  liberal  views, 
refrained  from  expounding  doctrinal  themes  in  the  pulpit,  and  his 
mind  seemed  singularly  free  from  doctrinal  thoughts.  For  this  rea- 
son his  ministry  was  wanting  in  that  power  and  aggression  which 
was  deemed  so  essential  in  those  days.  A  strong  creed,  with  a  man 
of  strong  convictions  behind  it,  built  up  many  a  strong  church  in 
those  early  days,  for  the  people  were  trained  by  the  great  Puritan 
divines  to  think  their  thought  after  them.  But  here  was  a  weak 
creed,  vague  in  its  doctrinal  teachings,  with  a  pastor  who  held  lib- 
eral notions  respecting  some  of  the  evangelical  tenets,  and  the  result 
was  that  the  church  lacked  cohesion  and  strength.  Notwithstand- 
ing Mr.  Willard's  excellent  character,  which  every  one  respected,  he 
failed  to  hold  the  people  together,  and  they  on  their  part  failed  to 
give   him   an  adequate  support.      It  was  stipulated   that   he    should 


424  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

receive  fifty  pounds  a  year  to  be  increased  to  eighty  pounds  as  soon 
as  the  growth  of  the  town  should  warrant  it.  Instead  of  being 
increased,  it  gradually  fell  off,  and  he  complains  in  his  letter  of  res- 
ignation in  1822  :  "  For  a  number  of  years  I  have  received  upon  an 
average  considerably  short  of  $200  per  annum,  which,  you  must 
be  sensible,  is  far  from  being  an  adequate  support."  Three  years 
before  this  he  wanted  to  resign  on  account  of  troubles  in  the  church, 
but  was  overruled  by  some  of  the  members  who  wished  him  to  make 
a  further  trial.  Matters,  however,  grew  worse  rather  than  better. 
To  quote  again  from  his  letter  of  resignation, — "  It  is  unhappily  the 
case  that  this  town  is  very  much  divided  in  religious  sentiment,  one 
crying  out  for  Paul  and  another  for  Apollos."  The  records  of  these 
years  show  also  a  deterioration  in  public  morals.  Intoxication  was 
not  uncommon  even  in  the  church,  and  one  of  the  deacons  was  con- 
strained to  resign  on  account  of  the  "  too  free  use  of  ardent  spirits." 
Discipline  had  also  to  be  exercised  in  respect  of  other  and  more 
delicate  matters.  No  wonder  that  Parson  Willard  was  discouraged  ! 
He  had  allowed  persons  to  come  into  the  church  on  their  simple 
subscription  to  the  creed,  without  special  inquiry  into  their  motives, 
and  the  piety  of  the  body  was  at  a  low  ebb.  The  elements  of  dis- 
union which  were  destined  a  few  years  later  to  separate  it  into  two 
rival  bodies,  were  already  at  work  in  the  congregation. 

The  large  and  influential  council  which  met  to  dissolve  the  pas- 
toral relation,  October  16,  1822,  came  to  the  unanimous  conclusion 
that  Mr.  Willard's  request  should  be  granted.  The  council  found 
that  "  his  health  was  much  impaired,  that  his  salary  was  inadequate 
to  the  support  of  a  clergyman,  and  above  all  it  was  evident  that  the 
people  were  in  a  scattered,  divided,  and  broken  condition,  and  that 
the  prospect  of  Mr.  Willard's  usefulness  was  very  small."  At  the 
same  time  the  council  felt  called  upon  to  reprove  the  people :  "  It 
is  not  in  our  hearts  to  condemn  you,"  they  said,  "  but  we  very 
readily  say  that  had  every  one  done  his  duty,  it  is  our  opinion  that 
things  would  not  so  soon  have  arrived  to  their  present  state." 

So  far  as  intemperance  is  concerned,  it  should  be  borne  in  mind 
that  the  drinking  customs  of  that  day  were  different  from  what  they 
have  come  to  be  since.  Liquors  were  kept  on  the  sideboard  in 
almost  every  home  where  they  could  be  afforded,  and  even  clergy- 
men counted  it  no  disgrace  to  take  a  friendly  glass. 

At  the  time  of  Mr.  Willard's  dismission  the  church,  with  all  its 
faults,  had  some  members  of  deep  and  earnest  piety.  They  deter- 
mined to  meet  statedly  on  the  Lord's  day  and  invite  others  to  meet 
with  them,  and  when  they  had  no  preaching,  "  to  maintain  the  pub- 
lic, solemn  worship  of  God  by  attending  to  praying,  singing,  and 
reading  sermons,  hoping  to  meet  with  a  blessing  from  on  high,  and 
in  this  way  to  keep  together  agreeably  to  covenant  obligations." 


THE    CHURCHES.  425 

Notwithstanding  her  trials,  this  old  first  church  was  yet  destined 
to  be  the  mother  of  churches.  From  worshipers  within  her  walls 
the  Methodists  were  largely  recruited,  as  were  the  Unitarian  and 
Episcopal  congregations  in  later  years. 

After  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Willard  the  people  sought  to  secure  a 
new  pastor  without  delay.  Their  attention  was  directed  to  the  Rev. 
James  R.  Wheelock  who,  after  a  pastorate  of  four  years  at  Newport, 
had  recently  been  dismissed  from  his  charge.  He  seemed  a  most 
desirable  candidate,  and  the  people  after  hearing  him  preach,  gave 
him  a  call.  In  this  call  some  of  the  families  in  Guildhall  united  and 
assumed  part  of  the  salary.  He  was  to  receive  in  all  $450  a  year, 
the  people  of  Guildhall  paying  $113  as  their  portion,  in  considera- 
tion of  which  Mr.  Wheelock  was  to  preach  every  fourth  Sunday  in 
that  town.  In  regard  to  the  $337  to  be  raised  by  the  people  of 
Lancaster,  it  was  agreed  that  a  third  should  be  paid  in  cash,  and 
the  remainder  in  wheat,  rye,  oats,  pork,  beef,  butter,  and  cheese. 
Of  the  amount  to  be  paid  in  Guildhall,  the  pastor  was  to  be  content 
with  a  fourth  part  in  cash. 

In  accepting  the  call,  Mr.  Wheelock  asked  the  people  to  provide 
him,  in  addition  to  the  sum  specified,  a  suitable  parsonage  and 
twenty-five  cords  of  hard  wood,  annually.  To  these  terms  he  sup- 
posed the  people  had  acceded,  and  so  did  the  council  which  was 
called  to  install  him,  Jan.  27,  1824.  But  at  this  point  an  unfortu- 
nate misunderstanding  occurred.  Probably  the  people  did  intend 
to  provide  him  a  parsonage,  for  they  had  said  as  much  in  their  letter 
of  invitation ;  and  had  the  new  pastor  succeeded  in  winning  the 
hearts  of  his  people,  all  might  have  gone  well.  But  this  he  failed 
to  do.  He  was  a  man  of  fine  scholarship  and  of  upright  character; 
a  grandson  of  the  first  and  a  son  of  the  second  president  of  Dart- 
mouth college;  and  yet,  before  a  single  year  had  closed,  he  was 
constrained  to  ask  for  a  dismission.  The  people  had  done  nothing 
to  secure  him  a  parsonage,  and  virtually  withheld  their  sympathy 
and  support,  complaining  that  he  was  formal  and  stiff  in  his  bear- 
ing and  Calvinistic  in  his  theology.  And  yet,  this  act  was  one  of 
the  links  in  the  chain  of  cause  and  effect.  The  church,  as  we  have 
seen,  was  weakened  by  factions  within  itself.  The  liberal  party 
would  take  no  interest  in  Mr.  Wheelock's  Calvinistic  views,  and  the 
orthodox  party  were  too  feeble  to  sustain  him  alone,  and  they  had 
no  heart  to  make  the  effort. 

The  end  of  this  unfortunate  pastorate  left  the  church  feeble  and 
discouraged.  It  is  almost  pitiable  to  see  the  people  turn  again  to 
good  old  Parson  Willard  and  reengage  him  for  $150  a  year,  with 
the  privilege  of  reading  his  old  sermons.  But  the  preaching  days 
of  this  godly  man  were  nearly  over.  He  died  suddenly  on  Sunday 
morning,  July  22,  1826,  and  lies  buried  in  the  old  cemetery,  where 


426  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

a  plain  white  marble  slab  marks  his  resting-place.  His  death  was 
lamented  by  all,  and  his  name  will  ever  hold  an  honored  place  in 
the  history  of  the  church  and  the  town.  That  the  church  did  not 
enjoy  greater  spiritual  prosperity  during  his  long  ministry  was  due 
in  part  to  his  loose  theology  and  in  part  to  the  opposite  and  irrecon- 
cilable views  of  its  members. 

For  the  next  three  years  little  interest  was  manifested,  and  things 
were  allowed  to  drift.  A  good  man  of  the  name  of  Orange  Scott 
came  this  way,  a  Wesleyan  Methodist,  who  preached  in  the  town 
church  for  about  a  year,  and  succeeded  in  gaining  the  good-will  of 
all  the  people  and  also  in  strengthening  the  cause  of  Methodism  in 
the  town. 

The  next  minister  was  the  Rev.  John  Fitch.  Mr.  Fitch  resided 
in  Guildhall,  where  he  taught  the  Essex  county  grammar  school, 
often  spoken  of  in  those  days  as  the  Guildhall  academy,  since  re- 
moved to  Concord,  Vt. 

In  1829  the  church  engaged  the  services  of  the  Rev.  Luke  A. 
Spofford,  who  is  most  honored  in  the  person  of  his  son,  Ainsworth 
R.  Spofford,  the  distinguished  bibliographer  and  librarian  of  con- 
gress. During,  his  pastorate  of  three  years,  Mr.  Spofford  built  with 
his  own  hands  the  house  now  occupied  by  Mr,  Cyrus  D.  Allen, 
which  was  long  used  as  a  parsonage. 

In  1832  there  was  a  revival  in  the  church,  owing  to  a  protracted 
meeting,  in  which  no  less  than  eight  of  the  neighboring  clergymen 
took  part.  These  meetings  were  directed  by  a  Mr.  Holt,  who  sup- 
plied the  pulpit  for  a  short  time.  As  a  result  of  this  awakening 
more  than  forty  persons  united  with  the  church.  This  made  the 
outlook  more  hopeful  than  it  had  been  for  years.  But  there  were 
breakers  ahead,  though  scarcely  visible  at  the  time. 

One  of  the  eight  men  just  spoken  of  as  assisting  in  the  revival 
was  the  Rev.  Andrew  Govan,  a  Scotchman  from  Barnet,  Vt.  The 
people  liked  him  and  called  him  to  the  vacant  pastorate.  Though 
he  was  eccentric  and  a  rigid  Calvinist,  he  had  a  strong  personality, 
and  the  church  was  much  quickened  during  his  three  years'  pastor- 
ate. He  labored  hard  to  stiffen  the  old  creed  in  the  interests  of 
Calvinism.  He  was  especially  anxious  to  emphasize  the  doctrine  of 
regeneration  by  inserting  the  words  of  Titus  3:5, — "He  saved  us 
through  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost."  The  liberal  party  strongly  opposed  this  revision  of  the 
creed,  and  succeeded  in  fighting  it  off.  This  movement,  obstinately 
pressed  by  Mr.  Govan,  and  persistently  resisted  by  the  liberals, 
resulted  in  the  discomfiture  of  the  former,  who  was  constrained  to 
resign  August  25,  1835.  Twenty-seven  had  joined  the  church  dur- 
ing his  pastorate  of  three  years. 

The  orthodox  members  now  resolved  to  secede  from  the  church, 


THE    CHURCHES.  427 

which  they  did  under  the  leadership  of  the  Rev.  Edward  Buxton,  a 
young  man  just  beginning  his  ministerial  work.  On  Friday,  Sep- 
tember 23,  1836,  thirty-eight  members  of  the  church  convened  in 
the  court-house  and  drew  up  and  signed  a  strong  Calvinistic  creed, 
in  which  all  the  evangelical  doctrines  were  stated  unequivocally. 
The  article  on  the  Trinity  was  changed  so  as  to  read  as  follows : 

"  We  believe  that  God  is  revealed  in  the  Scriptures,  as  the  Father,  the  Son, 
and  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  these  three  are  one,  and  in  all  divine  attributes 
equal." 

This  action  of  the  church  was  ratified  by  a  council  which  met 
October  12,  1836,  and  thus  was  formed 

THE    ORTHODOX    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  new  creed  was  signed  by  the  following  persons :  William 
Farrar,  Porter  G.  Freeman,  John  Wilson,  Horace  Whitcomb,  John 
C.  Howe,  John  Wilder,  Ephraim  Wilder,  James  Stone,  Samuel  L. 
Whidden,  Oilman  Wilder,  Edmund  C.  Wilder,  Daniel  Stebbins, 
Edward  Spaulding,  John  Stalbird,  Sarah  Cady,  Persis  Everett,  Edna 
Porter,  Elizabeth  Smith,  Olive  B.  Holkins,  Mehitabel  Wilder,  Mary 
S.  H.  Stickney,  Tryphena  Farrar,  Abigail  A.  Bergin,  Lucinda  Baker, 
Catharine  J.  Whitcomb,  Lydia  Howe,  Mercy  Freeman,  Mary  N. 
Whidden,  Rhoda  Wilder,  Sophronia  Denison,  Rebecca  Denison, 
Ruth  E.  George,  Harmony  Moore,  Amanda  Stebbins,  Sarah  Ann 
Moore,  Mary  Jane  Moore,  Sarah  White,  Lydia  Bellows,  Martha  Phil- 
lips, Anna  Bergin,  Louisa  Stebbins,  Persis  Fayette  Weeks,  Julia  J. 
Joslyn,  Sally  B.  Stalbird,  Ann  L.  Whidden,  and  Clarissa  Hemenway. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  council  the  following  article  relating  to  tem- 
perance was  adopted  and  put  on  record  : 

"In  view  of  the  evils  brought  upon  the  community  and  upon  the  church  by  the 
use  of  distilled  liquors,  we  promise  to  abstain  wholly  from  the  use  and  sale  of 
them,  except  as  a  medicine." 

It  is  needless  to  relate  ihe  excitement  and  bitter  personal  feeling 
which  followed  this  act  of  secession,  or  to  mention  the  gulf  of  sepa- 
ration between  the  mother  church  and  the  seceders  which  required 
seven  years  to  bridge  over.  The  seceders,  in  order  to  justify  them- 
selves in  their  unwonted  course,  requested  Dea.  William  Farrar,  a 
lawyer  by  profession,  to  draw  up  a  paper  setting  forth  the  reasons 
therefor,  and  this  is  the  substance  of  what  he  prepared  : 

"  In  our  judgment  such  a  step  was  required  of  us  that  we  might  be  faithful  to 
the  Saviour,  to  whom  we  feel  bound  by  the  highest  possible  obligations.  The 
grounds  of  these  obligations  we  believe  to  be  set  forth  in  the  following  funda- 
mental doctrines  of  the  Gospel : 

"  The  sovereignty  of  God  in  the  salvation  of  sinners  ;  the  divinity  of  Christ,  by 
which  he  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God ;   the  atonement  which  he 


42  8  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

made  for  the  sins  of  the  world,  by  suffering  in  the  sinner's  stead,  the  just  for  the 
unjust ;  the  total  destitution  of  the  human  heart  by  nature  of  true  holiness  ;  the 
necessity  of  a  radical,  instantaneous  change  of  the  disposition  of  the  heart  from 
sin  to  holiness  by  the  special  influences  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  order  to  salvation ; 
and  that  the  present  life  is  the  only  period  in  which  any  of  the  human  race  may 
receive  the  grace  of  regeneration,  which  is  essential  to  salvation. 

"  Such  being  our  view  of  the  Christian  doctrines,  from  which  we  infer  that  men 
should  honor  the  Son  even  as  they  honor  the  Father,  how  could  we  remain  in  a 
situation  in  which  we  should  be  compromising  with  those  who  either  reject  or 
lightly  esteem  these  doctrines?  While  systematic  and  persevering  efforts  are  mak- 
ing to  introduce  into  the  churches  a  system  of  faith  which  rejects  these  doctrines, 
we  could  not  be  satisfied  with  anything  short  of  a  full  and  unequivocal  declaration 
of  them.  The  light  which  is  to  guide  souls  to  heaven  must  be  held  forth  dis- 
tinctly. 

"How  could  we  retain  our  membership  in  a  church  in  which  the  fundamental 
doctrines  of  the  Gospel  were  so  obscurely  stated  or  implied  in  the  articles  of  faith 
that  they  were  constantly  subscribed  by  persons  who  entirely  rejected  them?  The 
church  had  refused  to  incorporate  into  its  articles  a  smgle  verse  of  Scripture 
[Titus  3  :5]  expressing  the  necessity  of  regeneration  and  the  sovereignty  of  God 
in  the  salvation  of  sinners. 

"  Now  when  we  saw  that  this  state  of  things  caused  error  to  prevail  and  the 
love  of  many  to  wax  cold,  and  that  some  in  the  church  were  assisting  to  raise  a 
standard  which  we  believe  to  be  another  Gospel;  and  when,  in  fine,  we  were  per- 
suaded that  said  church  could  not  be  extricated  from  such  a  state  of  things  under 
the  existing  organization,  was  it  not  to  be  expected  that  we  should  earnestly  desire 
to  be  reorganized?  As  we  could  see  no  way  to  accomplish  this  result  without 
secession  from  the  said  church,  we  have  therefore  seceded  from  it  and  formed  our- 
selves into  a  new  church,  known  by  the  name  of 

"THE    ORTHODOX    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH    IN   LANCASTER." 

As  we  might  expect  in  such  a  condition  of  things  there  was  grief 
as  well  as  bitterness.  There  were  those  who  deeply  regretted  this 
division  in  the  Congregational  body  and  one  or  two  spasmodic  ef- 
forts were  made  for  a  re-union.  To  this  end  we  find  recorded  a 
meeting  of  the  mother  church  on  the  i6th  of  March,  1837,  ^^  which 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  see  if  a  union  could  not  be  brought 
about.  Among  the  prominent  male  members  of  the  old  church  at 
this  time  were  Richard  Eastman,  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Gorham  Lane, 
Charles  Baker,  John  Mason  and  Seth  Savage.  Nothing  came  of  this 
movement  and  no  further  action  was  taken  for  several  3^ears.  Only 
time  and  the  grace  of  God  could  soften  the  asperities  of  temper  and 
heal  the  hearts  so  sorely  wounded.  Meanwhile  the  new  church 
moved  on  under  the  leadership  of  good  men  and  in  1839  a  church 
edifice  was  commenced.  The  mother  church  soon  ceased  to  hold 
meetings  owing  to  the  impossibility  of  maintaining  a  separate  organ- 
ization. 

Mr.  Buxton,  who  had  led  the  secession  movement  of  the  new 
church,  accepted  a  call  to  Boscawen  (now  Webster)  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life,  preaching  his  forty-fifth  anniversary  ser- 
mon in  1882. 


THE    CHURCHES.  429 

After  him  came  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Richardson,  who  preached  for  a 
short  time,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Edward  Burke,  a 
young  man  from  Woodstock,  Vt.,  who  was  here  during  the  building 
of  the  new  meeting-house,  and  preached  the  sermon  at  its  dedication. 
He  was  regarded  as  an  able  preacher  but  failing  health  soon  com- 
pelled him  to  withdraw  from  the  ministry.  The  new  church  edifice 
was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy  in  1840.  The  names  of  the 
building  committee  were  Gen.  John  Wilson,  Presbury  West,  and 
Solomon  Hemenway.  The  Rev.  Clark  Perry,  a  man  remembered 
chiefly  for  his  pro-slavery  principles,  next  supplied  the  pulpit. 
His  health  soon  gave  way  and  his  brother,  the  Rev.  David  Perry  of 
HoUis,  took  his  place  in  accordance  with  an  invitation  of  the  church 
uuderthe  date  of  April  14,  1843.  He  labored  earnestly  to  bring 
the  two  alienated  churches  together  again,  and  in  a  union  meeting, 
held  November  20,  1843,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted: 

Resolved:  That  we  deeply  deplore  the  division,  and  consequent  alienation  of 
feeling  among  those  in  this  place  who  profess  love  to  the  Saviour,  and  are  in 
principle  Congregationalists. 

Resolved:  That  to  evince  our  sincere  desire  for  the  restoration  of  peace  and 
Christian  feeling,  on  honorable  and  Christian  principles,  we  hereby  certify  our 
willingness  to  disband  the  church  organization  to  which  we  respectively  belong, 
and  submit,  if  necessary,  the  principles  on  which  a  new  organization  shall  be 
formed,  to  a  council  mutually  chosen. 

All  the  members  of  the  old  church  and  all  but  seven  of  the  new 
church  were  in  favor  of  this  plan. 

Accordingly  a  clerical  council  was  called  which  advised  the  re- 
union on  the  basis  of  a  new  and  modified  creed,  a  compromise 
between  the  first  and  the  second.  In  this  third  creed  the  doctrine 
of  the  Trinity  is  expressed  as  follows  : 

"  We  believe  that  in  these  Scriptures  there  is  revealed  a  distinction  in  the 
Godhead  of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  this  distinction  though  in- 
comprehensible to  us,  is  yet  perfectly  consistent  with  the  Unity  of  the  Divine 
Being." 

These  articles  of  faith  were  adopted  December  29,  1843,  and 
sixteen  members  of  the  old  church  were  added  to  the  new  organiza- 
tion. Seven  of  the  seceeding  members  at  first  refused  to  sign  the 
new  statement  of  belief  but  subsequently  all  came  into  harmony. 
The  creed  has  stood  unchanged  to  this  day.  Thus  were  the  two 
churches  quietly  dissolved  into  a  third.  For  a  time  the  old  differ- 
ences seemed  to  be  adjusted,  and  during  Mr.  Perry's  pastorate  there 
was  but  little  friction.  Still  the  reconciliation  was  but  superficial; 
the  original  causes  of  discord  slumbered  deep  within  the  body,  and 
the  day  of  final  and  irrevocable  separation  was  only  postponed. 
Mr.  Perry  was  dismissed  January  20,  1847.  "  He  was  an  energetic 
man  with  a  good  spice  of  self-appreciation  in  his  nature." 


430  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

After  a  time  the  church  agreed  to  call  the  Rev.  Stephen  A.  Bar- 
nard, who  began  his  ministry  here  May  9,  1847.  M^.  Barnard  had 
been  a  Unitarian  minister,  and  was  ordained  in  that  church  at  Wilton 
in  1830.  Finding,  as  he  said,  that  men  were  not  converted  by  vague 
teachings,  he  became  a  Congregationalist.  While  here  it  would 
seem  that  he  preached  what  are  known  as  the  evangelical  doctrines ; 
yet  one  can  hardly  avoid  the  feeling  that  his  mind  was  biased  in 
favor  of  Unitarian  views.  At  any  rate  the  Unitarian  element  in  the 
church  gained  in  strength  and  boldness  during  his  seven  years'  pas- 
torate, and  that  party  appeared  to  be  satisfied  with  his  statement  of 
religious  doctrines.  It  was  feared  by  the  orthodox  members  that 
the  liberal  party  would  make  an  effort  to  seize  the  church  property, 
and  in  order  to  forestall  such  an  attempt,  they  took  action  them- 
selves as  quietly  as  possible,  and  on  the  30th  of  July,  1852,  John 
W.  Lovejoy,  Porter  G.  Freeman,  and  others  met  and  formed  them- 
selves into  a  corporate  society  under  the  name  of 

THE    LANCASTER    ORTHODOX    CONGREGATIONAL    CHURCH   SOCIETY. 

This  action  caused  bitter  feeling,  and  the  Unitarian  party  hoped 
even  then  to  get  possession  of  the  church  property.  After  Mr. 
Barnard's  dismission  May  29th,  1853,  they  were  suf^ciently  influ- 
ential to  secure  preachers  of  their  own  order  to  supply  the  pulpit. 
The  contest  became  exciting  as  well  as  bitter.  On  the  first  of  Jan- 
uary, 1854,  the  liberals  hired  the  Rev,  George  M.  Rice,  a  Unitarian 
minister,  to  supply  the  pulpit  for  an  indefinite  period.  This  was 
more  than  the  orthodox  party  could  stand  ;  they  felt  that  the  church 
was  rapidly  drifting  away  from  sound  principles.  A  crisis  was  inev- 
itable. Mr.  Rice  had  preached  six  successive  Sundays;  it  was 
now  the  second  Sunday  in  February;  on  that  day  Dea.  Seth  Adams 
rose  in  the  meeting  and  announced  that  the  Rev.  Isaac  Weston  of 
Cumberland,  Me.,  would  occupy  the  pulpit  the  following  Sabbath. 
The  day  came  and  Horace  Whitcomb,  a  strong  man  of  military 
bearing,  was  stationed  near  the  pulpit  to  see  that  Mr.  Weston  was 
not  interfered  with.  There  the  two  ministers  met,  each  expecting 
to  preach.  It  was  a  critical  moment,  but  through  the  courtesy  of 
Mr.  Weston,  it  was  arranged  that  Mr.  Rice  should  occupy  the  pul- 
pit in  the  morning  and  he  in  the  afternoon. 

Now  came  the  final  separation  ;  and  this  separation  was  the  nat- 
ural culmination  of  divisive  ideas  and  forces  which  had  been  operat- 
ing for  half  a  century.  From  that  time  the  two  streams  of  tendency 
flowed  on  in  separate  channels.  The  Unitarians  held  their  services 
in  the  court-house  with  Mr.  Rice  as  preacher  till  they  could  build 
a  church  of  their  own. 

A  few  of  those  who  went  off  with  Mr.  Rice  soon  returned  as  they 
disliked  his  constant  preaching  on  the  subject  of  slavery.      Still  the 


Episcopal  Church  and  Rectokv 


(I     iilT 


CoN(,Ki-(..vi  loNAi,  Church,  1841. 


Congregational  Church. 

Remodeled  1S9S. 


THE    CHURCHES.  43  I 

church  was  crippled  and  its  numbers  small ;  it  was  obliged  to  call 
on  the  Home  Missionary  Society  for  aid.  Mr.  Weston's  labors 
with  the  church  closed  September  24,  1854.  During  most  of  the 
■following  year,  the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Chamber- 
lain, who  afterwards  married  Miss  Mary  Jane  Moore  of  this  town. 
Mr.  Chamberlain  introduced  to  the  people  the  Rev.  Prescott  Fay,  a 
young  man  from  Andover  seminary  who  was  ordained  and  installed 
over  the  church  in  March,  1856.  During  this  year  several  families 
came  over  from  South  Guildhall  and  greatly  strengthened  the 
church.  Before  Mr.  Fay  left.  May  15,  1865,  the  people  had  become 
independent  of  Home  Missionary  aid,  and  gave  gifts  in  return.  Mr. 
Fay's  nine  years'  pastorate  covered  the  trying  period  of  the  Civil 
War.  On  the  whole  the  church  was  prosperous  and  a  good  number 
of  converts  were  received  to  membership.  During  the  revival  of 
1848,  no  less  than  forty-nine  members  were  added  to  the  church, 
twenty-six  of  them  at  one  time,  Sunday,  July  4th  of  that  year. 

Mr.  Fay  was  born  in  Westboro,  Mass.,  December  8,  1826.  Since 
leaving  Lancaster  he  has  had  several  pastorates  East  and  West  and 
is  now  preaching  at  Quechee,  Vt. 

Upon  the  departure  of  Mr.  Fay,  the  church  immediately  procured 
the  services  of  the  Rev.  Henry  V.  Emmons,  who  was  installed  Sep- 
tember 27,  1865.  Like  his  predecessor  he  came  with  his  young 
bride,  having  married  Annie,  daughter  of  Prof.  George  Shepherd  of 
Bangor,  Me.,  September  6,  1865.  Mr.  Emmons  won  the  love  and 
confidence  of  the  people  in  a  high  degree.  Soon  after  he  came  the 
meeting-house  was  repaired  and  renovated  at  considerable  expense. 
,  The  growth  of  the  church  during  his  pastorate  was  in  character 
rather  than  in  numbers,  although  some  were  added  to  its  member- 
ship. During  this  time  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  was  organized  in  town  and 
some  of  the  members  of  this  church  became  active  workers  therein ; 
meetings  were  held  all  through  the  town  at  the  various  schoolhouses 
— as  at  Great  Rock,  Spaulding  Neighorhood,  South  Lancaster, 
Brick  Schoolhouse,  and  in  the  then  vacant  Baptist  church. 

Mr.  Emmons  was  the  son  of  the  Hon.  William  Emmons  of  Frank- 
lin, Mass.  He  was  born  at  Augusta,  Me.,  November  3,  1832  ;  was 
graduated  at  Amherst  college  in  1854,  and  Bangor  Theological 
seminary  in  1859.  After  an  absence  of  nineteen  years,  he  writes  of 
his  charge  here: — "  My  nine  years'  stay  (our  stay)  at  Lancaster, 
was  full  of  pleasant  intercourse  with  a  people  to  whom  we  were 
warmly  attached  and  the  memory  of  it  is  very  dear.  They — all 
of  whom  come  before  us  at  a  moment's  recollection — live  yet  in  our 
hearts  and  make  us  a  part  of  what  we  are.  To  me  they  were 
always  generous,  considerate,  kindly,  faithful,  and  my  heart  kindles 
with  prayerful  desires  for  their  welfare." 

There  is  one  virtue  which  pertains  to  this  church   as  commenda- 


432  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

ble  as  it  is  rare,  it  has  always  avoided  hearing  a  long  list  of  candi- 
dates; Mr.  Emmons  succeeded  Mr.  Fay  without  a  break,  and  so 
did  Mr.  Charles  E.  Harrington  succeed  Mr.  Emmons,  and  so  it  has 
been  to  the  present  time ;  in  each  case  the  church  selected  its  man, 
heard  him  preach  and  gave  him  a  call.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Harrington 
was   ordained   and    installed   as  pastor  of  this  church  October   27, 

1874,  and  Mr.  Emmons  was  dismissed  by  the  same  council.  Mr. 
Emmons  is  now  settled  at  Kittery  Point,  Maine. 

Mr.  Harrington  remained  with  the  church  until  Feb.  24,  1878,  on 
which  da}'  he  preached  his  farewell  sermon  to  a  crowded  house. 
And  on  April  18,  1878,  he  was  installed  as  pastor  of  the  South 
Congregational  church  in  Concord.  The  church  never  had  a  more 
popular  pastor  than  Mr.  Harrington.  Strong,  genial,  and  faithful 
to  his  charge,  he  easily  won  all  hearts.  The  parsonage  at  No.  7 
Summer   street  was   erected   for  his   occupancy   in   the    summer  of 

1875,  Seneca  Congdon  taking  the  contract  for  $2,600. 

As  Mr.  Harrington  was  a  power  for  righteousness  here,  so  he  has 
been  elsewhere.  He  was  born  in  Concord,  Oct.  5,  1846,  of  sturdy 
Puritan  stock.  He  received  a  thorough  academic  education,  grad- 
uated at  Bangor  Theological  seminary,  and  was  chaplain  in  the 
New  Hampshire  legislature  in  1881.  From  Concord  he  went  to 
Dubuque,  Iowa,  where  he  was  pastor  of  the  First  Congregational 
church  for  three  years.  From  Dubuque  he  was  called  to  the  First 
church  in  Keene  where  he  remained  till  the  autumn  of  1893,  when 
ill  health  compelled  his  resignation.  He  is  now  traveling  in  Europe. 
He  has  preached  and  lectured  in  many  places  and  on  many  themes, 
particularly  temperance,  of  which  he  is  a  strong  advocate.  He  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  Iowa  college  in  1889. 

Mr.  Harrington  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  Charles  E.  Sumner, 
who  began  his  labors  here  May  i,  1878,  and  ministered  to  the  peo- 
ple about  three  years,  until  March  3,  1881,  when  his  health  became 
impaired  and  he  was  unable  to  fulfil  the  duties  of  his  office.  He 
was  a  kind,  good  man,  and  a  faithful  pastor,  and  his  affliction  was  a 
grief  to  many  friends.  He  has  recently  supplied  the  pulpit  of  the 
Congregational  church  at  Alton  Bay,  and  at  the  present  time  is  at 
Brooklyn,  Conn. 

The  next  pastor  of  the  church  was  the  Rev.  Sydney  A.  Burnaby, 
a  graduate  from  Bangor  Theological  seminary,  who  was  ordained 
and  installed  here  Sept.  21,  1881,  Dr.  S.  C.  Bartlett  preaching  the 
sermon.  During  I\Ir.  Burnaby's  pastorate  of  ten  years,  a  debt  was 
cleared  from  the  parsonage,  and  about  $1,400  raised  in  1886-87  for 
improvements  on  the  meeting-house.  He  was  active  in  organizing 
the  local  Y.  P.  S.  C.  E.  and  held  preaching  services  on  each  alter- 
nate Sunday  at  the  Grange.  He  was  dismissed  Sept.  29,  1891,  and 
is  now  pastor  of  the  church  at  Southbridge,  Mass. 


THE    CHURCHES.  433 

The  present  pastor,  Rev.  Geo.  H.  Tilton,  was  installed  over  the 
church  Dec.  8,  1891,  and  dismissed  1896. 

DEACONS    OF   THE    CHURCH. 

Jonas  Baker,  chosen  May  20,  1796.  Resigned  Nov.  i,  1820. 
Land  surveyor. 

Samuel  Phelps,  chosen  'Slay  20,  1796.  Revolutionary  pensioner. 
Resided  in  Guildhall,  Vt. 

Joseph  Wilder,  chosen  May  4,  1800. 

Elias  Chapman,  chosen  Oct.  30,  1801.     Died  July  18,  1836. 

Reuben  VV.  Freeman,  chosen  June  4,  1813.  Died  June  27,  1866. 
Resided  in  Guildhall,  Vt. 

Porter  G.  Freeman,  chosen  Nov.  27,  1823.      Died  Aug.  18,  1866. 

William  Farrar,  chosen  Sept.  23,  1836.  Lawyer.  Leader  of  the 
choir. 

Gilman  Wilder,  chosen  May  3,  1844. 

Seth  Adams,  chosen  March  17,  1854.      Died  July,  1883. 

Azro  Burton,  chosen  Oct.  i,  1876.     Resides  in  Guildhall,  Vt. 

William  P.  Freeman,  chosen  Oct  i,  1876. 

N.  H.  Richardson,  chosen  assistant  deacon  Oct.  5,  1885. 

July  17,  1894,  the  church  celebrated  its  looth  anniversary  in  the 
same  building  in  which  it  began  its  work,  it  being  at  this  time  the 
property  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  used  for  business  purposes, 
as  a  town  hall,  and  for  Masonic  apartments.  A  large  concourse  of 
people  were  in  attendance.  There  were  present  many  of  its  former 
pastors  and  friends  from  other  towns  and  states.  The  occasion  was 
graced  by  the  presence  of  His  Excellency,  Hon.  John  B.  Smith, 
governor,  who  delivered  a  practical,  scholarly  address  on  the  his- 
tor}'  of  Congregationalism.  C.  B.  Jordan  welcomed  the  people 
back  to  their  old  home.  Rev.  C.  H.  Tilton  gave  the  substance  of 
the  foregoing  history.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Deacon  William  P.  Free- 
man, and  others  spoke  in  a  reminiscent  mood.  Pastors  of  neighbor- 
ing churches,  offshoots  from  this,  brought  good  tidings  and  good 
cheer.  A  most  sumptuous  banquet  had  been  provided  by  the  ladies, 
and  sweet  singing  from  the  sweetest  of  our  singers  inspired  every 
heart.  On  the  platform  sat  three  men  who  had  sat  under  the 
preaching  of  Parson  Willard  and  of  every  preacher  of  the  church 
since  his  time.  The  day  was  a  most  enjoyable  one.  In  the  even- 
ing the  church  was  filled  and  the  exercises  there  continued  to  be  of 
interest.  Deacon  Dwight  Carleton  gave  an  excellent  historical  ad- 
dress ;  ministers  of  the  town's  churches  extended  congratulations,  the 
choir  rendered  some  of  the  old-time  h}'mns,  and  when  at  a  late  hour 
the  services  were  closed,  all  felt  that  the  Congregational  church  had 
not  existed  in  vain,  and  that  the  toils  of  her  people  had  not  been 
altogether  fruitless. 
28 


434  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 
By  Rev.  D.  C.  Babcock. 

Conferences  were  first  named  in  1800,  and  presiding  elders  dis- 
tricts in  1 801.  The  New  England  Conference  was  set  off  from  the 
New  York  in  1799,  and  held  its  first  session  in  Lynn,  Mass.,  July  8, 
1800.  It  included  all  of  New  England  except  that  part  of  Connec- 
ticut west  of  the  Connecticut  river. 

The  Landaff  circuit,  which  extended  from  Rumney  to  Upper 
Coos,  on  both  sides  of  the  White  Hills,  made  its  first  appearance  in 
the  Minutes  of  1801,  and  included  Lancaster.  It  was  then  on  the 
New  London  district,  with  John  Broadhead,  presiding  elder,  and 
Elijah  R.  Sabin,  circuit  preacher. 

Laban  Clark  was  born  in  Haverhill,  N.  H.,  in  1778,  and  moved 
to  Vermont  at  an  early  age.  He  became  a  Methodist,  and  began  to 
preach  in  1799.  He  was  associated  with  John  Langdon,  evidently 
an  older  man,  and  one  of  the  founders  of  Methodism  in  Vermont. 
In  the  summer  of  1800  those  two  men  crossed  the  river  from  Lun- 
enburg and  held  a  service,  probably  at  the  Emmons  Stockwell 
place,  west  of  the  fair  ground.  Mr.  Langdon  preached  and  Clark 
exhorted.  Mr.  Clark  says:  "We  were  now  able  to  form  a  class  of 
from  fifteen  to  twenty."  We  thus  infer  that  there  had  been  previous 
efforts  to  organize  a  society.  Some  days  later,  Langdon,  Clark, 
and  Rosebrook  Crawford  were  assailed  by  a  mob.  "  The  rabble 
cowered  before  the  courage  of  Langdon,  who  was  a  gigantic  and 
brave  man,  but  carried  off  Rosebrook  Crawford  and  ducked  him  in 
the  river."  He  was  warned  not  to  hold  any  more  meetings  in  Lancas- 
ter, but  persisted  in  spite  of  repeated  warnings  and  harsh  treatment. 
His  brother  Joseph  also  preached  in  Lancaster.  It  was  under  one 
of  his  sermons  that  Mrs.  Benjamin  Bishop  was  awakened  and  con- 
verted. Her  husband  was  then  "  an  intemperate  blacksmith."  As 
we  have  noticed  above,  E.  R.  Sabin  was  in  charge  of  Landaff  cir- 
cuit in  1801.  Under  his  preaching  Benj.  Bishop  was  converted. 
He  became  a  preacher,  and  joined  the  New  England  Conference  in 
1804.      His  wife  became  widely  known  as  "  a  powerful  exhorter." 

Opposition  to  Methodist  preaching  in  Lancaster  was  no  doubt 
largely  due  to  the  fact  that  "  Parson  Willard,"  of  the  town  church, 
was  supported  by  a  tax,  and  other  denominations  were  regarded  as 
intruders  on  vested  rights.  It  may  also  be  noted  that  differences  in 
doctrine  then  caused  much  bitterness,  and  that  many  of  the  Metho- 
dists were  noisy  and  some  of  them  ranters. 

Benjamin  Bishop  was  a  brother  of  Mrs.  Lieutenant  Dennis  Stan- 
ley, who  then  lived  in  what  is  now  Captain  Beattie's  farmhouse. 
Lieutenant  Stanley  was  grandfather  of  Judge  James  W.  Weeks. 
Methodist  meetings  were  held   at  Lieutenant  Stanley's  house,  and 


THE    CHURCHES.  435 

that  no  doubt  helped  to  give  them  standing.  In  this  connection  we 
notice  that  the  journal  of  Jesse  Lee  says:  "  Saturday,  Sept.  6,  l8oo, 
we  set  out  early  in  the  morning,  and  rode  out  to  the  Connecticut 
river,  at  the  Northumberland  meeting-house  ;  there  I  left  my  com- 
panion and  rode  down  the  river  through  Lancaster  and  Dalton." 
That  was  Lee's  last  tour  through  New  England.  He  had  entered 
upon  his  work  in  New  England  eleven  years  before,  and  now  left  it 
with  eighty  preachers,  fifty  circuits,  and  ten  thousand  members. 
That  was  a  good  record  for  one  decade  of  labor. 

In  1802  Landaff  circuit  was  on  the  Vershire,  Vt.,  district,  with 
John  Broadhead  presiding  elder,  and  Phineas  Peck  and  Martin  Ruter, 
circuit  preachers.  In  1803  Landaff  was  on  the  Vermont  district. 
Joseph  Crawford  was  presiding  elder,  and  T.  Branch,  P.  Dustin,  and 
S.  Langdon,  circuit  preachers.  In  i8o4-'o5  Landaff  was  on  the 
New  Hampshire  district,  and  John  Broadhead  was  presiding  elder. 
Thomas  Skeel  and  William  Stevens  were  the  circuit  preachers  in 
1804,  and  Joel  Winch  and  Asa  Kent  in  1805.  In  1806  Landaff 
was  again  on  the  Vermont  district,  with  E.  R.  Sabin  presiding  elder, 
and  Asa  Kent  and  Isaac  Pease  circuit  preachers.  In  i8o7-'o8  Lan- 
daff was  again  on  the  New  Hampshire  district,  with  Elijah  Hedding 
(afterwards  a  bishop),  presiding  elder,  and  Dyer  Burge  and  E.  F. 
Newell,  preachers  in  1807,  and  Zacharia  Gibson  in  1808.  Martin 
Ruter  was  presiding  elder  in  i8o9-'io,  and  Joseph  Peck  preacher. 
David  Crowell  was  on  the  circuit  with  Mr.  Peck  in  18 10.  Solomon 
Sias  was  presiding  elder  in  i8ii-'i4.  John  W.  Hardy  and  Joseph 
Peck  were  the  preachers  in  181 1  ;  Robert  Hayes  and  James  Jaques 
in  1812;  Jacob  Sanborn  and  Benjamin  Burnham  in  18 13;  and  J. 
Emerson,  J.  Payne,  and  D.  Blanchard  in  18 14.  From  1807  to  18 14, 
Lunenburg  was  in  the  New  Hampshire  district.  David  Kilburn  was 
presiding  elder  in  18 15-': 8.  Jacob  Sanborn  and  John  Lord  were 
on  Landaff  circuit  in  181 5  ;  Walter  Sleeper  and  Hezekiah  Davis  in 
1 8 16;  Jacob  Sanborn  in  1817,  and  Lewis  Bates  and  Samuel  Norris 
in  1818.  Jacob  Sanborn  was  presiding  elder  in  i8i9-'22,  and 
Lewis  Bates  and  Richard  Emerson  were  on  Landaff  circuit  in  18 19, 
the  year  before  the  Lancaster  circuit  was  formed. 

During  the  winter  of  i8i6-'i7,  "Mother  Hutchings  "  of  White 
field,  whose  husband  was  employed  at  Lancaster,  got  the  privilege 
of  speaking  in  the  town  church,  as  Mr  Willard  was  away.  Her 
address  produced  "a  great  sensation."  The  next  day,  during  a  call 
at  the  house  of  Daniel  Perkins,  who  lived  on  the  old  road  at  the 
northwest  base  of  Mount  Prospect,  Mrs.  Perkins  was  so  impressed 
that  she  "  lost  her  strength,"  but  was  soon  restored.  A  powerful 
revival  followed  these  efforts.  Among  the  converts  was  Miss  Ada- 
line  Perkins,  who  became  the  wife  of  Allen  Smith.  They  were 
among  the  founders  of  the  Lancaster  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


436  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Mrs.  Smith  was  born  in  1800,  and  lived  till  the  13th  of  November, 
1 89 1.  She  had  been  a  devoted  Christian  and  earnest  Methodist 
for  seventy-four  years,  and  was  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew 
her.  She  was  buried  from  her  late  residence  on  Main  street,  on 
Sunday  afternoon,  November  15,  by  the  writer  of  this  sketch. 

Lancaster  circuit  made  its  appearance  in  the  Minutes  of  the  New 
England  Conference  in  1820,  with  David  Culver  as  preacher  in 
charge  that  year.  Local  history  records  a  "  Quarterly  Meeting " 
held  in  the  town  church  in  the  winter  of  i8i9-'20.  Rev.  Jacob 
Sanborn,  the  presiding  elder,  preached  to  a  crowded  house.  Being 
detained  by  a  heavy  snowstorm,  he  held  meetings  during  the  week, 
which  resulted  in  many  conversions,  Charles  Baker  was  the 
preacher  in  i82i,and  Charles  Baker  and  James  Norris  in  1822. 
Benjamin  R.  Hoyt  was  presiding  elder  in  i823-'25.  James  B. 
H.  Norris  and  N.  S.  Spaulding  were  the  preachers  in  1823  ;  Benja- 
min Brown  and  Nathan  Howe  in  1824,  and  Rowse  B.  Gardner 
in  1825. 

The  Danville,  Vt.,  district  was  formed  in  1826,  and  Lancaster 
placed  on  it.  John  Lord  was  presiding  elder  in  i826-'28,  and  E. 
Wells  in  1829;  Roswell  Putnam  and  David  Stickney  were  on  Lan- 
caster circuit  in  1826;  Orange  Scott  and  Joseph  Baker  in  1827; 
Orange  Scott,  Nathan  W.  Scott,  and  M.  G.  Cass  in  1828,  and  Has- 
kell Wheelock  and  Holman  Drew  in  1829.  Orange  Scott  spent  all 
his  time  in  Lancaster  in  1828,  and  occupied  the  town  church,  as  no 
successor  to  Mr.  Willard,  deceased,  had  then  been  selected.  Mr. 
Scott  was  an  able  and  effective  preacher,  and  did  much  to  advance 
the  cause  of  God,  and  remove  prejudice  from  Methodism. 

The  New  Hampshire  and  Vermont  Conference  was  set  off 
from  the  New  England  in  1830,  and  Lancaster  was  placed  on 
the  Plymouth  district.  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  was  included  in  the  Lan- 
caster circuit.  John  W.  Hardy  was  presiding  elder  in  i830-'3i. 
Haskell  Wheelock  and  William  McKoy  were  the  preachers  in 
1830,   and   Caleb  Lamb   and   Russell   H.   Spaulding  in    1831. 

The  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  of  Lancaster,  N.  H., 
was  organized  in  July,  1831.  The  following  names  are  attached  to 
the  constitution,  in  the  record  book,  in  the  hand-writing  of  the  sub- 
scribers : 

Wm.  W.  Chapman,  Harvey  Adams,  Abel  Leavens,  Jr.,  Joseph 
Howe,  Allen  Smith,  John  Aspenwall,  David  Stockwell,  Samuel  F. 
Spaulding,  William  Peck,  Ezra  Kenison,  Samuel  Mclntire,  S.  P. 
Williams,  G.  C.  Philbrook,  Alvah  Twombly,  Isaac  N.  Cotton,  Ben- 
jamin Adams,  John  Stockwell,  James  Mardin,  John  Smith,  Benj. 
Wentworth,  Benaiah  Colby,  Joseph  Wentworth,  Shackford  Went- 
worth,  Frederick  Fisk,  Daniel  Field,  George  Howe,  William  Pear- 
son, Shepard  Knights,  John  H.  Meserve. 


THE    CHURCHES.  437 

During  the  fall  and  winter  of  that  year,  1831,  a  parsonage  was 
built  on  Middle  street,  on  land  donated  by  Harvey  Adams.  An 
exhorter,  familiarly  known  as  "  Brother  Dike,"  originated  and  car- 
ried on  that  enterprise.  That  house  was  used  as  a  parsonage  till 
1870.  It  stands  on  the  north  side  of  the  street,  east  of  the 
M.  C.  R.  R.,  two  lots  from  Fletcher  street  as  it  now  is. 

In  1832  the  name  of  the  conference  became  "The  New  Hamp- 
shire Conference,"  but  with  no  change  of  territory.  The  Vermont 
conference  was  set  off  from  the  New  Hampshire  in  1845.  E.  Wells 
was  presiding  elder  of  Plymouth  district  in  i832-'35.  William  Peck 
and  E.  T.  Manning  were  on  Lancaster  circuit  in  1832;  William 
Peck,  J.  H.  Stevens,  and  N.  O.  Way  in  1833,  and  Sylvester  P.  Will- 
iams and  Abel  Heath  in  i834-'35.  ^'^^'-  Williams  is  remembered  as 
"a  strong  man"  by  some  of  the  aged  people  of  Lancaster.  The 
first  Methodist  Episcopal  church  edifice  was  erected  during  his  pas- 
torate. His  name  and  that  of  William  Peck  are  in  the  list  of  sub- 
scribers to  the  constitution  in  1831.  The  records  of  that  time  show 
that  on  the  4th  of  February,  1834,  Harvey  Adams,  Joseph  Howe, 
and  Allen  Smith  were  chosen  a  committee  to  "  ascertain  the  practi- 
cability of  building  a  Methodist  chapel  in  this  village."  They  were 
subsequently  appointed  a  building  committee.  A  draft  was  pre- 
pared by  the  preacher  in  charge,  and  a  house  built,  the  cost  of 
which  was  probably  somewhat  above  $1,000.  The  dimensions  of 
the  chapel  were  40  x  60  feet,  with  16-foot  posts.  We  find  no  refer- 
ence in  the  records  to  the  dedication  of  that  house,  which  was  on 
the  site  of  the  present  church  edifice. 

B.  R.  Hoyt  was  again  presiding  elder  in  i836-'39.  D.  Field  and 
C.  Olin  were  on  Lancaster  circuit  in  1836;  D.  Field  and  Erastus 
Pettingill  in  1837;  L.Hill  and  J.A.Gibson  in  1838;  and  Amos 
Kidder  in  1839.  In  1840  Charles  D.  Cahoon  was  presiding  elder, 
and  John  Smith  pastor  at  Lancaster. 

The  Haverhill  district  appears  in  1841  with  C.  D.  Cahoon  presid- 
ing elder  in  i84i-'43.  Erasmus  B.  Morgan  was  pastor  at  Lancaster 
in  i84i-'42,  and  James  G.  Smith  in  1843.  Justin  Spaulding  was 
presiding  elder  in  1 844,  and  Russell  H.  Spaulding  in  1 845-'49.  A.  T. 
Bullard  was  pastor  in  i845-'46;  H.  H.  Hartwell  in  i846-'47,  and 
Henry  Hill  in  1848  and  to  the  spring  of  1850. 

In  1849  the  New  Hampshire  Conference  met  in  Lancaster, 
Bishop  L.  L.  Hamline  presiding.  On  conference  Sunday  Bishop 
Hamline  preached,  standing  in  a  window  on  the  north  side  of  the 
church.  His  text  was  "  Ye  are  my  witnesses,  saith  the  Lord."  The 
house  was  filled  with  ladies,  and  a  great  throng  stood  and  sat  on  the 
hillside  of  what  is  now  known  as   "the  old  cemetery." 

Reuben  Dearborn  was  presiding  elder  in  i850-'53.  J.  W.  Guern- 
sey was  pastor  in  i850-'5i,  and  L.  L.  Eastman  in  i852-'53.     Wil- 


438  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER, 

Ham  D.  Cass  was  presiding  elder  in  i854-'55,  and  Josiah  Hooper,  a 
transfer  from  Maine,  was  pastor  those  years. 

Haverhill  district  disappeared  in  1856,  and  Lancaster  was  placed 
on  the  Concord  district,  with  Lewis  Howard  presiding  elder  in 
i856-'59.  James  Adams  was  stationed  at  Lancaster  in  1856,  and 
Lewis  P.  Cushman  in  i857-'58.  His  pastorate  is  notable  because 
of  a  great  revival  which  stirred  the  entire  place.  The  pastors  of  the 
Congregational  and  Methodist  churches  worked  together  with  excel- 
lent results.  During  the  latter  year  the  church  building  was 
remodeled.  The  floor  was  leveled,  new  pews  were  put  in  and  the 
number  increased,  the  gallery  was  removed,  an  orchestra  built,  and 
the  walls  papered.  A  tower  with  spire  was  erected,  and  a  new 
entrance  and  vestibule  constructed.  The  cost  of  the  repairs  and 
improvements  was  $1,500.  The  rededication  occurred  in  Sep- 
tember, 1858,  a  sermon  being  preached  on  the  occasion  by  Rev. 
J.  H.  Twombly,  D.  D.,  of  Boston. 

Elijah  R.  Wilkins  was  pastor  in  i859-'6o,  and  George  N.  Bryant 
fn  i86l-'62.  James  Pike  was  presiding  elder  in  i86i-'62.  During 
1862  he  became  colonel  of  the  Sixteenth  New  Hampshire  regi- 
ment, and  William  D.  Cass  filled  out  that  year.  Elisha  Adams 
was  presiding  elder  in  i863-'66,  and  L.  D.  Barrows  in  i86y-'68. 
Simeon  P.  Heath  was  stationed  in  Lancaster  in  i863-'65  and  D.  J, 
Smith  in  i866-'68. 

The  White  Mountain  district  was  formed  in  the  spring  of  1869, 
and  continued  till  1871,  with  D.  J.  Smith  as  presiding  elder,  when 
its  territory  w'as  again  merged  in  the  Concord  district.  Charles  H. 
Smith  was  pastor  at  Lancaster  those  years.  In  1870  a  new  parson- 
age was  erected  on  High  street  at  a  cost  of  about  ^^4,000. 

S.  G.  Kellogg  was  presiding  elder  in  1 871 -'73,  and  Otis  Cole 
pastor.  T.  L.  Flood  was  presiding  elder  in  1874;  James  Pike  in 
i875-'76;  and  J.  W.  Adams  in  i877-'8o.  James  Noyes  was  pastor  in 
1874-75,  and  N.  M.  Bailey  in  i876-'78.  On  the  9th  of  April,  1878, 
the  New  Hampshire  Conference  began  its  second  session  in  Lancas- 
ter, Bishop  S.  M.  Merrill,  D.  D.,  presiding.  It  was  greeted  with  what 
is  known  as  "  the  great  fire,"  on  the  first  day  of  the  session,  and  the 
ministers  rendered  efificient  service  in  staying  its  ravages.  M.  T. 
Cilley  was  presiding  elder  in  i88i-'84;  G.  W.  Norris  in  i885-'89. 
S.  C.  Keeler,  the  present  incumbent,  began  his  term  in  April.  1890. 
D.J.  Smith  was  pastor,  for  a  second  term,  in  i879-'8i.  He  was 
followed  by  W.  E.  Bennett  in  i882-'83,and  he  by  A.  C.  Coult  in 
i884-'86. 

Rev.  J.  A.  Bowler  began  his  three  years'  pastorate  in  the  old 
church  in  April,  1887,  and  in  the  spring  of  1888  it  was  decided  to 
build  a  new  church  on  the  site  of  the  one  which  had  done  such  good 
service  for  fifty-four  years.     Plans  were  drawn  by  George  H.  Guern- 


THE   CHURCHES,  439 

sey  of  Montpelier,  Vt.  A  building  committee,  consisting  of  Rev. 
J.  A.  Bowler,  Charles  Smith,  and  M.  E.  Hartford,  was  chosen,  and 
May  27,  1888,  the  last  service  was  held  in  the  old  church.  The 
pastor  preached  a  farewell  sermon  from  Haggai  ii,  3  and  9.  "Who 
is  left  among  you  that  saw  this  house  in  her  first  glory?"  "The 
glory  of  this  latter  house  shall  be  greater  than  of  the  former,  saith 
the  Lord  of  hosts."  The  old  church  was  sold  and  removed  in  two 
parts,  one  of  which  is  located  on  Bunker  Hill  avenue  and  the  other 
on  Cemetery  street  and  both  are  finished  into  tenements. 

The  new  church  was  dedicated  on  Wednesday,  March  20,  1889. 
The  dedicatory  sermon  was  preached  by  Rev.  Charles  Parkhurst, 
D.  D.,  editor  of  Zioii's  Herald,  Boston,  from  Hebrews  viii,  5. 
Addresses  were  made  by  Revs.  Henry  Hartwell  and  W.  E.  Bennett, 
former  pastors,  and  congratulatory  letters  from  several  other  former 
pastors  were  read.  The  building  was  presented  by  W.  E.  Bullard, 
chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees,  and  dedicated  by  Rev.  G.  W.  Norris, 
presiding  elder  of  Concord  district,  assisted  by  Rev.  J.  E.  Robins, 
presiding  elder  of  Claremont  district,  and  a  number  of  ministers  who 
were  present.  The  pastor  announced  that  the  cost  of  the  building, 
exclusive  of  a  considerable  amount  of  labor  which  had  been  given, 
was  $7,800,  and  that  $1,500  were  necessary  in  addition  to  the  sub- 
scriptions already  made.  This  amount  was  subscribed  during  the 
afternoon  and  evening. 

The  extreme  dimensions  of  the  church  are  79  and  55  feet.  It  is 
lighted  by  a  Wheeler  reflector  having  sixteen  lamps.  The  glass  of 
the  rose  windows  is  from  the  works  of  Redding,  Baird  &  Co.,  of 
Boston ;  the  children's  window  and  thd  other  windows  of  leaded 
work  are  from  the  works  of  Samuel  West,  Boston.  The  bell  weighs 
1,325  pounds  and  was  cast  by  the  Cincinnati  Bell  Foundry  Co. 
The  pews  were  manufactured  by  the  Globe  Furniture  Co.,  North- 
ville,  Mich.  Contributions  for  memorial  windows  were  made  by 
William  H.  Clark  for  Allen  Smith,  Emmons  Smith  for  Adaline 
Smith,  George  Lovejoy  for  his  father,  Daniel  Green  for  his  parents, 
S.  H.  LeGro  for  his  parents,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Russell  for  her  father,  Jos- 
eph D.  Howe  and  sister  for  their  parents.  Windows  were  also 
placed  by  the  Webb  and  Bullard  families  and  the  children  of  the 
Sunday-school. 

Mr.  Bowler  issued  a  neat  pamphlet  in  1S89,  entitled  "Methodism 
in  Lancaster,"  from  which  we  have  culled  in  preparing  this  sketch. 
It  contains  cuts  of  the  old  church  as  it  was  in  1858,  after  it  was 
rebuilt,  and  of  the  present  edifice. 

D.  C.  Babcock  began  a  three  years'  term  in  April,  1890.  Dur- 
ing that  year  the  debt  on  the  church  property  was  all  paid.  At  the 
close  of  his  term  of  service  the  High  street  parsonage  was  sold,  and 
a  new  one   has  been  erected   east  of  the  church.     Another  house 


440  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

that  stood  on  the  site  of  the  new  parsonage  has  been  moved  to  the 
southeast  part  of  the  lot  and  rebuilt  for  the  use  of  the  church  sexton. 
The  Methodist  Episcopal  society  now  has  a  fine  set  of  buildings, 
and  is  well  equipped  for  good  work.  During  his  third  year  Mr. 
Babcock  organized  a  distinct  branch  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Grange  village,  where  a  good  Sunday-school  has  been 
gathered,  and  afternoon  preaching  is  well  sustained.  The  Rev.  R. 
T.  Wolcott,  began  his  work  in  April,  1893,  and  entered  the  new 
parsonage  in  October.  Under  the  care  of  Mr.  Wolcott  the  church 
prospered.  •  The  branch  of  the  church  at  the  Grange  village  erected, 
under  the  charge  of  Rev.  R.  T.  Wolcott,  a  very  neat  chapel  during 
the  summer  of  1895. 

At  the  annual  conference  of  1896,  Mr.  Wolcott  was  assigned  to 
the  Woodsville  church,  and  Rev.  R.  C.  Danforth  located  in  Lan- 
caster. Mr.  Danforth  has  started  on  what  seems  a  promising  pas- 
torate. 

THE  FIRST  UNITARIAN  SOCIETY  OF  LANCASTER. 
By  Rev.  A.  N.  Somers, 

In  Lancaster,  as  all  over  New  England,  Unitarianism  grew  up 
within  the  pale  of  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church.  In  Lan- 
caster, as  elsewhere,  it  first  took  form  as  a  protest  against  Calvinism; 
and  its  advocates,  in  adopting  biblical  phraseology  to  express  their 
Arminianism,  came  to  accept  the  Arian  interpretation  of  some  fun- 
damental theological  doctrines,  which  in  time,  led  them  into  the 
"  Trinitarian  Controversy,"  which  prepared  the  way  for  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Unitarian  church. 

The  history  of  the  old  "  First  church  "  of  Lancaster  reveals  the 
fact  that  Arminian  views  were  held  by  a  considerable  number  of  its 
earliest  communicants.  It  is  certain  that  the  first  minister  of  the 
church,  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard,  shared  with  them  in  holding  those 
views,  though  he  never  preached  much  upon  theological  topics  and 
so  avoided  conflict  with  the  Calvinistic  members  of  his  church. 

The  creed  of  the  church  was  not  distinctly  Trinitarian.  The  doc- 
trine was  not  named  in  it.  Any  Unitarian  could  conscientiously 
subscribe  to  it  at  that  period  in  the  development  of  Unitarian 
thought.     The  creed  upon  this  question  reads : 

"We  believe  in  God  the  Father,^ — Almighty  Maker  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  and 
his  son  Jesus  Christ,  as  the  sole  Saviour  of  the  world,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost  as 
the  comforter  and  sanctifier  of  the  people  and  church  of  God." 

In  spite  of  the  vagueness  of  the  creed  and  the  silence  of  the  min- 
ister upon  the  doctrines  of  Calvinism  and  Arminianism,  there  grew 
up  withm  the  church  two  parties  that  in  time  were  destined  to  di- 
vide it.     The  one  was  Orthodox,  the  other  Liberal. 


THE    CHURCHES.  44I 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Willard  resigned  the  pastorate  of  the  church  in 
1822,  and  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev.  J.  R.  VVheelock.  A  majority 
of  the  church  (the  Liberals)  refused  to  accept  his  services  and  sup- 
port him  upon  the  discovery  that  he  was  extremely  Calvinistic  in  his 
theology.  That  protest  against  his  Calvinism  led  to  his  beino-  dis- 
missed ;  and  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard  was  again  settled  ove"  the 
cnurch  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1826 

From  the  death  of  "  Parson"  Willard,  as  he  was  lovingly  called 
by  all,  down  to  the  time  when  the  Orthodox  (Calvinistic  Trinita- 
rian) portion  of  the  "First  Congregational  Church "  seceded  in 
ian)  "^^^""''^y  of  the   congregation  were  Arminians   (Unitar- 

During  the  pastorate  of  the  Rev.  Andrew  Govan,  who  preached 
much  upon  theological  questions  from  1832  to  1835  the  Liberal 
portion  of  the  congregation  came  to  openly  avow  their  Unitarian 
doctrines  The  position  taken  by  the  Liberals  of  Lancaster  was  es- 
sentially that  of  Unitarians  in  other  parts  of  New  England— anti- 
Tnnitanan  and  anti-Calvinistic.  The  Rev.  Mr.  GovaS  sought  to 
remedy  matters  by  inserting  in  the  creed  these  words  from  Titus 
111:5:  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  we  have  done  but 
according  to  his  mercy  he  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  regeneration, 
and  renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 

The  Unitarians  being  the  majority  (and  in  fact  the  church  was  to 
all  intents  and  purposes  a  Unitarian  church),  prevented  the  revision 
of  the  creed  which,  as  adopted  at  the  formation  of  the  church,  was 
neither  Calvinistic  nor  Trinitarian.  It  had  been  framed  for  the  ac- 
commodation of  Arminian  views,  and  now  that  those  holding  those 
views  had  come,  by  a  natural  process  of  theological  growth"  to  be 
Unitarians  they  were  not  disposed  to  see  the  church  handed  over  to 
Irinitarian  Calvinism  by  any  revision  of  its  fundamental  basis  of 
organization. 

The  Unitarians  had  been  from  the  f^rst  strong  enough  in  numbers 
chnrrh  "^"''  to  control  the  preaching  in  the  "Congregational 
church  down  to  the  spring  of  1854.  In  1836  the  Orthodo.x  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  seeing  themselves  in  a  hopeless  minority,  seceded 

LancalrN  "T"'"n  '^'  "  ^''^^°^""  Congregational  Church  in 
Lancaster,  N.  H.  By  that  move  they  left  the  Unitarians  in  the 
peaceable  possession  of  the  church  property  and  records  as"  The  Con- 
gregationa  Church  "  of  Lancaster.  The  Orthodox  scolders  recog- 
nized the  church  as  a  Unitarian  church  in  a  "  statement  of  reasons 
hv  n  '  formation  of  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church"  prepared 
by  Deacon  Farrar  in  which  he  says :  "  Some  in  the  church  are  assist- 
ing to  raise  a  standard  which  we  believed  to  be  another  gospel-" 
and  systematic  and  persevering  efforts  to  introduce  into  thS  church 
a  system  of   faith  which  rejects  these  doctrines  (new   creed   of  the 


442  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Orthodox  church)";  and  again  "The  church  could  not  be  extri- 
cated from  such  a  state  of  things." 

During  the  next  seven  years  there  was  very  Httle  activity  dis- 
played on  the  part  of  either  of  the  rival  churches.  In  the  early  part 
of  1843,  the  Orthodox  church  called  the  Rev.  David  Perry,  who  set- 
tled as  pastor  over  it.  He  was  not  disposed  to  let  things  rest  as  he 
found  them,  and  set  about  to  reunite  the  two  Congregational 
churches.  A  meeting  of  the  two  churches  was  held  on  Nov.  20, 
1843,  at  which  a  plan  of  union  was  adopted,  and  ratified  by  both. 
A  new  creed  was  drawn  up  and  subscribed  to  by  all  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  (Unitarian),  and  by  all  but  seven  of  the  Or- 
thodox Congregational  church. 

The  Unitarians  sacrificed  the  first  creed  in  which  the  ground  of 
contention  —  Trinitarianism  and  Unitarianism  —  was  covered  by 
vagueness,  and  the  Orthodox  threw  to  the  winds  their  undisguised 
Trinitarian  creed  ;  and  the  two  united  upon  one  that  is  avowedly 
"agnostic"  on  that  point,  as  is  seen  in  Article  3,  of  the  new  com- 
promise creed,  which  is  still  the  creed  of  the  Orthodox  Congrega- 
tional church.      It  reads  as  follows  : 

"We  believe  that  in  these  Scriptures  there  is  revealed  a  distinction  in  the  God- 
head of  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost,  and  that  this  distinction,  though  incompre- 
hensible to  us,  is  yet  perfectly  consistent  with  the  Unity  of  the  Divine  Being." 

The  reunited  church  continued  its  work  until  1854.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Perry  was  dismissed  Jan.  20,  1847,  ^^id  Rev.  Stephen  A.  Barnard, 
who  had  been  ordained  as  a  Unitarian  minister,  was  settled  on  May 
9,  1847,  after  having  preached  some  two  months  on  trial.  Although 
once  a  Unitarian  he  had  declared  himself  Orthodox  in  faith.  His 
preaching  was  entirely  satisfactory  to  the  Unitarians,  and  while  the 
church  grew  considerably  under  his  ministrations,  the  new  growth 
only  tended  to  strengthen  the  Unitarian  numbers  and  confirm  their 
faith.  The  Unitarian  portion  of  the  congregation  were  entirely  satis- 
fied with  the  Rev.  Mr.  Barnard  and  his  ministry,  and  on  account  of 
an  attempt  to  incorporate  the  society  so  as  to  better  perform  its 
obligations  to  him,  and  enable  it  to  lawfully  hold  its  property,  the 
Orthodox  portion  of  the  congregation  became  alarmed  lest  the 
Unitarians  might  get  legal  hold  and  control  of  the  church  property, 
and  accordingly  they  made  a  hasty  move  and  organized  "The  Ortho- 
dox Congregational  Church  Society,"  and  assumed  the  proprietor- 
ship of  the  church  property,  which  that  body  still  holds.  The  Rev. 
Stephen  Barnard's  pastorate  closed  May  29,  1853.  During  the 
next  few  months  several  distinguished  Unitarian  ministers,  visiting 
in  the  mountains,  occupied  the  pulpit  of  the  church  at  the  solicita- 
tion of  the  Unitarians.  During  the  winter  months  following  there 
were   no   regular  services  sustained ;    and   as  the   Orthodox  society 


THE    CHURCHES.  443 

showed  no  disposition  to  renew  services  the  Unitarians  secured  the 
services  of  the  Rev.  George  M.  Rice  to  begin  on  Jan.  i,  1854,  and 
to  continue  for  an  indefinite  length  of  time. 

After  he  had  preached  for  six  weeks  the  Orthodox  portion  of  the 
church  began  to  grow  anxious  over  the  probable  results  of  so  much 
Unitarian  preaching,  and  a  settled  minister  of  that  faith.  They 
secured  the  services  of  the  Rev.  Isaac  Weston  of  Maine,  and  on 
Feb.  12,  announced  that  he  would  preach  Feb.  19,  from  the  pul- 
pit then  occupied  by  Rev.  G.  M.  Rice.  When  the  day  came  the 
two  ministers  met  at  the  pulpit  with  their  respective  followers  in  the 
pews  anxiously  awaiting  the  results  of  what  proved  to  be  the  crisis 
in  their  conflicts  over  the  use  of  the  church  property.  Influences 
that  had  been  antagonizing  each  other  for  more  than  half  a  century 
were  pitted  against  each  other  for  a  final  settlement.  There  was 
but  one  course  open  to  the  two  ministers,  which  was  to  allow  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Rice  to  preach  at  the  morning  service  and  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Weston  in  the  afternoon.  That  was  the  plan  agreed  upon  by  the 
ministers.  The  Rev.  G.  M.  Rice  was  the  duly  authorized  minister 
of  the  church,  as  he  had  been  legally  called  by  the  majority  of  its 
constituency.  The  minority  of  the  church  though  acting  as  the 
legally  incorporated  society  had  served  no  notice  on  the  Unitar- 
ian majority  to  vacate  the  pulpit  for  their  use  on  that  occasion.  Be- 
ing in  the  lawful  possession  of  the  church  as  the  majority  of  the 
members  of  the  one  church  worshiping  there  under  the  same  name 
— Orthodox  Congregational  church — Mr.  Rice  would  have  been  un- 
true to  the  terms  of  his  contract  to  preach  for  them  an  "indefinite 
length  of  time  "  had  he  relinquished  the  pulpit  to  another  without 
the  consent  of  his  employers.  The  Rev.  Mr.  Weston  was  an  old 
man,  and  possibly  not  fully  aware  of  the  true  situation  of  the  affairs 
confronting  him  on  that  Sunday  morning.  An  undue  amount  of 
credit  has  been  given  him  by  his  Orthodox  friends  for  his  display  of 
"  courtesy "  toward  Mr.  Rice  in  yielding  the  pulpit  over  which  he 
had  no  lawful  claim  though  in  the  service  of  the  legal  owners  of  the 
building.  The  credit  was  equally  due  both  ministers  that  they  set- 
tled so  difficult  a  question  in  a  way  that  could  reflect  no  disgrace 
upon  the  cause  they  were  serving. 

The  Unitarians,  seeing  that  by  shrewd  practices  and  defiant 
methods  they  were  liable  to  be  crowded  out  of  the  church  with  no 
regard  for  their  rights,  now  called  a  meeting  of  the  "  First  Congre- 
gational Society  of  Lancaster,"  at  the  Coos  Hotel,  on  Feb.  13,  1854. 
At  that  meeting  a  committee  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the 
Orthodox  Congregational  society,  in  regard  to  their  rights  in 
the  meeting-house.  At  a  subsequent  meeting  that  committee  re- 
ported that  the  Orthodox  society  "  refused  to  hold  any  communi- 
cation on  the  subject  of  the  meeting-house." 


444  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

At  the  meeting  on  Feb.  13,  1854,  the  society  was  duly  reorgan- 
ized, and  officers  elected.  It  retained  the  old  name  of  the  First 
church,  viz.,   "The  First  Congregational  Society  of  Lancaster." 

To  its  constitution  we  find  subscribed  the  following  names:  Wil- 
liam D.  Spaulding,  James  W.  Weeks,  B.  F.  Whidden,  John  H. 
White,   James  B.    Weeks,  John   W.  Barney,  John  Lindsey,  William 

A.  White,  C.  B.  Allen,  E.  C.  Garland,  J.  W.  Merriam,  A.  L.  Robin- 
son, Edward  Spaulding,  Wm.  Burns,  R.  Sawyer,  James  B.  Spauld- 
ing, Charles  D.  Stebbins,  James  S.  Brackett,  Hiram  A.  Fletcher, 
Hosea  Gray,  Edward  C.  Spaulding,  Nelson  Kent,  Edwin  F.  East- 
man, Benj.  Hunking,  S.  F.  Spaulding,  J.  H.  Spaulding. 

The  following  names  were  added  to  the  list  within  the  next  few 
years:   William  D.  Weeks,  John  M.  Whipple,  E.  L.  Colby,  Kimball 

B.  Fletcher,  Samuel  S.  Mudgett,  Jared  W.  Williams,  Jos.  M. 
Thompson,  Wm.  H.  Clark,  S.  J.  Greene,  Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  D.  C. 
Pinkham,  Frank  Smith,  Lafayette  Moore,  Ossian  Ray,  and  A.  T. 
Johnson. 

The  first  officers  of  the  society  were  the  following:  Hon.  John  H. 
White,  president;  B.  F.  Whidden,  secretary;  James  W.  Weeks, 
Wm.  Burns,  and  William  D.  Spaulding,  executive  committee;  C.  B. 
Allen,  treasurer  and  collector. 

Having  ascertained  through  the  investigations  of  a  committee 
consisting  of  B.  F.  Whidden  and  William  Burns  that  their  legal 
rights  in  the  meeting-house  were  complicated,  and  could  only  be 
secured  through  disagreeable  litigation,  the  First  Congregational 
society  began  holding  its  services  in  the  court-house  on  Feb.  26, 
1854,  and  continued  to  meet  there  until  their  present  meeting- 
house was  erected  and  dedicated,  Oct.  24,  1856. 

On  Feb.  20,  1854,  the  society  was  incorporated  as  "a  body 
politic "  according  to  the  requirements  of  the  laws  of  the  state, 
notice  of  which  was  published  for  three  succeeding  weeks  in  the 
Cods  County  Z)e?noc7'at,  beginning  Feb.  22,  1854. 

As  soon  as  the  society  was  duly  organized  and  holding  regular 
services  as  a  Unitarian  society,  steps  were  taken  to  form  a  church  in 
connection  with  the  parish  society,  and  on  the  afternoon  of  Sunday, 
March  12,  1854,  a  church  w^as  organized  by  the  adoption  and 
acceptance  of  the  following  "  Church  Covenant,"  which  is  with  but 
slight  changes  the  form  of  covenant  used  by  the  Second  church 
of  Boston,  Mass.,  under  the  distinguished  Puritan  ministers,  John 
Cotton  and  John  Wilson. 

Church    Covenant. 

"  We  whose  names  are  hereunder  written,  declare  our  faith  in  the  One  Living 
and  True  God ;  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  that  he  was  sanctified  of  the  Father, 
and  sent  into  the  world,  that  the  world  through   Him  might  be  saved ;   and  that 


THE    CHURCHES.  445 

Gospel  which  was  confirmed  by  the  death  and  resurrection  of  its   Author,  and 
which  is  binding  upon  us  as  the  rule  of  our  faith  and  practice. 

"  Being  united  into  one  congregation  or  church  under  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
we  do  hereby  solemnly  and  religiously  promise  to  walk  in  all  our  ways  according 
to  the  rule  of  the  Gospel,  and  in  all  sincere  conformity  to  his  holy  ordinances, 
and  in  mutual  love  and  respect  to  each  other,  so  near  as  God  shall  give  us  grace." 

This  covenant  was  accepted  by  the  following  persons  on  the  date 
named,  and  from  time  to  time  by  others  until  its  roll  of  members 
included  many  of  the  best  people  in  the  town:  George  M.  Rice, 
William  A.  White,  Ellen  C.  White,  WilHam  D.  Spaulding,  Sarah  A. 
Spaulding,  James  W.  Weeks,  M.  Eliza  Weeks,  Persis  F.  Weeks, 
Nancy  D.  M.  Sawyer,  Ellen  A.  White,  Susan  D.  F.  Cargill,  Eliza 
D.  Whidden,  Debby  A.  Kent,  Harriet  E.  Stalbird. 

Some  of  these  had  left  the  Orthodox  Congregational  church  on 
letters  of  dismissal  in  order  to  unite  with  the  Unitarian  church, 
while  some  who  had  formerly  acted  with  the  Unitarians  joined  the 
Orthodox  church. 

At  a  public  meeting  of  the  parish  Sept.  27,  1855,  steps  were 
taken  to  build  a  house  of  worship.  James  W.  Weeks,  Dr.  John  W. 
Barney,  William  D.  Spaulding,  and  William  A.  White  were 
appointed  a  committee  to  procure  plans,  and  an  estimate  of  costs, 
for  a  suitable  building.  Plans  for  the  building  now  used  by  the 
society  were  drawn  and  presented  to  it  by  Mr.  W.  B.  O.  Peabody, 
an  architect  of  Boston,  Mass.  The  building  was  completed  and 
ready  for  occupation  within  the  year  following,  chiefly  through  the 
earnest  efforts  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Rice  and  William  D.  Spaulding, 
chairman  of  the  building  committee.  The  little  society  found  sym- 
pathetic friends  among  other  Unitarian  churches  that  knew  them  to 
be  worthy  and  needy  of  assistance  in  getting  established.  Among 
its  friends  who  helped  it  financially  and  otherwise  were  the  Rev. 
Thomas  Starr  King,  the  famed  pulpit  orator  of  the  Hollis  Street 
church,  Boston,  Mass.,  Rev.  A.  P.  Peabody  of  Portsmouth,  N.  H., 
who  was  then  editor  of  the  North  American  Review,  Rev.  Samuel 
Longfellow,  brother  of  the  poet  H.  W.  Longfellow,  and  Rev. 
Charles  T.  Brooks  of  Newport,  R.  L 

The  Rev.  G.  M.  Rice  was  the  first  avowed  Unitarian  minister  to 
preach  as  a  settled  minister  in  Lancaster.  At  the  time  became 
here  he  was  of  mature  years,  a  man  of  marked  ability,  fearless, 
frank,  and  faithful  in  the  discharge  of  his  professional  duties.  He 
was  thoroughly  conscientious  in  all  he  said  or  did.  In  addition  to 
the  full  discharge  of  his  obligations  to  his  church  he  made  ex- 
tensive journeys  to  collect  funds  to  build  the  meeting-house,  pro- 
curing some  seven  or  eight  hundred  dollars  for  that  purpose  out- 
side of  Lancaster. 

By  the  time   the   church  had    become    thoroughly   organized  and 


446  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

its  house  of  worship  completed,  the  minister  gave  much  of  his  time 
and  attention  to  the  slavery  question,  which  was  then  the  most 
prominent  political  and  moral  question  of  the  country.  The  Rev. 
G.  M.  Rice  was  a  thorough-going  abolitionist,  as  were  nearly  all 
Unitarian  ministers  of  that  time,  and  no  doubt  often  discussed  the 
slavery  question  in  his  sermons. 

On  account  of  his  abolitionist  utterances,  rather  than  his  theologi- 
cal attitude,  a  considerable  number  of  his  congregation  deserted 
him  and  went  over  to  the  other  churches. 

His  theology  recognized  all  men,  regardless  of  race,  creed,  or 
other  accidents,  as  constituting  a  single  brotherhood,  and  all  men  as 
truly  the  sons  of  God  ;  so  he  accepted  it  not  only  as  a  political,  but 
religious,  duty  to  proclaim  against  slavery  as  an  abomination  and 
crime.  It  cannot  be  learned  that  he  was  ever  partisan  in  his  advo- 
cacy of  the  anti-slavery  doctrine,  or  that  he  labored  for  any  political 
party.  Had  he  been  less  conscientious  than  he  was,  he  might  have, 
through  silence  on  a  vexed  question,  held  all  his  followers,  and  have 
drawn  others  to  them.  Some  of  the  best  friends  of  the  new  society 
were  among  the  pro-slavery  opponents  of  Mr.  Rice,  but  they  re- 
mained with  the  church  because  truly  and  intelligently  Unitarians. 

The  period  in  the  history  of  the  church  covered  by  the  Rev.  Mr. 
Rice's  ministry,  1854-185 7,  was  the  most  critical  one  through  which 
it  has  passed  ;  and  if  the  church  had  not  had  for  its  friends  and  sup- 
porters many  of  the  most  intelligent  and  influential  families  in  the 
town  it  would  have  perished  in  its  birth.  The  breaking  of  its  alli- 
ance with  the  Orthodox  church  after  more  than  half  a  century  of 
cooperation  severely  handicapped  it.  Then  came  this  anti-slavery 
agitation,  in  which  the  minister  took  what  his  congregation,  very 
generally,  thought  a  too  active  part.  While  there  was  much  fault 
found  with  the  preaching  of  the  minister,  his  motives  and  charac- 
ter were  never  condemned.  No  clergyman  ever  left  a  church  with 
a  cleaner  record  than  did  he.  His  church  thought  politics  and  re- 
ligion should  not  be  mixed  ;  but  he  thought  that  in  a  question  that 
involved  three  millions  of  his  fellow  creatures,  children  of  the  living 
God,  they  should  be  mixed  ;  and  with  a  conscience  he  mixed  them. 
Those  were  trying  times  for  a  minister  who  felt  that  slavery  was 
the  greatest  evil  of  our  country,  and  the  situation  was  doubly  try- 
ing for  Mr.  Rice.  He  felt  constrained  to  resign  his  charge  and  let 
the  church  he  had  helped  to  found,  and  which  he  loved,  try  its 
fortune  with  some  other  pastor.  He  accordingly  handed  in  his  res- 
ignation on  the  27th  of  September,  1857.  At  a  meeting  of  the 
society  on  the  day  following,  it  was  voted  not  to  accept  his  res- 
ignation. But  as  Mr.  Rice  demanded  entire  freedom  of  speech  in 
the  pulpit  as  the  only  condition  of  remaining  longer,  the  society  at 
a  subsequent  meeting  reconsidered  its  action  and  accepted  his  res- 


THE    CHURCHES.  447 

ignation,  but  not  without  expressing,  by  vote,  their  full  confidence 
in  his  Christian  character  and  ability. 

The  next  settled  minister  of  the  society  was  the  Rev.  George  G. 
Channing,  a  brother  of  the  distinguished  William  Ellery  Channing, 
the  foremost  leader  in  the  Unitarian  movement  in  this  country.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Channing  was  settled  May  23,  1858,  and  remained  until 
May  8,  i860,  leaving  on  account  of  serious  illness.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful minister,  of  kindly  and  sympathetic  disposition,  and  the  society 
prospered  during  his  ministry.  He  came  at  a  time  when  they  were 
burdened  with  debts ;  but  he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  bur- 
den removed,  chiefly  through  the  generosity  of  William  D.  Spauld- 
ing,  who  assumed  all  the  society's  debts,  about  $800,  taking  in 
consideration  therefor  some  pews  that  remained  unsold  at  the  time. 
He  left  with  the  church  a  farewell  letter  that  is  full  of  the  prophetic 
spirit.  He  is  remembered  with  much  love  by  many  of  the  older 
members. 

For  a  number  of  years  next  following,  the  terms  of  ministerial  ser- 
vice were  short.  A  Rev.  Mr.  Edes  preached  about  a  year,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  George  Osgood,  who  remained  a  year.  Then 
for  several  years  the  church  was  only  open  during  the  summer 
months,  with  Revs.  Thomas  Howard,  W.  W.  Newell,  and  George  L. 
Chaney  as  ministers.  Rev.  J.  L.  M.  Babcock  served  the  society  as 
pastor  for  three  years. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  society  on  April  i,  1862,  its  name  was 
changed  from  "  The  First  Congregational  Society"  to  "The  First 
Unitarian  Society,"  as  at  present.  This  step  was  taken  under  the 
conviction  that  its  distinctive  theology  and  religious  aims  would  be 
less  liable  to  be  misunderstood  and  misconstrued,  as  they  were  while 
trying  to  work  in  competition  with  the  Orthodox  church  under 
the  single  name  Congregational.  Despite  its  change  of  name  it 
is,  and  always  has  been,  the  only  church  in  Lancaster  strictly  con- 
gregational in  its  government.  Rev.  Lyman  Clark,  a  young  man 
just  graduated  from  the  theological  school  at  Meadville,  Pa.,  was 
invited  to  supply  the  pulpit  in  the  winter  of  1870.  After  preaching 
several  months  and  giving  satisfaction,  he  was  called  as  its  minister; 
and  on  July  20,  1871,  was  duly  installed  the  first  minister  ever 
so  set  over  the  church  and  parish.  Under  his  ministry  the  society 
prospered,  clearing  itself  of  debt,  and  even  contributing  to  v^arious 
charitable  enterprises  away  from  home.  He  reorganized  the  society 
April  4,  1 87 1,  and  increased  its  membership  to  about  one  hundred 
persons  during  the  time  he  served  it.  He  resigned  July  5,  1874, 
and   now  resides  at  Andover,  N.  H. 

For  nearly  a  year  the  church  was  either  closed  or  hearing  candi- 
dates for  its  pulpit.  On  May  i,  1875,  Rev.  R.  P.  E.  Thatcher  began 
a  year's  engagement,  during  which   time  there  was  a   loss   in    both 


448  HISTORY    OF    LAN'CASTER. 

numbers  and  finances  from  which  all  became  so  much  discouraged 
that  for  four  years  there  was  no  settled  minister.  There  was  preach- 
ing during  the  summer  months  by  several  ministers,  who  spent  their 
vacations  in  the  vicinit}*  of  Lancaster.  Among  them  was  Rev.  \V.  H. 
Fish  of  South  Scituate.  Mass.  Through  his  efforts,  aided  by  S.  J. 
Beane,  the  New  England  missionar}'  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Association,  the  societ}-  was  induced  to  settle  a  minister  again.  In 
June.  1880,  Rev.  J.  B.  Morrison  was  settled  as  pastor.  During  his 
period  of  service  the  society  prospered,  regaining  much,  in  numbers 
and  financial  abilit}-,  that  it  had  lost  during  the  five  preceding  years. 
The  meeting-house  was  twice  extensively  repaired  during  the  nearly 
ten  years  he  was  the  minister.  He  resigned  in  ^lay,  1 890,  and  was 
succeeded  by  Rev.  C.  A.  Young,  who  was  ordained  and  installed 
September  25,  1890.  He  remained  until  September,  1893.  After 
that  date  the  church  heard  several  candidates,  but  closed  during 
several  months  of  the  winter  following.  On  April  i,  1894,  Rev. 
A.  X.  Somers  preached,  and  was  invited  to  supply  the  pulpit  for  a 
3'ear,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  invited  to  remain  for  another 
year. 

There  have  been  connected  with  the  society,  from  its  earliest 
years  to  the  present,  various  important  auxiliaries  and  clubs.  A 
"Ladies'  Benevolent  Societ}-"  was  organized  ]\Iarch  8,  1854,  which 
has  continued  actively  engaged  in  works  of  charity,  and  in  aiding 
the  church  financially,  as  well  as  in  promoting  the  social  interests 
ofthe  church  and  communit}'.  This  society  changed  its  name  to  that 
of  "The  Women's  Alliance,"  Jan.  i,  1895,  that  it  might  be  one  in 
name  and  method  of  work  with  the  "National  Alliance  of  Unitarian 
and  other  Liberal  Christian  Women." 

There  has  always  been  a  Sunday-school  in  the  society,  and  while 
it  has  never  been  large  and  has  suffered  many  reverses,  yet  it  has 
sowed  the  seeds  of  a  rational,  ethical,  and  inspiring  spiritual  life 
among  the  young  people  of  the  parish. 

Various  literary  clubs  have  existed  at  times  as  the  needs  of  the 
people  called  for  them.  The  society  has  exercised  a  wholesome 
influence  upon  social  amusements  in  the  communit}-.  Instead  of 
condemning  them  all,  it  has  discriminated  between  the  pure  and  the 
immoral,  and  sought  to  purify  and  make  useful  such  as  have  an 
aesthetical  and  moral  value  to  the  young. 

At  a  meeting  called  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a  young  peo- 
ple's society,  Jan.  19,  1896,  over  thirty  united  in  an  organization 
under  the  name  of  "The  Lancaster  Young  People's  Union."  for 
their  mutual  improvement  intellectually,  morally,  socially,  and  reli- 
giously. With  this  broad  aim  the  societ\'  has  started  out  to  dis- 
cover to  the  young  people  of  the  church  and  community'  their  place, 
their  work,  and  their  responsibilities  in  the  life  of   their  town    and 


THE    CHURCHES.  449 

nation.      It  is  a  branch  of  the  National  Unitarian  Union   of  Young 
People's  Societies. 

In  all  things  this  little  church  has  been  an  influence  for  good  in 
the  communit)'  that  no  words  can  measure.  Intellectually,  morally, 
socially,  as  well  as  religiously,  it  has  led  and  never  followed  the 
mind  and  heart  of  the  people.  On  all  questions  of  reform,  it 
has  taken  a  rational  and  progressive  stand.  To-day  it  stands  in 
the  front  rank  of  progressive  thought  and  conduct.  And  though 
never  large  in  numbers,  with  interrupted  ser\-ices,  and  never  a  pros- 
elyting societ}',  it  has  yet  been  an  inspiring  institution  that  has  led 
to  what  is  best  in  the  true  mission  of  a  church — character-building. 
The  intellectual,  moral,  social,  and  theological  progress  of  the  com- 
munity has  always  been  toward,  and  never  away  from,  the  ideals  it 
has  steadily  held  before  it  as  the  guide  to  all  that  is  best  and  highest 
in  life,  now  and  evermore. 

THE    CATHOLIC    CHURCH. 

The  Catholic  faith  gained  acceptance  with  the  St.  Francis  tribe  of 
Indians,  inhabiting  this  and  still  further  Northern  sections  of  the 
country,  prior  to  the  settlement  of  the  first  white  inhabitants  in  1764. 
As  the  Indians  retired  before  the  march  of  civilization  represented 
by  early  white  settlers  of  the  town,  the  Catholic  faith  was  soon  with- 
out adherents.  The  great  tide  of  Irish  immigration  that  set  in  this 
direction  about  1830,  reached  Lancaster  in  1833.  That  year  the 
Connary  family  settled  in  Lancaster,  where  ever  since  they  have 
been  prominent  Catholics,  and  highly  respected  citizens.  The  first 
mass  celebrated  in  Lancaster  was  at  the  dwelling-house  of  Patrick 
Connary,  ^lay  4,  1850.  He  lived  at  that  time  in  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Cyrus  G.  Burley. 

There  were  present  at  that  service,  Patrick  Connan,'  and  wife.  John 
Connary  and  wife,  Thomas  Connan,"  and  wife,  Patrick  Clarey  and  wife, 
then  all  the  Catholics  in  Lancaster,  or  near  it.  The  second  mass  was 
celebrated  at  the  house  of  Patrick  Clarey.  where  ]\Iartin  A.  Mona- 
han  now  lives.  The  same  parties  were  present  that  attended  the 
first  mass.  At  this  service  the  sacrament  of  baptism  was  adminis- 
tered for  the  first  time  in  Lancaster,  and  to  the  first  Catholic  child 
born  in  the  town,  Mary,  daughter  of  Patrick  Connar}*.  The  first 
public  mass  was  celebrated  in  the  old  town  hall  in  1855.  by  the 
Rev.  Fr.  Daley.  At  that  time  the  number  of  Catholics  had  increased 
considerably,  and  from  that  time  forward  Lancaster  was  a  recog- 
nized mission  in  connection  with  Concord.  John,  Francis,  and 
Daniel  Kellum  had  settled  here  by  that  time.  Ser\Mces  were  con- 
ducted occasional!}-  by  Revs.  O'Reiley,  Brady,  and  others. 

In  1S56,  Bishop  Bacon  gave  all  the  missions  in  the  Connecticut 
-9 


45 O  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

river  valley  from  Colebrook,  north,  to  Ashuelot  river,  south,  together 
with  the  White  Mountain  region,  to  Rev.  Isadore  H.  Noisseaux  as 
his  mission  field.  He  was  a  zealous  and  faithful  priest  going  about 
among  the  scattered  ones  of  his  faith,  ministering  to  them  the  con- 
solations and  comforts  of  his  church.  Father  Noisseaux  at  once 
organized  a  parish  in  Lancaster,  and  purchasing  the  old  "  Deacon 
Farrar  "  place  where  the  church  and  parsonage  now  stand,  fitted  it 
up  as  his  place  of  residence,  and  added  a  chapel  to  it  in  which  ser- 
vices were  held  .until  1877. 

In  1869,  Bishop  Bacon,  of  Portland,  Me.,  visited  the  parish  for 
the  first  time  and  administered  the  sacrament  of  confirmation.  Dur- 
ing that  same  }'ear  Father  Noisseaux  purchased  land  on  Spring 
street  for  a  cemetery,  and  blessed  it.  Father  Noisseaux  remained 
with  the  parish  that  he  had  organized  until  1876,  when  he  was 
transferred  to  Brunswick,  Me.,  and  was  succeeded  in  Lancaster  by 
the  Rev.  M.  P.  Danner.  During  his  second  year  in  Lancaster  Father 
Danner  built  the  present  church  edifice.  J.  L  Williams  was  the 
architect,  _and  S.  B.  Congdon  the  builder.  The  new  building  was 
blessed  by  Bishop  Healey,  who  preached  and  administered  the  sac- 
rament of  confirmation  at  the  time  of  the  dedication.  Father  Dan- 
ner was  succeeded  in  1880,  by  Rev.  Fr.  McKinnon,  who,  failing  in 
health,  was  obliged  to  retire  after  one  year  of  service  in  the  parish. 
He  died  at  Portland,  Me.,  in  1881.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  Rev. 
Fr.  H.  Lessard,  who  remained  four  years.  At  the  beginning  of  the 
year  1886,  the  parish,  which  had  grown  too  large  for  the  care  of 
one  minister,  was  divided.  Whitefield,  Percy,  Jackson,  and  Con- 
way were  takeii  from  it,  and  North  Stratford  added  to  it. 

The  Rev.  M.  J.  B.  Creamer  succeeded  Father  Lessard  in  1885. 
He  was  transferred  to  Manchester  in  the  winter  of  1898.  In  1887  he 
built  a  church  at  North  Stratford,  and  relinquished  that  mission  which 
had  then  become  a  separate  parish.  In  1889  he  built  a  church  at 
Twin  Mountain,  and  in  1890  he  renovated  the  church  and  house  at 
Lancaster,  and  placed  a  bell  in  the  tower.  In  1891  he  purchased  a 
church  property  in  Groveton,  N.  H.,  where  is  still  a  mission.  He 
has  done  much  during  the  last  two  years  in  decorating  the  church 
in  Lancaster.  He  is  a  hard  worker,  and  it  his  privilege  to  min- 
ister to  the  largest  congregation  of  worshipers  in  the  town  of  Lan- 
caster. In  1895  he  purchased  lands  on  North  Main  street,  and  laid 
out  a  new  cemetery  for  his  church.  Rev.  Fr.  D.  Alex.  Sullivan 
succeeded  Father  Creamer  in  1898. 

THE    BAPTLST    CHURCH. 

There  was  once  a  small  society  of  Baptists  in  Lancaster,  and 
although  they  have  ceased  to  exist,  a  brief  notice  seems  proper 
in  the  history  of  the  town. 


THE    CHURCHES.  45  I 

The  first  preacher  of  this  denomination  was  the  Rev.  Henry  I. 
Campbell,  who  came  here  during  the  winter  of  i859-'6o.  He 
divided  his  ministrations  between  Lancaster  and  West  Milan  for 
several  months,  and  then  removed  to  Jefferson.  While  a  resident  of 
that  place  he  still  retained  his  connection  with  the  society  here  until 
1 86 1,  when  a  church  organization  was  effected,  and  he  became  its 
first  settled  pastor. 

The  old  academy  building  (now  the  public  library  building)  was 
purchased  by  the  society  July  6,  i860,  and  removed  to  its  present 
location  and  repaired  for  their  use.  Prior  to  the  occupancy  of  this 
church  building  the  societ}^  held  its  services  in  the  court-house. 

In  1862  an  ecclesiastical  society  was  formed  under  the  name  of 
the  "First  Baptist  Society  of  Lancaster."  The  Rev.  Mr.  Campbell 
remained  its  pastor  until  about  1863,  when  he  was  succeeded  by 
the  Rev.  George  A.  Glines,  a  licensed  preacher.  Mr.  Glines  was 
shortly  after  his  location  in  Lancaster  regularly  ordained,  and  re- 
mained pastor  for  nearly  four  }'ears.  For  a  year  following  the  de- 
parture of  Mr.  Glines,  the  societ}-  had  no  regular  preacher.  During 
this  time  the  Rev.  David  Gage  of  Manchester,  N.  H.,  the  agent  of 
the  New  Hampshire  State  Convention,  occasionally  occupied  the 
pulpit  with  great  acceptance.  In  December,  1867,  the  society 
again  settled  a  minister,  the  Rev.  Andrew  W.  Ashley.  He  re- 
mained only  a  few  months.  It  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1871 
tliat  they  again  had  a  settled  pastor,  when  the  Rev.  Kilburn  Holt 
began  his  ministry  over  the  society.  He  remained  until  1875,  when 
he  resigned  and  left  Lancaster.  Since  that  time  the  society  has  had 
no  preaching,  and  has  passed  out  of  existence.  Its  members  have 
mosth'  found  their  place  in  the  other  churches. 

THE    EPISCOPAL   CHURCH. 

The  Protestant  Episcopal  denomination  began  holding  occasional 
services  in  Lancaster  about  forty  years  ago.  The  first  service  held, 
of  which  we  have  any  certain  knowledge,  was  on  the  evening  of 
Aug.  6,  1856,  by  Bishop  Chase.  At  that  time  the  wife  of  the  late 
William  Heywood  was  confirmed.  In  1863,  Bishop  Chase  returned 
and  held  services  again,  at  which  time  he  confirmed  seven  persons. 
From  the  first  service  alluded  to,  up  to  1875,  services  were  con- 
ducted by  ministers  visiting  here  during  the  sunmier  season  and  at 
the  mountain  resorts  near  by. 

During  the  year  1S75  the  Rev.  James  B.  Goodrich  divided  his 
time  between  Littleton  and  Lancaster,  serving  the  two  missions.  The 
present  church  building  was  erected  during  that,  and  the  succeeding 
}^ear,  at  a  cost  of  $9,000,  including  the  lot.  Through  all  his  life,  as 
through  the  first  years  of  its  existence,  the  Hon.  W^illiam  Heywood 
was  very  much  devoted  to  the  church,  and  was   of    great  service  to 


452  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

it  in  many  ways.  He  served  as  warden  from  its  organization  to  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Its  regular  ministers  have  been  :  Rev.  James  B.  Goodrich,  from 
1875  to  1884;  Rev.  E.  P.  Little,  from  1884  to  1886;  Rev.  C.  J. 
Hendley,  from  1887  to  1889;  Rev.  William  Lloyd  Himes,  state 
missionary,  from  1889  to  1892;  Rev.  Joseph  Eames,'from  1892  to 
the  present  time.  The  title  of  the  church  is  "St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
church." 

In  addition  to  its  church  building  the  society  owns  a  good  rec- 
tory, on  the  rear  of  the  large  lot  upon  which  the  church  stands. 
Its  present  organization  is, — Wardens,  Henry  O.  Kent,  Ezra  Mitch- 
ell;  secretary,  Irving  W.  Drew;  treasurer,  Frank  D.  Hutchins. 

OTHER    SECTS    THAT    HAVE,    AT   TIMES,    PREACHED     IN    LANCASTER. 

The  mild  and  gentle  Quakers  have  held  services  in  some  portions 
of  the  town,  but  never  to  develop  an  organization.  The  Free  Bap- 
tists for  a  while  held  meetings  in  the  schoolhouse  of  district  No.  8, 
but  never  gained  enough  adherents  to  form  a  church  society.  The 
Christians  have  been  heard  on  various  occasions,  but  they,  too,  failed 
to  develop  any  organization.  Restorationist  doctrines  were  once 
preached  by  certain  Universalist  ministers,  but  without  finding  much 
acceptance,  if  indeed  they  made  any  converts,  to  their  faith.  The 
Millerites  or  Second  Adventists  created  quite  a  sensation  here  when 
that  system  was  holding  the  attention  of  many  throughout  New 
England.  They  held  meetings  that  were  largely  attended,  but  as 
their  prophesies  were  not  fulfilled  the  few  converts  they  made  fell 
into  apostasy  very  soon  after  their  conversion. 


CHAPTER    XI. 

THE    NEWSPAPERS    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  White  Mountain  ^gis — The  Coos  County  Democrat — The  Coos 
Republican — The  Independent  Gazette — The  Coos  Herald — North- 
ern News — Journal  of  Familiar  Science. 

THE   NEWSPAPER    PRESS    OF   LANCASTER. 

The  first  printing  establishment  in  this  section  of  the  state  was  at 
Lancaster  in  1838.  An  association  consisting  of  Richard  P.  Kent, 
Gen.  John  Wilson,  Royal  Joyslin,  and  Apollos  Perkins,  was  formed 
to  publish  a  newspaper,  and  run  a  job-printing  office.  This  asso- 
ciation purchased  the  press  and  material,  being  indemnified,  as  they 
supposed,  by  a  sub-subscription.      A  newspaper,  a  copy  of  the  first 


THE  NEWSPAPERS  OF  LANCASTER.  453 

issue  of  which  is  before  me  as  I  write,  was  started  with  Apollos 
Perkins  as  editor,  and  J.  F.  C.  Hayes,  foreman.  This  paper  was 
called  The  White  Mountain  ^gis.  It  was  only  published  in 
Lancaster  one  year  when  it  was  removed  to  Haverhill,  Grafton 
county,  under  the  control  of  Mr.  Hayes,  and  named  the  Whig  and 
y^gis.  The  paper  while  published  in  Lancaster  was  Whig  in  poli- 
tics, and  was  ably  edited.  It  devoted  much  space  to  agriculture,  as 
also  to  literary  matters.  Upon  the  whole,  it  was  a  better  edited 
paper  than  any  of  the  country  newspapers  of  to-day.  It  abounded 
with  poetry,  mostly  selected  from  the  great  poets  of  all  periods,  and 
with  interesting  stories.  Numerous  woodcuts,  displaying  the  varied 
wares  of  the  merchants  of  the  village,  adorned  its  pages.  There 
one  sees  cuts  of  Isaac  B.  Gorham's  hats,  Kent  &  Porter's  cook- 
ing stoves,  Chadbourne's  plows,  stage  coaches,  and  Edmund  C. 
Wilder's  array  of  furniture. 

Within  less  than  a  year  after  the  paper  was  started  it  had  a  rival 
in  the  Cods  County  Democrat.  The  editor  of  the  latter  paper 
said  sharp  things  against  the  yEgis.  Among  the  defects  he  held 
up  to  public  gaze  was  the  fact  that  it  was  printed  on  a  second- 
hand press,  and  from  old  type.  To  this  the  editor  of  the  y^gfs 
made  reply,  to  the  effect  that  his  press  was  indeed  a  second-hand 
one,  it  having  been  used  to  print  a  religious  paper  on,  and  later  for 
printing  Biblesi  But  its  sacred  associations  did  not  save  it  from  a 
loss  of  patronage  in  a  community  much  stronger  Democratic  than 
Whig  in  politics.  Mr.  Perkins  for  a  long  time  after  leaving  Lancas- 
ter resided  at  Lowell,  Mass.  Mr.  Hayes  was  many  years  in  the 
West,  connected  with  newspaper  work,  and  for  some  time  a  land 
broker  at  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  He  recently  removed  from  Cleveland, 
O.,  to  Groveton,  N.  H.,  where  in  the  evening  of  life  (1897)  he  rests 
from  the  cares  and  anxieties  of  business.  Nat.  Hibbard  was  a  printer 
on  the  yEgis,  and  George  Wilson  and  William  George  were  ap- 
prentices while  the  paper  was  published  in  Lancaster.  The  office 
of  the  paper  was  in  the  second  story  of  what  was  once  the  Masonic 
hall  on  Main  street,  but  now  a  part  of  Syndicate  block,  owned  by 
Drew,  Jordan  and  King,  and  occupied  by  I.  W.  Quimby  and  others 
as  stores  and  offices. 

The  paper  was  not  a  success.  Four  years  after  it  was  launched 
forth  as  an  exponent  of  Whig  politics  it  failed,  and  the  effects  of  the 
office  were  sold  by  the  original  owners.  The  press  was  bought  by 
Lyman  J.  Mclndoe,  then  running  a  job  office  at  Newbury,  Vt.,  sub- 
sequently merged  into  the  Aurora  of  the  Valley  establishment. 
The  type  went  mostly  to  G.  S.  Towle,  then  editing  a  paper  at  Haver- 
hill, The  True  Democrat  and  Granite  Whig,  afterward  moved  to 
Lebanon,  N.  H.,  where  it  was  known  as  The  Granite  State  Whig, 
and  the  predecessor  of  the  Granite  State  Free  Press  of  that  place. 


454  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

THE    COOS    COUNTY    DEMOCRAT. 

In  1.838,  shortly  after  the  White  Mountain  yEgis  started  as  the 
organ  of  the  Whig  party,  an  association  of  prominent  business  men, 
leading  Democrats  started  the  Cods  County  Detnocr at  as  the  organ  of 
their  party.  That  association  was  composed  of  Hon.  John  W.  Weeks, 
M.  C. ;  Hon.  Jared  W.  Williams,  later  governor  and  United  States 
senator ;  Hon.  John  S.  Wells,  later  United  States  senator ;  and 
Hon.  John  H.  White,  sheriff  of  the  county,  and  others  of  considera- 
ble note.  The  paper  was  edited  by  Hon.  James  M.  Rix,  with  James 
R.  Whittemore  as  publisher.  During  the  first  year  Mr.  Rix  per- 
formed the  editorial  duties  and  worked  at  the  case  ;  but  the  next 
year  he  gave  up  "  the  stick  "  and  devoted  his  whole  time  to  the 
editorial  work  of  the  paper,  and  retained  that  relation  to  the  paper 
until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1856.  Mr.  Amos  F.  Abbott  was  fore- 
man in  the  office. 

The  paper  was  first  issued  from  the  second  story  of  the  build- 
ing owned  by  John  S.  Wells,  now  the  L  of  the  Kent  Building, 
on  Main  street.  In  185  i  it  was  removed  to  the  store  building  of 
the  late  J.  A.  Smith  on  Main  street.  After  the  death  of  Mr.  Rix, 
March  25,  1856,  the  ofifice  was  removed  to  the  post-office  building 
on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  Jared  I.  Williams  was  then  its  edi- 
tor for  some  years,  with  Joseph  W.  Merriam  of  Stratford,  later  an 
editor  of  the  Patriot,  and  afterward  an  attorney  in  Chicago,  111.,  as 
assistant  editor. 

In  1859  the  Donoo-at  was  moved  to  North  Stratford,  under  the 
editorial  control  of  Charles  D.  Johnson,  then  recently  admitted  to 
the  bar  of  Coos  county.  Mr.  Johnson  died  the  following  year,  and 
after  his  death  the  paper  ceased  to  represent  its  party  as  the  party 
organ.  The  material  of  the  plant  was  purchased  by  various  persons, 
members  of  the  opposing  organization,  and  the  Democrat  was  a 
nondescript.  The  internal  dissension  among  its  owners  was  dis- 
played by  the  placing  of  a  cut  of  a  bull,  bottom  side  up,  under  the 
title  of  "A  Man  Overboard."  This,  by  its  nominal  editor  one  week, 
followed  in  the  next  issue  by  a  denunciation  of  the  manager  by  the 
owners.  After  nearly  a  year  of  this  sort  of  "  management,"  the 
material  was  again  sold.  It  was  bought  by  A.  J.  Walker  of  Lunen- 
burg, Vt.,  who  undertook  to  run  a  job  office  on  "Baptist  Hill,"  in 
that  town.  Mr.  Walker  failed  in  his  enterprise  and  sold  the  estab- 
lishment Oct.  6,  1866,  to  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent,  who  removed  it  to 
Lancaster,  and  set  it  up  in  the  same  room  where  it  had  been  used 
nearly  thirty  years  before  to  print  the  Democrat  on.  Only  a  por- 
tion of  the  material  being  of  service  in  his  office  for  the  publication 
of  the  Coos  Republican,  Mr.  Kent  sold  the  press  to  C.  O.  Barney 
of  Canaan,  N.  H.,  for  the  establishment  of  the  Canaan  Reporter. 


THE   NEWSPAPERS    OF   LANCASTER.  455 

For  a  period  of  twenty  years  the  Democrat  slumbered  like  Rip 
Van  Winkle,  while  some  of  the  most  remarkable  events  in  the 
nation's  history  were  taking  place.  A  veritable  new  world  had  come 
to  be  during  those  twenty  years.  Lancaster  had  caught  the  spirit  of 
many  new  enterprises,  and  was  pushing  forward  along  new  lines  of 
business,  intellectual,  and  social  life,  when  one  October  day  in  1884, 
one  F.  A.  Kehew  launched  a  new  edition  of  the  old  Cods  Democrat 
upon  the  world.  He  appropriated  the  title  and  serial  number  of  the 
paper  as  last  published.  He  ran  it  until  1887,  when  he  sold  it  to 
W.  C.  Colby,  who  conducted  it  until  1890,  when  he  sold  out  to 
John  D.  Bridge  of  Littleton,  N.  H.,  who  still  owns  it.  Mr.  Bridge 
has  run  the  paper  as  a  straight  Democratic  paper  with  good  suc- 
cess. 

We  cannpt  pass  the  long  and  honorable  list  of  employes  of  the 
old  Democrat  office  while  it  was  published  in  Lancaster  without 
saying  something  of  them.  They  are  of  deserving  mention  in  any 
permanent  record  of  the  town  and  its  enterprises.  I  borrow  from  the 
address  of  Col.  H.  O.  Kent  before  the  New  Hampshire  Printers'  and 
Publishers'  Association  at  Concord,  N.  H.,  Jan.  17,  1872.  He  says 
of  them : 

"  Hon.  James  M.  Rix,  subsequently  president  of  the  state  senate,  was  a  ner- 
vous, vigorous  writer,  and  acute  politician  well  known  to  the  public  of  the  state. 
His  death  occurred  in  March,  1856,  from  consumption,  aggravated  beyond  doubt 
by  the  cares  of  editorial  and  political  life. 

"James  R.  Whittemore,  his  original  associate  in  the  publication  of  the  Detno- 
crat,  became  later  a  Thompsonian  physician  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio. 

"  Edward  E.  Cross  of  Lancaster  served  his  time  in  the  Democrat  office  as  an 
apprentice,  and  then  assumed  management  of  the  office  as  foreman.  From  Lan- 
caster he  went  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  entered  the'  Dollar  Weekly  Times  office. 
He  soon  became  a  traveling  correspondent  for  that  paper,  and  for  several  years 
his  letters  written  from  all  parts  of  the  land,  over  the  7iom  de plume  of  'Edward 
Everett,"  were  among  the  most  agreeable  matter  in  its  columns.  Of  an  adven- 
turous spirit.  Cross  readily  entered  into  a  plan  for  establishing  mining  operations 
in  Arizona,  and  with  a  company  started,  by  way  of  th^  Texas  route,  for  the  El 
Dorado.  With  their  outfit  he  took  a  printing  press  and  material  and  on  their 
arrival  at  Tubac  commenced  the  publication  of  the  Arizonian,  the  first  newspaper 
published  in  the  territory.  While  in  Arizona,  Cross  had  a  difficulty  with  Sylves- 
ter Mowry,  Lt.  U.  S.  A.,  since  a  delegate  in  congress,  now  dead,  and  a  duel 
fought  with  Burnside  rifles,  which  encounter  at  that  time  attracted  general  atten- 
tion, was  the  result.  Mining  operations  being  suspended  by  Indian  depredations. 
Cross  went  over  into  Mexico  to  enter  the  military  service  of  the  Mexican  Liberals, 
but  learning  of  the  rebellion  at  home,  hastened  north.  In  the  summer  of  1861, 
he  was  commissioned  by  Governor  Berry  colonel  of  the  Fifth  New  Hampshire 
Infantry,  which  regiment  bore  the  well-earned  sobriquet  of  the  '  Fighting  Fifth.'' 
The  military  record  of  the  Fifth  and  its  commander  is  a  part  of  the  history  of 
the  state.  Decimated  by  battle  the  regiment  was  always  recruited  rapidly;  fore- 
most in  desperate  work  its  losses  were  fearful.  Colonel  Cross  asserted  on  a  pub- 
lic occasion  in  Concord,  in  January,  1863,  that  at  Fredericksburg  his  dead  lay 
nearer  the  rebel  rifle-pits  than  those  of  any  other  regiment  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.     Cross  was  shot  through  the  thigh  at  Fair  Oaks,  shot  again  and  again 


456  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

at  Fredericksburg,  and  while  leading  the  First  Division  of  the  Second  Army 
Corps  at  Gettysburg  was  fatally  shot  through  the  abdomen.  His  remains  were 
interred  at  Lancaster,  amid  a  great  concourse  of  people,  by  the  Masonic  fraternity, 
of  which  he  was  a  member."* 

"Charles  Francis  Brown,  better  known  as  '  Artemas  Ward,'  entered  the  Demo- 
crat office  from  Norway,  Me.,  as  an  apprentice,  and  served  his  time  until  the 
incident  occurred  resulting  in  his  exchange  to  a  wider  sphere,  and  to  that  career 
whicii  is  now  known  on  both  hemispheres.  Brown  was  a  'wayward  brother'  in 
the  minor  duties,  a  pronounced  lover  of  the  good  things  of  this  life,  attainable  to 
an  apprentice  in  a  country  printing  office,  and  the  constant  author  of  scrapes 
and  practical  jokes.  The  old  red  sign-post  of  the  'Temperance  House'  (kept  by 
George  Howe,  a  simple-minded  old  man),  striped  with  chalk  in  ludicrous  imita- 
tion of  a  barber's  pole,  the  disconsolate  cow  of  his  employer,  Mr.  Rix,  who  for 
lack  of  intuitive  perception  to  comprehend  her  amateur  '  milk-maid,'  and  conse- 
quent failure  to  '  give  down,'  had  her  hip  broken  by  a  blow  from  the  milking 
stool,  and  finally  the  pied  cases  in  the  office,  the  result  of  a  squabble  during 
office  hours  with  a  chance  caller,  are  flowers  culled  from  the  chaplet  of  Artemas's 
embryo  greatness.  He  was  '  the  plague  of  his  life  '  to  Rix  ;  the  malady  culminat- 
ing in  a  grand  tableau  in  the  old  ofiice,  a  stand  overturned,  the  contents  of  its 
cases  pied  upon  the  floor,  Artemas  in  deadly  grapple  with  his  opponent,  writhing 
and  reeling  among  the  debris,  and  the  nervous  editor  bounding  in  at  the  door  to 
vent  his  anger  and  discharge  the  future  humorist.  It  was  at  the  Democrat  office 
that  Brown  began  his  career  of  letters.  From  there  he  entered  the  office  of  the 
Cleveland  Plaindealer,  and  that  career,  now  so  well  known,  closed  with  his 
lamented  death  at  Southampton,  England,  March  7,  1867. 

"Charles  W.  Smith  entered  the  Democrat  office  in  1846,  and  served  his 
apprenticeship,  becoming  foreman  of  the  office.  He  was  absent  a  year, 
being  engaged  upon  the  Dover  Gazette,  managed  at  that  time  by  Major  Gibbs. 
Returning  to  Lancaster,  he  again  became  foreman,  under  diff"erent  managemenis. 
until  the  paper  left  Lancaster  for  North  Stratford.  In  1857  he  was  foreman  of 
the  Tunes  at  McGregor,  Iowa.  He  subsequently  entered  the  office  of  the  Coos 
Republican,  \vh\c\\  \iO?,\t\or\  he  held  until  1870,  when  he  was  elected  register  of 
deeds  for  Coos  county. 

"  Richard  E.  Cross,  a  brother  of  Col.  E.  E.  Cross,  was  another  apprentice  in 
the  Democrat  office.  After  serving  his  time  he  left  Lancaster  and  entered  the 
regular  army.  He  was  a  private  in  the  engineer  battalion,  which  formed  an 
important  part  of  the  small  force  displayed  at  Washington  to  the  first  inaugura- 
tion of  President  Lincoln  in  1861.  This  duty  performed,  the  command  was  sent 
to  Fort  Pickens.  In  the  summer  of  the  same  year  Cross  came  north  and  was 
commissioned  lieutenant  in  his  brother's  (Col.  E.  E.  Cross)  regiment.  He  rose 
through  several  grades  to  that  of  colonel,  his  muster  under  the  latter  grade 
being  prevented  only  by  the  inadequate  number  of  enlisted  men.  Colonel  Cross, 
several  years  later,  removed  to  Glencoe,  Canada,  where  he  married  a  daughter  of 
the  Hon.  A.  P.  McDonald,  a  member  of  the  provincial  parliament,  a  gentleman 
heavily  engaged  in  the  construction  of  railways.  Colonel  Cross  was,  for  a  time, 
in  business  in  that  line  with  him,  being  engaged  upon  the  Intercolonial  Railway 
line  below  Quebec."  f 

*  A  monument  was  later  erected  to  his  memory  by  his  fellow  townsmen  and  citizens  of 
the  state. — Ed. 

t  He  later  became  a  so-called  "magnetic  healer,"  and  practised  that  supposed  art  for 
a  time.  He  also  made  and  sold  medicines,  and  engaged  in  a  variety  of  pursuits.  He 
was  United  States  guard  of  the  treasury  at  Washington,  U.  C,  where  he  died  in  the  line 
of  duty  in  September,  1894.  He  was  interred  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Lancaster  beside 
his  brother  with  Masonic  and  Grand  Army  honors. — Ed. 


THE   NEWSPAPERS    OF    LANCASTER.  457 

"Dexter  Chase,  who  afterward  married  a  sister  of  the  Cross  brothers,  was 
also,  at  one  time,  an  apprentice  in  the  Democrat  office  in  the  days  of  Rix,  and 
later  was  employed  by  Rix  in  his  book-store.  Mr.  Chase  was  for  a  time  employed 
as  collector  for  the  /juiepefident  Democrat .  (He  later  entered  into  other  business, 
the  manufacture  of  the  first  spring  beds  in  this  country,  in  Boston,  Mass.  At  a 
still  later  date  he  returned  to  Lancaster  and  engaged  in  the  insurance  business, 
being  advanced  by  the  companies  for  which  he  labored  to  the  position  of  inspector 
in  New  Hampshire,  in  which  occupation  he  continued  until  his  death  early  in  1896. 
He,  too,  was  mterred  in  the  old  cemetery  at  Lancaster  beside  Edward  E.  and 
Richard  E.  Cross.) 

"  Albert  Bradley  Davis,  a  native  of  Lancaster,  and  afterward  an  actor  of  con- 
siderable ability  and  reputation,  for  a  long  time  manager  of  McVicker's  theatre  in 
Chicago,  111.,  served  his  time  as  an  apprentice  in  the  Democrat  office. 

"Captain  John  G.  Derby  of  Lancaster,  still  a  resident  here,  and  connected 
with  several  business  enterprises,  and  especially  noted  for  his  long  service  in  the 
fire  department,  was  an  apprentice  in  the  Democrat  office  when  C.  F.  Brown  was 
there. 

"  Lyman  Stillings  of  Jefferson  was  also  an  apprentice  in  the  office  at  one  time. 
He  later  went  West  and  died  there. 

"  S.  J.  Green  of  Shelburne.  who,  after  leaving  the  office,  was  up  to  the  time  of 
his  death  in  1869,  a  clerk  in  the  different  stores  in  Lancaster;  Edmund  M. 
Waters  of  Stratford,  now  deceased,  selected  as  a  clerk  and  protege  by  Mr.  Rix; 
Leland  H.  Plaisted,  afterward  foreman  in  Nicholson  &  Sibley's  job  office  at  Paw- 
tucket,  R.  L  ;  Albro  Bean,  at  one  time  foreman  in  the  office  of  the  rermotit 
Patriot,  at  Montpelier,  Vt.  ;  and  Frank  Goss,  who  went  West,  were  among  the 
other  employes  of  the  office,  whom  memory  recalls."'' 

The  Cods  .Republican. — This  paper,  next  in  date  of  issue,  was 
estabHshed  at  Lancaster  in  December,  1854.  It  was  first  pubhshed 
in  the  town  hall  building,  by  Daniel  A.  Bowe,  of  Middlebury,  Vt., 
for  several  years  preceptor  of  Lancaster  academy.  David  B.  Alli- 
son, an  old  Concord  printer,  was  manager,  the  two  uniting  as  the 
firm  of  Bowe  &  Allison.  The  Republican  was  started  as  the  organ 
of  the  party  of  that  name  but  just  organized.  The  health  of  Mr. 
Bowe  was  poor,  and  he  was  forced  in  the  autumn  of  1857  to  give 
up  business.  He  died  of  consumption  the  April  following.  Col- 
onel Allison  continued  the  publication  of  the  Republican  until 
December,  1858,  when  the  establishment  was  purchased  by  Henry 
O.  Kent,  and  removed  to  Kent's  building,  Main  street  (a  part  of 
the  time  occupying  rooms  formerly  used  by  the  Coos  County  Dem- 
ocrat), where  it  remained  until  sold  by  Kent  in  October,  1870. 
After  disposing  of  the  paper  Colonel  Allison  worked  at  type-set- 
ting, both  at  Concord,  and  at  several  ofifices  in  Maine,  in  which  state 
he   died  some  j^ears  later. 

"Among  the  employes  of  the  Republicati,  under  its  original  management,  were 
John  L.  Parker,  later  of  Woburn,  Mass.,  Budget  Lane  of  Laconia,  N.  H., 
Richard  O.  Young,  who  died  of  disease  while  serving  in  the  United  States  Army, 
and  the  three  apprentices,  Rowell,  Smith,  and  Berry,  who  remained  with  the 
office  after  its  transfer  to  me.  For  twelve  years,  from  December,  1858,  to  Octo- 
ber, 1870,  the  paper  was  owned   by  me,  and  was  under  my  direct  control,  save 


458  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

during  the  period  of  my  absence  with  my  regiment,  when  it  was  leased  to  Daniel 
C.  Pinkham,  Esq.,  the  clerk  of  the  courts  for  the  county.      .      .      . 

"  Levi  W.  Rowell,  the  senior  apprentice,  at  the  time  of  my  purchase,  was  fore- 
man until  May,  1859.  Mr.  Rowell  was  afterwards  connected  with  the  Caddie  at 
Littleton.  N.  H.,  and  the  Ti?nes  at  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. 

"Charles  W.  Smith,  to  whom  allusion  has  been  made  in  the  sketch  of  the 
Democrat,  commenced  with  me  as  foreman  in  May,  1859,  '^"^  continued  in  that 
position  until  April,  1870.  Mr.  Smith  was  a  first-class  printer,  and  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  office  and  business  details  he  proved,  during  twelve  consecutive 
years,  an  invaluable  foreman. 

"William  H.  Berry  of  Winthrop,  Maine,  had  charge  of  the  office,  as  foreman, 
for  a  short  time  after  Mr.  Smith  left  it. 

"  Richard  H.  C.  Valentine,  a  Louisianian  born,  but  at  the  time  hailing  from 
New  York  city,  became  foreman  in  July,  1870,  and  held  that  place  while  the 
paper  was  in  my  hands.  He  remained  with  the  new  management  but  a  brief 
time,  when  he  returned  to  New  York.  He  was  later  in  charge  of  the  printers' 
warehouse,  a  branch  of  the  business  of  George  P.  Rowell  &  Co.,  advertising 
agents  of  that  city.     Mr.  Valentine  was  an  accomplished  printer. 

"The  different  apprentices  who  served  in  the  Republican  office,  during  my 
ownership,  were : 

"  Henry  B.  Berry,  afterward  in  the  army,  and  later  a  printer  in  Boston,  Mass., 
George  P.  Smith  of  Gorham,  N.  H.,  Thomas  Blake  of  Stratford,  N.  H.,  George 
H.  Emerson  of  Lancaster,  later  senior  member  of  the  newspaper  and  job  printing 
firm  of  Emerson,  Hartshorn  &  Co.  of  Lancaster.  Mr.  Emerson  had  been  for 
several  years  in  the  treasury  department  at  Washington,  but  voluntarily  retired  to 
enter  active  business.  He  entered  mercantile  pursuits,  but  finally  engaged  in  the 
printing  and  publishing  business." 

"  Henry  W.  Denison  of  Lancaster,  afterward  for  several  years  a  clerk  in  the 
customs  department  at  Washington,  and  subsequently  connected  with  the  consu- 
lar service  in  Japan,  where  he  now  is;   Richard  H.  Emerson  of  Lancaster;  John 

A.  Smith  of  Lancaster,  now  resident  of  Akron,  Iowa;  Frank  Foster  Thomas  of 
Lancaster,  afterward  journeyman  at  Portsmouth,  N.  H.  ;  George  H.  Colby  of 
Lancaster,  afterward  in  the  newspaper  business,  conducting  a  paper  at  Hono- 
lulu, Sandwich  Islands,  and  again  at  Waterville,  Me.,  and  now  engaged  in  the 
book  trade  at  Lancaster;  Harry  C.  Hartshorn  of  Lunenburg,  Vt.,  who  was  later 
the  partner  of  George  H.  Emerson,  his  brother-in-law,  in  the  firm  of  Emerson, 
Hartshorn  &  Co.  above  referred  to;  Charles  H.  Rowell  of  Hunt's  Hollow,  Liv- 
ingston Co.,  N.  Y..  supposed  to  have  been  killed  by  the  explosion  of  the  mine,  in 
the  siege  of  Petersburg,  Va.  ;  Charles  E.  Rowell  of  Littleton,  N.  H.,  now  a 
physician  at  Stamford,  Conn.  ;  Edward  Hoogs  of  Boston,  Mass.  ;  Robinson  Y. 
Russell,  later  of  the  Lynn  Transcript;  William  Oliver  Burbeck  of  Haverhill, 
N.  H.  ;  Nellie  Rowell  and  Nellie  Eastman,  both  of  Lancaster,  were  frequently 
engaged  upon  the  paper. 

"  The  Republican  was  purchased  of  me  by  Chester  B.  Jordan,  October,  1870, 
and  removed  to  rooms  over  the  post-office  on  Main  street." 

The  Cods  Re-ptiblican  Association  was  subsequently  formed,  and 
bought  the  paper  of  Chester  B.  Jordan.  In  August,  1870,  the  asso- 
ciation sold  the  paper  to  F.  E.  Shaw,  who  soon  resold  it  to  the 
association.  When  Mr.  Jordan  relinquished  the  editorial  charge  of 
the  paper,  Wesley  W.  Pasko  of  New  York,  a  writer  for  the  Press 
of  that  city,  became  editor.      After  him  came  Josiah  H.  Benton,  Jr., 

B.  F.  Whidden,  Jonathan   Smith,  F.  W.  Williams,  W.  C.  Mahurin, 


THE   NEWSPAPERS    OF    LANCASTER.  459 

F.  E.  Shaw.  From  July,  1877,  when  Mr.  Mahurin,  for  a  second 
time,  gave  up  editorial  charge  of  the  paper,  a  Mr.  E.  W.  Kingsley 
was  editor  for  the  association  until  April,  1878,  when  the  office  was 
destroyed  by  fire. 

In  May,  following  the  fire  which  destroyed  the  plant,  James  S. 
Peavey  removed  his  printing  office  from  Littleton,  N.  H.,  to  Lancas- 
ter, and  began  the  publication  of  the  Republican,  in  a  store  building 
opposite  the  old  American  House  on  Elm  street,  until  the  following 
October,  when  he  moved  the  office  into  the  newly-finished  Eagle 
block,  where  he  continued  the  publication  of  the  paper  until  the 
succeeding  December,  when  he  sold  it  to  A.  F.  Rowell  and  C.  D. 
Batchelder,  who  took  C.  L.  Griffing  into  partnership  with  them, 
which  partnership  continued  until  June,  1882,  when  Rowell  and 
Batchelder  retired  from  it,  leaving  Griffing  the  publisher  of  the 
paper  until  September,  1883,  when  C.  D.  Phelps  and  J.  H.  Baird 
bought  it.  Mr.  Baird  soon  bought  out  his  partner,  and  conducted 
the  business  alone  until  1884,  when  the  publication  ceased.  Rowell, 
Batchelder  &  Griffing  in  1881  changed  the  name  of  the  paper  from 
The  Cods  JRepiihlican  to  The  Lancaster  Republican. 

In  1884,  when  the  publication  of  The  Taucaster  Republican 
ceased,  the  press,  type,  and  other  material  were  sold  at  auction,  and 
were  bought  by  F.  A.  Kahew  of  Littleton,  N.  H.,  who  began  the 
re-publication  of  the  Cods  County  Democrat,  which  latter  paper 
now  occupies  an  office  in  the  new  Odd  Fellows'  block  on  Main  street. 

The  next  publication  in  order  in  Lancaster  was  The  Prohibition 
Herald.  Its  editors  were  the  Rev.  L.  D.  Barrows  and  Dr.  John 
Blackmer.  It  was  the  state  organ  of  the  temperance  party,  and  was 
published  at  the  job  printing  office  of  Emerson,  Hartshorn  &  Co.,  for 
one  year  from  January,  1871 .      It  was  then  moved  to  Concord,  N.  H. 

The  Independent  Gazette. — This  paper  was  started  as  an  inde- 
pendent newspaper  in  January,  1872,  by  George  H.  Emerson  and 
Harry  C.  Hartshorn  as  publishers.  The  editor  was  James  S.  Brackett 
for  a  tim.e,  after  which  Mr.  Emerson  became  the  editor,  and  contin- 
ued in  that  relation  to  the  paper  until  August,  1877,  when  the  paper 
was  sold  to  I.  VV.  Quimby  and  W.  F.  Burns.  Mr.  Burns  soon  sold  his 
interest  to  Joseph  Roby,  Jr.,  who,  after  only  a  few  months,  sold  out 
to  Mr.  Quimby,  who  continued  the  publication  of  .it  until  Novem- 
ber 10,  1883,  at  which  time  he  sold  out  to  the  Lancaster  Printing 
Company,  which  was  the  name  under  which  George  P.  Rowell,  the 
well-known  newspaper  advertising  agent  of  New  York  city,  con- 
ducted the  business  in  the  publication  of  the  Lancaster  Gazette,  to 
which  name  Mr.  Quimby  had  changed  the  paper  in  1879.  Mr. 
Rowell  conducted  the  paper  successfully,  until  for  some  reason  he 
saw  fit  to  abolish  it  entirely  in  1885.  He  sold  the  material  out  in 
job  lots,  here  and  there,  hoping  it  was  so  effectually  scattered   as  to 


460  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

terminate  its  use  together  again  ;  but,  Phcenix-like,  it  arose  by  its 
scattered  parts  coming  together  at  the  behest  of  Mr.  Ouimby,  its 
former  owner,  reappearing  with  the  same  headhnes,  form,  and  in 
every  way  the  same  Lancaster  Gazette  it  had  before  been.  This 
reappearance  was  on  September  25,  1885.  Mr.  Ouimby  sold  out 
the  plant  to  James  S.  Peavey  in  1887.  Mr.  Peavey  conducted  it 
only  two  years,  when  he,  in  turn,  sold  out  to  A.  F.  Rowell  and 
Charles  R.  Bailey,  who  have  made  the  paper  a  first-class  local  news- 
paper. In  politics  it  has  been  Republican.  On  the  ist  of  July, 
1896,  Mr.  Bailey  sold  his  interest  to  his  partner,  leaving  A.  F. 
Rowell  sole  proprietor  and   publisher. 

Several  other  publications  of  minor  importance  call  for  passing 
notice : 

The  Cods  Herald. — In  the  winter  of  1856  Charles  N.  Kent,  then 
only  thirteen  years  old,  printed  and  published  a  little  paper  under 
the  above  title.  It  was  a  creditable  enterprise  for  one  so  young. 
Mr.  Kent  was  for  many  years  connected  with  the  firm  of  George  P. 
Rowell  &  Co.,  New  York. 

The  A^orthern  JVews. — This  little  sheet,  8x12,  edited  and  pub- 
lished by  Fletcher  Ladd  and  Edward  Ray,  at  the  age  of  eight  years, 
was  another  juvenile  enterprise  in  the  printer's  art  that  is  remem- 
bered with  pleasure  by  their  friends.  Mr.  Ladd  is  now  an  attorney, 
practising  in  Lancaster,  and  Mr.  Ray  resides  in  Whitefield. 

The  Journal  of  Familiar  Science. — During  the  year  1870  the 
firm  of  S.  Randall  &  Co.,  druggists,  published  a  quarterly  under  this 
name.  It  was  another  of  the  short-lived  ventures,  promising  well, 
but  failing  to  find  support. 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS. 

The   Lawyers — The  Physicians— The   Dentists — The   Druggists. 

THE  BENCH  AND  BAR. 

From  the  settlement  of  New  Hampshire,  or  rather  the  erection  of 
its  territory  into  a  royal  province  by  King  Charles  II,  in  1679,  until 
1770,  all  New  Hampshire,  for  judicial  and  financial  purposes,  com- 
prised a  single  court,  the  supreme  judicial  court,  sitting  at  Ports- 
mouth, Dover,  and  Exeter.  In  1 771  the  province  was  divided  into 
five  counties,  and  three  courts  of  justice  were  established, — the 
superior  court  of  judicature,  the  inferior  court  of  common  pleas, 
and  the  court  of  general  sessions. 

In  1855  the   superior   court   of  judicature  was    abolished,  and  the 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  46 1 

supreme  judicial  court  reestablished,  and  continued  in  operation 
until  1874,  when  it  was  superseded  by  the  superior  court  of  judi- 
cature and  the  circuit  court,  the  first  being  the  law  court  and  the 
latter  the  trial  court,  which  continued  to  1876,  when  they  were 
abolished,  and  the  present  supreme   court   established  in  their  stead. 

The  inferior  court  of  common  pleas  continued  from  1771  until 
1820,  when  it  was  abolished  for  five  years.  From  1825  to  1859, 
it  was  again  in  force  and  operation.  In  1859  it  was  abolished,  and 
its  business  transferred  to  the  supreme  judicial  court.  In  1874  this 
court  was  revived,  but  only  lasted  two  years,  when  its  business 
passed  to  the  supreme  court. 

The  court  of  general  sessions  of  the  peace  had  for  its  judges  all 
of  the  commissioned  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  county,  and  was 
accompanied  by  grand  and  petit  juries.  This  court  had  entire  con- 
trol of  the  financial  affairs  of  the  county. 

In  1794  the  functions  of  this  court  were  transferred  to  the  court 
of  common  pleas.  The  side  judges  of  this  court  attended  to  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  county.  In  1855  a  board  of  county  commis- 
sioners was  created,  which  did  away  with  the  side  judges,  as  the 
financial  affairs  of  the  county  passed  under  the  jurisdiction  of  the 
county  commissioners.  All  that  remains  of  the  court  of  general  ses- 
sions to-day  is  the  sessions  docket,  as  a  branch  of  the  business  of 
the  supreme  court,  and  relates  only  to  entries  for  laying  out  high- 
ways. 

Beside  these  courts  there  is  the  probate  court,  which  has  jurisdic- 
tion in  the  probate  of  wills,  granting  administration,  and  determining 
matters  relating  to  the  sale,  settlement,  and  final  disposition  of  estates 
of  deceased  persons.  It  also  has  original  jurisdiction  in  relation  to 
the  adoption  of  children,  assignment  of  dower  and  homestead  in  the 
estates  of  deceased  persons ;  and  in  the  appointment  and  removal  of 
guardians  of  minors,  insane  persons,  and  spendthrifts.  It  is  also  a 
court  of  insolvency,  and  has  jurisdiction  over  petitions  for  partition 
of  real  estate  when  title  is  not  in  controversy,  and  grants  changes  in 
names  of  persons. 

The  law  profession  has  always  held  a  prominent  place  in  Lan- 
caster because  it  was  and  is  the  shire  town  of  the  Upper  Coos 
country,  where  the  first  court  was  held  and  where  the  first  lawyers  of 
the  county  resided.  There  have  always  been  able  men  in  the  profes- 
sion, either  residing  or  practising  here.  In  the  first  years  after  the 
establishing  of  the  county  some  of  the  local  lawyers  did  but  little 
before  the  law  court.  They  prepared  their  cases  and  had  them 
presented  before  the  court  by  abler  men,  who  made  a  practice  of 
traveling  from  one  court  to  another  throughout  the  state.  Among 
them  were  such  lawyers  as  Bartlett,  Bell,  Cushman,  Wilson,  Daniel 
Webster,  Jeremiah  Smith,  and  Jeremiah  Mason. 


462  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

Richard  Clai?-  Everett  was  the  first  lawyer  to  reside  in  Lancaster. 
He  was  born  in  Attleboro,  Mass.,  March  28,  1764,  the  year  the  first 
settlement  of  this  town  was  made.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  Mr.  Ever- 
ett entered  the  Revolutionary  army  from  Westminster,  Mass.,  and 
was  retained  by  Gen.  George  Washington  as  a  body  servant  for  two 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  was  discharged  from  service,  and 
came  to  Lancaster  as  a  pioneer.  He  was  a  young  man  of  high 
aspirations,  particularly  in  the  direction  of  education.  He  had  a 
strong  desire  to  procure  a  good  education,  but  as  an  orphan  boy  he 
found  it  difificult  to  accomplish  much  in  that  direction.  He  re- 
mained in  Lancaster,  working  as  a  hired  man  until  1784.  For- 
tunately, while  struggling  for  an  education,  he  came  into  posses- 
sion of  some  property  through  the  death  of  a  relative  in  Rhode 
Island,  and  at  once  set  about  to  accomplish  the  plans  he  had  laid  to 
graduate  from  college.  He  at  once  entered  with  renewed  courage 
into  his  plans.  He  accordingly  fitted  for  college  at  Hanover, 
entered  in  1786,  and  graduated  from  Dartmouth  in  1790;  and 
immediately  began  the  study  of  law  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  Having 
completed  his  professional  studies  he  settled  in  Lancaster  in  1793, 
for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  there  married  Persis,  daughter 
of  Major  Jonas  Wilder,  December  17,  of  the  same  year.  During 
the  following  year  he  built  the  old  house  on  the  corner  of  Main  and 
High  streets,  known  now  as  the  "  Cross  House,"  and  lived  there  until 
his  death  in  1 8 1 5 . 

As  a  lawyer  Mr.  Everett  was  successful,  displaying  tact  and  prac- 
tical judgment.  In  1805  he  became  judge  of  the  court  of  common 
pleas,  which  offtce  he  held  until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  also 
represented  the  town  in  the  state  legislature  several  terms  with  much 
ability.  He  also  held  the  military  commission  of  colonel.  He  was 
a  tall  man  of  commanding  presence,  and  strict  military  bearing.  He 
was  of  pleasant  address,  and  an  able  speaker  before  the  court  or  the 
public. 

Mr.  Everett  was  also  quite  e.xtensively  engaged  in  milling  and 
cloth  dressing.  He  built  a  large  two-story  mill  on  the  site  of  the 
present  grist-mill,  in  which  were  also  carried  on  wool  carding  and 
cloth  dressing.  Being  a  public-spirited  man  he  took  an  interest  in 
many  things  outside  of  his  professional  business.  He  did  much  to 
start  the  educational,  religious,  and  social  interests  of  the  town  in  the 
right  direction. 

Abram  Hinds. — But  little  can  be  learned  of  Mr.  Hinds  as  a  law- 
yer beyond  the  fact  that  he  practised  here  in  the  court  of  common 
pleas,  and  the  superior  court  for  some  years.  He  was  register  of 
deeds  soon  after  the  organization  of  the  county,  but  on  account  of 
the  loss  of  the  county  records  it  is  not  certain  whether  he  was  the 
first  register  of  deeds  or  not,  but  it  seems  from  tradition  that  he  was. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  463 

As  early  as  1807  he  was  appointed  postmaster,  which  office  he  held 
four  years. 

Samuel  A.  Pearson. — Mr.  Pearson  graduated  from  Dartmouth 
college  in  1803,  and  immediately  opened  a  law  office  in  Lancaster. 
He  was  a  man  of  fine  bearing,  good  address,  and  scholarly.  He  soon 
won  a  good  share  of  the  legal  business  of  the  community,  and  for 
some  years  had  a  good  practice.  In  1812  he  was  appointed  post- 
master, and  held  that  office  seventeen  years.  During  this  time  he 
continued  active  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  but  for  some 
reason,  probably  the  division  of  his  time  between  his  professional 
business  and  an  office  that  exacted  much  time  and  yielded  a  small 
income,  he  lost  most  of  his  law  business.  In  the  later  years  of  his 
practice  he  often  yielded  to  the  temptations  bred,  no  doubt,  of  his 
impecunious  circumstances,  to  resort  to  sharp  practices  to  increase 
his  income,  from  which  he  lost  business  and  standing.  He  died 
poor,  September  2,  1840,  at  the  age  of  56. 

William  Fai'var. — Mr.  Farrar,  familiarly  known  as  Squire  or 
Deacon  Farrar,  was  a  lawyer  of  a  wide  practice.  His  justice  docket 
was  said  to  have  been  the  second  largest  ever  known  in  the  county, 
added  to  which  he  had,  and  held,  for  many  years  a  large  clientage.  He 
was  a  popular  lawyer,  and  added  to  his  able  reputation  he  had  the 
distinction  of  having  been  a  classmate  of  Daniel  Webster's,  graduating 
from  Dartmouth  college  in  1801.  He  was  a  man  of  genial  man- 
ners. He  was  for  many  years  the  support  of  the  choir  in  the  old 
meeting-house  on  the  hill  with  his  bass  viol,  which  instrument  he 
played  with  ability.      He  died  March  3,  1850,  at  the  age  of  69. 

Levi  Barnard  wdiS  another  early  Lancaster  law}'er  who  had  a  good 
practice  for  many  years.  He  was  noted  for  the  manners  and  habits  he 
affected,  which  were  those  of  a  gentleman  of  a  generation  preceding 
his  time.  He  was  an  able  and  honorable  man,  and  held  in  esteem  by 
all  who  knew  him.      He  died  Oct.  12,  1832,  at  the  age  of  60. 

Charles  y.  Stewart. — Mr.'  Stewart  was  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth 
college  in  1809.  Fie  was  a  classmate  of  the  distinguished  Levi 
Woodbury.  Mr.  Stewart  was  a  man  of  fine  address,  and  of  con- 
vivial nature,  too  fond  of  drink  to  give  his  attention  to  his  business. 
His  death,  at  an  early  age,  was  hastened  no  doubt  by  intemperate 
habits.      He  lies  interred  in  the  old  cemetery  on  Main  street. 

yohn  L..  Sheaf e. — Few  men  in  the  profession  have  added  so  much 
learning  and  exemplary  qualities  to  it  as  John  L.  Sheafe.  At  an 
early  age  he  opened  an  office  at  the  North  End  in  1828,  and  contin- 
ued in  practice  here  for  some  years.  He  left  after  a  time  to  locate 
in  New  Orleans  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  held  very  high 
rank  there  as  a  lawyer.  He  later  returned  to  Portsmouth,  his  early 
home,  where  he  died  at  a  ripe  old  age. 


464  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Hubbard  Wilson,  a  graduate  of  Harvard,  a  fine  lawyer  for  so 
young  a  man,  a  most  thorough  scholar,  died  here  in  1819,  at  the 
home  of  his  father,  aged  24. 

Ttirne?'  Stephenson. — Mr.  Stephenson  was  born  in  Lyme,  N.  H., 
and  came  to  Lancaster  when  quite  a  young  man.  He  had  been  for 
a  time  a  student  at  Dartmouth  college,  not  graduating  however.  He 
was  a  man  of  honor  and  strict  integrity,  highly  esteemed  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  was  successful  in  his  profession  and  acquired  con- 
siderable wealth.  He  was  judge  of  the  probate  court  from  1855  to 
1865.  He  died  Jan.  26,  1872.  Although  twice  married  he  left 
no  children. 

yared  W.  Williams. — Mr.  Williams  was  born  in  West  Wood- 
stock, Conn.,  in  1796.  He  graduated  from  Brown  college  (now- 
Brown  University)  in  18 18,  and  studied  law  at  the  noted  law  school 
of  Litchfield,  Conn.  He  came  to  Lancaster  on  some  business  soon 
after  beginning  his  practice,  and  liking  the  town  decided  to  return 
and  locate  here,  which  he  did  in  1822.  He  opened  an  office,  and 
soon  had  a  good  practice.  He  returned  to  Connecticut  in  1824,  to 
bring  as  his  wife  Sarah  Hawes  Bacon,  a  most  estimable  lady.  Mr. 
Williams  received  the  honorary  degree  of  A.  M.  from  Dartmouth 
college  in  1823,  and  the  degree  of  LL.  D.  from  Brown  University 
in  1852. 

As  a  lawyer  Mr.  Williams  was  very  successful ;  but  his  taste  for 
politics  and  his  sociable  and  agreeable  manners  soon  opened  the 
way  for  him  into  public  life.  He  held  many  offices  with  ability  and 
to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents,  hi  1830  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent Lancaster  in  the  state  legislature,  and  reelected  in  1831. 
From  1832  to  1837  he  was  register  of  probate.  He  was  elected 
state  senator  in  1833,  and  reelected  twice  during  the  next  'two  years. 
During  those  last  two  years  in  the  senate  he  was  its  president,  and 
presided  with  dignity  and  satisfaction,  that  won  him  the  credit  of 
being  an  able  representative  of  the  people.  In  1837  he  was  elected 
to  congress  from  the  old  Sixth  district,  and  reelected  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  first  term.  He  filled  this  higher  office  with  the  same 
ability  he  had  filled  the  lower  ones  in  the  legislature  of  his  state. 
In  1847  he  was  elected  governor  of  New  Hampshire,  and  again  in 
1848.  In  1852  he  was  appointed  judge  of  the  probate  court.  Upon 
the  decease  of  Hon.  C.  G.  Atherton,  United  States  senator,  in  1853, 
he  was  appointed  to  fill  out  the  unexpired  term.  In  1864  he  was 
delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at  Chicago,  111. 
His  death  occurred  Sept  29,  1864,  at  the  age  of  68. 

Ira  Young. — Gen.  Ira  Young  was  born  in  Lisbon,  N.  H.,  May 
5,  1794.  He  was  the  son  of  Col.  Samuel  Young,  an  officer  of 
New  Hampshire  troops  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  Ira  Young 
received  the  limited  education   of  the   common  schools  of  his  town, 


C/U^tx2^^^'^.^ 


^ 


John  Sullivan  Wells. 


jmi^:^z^-^- 


.'^-.. 


John  H.  White. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  465 

and  at  the  age  of  twenty  entered  the  law  office  of  Samuel  Swan,  a 
noted  lawyer  of  that  time  at  Bath,  N.  H.  After  his  admission  to 
the  bar  Mr.  Young  became  a  partner  of  Mr.  Swan,  and  remained 
associated  with  him  until  his  death.  After  the  death  of  his  partner 
Mr.  Young  continued  his  practice  in  Bath,  until  burned  out,  losing 
his  law  library,  and  all  the  effects  in  his  office.  He  then  removed 
to  Colebrook,  where  he  remained  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
until  1839,  when  he  came  to  Lancaster  and  opened  an  office,  and 
continued  in  practice  until  his  death  in  1845. 

He  was  a  brigadier-general  in  1835,  when  the  "  Indian  Stream 
War  "  broke  out,  and  was  ordered  to  the  frontier  to  suppress  a  band 
of  organized  law-breakers,  operating  along  the  Canada  line.  He 
had  but  one  slight  engagement  with  the  rebels,  after  which  he 
cleared  the  county  of  them. 

For  his  promptness  and  bravery  in  that  short  war  the  legislature 
of  his  state  afterward  made  a  public  recognition. 

Having  become  broken  in  health  in  1845,  he  sailed  for  Cuba  in 
the  hope  of  restoration ;  but  on  the  next  day  after  he  landed  his 
death  occurred.  He  was  buried  in  the  churchyard  of  the  old  cathe- 
dral and  within  a  hundred  yards  of  where  the  ashes  of  Columbus 
lay.  He  left  a  widow  and  three  children,  two  sons  and  a  daughter. 
The  two  sons  did  brave  and  faithful  service  in  the  War  of  the  Rebel- 
lion. H.  DeForest  Young  was  captain  in  the  famous  Second  reg- 
iment of  New  Hampshire,  and  served  as  chief  of  ordnance  of  the 
Third  Corps,  staff  of  Major  General  Sickles.  Richard  Otis,  the 
other  son,  died  in  hospital. 

yohn  Sullivan  Wells. — Mr.  Wells  was  a  prominent  lawyer  in 
Lancaster  for  some  years.  He  was  born  in  Durham,  N,  H.,  1804, 
studied  law  with  Hon.  William  Mattocks,  Danville,  Vt.,  and  be- 
gan the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Guildhall,  Vt.,  in  1828,  where 
he  remained  for  seven  years.  He  removed  to  Bangor,  Me.,  in  1835, 
but  only  remained  there  one  year,  when  he  came  to  Lancaster  and 
opened  an  office.  He  practised  here  ten  years,  during  which  time 
he  represented  the  town  in  the  state  legislature,  and  was  the  speaker 
of  the  house.  He  was  also  solicitor  for  Coos  county,  a  portion  of 
the  time  he  resided  here.  He  was  what  people  are  accustomed  to 
call  a  "  self-made  man."  What  education  he  gained  was  through 
his  own  unaided  efforts.  He  worked  at  the  trade  of  cabinet-maker 
to  earn  nfoney  to  enable  him  to  attend  school.  He  was  an  honest 
and  industrious  man,  able  and  eloquent  in  the  behalf  of  his  client's 
interests.  During  his  residence  in  Lancaster  he  did  much  for  the 
improvement  of  the  village.  He  moved  to  its  present  site  the  L 
part  of  the  Kent  block  on  Main  street ;  but  his  best  landmark  in 
Lancaster  is  the  stone  house  on  Main  street,  now  owned  and  occu- 
pied  by  L  W.   Hopkinson.     This  remarkable   structure  was    reared 


466  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

from  material  procured  b}-  splitting  up  a  gigantic  boulder  of  granite 
near  the  Northumberland  boundary  of  the  town.  He  removed  from 
here  to  Exeter,  and  while  there  was  appointed  attorney-general  in 
1848.  He  only  held  that  office  a  short  time,  resigning  to  enter 
politics.  He  was  elected  to  the  state  senate  in  1852,  and  reelected 
in  1853.  During  both  terms  he  served  as  president  of  the  senate. 
He  was  twice  a  candidate  for  governor,  1856-57,  but  failed  election. 
He  was  appointed  to  fill  the  unexpired  term  of  the  Hon.  Moses 
Norris,  deceased,  in  the  United  States  senate. 

William  Heyzvood. — William  Heywood  was  born  in  Lunen- 
burg, Vt.,  October,  1804.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
academy  at  Concord,  Vt.  He  read  law  with  Judge  Charles  Davis 
of  Waterford,  Vt.,  and  later  with  William  A.  Fletcher  of  Detroit, 
Mich.,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Guildhall,  Vt.,  where  he 
began  his  practice.  He  removed  from  there  to  Lancaster  in  1854, 
where  he  acquired  a  large  and  profitable  clientage. 

Mr.  Heywood  was  a  quiet,  unassuming  man,  but  methodical  and 
conscientious  in  all  his  business  affairs.  He  was  grave  in  manners  and 
speech,  a  man  of  medium  height.  He  was  noted  for  his  humor, 
that  would  flash  like  lightning  from  a  clear  sky  at  unexpected 
moments.  While  a  resident  of  Vermont  he  was  state  senator  in 
i837-'38.  He  was  state's  attorney  for  Essex  county  for  fifteen 
years,  and  a  member  of  the  constitutional  convention  of  Ver- 
mont,   1850. 

\n  his  religious  connections  he  was  Episcopalian  and  much  de- 
voted to  his  church.  It  was  chiefly  through  his  efforts  that  his 
denomination  was  enabled  to  erect  a  church  here  and  develop  its 
organization.  He  died  in  1893,  at  the  age  of  eighty-eight  years, 
full  of  honor,  and  is  remembered  by  all  who  knew  him  as  an  hon- 
ored and  useful  citizen.  No  greater  compliment  could  be  paid  him 
than  to  say  that  Rt.  Rev.  W.  W.  Niles,  bishop  of  New  Hampshire 
diocese,  attended  the  funeral  and  delivered  a  eulogy  of  over  an 
hour's  length  of  great  power  and  feeling.  It  was  his  first  public 
utterance  at  a  funeral  in  the  twenty-five  years  of  his  service  in  the 
state. 

Hiram  A.  Fletcher. — Hiram  A.  Fletcher  was  born  at  Spring- 
field, Vt.,  Dec.  14,  1806.  During  his  infancy  his  parents  removed 
to  Charlestown,  N.  H.,  and  later  from  there  to  the  "  Indian  Stream  " 
country  in  the  northern  part  of  Coos  county,  now  Pittsburg,  as  one 
of  the  first  settlers.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  a  man  of  considerable  means, 
and  aside  from  developing  a  fine  farm,  built  mills,  and  transacted  a 
laro-e  amount  of  business.  With  but  little  advantages  from  schools, 
his  son,  Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  began  reading  law  at  the  age  of  nineteen, 
-  in  the  ofifice  of  Gen.  Seth  Cushman,  at  Guildhall,  Vt.  Later  he 
read  law  in  the  offices  of  J.  L.  Sheafe  and  J.  W.  Williams,  in  Lan- 


William  Hevwood. 


William  Burns. 


Jacoi!  Uenton. 


Hiram  Adams  Fletcher. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  467 

caster,  and  also  with  Governor  Hubbard  of  Charlestovvn,  N.  H.  At 
this  time  he  had  for  a  fellow-student  Chief  Justice  John  J.  Gilchrist, 
who  was  admitted  to  the  bar  with  him  at  Newport,  N.  H.,  in  1830. 
Mr.  Fletcher  opened  an  office  at  Springfield,  Vt.,  where  he  practised 
for  a  year.  In  1833  he  opened  an  office  in  Colebrook,  where  he 
practised  sixteen  years,  removing  to  Lancaster  in  1849.  He  soon 
acquired  a  good  practice  here.  For  many  years  he  had  partnerships 
with,  first,  William  Heywood,  and  later  William  Burns,  and  during 
the  last  four  }'ears  of  his  life  with  his  son,  Everett  Fletcher.  He 
was  a  good  lawyer,  a  close  student,  and  an  honored  citizen.  He 
died  Jan.  30,  1879,  from  consumption,  loved  and  honored  by  the 
entire  community  in  which  he  resided  for  nearly  a  half  centur}-. 

William  Burns. — William  Burns  was  born  at  Hebron,  N.  H., 
April  25,  1 82 1.  He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  Robert  Burns,  a  Scotchman 
of  great  vigor  and  persistency  of  purpose,  and  a  former  member  of 
congress,  from  whom  the  son  inherited  qualities  that  enabled  him 
to  obtain  a  vast  store  of  knowledge  and  attain  success  in  his  busi- 
ness enterprises.  Mr.  Burns  was  fitted  for  college  in  the  academies 
at  Plymouth  and  New  Hampton,  and  entered  Dartmouth  college  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  graduating  with  the  class  of  1841.  He  was  a 
clever  and  faithful  student,  always  standing  well  in  his  classes. 

He  chose  the  law  as  his  profession,  and  at  once  entered  upon  the 
study  of  it  in  the  ofifice  of  Judge  Wilcox  of  Orford  At  a  later  date 
he  entered  Harvard  college  law  school,  graduating  from  it  in  1843. 
The  next  year  he  was  admitted  to  the  bar  of  Grafton  county,  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  Littleton,  only  remaining 
there  a  little  more  than  a  year  and  a  half,  when  he  came  to  Lan- 
caster and  purchased  the  legal  business  and  interests  of  John  S. 
Wells,  opening  an  ofifice  here  in  May,  1846.  In  1847  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Gov.  J.  W.  Williams  as  member  of  his  staff  with  the 
rank  of  colonel.  A  little  later  Governor  Williams  appointed  him 
solicitor  for  Coos  county,  which  position  he  held  for  five  years.  He 
formed  a  partnership  with  the  late  B.  F.  Whidden,  which  lasted 
some  years,  and  later  with  Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  that  lasted  for  eight- 
een years,  during  which  time  they  were  attorneys  for  the  Grand 
Trunk  railroad.  Beside  this,  they  held  a  large  clientage,  and  both 
won  distinction  as  honorable,  as  well  as  able,  lawyers.  In  1869  Mr. 
Burns  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry  Heywood,  which  lasted 
until  1876,  when,  on  account  of  ill  health,  he  reluctantly  relinquished 
his  practice.  In  politics  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  was  recognized 
by  his  party  as  one  of  its  truest  and  ablest  advisors  and  advocates. 
He  was  an  able  political  speaker,  often  in  demand  upon  the  stump. 
His  ability  and  faithfulness  to  his  party  were  rewarded  by  his  elec- 
tion to  the  state  senate  twice, — 1856-'57.  In  1859,  1861,  1863,  he 
was  a  candidate  for  congress  in  the  old  Third  district.     He  was  a 


468  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

delegate  to  the  National  Democratic  Convention  in  i860.  In  1876, 
by  a  unanimous  vote,  he  was  elected  a  delegate  from  Lancaster  to 
the  constitutional  convention  of  New  Hampshire. 

In  religion  Mr,  Burns  was  a  pronounced  Unitarian,  and  as  loyal 
to  his  church  and  religion  as  he  was  to  his  business  and  politics. 
He  died  at  Plymouth,  April  2,  1885,  after  a  long  and  painful  illness 
due  to  an  accident  he  met  with  in  a  railroad  wreck  many  years 
before.  He  lies  buried  in  the  old  Livermore  churchyard  at  Holder- 
ness,  where  are  buried  many  of  his  ancestors.  He  was  dignified 
and  affable  in  his  bearing,  of  simple  tastes  and  kindly  disposition. 
As  a  lawyer  he  was  eminently  successful,  due  to  a  large  knowledge 
of  his  profession  and  his  practical  common  sense  and  sound  judg- 
ment. As  an  advocate  he  was  strong  before  a  jury  in  consequence 
of  his  conscientious,  unaffected,  simple,  and  manly  style,  which 
often  rose  to   a  solemn  dignity  that  is  rare  in  forensic  oratory. 

George  A.  Cossitt. — George  Ambrose  Cossitt  was  born  in  Clare- 
mont,  the  son  of  Ambrose  Cossitt,  and  of  the  fifth  generation  from 
Rene  Cossitt,  the  first  of  his  ancestors,  who  came  to  this  country 
from  France.  Mr.  Cossitt  had  good  educational  advantages  in  his 
native  town,  and  had  free  access  to  the  law  library  of  his  father,  who 
was  an  able  lawyer. 

His  father  was  president  of  a  bank  in  Claremont,  and  George 
incidentally  picked  up  much  knowledge  of  the  business  that  became 
of  service  to  him  in  later  years.  Mr.  Cossitt  came  to  Lancaster 
from  Whitefield  in  1836.  He  held  the  of^ce  of  register  of  probate 
from  1837  to  1852,  and  held  the  same  position  under  John  M. 
Whipple  from  i860  to  1874.  In  connection  with  this  office  he 
became  recognized  as  an  authority  on  probate  law,  and  was  much 
consulted  on  the  subject.  He  was  at  one  time  a  partner  of  S.  W. 
Cooper,  though  never  very  active  in  the  courts.  He  also  was  con- 
nected with  the  late  B.  F.  Whidden  as  a  law  partner  for  a  time,  but 
his  forte  was  not  in  the  law  practice.  He  was  a  man  who  took  life 
easy  and  was  fond  of  his  comforts.  Temperate  in  habits,  ardent  of 
spirit,  and  of  a  kindly  disposition,  he  was  yet  easily  aroused  and 
became  vehement  in  manner  under  excitement  or  strong  feelings. 

He  was  for  ten  years  cashier  of  the  Lancaster  bank.  He  held 
many  ofifices  in  the  town,  often  acting  as  an  auditor,  or  member  of  the 
school  committee.  He  evinced  a  leaning  toward  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic church,  though  never  identified  with  any  sect.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  made  his  home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  O.  H.  Kimball, 
where  he  died  December  14,  1895,  almost  ninety  years  of  age. 

yacob  Benton. — Mr.  Benton  was  born  in  Waterford,  Vt.,  August 
19,  1 8 14.  His  education  was  gained  at  the  academies  of  Lyndon, 
Peacham,  Newbury,  and  Manchester,  Vt.  He  graduated  from  the 
latter  in  1840,  and  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  ofifice  of  Heaton  & 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  469 

Reed,  Montpelier,  Vt.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  became  principal 
of  the  academy  at  Concord  Corner,  Vt.,  and  remained  in  that  posi- 
tion four  years.  He  read  law  in  the  office  of  Judge  Henry  A.  Bel- 
lows at  Littleton,  N.  H.  In  1844  he  came  to  Lancaster  and  entered 
the  office  of  General  Ira  Young,  completing  his  studies,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  General  Ira 
Young  in  the  spring  of  1845.  After  the  death  of  General  Young  in 
the  fall  of  that  year,  Mr.  Benton  conducted  an  office  by  himself  for 
ten  years,  when  he  formed  a  partnership  with  Ossian  Ray  in  1855, 
which  lasted  for  ten  years.  From  1867  to  1871  he  had  as  partner 
Colonel  J.  H.  Benton,  Jr.,  and  H.  I.  Goss  from  1885  to  1887. 
Although  he  gained  a  large  law  practice,  Mr.  Benton  never  confined 
himself  strictly  to  his  law  business,  but  was  a  money  maker  and  a 
politician,  in  which  capacities  he  was  successful.  He  made  and  lost 
large  sums  of  money.  He  was  a  large  and  strong  man  of  great  good 
sense  upon  every  subject,  and  a  power  in  the  town  for  half  a  cen- 
tury. In  politics  he  was  first  a  Whig,  but  when  that  party  broke 
up  he  became  a  Republican  and  was  one  of  its  staunchest  supporters 
to  the  day  of  his  death. 

In  1854  he  represented  Lancaster  in  the  state  legislature,  and  was 
reelected  the  two  following  years.  He  was  twice  elected  to  con- 
gress from  the  Third  district  in  1867  and  1869,  in  both  of  which 
places  he  made  a  most  creditable  record  as  debater  and  legislator. 
He  was  made  brigadier-general  of  the  Sixth  brigade  of  state  militia 
in  1857. 

As  a  politician  and  legislator  he  was  bold,  daring,  and  strong. 
Had  he  confined  himself  strictly  to  his  law  practice  he  might  easily 
have  won  great  distinction  as  a  lawyer.  He  had  great  command  of 
terse  English,  and  was  a  strong  antagonist  on  the  stump  and  before 
a  jury.  He  died  Sept.  29,  1892,  from  an  injury  received  by  the 
running  away  of  his  horse.  He  was  of  a  strong  family  physically 
and  mentally.  Many  of  the  race  besides  himself  became  distin- 
guished as  lawyers.  He  built  the  Benton  manor  at  the  head  of 
Main  street,  and  soon  after  its  completion  married  Louise  Dow, 
daughter  of  General  Neal  Dow,  who  survived  him  but  a  few  years. 

Benjamin  F.  Whidden. — Benjamin  Franklin  Whidden  was  born 
in  Greenland,  N.  H.,  in  December,  1813.  When  a  lad  he  re- 
moved to  Lancaster  with  his  father.  His  early  years  in  Green- 
land and  Lancaster  were  passed  on  a  farm.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  commenced  to  learn  the  trade  of  cabinet-making,  and  served 
four  years,  attending  school  winters.  His  preparatory  education 
was  acquired  at  Kimball  Union  academy.  He  entered  Dartmouth 
college  in  1836,  and  was  graduated  in  1840.  He  worked  at  his 
trade,  and  taught,  to  defray  the  greater  portion  of  his  expenses. 
He    was   principal    of  Lancaster    academy   several   terms.      He  also 


470  s  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

taught  the  school  in  district  No.  2,  in  1837.  He  was  a  capable 
teacher.  He  then  went  to  Hanover  county,  Virginia,  as  a  teacher 
in  languages  and  mathematics,  and  remained  until  1845  !  passing 
his  vacations  in  Washington,  where  he  had  the  use  of  libraries,  and 
the  opportunity  to  hear  the  foremost  men  of  that  day — Webster, 
Clay,  Calhoun,  Benton,  Adams,  Marshall,  Wright,  Choate,  McDufifie, 
Preston,  and  Crittenden.  This  he  highly  prized  as  a  most  valuable 
part  of  his  education,  and  that  epoch  was  full  of  choice  memories. 
He  returned  to  Lancaster  in  1845,  and  completed  his  studies  in  the 
office  of  J.  W.  Williams,  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1846.  He 
was  appointed  school  commissioner  for  Coos  county  in  1850  and 
1 851;  he  represented  Lancaster  in  the  state  legislature  in  1849, 
1850,  and  1867.  His  election  in  1849  ^^''is  under  circumstances 
which  show  the  confidence  reposed  in  him.  The  two  parties  in 
town  were  so  nearly  equal  in  strength  that  neither  could  elect — Mr. 
Whidden  being  the  nominee  of  the  Free-soil  party,  then  largely  in 
the  minority.  He  w^as  elected  not  on  party  issues,  but  upon  his 
honesty,  integrity,  and  ability  as  a  man.  He  advocated  and  secured 
the  passage  of  the  Homestead  law.  He  was  county  solicitor  from 
1856  to  1863;  he  was  appointed  by  President  Lincoln  United 
States  commissioner  and  consul-general  to  Hayti,  on  the  recogni- 
tion of  that  government  by  the  United  States  in  1862,  with  plenipo- 
tentiary power  to  conclude  a  treaty  of  amity,  commerce,  and  navi- 
gation, and  for  the  extradition  of  fugitive  criminals.  The  treaty 
was  made  in  1864,  and  immediately  confirmed  by  the  governments. 
Mr.  Whidden  did  efificient  service  for  the  Union  in  this  capacity, 
discharged  its  duties  with  gentlemanly  courtesy,  and  was  highly 
complimented  by  Secretary  Seward.  He  resigned  his  post  in  1865, 
on  account  of  ill  health,  and  returned  to  Lancaster.  He  was  judge 
of  probate  in  1868,  and  held  the  office  until  1874;  presidential 
elector  in  1872,  and  delegate  in  1876  to  the  Republican  national 
convention  at  Cincinnati.  He  traveled  in  Europe  in  the  summer, 
and  fall  of  1874;  after  his  return  he  resumed  the  practice  of  law  at 
Lancaster. 

In  185  I,  Mr.  Whidden  married  Eliza  Turner  Spaulding  of  Lancas- 
ter. She  was  a  most  estimable  lady  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew 
her.  She  died  in  1868.  l\\  1874  he  married  Kate  J.  Brooks  of 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  She  was  a  lady  of  rare  mental  and  personal 
attractions,  and  much  respected  by  those  of  her  acquaintance.  She 
died  in  1879. 

Mr.  Whidden  was  especially  noted  for  his  exactness,  honesty, 
and  integrity,  and  his  devotedness  to  all  interests  intrusted  to  his 
care.  He  had  an  admiration  for  the  classics  of  not  only  the  modern 
but  the  ancient  languages.  Fine  literary  tastes  and  scholastic  cul- 
ture, a  broad    liberality    combined   with   a    keen    sense    of  justice,  a 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  4/1 

practical  intelligence  broadened  by  extensive  travel,  and  a  genial, 
kindly  spirit,  were  all  united  in  this  true  gentleman  and  scholar. 

George  C.  Williams. — George  Canning  Williams  was  the  old- 
est son  of  Gov.  J.  W.  Williams,  born  in  Lancaster,  Aug.  7,  1827. 
He  prepared  for  college  at  Lancaster  academy,  and  graduated 
from  Dartmouth  in  1844.  He  studied  law  with  his  father,  and  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  in  1848.  He  was  a  young  man  of  brilliant 
powers  and  a  good  education.  He  was  county  solicitor  for  a  num- 
ber of  years,  and  clerk  of  the  New  Hampshire  state  senate.  He 
also  represented  his  town  in  the  legislature  in  1859  and  i860.  In 
1858  he  was  appointed  commissioner  of  state  lands.  He  became 
cashier  of  the  White  Mountain  bank,  and  through  speculation  in 
Western  lands,  and  over-issue  of  circulation,  the  bank  became  in- 
volved and  went  into  liquidation.  He  had  a  large  docket,  but  be- 
came engaged  in  many  other  interests,  to  the  detriment  of  his  prac- 
tice, and  was  unfortunate  in  his  personal  habits,  dying  in  1865.  He 
held  many  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  was  an  active  trustee  of  Lan- 
caster academy,  and  took  an  interest  in  education.  He  was  grand 
master  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows  in  New  Hampshire, 
and  also  a  prominent  Free  Mason.      He  never  married. 

Ossian  Ray. — Ossian  Ray  was  born  in  Hinesburg,  Vt.,  Dec.  13, 
1835.  He  was  deprived  of  his  mother's  care  at  the  early  age  of 
twelve.  After  that  he  lived  at  Irasburg,  Vt.,  and  was  engaged  in 
out-door  labors,  with  only  such  educational  advantages  as  the  com- 
mon schools  afforded.  He  later  spent  a  few  terms  at  the  Irasburg 
academy,  and  from  there  entered  the  academy  at  Derby,  Vt.  He 
was  fitted  for  college  with  the  exception  of  mathematics  and  Greek. 
The  lack  of  means  deprived  him  of  the  advantage  of  a  collegiate 
education.  Having  to  give  up  the  hope  of  a  college  course,  he  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  Jesse  Cooper,  and  at  once  commenced  the 
study  of  law.  He  hungered  for  knowledge,  and  with  an  aptitude 
for  public  speaking,  made  good  use  of  his  time  in  acquiring  an 
education,  obtaining  knowledge,  and  making  an  application  of  his 
professional  attainments. 

In  1854  he  came  to  Lancaster  through  the  influence  of  S.  W. 
Cooper,  a  brother  of  Jesse  Cooper  of  Irasburg,  Vt.,  with  whom 
young  Ray  had  been  studying  law.  The  object  of  his  coming 
here  was  to  assist  Mr.  Cooper  to  close  up  his  business,  which  had 
become  necessary  on  account  of  his  failing  health.  Here  he  formed 
many  acquaintances,  and  after  a  varied  career,  teaching  school, 
studying  law,  practising  in  justice  courts,  he  returned  to  Lancaster 
in  1855,  and  formed  a  partnership  with  Jacob  Benton  the  following 
year,  when  but  twenty-one  years  of  age.  He  was  admitted  to  the 
Essex  county  bar  in  Vermont  that  year,  and  the  next  year  to  the 
Coos  county  bar.  During  the  War  of  the  Rebellion  he  was  deputy 
provost  marshal. 


472  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

He  advanced  very  rapidly  in  his  profession,  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice in  the  United  States  courts;  and  in  1872  was  admitted  to 
practice  in  the  United  States  supreme  court  at  Washington.  Mr. 
Ray  possessed  many  quahties  that  fitted  him  to  succeed  in  his  cho- 
sen caUing.  He  was  active,  persevering,  and  thoroughly  in  love 
with  his  profession,  a  great  worker,  rising  to  the  height  of  every 
occasion,  and  wonderfully  successful. 

When  Mr.  Benton  was  elected  to  congress  in  1867  their  partner- 
ship was  dissolved,  and ,  he  entered  into  partnership  with  W.  S. 
Ladd,  with  whom  he  continued  until  Mr.  Ladd  was  appointed  to 
the  bench  of  the  supreme  court  in  1870. 

In  1872  Mr.  Ray  took  Irving  W.  Drew  into  his  oflfice  to  finish  his 
studies.     From  1873  to  1876  he  had  William  Heywood  as  a  partner. 

Chester  B.  Jordan,  who  had  just  been  admitted  to  the  bar,  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Heywood  in  the  firm.  In  January,  1882,  Philip  Car- 
penter was  admitted  into  the  firm,  which  was  then  Ray,  Drew,  Jor- 
dan &  Carpenter.  After  one  year  Mr.  Ray  withdrew,  and  was  with- 
out a  partner  until  1885,  when  G.  W.  Patterson  was  associated  with 
him  for  about  a  year.  For  years  he  was  attorney  for  the  Grand 
Trunk   Railway  Company  and   many  other  large  corporations. 

Like  many  other  Lancaster  lawyers,  Mr.  Ray  was  drawn  into  pol- 
itics. In  iS6S-'6g  he  represented  Lancaster  in  the  state  legislature. 
From  1862  to  1872  he  was  county  solicitor  for  Coos  county.  In 
1879  he  was  appointed  by  President  Hayes  United  States  Attor- 
ney for  the  District  of  New  Hampshire.  He  resigned  this  ofifice, 
however,  in  1880,  to  become  a  candidate  for  congress,  to  fill  the 
unexpired  term  of  Hon.  Evarts  W.  Farr,  deceased.  He  was  elected 
at  a  special  election  in  December,  1880,  by  a  larger  majority  than 
his  opponent  had  votes,  and  at  once  entered  upon  his  duties,  serving 
the  short  and  long  terms.  He  was  reelected  by  a  large  majority  in 
1882  to  represent  the  Second  Congressional  district,  formed  by  a 
redistricting  of  the  state  while  he  was  serving  his  first  term. 

In  congress  he  was  active,  doing  much  to  promote  the  interests 
of  his  constituents.  He  was  instrumental  in  reducing  letter  postage, 
placing  a  bounty  on  sugar,  and  helping  the  soldiers.  Mr.  Ray  died 
Jan.  28,  1892,  leaving  a  widow  and  four  children.  His  funeral  was 
from  the  Congregational  church,  and  was  attended  by  a  great  num- 
ber of  friends  from  far  and  near.  He  had  been  a  progressive,  gen- 
erous man  all  his  life,  doing  much  for  the  town,  and  his  death  was 
widely  mourned. 

William  Spencer  Ladd  was  born  in  Dalton,  Sept.  5,  1830.  At- 
tended the  schools  of  Dalton  and  Whitefield,  graduated  from  Dart- 
mouth college  in  1855,  taught  for  a  year  in  Massachusetts,  then 
entered  the  law  ofifice  of  Hon.  A.  A.  Abbott  of  Salem,  where  he 
remained  till  1858,  when  he  was  called  back  to  Dalton.      He  soon 


Turner  Stephenson. 


Benj.  Fkaxki.in  Whiuden. 


OssiAN  Rav. 


William  S.   Ladd. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  473 

entered  the  office  of  Burns  &  Fletcher,  was  admitted  in  1859,  mar- 
ried July  5,  i860,  to  Miss  Mira  B.  Fletcher.  Mr.  Ladd  went  to  Cole- 
brook,  opened  an  office,  and  remained  till  1867,  when  he  returned  to 
Lancaster  and  formed  a  copartnership  with  Hon.  Ossian  Ray.  They 
made  a  strong  team,  a  most  excellent  combination.  Mr.  Ray  was 
bold,  venturesome,  magnetic;  Mr.  Ladd  quiet,  conservative,  me- 
thodical, discriminating.  In  the  drawing  of  papers  no  one  excelled 
him  in  the  state.  He  was  not  an  easy  talker,  but  wielded  a  facile 
pen.  Their  services  were  in  demand  fn  New  Hampshire  and  Ver- 
mont. Their  business  reached  extensively  into  the  Federal  courts. 
Oct.  31,  1870,  Mr.  Ladd  was  appointed  judge  of  our  highest  court. 
In  1 874  the  court  was  reconstructed  and  made  into  two — a  trial  and 
a  law  court.  Judge  Ladd  was  one  of  the  three  constituting  the  lat- 
ter, under  the  name  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Judicature.  Here  he 
remained  until  both  courts  were  legislated  out  of  existence  in  1876, 
and  the  present  supreme  court  instituted  in  their  stead.  The 
judge  resumed  practice  and  had  a  large  clientage.  His  opinions 
rank  high  as  sound  exposition  of  the  law,  gracefully,  strongly  stated. 
He  was  appointed  state  reporter  of  the  court  decisions  in  1883.  In 
1887  Dartmouth  college  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
A  year  or  two  before  his  death  he  began  to  fail  physically.  Travel 
and  rest  were  resorted  to  for  a  balm.  Only  temporary  relief  was 
afforded.  May  12,  1891,  his  great  labors  on  earth  came  to  a  suc- 
cessful close.  Bishop  Niles  and  several  of  the  Episcopal  clergy 
were  in  attendance  upon  his  funeral  on  the  15th  of  the  same  month. 
He  was  a  ripe  scholar,  an  able  jurist. 

In  addition  to  these  lawyers  named  and  commented  upon,  all  of 
whom  have  done  their  work  and  passed  away,  there  are  remaining 
fn  practice  a  number,  among  whom  are  some  of  the  ablest  men  the 
county  and  town  have  ever  been  honored  to  own  as  residents. 

y.  I.  Williams. — Jared  I.  Williams,  son  of  Gov.  J.  W.  Williams, 
studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  and  is  still  in  practice.  About 
1856  he  was  editor  of  the  Cods  County  Democrat.  After  his  con- 
nection with  the  newspaper,  he  took  up  civil  engineering,  for  which 
he  had  prepared  himself  in  Brown  university. 

Heni-y  O.  Kent. — Colonel  Kent  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1858, 
but  gave  up  active  practice  in  the  courts  a  few  years  later.  His 
partners  were  Hon.  Turner  Stephenson,  later  judge  of  probate,  to 
1 86 1,  and  Hon.  William  Heywood  in  department  claims,  1866. 
Later  he  was  for  twelve  years  editor  and  owner  of  the  Cods  Repub- 
lican, and  has  since  been  connected  with  manufacturing,  insurance, 
and  banking,  being  now  president  of  the  Lancaster  Trust  Company 
and  treasurer  of  the  Lancaster  Savings  bank. 

He  is  the  senior  trustee  of  Norwich  university,  where  he  gradu- 
ated in  1854,  and  which  institution  has  since  conferred  upon  him  the 
honorary  degrees  of  A.  M.  and  LL.  D. 


474  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Moses  A.  Hastings. — Mr.  Hastings  qualified  and  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  law  in  1868.  He  was  for  a  time  in  Gorham,  until 
appointed  clerk  of  the  courts  of  Coos  county  in  1874,  which  posi- 
tion he  still  holds,  consequently  he  has  not  practised  since  then. 
He  was  born  in  Bethel,  Me.,  and  came  from  that  town  here.  He 
is  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  and  great  scope  of  mind. 

F.  D.  Hntc/ifns. — Mr.  Hutchins  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Coos  county,  and  practised  from  1876  to  1 881,  as  partner  of 
Hon.  Jacob  Benton,  when  he  became  cashier  of  the  Lancaster  Na- 
tional bank.  He  still  holds  that  position,  and  has  not  practised  since 
thus  engaged  except  in   such  cases  as  are  connected  with  the  bank. 

Heni'y  Hcy-ivood. —  Henry  Heywood,  son  of  Hon.  William  Hey- 
wood,  born  in  Guildhall,  Dec.  6,  1835,  graduated  from  Dartmouth 
scientific  department  in  1855,  ^^^^s  in  Wisconsin  as  civil  engineer 
until  1857,  was  admitted  in  i860,  and  has  been  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  in  Lancaster  since  1869,  with  success.  Before  1869 
he  was  at  Guildhall,  Vt.  He  has  had  as  partners,  Hon.  William 
Burns  and   his  father. 

Eve7-ett  Fletcher. — Mr.  Fletcher  is  a  son  of  the  late  H.  A. 
Fletcher,  was  born  in  Colebrook,  Dec.  23,  1848,  has  been  in 
the  practice  of  law  in  Lancaster  since  his  admission  to  the  bar  in 
1870.  He  now  has  as  a  partner,  Fletcher  Ladd.  Mr.  Fletcher  is  a 
close  lawyer,  painstaking  and  methodical.  He  was  on  Gov.  Samuel 
Hale's  staff  as  judge  advocate  general  and  was  made  judge  of  pro- 
bate in  1885,  having  a  long  and  useful  term  of  ofifice. 

Fletcher  Ladd. — Fletcher  Ladd  is  a  son  of  W.  S.  Ladd,  and  for 
some  years  has  practised  law  in  association  with  his  uncle,  Everett 
Fletcher.  He  is  a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  and  of  the  law  school. 
He  is  a  man  of  fine  attainments  in  law  and  literature.  Has  traveled 
much  in  foreign  lands  and  has  a  fine  mind  stored  with  choice 
knowledge.      He  is   a  learned   man. 

Irving  W.  Drezu. — Irving  W.  Drew  was  born  in  Colebrook,  Jan. 
8,  1845,  of  excellent  parentage  and  one  of  a  large  family  of 
children.  He  inherited  a  generous  store  of  common  sense.  He 
fitted  for  college  in  the  schools  at  home,  at  Colebrook  academy, 
and  Kimball  Union  Academy,  graduating  from  the  latter  in  1866, 
and  from  Dartmouth  in  1870,  and  immediately  entered  the  law 
oflfice  of  Ray  &  Ladd.  In  1871  he  was  admitted  into  partnership 
with  Ray  &  Heywood.  His  partners  since  then  have  been  C.  B. 
Jordan,  Philip  Carpenter,  and  Will  P.  Buckley.  He  soon  developed 
into  a  strong  man,  and  has  been  growing  till  now.  He  is  a  logical, 
analytical,  persuasive  speaker  before  jury,  courts,  and  upon  the 
platform.  He  is  engaged  in  much  important  litigation  in  and  out 
of  New  Hampshire,  and  his  advice  and  services  are  often  sought  in 
large  business  transactions  running  up  into  millions  of  dollars.     He 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  475 

has  been  an  ardent  political  worker  for  others,  but  declined  that  sort 
of  preferment  for  himself.  He  has  often  refused  to  be  a  candidate 
for  congress,  but  did  once  consent  to  be  state  senator,  making  an 
admirable  record.  He  has  been  delegate  to  four  Democratic 
national  conventions  and  was  major  in  the  Third  regiment.  New 
Hampshire  National  Guard.  In  November,  1869,  he  married  Miss 
Carrie  B.  Merrill,  daughter  of  Hon.  S.  R.  Merrill  of  Colebrook.  He 
is  generous,  active  and  efficient  in  all  good  work  and  projects  for  his 
town.      He  has  a  large  library  which  is  in  constant  use. 

Chester  Bradley  'Jordan  came  to  Lancaster  from  Colebrook, 
where  he  was  born  Oct.  15,  1839,  to  take  the  office  of  clerk  of  the 
court  June  i,  1868.  He  served  as  such  clerk  until  Oct.  23,  1874. 
In  the  meantime  he  had  been  reading  law  and  November,  1875,  was 
admitted  to  the  bar.  In  May,  1876,  he  was  made  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Ray  &  Drew,  and  has  been  with  Mr.  Drew  ever  since.  In 
1 88 1  he  w^as  admitted  to  the  federal  courts. 

He  was  elected  town  representative  in  1880,  by  one  majority, 
making  a  net  gain  for  his  party  in  town  that  year  of  loi  votes. 
Although  it  was  his  first  year  as  a  legislator,  he  was  unanimously 
nominated  by  the  Republican  caucus  for  speaker  of  the  house  and 
elected  by  a  handsome  vote. 

In  1867  Governor  Harriman  offered  him  a  place  on  his  staff,  but  it 
was  declined,,  but  in  1872  he  served  on  the  staff  of  Governor  Straw. 
In  188 1  Dartmouth  college  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  A.  B. 
In  1883  he  was  made  an  honorary  member  of  the  Third  regiment 
of  New  Hampshire  National  Guard ;  a  member  of  the  Webster 
Historical  Society  of  Massachusetts;  in  1884  of  the  Seventh  New 
Hampshire  Veteran  Association ;  has  long  been  a  member  of  the 
New  Hampshire  Historical  Society  ;  for  several  years  first  vice-presi- 
dent of  the  Grafton  and  Coos  Bar  Association ;  is  the  oldest  member 
— save  six — in  time  of  service  of  Evening  Star  Lodge  of  over  100 
Masons  ;  has  held  position  in  one  or  the  other  of  the  Lancaster  banks 
ever  since  the  National  was  established,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Sons  of  the  Revolution.  In  the  fall  of  1 896  he  was  elected  state 
senator  from  the  first  district  by  a  very  large  vote,  and  unanimously 
chosen  president  of  that  body. 

In  the  thirty  years  of  his  residence  in  Lancaster  he  has  done 
what  he  could  for  the  town,  and  no  town-meeting  except  one,  has 
been  held  in  which  he  has  not  borne  his  part.  July  19,  1879,  he 
married  Miss  Ida  R.  Nutter,  a  Lancaster  girl. 

He  has  rendered  efficient  public  service  and  his  home  life  and 
intercourse  with  the  people  of  the  town  have  been  worthy  of  the 
commendation  and   good-will  that  have  followed   them. 

Williajn  H.  Shiirtleff.  Mr.  Shurtleff  began  the  study  of  law  in 
Lancaster  in  1862,  but  dropped  it  to   enter  the  war  service  in    1864. 


4/6  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

He,  however,  completed  his  studies  upon  his  return  from  the  service, 
and  was  admitted  to  practise  in  1866.  He  practised  in  Colebrook 
until  1892,  when  he  located  in  Lancaster,  and  is  now  associated 
with  Edmund  Sullivan  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  in  addition 
to  holding  the  office  of  fish  and  game  commissioner.  He  is  a  man 
of  good  sense  and  judgment,  and  a  genial  soul,  socially. 

W///  P.  Buckley  came  from  Littleton  to  Lancaster  seven  years 
ago,  soon  after  graduating  from  Dartmouth,  where  he  held  high  rank 
as  a  scholar  and  an  athlete.  He  united  with  the  firm  of  Drew, 
Jordan  &  Buckley,  and  is  a  member  yet.  He  is  strong  mentally  and 
physically,  and  although  a  young  man  is  in  the  forefront  of  the 
lawyers  of  the  state.  He  has  a  quick,  discerning  mind  full  of  logic 
and  analysis.  He  is  a  thorough  scholar,  easily  mastering  and 
remembering  any  literary  subject.  His  distinctions  are  finely  yet 
practically  drawn,  and  he  is,  withal,  very  popular  among  all  classes. 
He  married  Miss  Lizzie  F.  Drew  in  1891. 

Edmimd  SitUivan  began  his  practice  in  Lancaster  in  1891,  and 
formed  a  partnership  with  W.  H.  Shurtleff,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Shurtleff  &  Sullivan.  He  was  born  here,  is  getting  a  good  business, 
and  is  bright  and  active.      He  is  thorough  in  his  work. 

Merrill  Shurtlef  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1896.  He  also  is 
a  Dartmouth  graduate  and  a  young  man  of  excellent  character  and 
abilities.  He  is  with  Drew,  Jordan  &  Buckley,  where  he  has  been 
ever  since  leaving  college.  He  has  been  a  close  student,  is  a  good 
lawyer,  and  will  be  heard  from  in  the  near  future.  He  married  in 
June,  1897,  Miss  Emily  Porter,  one  of  Lancaster's  many  good  girls. 

Harry  B.  Amey,  A.  B.,  Dartmouth;  Charles  Fred  Cleaveland, 
A.  B.,  Dartmouth;  and  Henry  Percy  Kent,  LL.  B.,  Boston  univer- 
sity, were  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1898.  Mr.  Amey  removed  to 
Milton,  Mr.  Cleaveland  and  Mr.  Kent  commencing  practice  in  Lan- 
caster. 

THE    PHYSICIANS    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  first  physician,  so  far  as  can  be  learned,  that  practised  medi- 
cine in  Lancaster,  was  Dr.  Samuel  White.  He  was  located  in  New- 
bury, Vt.,  in  1773,  and  visited  Lancaster  professionally  for  several 
years.  Dr.  White  died  on  "Jefferson  Hill,"  Newbur}',  Vt.,  Jan.  25, 
1848,  aged  98  years.  Dr.  Francis  Wilson  was  probably  the  first 
physician  to  locate  here.  The  exact  date  of  his  coming  cannot 
now  be  learned.  A  Dr.  Chapman  soon  followed  the  example  of 
Dr.  Wilson  and  located  here.  These  two  attended  the  people  in 
their  sickness  for  many  years.  I  find  among  the  many  papers  left  by 
Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam  a  receipt  from  one  Dr.  Gott,  as  follows : 
"  Lunenburgh  may  13th,  1783.  Received  of  Edw'ds  Bucknam  one 
Pound,  four  Shillings  as  a  gratis  for  my  Coming  up  and  Settling  In 


Eliphalet  Lyman,  M.  D. 


Benjamin  Hunking,  M.  D. 


Jacob  E.  Stickney,  M.  D. 


John  W.  Harney,  M.  D. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  47/ 

the  Practice  of  Physick  in  Lunenburg  as  witness  my  hand  Nath'l. 
Gott." 

(He  was  elsewhere  referred  to  as  "  Revd.  Nath'l.  Gott.") 

From  this  transaction  I  infer  that  Dr.  Gott  must  have  practised  in 
Lancaster  also.  About  the  time  of  the  Revolutionary  War  there 
was  an  old  lady  by  the  name  of  Stalbird  living  in  Jefferson,  who 
practised  as  a  nurse  and  "  Doctress."  She  was  familiarly  known  as 
"  Granny  Stalbird."  These  held  undisputed  sway  in  their  profes- 
sion in  Lancaster  until  1796,  just  a  century  ago  this  year,  when 
Dr.  Samuel  Legro,  an  intelligent  and  skilful  physician,  came  here 
to  settle  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery.  He  soon  won 
distinction  as  a  man  of  great  wisdom,  skill,  and  usefulness.  He 
was  a  genial  character,  liked  by  all  men.  He  lived  to  the  ripe  old 
age  of  79.  He  left  descendants  who  have  filled  many  useful  places 
in  society. 

In  1805,  Dr.  Benjamin  Hunking  of  Newbury,  Vt.,  located  in 
Lancaster  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  a  graduate  of 
the  medical  department  of  Dartmouth  college.  He  built  up  a  very 
extensive  practice,  which  he  held  for  many  years,  although  di- 
viding his  time  between  his  profession,  politics,  and  ofifice-holding. 
He  was  judge  of  probate  from  1829  to  1852.  During  the  War  of 
18 1 2  he  received  a  commission  as  assistant  surgeon  of  the  United 
States  navy.  .  He  was  stationed  at  several  stations  and  aboard 
ship  during  the  entire  period  of  the  war.  On  his  return  from  the 
navy  he  married  Drusilla,  daughter  of  Judge  Everett.  His  life  was 
spent  in  Lancaster,  where   he  died  in  1868,  at  the  age  of  86. 

In  181 5,  Dr.  Eliphalet  Lyman,  a  native  of  Connecticut  and  a 
graduate  of  Dartmouth  college,  located  in  Lancaster  and  soon  built 
up  an  extensive  practice  in  medicine  and  surgery.  He  was  a  faithful 
and  able  physician.  After  many  years  he  gave  up  his  profession 
and  opened  an  of^ce  as  a  justice  of  the  peace.  He  was  active  in 
Masonry,  and  did  much  to  promote  it  in  Lancaster.  He  died  at  the 
Coos  hotel  of  paralysis,  July  19,  1858. 

The  next  physician  to  locate  here  was  Dr.  Jacob  E.  Stickney 
of  Maine.  He  came  to  Lancaster  in  1821,  and  followed  the  prac- 
tice of  medicine  until  his  death  in  1869.  He  was  successful  and 
much  liked  as  an  able  physician,  and  a  true  and  genial  friend. 
He  had  as  partner  for  a  time  Dr.  George  T.  Dexter,  of  Boston, 
Mass.  I  find  their  card  in  the  White  Mountain  y^gis  of  October 
23,  1838,  during  its  first  year  of  publication  in  Lancaster,  announcing 
that  they  offered  their  services  to  their  friends  and  the  public  in 
medicine  and  surgery,  and  that  Dr.  Dexter  was  prepared  to  per- 
form all  operations  in  dentistry.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
ascertain.  Dr.  Dexter  was  the  first  to  practise  dentistry  in  Lancas- 
ter. 


478  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

In  1843,  Dr.  John  W.  Barney  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.,  located  here, 
and  won  the  recognition  and  confidence  of  the  people  as  an  able 
physician.  For  many  years  he  held  a  large  practice;  but,  like  other 
physicians  of  Lancaster,  he  had  political  tastes  and  aspirations.  In 
1868  he  was  elected  to  represent  the  old  Twelfth  Senatorial  dis- 
trict in  the  New  Hampshire  legislature.  He  was  reelected  in  1869. 
At  a  later  date  he  went  to  Concord,  to  live,  and  remained  there 
until  his  death  in  1883.  He  was  buried  in  the  Summer  Street 
Cemetery,  finding  a  resting-place  in  the  town  he  served  so  long  and 
loved  so  well. 

Dr.  Freedom  Dinsmore,  a  retired  physician  of  considerable  prom- 
inence, lived   in   Lancaster  from    1846   to   the   time    of   his   death  in 

1863. 

Dr.  James  D.  Folsom  practised  medicine  here  from  1853  to  about 
1870,  and  removed  to  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.,  where  he  continued  his 
work. 

One  Charles  Going,  son  of  Asahel  the  clothier,  practised  here 
for  some  years.  A  talented  young  man,  but  died  from  effects  of 
intemperance  at  the  age  of  twenty-six. 

Dr.  John  W.  Bucknam,  a  grandson  of  Gen.  Edwards  Bucknam, 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Lancaster,  practised  his  profession  here 
for  some  years  before  the  War  of  the  Rebellion ;  and,  on  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  war,  received  a  commission  as  assistant  surgeon  in  the 
famous  Fifth  N.  H.  Regiment,  and  was  with  it  through  the  service. 
He  died  at  Somersworth,  in  1869. 

Until  1880  Dr.  Frank  Bugbee  enjoyed  a  very  extensive  practice 
here  for  many  years.  In  1880  he,  with  his  entire  family,  consisting 
of  his  wife,  daughter,  his  wife's  parents,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barton  G. 
Towne,  met  tragic  deaths  by  poison,  administered,  as  it  was  sup- 
posed, by  a  young  woman  living  in  the  family.  Upon  the  exami- 
nation of  the  contents  of  several  of  the  stomachs  of  the  victims 
arsenic  was  found  in  quantities  sufificient  to  cause  death. 

Dr.  M.  R.  Woodbury  practised  here  about  the  same  time. 

Dr.  Frank  A.  Colby  was  born  in  Colebrook  in  1852,  and  came 
to  Lancaster  with  his  father,  the  late  E.  L.  Colby,  at  the  age  of 
two  years.  He  was  educated  here  and  at  Phillips  Exeter  acad- 
emy, and  received  his  degree  of  M.  D.  from  Dartmouth  college.  He 
practised  his  profession  here  for  a  time,  and  also  was  in  the  drug 
trade  in  company  with  E.  B.  Hamblen  for  some  years.  He  later 
sold  out,  and  located  in  the  practice  of  medicine  in  Berlin,  where  he 
died  from  the  effects  of  an  incurable  trouble,  which  induced  acute 
heart  disease,  July  15,  1896. 

Dr.  Oscar  Worthley,  formerly  a  surgeon  in  the  Second  Regiment 
N.  H.  Vols.,  located  here  in  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  con- 
tinued until  the  time  of  his  death  in  1890. 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  479 

The  physicians  now  here  in  the  activ-e  practice  of  medicine  and 
surgery  are : 

Dr.  Ezra  Mitchell,  who  came  from  Maine  in  1871,  and  has  en- 
joyed an  extensive  and  profitable  practice.  Dr.  Emmons  F.  Stock- 
well,  a  descendant  of  Emmons  Stockwell,  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  town,  located  here  in  practice  of  medicine  in  1871.  He,  too, 
has  enjoyed  a  large  and  profitable  practice.  In  1886  Dr.  W.  H. 
Leith  of  Haverhill,  a  graduate  of  the  Medical  school  of  Dart- 
mouth college,  settled  here  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery. 
He  has  met  with  success,  and  has  built  up  a  wide  practice. 

In  the  fall  of  1895,  Dr.  H.  B.  Carpenter  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt., 
a  graduate  of  Bellevue  Hospital  Medical  College  of  New  York  city, 
located  here  in  the  practice  of  medicine  and  surgery,  and  has  met 
with  encouragement. 

These  physicians,  so  far  mentioned,  have  all  been  of  the  regular, 
or  allopathic  school.  Lancaster  has  had  as  representatives  of  the 
homoeopathic  school,  the  following  ph}'sicians  : 

Dr.  C.  E.  Roweil,  Dr.  Daniel  L.  Jones,  and  Dr.  Frank  Spooner. 
The  latter  two  are  still  here  in  practice. 

Dr.  Francis  L.  Town,  a  native  of  Lancaster,  commenced  the  prac- 
tice here  about  1858,  but  entered  the  army  as  assistant  surgeon  iin 
1 86 1,  rising  through  all  the  grades  to  be  colonel  and  assistant  sur- 
geon-general,. U.  S.  A.     He  is  now  on  the  retired  list. 

DENTISTS. 

For  many  years  in  Lancaster,  as  in  every  other  community,  den- 
tistry consisted  solely  in  "  pulling  teeth,"  and  was  practised  either  by 
the  physicians,  or  by  men  of  little  skill  and  with  nerve  enough  to  use 
the  turnkey  or  a  pair  of  rude  forceps.  Very  soon  after  dentistry 
became  a  specialty,  the  art  was  introduced  in  Lancaster  by  Dr. 
George  T.  Dexter,  who  came  here  from  Boston,  Mass.,  in  1838, 
and  entered  into  partnership  with  Dr.  Jacob  E.  Stickney,  paying 
attention  to  dentistry. 

The  next  dentist  of  which  we  have  any  certain  knowledge  was 
Dr.  Stocking.  He  is  referred  to  in  a  diary  kept  by  the  late  Richard 
P.  Kent  as  "  treating  teeth,"  and  "  making  artificial  teeth,"  in  1846. 
He  practised  here  for  some  years.  The  next  person  to  follow  the 
practice  of  dentistry  here  was  Dr.  E.  G.  Cummings.  He  had  his 
office  at  his  residence  in  the  old  Deacon  Farrar  house,  now  the  par- 
sonage of  the  Catholic  church,  and  in  Kent's  building  from  1853. 
After  many  years  of  successful  practice  he  left  to  locate  in  Concord, 
N.  H.,  where  he  has  been  ever  since. 

Dr.  George  O.  Rogers  practised  the  profession  here  for  some 
years,  and  then  went  to  China,  where  he  enjoyed  royal  patronage 
for  a  period  of  ten  years,  making  a  fortune  out  of  his  labor.      He 


48o  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

returned  to  his  native  country,  and  is  located  somewhere  in  Oregon. 
When  he  left  Lancaster  his  place  was  taken  by  Dr.  B.  T.  Olcott, 
who  had  studied  with  him.  Dr.  Olcott  was  here  some  years,  and 
then  removed  to  Keene,  N.  H.,  where  he  is  still  in  practice. 

When  Dr.  Olcott  left  here  he  was  succeeded  by  Dr.  E.  B.  Gush- 
ing, who  after  some  few  years  of  successful  practice,  left  Lancaster 
to  locate  in  Laconia,  N.  H.,  where  he  is  still.  Dr.  Gushing  was 
succeeded  in  i88i  by  Dr.  S.  B.  Wellington,  who  for  ten  years 
enjoyed  a  good  business  here  in  the  same  oflfice  that  Drs.  Olcott 
and  Gushing  had  occupied — over  the  Lancaster  National  bank. 

When  Dr;  Wellington  left,  his  practice  was  taken  by  Dr.  W.  H. 
Thompson,  who  had  studied  with  him,  and  had  then  just  graduated 
from  the  Philadelphia  Dental  college.  Dr.  Thompson  has  enjoyed 
a  good  practice,  and  still  remains  in  the  old  office. 

About  the  time  that  Dr.  Wellington  began  practice  here,  Dr.  O. 
H.  Kimball  opened  an  office  and  practised  for  the  period  of  fifteen 
years,  at  the  end  of  which  he  retired  upon  his  farm  a  few  miles  ea.st 
of  the  village. 

Dr.  Kimball's  practice  was  taken  by  Dr.  A.  W.  Wark,  who  had 
just  graduated  from  the  Philadelphia  Dental  college,  and  who  has 
continued  in  the  practice  to  the  present  time  with  success. 

DRUGGISTS. 

For  nearly  a  century  Lancaster  could  not  boast  of  such  a  thing 
as  an  "  apothecary  shop."  In  fact  few  New  England  villages  of 
its  size,  and  so  remote  from  the  large  cities,  had  such  an  enterprise, 
now  so  well-nigh  indispensable  to  every  community. 

I  find  that  David  Page  was  presented  with  a  bill  for  medicine,  but 
by  whom  I  cannot  learn,  amounting  to  8  pounds,  13  shillings,  6 
pence,  under  three  items  as  follows  :  "To  medicine  for  your  family  ; 
to  medicine  for  your  family  and  chatties;  to  Gum  Camphor  for 
yourself."  This  was  probably  from  some  merchant  of  the  earliest 
period  of  the  settlement. 

Near  the  middle  of  the  present  century  the  merchants  began  to 
include  in  their  stocks  of  medicines  a  larger  variety  of  new  drugs 
and  proprietary  remedies.  The  earliest  inhabitants  used  but  few 
remedies  besides  the  herbs  reputed  to  possess  curative  powers. 
Many  of  these  were  wild  herbs  found  growing  about  the  country, 
and  not  a  few  of  them  gained  their  reputation  through  Indian  tra- 
ditions. After  physicians  began  to  locate  here  the  number  of  drugs 
and  proprietary  remedies  used  increased  so  that  the  merchants 
brought  quite  large  stocks  of  them  when  they  made  their  trips  to 
the  cities  for  goods.  In  the  first  issue  of  the  White  Mountain 
y^gis,  a  newspaper  published  at  Lancaster,  May  22,  1838,  I  find 
this  advertisement  of  drugs  and  medicines  by  Kent  &  Porter : 


THE    LEARNED    PROFESSIONS.  48 1 

"  Kent  &  Porter,  Main  street,  Lancaster.  Have  for  sale,  a  good  assortment  of 
drugs  and  medicines,  among  whicli  may  be  found  the  following :  Tartaric,  muri- 
atic, proligenous,  sulphuric  and  nitric  acid;  crude  antimonia;  carbonate,  aqua, 
and  spirits  of  ammonia ;  Newton's  and  Richardson's  bitters ;  Thompson's  eye- 
water;  salt  rheum,  pile  and  itch  ointment;  bayberry,  cascarilla,  winter,  peruvian 
and  prickly  ash  bark  ;  aloes,  arable,  assofoetida,  guiacum,  shellac,  and  copal  gum  ; 
senna,  uva  ursa,  and  digitalis  leaves;  peppermint,  wormwood,  lemon,  hemlock, 
annis,  cedar,  cloves,  origanum,  croton,  harlem,  spike,  amber,  soap,  British,  cas- 
tor, and  olive  oil;  Thayer's,  Lamott's,  Newton's,  Hygean,  Brandreth's,  Kingley's, 
and  Lee's  pills  ;  Dover  and  James's  powders ;  blistering,  mercurial,  adhesive, 
Oliver's,  diachylon,  plasters;  rosemary,  senneka,  columbo,  gentian,  jalap,  San- 
ders, squills,  snake,  epicac,  curcania,  arrow,  valerian,  and  pink  root ;  Epsom, 
glauber,  tartar  ammonia,  and  lemon  salts  ;  carbonate  of  soda ;  arsenic ;  Ander- 
son's cough  drops;  borax;  balsam  copavia ;  pulmonary  do.;  chloride  of  lime ; 
castile  soap  ;  calomel ;  cream  tartar  ;  cammomile  flowers  ;  castor  fiber  ;  corrosive 
sublimate  ;  colocynth  ;  cowage  ;  coculus  indicus  ;  carbonate  of  iron  ;  paragoric 
and  propriettatis  elixer ;  hyoscyamus  and  belladonna  extract ;  iodine ;  licorice  ; 
lapis  caliminus ;  red  lavender ;  magnesia ;  Moore's  essence  of  life ;  acetate  of 
morphine;  nux  vomica;  oxide  bismuth;  red  precipitate;  phosphate  of  iron; 
picra ;  quick  silver;  quinine;  quassia;  rheubarb ;  squills;  sulphuric  ether; 
spirits  of  nitre ;  saffron;  tincture  muriatic  iron;  unguentum ;  white  vitriol,  etc., 
etc.,  etc." 

A  rival  firm,  B.  H.  Chadbourn  &  Co.,  had  an  advertisement  in  the 
same  issue  of  the  paper  bearing  date  of  May  15th,  one  week  earher 
than  the  first  issuing  of  the  paper,  as  follows : 

' '  Preserve  Your  Health  !  Call  on  the  subscribers  and  (amongst  many  other 
very  important  articles),  you  will  find  the  following  Valuable  Medicines,  which  are 
genuine :  Newton's  Panacea,  Remedy  for  Dispelling  Pain,  Jaundice  Bitters,  Pul- 
monary Balsam,  Eye  Water,  Cathartic  Pills,  Itch  Ointment ;  Lee's  Pills  ;  Thayer's 
Pills  ;  Ewen's  Pills  ;  Moors  Essence  of  Life  ;  Thayer's  Oil  Soap  ;  opodeldoc  ;  gum 
camphor ;  picra  ;  Cort  Peru  ;  Rhad  Rhei ;  sugar  lead  :  cantharides  ;  opium  ;  mag- 
nesia, &c.,  &c.     All  of  which  are  genuine  and  of  the  best  quality. 

"  They  have  also  a  few  dozen  of  Doct.  Brandreth's  Pills,  which  they  recommend 
to  be  Counterfeit,  and  warranted  good  for  nothingl  Honesty  is  the  best  policy. 
B.  H.  Chadbourn  &  Co.     Lancaster,  May  15." 

In  the  same  number  of  the  paper  we  find  the  following  advertise- 
ment : 

''Pulmonary  Balsam  and  Brandreth's  Pills.  Dr.  Carter's  Compound  Pulmonary 
Balsam — Brandreth's  Vegetable  Universal  Pills,  and  Moors  Essence  of  Life,  for 
sale  by  William  T.  Carlisle.     Lancaster,  May  22,  1838." 

While  many  of  the  remedies  of  those  early  times  were  proprietary, 
it  will  be  seen  that  vast  quantities  of  drugs,  in  the  bulk,  were  kept  by 
merchants  from  which  physicians'  prescriptions,  or  private  formulas, 
were  filled.  The  parties  selling  drugs  were  not  required  to  under- 
stand the  properties  of  their  goods,  nor  the  rules  governing  their 
compounding.  That  was  left  for  the  physicians  and  the  purchaser 
to  do  on  their  own  responsibility. 

In  1856,  Dr.  John  W.  Barney  opened  a  regular  drug  store,  the 
31 


482  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

first  one  in  Lancaster.  It  was  on  the  spot  now  occupied  by  Colby's 
drug  store,  on  Main  street.  He  conducted  a  successful  business 
there  for  a  number  of  years.  He  took  Edward  Savage  into  partner- 
ship with  him,  and  in  1868  sold  out  to  Savage,  who  continued  until 
1873,  when  he  sold  out  to  Dr.  Frank  Colby.  Dr.  Colby  took  his 
brother,  Charles  F.  Colby,  into  the  firm  in  1876.  The  latter  is  still 
in  the  business  at  the  same  stand. 

In  1868,  Parker  J.  Noyes  of  Columbia  came  to  Lancaster,  and 
bought  the  two-story  building  erected  by  T.  S.  Hall,  who  married 
Mary  Page, — the  building  standing  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bun- 
ker Hill  streets,  where  James  M.  Rix's  bookstore  was  previous  to 
the  fire  that  destroyed  his  stock  in  1846;  which  store  was  originally 
the  George  F.  Hartwell  store,  standing  where  E.  Sullivan's  house 
now  is.  Mr.  Noyes  opened  a  retail  drug  store  on  a  very  modest 
scale,  later  buying  the  medicines  and  good  will  from  the  Kent 
store.  His  success  soon  made  it  necessary  to  enlarge  the  build- 
ing, and  from  time  to  time  the  same  building  has  been  thus  added 
to  until  now  it  is  a  large  structure,  but  still  being  outgrown  by  the 
healthy  growth  of  his  trade.  This  growth  was  due  to  the  man- 
ufacture of  medicines,  not  of  the  so-called  "  patent  medicines,"  but 
standard  remedies  carried  by  the  regular  drug  trade,  and  also  for 
physicians.  That  portion  of  Mr.  Noyes's  business  has  been  of  chief 
importance,  although  he  has  always  conducted  the  largest  retail 
drug  store  in  northern  New  Hampshire. 

Mr.  Noyes  has  possessed  a  genius  for  invention,  in  both  chemical 
processes  and  mechanical  appliances.  As  manufacturing  chemist 
he  felt  the  need  of  improved  machinery,  and  not  finding  what  he 
needed  in  the  market,  he  made  it.  More  than  ten  years  ago  he 
invented  a  "  pill  machine,"  that  still  holds  the  first  place  in  ma- 
chinery for  that  process.  In  addition  to  that  important  piece  of 
machinery  he  has  improved  several  others,  adding  greatly  to  their 
usefulness.  The  most  remarkable  piece  of  machinery  used  in  his 
extensive  laboratory  is  his  "  automatic  forming  and  coating  ma- 
chine," for  the  manufacture  of  pills  and  tablets.  This  ingeniously 
devised  machine  forms  the  tablet  and  coats  it  all  in  one  machine 
and  process.  This  permits  using  any  kind  of  effervescent  material 
for  coatings,  such  as  chocolate  and  sugar  of  milk.  The  coatings 
are  made  by  a  dry  process.  The  machine,  with  one  attendant,  turns 
out  5,000  tablets  per  hour.  He  is  now  using  three  of  them  in  his 
laboratory,  and  turning  out  an  enormous  product  to  meet  the  grow- 
ing demands  from  the  regular  drug  trade  and  physicians.  An 
important  feature  of  the  business  of  the  P.  J.  Noyes  Manufacturing 
Co.,  which  was  formed  with  a  $50,000  capital  in  1889,  is  filling 
physicians'  orders  for  their  own  prescriptions.  Upon  this  new 
machine   and    its   processes   Mr.   Noyes   holds   five   patents.      The 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER.  483 

mechanical  work  on  it  was  done  by  the  Thompson  Manufacturing 
Co.  of  Lancaster.  The  P.  J.  Noyes  Manufacturing  Co.  have  em- 
ployed much  of  the  time  for  the  last  few  years  as  many  as  thirty 
persons  in  their  laboratory,  and  just  at  the  present  time  they  are 
enlarging  it  by  the  fitting  up  of  a  large  building  adjoining  their  own 
building  as  an  annex  to  their  already  large  laboratory. 

In  1892,  Charles  A.  Graves  opened  a  drug  store  in  the  Kimball 
block,  corner  of  Main  and  Elm  streets,  in  which  he  continued  until 
the  fall  of  1895,  when  he  sold  out  to  George  W.  Carpenter  of  Lis- 
bon. Mr.  Carpenter  has  conducted  the  business  since  then  with 
success.  He  manufactures  a  few  proprietary  remedies,  chief  among 
which  is  "  Merrill's  Sarsaparilla,"  which  has  met  with  considerable 
favor  at  home  and  abroad. 


CHAPTER   Xin. 

FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER. 

Masons — Odd  Fellows — Knights  of  Pythias — Catholic  Order  of  For- 
esters— Knights  of  the  Maccabees — Grand  Army  of  the  Republic — 
Woman's  Relief  Corps — Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union — 
Washingtonian  Temperance  Society — Sons  of  Temperance — Good 
Templars — Friendship  Temperance  Club — Patrons  of  Husbandry. 

MASONRY    IN    LANCASTER. 

North  Star  Lodge,  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.—ln  lygy  the  fol- 
lowing persons,  all  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  residents 
of  Lancaster  and  Northumberland,  petitioned  the  grand  lodge  "  to 
be  erected  and  constituted  a  regular  lodge  of  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  "  :  George  Kimball,  John  Weeks,  Mills  DeForest,  Thomas 
Burnside,  Edmund  Head,  Jabez  Parsons,  Samuel  Phelps,  John  J. 
French,  William  Cargill,  Nathaniel  Wales,  HoUoway  Taylor,  Josiah 
Sawyer,  James  Chamberlain,  Azariah  Webb,  and  Warren  Cook. 

Their  petition  was  granted  Dec.  18,  1797,  and  a  charter  issued 
under  the  title  and  designation  of  North  Star  lodge.  No.  8.  George 
Kimball  was  appointed  master;  John  J.  French,  senior  warden; 
John  Weeks,  junior  warden  ;  "  with  power  and  authority  to  con- 
vene as  Masons  within  the  town  of  Northumberland,  and  state  of 
New  Hampshire." 

Not  until  Jan.  21,  1800,  at  the  annual  election,  did  the  lodge  have 
a  full  list  of  ofificers.  They  were  as  follows  :  Samuel  Phelps,  W.  M. ; 
Daniel  Dana,  J.  W. ;  Artemas  Wilder,  treasurer;  Richard  C.  Ever- 
ett, secretary;    Warren  Cook,  S.  D. ;    Joseph  Dyer,  S.  D. 

It  is   not   known   if,  or  for   how  long,  George  Kimball   served   as 


484  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

W.  M.,  nor  when  the  first  election  of  officers  was  held,  as  the  records 
are  too  meager  to  determine  these  questions.  James  Chamberlain 
was  W.  M.  in  1798.  Special  communications  were  frequent  in  the 
early  years  of  the  lodge.  The  opening  was  on  the  Entered  Appren- 
tice degree,  and  all  business  of  the  lodge  was  done  on  that  degree, 
Fellow  Craft  and  Master  Masons  lodges  being  opened  only  for  the 
purpose  of  conferring  these  degrees  and  delivering  lectures. 

The  communication  of  Jan.  21,  1799,  was  the  last  one  held  in 
Northumberland.  Although  North  Star  lodge  was  by  charter 
located  in  Northumberland,  then  a  more  prosperous  village  than 
Lancaster,  it  was  removed  to  the  latter  place  in  1800.  A  commu- 
nication from  the  grand  lodge  in  January,  1800,  shows  that  a 
request  for  its  removal  was  made,  and  granted. 

The  first  communication  of  the  lodge  in  Lancaster  was  a  special 
Feb.  1 1,  1800.  The  lodge  had  a  hall  about  1804.  frequently  referred 
to  in  the  Lancaster  Bridge  Records — as  "  Masonic  Hall  " — standing 
where  L  W.  Drew's  house  is.  This  building  came  down  town  and 
is  now  a  part  of  Syndicate  block.  The  lodge  in  1852  met  in  a  hall 
then  but  recently  used  by  the  Sons  of  Temperance — over  Harvey 
Adams's  blacksmith  shop,  where  the  Monahan  shop  now  is,  then  in 
the  hall  of  the  American  House,  W.  G.  Wentworth,  then  in  1854  in 
rooms  over  R.  P.  Kent's  store,  then  over  D.  A.  Burnside's  store  de- 
stroyed by  fire  in  1878,  where  Eagle  block  now  is,  then  in  1859  in 
the  hall  fitted  up  by  the  Odd  Fellows  over  the  town  hall,  and  since 
1888  in  its  present  commodious  quarters  in  the  building  which  the 
Masonic  corporation  owns. 

During  the  first  years  of  the  lodge  the  fees  were  twenty  cents  for 
each  member  each  communication  attended,  making  yearly  dues  of 
two  dollars  and  forty  cents. 

The  lodge  celebrated  St.  John  Baptist's  day  (June  24)  1801, 
in  due  form,  but  privately.  That  was  the  first  time  it  had  cele- 
brated this  anniversary.  At  the  second  regular  election  of  the 
lodge,  Jan.  19,  1802,  Stephen  Wilson  was  chosen  W.  M.  Dur- 
ing that  year  the  lodge  passed  through  some  serious  troubles, 
and  it  was  seriously  attempted  to  return  the  charter.  After  much 
discussion  on  various  occasions,  it  was  voted,  Aug.  17,  1802,  "  that 
the  charter  shall  not  be  returned."  Previous  to  1803,  it  had  been 
customary  to  elect  officers  at  any  communication  that  suited  the 
convenience  of  the  lodge  ;  but  it  was  voted  on  December  20th  of 
that  year  to  comply  with  the  request  of  the  grand  lodge,  and  elect 
officers  annually  in  December.  The  working  hours  during  those 
early  years  were  long  and  often  tedious,  from  i  to  8  in  the  after- 
noon. 

In  1806,  differences  again  disturbed  the  lodge,  and  in  April  the 
move  to  return  the  charter  was  voted  down  by  a  slender  majority. 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  485 

The  records  of  that  year  are  missing ;  but  it  is  known  that  Stephen 
Wilson  was  re-elected  W.  M.  On  June  2,  1807,  it  was  voted  "to 
return  the  charter  of  the  lodge  to  the  grand  lodge;"  and  Daniel 
Dana,  J.  M.  Tillotson,  and  Elijah  Foote  were  appointed  a  com- 
mittee to  take  charge  of  records,  jewels,  implements,  and  property 
of  the  lodge,  and  return  the  charter  to  the  grand  lodge. 

Some  time  before  18 14,  when  the  records  take  up  the  narrative  of 
the  lodge,  it  had  been  revived  by  vote  of  the  grand  lodge,  with 
Stephen  Wilson,  W.  M.,  he  having  held  that  position  for  eight 
years.  St.  John's  day  was  observed  in  1815,  the  first  time  it  was 
publicly  observed  by  the  lodge.  The  members,  in  a  body,  marched 
to  the  old  meeting-house  where  an  address  was  delivered  by  Rev. 
Dyer  Berge,  after  which  they  proceeded  to  their  hall  at  the  North 
End  and  partook  of  refreshments. 

The  first  visitation  of  the  grand  master  of  New  Hampshire  to 
North  Star  lodge  occurred  Sept.  3,  181  5,  when  William  H.  Wood- 
ward, G.  M.,  delivered  an  address.  During  that  year  the  records 
show  that  the  sum  of  $10  was  voted  to  Jeremy  L.  Cross  in  consid- 
eration of  his  services  as  a  lecturer,  in  which  capacity  and  through 
the  publication  of  several  editions  of  his  "  Hieroglyphic  Monitor," 
and  as  an  organizer  of  lodges,  he  won  a  national  reputation  and  dis- 
tinction. 

During  the^ first  twenty  years  or  more  the  only  elective  offices  were 
W.  M.,  S.  W.,  J.  W.,  secretary,  treasurer,  representative  to  the  grand 
lodge,  and  financial  committee.  On  March  4,  181 7,  the  by-laws  were 
changed  so  as  to  bring  the  annual  communication  in  March  instead 
of  December  as  before.  On  April  ist  of  that  year  it  was  voted  to 
adopt  and  wear  the  white  aprons,  not  previously  in  use.  St.  John's 
day,  1817,  was  observed  by  an  address  by  Benjamin  Hunking  at 
the  old  meeting-house,  and  refreshments  at  the  inn  of  William  and 
Noyes  Dennison,  later  known  as  the  "American  House,"  situated  on 
the  corner  of  Main  and  Elm  streets,  where  Kimball's  block  now 
stands.  At  the  annual  communication  of  March  9,  18 19,  William 
Lovejoy  was  elected  W.  M.  He  appointed  the  wardens,  the  first 
instance  of  the  kind  in  the  history  of  the  lodge,  as  they  had  before 
been  elected.  At  the  celebration  of  St.  John's  day,  18 19,  the 
address  was  given  by  Eliphalet  Lyman,  followed  by  a  "  sumptions 
dinner"  at  William  Cargill's,  after  which  the  brethren  retired  to  their 
hall  and  "  drank  a  goodly  number  of  regular  and  volunteer  toasts 
under  the  direction  of  a  toast-master."  Although  their  by-laws 
forbade  "  irregularities  and  intemperance,  or  anything  which  may 
impair  their  faculties  or  debase  the  dignity  of  their  profession,"  they 
did  drink  "  West  India  rum,"  and  "New  England  rum"  on  occa- 
sions. It  was  voted  Dec.  7,  1824,  "that  Bro.  Spencer  Clark  be  re- 
quested to  procure  five  or  more  gallons   of  West  India  rum,  and  five 


486  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

or  more  gallons  of  New  England  rum,  for  the  use  of  the  lodge;  that 
the  secretary  be  directed  to  call  on  all  the  brethren  indebted  to  the 
lodge  to  make  immediate  payment."  On  Sept.  27,  1825,  a  vote 
was  passed  against  the  use  of  liquors  in  the  lodge.  In  December  of 
that  year  some  of  the  more  bibulous  brethren  secured  the  passage  of 
a  v^ote  "  that  the  vote  passed  September  27,  prohibiting  the  use  of 
ardent  spirits  in  the  lodge  for  a  year,  be  rescinded  !  " 

From  Feb.  11,  1826,  the  records  are  lacking  until  1852.  It  is 
known,  however,  that  the  lodge  continued  through  the  period  of 
the  anti-Masonic,  or  Morgan,  crusade.  In  June,  1844,  it  surren- 
dered its  charter.  In  1852,  under  license  issued  July  13,  by  Grand 
Master  Horace  Chase,  the  members  of  the  lodge  met  in  the  Sons  of 
Temperance  hall,  over  ]Iarvey  Adams's  shop. 

In  1852  its  charter  was  reissued,  and  the  lodge  "once  more  met. 
Sept.  4,  as  before  stated.  Its  officers  were  :  Eliphalet  Lyman,  W.  M. ; 
Ephraim  Cross,  S.  W. ;  Charles  Baker,  J.  W. ;  Jacob  E.  Stickney, 
secretary;  Benjamin  Hunking,  treasurer ;  George  Ingerson,  S.  D. ; 
Allen  Smith,  J.  D. ;  John  Savage,  tyler.  It  is  supposed  that  these 
were  the  officers  in  1845,  when  the  charter  was  surrendered.  They 
were  unanimously  elected  at  the  annual  election  of  officers,  May 
24,  1853,  and  with  the  exception  of  Charles  W.  Smith,  entered  ap- 
prentice, were  all  the  members  present  at  the  meeting.  During 
1853  the  lodge  moved  to  "  Wentworth  Hall,"  in  the  old  American 
House,  where  it  continued  to  meet  for  about  a  year,  when  it  re- 
moved to  rooms  over  R.  P.  Kent's  store.  It  remained  there  one 
year,  when  it  removed  to  a  hall  over  David  Burnside's  store,  stand- 
ing where  Eagle  block  now  does.  The  building  was  later  known  as 
Rowell's  block.  Here  it  remained  for  some  time,  and  had  a  reason- 
able growth;  for  in  June,  1855,  a  vote  was  passed  to  authorize  the 
treasurer  "to  procure  twenty-nine  working  aprons,  with  suitable 
insignia  upon  them  for  the  officers  ;  also  a  square  and  compass  of 
solid  silver."  The  latter,  it  is  said,  are  the  ones  still  in  use  b}'  the 
lodge.  In  1856  the  lodge  removed  to  the  hall  in  the  attic  of  the 
town  hall  building,  formerly  the  old  meeting-house,  where  it  still 
remains  in  a  remodeled  and  elegant  hall  of  its  own.  The  hall  at 
that  time  was  known  as  Odd  Fellows'  hall.  At  a  special  commu- 
nication, held  May  26,  1856,  it  was  voted  "that  all  business  of  the 
lodge,  including  the  balloting  for  candidates,  be  transacted  in  a 
Master  Masons  lodge,  with  the  exception  of  the  work  of  conferring 
entered  apprentice  and  F.  C.  degrees.  The  use  of  liquor  in  the 
lodge  was  prohibited.  St.  Evangelist's  Day,  Dec.  27,  was  celebrat- 
ed by  the  lodge  by  going  to  Whitefield,  where  dinner  was  had  at  the 
John's  River  house,  with  toasts  and  addresses. 

The  noted  Indian,  Louis  Annance,  was  the  only  one  of  his  race 
who  ever  belonged  to  North  Star  lodge.     He  was  cordially  loved 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER.  487 

by  all,  and  kindly  remembered  by  the  lodge  in  his  old  age  by  the 
gift  of  $25  on  one  occasion,  when  in  indigent  circumstances. 

The  first  public  installation  of  ofificers  took  place  in  the  town  hall, 
May  5,  1868,  and  in  December  following  the  silver  jewels  now  in 
use  were  purchased.  In  1878,  the  lodge  receiv^ed  a  bequest  of  $50 
from  the  estate  of  Rev.  Daniel  Austin,  once  a  farmer  in  Jefferson, 
clergyman,  and  man  of  fortune  and  leisure,  once  a  debtor  within 
the  jail  limits  of  Lancaster.  He  was  made  a  member  in  1832.  His 
memory  is  now  substantially  commemorated  by  the  lodge  altar,  pur- 
chased with  his  bequest. 

In  1880,  the  lodge  offered  a  reward  of  $50  for  tidings  of  Silas 
Hurlburt,  an  old  and  feeble  man,  who  wandered  away  from  his  home 
into  the  woods  on  Page  hill  and  was  lost,  no  tidings  of  whom  have 
ever  been  received.  He  was  made  a  member  in  18 19,  and  in  1880, 
at  his  request,  had  been  promised  by  the  W.  M.  Masonic  burial. 

In  1884,  the  lodge  bought  the  town  hall  property.  "The  North 
Star  Corporation  "  was  formed  under  the  laws  of  New  Hampshire,- 
and  acquired  title.  North  Star  Lodge,  North  Star  Chapter,  and 
North  Star  Commandery  combined,  and  hold  equal  shares  in  the 
building,  each  appointing  two  of  the  six  trustees  for  the  govern- 
ment of  the  same.  The  custody  of  the  building  is  entrusted  to  a 
janitor.  W.  L.  Rowell  has  held  that  office  since  the  arrangement 
was  effected.  Henry  O.  Kent,  E.  V.  Cobleigh,  John  L.  Moore,  E.  R. 
Kent,  Moses  A.  Hastings,  and  W.  L.  Rowell  are  the  trustees,  La 
Fayette  Moore  and  S.  H.  Legro,  deceased,  having  served. 

At  the  annual  town  meeting  in  1888,  an  arrangement  was  entered 
into  between  the  town  and  the  corporation,  by  which  the  town  re- 
linquished to  the  corporation  certain  rights  to  the  town  hall  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  building,  and  paid  $2,000  in  consideration  of 
the  completion  of  certain  repairs  and  the  subsequent  maintenance  of 
the  pubHc  hall  for  town  purposes.  In  May,  1888,  work  was  begun 
on  the  town  hall  and  the  second  story  was  opened  to  the  public  on 
Jan.  9,  1889.  This  spacious  auditorium  is  frequently  designated  as 
"  Music  Hall."  A  dedicatory  service  w^as  held,  and  on  St.  John 
Baptist's  day,  June  24,  the  Masons  dedicated  their  spacious  hall  and 
apartments  on  the  third  floor.  The  frame  of  this  building  is  the 
old  meeting-house  that  stood  on  the  plateau  south  of  it,  now  known 
as  Soldiers'  Park,  for  fifty  years.  It  ceased  to  be  used  for  church 
purposes  when  the  present  Congregational  meeting-house  was  built 
in  1840.  The  last  use  of  the  building  on  its  old  site  was  for  an 
entertainment  given  by  the  students  of  Lancaster  academy,  Novem- 
ber, 1844.  The  house  having  been  built  by  the  town,  was  town 
property  when  it  was  no  longer  used  for  church  purposes.  In  1845, 
arrangements  were  made  with  Royal  Joyslin,  a  merchant,  to  move 
the  building  to  the  site  it  now  occupies.     The  building  was  set  upon 


488  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

blocks  six  feet  high,  and  the  street  graded  up  to  the  level  of  its  sills. 
The  ground  floor  was  cleared  of  its  pews,  and  used  by  Mr.  Joyslin 
as  a  store.  Part  of  the  galleries  were  removed  and  a  floor  placed 
for  a  town  hall,  which  is  the  present  "  Music  Hall !  "  The  attic  of 
the  building  was  a  little  later  fitted  up  for  the  Odd  Fallows. 

The  dedication  of  the  remodeled  Masonic  temple,  June  24,  1889, 
was  an  important  event  in  the  history  of  Lancaster  as  well  as  in  the 
history  of  Masonry.  Invitations  had  been  sent  out  and  responded 
to  in  large  numbers  by  the  following  Masonic  bodies:  Evening  Star 
Lodge,  No.  37,  of  Colebrook;  Gorham  Lodge,  No.  "ji,  of  Gorham  ; 
White  Mountain  Lodge,  of  VVhitefield ;  Burns  Lodge,  No.  66,  of 
Littleton ;  St.  Gerard  Commandery,  of  Littleton ;  Palestine  Com- 
mandery,  No.  5,  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.  The  dedicatory  services 
occurred  at  i  130  o'clock,  and  were  participated  in  by  five  hundred 
Masons,  who  assembled  in  Masonic  hall,  while  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
New  Hampshire  gathered  at  Odd  Fellows'  hall,  which  had  been  ten- 
dered for  the  occasion.  After  the  opening  of  North  Star  Lodge 
in  due  and  ancient  form,  an  escort  brought  the  grand  lodge  to  Ma- 
sonic temple,  to  dedicate  the  new  hall  to  the  uses  of  Masonry. 

Eagle  hall  was  the  place  of  banqueting,  whither  the  throng  of 
guests  and  their  hosts  repaired  for  a  feast  seldom  equalled,  and  never 
surpassed,  in  magnificence,  in  Lancaster. 

In  the  evening  the  large  Music  hall  was  crowded  by  the  frater- 
nity, their  wives,  and  citizens  of  Lancaster,  to  listen  to  fine  music  and 
eloquent  speeches.  The  principal  address  was  delivered  by  Bro. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Past  Master.  It  was  a  finished  and  scholarly  ora- 
tion.     This  address  was  afterward  published   and  widely  circulated. 

North  Star  Lodge  has  sent  forth  of  its  members  the  nuclei  of  the 
following  lodges,  that  owe  their  origin  to  the  training  which  their 
charter  members  received  in  this  mother  lodge :  Evening  Star 
Lodge,  No.  ^y"] ,  of  Colebrook;  Kane  Lodge,  No.  64,  of  Lisbon; 
Burns  Lodge,  No.  66,  of  Littleton;  Gorham  Lodge,  No.  73,  of  Gor- 
ham ;  White  Mountain  Lodge,  No.  86,  of  Whitefield ;  Passump- 
sic  Lodge,  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. ;    Island  Pond  Lodge,  Island  Pond,  Vt. 

Its  present  list  of  officers  are  as  follows  for  1896- 1897:  Chester 
P.  Brown,  W.  M. ;  George  B.  Underwood,  S.  W. ;  John  C.  East- 
man, J.  W. ;  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  treasurer;  Charles  E.  Mclntire, 
secretary;  James  R.  Flanders,  S.  S. ;  William  L.  Rowell,  Jr.,  J.  S. ; 
D.  Eugene  Rowell,  S.  D. ;  Joseph  Smith,  J.  D.  ;  Ivan  W.  Ouimby, 
marshal;  Nelson  Sparks,  chaplain;  Ephraim  C.  Roby,  tyler; 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Frank  Spooner,  finance  committee.  Number  of 
members,  207. 

The  centennial  of  this  ancient  lodge  was  celebrated  with  great 
ceremony  by  the  lodge  and  its  offspring  above  referred  to,  by  a 
public  Masonic  banquet  of  414  plates,  in  the   town  hall,  Monday, 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  489 

December   27,   St.    John's    (Evangelist's)    day,  1897,  an  account  of 
which  is  published  in  an  elaborate  illustrated  pamphlet. 

NORTH    STAR    COMMANDERY,    KNIGHTS   TEMPLAR. 

In  1857,  a  few  Master  Masons  of  North  Star  Lodge  and  com- 
panions of  the  Royal  Arch,  desiring  the  benefits  of  Christian  Ma- 
sonry, obtained  the  honors  of  knighthood  at  Portland,  Me.,  and 
Manchester.  These,  with  Curtis  Cleaveland,  an  old  Sir  Knight 
from  Burlington,  Vt.,  then  residing  at  Northumberland,  sent  a  peti- 
tion to  Hon.  William  B.  Hubbard,  Grand  Master  Knights  Templar 
in  the  United  States,  asking  a  dispensation  to  organize  a  Comman- 
dery  at  Lancaster.  On  May  8,  1857,  a  dispensation  was  issued, 
and  on  May  1 1  the  Sir  Knights  met  and  organized  North  Star  Com- 
mandery,  with  the  following  officers:  Jared  L  Williams,  eminent 
commander;  La  Fayette  Moore,  generalissimo;  George  C.Williams, 
captain-general. 

Immediately  after  the  organization  of  the  commandery  the  order 
of  knighthood  was  conferred  on  James  A.  Smith  and  James  D.  Fol- 
som. 

As  there  was  no  chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  in  this  jurisdic- 
tion nearer  than  Concord,  consent  was  obtained  of  Blazing  Star 
Chapter  for  Haswell  Chapter  of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt.,  to  confer  the 
Royal  Arch  degrees  upon  candidates  from  northern  New  Hamp- 
shire. Later,  many  North  Star  Masons  took  the  chapter  degrees 
in  Franklin  Chapter,  Lisbon.  North  Star  Commandery  continued 
to  work  under  dispensation  until  Nov.  24,  1859,  when  it  was 
organized  under  a  charter  from  the  Grand  Encampment  of  the 
United  States,  as  North  Star  Commandery,  No.  3,  of  New  Hamp- 
shire. It  had  then  increased  in  membership  from  eight  to  fifteen 
members.  The  following  officers  were  elected  :  J.  I.  Williams,  emi- 
inent  commander ;  La  Fayette  Moore,  generalissimo  ;  George  C.  Wil- 
liams, captain-general ;  Henry  O.  Kent,  prelate ;  John  W.  Barney, 
senior  warden;  David  A.  Burnside,  treasurer;  Henry  O.  Kent,  re- 
corder; James  A.  Smith,  standard  bearer;  Curtis  Cleaveland,  sword 
bearer;  Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  warder;  Alex.  Thompson  and  Dan- 
forth  Willey,  captains  of  the  guard. 

The  same  ofificers  were  reelected  in  i86o-'6i,  '62,  '6^,. 

In  i860.  North  Star  Commandery  assisted  in  organizing  the 
Grand  Commandery  of  New  Hampshire.  The  commandery  has 
had  from  the  first  a  steady  growth,  until  to-day  it  numbers  214 
members,  with  the  following  list  of  ofificers : 

Sir  William  Hinkley  Thompson,  eminent  commander  ;  Sir 
Thomas  C.  Beattie,  generalissimo  ;  Sir  Garvin  R.  Magoon,  captain 
general;    Sir  Joseph   Fames,   prelate;    Sir   George    B.   Underwood, 


490  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

senior  warden;  Sir  Joseph  Smith,  junior  warden;  Sir  Erastus  V. 
Cobleigh,  treasurer;  Sir  Ralph  L.  Drisko,  recorder  pro  tern;  Sii" 
Levi  H.  Parker,  standard  bearer;  Sir  Stetson  W.  Gushing,  sword 
bearer;  Sir  Parker  J.  Noyes,  warder;  Sir  John  C.  Eastman,  Persian 
guard  ;  Sir  WilHam  M.  Heath,  second  guard  ;  Sir  Charles  L.  Dol- 
loff,  first  guard  ;  Sir  Ephraim  C.  Roby,  sentinel ;  Sir  Ernest  E. 
Smith,  organist;  Sir  Henry  O.  Kent,  Sir  La  Fayette  Moore,*  finance 
committee;  past  commanders,  E.  Sir  Jared  L  Williams,  R.  E.  Sir 
Henry  O.  Kent,  E.  Sir  Benjamin  F.  Hunking,*  E.  Sir  Edward  R. 
Kent,  V.  E.  Sir  Thomas  S.  Ellis,  V.  E.  Sir  Moses  A.  Hastings,  E. 
Sir  Thomas  S.  Underwood,  E.  Sir  Frank  Spooner,  E.  Sir  Ivan  W. 
Ouimby. 

NORTH    STAR    CHAPTER    ROYAL    ARCH    MASONS,    NO.    1 6. 

This  chapter  was  instituted  in  Lancaster  in  1868.  The  dispensa- 
tion signed  by  Nathaniel  W.  Cumner,  G.  H.  P.,  bears  the  date  July 
8,  1868.  Dr.  George  O.  Rogers  was  the  prime  mover,  and  it  was 
mainly  through  his  efforts  that  the  chapter  was  established.  Its 
charter  was  signed  by  Daniel  R.  Marshall,  G.  H.  P.,  June  8,  1869. 
The  charter  members  were :  Geo.  O.  Rogers,  Samuel  H.  LeGro, 
Ezra  B.  Bennett,  E.  V.  Cobleigh,  J.  S.  Ockington,  H.  O.  Kent,  Ed- 
ward Savage,  Philo  S.  Cherry,  Richard  Hovey,  Edward  R.  Kent, 
Daniel  C.  Pinkham. 

The  first  convocation  was  held  under  dispensation  of  July  8,  1868, 
in  the  office  of  Dr.  Rogers,  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Middle 
streets,  now  occupied  by  Dr.  VV.  H.  Thompson,  at  which  the  follow- 
ing companions  were  present:  George  O.  Rogers,  H.  P.;  Samuel 
H.  LeGro,  K. ;  Edward  Savage,  S. ;  the  grand  council  was  named  in 
the  dispensation,  and  J.  S.  Ockington,  E.  R.  Kent,  H.  O.  Kent,  W. 
H.  N.  Prince,  D.  Thompson,  E.  V.  Cobleigh,  P.  S.  Cherry,  and  E. 
B.  Bennett  were  members. 

At  the  first  annual  convocation  held  in  Masonic  hall.  May  19, 
1869,  the  following  officers  were  elected: 

Edward  Savage,  E.  H.  P.;  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  E.  K. ;  W.  H.  N. 
Prince,  E.  S. ;  Edward  R.  Kent,  C.  H. ;  Chester  B.  Jordan,  P.  S. ; 
Daniel  Thompson,  R.  A.  C. ;  Philo  S.  Cherry,  M.  3d  V.;  William 
L.  Rowell,  M.  2nd  V.;  Abner  Thompson,  M.  ist  V.;  Jphn  S. 
Ockington,  treasurer;  Alex.  Thompson,  secretary;  Richard  Hovey, 
t}-ler. 

These  officers  were  installed  at  a  special  convocation  Sept.  22, 
1869,  at  which  time  the  chapter  was  dedicated.  This  chapter  has 
been  self-sustaining,  and  on  a  sound  financial  basis,  from  the  first 
year  of  its  existence.      It  owns  a  one-third   interest  in  Masonic  tem- 

*Deceased. 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER.  49 1 

pie.      It   now   has  a    membership  of   235,  with    the  following   list   of 
ofificers  for  1896,  '97: 

George  B.  Underwood,  E.  H.  P.;  Parker  J.  Noyes,  K. ;  Fielding 
Smith,  S. ;  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  treasurer;  Charles  E.  Mclntire, 
secretary;  Fred  H.  Nourse,  C.  H. ;  Joseph  Smith,  P.  S. ;  Charles  R. 
Bailey,  R.  A.  C. ;  Joseph  Fames,  chaplain ;  Edward  A.  Wood- 
ward, M.  3rd  v.;  D.  Eugene  Rowell,  M.  2nd  V.;  James  R.  Flan- 
ders, M  1st  v.;  Charles  L.  Dolloff,  S.  S. ;  Ralph  Drisko,  J.  S. ; 
Ephraim  C.  Roby,  sentinel ;  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ivan  W.  Quimby, 
finance  committee. 

The  companions  who  have  served  as  high  priest  are  as  follows  : 
Edward  Savage,  1870-1874;  Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  1875-1879, 
and  1883;  Nelson  Sparks,  1880-1882;  John  H.  Smith,  1884-1887; 
Ivan  W.  Quimby,  1887. 

NORTH    STAR    LODGE  OF  PERFECTION  A.  A.  SCOTTISH    RITE    MASONS. 

A  dispensation  to  form  a  lodge  of  A.  A.  S.  R.  M.  in  Lancaster 
was  transmitted  to  111.  Bro.  Henry  O.  Kent,  33°,  by  111.  Bro.  George 
W.  Currier,  33°,  deputy  for  New  Hampshire.  By  the  authority  thus 
conferred  upon  him,  Bro.  Kent  summoned  the  illustrious  brothers  of 
the  32°,  of  the  A.  A.  Scottish  Rite  Masons,  to  convene  at  the 
Masonic  temple,  Nov.  27,  1894,  where  he  presided,  and  111.  Bro.  S. 
W.  Gushing,  32°,  was  appointed  secretary,  with  111.  Bro.  Moses  A. 
Hastings,  32°,  as  marshal. 

The  following  officers  were  named  in  the  dispensation  : 

III  Bro.  Edward  R.  Kent,  32°,  thrice  potent  grand  master;  111. 
Bro.  Frank  Spooner,  32°,  Hiram  of  Tyre,  deputy  grand  master; 
111.  Bro.  Garvin  R.  Magoon,  32°,  venerable  senior  grand  warden  ;  111. 
Bro.  Herman  E.  Oleson,  32°,  venerable  junior  grand  warden. 

The  dispensation  was  read,  and  it  was  decided  to  proceed  to  com- 
plete the  full  list  of  officers,  which  was  done  by  ballot,  showing  the 
following  persons  elected  : 

111.  Bro.  Fred  W.  Page,  32°,  grand  orator;  111.  Bro.  Erastus  V. 
Cobleigh,  32°,  grand  treasurer;  111.  Bro.  Stetson  Ward  Gushing, 
32°,  grand  secretary;  111.  Bro.  John  M.  Wilson,  32°,  grand  master 
of  ceremonies ;  111.  Bro.  John  C.  Pattee,  32°,  grand  captain  of  the 
guard;  111.  Bro.  Willie  E.  Bullard,  32°,  grand  hospitaller;  111.  Bro. 
Levi  H.  Parker,  32°,  grand  tyler. 

These  officers  of  North  Star  Lodge  of  Perfection,  A.  A.  S.  R  , 
were  then  proclaimed,  and  proclamation  was  made  by  the  authority 
of  the  warrant  of  dispensation  that  the  lodge  was  created,  instituted, 
and  ready  for  the*  transaction  of  business. 

The  following  named  persons  were  charter  members  : 

E.  R.  Kent,  F.   Spooner,   G.   R.   Magoon,   H.   E.  Oleson,  H.  O. 


492  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

Kent,  W.  A.  Loyne,  A.  S.  Twitchell,  G.  Davis,  H.  A.  Graves,  W.  W. 
Pike,  H.  W.  Hinds,  C.  H.Thayer,  F.  W.  Page,  M.  B.  Lougee,  E.  W. 
Evans,  F.  W.  Noyes,  W.  C.  Perkins,  G.  E.  Hutchins,  C.  H.  Evans, 

E.  V.  Cobleigh,  S.  W.  Gushing,  J.  C.  Pattee,  J.  M.  Wilson,  G.  A. 
Norton,  C.  C.  O'Brion,  E.  Blood,  J.  Smith,  R.  C.  Chesman,  H.  A. 
Moore,  P.  S.  Terrell,  H.  B.  Gilkey,  W.  E.  Bullard,  J.  D.  Howe, 
C.  O.  Whipp,  H.  B.  Hinman,  J.  R.  Perkins,  L.  B.  Whipp,  J.  S. 
Phipps,  J.  B.  Noyes,  C.  A.  Cleaveland,  M.  A.  Hastings,  V.  V.  Whit- 
ney, C.  O.  Stevens,  G.  A.  Lane,  F.  P.  Washburn,  W.  H.  Little,  C.  W. 
Brown,  M.  Perkins,  J.  C.   Hutchins,  J.  W.  Crawshaw,   L.  H.  Parker, 

F.  H.  Nourse, — 52. 

The  present  number  of  members  is  62.  The  following  are  the 
ofificers  for  1896  : 

111.  Bro.  Frank  Spooner,  32^,  T.  P.  G.  M. ;  111.  Bro.  Garvin  R. 
Magoon,  33°,  H.  of  T.  D.  G.  M. ;  111.  Bro.  John  C.  Pattee,  32°, 
V.  S.  G.  W.;  111.  Bro.  Herbert  A.  Moore,  32°,  V.  J.  G.  W. ;  111.. 
Bro.  Fred  W.  Page,  32°,  G.  O. ;    Ih.  Bro.  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  32°, 

G.  Treas. ;  111.  Bro.  Stetson  W.  Gushing,  32°,  G.  Sec'y ;  111.  Bro.  Phil- 
lip S.  Tirrell,  32°,  G.  M.  of  C.;  111.  Bro.  Manasah  Perkins,  32°,  G. 
C.  of  G. ;  111.  Bro.  Wheelock  H.  Little,  32°,  G.  H. ;  111.  Bro.  Levi  H. 
Parker,  32°,  G.  T. ;  111.  Bro.  Joseph  D.  Howe,  32°,  111.  Bro.  Joseph 
Smith,  32°,  finance  committee, — 62. 

Persons  from  Lancaster  who  have  held  ofifices  in  the  grand  bodies 
of  Masonry,  state  and  national : 

Grand  Lodge  of  New  Hampshire. — Stephen  Wilson,  district 
deputy  grand  master,  1823-26  and  1843,  '44. 

John  Wilson,  grand  sword  bearer,  1824-26,  and  district  deputy 
grand  master,  1842. 

William  Lovejoy,  district  deputy  grand  master,  1827  and  1830. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  district  deputy  grand  master,  1831-39. 

Eliphalet  Lyman,  district  deputy  grand  master,  1840,  '41. 

Jared  I.  Williams,  grand  lecturer,  i854-'57;  district  deputy 
grand  master,  1858,  '59;  junior  grand  deacon,  i860;  senior  grand 
deacon,  1861. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  grand  lecturer,  i860,  '61  ;  district  deputy  grand 
master,  1862,  '6'^,  '66,  '69. 

Grand  Co?nniandery  of  New  Hampshire. — Henry  O.  Kent, 
grand  sword  bearer,  i86o-'62;  grand  junior  warden,  1863;  grand 
senior  warden,  1864;  grand  captain  general,  1865-66;  generalis- 
simo, 1867;  grand  commander  of  Knights  Templar,  1868—69; 
representative  of  the  Grand  Commandery  of  Vermont  since  1870; 
deputy  of  the  grand  master  to  constitute  North  Star  Commandery, 
1859. 

Edward  Savage,  grand  captain  of  the  guard,  1867,  '68. 

Thomas  S.  Ellis,   grand   sword   bearer,    1875,  '']6\   grand  junior 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER.  493 

warden,  1877;  grand  senior  warden,  1878;  grand  captain  general, 
1879.  (Grand  lecturer,  1877,  'jS;  district  deputy  grand  master, 
1879,  '80,  grand  lodge.) 

Edward  R.  Kent,  grand  captain  of  the  guard,  1877;  grand  war- 
der, 1878  ;  grand  sword  bearer,  1879;  grand  standard  bearer,  1880; 
grand  junior  warden,  1881  ;  grand  senior  warden,  1882-84;  grand 
captain  general,  1885;  grand  generalissimo,  1886;  deputy 
grand  commander,  1887;  grand  commander  of  the  Grand  Com- 
mandery  of  Knights  Templar,  1888;  representative  of  the  Grand 
Commandery  of  Indiana  since  1886. 

George  C.  Williams,  grand  marshal,  i860,  '61  ;  junior  grand 
deacon,  1862;    grand  sword  bearer,  1864,  '65. 

Grand  Lodge. — Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  grand  lecturer,  1864- 
1867;  Edward  Savage,  grand  lecturer,  1870-1873;  D.  D.  G.  M., 
1875-1876;  Charles  E.  Mclntire,  grand  lecturer,  1885. 

Grand  Commandery. — Moses  A.  Hastings,  grand  captain  of  the 
guard,  1888;  grand  sword  bearer,  1889;  grand  standard  bearer, 
1890;  grand  senior  warden,  1 89 1  ;  grand  captain  general,  1892; 
grand  generalissimo,  1893;  deputy  grand  commander  in  Grand 
Commandery  Knights  Templar,  1894;  grand  lecturer  of  the  fifth 
Masonic  district  in  the  grand  lodge,  1 886-1 887. 

Grand  Chapter. — Edward  Savage,  grand  steward,  1870;  grand 
master  of  first  veil,  1871  ;  grand  master  of  second  veil,  1872; 
Thomas  S.  Ellis,  grand  steward,  1879;  Thomas  C.  Beattie,  grand 
steward,  1894- 1895  !  I^'^n  W.  Ouimby,  grand  steward,  1889. 

Grand  Co7nmandery . — Jared  I.  Williams,  grand  captain  general, 
1 860- 1 86 1  ;  George  C.  Williams,  grand  junior  warden,  1862. 

OLIVE   BRANCH    CHAPTER    OF   THE    ORDER    OF   THE    EASTERN    STAR. 

This  chapter  of  adoptive  Masonry  was  instituted  in  Lancaster,  at 
Masonic  hall,  March  16,  1870.  The  ceremonies  of  instituting  the 
chapter  and  installing  its  officers  was  conducted  by  Grand  Com- 
mander Forbes.  A  meeting  for  that  purpose  was  called  at  2  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon  of  the  above  date,  and  after  an  address  by  Com- 
mander Forbes,  the  degrees  of  the  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  were 
conferred  upon  the  following  named  persons:  Ann  I.  Savage,  Ruth 
A.  Hovey,  Helen  Cherry,  Martha  A.  Rowell,  Richard  Hovey, 
Abner  Thompson,  Philo  S.  Cherry,  Ellen  E.  Cobleigh,  Sarah  B. 
Cleaveland,  Martha  J.  Thompson,  Edward  Savage,  Erastus  V.  Cob- 
leigh, Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  and  William  L.  Rowell. 

An  election  of  officers  resulted  in  the  choice  of  the  following  per- 
sons :  Edward  Savage,  W.  P.;  Ann  I.  Savage,  W.  M. ;  Ellen  E. 
Cobleigh,  A.  M. ;  Martha  J.  Thompson,  treasurer;  Helen  Cherry, 
secretary;  Sarah  B.  Cleaveland,  C;  Ruth  A.  Hovey,  A.  C. 

At  an  adjourned  meeting  in  the   evening  of  the  same  day  Com- 


494  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

niander  Forbes  installed  these  officers,  and  conferred  the  degrees 
upon  Mrs.  Eudora  Smith  and  Miss  Emma  Marshall. 

A  code  of  by-laws,  prepared  by  a  committee  consisting  of  Sarah 
B.  Cleaveland,  Ann  I.  Savage,  Martha  A.  Rowell,  Edward  Savage, 
and  Abner  Thompson,  were  adopted,  and  with  but  slight  changes 
are  the  same  that  are  in  force  to-day. 

The  first  public  installation  of  officers  of  the  chapter  took  place 
Jan.  26,  1877.  The  ceremony  was  conducted  by  Frank  Peabody, 
W.  P.,  assisted  by  Rev.  George  H.  Pinkham  of  Whitefield,  after 
which  the  assembled  company  partook  of  an  elaborate  banquet,  the 
first  ever  given  by  the  chapter.  In  January,  1885,  the  chapter  gave 
a  public  entertainment  from  the  proceeds  of  which  they  purchased 
an  organ,  and  placed  it  in  Masonic  hall.  The  chapter  has  been  a 
popular  and  a  useful  institution  in  the  community.  It  has  enjoyed 
a  healthy  growth,  and  now  numbers  over  one  hundred  members. 

The  chapter  was  organized  on  what  is  known  as  a  "  McCoy  Char- 
ter," which  left  every  lodge  independent  of  all  other  lodges.  This 
charter  was  given  up  under  the  advice  of  Rev.  C.  J.  Henley,  in 
1888,  for  a  charter  issued  by  the  grand  chapter  of  the  United  States. 
This  charter  was  granted  to  the  entire  membership  of  the  first  lodge, 
as  No.  I  of  the  General  Grand  Chapter  of  the  United  States,  May 
12,  1888,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Lucy  Spooner,  Jo- 
sephine Bailey,  Helen  A.  Stuart,  Persis  F.  Chase,  Luella  Peabody, 
Carrie  M.  Smith,  Abbie  L.  Roby,  H.  Alice  Peabody,  Kate  Hatch, 
Annie  O.  Kent,  Addie  Wilson,  Grace  Whitcomb. 

On  May  12,  1891,  the  Grand  Chapter  of  New  Hampshire  was  or- 
ganized in  Lancaster.  There  were  then  only  seven  chapters  in  New 
Hampshire,  six  of  which  represented  in  the  convention  for  the 
organization  of  a  grand  chapter  for  the  state.  Most  appropriately 
Olive  Branch  Chapter,  No.  i,  was  privileged  to  act  as  hostess  on 
that  occasion.  The  Lancaster  chapter  was  honored  by  the  selection 
of  the  following  of  its  members  as  officers  in  the  grand  chapter: 
Dr.  Frank  Spooner,  grand  patron ;  Luella  E.  Peabody,  grand  asso- 
ciate conductor;  Helen  A.  Stewart,  grand  marshal;  Lucy  Spooner, 
grand  Martha. 

The  officers  for  1896  are: 

Emma  F.  Roberts,  W.  M. ;  Washington  D.  Marshall,  W.  P.; 
Addie  E.  Wilson,  A.  M. ;  Kate  M.  Marshall,  secretary  ;  Sarah  E. 
Griswold,  treasurer;  Clara  A.  Roby,  C. ;  Gertrude  Noyes,  A.  C. ; 
Alice  Woodward,  W. ;  Mabel  C.  Thompson,  Adah ;  Blanche  A. 
Moore,  Ruth;  Mary  Porter,  Esther;  Gertrude  P.  Crawford,  Martha; 
Nena  H.  Edmunds,  Electa;  Hattie  B.  Smith,  chaplain;  Mary  N. 
Brackett,  marshal;  Nellie  B.  Kent,  organist;  E.  C.  Roby,  sentinel. 

The  past  worthy  patrons  have  been  :  Edward  Savage,  H.  H.  Por- 
ter,  Frank    Peabody,   Dan   Lee   Jones,    Edward    R.    Kent,   Eugene 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  495 

Leavitt,  C.  J.  Henley,  Frank  Spooner,  C.  W.  Brown,  Chester  P. 
Brown,  W.  H.  Thompson,  Herbert  A.  Moore,  W.  D.  Marshall. 

The  worthy  matrons  have  been  :  Ann  I.  Savage,  Ellen  E.  Cob- 
leigh,  Eliza  M.  Spaulding,  Emma  F.  M.  Jones,  Martha  A.  Corning, 
Grace  Whitcomb,  Hattie  Smith,  Lucy  Spooner,  Helen  A.  Stewart, 
Luella  E.  Peabody,  Emma  F.  Roberts. 

Back  in  the  fifties  there  was  an  organization  of  Adoptive  Masonry, 
embracing  wives  and  daughters  of  Master  Masons.  John  VV.  Bar- 
ney, the  presiding  officer,  was  the  "Helion"  of  the  ritual.  Henry  O. 
Kent,  Jared  I.  Williams,  James  D.  Folsom,  La  Fayette  Moore,  B.  F. 
Hunking,  John  S.  Ockington,  and  the  active  Masons  of  those  days, 
with  their  wives,  were  members.  This  society  was  the  precursor  of 
the  existing  chapter  chronicled  above. 

THE    ODD    FELLOWS. 

In  1849  a  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  was  organized  here  under  the 
name  of  the  White  Mountain  lodge,  chiefly  by  a  number  of  civil 
engineers  then  at  work  on  the  line  of  the  Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence 
Railroad  (now  the  Grand  Trunk),  which  it  was  hoped  would  be 
built  through  Lancaster.  This  lodge  flourished  for  a  time,  but 
became  extinct  soon  after  its  original  promoters  left  town. 

On  Sept.  27,  1850,  Coos  lodge,  No.  35,  L  O.  O.  F.,  of  Lancaster 
was  instituted,. in  response  to  a  desire  on  the  part  of  a  number  of 
old  residents,  among  whom  were  the  members  of  the  former  White 
Mountain  lodge.  It  flourished  for  a  few  years,  but  became  defunct 
in  1856.  Until  1874  there  was  no  attempt  to  resuscitate  it.  In 
that  year  a  few  of  the  surviving  members  revived  the  lodge,  since 
which  time  it  has  had  an  eventful  career,  out  of  which  it  is  emerging 
into  what  promises  to  be  a  prosperous  future.  When  the  lodge  was 
reinstated  in  1874,  it  began  holding  its  meetings  in  a  hall  standing 
where  Eagle  block  now  stands.  Here  it  met  until  the  great  fire  of 
1878  destroyed  its  hall.  The  lodge  lost  all  its  properties.  With 
courage,  however,  the  lodge  resumed  its  meetings  in  a  shed  room 
of  the  old  Lancaster  House.  Its  tarrying  was  short  here,  lasting 
only  from  September  9  to  September  28,  when  the  Lancaster  House 
was  burned.  Another  removal  brought  the  lodge  to  the  old  engine 
house,  on  the  north  bank  of  Isreals  river  near  Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s 
mill,  on  Middle  street.  It  continued  its  meetings  here  until  some 
time  in  November,  1878,  when  it  removed  to  the  hall  on  the  third 
floor  of  the  Benton  block,  on  Main  street.  Here  the  lodge  has  found 
a  home  ever  since,  and  during  this  period  of  its  history  it  has  grown 
steadily,  so  that  to-day  it  is  in  a  flourishing  condition. 

It  is  now  engaged  in  erecting  a  large  building  on  the  site  of  the 
Allen  Smith  house,  on  Main  street,  near  the  corner  of  Main  and 
Bunker  Hill   streets.     The   building  is  a  brick  veneer,   and   of  fine 


496  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

appearance.  It  was  begun  in  May,  1896,  and  completed  for  occu- 
pancy Sept.  I,  1896.  The  building  operations  were  conducted  by 
a  stock  company,  incorporated  under  the  general  laws  of  the  state. 
The  lodge  is  at  present  the  largest  stockholder,  and  it  is  privileged 
to  purchase  up  the  stock  as  fast  as  it  can  do  so,  in  order  to  become 
the  owner  of  the  property,  which,  with  its  real  estate,  is  valued  at 
$20,000. 

The  building  contains  a  commodious  hall  on  the  third  floor  for 
lodge  purposes,  a  dining-room  and  kitchen,  ladies'  parlor,  gentle- 
men's parlor,  paraphernalia  room,  regalia  room,  ladies'  toilet  room, 
gentlemen's  toilet  room. 

The  second  floor  is  occupied  by  the  printing  establishment  of 
J.  D.  Bridge,  editor  and  publisher  of  the  Coos  County  Democrat, 
and  other  offices.  The  first  floor  comprises  a  single  store-room, 
occupied  by  the  Lane  Clothing  Co. 

The  building  is  heated  throughout  by  steam  and  lighted  by  elec- 
tric lights,  and  is  one  of  the  finest  in  Lancaster. 

The  following  ofUcers  were  elected  and  installed  for  the  term 
beginning  July  i,  1896; 

Fred  H.  Clough,  N.  G. ;  C.  E.  Willoughby,  V.  G. ;  George  N. 
Kent,  secretary;  George  V.  Moulton,  treasurer;  E.  A.  Woodward, 
conductor;  J.  B.  Cloudman,  warden;  George  M.  Congdon,  O.  G. ; 
Thomas  Ryan,  L  G. ;  C.  W.  Sleeper,  R.  S.  N.  G. ;  H.  W.  Smith, 
L.  S.  N.  G. ;  Elmer  Whitcomb,  R.  S.  V.  G. ;  F.  W.  Grant,  L.  S.  V. 
G. ;  R.  M.  Langworthy,  R.  S.  S. ;  Benjamin  Benton,  L.  S.  S. ;  W. 
H.  Thompson,  chaplain;  J.  R.  Flanders,  P.  G. ;  J.  D.  Bridge,  J.  R. 
Flanders,  representatives  to  grand  lodge;  F.  H.  Clough,  C.  E.  Wil- 
loughby, George  V.  Moulton,  J.  B.  Cloudman,  D.  R.  Remick,  N. 
Tuttle,  George  A.  Woods,  visiting  committee;  P.  J.  Noyes,  W.  H. 
Thompson,  Isaac  Bartlett,  finance  committee  ;    W.  E.  Lyon,  janitor. 

PERSEVERANCE    REBEKAH    LODGE,  NO.  56. 

This  lodge  was  instituted  as  an  adjunct  to  Coos  lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F., 
on  Dec.  15,  1893,  with  the  following  ten  charter  members: 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  D.  Bridge,  Mr.  and  Mrs  F.  H.  Clough,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Isaac  Bartlett,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  B.  Nourse,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W  S. 
Matthews.  There  were  forty-four  candidates  initiated  at  the  first 
meeting,  on  the  night  of  the  institution  of  the  lodge. 

OBJECTS    AND    PURPOSES. 

The  objects  and  purposes  of  Rebekah  lodges  are  declared  to  be : 

1 .  To  aid  in  the  establishment  and  maintenance  of  homes  for  aged  and  indigent 
Odd  Fellows  and  their  wives,  or  for  the  widows  of  deceased  Odd  Fellows  ;  and 
homes  for  the  care,  education,  and  support  of  orphans  of  deceased  Odd  Fellows. 

2.  To  visit  the  sick,  relieve  the  distressed,  and  in  every  way  to  assist  subordi- 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF    LANCASTER.  497 

nate  and  sister  Rebekah  lodges  in  kindly  ministrations  to  the  families  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows who  are  in  trouble  or  want. 

3.  To  cultivate  and  extend  the  social  and  fraternal  relations  of  life  among  lodges 
and  the  families  of  Odd  Fellows. 

This  lodge  has  been  remarkably  prosperous  from  the  first,  and 
now  numbers  140  members  and  ranks  high  in  the  state.  It  has 
conducted  its  work  in  a  quiet  way,  and  has  not  become  as  well 
known  as  many  institutions  that  have  done  less  good  in  the  com- 
munity than  it  has.  Members  of  the  lodge  always  attend  the  sick 
of  their  numbers,  and  in  many  ways  care  for  their  members  in  sick- 
ness and  death. 

The  lodge  meets  the  first  and  third  Friday  evenings  of  each 
month,  in  Odd  Fellows'  hall. 

The  present  officers  are  : 

Mrs.  J.  D.  Bridge,  N.  G. ;  Mrs.  C.  F.  Moses,  V.  G. ;  Mrs.  F.  H. 
Clough,  secretary;  Mrs.  B.  M.  Matthews,  treasurer;  Miss  Gertrude 
Noyes,  conductor;  Mrs.  F.  E.  Richey,  chaplain;  Mrs.  J.  B.  Cloud- 
man,  I.  G. ;  Miss  Kate  Spaulding,  O.  G. ;  Mrs.  Isaac  Glynn,  R.  S. 
N.  G. ;  Mrs.  George  V.  Moulton,  R.  S.  V.  G. ;  Mrs.  Isaac  Bartlett, 
L.  S.  V.  G. ;  Miss  Lillian  Rosebrook,  R.  A.  S. ;  Mrs.  A.  E.  Avery, 
L.  A.  S. ;  Mrs.  P.  J.  Noyes,  Mrs.  Ada  Amadon,  Miss  Alice  Folsom, 
finance  committee;  Mrs.  J.  D.  Bridge,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Matthews,  Mrs. 
F.  H.  Clough,  Mrs.  B.  M.  Matthews,  Mrs.  George  Woods,  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Howe,  Miss  Susie  Mclntire,  visiting  committee. 

KNIGHTS    OF   PYTHIAS. 

A  lodge  of  the  order  of  Knights  of  Pythias  was  instituted  in  Lan- 
caster on  Sept.  28,  1888.  It  is  known  as  Pilot  lodge,  No.  32,  Knights 
of  Pythias.     The  charter  members  were  : 

Fred  L.  Linscott,  Amos  F.  Rowell,  F.  H.  Carlton,  E.  C.  Amey, 
Everett  Fletcher,  Charles  F.  Colby,  J.  R.  Hannaford,  Manassah  Per- 
kins, Rollin  J.  Brown,  Joseph  Streeter,  George  H.  Beckwith,  Harry 
H.  Jones,  Frank  E.  Richey,  Holman  H.  Noyes,  Fielding  Smith, 
Joseph  B.  Cloudman,  George  E.  Stevens,  G.  B.  Underwood. 

The  lodge  has  grown  rapidly,  and  at  present  numbers  103  mem- 
bers in  good  standing.  It  meets  on  Monday  evenings,  in  its  new 
and  desirable  apartments  in  Moore's  block,  on  Middle  street,  in 
some  respects  the  best  appointed  rooms  for  fraternal  and  social  pur- 
poses in  town. 

The  officers  for  1 896  were  as  follows : 

H.  B.  Amey,  C.  C. ;    H.  DeF.  Hilliard,  V.  C. ;   W.  E.  Hartford, 
M.  A. ;   Arthur  Simonds,  Pre. ;    H.  H.  Noyes,  K.  of  R.  S. ;    Robert 
Hadley,  I.  G. ;   Fred  Thomas,  O.  G. ;   F.  L.  Linscott,  H.  H.  Jones, 
R.  J.  Brown,  trustees. 
32 


498  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

THE    CATHOLIC    ORDER    OF    FORESTERS. 

All  Saints  Court,  No.  366,  of  the  Catholic  Order  of  Foresters, 
was  organized  in  Lancaster,  on  June  20,  1893,  in  the  old  hall  over 
Matthew  Monahan's  blacksmith  shop,  with  fifteen  charter  members : 
Edmund  Sullivan,  James  Horan,  James  A.  Monahan,  Michael  J.  Foley, 
James  M.  Monahan,  Martin  J.  Monahan,  Timothy  McCaffrey,  Mar- 
quis Largy,  Edward  Gillespie,  Michael  Purtle,  Timothy  Long, 
Thomas  Heney,  Owen  McCaffrey,  Edward  M.  Monahan,  and 
Thomas  McGinley. 

The  court  was  organized  by  Fred  N.  Blanchard  of  Island  Pond, 
Vt.,  with  the  following  ofifiicers :  Edmund  Sullivan,  chief  ranger; 
James  A.  Monahan,  recording  secretary;  Michael  J.  Foley,  finan- 
cial secretary;  James  M.  Monahan,  treasurer;  Martin  J.  Monahan, 
Timothy  McCaffrey,  Marquis  Largy,  trustees ;  Edward  Gillespie, 
senior  conductor;  Michael  Purtle,  junior  conductor;  Thomas  He- 
ney, inside  sentinel ;  Timothy  Long,  outside  sentinel ;  Dr.  E.  F. 
Stockwell,  medical  examiner. 

The  first  regular  meeting  was  held  July  14,  1893.  Its  regular 
meetings  are  held  the  second  and  fourth  Friday  evenings  of  every 
month.  The  next  regular  meeting  was  held  in  Odd  Fellows'  hall, 
in  the  Benton  block.  Since  then  the  court  secured  the  hall  over  the 
Lancaster  National  bank,  and  continues  to  meet  there  to  the  present 
time. 

During  the  short  time  it  has  existed,  the  court  has  increased  from 
its  fifteen  charter  members  to  seventy-five  at  present.  Its  financial 
condition  has  always  been  sound,  and  in  every  respect  it  is  one  of 
the  prosperous  institutions  of  the  town.  Its  permanence  and  use- 
fulness are  proven,  and  give  it  rank  among  our  fraternal  bodies. 

The  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  are:  C.  R.,  O.  F.  McCaffrey; 
V.  C.  R.,  P.  Fraught;  P.  C.  R.,  J.  Horan;  R.  S.,  T.  A.  Hopkins; 
F.  S.,  T.  McCaffrey;  treasurer,  P.  Noonan ;  J.  Smith,  M.  Brown, 
J.  A.  Monahan,  trustees;  S.  C,  O.  J.  Gormley ;  J.  C,  P.  Rines ; 
I.  S.,  M.  J.  Millette;  O.  S.,  R.  Powers;  chaplain.  Rev.  Fr.  M.  J.  B. 
Creamer;  medical  examiner,  E.  F.  Stockwell;  delegate  to  state 
convention,  J.  Smith;    alternate,  James  Truland. 

KNIGHTS    OF   THE    MACCABEES    OF   THE   WORLD. 

During  the  summer  of  1896  Mr.  F.  E.  Hand,  state  commander  of 
the  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  for  Maine  and  New  Hampshire, 
organized  a  tent  of  that  order  in  Lancaster. 

The  Knights  of  the  Maccabees  is  a  fraternal  beneficiary  society, 
incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  state  of  Michigan,  June  11,  1881, 
with  the  supreme  tent  at  Port  Huron,  Mich.  Membership  Aug. 
I,  1896,  245,957. 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  499 

Starr  King  Tent,  No.  3,  was  instituted  in  Lancaster,  July  22,  1896, 
with  twenty-five  charter  members,  with  the  following  officers :  Sir 
Kt.  Past  Com.,  Arthur  G.  Wilson;  Sir  Kt.  Com.,  Wm.  H.  Thomp- 
son; Sir  Kt.  Lt.  Com.,  C.  P.  Brown;  Sir  Kt.  R.  K.,  A.  H.  Sweet- 
ser;  Sir  Kt.  F.  K.,  Jas.  Flanders;  Sir  Kt.  Chap.,  Fred  R.  Clough ; 
Sir  Kt.  Phys.,  Harry  B.  Carpenter;  Sir  Kt.  Sergt.,  C.  Welcome 
Brown  ;  Sir  Kt.  M.  at  A.,  Harry  Bailey;  Sir  Kt.  ist  M.  of  G.,  Lewis 
Hosmer;  Sir  Kt.  2d  M.  of  G.,  Wm.  E.  Lyon;  Sir  Kt.  Sen.,  J.  H. 
McClintock;    Sir  Kt.  Pic,  Wm.  R.  McClintock. 

Tent  meets  the  fourth  Wednesday  of  the  month  in  the  L  O.  O.  F. 
old  hall. 

THE    GRAND   ARMY    OF   THE    REPUBLIC. 
Col.  E.  E.  Cross  Post,  No.  16. 

Col.  Edward  E.  Cross  Post,  No.  16,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
was  originally  organized  Jan.  16,  1869,  by  Daniel  J.Vaughn,  depart- 
ment commander,  and  Samuel  F.  Murray,  assistant  adjutant-general. 

The  charter  members  were  Henry  O.  Kent,  Charles  P.  Denison, 
Horace  G.  Fabyan,  William  L.  Rowell,  Stephen  Emery,  Thomas  S. 
Ellis,  Phineas  R.  Plodgdon,  Hezekiah  E.  Hadlock,  George  H.  Em- 
erson, and  Charles  C.  Beaton. 

The  meetings  were  holden  in  the  small  hall  in  Kents  building. 
The  books  of  record  are  lost  and  we  can  only  say  that  after  a  few 
years'  active  existence  for  some  reason  the  charter  was  surrendered. 
The  old  charter  now  hangs  in  G.  A.  R.  hall. 

On  Nov.  I,  1878,  Col.  E.  E.  Cross  Post  of  the  G.  A.  R.  was  re- 
organized under  a  new  charter,  but  of  the  same  name  and  number 
as  that  of  the  old.     The  following  persons  were  charter  members: 

William  G.  Ellis,  Solon  L.  Simonds,  H.  DeF.  Young,  E.  W. 
Wyman,  B.  L.  Olcott,  P.  J.  Noyes,  H.  S.  Hilhard,  Thomas  S.  Ellis, 
H.  O.  Kent,  L.  H.  Parker,  Ira  E.  Woodward,  Thomas  Sweetser,  A. 
A.  Dow,  Charles  E.  Mclntire,  Richard  Fletcher,  Jared  L  Williams, 
H.  Richardson,  G.  E.  Chandler,  E.  A.  Rhodes,  Zeb  Twitchell,  Geo. 
H.  Emerson,  F.  H.  Perkins,  J.  M.  Morse,  J.  G.  Sutton,  R.  M.  J. 
Grant,  and  Geo.  W.  Morgan. 

The  first  officers  elected  and  installed  under  the  new  charter  were  : 

Thos.  S.  Ellis,  commander;  P.  J.  Noyes,  S.  V.  commander;  E. 
A.  Rhodes,  adjutant;  Ira  E.  Woodward,  quartermaster;  R.  M.  J. 
Grant,  chaplain;  W.  G.  Ellis,  officer  of  the  day;  F.  H.  Perkins, 
officer  of  the  guard;  S.  L.  Simonds,  sergeant-major;  Geo.  E.  Chan- 
dler, quartermaster  sergeant. 

The  new  post  enjoyed  a  rapid  and  healthy  growth,  and  has  done 
much  good  in  its  work  of  charity  among  war  veterans  and  their 
families,  and  in  every  way  worthily  exemplifying  its  motto  of  "  Era- 


500  "  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

ternity,  Charity,  and  Loyalty."  The  post  has  secured,  and  by  the 
generous  aid  of  the  town,  maintained  the  proper  observance  of 
Memorial  day,  strewing  the  graves  of  the  fallen  soldiers  with  flow- 
ers, and  sowing  seeds  of  patriotism  in  the  minds  and  hearts  of 
younger  generations.  This  post  has  brought  to  Lancaster  many 
able  and  patriotic  speakers  on  the  returning  anniversary  when  this 
most  tender  and  kindly  recognition  of  services  of  the  soldier  to  his 
country  is  made.  Through  its  efforts  the  flag  now  floats  over  all 
the  schoolhouses  in  town  during  the  sessions  of  school.  Already 
this  important  work  has  taken  a  new  hold  upon  the  generation 
soon  to  be  entrusted  with  the  affairs  of  the  town,  state,  and  nation. 
The  children  of  the  public  schools,  last  spring,  on  finding  their  flag 
badly  decayed,  did  not  wait  the  move  of  others,  but  by  the  cooper- 
ation of  their  teachers  issued  stock  in  shares  of  ten  cents  each  and 
purchased  their  own  new  flag  with  the  proceeds.  The  children  have 
thus  been  taught  to  love  their  country's  flag.  On  the  last  Memorial 
day  they  marched  to  the  cemetery  and  participated  in  the  decora- 
tion of  the  soldier's  graves. 

Col.  E.  E.  Cross  Post  of  G.  A.  R.  has  been  actuated  wholly  by 
unselfish  and  patriotic  motives.  Its  influence  has  been  of  the  very 
best,  and  the  community  regards  it  as  one  of  the  most  important  in- 
stitutions it  is  blessed  with. 

This  post  now  has  about  150  members,  and  is  entitled  to  four 
delegates  to  the  state  encampment.  Its  rank  is  a  high  one  in  this 
department  of  the  G.  A.  R.  The  whole  number  mustered  into  its 
ranks  are  about  200  of  which  it  has  lost  by  death  and  demits  from 
its  rolls  about  fifty,  leaving  at  present  a  membership  of  150. 
The  ofUcers  of  the  post  at  present  are  : 

P.  J.  Noyes,  commander;  Nathaniel  M.  Davenport,  S.  V.  com- 
mander; Charles  Forbes,  J.  V.  commander;  H.  DeForest  Young, 
adjutant;  Daniel  T.  Timberlake,  quartermaster;  George  H.  Emer- 
son, chaplain ;  Charles  Couture,  officer  of  the  day ;  John  G.  Derby, 
officer  of  the  guard;  Levi  H.  Parker,  sergeant  major;  Joseph  B. 
Cloudman,  quartermaster  sergeant ;  Ezra  Mitchell,  surgeon. 

The  commanders  have  been,  under  the  first  charter,  Charles  P. 
Denison,  Plezekiah  E.  Hadlock. 

Under  the  new  charter,  Thomas  S.  Ellis,  Henry  O.  Kent,  Levi 
H.  Parker,  Jared  I.  Williams,  Parker  J.  Noyes,  Thomas  Sweetser, 
Samuel  L.  Wellington,  Henry  S.  Hilliard,  Wm.  W.  Hendricks, 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  D.  T.  Timberlake,  Geo.  H.  Emerson,  Reuben 
F.  Carter,  James  S.  Brackett,  Nathaniel  M.  Davenport. 

Some  commanders  above  named  have  been  reelected  out  of 
chronological  order. 


FRATERNAL    SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  5OI 

THE   woman's    RELIEF   CORPS. 

Among  the  secret  and  fraternal  organizations  in  Lancaster  none 
has  a  stronger  hold  on  the  people  than  Edward  E.  Cross  Woman's 
Relief  Corps,  No.  39. 

We  give  its  history  in  the  words  of  Mrs.  Clara  I.  Noyes,  one  of 
its  charter  members,  and  an  of^cer,  or  member  of  some  of  its  com- 
mittees, during  the  ten  years  of  its  existence. 

A  preliminary  meeting  was  called  at  the  Lancaster  House  at  2 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  Sept.  21,  1886,  for  the  purpose  of  elect- 
ing officers  for  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps.  The  meeting  was  called 
to  order  by  Mrs.  Addie  S.  Hughes  of  Ashland.  Mrs.  Bernice  A. 
Kent  was  elected  president  for  the  afternoon,  Persis  F.  Chase,  secre- 
tary. Clara  L  Noyes  and  Sarah  W,  Brown  were  appointed  as  tell- 
ers to  count  the  votes.     Ofiticers  elected  were : 

Mrs.  Persis  F.  Chase,  president;  Mrs.  Clara  L  Noyes,  senior  vice 
president;  Mrs.  Sarah  W.  Brown,  junior  vice  president;  May  M. 
Wyman,  secretary;  Mrs.  Emma  H.  Sweetser,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Ber- 
nice A.  Kent,  chaplain;  Carrie  M.  Smith,  conductor;  Mrs.  Ella 
Carter,  guard;  Mrs.  Josephine  A.  Bailey,  assistant  conductor;  Mrs. 
Emeline  J.  Cram,  assistant  guard. 

This  meeting  was  adjourned  to  meet  at  Odd  Fellows'  hall  at  7 
o'clock  in  the  evening,  where  a  public  installation  was  held,  Mrs. 
Addie  S.  Hughes,  department  inspector,  acting  as  instituting  and 
installing  officer.  There  were  twenty-one  charter  members  who 
signed  their  names  to  these  rules  and  regulations  : 

We,  the  subscribers,  members  of  Edward  E.  Cross  Relief  Corps,  No.  39,  of 
Lancaster,  Coos  county,  Department  of  New  Hampshire,  Woman's  Relief  Corps, 
Auxiliary  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  do  hereby  subscribe  to  the  rules 
and  regulations  for  the  government  of  the  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Auxiliary  to  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  as  revised  by  the  National  Convention,  Denver, 
Col.,  July  25th  and  26th,  1883,  and  to  any  revisions  or  alterations  that  may  here- 
after be  legally  adopted  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  present  rules  and 
regulations ;  also  to  such  rules  and  regulations  or  by-laws,  as  have  been  or  may 
hereafter  be  legally  adopted  by  Edward  E.  Cross  Corps,  No.  39,  of  Lancaster, 
Department  of  New  Hampshire  Woman's  Relief  Corps,  Auxiliary  to  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  for  their  government. 

For  each  year  these  are  the  following  committees  appointed : 
"  Executive  Committee  "  who  are  to  plan  and  carry  out  everything 
in  the  way  of  entertainments  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money  to 
carry  on  the  good  work  and  arrange  everything  for  Memorial  Day. 
"  Finance  or  Auditing  Committee  "  to  approve  all  bills  presented 
and  audit  the  books  of  the  secretary  and  treasurer.  "  Relief  Com- 
mittee," to  look  after  th'e  sick  and  needy,  the  chairman  to  report  at 
every  regular  meeting  any  one  who  may  be  sick  or  in  trouble. 
There  are  other  minor  committees  appointed  for  any  wants  that  may 


502  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

come  before  the  corps.  We  have  initiated  103  members,  but  at 
the  present  time  we  have  only  sixty  members  in  good  standing.  Six 
have  died  and  many  have  gone  to  Hve  in  other  towns  or  states,  and 
for  various  reasons  have  been  granted  an  honorable  discharge. 

In  the  nearly  ten  years  the  corps  has  been  organized  we  have 
helped  many  families^  and  every  member  who  has  been  sick  or  had 
sickness  in  her  family  has  received  many  courtesies  and  delica- 
cies. The  corps  has  a  general  fund  and  a  relief  fund.  The  relief 
fund  is  to  be  used  only  for  soldiers  or  their  families,  the  general 
fund  for  whatever  purposes  may  be  deemed  necessary.  We  have 
expended  for  relief  from  the  relief  and  general  funds  $260.67,  ^"^ 
probably  $100.00  would  not  more  than  cover  the  amount  we  have 
given  in  clothing  and  food.  Corps  39  has  been  very  generous  in 
helping  to  furnish  the  Soldiers'  Home  at  Tilton,  and  also  the  new 
hospital,  a  part  of  the  same,  which  was  built  in  1895.  ^^^  1895  a 
committee  of  three  or  more  were  appointed  from  each  corps  in  the 
state  to  introduce  the  flag  salute  in  our  schools.  Through  the  influ- 
ence of  the  committee  of  Corps  39,  nine  schools  in  Lancaster  are 
using  the  salute.  The  corps  has  furnished  two  flags.  This  commit- 
tee also  succeeded  in  introducing  the  salute  in  two  schools  in  Nor- 
thumberland.  ' 

Our  motto  is  "  Fraternity,  Charity,  and  Loyalty,"  the  broad  foun- 
dation on  which  to-day  stands  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

The  ofificers  of  the  present  year  are : 

Mrs.  Addie  E.Wilson,  president;  Mrs.  Abbie  S.  Call,  senior  vice- 
president ;  Mrs.  Ella  F.  Hall,  junior  vice-president;  Nettie  McKel- 
lips,  secretary;  Mrs.  Susan  Folsom,  treasurer;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  S. 
Pierce,  chaplain;  Etta  L  Baker,  conductor;  Jennie  Phillips,  guard; 
Mrs.  Mary  Hartley,  assistant  conductor;  Addie  P.  Forbes,  assistant 
guard. 

The  corps  holds  its  meetings  the  second  and  fourth  Saturday  even- 
ings of  each  month. 

THE    \Y0MAN'S    christian   TEMPERANCE    UNION. 

There  was  a  meeting  of  a  number  of  women  held  at  the  residence 
of  George  E.  Carbee,  on  Sept.  i,  1888,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing 
a  Woman's  Christian  Temperance  Union.  After  some  discussion  of 
the  subject,  it  was  voted  to  organize  such  a  society,  which  was  done, 
with  the  following  list  of  ofificers : 

Mrs.  W.  S.  Ladd,  president;  Mrs.  W.  A.  Folsom,  corresponding 
secretary;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Hartford,  recording  secretary;  Mrs.  S.  A. 
Brown,  treasurer;  Mrs.  W.  D.  Marshall,  Mrs.  F.  D.  Hutchins,  Mrs. 
Persis  F.  Chase,  Mrs.  Mary  H.  Williams,  vice-presidents;  Mrs.  Frank 
Spooner,  Mrs.  C.  E.  Allen,  and  the  vice-presidents,  visiting  com- 
mittee. 


FRATERNAL   SOCIETIES    OF   LANCASTER.  503 

This  organization  has  done  much  for  temperance.  It  has  not 
only  agitated  the  temperance  question  with  respect  to  reforms,  but 
has  helped  to  correct  intemperance  in  many  ways.  It  has  sent 
several  intemperate  men  to  the  Keeley  Institute  for  treatment.  It 
has  taken  care  of  the  families  of  others  while  at  the  various  Gold 
Cure  establishments,  and  in  various  ways  has  administered  much 
charity  to  the  unfortunate.  It  has  organized  and  carried  to  success 
the  reading-room  movement,  which  is  now  one  of  the  permanent 
institutions  of  the  town  supported  by  public  funds.  It  has  dis- 
tributed literature  to  the  prisoners  in  the  county  jail  and  to  inmates 
of  the  county  almshouse,  and  to  the  lumbermen  in  the  camps  dur- 
ing the  long,  dreary  winters.  For  a  number  of  years  these  earnest 
women  have  been  serving  warm  dinners  at  town-meeting  and  the 
fall  elections,  in  the  town  hall. 

OTHER   TEMPERANCE    SOCIETIES. 

Lancaster  has  at  no  time  been  exceptional  to  other  New  England 
towns.  The  drinking  habits  of  the  early  colonists,  characteristic  of  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  were  planted  here  in  the  life  of  the  earliest  set- 
tlers. Rum  was  regarded  as  indispensable  to  health,  comfort,  and 
sociability.  Everybody  drank  in  the  early  days,  until  habits  of  in- 
temperance were  formed  in  the  lives  of  the  second  or  third  genera- 
tions, who,  having  more  ease  and  means,  sought  excitement  in  the 
convivial  customs  of  their  day.  Within  a  generation  from  the  found- 
ing of  the  town  it  had  its  confirmed  inebriates,  and  at  no  time  since 
then  has  the  community  been  free  from  that  class  of  unfortunates. 

As  early  as  1825  the  Masons  passed  a  vote  prohibiting  the  use  of 
liquors  in  the  lodge,  which  was  an  arraignment  of  the  intemperate 
habits  of  the  community.  It  was  not  until  ten  years  later  that  the 
churches  took  a  very  active  stand  against  the  drink  habit.  There  was 
no  public  agitation  of  the  question  until  that  great  tidal  wave  of  ex- 
citement accompanying  the  Washingtonian  movement.  In  due  time 
Lancaster  had  a  Washingtonian  society  organized,  and  here,  as  else- 
where, it  had  its  course,  giving  way  to  other  organizations  after  a  time. 

The  next  temperance  organization  in  town  was  the  Sons  of  Tem- 
perance. This  organization  flourished  for  a  time,  and  after  a  lapse 
of  some  few  years  a  lodge  of  Good  Templars  was  organized  in  the 
room  over  R.  P.  Kent's  store,  on  Main  street,  Dec.  4,  1865,  by  par- 
ties from  Littleton.  These,  no  doubt,  did  much  to  foster  temper- 
ance sentiment  among  their  members,  but  their  influence  was  neces- 
sarily limited  by  the   secrecy  surrounding  their  actions. 

About  1880  the  Temperance  Union  was  formed.  Its  aim  was  to 
unite  all  the  churches  and  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  community 
against  the  evils  of  intemperance  and  the  liquor  traffic.  Its  meetings 
were  held  on  the  third  Sunday  evening  of  every  month,  and  usually 


504  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

there  was  given  an  address  on  some  phase  of  the  temperance  ques- 
tion. 

In  1895  this  society  was  disbanded  and  an  auxiHary  branch  of 
the  New  Hampshire  Law  and  Order  League  formed  in  its  place. 
This  latter  movement  is  the  outgrowth  of  changes  in  public  senti- 
ment on  the  temperance  question.  No  longer  is  intemperance 
regarded  as  an  evil  to  be  remedied  by  moral  and  religious  senti- 
mental agitations,  but  a  sociological  question  that  must  be  regulated 
by  law.  Intemperance  is  now  regarded  by  all  intelligent  persons  as 
a  disease,  and  a  propagation  of  a  diseased  condition  of  life  is  com- 
ing to  be  looked  upon  as  a  violation  of  all  social  order. 

The  drinking  habit  in  Lancaster  is  restricted,  and  tippling  is 
regarded  with  contempt  by  the  intelligent  and  respectable  people 
of  the  town.  Gradually  more  sensible  views  on  the  question  be- 
came entrenched  behind  a  body  of  intelligent  social  customs,  and 
the  habits  of  the  people  are  improving  with   respect  to  temperance. 

The  "  R.  S.  C.  club  "  was  a  secret  organization,  with  a  weird  ini- 
tiation and  ritual,  composed  of  the  choice  spirits  of  the  day  in  the 
late  40's,  and  held  its  meetings  in  the  hall  over  Adams's  blacksmith 
shop.  Its  initials,  "  R.  S.  C,"  stood  in  some  occult  way  for  "  Ros- 
cicrucian," — the  delvers  in  ancient  magic  ;  perhaps,  as  Bailey  Al- 
drich's  "  Rivermouth  Centipedes,"  were  so  named  from  having  a 
cent-a-ptece.  O.  G.  Stephenson,  Edward  Wilson,  Edward  E.  Cross, 
B.  F.  Hunking,  and  others  now  departed  from  town  or  from  life, 
were  of  the  elect,  and  some  staid  citizens  now  residents,  could  recall 
the  "work"  of  those  years. 

MOUNT   PROSPECT    GRANGE,    NO.    24I. 

Mount  Prospect  Grange,  No.  241,  was  organized  March  13,  1896, 
by  State  Deputy  T.  H.  White,  assisted  by  Deputy  Gilbert  A.  Mar- 
shall, of  Lancaster  Grange.  It  starts  out  with  the  largest  list  of 
charter  members  in  the  United  States.  The  first  meeting  was  at 
Eagle  hall,  and  at  8  p.  m.  a  goodly  company  was  present  to  wel- 
come the  visiting  officials,  and  Messrs.  J.  D.  Howe  and  C.  E.  King, 
who  had  labored  earnestly  for  the  success  of  the  farmers'  cause  in 
Lancaster. 

Deputy  White  called  the  members  to  order  in  a  happy  speech,  in 
which  he  told  of  the  work  of  the  grange,  its  mission,  and  then  ex- 
plained the  secret  work  in  four  degrees.  J.  D.  Howe  reported  ninety 
charter  members,  and  the  election  of  officers  was  called  for  by  the 
deputy,  with  the  following  result : 

C.  E.  King,  worthy  master;  Chas.  A.  Howe,  overseer;  B.  C. 
Morse,  lecturer ;  J.  S.  Peavey,  steward  ;  Fred  Holton,  assistant  stew- 
ard ;  Ira  G.  Noyes,  chaplain;  J.  E.  Mclntire,  treasurer;  J.  W. 
Flanders,    secretary;    J.   S.   Woodward,    gate    keeper;     Miss    Mary 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  505 

Batchelder,  Pomona;  Mrs.  Florence  Morse,  Flora;  Mrs.  Irving  Mc- 
Intire,  Ceres;    Miss  Lilla  Hartshorn,  lady  assistant  steward. 

After  the  officers  were  chosen  they  were  installed  by  Mr.  White, 
and  conducted  to  their  chairs  by  Mr.  Gilbert  A.  Marshall,  and  the 
grange  turned  over  to  the  worthy  master,  C.  E.  King.  In  Deputy 
White's  closing  remarks  he  spoke  of  this  grange  being  the  largest 
he  had  ever  organized,  and  predicted  a  large  degree  of  success  for  it 
in  the  future. 

Following  is  a  list  of  the  charter  members:  C.  E.  King,  Irving 
Mclntire,  Geo.  H.  Johnson,  H.  F.  Richardson,  E.  L.  Morse,  Alfred 
E.  Remick,  W.  G.' Baker,  J.  D.  Bridge,  Mrs.  J.  S.  Peavey,  I.  W. 
Hopkinson,  Selden  C.  Howe,  Ira  G.  Noyes,  Geo.  H.  Stalbird,  W.  H. 
Hartley,  J.  W.  Flanders,  T.  T.  Baker,  D.  W.  Batchelder,  Mary  E. 
Batchelder,  Nellie  A.  Woodward,  C.  A.  Howe,  W.  C.  Hodgdon, 
C.  W.  Evans,  J.  S.  Peavey,  Annie  Abbott,  B.  C.  Morse,  Mary  M. 
Clough,  Mrs.  M.  E.  Stowell,  F.  C.  Grant,  Alma  P.  Hilliard,  H.  S. 
Webb,  Mrs.  O.  J.  Morse,  Mrs.  A.  M.  Beattie,  C.  W.  Brown,  Albert 
Chase,  Payson  E.  Fernald,  Geo.  S.  Stockwell,  Elden  Farnham,  A.  B. 
Sleeper,  H.  Adams,  B.  S.  Adams,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Thompson,  Mrs. 
J.  E.  Deering,  Pearl  Cummings,  Geo.  H.  Morse,  Mrs.  L.  R.  Hosmer, 
Mrs.  C.  E.  King,  Mrs.  Irving  Mclntire,  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Johnson,  Mrs. 
H.  F.  Richardson,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Morse,  Mrs.  Alfred  E.  Remick,  Mrs. 
W.  G.  Baker,  Mrs.  J.  D.  Bridge,  Ida  M.  Peavey,  Mrs.  I.  W.  Hop- 
kinson, Mrs.  Seldon  C.  Howe,  Jennie  M.  Noyes,  Fred  Holton,  Mrs. 
W.  H.  Hartley,  Mrs.  J.  W.  Flanders,  Mrs.  T.  T.  Baker,  Annie  J. 
Hodgdon,  Ed  A.  Woodward,  J.  S.  Woodward,  Lilla  Hartshorn,  J.  E. 
Mclntire,  Etta  A.  Evans,  Irving  D.  Hodgdon,  Louisa  T.  Rosebrook, 
E.  B.  Morse,  M.  E.  Stowell,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Howe,  H.  S.  Hilliard, 
Emily  T.  Hilliard,  J.  H.  Morse,  A.  M.  Beattie,  Geo.  S.  Peavey, 
Mrs.  Mary  E.  Brown,  E,  P.  Corrigan,  Mrs.  Mary  Fernald,  Mrs.  Geo. 
S.  Stockwell,  Mary  Farnham,  Mrs.  Ellen  M.  Sleeper,  Mrs.  H.  P. 
Adams,  W.  A.  Thompson,  J.  E.  Deering,  M.  B.  Evans,  Mrs.  W.  C. 
Hodgdon,  L.  R.  Hosmer,  Mrs.  H.  S.  Webb. 


CHAPTER    XIV. 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS. 

The  old  Meeting-house — The  Jails — The  Court- houses — The  Hotels 
— The  old  Red  Gun  House,  and  the  State  Arsenal — The  Public 
Library. 

PUBLIC    BUILDINGS. 

Prominent  in  the  history  of  Lancaster  have  been  its  early  public 
buildings ;  and  among  them  none  has  enjoyed  so  much  promi- 
nence   as  the    old   meeting-house,  the    first  church  building  in  the 


S06  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Province  of  New  Hampshire  north  of  Haverhill.  For  many  years  the 
early  settlers,  though  religious  in  profession  and  reared  under  Puri- 
tan influences,  got  along  without  a  meeting-house.  We  find  by 
consulting  the  town  records  that  preaching  was  sustained  for  a 
number  of  years  prior  to  the  building  of  a  church  building,  or  the 
organization  of  the  Old  First  Church  Society.  In  1791,  steps  were 
taken  looking  to  the  erection  of  a  meeting-house,  which  culmi- 
nated in  the  building  of  a  spacious  structure  on  a  scale  that  was 
indicative  of  the  character  of  the  pioneers.  They  attached  great 
importance  to  the  community  they  had  founded,  and  made  large 
sacrifices  to  uphold  and  perpetuate  it.  When  it  came  to  building 
a  meeting  house  they  laid  out  one  large  enough  for  a  community 
much  larger  than  Lancaster  has  yet  become.  After  the  growth  of 
a  century  the  old  structure  still  holds  the  largest  popular  assem- 
blages of  the  town  with  room  to  spare. 

The  old  meeting-house  was  erected  on  a  common  known  as 
Meeting-House  Hill,  now  known  as  Soldiers'  Park,  purchased  by  the 
town,  and  consisting  of  six  acres,  six  town  lots.  Most  of  the  land 
has  been  suffered  to  be  lost  to  the  town  through  carlessness  on  the 
part  of  the  people,  due  no  doubt  to  the  diversion  of  interest  in  the 
old  church,  with  the  growth  of  other  churches  at  later  times. 

The  land  on  which  the  building  stood  was  level  from  the  crest,  and 
preserved  a  clear  outline  on  the  same  level  from  Pleasant  and  Cot- 
tage streets.  The  building  faced  south,  and  stood  square  with  the 
points  of  the  compass.  The  western  end  was  about  six  rods  east 
of  John  M.  Whipple's  line;  and  the  north  side  about  on  a  line  with 
the  south  side  of  Cottage  street.  The  meeting-house  was  reached 
from  the  north  by  a  road  cut  into  the  side  of  Sand  hill,  which  was 
very  narrow  and  steep ;  and  by  three  flights  of  steps  from  the  north- 
west, one  above  another,  each  flight  consisting  of  .some  twelve  steps. 
The  landing  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  was  about  where  the  southeasterly 
corner  of  the  Boswell  house  now  stands. 

The  building,  in  outline,  as  it  then  stood,  is  still  preserved  in  the 
first  and  second  stories  of  Music,  or  Town  hall,  as  many  call  it.  As 
it  stood  on  the  common  there  were  two  porches  containing  stairways 
to  the  galleries  that  run  around  the  entire  building,  except  about 
one  third  of  the  north  side  where  the  pulpit  stood,  they  would  seat 
between  four  and  five  hundred  people  on  their  three  rows  of  seats 
raised  one  above  another.  The  stairway  on  the  west  end  of  the 
building  continued  up  into  the  belfry  and  spire  to  a  height  greater 
than  anything  in  this  region.  All  the  seats  were  so  arranged  that 
they  could  be  seen  from  the  pulpit.  The  front  row  of  seats  were 
known  as  the  "  singers'  seats,"  and  would  accommodate  about  fifty 
persons. 

The   body  of  the   house  was  entered   by  doors  from   each  porch, 


Old  Meeting-house.    Built  1794. 

Remodeled  and  Enlarged  into  Present  Masonic  Temple. 


Masonic  Temple  and  Town  Hall,  1889. 

Front  of  Two  Lower  Stories  being  the  Meeting-house  of  1794. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  507 

and  a  double  door  on  the  south  side  directly  opposite  the  pulpit. 
The  broad  aisle  extended  from  this  door  to  the  pulpit,  which  was 
built  with  considerable  taste,  and  was  reached  by  a  flight  of  steps 
It  was  so  high  that  a  view  of  the  galleries  could  be  had  from  it,  as 
well  as  of  the  body  of  the  house.  There  was  a  row  of  pews  all 
around  the  body  of  the  house,  under  the  galleries,  except  as  it  was 
cut  through  by  the  doors,  and  the  space  of  the  pulpit  on  the  north 
side.  The  broad  aisle  divided  the  house  into  two  equal  parts,  and 
aisles  divided  the  wall  pews  from  the  body  pews,  of  which  last 
there  were  two  tiers  on  each  side  of  the  broad  aisle.  The  wall 
pews  were  raised  two  steps  above  the  floor  of  the  aisles.  The  pews 
were  oblong  in  shape,  finished  and  divided  by  paneling  two  and 
a  half  or  three  feet,  surmounted  by  a  slight  balustrade  and  cap,  so 
that  a  boy  seven  or  eight  years  old  could  sit  in  one  of  the  wall  pews 
and  look  through  and  study  the  house  and  its  occupants.  Board 
seats  extended  across  the  back  sides  and  both  ends  of  the  wall 
pews,  and  across  one  side  and  one  end  of  the  body  pews.  There 
was  no  upholstering  whatever.  All  the  seats,  except  the  wall  seats, 
were  hung  by  means  of  loose  iron  hinges  so  as  to  admit  being 
turned  up  when  the  congregation  stood  for  prayers.  The  din  and 
noise  of  rising  and  turning  up  the  seats,  and  turning  them  down 
again  in  sitting  down,  can  be  better  imagined  than  described.  Many 
seemed  to  vie  with  one  another  to  see  who  could  make  the  most 
noise  in  manipulating  the  seats. 

Over  the  pulpit  hung  the  sounding-board,  resembling  an  inverted 
tunnel  five  feet  across.  It  was  suspended  from  the  ceiling  by  an 
iron  rod,  and  hung  directly  over  the  head  of  the  minister.  Doubt- 
less the  mind  of  many  a  boy,  at  times,  wandered  from  the  preach- 
er's theme  to  conjecture  the  possible  results  of  that  rod  breaking 
and  dropping  the  sounding-board  upon  the  head  of  the  minister. 

The  "  deacon's  seats"  were  directly  in  front  of  the  pulpit,  and  in 
fact  below  where  the  minister  stood,  facing  the  audience.  In  front 
of  the  deacon's  seat  stood  a  broad-leafed  table,  on  which  the  com- 
munion service  was  set  on  stated  occasions.  This  table  was  sus- 
tained by  iron  braces  and  was  let  down  when  not  in  use.  On  the 
pulpit  and  the  deacon's  seats  was  the  only  attempt  at  painting  about 
the  house.  These  were  covered  with  a  slight  coating  of  lead  color. 
As  to  means  of  warming  the  house  in  winter,  there  was  not  even  an 
attempt,  until  the  house  had  been  in  use  more  than  twenty-five 
years,  when  a  stove  was  set  up  directly  in  front  of  the  pulpit  in 
the  broad  aisle.  So  far  as  it  affected  the  temperature  of  the  im- 
mense building  it  might  as  well  have  been  set  out  on  the  common. 
How  ever  the  worshipers  kept  from  freezing  in  that  cold  house  in 
dead  of  winter  is  a  mystery  we  will  not  attempt  to  solve.  However, 
the  women  dressed  in  heavy  flannels,  and  wore  heavy  knitted  socks 


508  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

over  their  shoes,  and  every  thoughtful  matron,  when  she  entered  the 
church,  was  followed  by  a  boy  carrying  her  foot-stove,  a  tastily  made 
wooden  frame  with  a  bail,  inside  of  which  was  a  tin  or  sheet-iron 
lining,  about  eight  inches  square,  perforated  on  top.  In  this  stove 
was  a  sheet-iron  pan  holding  a  quart  or  more  of  burning  coals.  The 
matron  seated,  the  boy  placed  the  stove  under  her  feet,  which  she 
would  pass  to  her  daughters  as  occasion  demanded.  But  the  men 
and  the  boys  !  I  fancy  that  their  gallantry  and  the  lack  of  enough 
coals  to  burn  through  a  Puritan  service  of  more  than  an  hour  in 
length,  left  them  with  cold  feet.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  old  meeting- 
house had  a  hold  on  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  that  no  modern  one 
has  ever  enjoyed. 

In  front  of  the  house,  and  a  little  distance  from  it,  were  two 
"  horse  blocks,"  which  were  cut  from  immense  pine  logs,  of  the 
requisite  height,  with  two  steps  in  each,  to  enable  the  ladies  to 
mount  and  dismount  their  steeds,  for  many  of  them  were  accus- 
tomed for  many  years  after  the  early  occupancy  of  the  meeting- 
house to  ride  on  horseback.  Many  of  the  young  women  were 
adepts  in  that  manner  of  riding.  Not  a  few  of  the  more  sprightly 
girls  would  disdain  the  horse  block  and  mount  from  the  ground  by 
placing  their  hands  on  the  necks  of  the  horses  and  springing  into 
the  saddle.  Tradition  says  that  Lucy  Howe,  who  married  Ethan  A. 
Crawford,  and  Betsey  Stanley,  who  married  James  B.  Weeks,  were 
accustomed  to  mount  their  horses  in  that  manner.  The  latter  is 
remembered  by  a  few  who  still  survive  as  an  excellent  rider  even  in 
advanced  age. 

Excepting  the  stately  and  aristocratic  chaise,  of  which  Parson 
Willard  owned  the  first  in  town,  carriages  were  not  in  use  in  Lan- 
caster until  about  1820;  and  those  who  did  not  own  a  chaise  had 
to  ride  on  horseback  or  travel  on  foot.  A  walk  of  two  or  three 
miles  for  the  boys  and  girls  of  that  day  was  thought  to  be  only  a 
refreshing  exercise.  The  girls  usually  exchanged,  by  the  roadside, 
their  heavy  walking  shoes  for  their  thin  morocco  ones,  that  would 
show  their  feet  to  better  advantage,  before  reaching  the  church. 
The  elderly  people  usually  came  to  church  on  horseback,  some  with 
a  child  riding  behind  them  ;  but  those  who  could  afford  a  chaise, 
and  there  were  many,  neither  walked  nor  rode  horseback,  no  matter 
how  near  the  church  they  might  live,  or  how  they  got  about  town 
on  week  days.  On  Sunday  morning  the  chaise  was  hitched  up,  and 
the  mistress  of  the  house  with  her  children,  rode  to  meeting  in  what 
was  considered  becoming  style.  And  it  is  said  by  one  who  still 
remembers  those  scenes,  that  it  would  do  any  one  of  to-day  good  to 
see  the  grace  and  dignity  with  which  madame  would  alight  from 
her  chaise,  while  one  of  her  boys,  or  a  man  who  had  preceded  her 
on  foot  or  horseback,  took  her  horse  and  chaise  away  and  cared  for 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  509 

them  while  she  entered  the  house  and  took  her  seat  in  her  pew.  In 
fact,  the  whole  congregation  seemed  to  enter  the  church  with  a  pe- 
culiarly reverential  awe  that  can  hardly  be  understood  by  the  people 
of  the  present  generation. 

THE    CONGREGATION. 

The  congregation  that  assembled  in  that  ancient  place  of  worship 
was  one  of  uncommon  character;  and  we  borrow  the  following  des- 
cription of  it  from  the  pen  of  Judge  James  W.  Weeks,  who  remem- 
bers the  old  church  and  the  congregation  since  before  1820,  as  he 
was  born  in  181 1,  and  is  of  almost  unimpaired  faculties  at  the  pres- 
ent writing.      He  says : 

"  I  occupied,  with  my  parents,  the  first  wall  pew  west  of  the  front  door,  and 
usually  sat  in  the  corner  next  the  broad  aisle  and  the  lesser  aisle  west,  so  I  was 
able  to  look  through  between  the  banisters  and  study  the  house,  the  whole  of 
which  was  exposed  to  my  view  except  small  and  unimportant  sections.  Directly 
in  front  of  me,  in  the  first  body  pew  on  the  left,  sat  Deacon  Farrar,  his  wife,  and 
Miss  Abbie  Bergin,  who  usually  dressed  in  white,  and  attracted  the  attention  of 
boys  by  the  deliberate  manner  in  which  she  entered  the  pew  and  took  her  seat. 
The  deacon  was  a  dark  complexioned,  dyspeptic  little  man,  with  his  thin  black 
hair  combed  up  to  the  top  of  his  head  to  cover  his  baldness.  In  the  second  wall 
pew  on  the  left  sat  .Mrs.  John  Moore  and  her  son  William,  who  carried  his  head  a 
little  to  one  side.  His  first  wife  I  do  not  remember  seeing  at  church  ;  but  his 
second  wife  (Mary  Sampson)  soon  made  her  appearance,  full  of  life,  bright  and 
handsome  as  any  of  her  daughters.  In  the  first  wall  pew  on  the  right  of  the  door 
from  the  west  porch,  sat  Captain  Stephenson,  his  son  Turner,  and  his  daughter 
Eliza.  The  captain  was  an  old  man,  quite  bald  and  stooping.  Richard  Eastman 
and  family  occupied  the  body  pew  directly  in  front  of  the  west  door.  David 
Burnside,  fresh  and  ruddy,  with  blue  coat  and  bright  buttons,  showed  him- 
self with  his  wife  in  the  second  wall  pew  on  the  left  of  the  west  door.  Thomas 
Carlisle,  also  wearing  bright  metal  buttons,  with  his  dressy  wife,  occupied  the  next 
wall  pew  adjoining  Burnside's.  The  minister's  pew  was  the  first  one  next  to  the 
wall  west  of  the  pulpit.  Mrs.  Everett,  a  handsome  widow,  with  her  daughters, 
occupied  about  the  fourth  body  pew  on  the  right  of  the  broad  aisle.  Mrs.  Board- 
man  occupied  the  next  pew  adjoining  toward  the  pulpit. 

"  That  congregation  is  arrayed  before  me  as  if  it  were  but  yesterday  that  I  saw 
it  last.  A  little  later,  perhaps  1822,  Jared  W.  Williams  from  Connecticut,  with 
his  wife,  appeared  in  the  old  church.  Royal  Joyslin  also  returned  from  Bath. 
He  was  straight  and  handsome  as  a  man  is  ever  likely  to  be.  Soon  an  exceed- 
ingly pretty  lady,  Julia  Barnard,  changed  her  seat,  and  was  seen  sitting  in  church 
with  Mr.  Joyslin.  Nothing  attracted  my  boyish  attention  more  than  the  different 
'  manner  in  which  the  people  stood  during  prayers.  The  women  usually  stood 
erect,  with  their  heads  on  the  railing  of  the  pews.  Some  fidgetv  men  and  wo- 
men were  constantly  changing  their  position.  There  was  Major  Weeks,  tall  and 
stately,  six  feet  and  two  inches  in  his  stockings,  standing  like  a  post,  perfectly 
erect,  with  arms  folded  and  eyes  cast  upon  the  floor  a  few  feet  in  front  of  him  as 
if  on  parade,  never  moving  a  muscle,  however  long  the  service  might  be.  Deacon 
Farrar  and  a  few  others,  leaned  over  the  tops  of  their  pews. 

"  There  was  one  thing  that  troubled  my  boyish  mind!  I  could  not  see  the  sing- 
ers.    All  I  could  see  were  several  men  and  women  come  into  the  gallery  from  tlie 


5IO  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

east  porch,  and  at  the  close  of  the  service,  as  the  congregation  passed  out,  Will- 
iam Lovejoy,  with  strong  and  sonorous  voice,  would  announce  marriages  intended, 
and  the  like.  This  seemed  a  part  of  the  service.  After  a  time  I  got  a  seat  in 
the  gallery,  when  my  curiosity  was  gratified.  The  singers  were  twelve  or  fifteen 
powerful  men,  and  perhaps  as  many  ladies.  What  the  music  lacked  in  culture 
and  taste  it  made  up  in  power  ;  and  such  strains  of  melody  as  went  up  to  the  Great 
Majesty  on  high  were  neither  faint  nor  to  be  misunderstood. 

"  No  choir  seems  blessed  with  perpetual  peace.  This  one  was  no  exception  to 
that  rule,  for  one  morning  in  the  days  of  Orange  Scott,  Francis  Bingham  ap- 
peared in  the  singers'  seats  with  a  bass  viol.  The  hymn  was  started,  and  the 
strings  of  the  viol  vibrated.  That  caused  the  ancient  chorister  to  stop;  and  ad- 
dressing the  fancied  offender,  said,  '  Mr.  Bingham,  you  must  put  away  that  fiddle. 
We  can't  sing.'  The  •  fiddle,'  however,  held  its  own  on  that  and  many  succeed- 
ing Sundays,  and  was  soon  joined  by  the  tones  of  a  flute  in  the  hands  of  O.  W. 
Baker,  and  a  clarinet  played  by  Walter  Sherman. 

"At  the  close  of  the  services  the  Doxology  was  usually  sung  to  the  tune  of 
'  Old  Hundred.'  The  benediction  followed,  when  the  congregation  left  as  rever- 
ently as  it  had  assembled." 

Such,  reader,  was  the  first  church  of  Lancaster,  from  a  hundred 
years  ago  down  to  within  the  recollection  of  men  and  women  still 
living ;  and  what  the  influence  of  such  men  and  institutions  have 
had  in  shaping  the  destiny  of  our  civilization  can  scarcely  be  con- 
jectured. One  thing  is  certain:  the  reverential  influence  of  the 
scenes  here  described  by  Judge  Weeks,  show  themselves  in  the  lives 
of  the  men  and  women  of  those  days  who  still  linger  with  us,  in  a 
manner  that  should  cause  the  younger  people  to  carefully  consider 
them  as  worthy  of  much  thoughtful  respect  and  imitation. 

THE   JAH.S    OF   LANCASTER. 

The  Old  yail. — The  first  prison  in  Lancaster  consisted  of  a 
room  in  the  Wilson  tavern  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street  where 
the  first  court  sessions  were  held  in  the  hall  of  that  building,  1804- 
1806.  For  two  years  that  prison  room  was  kept  by  Judge  Will- 
iam Lovejoy,  who  along  with  many  other  distinctions  adds  that 
of  being  the  first  jailor  of  the  county.  In  1806,  when  the  first 
court-house  was  erected  there  was  a  jail  in  course  of  construction 
also.  Both  buildings  were  erected  on  lands  given  for  their  res- 
pective purposes  by  Artemas  Wilder,  who  owned  a  large  tract  of 
land  at  the  north  end  of  Main  street.  This  jail  was  a  wooden 
structure,  two  stories  high,  with  a  residence  for  the  jailor's  family. 
It  had  an  upper  and  lower  room  for  prisoners.  That  portion  of 
the  building  was  constructed  of  hewn  elm  logs  eighteen  inches 
square  bolted  together  with  iron  bolts,  its  heavy  wooden  doors  se- 
cured by  padlocks.  Isaac  Derby,  "Squire  Derby"  as  he  was 
called,  hewed  the  elm  logs  for  this  old  jail.  He  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  the  War  of  18 12.  He  tended  the  old 
Wilder  mill  for  many  years. 


Original  Court-house. 

Now  Public  Library. 
(Originally  with  flat  roof,  without  porch  or  tower.) 


-i-  rr  t     '    ,    y  ; 


^"■^'f 


Brick  Court-house,  i 835-1 868. 

From  Old  County  Map. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  5  I  I 

This  building  stood  on  the  same  lot  where  the  present  jail  now  stands 
only  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  present  one.  It  was  built  on  con- 
tract by  Colonel  Chessman  and  Nathaniel  White. 

The  old  building  was  the  scene  of  many  struggles  between  its 
keepers  and  the  vicious  "border  rufhans," — murderers,  counterfeit- 
ers and  smugglers — confined  within  its  massive  walls.  Great  iron 
rings  and  chains  were  fastened  to  its  floors  to  which  many  of  the 
more  violent  criminals  had  to  be  fastened.  For  fifty-two  years  it 
served  the  end  for  which  it  had  been  erected.  In  the  early  morning 
of  January  9,  1858,  it  was  discovered  to  be  on  fire,  having  taken 
fire  from  a  defective  adjustment  of  a  stovepipe.  Among  the  early 
and  more  prominent  jailors  were  Colonel  Dennison  and  George  W. 
Ingerson.  The  latter  was  jailor  at  the  time  of  the  burning  of  the 
"Old  Elm  Jail."  The  next  jail  was  a  stone  structure  since  replaced 
by  a  modern  jail  of  steel  cells  and  outside  corridors,  encased  in 
wooden  walls. 

THE    COURT-HOUSES. 

For  two  years  after  Coos  county  was  organized,  and  Lancaster 
was  set  apart  as  a  shire  town,  the  courts  were  held  in  a  hall  in  Col. 
John  Wilson's  tavern,  a  large  wooden  building  standing  about  where 
the  Benton  residence  now  stands,  and  later  moved  out  and  up  the 
street,  as  a  tenement.  The  same  hall  served  for  a  while  as  a  lodge 
room  for  the  Masons,  and  as  a  place  of  assemblage  for  various  pur- 
poses for  many  years. 

The  first  court-house  was  built  in  1806,  on  land  given  for  that 
purpose  by  Artemas  Wilder,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge 
streets.  The  building  is  still  standing,  and  used  as  a  public  library 
building  on  the  south  side  of  Centennial  park.  It  was  a  square 
wooden  building,  one  story,  and  of  but  one  room.  This  was  the 
court  room,  the  juries  retiring  for  their  deliberations  to  a  room  in 
Wilson's  hotel,  where  the  courts  had  formerly  been  held.  The 
room  was  heated  by  a  sort  of  furnace  consisting  of  a  brick  arch 
over  the  top  of  which  was  an  inverted  "  potash  kettle,"  with  a  hole 
through  the  bottom,  to  which  a  pipe  was  attached  to  carry  off  the 
smoke.  For  many  years  that  heater  did  splendid  service.  The 
room  could  be  heated  so  easily  that  for  many  years  funerals  were 
held  there  during  winter  months,  as  the  old  meeting-house  was 
large  and  not  provided  with  means  of  heating.  After  1829  Lancas- 
ter academy  was  conducted  in  the  same  room,  so  that  men  were 
educated  there,  received  justice  meted  out  there  by  jurists  of  sterling 
integrity,  and  eulogized  there  and  commended  to  the  favor  and 
mercy  of  the  courts  of  heaven,  all  in  the  same  room.  It  was  neces- 
sarily a  utilitarian  age  in  which  men  were  forced  to  study  how  to 
get  the   most  out  of  their  opportunities  ;    and   they  solved  the  prob- 


512  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

lem  well,  for  meeting-houses  were  places  not  only  for  religious  and 
Sunday  assemblages,  but  there  their  business  meetings  took  place. 

After  a  time  a  bell  that  was  brought  into  the  country  by  Jacob 
Smith,  known  as  "  Guinea  Smith,"  which  he  used  for  a  while  at  a 
factory,  was  procured  for  the  court-house  by  Jared  W.  Williams, 
secretary  of  Lancaster  academy,  for  the  joint  use  of  courts  and 
academy.  It  was  mounted  on  a  tripod  of  poles  in  front  of  the 
building.  This  same  bell,  as  near  as  can  now  be  ascertained,  the 
first  one  brought  into  the  Coos  country,  is  now  mounted  in  the 
tower  of  the  graded  school  building,  having  been  contributed  by 
Jared  I.  Williams  for  that  purpose.  Mr.  Williams  came  into  pos- 
session of  the  bell  after  the  building  had  ceased  to  be  used  for 
academy  purposes,  and  was  sold  to  the  Baptist  church  and  remod- 
eled. The  inscription  upon  the  bell  is :  "Doolittle.  Hartford.  For 
W.  &  B.    1818." 

This  first  court-house  became  too  small  and  inconvenient  to  meet 
the  demands  upon  it  in  twenty  years  after  its  erection.  The  ques- 
tion of  a  new  court-house  was  agitated,  but  a  disinclination  upon  the 
part  of  the  people,  and  especially  the  county  officials,  deferred  the 
matter  so  long  that  they  lost  the  opportunity  of  decision  through 
Judge  Arthur  Livermore's  decree  ordering  a  new  building.  He 
even  prescribed  the  plans  on  which  it  was  to  be  built.  This  second 
court-house  was  located  where  the  present  one  now  stands,  and  was 
sufficient  for  the  county  until  1868,  when  it  became  necessary  to 
rebuild  it. 

In  1853  a  county  building  was  erected  on  the  banks  of  Isreals 
river,  where  Frank  Smith  &  Co.'s  store  building  now  is,  next  to  the 
National  Bank  building.  In  this  building  there  was  provided  room 
for  the  county  offices.  It  seems  to  have  been  poorly  built,  and 
became  unsafe  in  ten  years  after  its  erection.  This  building  and  the 
court-house  being  in  bad  repair  it  was  determined  to  pull  them  both 
down  and  erect  a  larger  and  more  suitable  court-house  that  should 
contain  the  county  offices  also.  When  the  old  court-house,  a  one- 
story  building,  high  posted  and  graceful,  was  torn  down  in  July, 
1868,  there  was  found  securely  fastened  to  the  arch  of  the  eastern 
gable  a  package  containing  a  copy  each  of  the  Have^'hill  Demo- 
ci'at-Refiiblican  and  the  New  Hani^sJm-e  Patriot,,  then  the  two 
leading  newspapers  of  the  northern  part  of  New  England,  together 
with  the  following  bit  of  the  history  of  the  old  building,  in  the  hand- 
writing of  Richard  Eastman : 

"  This  building  was  erected  for  holding  the  Courts  in  the  County  of  Coos,  state 
of  New  Hampshire.  Commenced  June  7,  i83i,and  will  probably  be  completed 
by  October  i,  of  the  same  year,  expense  about  $1,800.  The  stone  and  brick  work 
was  undertaken  by  Gen.  John  Wilson  and  Lieut.  Joseph  C.  Cady.  The  stone 
work  cut  and  hammered  by  Elisha  Cushman  and  William  Holmes.  Master 
workman   of  the  brick  work,   Capt.    Peter  Merrill.     Assistant  workmen,  William 


i 


Court-house,  i  868-1 886. 


Court-house,  \{ 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  513 

Page,  Zadoc  Cady,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Calvin  Willard,  Jonathan  W.  Willard.  Tend- 
ers, Josiah  G.  Hobart,  Samuel  Banfield,  William  W.  Moore,  William  Horn,  Frank- 
lin Savage.  The  carpenters'  work  done  under  the  superintendence  of  William 
Moody.  The  joiners'  work  done  by  Richard  Eastman,  Elijah  D.  Twombly,  Arte- 
nias  Lovejoy.  The  committee  who  superintended  the  whole  building  of  said  house 
were  John  W.  Weeks,  Thomas  Carlisle  and  Richard  Eastman." 

The  third  court-house,  built  in  1868,  was  a  two-story  brick  build- 
ing 70  X  40  feet  in  size  with  a  cupola  and  bell  mounted  in  it.  It 
was  finished  in  May,  1869.  The  first  floor  contained  two  jury  rooms, 
offices  of  probate  judge  and  register  of  deeds.  The  second  story 
contained  an  ample  court  room  and  the  offices  of  the  county  com- 
missioners and  county  treasurer.  Its  first  cost  was  about  $17,000, 
but  through  alterations  in  the  course  of  construction  and  afterward, 
this  sum  was  increased  to  nearly  $30,000.  The  building  was,  in 
every  way,  entirely  satisfactory,  and  was  pronounced  for  those  times 
a  model  court-house.  This  building  was  in  use  until  November, 
1886,  when  some  repairs  were  being  made  upon  the  vaults  which 
were  considered  unsafe  for  the  custody  of  the  county's  records  cover- 
ing a  period  of  eighty-two  years  since  the  organization  of  the  county. 
In  the  process  of  drying  the  vaults,  stoves  had  been  set  up  and  used  ; 
and  at  the  same  time  steam  heating  apparatus  was  being  adjusted  in 
the  building  up  to  midnight  on  the  4th  of  November,  at  which  hour 
the  custodians  of  the  building  left,  feeling  that  everything  was  safe  ; 
but  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  following  the  building  was 
discovered  to  be  on  fire.  All  possible  efforts  were  made  to  save  it, 
but  in  vain.  Both  the  building  and  contents  were  entirely  lost. 
But  few  of  the  records  were  saved  and  they  in  a  mutilated  condi- 
tion. This  was  the  second  conflagration  of  the  county  records,  the 
first  being  the  court  records  kept  in  the  office  of  the  clerk,  James 
M.  Rix,  in  the  wooden  building  where  P.  J.  Noyes's  manufactory  is 
on  Main  street,  burned  during  Mr.  Rix's  absence. 

In  consequence  of  having  failed  to  inform  the  insurance  compa- 
nies, and  getting  their  consent,  the  county  was  unable  to  collect 
the  insurance  from  the  fire  of  1886.  The  loss  of  the  building  was 
the  smallest  item  of  all.  The  loss  of  the  records  will  be  felt  for  all 
time.  Hon.  W.  S.  Ladd,  who  had  his  law  office  in  the  building, 
sustained  the  loss  of  a  very  valuable  library  and  all  his  law  papers. 

The  county  convention  was  convened  in  town  hall,  Lancaster,  Dec. 
9,  1886,  and  steps  were  taken  at  once  to  rebuild  the  court-house. 
Other  towns  began  to  make  movements  to  secure  the  location  of  the 
new  court-house  with  them.  Groveton,  which  had  then  become  a 
railroad  junction  of  the  Concord  &  Montreal  railroad  (now  Boston 
&  Maine)  and  the  Grand  Trunk  railroad,  offered  a  considerable 
sum  of  money  toward  rebuilding  as  an  inducement  to  locate  it 
there.  Berlin,  however,  was  the  strongest  competitor  of  Lancaster 
for  the  location  of  the  county  seat.  That  town  generously  offered  to 
33 


514  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

build  and  give  the  county  a  court-house  if  the  people  would  accept 
it  and  locate  the  county  seat  there.  When  the  question  was  voted 
upon  the  vote  stood  thirteen  in  favor  of  Lancaster  to  six  against  it. 
The  convention  instructed  the  county  commissioners  to  rebuild  the 
court-house  at  once.  The  contract  was  awarded  to  Mead,  Mason  & 
Co.,  of  Concord,  for  $17,000.  The  citizens  of  Lancaster  raised  a 
large  sum  by  subscription  for  extra  work  on  the  building.  The 
building  was  completed  in  due  time,  and  has  proven  to  be  a  model 
building  of  the  kind.  It  is  70  x  50  feet,  with  a  projection  on  each 
side  of  6  feet,  making  a  front  of  66  feet,  three  stories  high,  and  a 
cupola  and  spire,  reaching  100  feet  from  the  foundation.  The  build- 
ing is  of  brick,  with  stone  trimmings.  On  the  first  floor  are  the  ofifices 
of  probate  court,  register  of  deeds,  county  commissioners,  grand 
jury  and  solicitor,  and  clerk  of  the  courts.  On  the  second  floor  is 
the  court  room,  50  x  50  feet,  well  lighted  on  three  sides.  There 
are  in  front  on  this  floor  three  rooms,  the  lawyers'  room,  judges' 
room,  and  private  consultation  room. 

On  the  third  floor,  front,  are  the  petit  jury  rooms,  sheriff's  room 
and  the  county  sealers'  room.  There  are  three  large,  fire-proof 
vaults  in  the  building, — in  the  clerk's  ofhce,  probate  ofifice,  and 
register  of  deeds  office.  There  is  a  basement  under  the  entire 
building.  The  building  is  heated  with  steam  and  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity throughout. 

THE    HOTELS. 

For  many  years  Lancaster  had  a  number  of  "  taverns."  These 
establishments  afforded  accommodation  for  the  few  travelers  who 
might  chance  to  get  so  far  toward  the  frontier  towns  of  the  state. 
The  taverns  served  drinks  to  the  citizens  of  the  town.  They  were  all 
licensed  to  sell  "  mixed  drinks,"  "  foreign  and  domestic  liquors," 
"  West  India  rum,"  "  brandy,"  of  which  commodities  quantities  were 
consumed  in  the  early  days  of  the  town.  Many  of  the  leading 
men  of  the  town  held  license  to  sell  liquors.  The  tavern  met  the 
wants  of  the  new  community,  however,  as  well  as  the  hotel  of 
to-day  does  that  of  a  community  fully  abreast  of  the  country  in  all 
respects. 

The  first  of  them  kept  in  town  were  by  Major  Jonas  Wilder, 
Stephen  Wilson,  and  Gen.  John  Wilson,  at  the  upper  end  of  Main 
street.  Major  Wilder  kept  his  tavern  in  his,  then  large,  new  dwell- 
ing house,  which  is  known  as  the  Holton  place  to-day.  Here  he 
lodged  and  fed  man  and  beast,  and  sold  "  flip,"  rum,  and  other 
drinks.  The  town  being  without  a  meeting-house  at  the  time  his 
home  was  thrown  open  as  a  place  for  holding  religious  meetings. 

The  Wilson  tavern  was  the  large,  square,  flat-roofed  building  now 
standing  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street,  near  the  corner  of  Bridge 


Old  Lanxaster  House. 

Burned  1S78. 


:fr;i3iffni^rp 


£i-«a.;s/-.-.iL-«*.«s»ffl«S!a«B(W2a»ti»>*-.'^«**>»« 


4^ 


luWN    Hali.  and  Aa[erica\  House,  1876. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  5  15 

street.  It  then  stood  where  the  Benton  dwelling  now  does.  For 
many  years  this  was  the  most  famous  tavern  in  Lancaster.  The 
same  building  served  also  for  a  store,  furnished  jury  rooms  as  be- 
fore stated  when  court  was  in  session  at  the  old  one-room  court- 
house on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Bridge  streets,  now  the  public 
library,  after  having  served  as  academy,  church,  and  armory ;  and 
in  one  room  was  extemporized  the  first  prison  within  the  limits  of 
Coos  county. 

About  the  year  1812,  Sylvanus  Chessman  built  a  tavern  on  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Elm  streets.  At  this  time  business  was  begin- 
ning to  move  toward  that  locality.  Chessman's  tavern  was  a  land- 
mark for  many  years  and  enjoyed  a  good  patronage.  Col.  Sylva- 
nus Chessman  kept  the  house  for  some  years  himself,  and  aside 
from  his  many  other  distinctions  became  a  famous  landlord.  After 
Chessman  gave  up  this  tavern  it  was  kept  by  Samuel  White,  father 
of  Nathaniel  White,  later  of  Concord,  during  which  period  it  was 
known  as  White's  tavern.  Mr.  White  kept  a  stock  of  goods  in  the 
bar-room  also.  He  was  succeeded  by  Noyes  S.  Dennison,  who  was 
landlord  for  a  number  of  years,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of 
William  G.  Wentworth,  who  improved  the  place  and  renamed  it 
the  American  House.  It  bore  this  name  always  afterward.  Land- 
lord Wentworth  was  succeeded  by  Frederick  Fisk.  The  other  land- 
lords of  this  old  house  were  John  P.  Dennison,  Thomas  J.  Crawford, 
W.  K.  Richey,  William  Wolcott,  Nichols  &  Fling,  and  Francis  and 
Will  A.  Richardson.  The  old  hotel  was  afterward  burned.  The 
front  door  of  this  noted  old  landmark  is  now  doing  service  in  the 
L  of  John  G.  Derby's  house  on  Williams  street. 

The  next  hotel  of  any  importance  in  the  village  was  the  old  Coos 
Hotel,  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Canal  streets.  It  was  built  by 
Ephraim  Cross  in  1827.  Mr.  Cross  ran  the  house  for  some  years, 
when  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  Joseph  C.  Cady,  who  put  an  addition 
to  it  in  1837.  For  many  years  this  was  the  leading  hotel  of  the  town 
and  region  and  was  successful  under  the  managernent  of  Landlord 
Cady.  The  building  fell  into  the  hands  of  George  C.  Williams  who 
removed  it  to  the  rear  of  the  lot  in  1865.  The  hotel  had  declined 
after  the  building  of  the  Lancaster  House,  which  was  a  very  much 
better  hostelry  than  any  the  village  had  ever  had  before.  It  is 
now,  with  additions,  the  large  livery  stable  on   Canal  street. 

On  August  4,  1858,  the  first  Lancaster  House  was  opened  for  the 
reception  of  guests.  This  house  stood  where  the  present  Lancaster 
House  does.  It  was  built  by  moneys  paid  to  the  town  by  the 
Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  railroad  because  of  their  failure  to  build 
their  road  through  Lancaster  in  accordance  with  an  arrangement  to 
that  effect.  In  return  for  the  violation  of  their  agreement  they  paid 
over  to   the   projectors   of  that  arrangement  the    sum  of  $20,000. 


$l6  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

After  the  payment  of  certain  expenses  connected  with  railroad 
efforts,  the  custodians  of  that  fund  thought  they  would  be  serving 
the  town  by  erecting  a  first-class  hotel.  Accordingly  they  pur- 
chased a  lot  of  Dr.  John  Dewey,  and  entered  into  a  contract  with 
the  late  John  Lindsey  to  erect  the  building.  A  hotel  company  had 
been  formed,  and  purchased  the  building  before  its  completion. 
Mr.  John  Lindsey  was  one  of  the  company,  and  landlord  for  some 
years.  Other  landlords  were  D.  A.  Burnside,  who  was  its  owner, 
Elijah  Stanton,  B.  H.  Corning,  and  Lewis  Cole.  This  first  Lancas- 
ter House  was  burned  Sept.  28,  1878,  at  a  loss  on  building  and 
furnishings  of  $30,000,  with  but  $2,500  insurance. 

The  house  was  at  once  rebuilt,  which  building  is  the  Lancaster 
House  of  to-day.  Our  people  contributed  by  subscription  over 
$6,000  to  the  enterprise.  It  has  rooms  to  accommodate  150  guests, 
is  heated  by  steam,  lighted  by  gas  manufactured  in  the  building, 
by  electricity,  and  in  every  respect  is  a  first-class  hotel.  Since  the 
death  of  Mr.  Lindsey,  his  son,  Ned  B.  Lindsey,  was  proprietor,  and 
remained  so  until  his  death  in  February,  1 891,  to  be  succeeded  by 
his  widow,  Mrs.  Carrie  B.  Lindsey,  since  which  time  it  has  been 
most  successfully  conducted  by  his  son-in-law,  Lauren  B.  Whipp. 

T/ie  Willia7)is  House. — In  the  spring  of  1872,  John  M.  Hopkins 
bought  the  old  Governor  Williams  residence  on  Elm  street  and 
fitted  it  up  as  a  hotel  by  building  an  L  to  it,  and  in  1889  raised 
the  main  building  one  story.  The  main  portion  of  the  building 
was  erected  by  Governor  Williams  in  1847.  By  many  additions 
and  improvements  it  was  converted  into  a  very  comfortable  host- 
elry. It  contains  twenty-three  rooms  for  guests,  is  heated  by  steam, 
and  lighted  by  electricity  throughout.  It  is  kept  at  present  (1896), 
and  has  been  most  of  the  time,  by  John  M.  Hopkins. 

The  Tempe?'ance  House. — A  one-story  cottage,  with  rambling 
additions,  standing  where  the  Hazeltine  block  is  on  Main  street,  was 
kept  for  a  score  of  years  from  the  early  40's  by  George  Howe,  a 
harmless,  peculiar  herb  doctor  and  exhorter.  It  was  a  neat  and  com- 
fortable place  and  much  favored  by  jurymen  and  economical  travelers. 

The  Steivart  House  and  Green  s  Cottage,  on  Mechanic  street, 
are  comfortable,  home-like  hotels  of  a  modest  class. 

For  several  years  between  the  burning  and  rebuilding  of  the  Lan- 
caster House,  and  later,  B.  F.  Hunking  used  his  brick  residence  on 
Main  street  as  a  hotel,  "Elm  Cottage,"  with  great  success  and  com- 
fort to  guests. 

THE    OLD    RED  GUN    HOUSE. 

At  a  very  early  day  Lancaster,  being  so  near  the  northern  boun- 
dary of  the  country,  was  looked  upon  as  a  sort  of  outpost.  In  the 
first  settlement  of  the  "  Upper  Coos"  a  fort  was  erected  at  Northum- 


New  Lanxaster  House. 


Samuel  H.  LeGro. 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  5  17 

berland,  but  as  Lancaster  outranked  all  the  adjoining  towns  through 
the  valor  of  its  soldiery  in  the  several  conflicts  with  the  Indians  and 
French,  it  was  early  looked  upon  as  furnishing  both  a  good  share  of 
the  "  sinews  of  war  "  and  the  generalship  for  its  direction.  Here 
was  the  home  of  the  noted  Twenty-fourth,  and  later  of  the  Forty- 
second  regiment,  among  the  most  creditable  regiments  in  the  state. 
The  artillery  company  had  its  field  piece  for  the  accommodation  of 
which  a  gun  house  was  erected  on  the  lot  adjoining  the  mound  of 
the  old  cemetery,  about  where  the  Unitarian  church  now  stands. 
This  house  was  painted  red,  and  was  referred  to  as  the  "  Red  Gun 
House."  It  was  a  landmark  in  the  village.  Here  was  stored  a  three- 
pounder  brass  gun.  In  1842  a  state  arsenal,  with  two  cannon  and 
2,000  stand  of  arms  for  use  in  this  section  of  the  state,  was  estab- 
lished at  Lancaster. 

This  old  red  gun  house  was  a  small  one-story  building,  just 
large  enough  to  accommodate  the  equipment  of  the  artillery  com- 
pany. When  it  fell  into  disuse  it  was  moved  over  to  the  foot  of 
Baker  hill,  and  is  still  in  existence  as  a  shed  on  the  Hosmer  place 
on  Elm  street,  near  the  corner  of  Williams  street. 

While  this  old  building  remained  in  its  original  location  there 
stood  a  liberty  pole  on  its  south  side,  keeping  watch  over  its  treas- 
ures, while  proudly  waving  from  it  was  the  flag  under  which  many 
a  Lancaster  man  marched  to  the  defense  of  the  nation.  Later  the 
artillery  had  a  modern  six-pound  brass  gun,  which  with  a  like  gun 
of  the  Twenty-fourth  at  Stewartstown,  went  to  war  in  the  New 
Hampshire  battery  in    1861. 

THE    STATE   ARSENAL. 

In  1842,  as  a  result  of  the  agitation  over  the  Ashburton  treaty 
and  the  northern  boundary  and  of  changes  in  the  number  and  terri- 
tory of  the  regiments  of  the  state,  a  new  arsenal  was  erected  at  Lan- 
caster on  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Spring  streets.  Coos  county  was 
originally  all  embraced  in  the  Twenty-fourth  regiment;  later  the 
Forty-second,  covering  practically  the  Southern  judicial  district, 
was  formed,  leaving  the  Northern  district  country  as  the  Twenty- 
fourth.  This  was  a  larger  structure,  and  a  larger  equipment  was 
stored  here.  Here  were  brought  two  six-pounder  iron  cannon,  said 
to  have  been  captured  by  General  Stark  in  the  battle  of  Bennington, 
Vt.,  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  They  were  brought  through  the 
Notch  of  the  White  Mountains,  from  Portsmouth,  on  the  freight 
teams  of  Francis  Wilson  in  1842.  These,  with  2,000  small  arms, 
constituted  the  armament  of  the  arsenal.  This  arsenal  remained 
here  until  the  reorganization  of  the  militia  of  the  state  was  made 
necessary  by  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  The  two  historic  guns 
were  left  here  when  the  armament  was  removed  in  1861. 


5l8  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

In  1862  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent,  then  a  member  of  the  legislature 
from  Lancaster,  secured  the  passage  of  an  act  for  the  removal  of 
these  two  guns  to  Concord,  to  be  placed  in  the  rotunda  of  the  state 
house.  In  consequence  of  the  events  of  war  the  contemplated 
removal  of  these  guns  was  delayed,  and  they  remained  in  the  old 
arsenal  building. 

On  the  night  of  April  14,  1865,  on  hearing  the  news  of  the  sur- 
render of  Lee  and  the  Confederate  army,  the  citizens  of  Lancaster 
brought  out  one  of  these  guns  to  celebrate  the  news  of  final  victory 
in  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  The  gun  was  placed  on  the  crest 
of  Baker  hill,  northeast,  and  charged  with  five  pounds  of  fine  rifle 
powder,  tamped  with  dry  sand  to  the  muzzle,  and  slow  matched. 
The  explosion  burst  the  gun  into  fragments.  One  of  these  frag- 
ments was  afterwards  dug  out  of  the  road  over  forty  rods  away, 
where  it  buried  itself  deep  in  the  hard  ground  in  the  road  in  front 
of  the  Ockington  place.  It  bears  the  "  broad  arrow"  of  the  British 
ordnance  ofifice,  the  imperial  crown,  and  the  letters,  "  G.  R.," 
Georgius  Rex,  or  George  the  King.  This  fragment  is  now  to  be 
seen  in  the  banking  oflfice  of  the  Lancaster  Savings  bank,  where  it 
is  kept  as  an  historic  relic. 

The  companion  gun  is  now  at  the  state  house,  Concord,  as  con- 
templated by  the  action  of  the  legislature  in  1862,  but  not  exposed 
as  directed,  being  stored  in  its  cellars. 

LANCASTER    PUBLIC    LIBRARY. 

The  first  settlers  of  Lancaster  were  men  of  few  books.  Every 
family  had  its  Bible  or  a  New  Testament  and  the  Psalms,  and  possi- 
bly a  few  of  the  then  standard  volumes  of  theology  and  sermons. 
They  appreciated  those  few  books  within  their  reach.  They  sought 
for  their  children  a  good  education,  and  often  made  commendable 
sacrifices  to  provide  schools.  The  second  and  third  generations  born 
in  Lancaster  developed  a  remarkable  taste  for  good  literature.  As 
I  peruse  their  old  letters,  diaries,  and  other  records,  I  find  quota- 
tions and  allusions  to  the  best  literature  of  this  country,  showing 
a  greater  degree  of  familiarity  and  love  of  it  than  one  sees  to-day  in 
people  of  common  advantages.  Their  familiarity  with  ancient  his- 
tory and  classical  literature  was  evidently  very  considerable.  Until 
within  the  present  decade  or  two,  the  men  and  women  of  Lancaster 
were  noted  for  their  individuality  and  independence.  The  "  level- 
ing down  "  influences  came  into  Lancaster  life  within  thirty  years, 
virtually  with  the  railroad,  telegraph,  and  daily  newspaper.  Not 
until  these  things  came  did  the  people  study  to  affect  the  opinions 
and  conform  to  the  usages  of  the  rest  of  the  country.  Since  then 
Lancaster,  like  every  other  community,  has  relatively  less  prominent 
men,  because   it  has  vastly  more  average  men.     The  average,  how- 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  5  19 

ever,  is  higher  to-day  than  formerly,  but  one  misses  the  rare,  strong 
personahties  that  shone  Hke  stars  among  mankind.  Learning  and 
the  hterary  taste  is  more  democratic  now  than  formerly.  There  is 
relatively  more  poor,  if  not  indeed  bad,  literature  read  to-day  than 
fifty  years  ago  ;  but  the  amount  of  good  literature  is  greater  now 
than  then.  The  remnants  of  the  private  libraries  of  some  of  the  old 
families  evince  what  must  be  conceded  a  very  good  taste  and  sound 
judgment  of  books.  Lancaster  long  ago  became  noted  for  the 
quality  and  quantity  of  good  literature  sold  here ;  and  to  show 
more  fully  this  fact,  I  will  give  two  lists  of  books  offered  for  sale 
through  the  medium  of  newspaper  advertisements.  This  first  one  is 
taken  from  the    While  Mountain  yEgis,  in  1838,  as  follows: 

A  PERKINS   &   CO. 
Have  just  received  a  new  supply  of  Books,  consisting  of  the  following  : 

Goodrich's  History  of  the  U.  States, 

Whelpley's  Compend, 

Vose's  Astronomy, 

Political  Class  Book, 

Watts  on  the  Mind, 

Charles  the  12th, 

Le  Burn's  Telemaque, 

Nugent's  Dictionary, 

Adam's  Latin  Grammar,  by  Gould, 

Jacob's  Latin  Reader, 

Cicero's  Orations, 

Goodrich's  Greek  Grammar, 

"  "       Lessons, 

Jacob's  "       Readers, 

Wilson's         "       Testaments, 
Ainsworth  Dictionary,  &c, 
French  Word  Books, 
Day's  Algebra, 
French  Grammar, 
Abbott's  Abercrombie, 
Blair's  Lectures, 
Cooper's  Virgil, 
Benjamin's  Architecture. 

Here  is  another  of  the  many  lists  offered  from  month  to  month 
by  J.  M.  Rix  in  the  Cods  Democrat  for  1846  : 

Alison's  Modern  Europe,  3  vols. 

Gibbon's  History  of  Rome,  4  vols. 

Brougham's  Speeches,  2  vols. 

Festus.     Howitt,  Milman  and  Keats. 

Wilson's  Miscellanies.     Hallam's  Middle  Ages. 

Essays  of  Elia,  by  Charles  Lamb. 

Jefferson's  Life  and  Correspondence,  4  vols. 

Political  Economy,  works  by  Say,  Chalmers  and  Wayland. 


520  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Prescott's  Conquest  of  Mexico,  3  vols. 

Botta's  American  Revolution,  2  vols. 

Mill's  History  of  the  Crusades. 

History  of  the  Huguenots. 

Ranke's  History  of  the  Popes. 

Kane's  Chemistry. 

Spurzheim's  Phrenology,  2  vols. 

Thiers'  French  Revolution,  2  vols,  for  $2  only. 

Rollin's  Ancient  History,  2  vols,  for  $3. 

Tosephus,  $1.12. 

Poetical  works  of  Shakespeare,  Byron,  Moore,   Campbell,  Thomson,  Hemans, 

Young,  Cowper,  Pollok,  Burns,  Landon,  Kirke  White,  Elliott,  &c. 
Encyclopedia  of  Religious  Knowledge. 
Roscoe's  Lorenzo  d'Medici. 
Kendall's  Santa  Fe  Expedition. 
Rowan's  French  Revolution. 
Ingersoll's  War  of  i8i2-'i3. 
Napoleon's  Expedition  to  Russia. 
Defoe's  History  of  the  Plague. 

For  a  number  of  years  Mr.  Rix  conducted  a  bookstore  in  connec- 
tion with  his  newspaper  business,  and  carried  a  large  stock  of  good 
books. 

In  i860  a  "Reading  Circle"  was  organized  in  Lancaster,  and 
began  to  collect  books  with  a  view  of  establishing  a  library.  In  a 
short  time  a  good  circulating  library  was  in  operation.  An  enter- 
tainment was  given  in  the  town  hall,  Nov.  27,  i860,  to  raise  money 
for  that  purpose. 

This  library  grew  steadily  in  number  of  books  and  in  favor  in  the 
community,  so  that  in  seven  years  the  idea  of  a  public  library  had 
gained  so  much  favor  that  steps  were  taken  to  bring  it  about.  An 
organization  was  effected.  Hon.  William  Heywood  was  the  first 
president  of  the  library  association,  and  Dr.  George  O.  Rogers,  at 
whose  office  the  library  was  kept,  was  its  first  librarian.  There  were 
then  but  554  volumes  in  it,  66  of  which  had  been  contributed  by 
the  older  society,  the  Reading  Circle;  140  were  donated  by  inter- 
ested individuals,  and  the  remainder  purchased  from  funds  of  the 
association.  After  a  three  years'  sojourn  with  Dr.  Rogers,  the 
library  was  moved  into  a  room  furnished  and  fitted  up  for  the  pur- 
pose in  Parker  J.  Noyes's  drug  store.  A  catalogue  of  the  books 
was  prepared  and  published.  It  only  remained  one  year  in  this 
location,  when  it  was  removed  again  to  Dr.  Rogers's  ofiice,  where  it 
remained  for  a  time,  and  after  several  other  moves  was  located  in  a 
room  in  the  Kent  building.  Mar.  29,  1876,  from  which  it  was  moved 
in  1884  to  its  present  location,  in  what  was  the  old  academy  build- 
ing for  many  years,  on  the  south  side  of  Centennial  park.  Main 
street. 

At  the  annual  town-meeting  of  1884,  the  library  association 
offered    to   give    their   books   to   the    town    on  condition   that    the 


PUBLIC    BUILDINGS.  52  1 

town  maintain  a  public  library  free  to  all  its  citizens.  This  condi- 
tion they  met  very  cheerfully,  and  agreed  to  appropriate  four  hun- 
dred dollars  a  year  for  its  proper  maintenance.  A  board  of  trustees 
was  elected  and  given  the  custody  and  management  of  the  library. 
The  first  trustees  were  J.  I.  Williams,  Frank  D.  Hutchins,  Geo.  P. 
Rowell,  I.  W.  Drew,  and  Emily  Rowell. 

Geo.  P.  Rowell  gave  the  use  of  the  old  academy  building  free  for 
a  term  of  five  years  on  condition  that  the  sum  of  five  hundred  dol- 
lars be  raised  by  popular  subscription.  This  condition  the  citizens 
very  generously  met  by  promptly  raising  that  sum.  Mr.  Rowell 
also  provided  at  his  own  expense  a  catalogue  of  the  library  at  the 
time.  This  catalogue  was  of  140  pages,  containing  about  3,000 
titles.  This  first  catalogue  of  the  public  library  was  prepared  by 
Rev.  J.  B.  Morrison,  minister  of  the  Unitarian  church,  and  Mrs. 
Philip  Carpenter,  the  librarian.  The  library  was  thrown  open  to 
the  public  July  29,  1884.  Since  that  time  it  has  enjoyed  a  healthy 
and  continuous  growth,  reaching  close  to  6,500  volumes  at  present, 
besides  many  pamphlets  and  public  documents. 

In  1895  the  town  bought  the  land  on  which  the  building  stands. 
It  now  has  the  use  of  the  whole  amount  of  the  appropriation  of  $400 
per  year,  as  the  town  remitted  the  rent  at  the  annual  meeting  in 
March,  1896. 

At  the  annual  town-meeting  of  1895  an  appropriation  of  $500 
was  voted  for  the  preparation  and  publication  of  a  new  catalogue  of 
the  library. 

The  work  of  catalogueing  the  books  is  now  complete  at  the  hands 
of  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Williarns,  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hastings,  Miss  Hawthorne, 
and  a  suitable  catalogue  has  been  published. 

The  present  board  of  trustees  is  I.  W.  Drew,  Geo.  P.  Rowell,  J.  I. 
Williams,  F.  D.  Hutchins,  and  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hastings;  Mrs.  Sarah  J. 
Williams,  librarian. 

The  library  is  much  used,  and  is  one  of  the  most  helpful  institu- 
tions of  the  town. 

THE    READING-ROOMS. 

During  the  spring  of  1889,  several  ladies  connected  with  the 
Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union  opened  reading-rooms  with 
a  gymnasium  connected  in  the  north  rooms  of  the  town  hall  build- 
ing now  occupied  by  Flanders's  fruit  store.  Chief  among  the  pro- 
moters of  the  enterprise  were  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hastings,  Mrs.  C.  A.  Howe, 
and  Mrs.  Sarah  W.  Brown.  These  ladies  secured  funds  enough  on 
a  subscription  to  meet  the  expenses  of  the  rooms,  about  $350  a  year. 
The  rooms  were  well  patronized  from  the  start,  especially  the 
gymnasium.  After  a  time,  however,  the  privileges  of  that  depart- 
ment were  abused   and   it  was  closed.     After  the  first  year  of  the 


S-2  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

experiment  it  was  seen  to  be  a  matter  of  considerable  importance 
in  the  way  of  furnishing  a  place  of  resort  for  idle  boys  and  young 
men  who  profited  considerably  by  its  services,  and  several  men 
brought  the  matter  before  the  town  at  the  annual  town-meeting  of 
1890.  and  secured  an  appropriation  of  Si 00  toward  the  expense. 
This  amount  was  given  by  the  town  for  four  years,  after  which  it 
was  increased  to  $150,  and  next  to  $200,  until  at  the  town-meeting 
in  March,  1896,  when  the  town  assumed  the  entire  expense,  and 
appointed  a  committee  consisting  of  Mrs.  M.  A.  Hastings,  ISIrs.  C. 
A.  Howe,  and  ^Merrill  Shurtleff,  to  have  charge  and  manage  the 
rooms  as  a  town  institution. 

In  1892  the  rooms  were  moved  to  their  present  location  in  the 
south  side  of  the  town  hall  building.  At  that  time  a  young 
people's  friendship  temperance  club  was  organized,  and  assisted 
financially  to  the  amount  of  $50  in  fitting  up  the  rooms,  after  which 
the  club  declined,  and  is  not  in  existence.  After  the  g}'mnasium  had 
been  given  up  a  boys'  brotherhood  was  organized  and  conducted 
by  Rev.  C.  A.  Young,  minister  of  the  Unitarian  church,  for  some 
time ;    but  this  is  not  now  existing. 

The  rooms  have  been  used  by  the  Woman's  Christian  Temper- 
ance Union  always,  as  well  as  for  other  purposes,  except  evenings, 
when  it  is  open  to  the  public.  That  organization  has,  until  the 
present  year,  1S96,  raised  nearly  two  hundred  dollars  for  the  support 
of  the  rooms  by  soliciting  subscriptions,  and  by  ser\-ing  dinners  at 
town-meetings  and  sociables.  The  rooms  are  generously  supplied 
with  literature  of  a  great  variet}' — newspapers,  magazines,  illustrated 
papers,  and  books.  They  are  also  arranged  for,  and  supplied 
with,  a  variety  of  games.  A  large  number  of  boys  and  young  men 
are  constant  visitors. 

After  the  periodical  literature  has  done  its  full  service  in  the 
rooms  it  is  taken  either  to  the  jail,  or  to  the  lumber  camps  in  winter 
and  does  sen-ice  over  again  until  worn  out.  The  influence  of  the 
institution  is  thus  widened.  It  is  not  conducted  as  a  charitable  or 
a  reformaton,'  concern,  but  as  a  public  institution  designed  to  meet 
a  real  want  in  the  life  of  the  village.  It  has  had  for  a  number  of 
years  the  ser\-ices  of  Thomas  D.  Carbee  for  janitor  and  custodian. 
'Sir.  Carbee  has  taken  a  generous  and  kindly  interest  in  the  patrons 
of  the  rooms,  and  through  a  firm  but  kind  discipline  has  managed 
them  well. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  the  public  library- 
and  the  reading-rooms  will  be  properly  housed  in  one  suitable 
building  with  the  arrangements  and  conveniences  required  for  such 
institutions.* 

*  This  hope  has  been  fulfilled  by  the  removal  in  1899  of  the  "  reading-room  "  to  the 
library  building. 


THE    FIRE   DEPARTMENT.  523 

CHAPTER   XV. 

THE    FIRE    DEPARTMENT. 

Until  1834  neither  the  town  nor  the  village  had  any  means  of 
protecting  property  from  the  ravages  of  fire,  except  the  simple  one 
of  pouring  water  upon  it  by  means  of  pails.  In  that  year  a  petition 
was  signed  by  a  goodly  number  of  persons  asking  the  town  to  take 
action  toward  adopting  and  defining  portions  of  an  act  of  the  legis- 
lature of  ]\Iarch  22,  1828,  with  respect  to  the  duties  of  fire  wards, 
and  others  in  certain  cases.  The  selectmen,  in  compliance  with  the 
wishes  of  the  petitioners,  called  a  special  town-meeting  on  July  4, 
1834.  The  meeting  took  favorable  action  on  the  petition,  and 
appointed  the  following  named  men  as  fire  wards :  David  Burnside, 
Warren  Porter,  Harvey  Adams.  Turner  Stephenson.  John  Wilson, 
Royal  Joyslin,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  and  Ephraim  Cross. 

Since  that  time  the  list  of  fire  wards  has  always  been  full,  and  has 
included  among  its  members  the  most  substantial  business  men  of 
the  village,  until  the  village  was  incorporated  as  a  special  fire  pre- 
cinct, since  which  time  a  different  organization  has  obtained. 

Under  the  old  system  the  village  managed  to  protect  itself  against 
fires  with  very  good  success  for  more  than  twent}-  years.  During 
the  greater  portion  of  that  time  a  rotary  hand  engine  was  used  with 
satisfactory  results,  as  most  of  the  houses  were  only  one  stor\\  or 
one  and  a  half  stories  high,  with  very  rarely  a  two-stor}-  building. 
Under  the  directions  of  the  fire  wards  a  volunteer  company  did  etti- 
cient  service,  in  return  for  which  they  were  exempt  from  dut\'  on 
"muster  days,"- jury  duty,  etc. 

About  1850  taller  and  more  valuable  buildings  began  to  be 
erected,  and  a  growing  demand  for  more  adequate  fire  protection 
resulted  in  the  organization  of  a  new  fire  company  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  state,  which  had  become  much  improved  with 
respect  to  the  matter  of  protecting  property  from  fire. 

In  1853  the  town  voted  an  appropriation  of  S200  for  the  purchase 
of  a  fire  engine,  on  condition  that  enough  more  be  raised  by  sub- 
scription to  make  the  purchase  of  a  satisfactory  engine.  Xot  until 
1857  was  this  measure  carried  out.  At  that  time  citizens  had  sub- 
scribed enough  money  to  secure  the  best  apparatus  then  in  use. 
A  committee  consisting  of  David  Burnside  and  Perr}-  W.  Pollard 
was  appointed  to  make  the  purchase  of  the  desired  engine.  They 
bought  one  for  four  hundred  dollars,  which  was  in  use  a  long  time. 
It  was  named  the  .E^tna.  This  engine  gave  ven»^  good  satisfaction. 
In  the  following  year,  1858,  the  old  volunteer  fire  company  gave 
place  to  one  "  organized  according  to  law."  This  company  was 
known  as  the  "  Lancaster  Fire  Engine  company."     Its  organization 


524  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

was  perfected  March  27,  1858,  by  the  adoption  of  a  constitution 
and  an  elaborate  set  of  by-laws  for  its  government.  There  were 
forty-five  members,  with  the  following  officers:  ist  foreman,  David 
B.Allison;  2d  foreman,  Anderson  J.  Marshall;  ist  leading  hose, 
Webster  M.  Rines;  2d  leading  hose,  O.  E.  Freeman;  ist  suction 
hose.  Perry  W.  Pollard;  2d  suction  hose,  J.  G.  Derby;  treasurer, 
Charles  B.  Allen;  clerk,  Henry  O.  Kent;  board  of  directors,  D.  B. 
Allison,  J.  G.  Derby,  P.  W.  Pollard,  Gilman  Colby,  W.  W.  Hatch. 

At  the  annual  town-meeting  in  March,  1863,  the  town  voted  to 
adopt  chapter  1 1 1  of  the  Revised  Statutes,  which  defines  the  duties 
and  authority  of  fire  wards.  At  that  time  it  was  found  that  the 
water  supply  was  insufficient  to  meet  possible  demands  upon  it,  and 
a  reservoir  system  was  adopted  and  built  by  a  committee  consisting 
of  R.  P.  Kent,  Jared  I.  Williams,  and  E.  B.  Bennett.  Towards  this 
enterprise  citizens  subscribed  the  sum  of  three  hundred  dollars,  the 
town  meeting  the  rest  of  the  expenses.  This  system  was  reasonably 
satisfactory  for  some  years,  until  larger  amounts  of  water  were  neces- 
sary to  effectually  fight  fire. 

In  1865,  at  a  special  town-meeting,  called  January  18,  the  sum  of 
one  thousand  dollars  was  voted  for  the  purchase  of  a  better  fire  en- 
gine. E.  B.  Bennett,  E.  R.  Kent,  and  J.  I.Williams  were  appointed 
a  committee  to  make  the  purchase.  They  bought  a  second-hand  one 
in  Boston  that  had  done  duty  at  Lynn,  Mass.,  for  the  sum  of  $891. 
This  engine  was  named  the  Lafayette.  It  did  good  work  in  the 
hands  of  a  trained  company,  and  saved  much  valuable  property  to 
its  owners,  the  town  feeling  a  just  pride  in  it. 

In  1878  the  town  appropriated  the  sum  of  eight  hundred  dollars 
for  the  purchase  of  a  force  pump,  to  be  placed  under  the  grist-mill, 
to  fill  the  reservoirs  in  case  of  fires.  This  measure  was  not  carried 
out  until  1885,  when  it  was  attached  to  a  hydrant  system. 

In  1890  the  town  voted  to  pay  any  "company,  corporation,  or 
village  precinct  that  will  construct  sufficient  fire  hydrants  of  fifty 
pounds  pressure  to  the  square  inch,  one  thousand  dollars." 

At  a  special  meeting  Oct.  6,  1891,  the  town  voted  to  organize  a 
fire  precinct,  "under  chapter  107  of  the  General  Laws  of  New  Hamp- 
shire." The  old  fire  company  was  retained  in  force  as  Lafayette 
Fire  company. 

Since  Sept.  7,  1891,  the  village  fire  precinct  has  been  a  distinct 
civil  or  municipal  body,  holding  its  own  elections,  and  providing  for 
its  own  government  under  the  laws  of  the  state.  At  an  adjourned 
meeting,  Oct.  6,  1891,  a  committee  consisting  of  E.  R.  Kent,  N.  H. 
Richardson,  J.  L.  Moore,  W.  E.  Bullard,  and  V.  V.  Whitney,  was 
appointed  to  confer  with  the  Lancaster  Water  company,  a  corpora- 
ation  then  constructing  a  system  of  water-works  in  the  village,  as  to 
the  cost  of  a  competent  hydrant  system,  and   the  number  and  loca- 


THE    FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  525 

tion  of  hydrants  sufficient  to  serve  the  demands  of  the  village  for  fire 
purposes.  At  another  adjourned  meeting,  held  October  20  of  that 
year,  this  committee  recommended  an  agreement  with  the  Lancas- 
ter Water  company,  by  which  the  company  was  to  provide  a 
system  of  water-works,  with  a  reservoir  of  2,000,000  gallons'  ca- 
pacity, with  a  twelve-inch  main  to  Middle  street  along  Main  street, 
with  a  pressure  of  not  less  than  eighty  pounds  to  the  square  inch, 
and  fifty-eight  hydrants,  at  an  annual  rental  of  thirty-five  dollars  per 
hydrant,  and  three  water-cart  hydrants  free  of  cost,  and  also  two 
streams  of  water  for  public  water  troughs,  and  to  supply  water  to 
families  for  domestic  use  at  eight  dollars  per  year,  provided  that  the 
precinct  rent  the  hydrants  for  a  period  of  five  years.  This  company 
also  agreed  to  sell  its  system  to  the  precinct  at  anytime  prior  to  1897, 
at  the  cost  of  its  construction  with  ten  per-c'ent.  bonus  and  interest 
at  six  per  cent,  on  the  cost  of  construction  less  the  net  earnings  of 
the  company. 

At  that  meeting  this  proposal  was  accepted  by  the  precinct,  and 
a  board  of  fire  wards  was  elected,  consisting  of  E.  R.  Kent,  W.  E. 
Bullard,  W.  L.  Rowell,  J.  L.  Moore,  and  K.  B.  Fletcher,  with  in- 
structions to  conclude  the  agreement  recommended  by  the  previous 
committee. 

This  board  organized  by  the  election  of  the  following  officers : 
E.  R.  Kent,  chief  engineer;  W.  E.  Bullard,  W.  L.  Rowell,  J.  L. 
Moore,  and  K.  B.  Fletcher,  assistant  engineers. 

Three  hose  companies  and  one  hook  and  ladder  company  were 
formed  as  follows : 

E.  R.  Kent  Hose  Company,  No.  i. — George  Congdon,  fore- 
man ;  Fred.  W.  Streeter,  assistant  foreman;  Thoma^  Powers  and 
W.  B.  Wilson,  hosemen  ;  W.  E.  Ingerson  and  C.  A.  Root,  in  charge 
of  hydrants ;  F.  Smith  and  Fred  Streeter,  executive  committee ; 
W.  H.  McCarten,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

yEtna  Hose  Company,  IVo.  2. — J.  M.  Monahan,  foreman;  M. 
McHugh,  assistant  foreman  ;   Thomas  Sullivan,  clerk  and  treasurer. 

Lafayette  Hose  Company,  JVo.  j. — L.  B.  Porter,  foreman;  H. 
S.  Webb,  assistant  foreman;  H.  Bailey,  A.  Pierce,  hosemen;  H.  H. 
Noyes,  clerk  and  treasurer. 

A.  M.  Billiard  Hook  and  Laddei'  Company ,  No.  ^. — L.  H. 
Parker,  foreman;  F.  D.  Peabody,  assistant  foreman;  H.  A.  Keir 
and  C.  W.  Brown,  executive  committee  ;  B.  M.  Leavenworth,  clerk  ; 
Fred  B.  Spaulding,  treasurer. 

A  new  and  commodious  fire  department  station  was  fitted  up  by 
Frank  Smith  &  Co.  in  a  building  of  theirs  on  Middle  street,  where 
the  several  companies  have  their  headquarters,  and  the  apparatus  is 
stored.  The  second  floor  of  the  building  affords  a  large  hall  in 
which  companies  hold  their  meetings.      The  first  floor  is  devoted  to 


526  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

the  storage  of  trucks,  hose  carts,  and  other  apphances.  The  build- 
ing has  connected  with  it  a  tower  for  drying  hose.  Fire  alarms 
are  sounded  upon  a  gong  connected  with  the  engines  of  Frank 
Smith  &  Co.'s  mills  and  electric  light  plant.* 

One  hose  cart  and  hose  is  stationed  on  Main  street,  just  above  the 
Boston  &  Maine  railroad  crossing  for  use  in  emergencies  in  the  north 
end  of  the  village,  while  another  hose  cart  and  four  hundred  feet  of 
hose  are  stored  on  Winter  street  for  use  in  the  Baker  hill  section  of 
the  village. 

All  the  apparatus  is  of  the  most  improved  kind,  and  the  compa- 
nies are  faithful  in  the  use  of  it  whenever  danger  calls  them  out. 
Few  villages  of  its  size  has  so  good  a  fire  protection.  With  its  pres- 
ent organization,  its  boundless  supply  of  water  from  the  system 
which  the  precinct  now  owns,  having  purchased  the  water-works  of 
the  Lancaster  Water  company,  property  is  in  very  little  danger  from 
fire. 

THE   VETERAN    FIREMEN'S    ASSOCIATION. 

For  more  than  fifty  years  Lancaster  has  had  some  kind  of  organ- 
ized fire  protection.  Nearly  every  man  connected  with  the  business 
interests  of  the  village  has,  at  times,  belonged  to  some  of  those 
organizations.  The  surviving  members  of  the  several  companies  of 
the  past  and  present  organized  a  Veteran  Firemen's  Association 
at  a  meeting  called  for  that  purpose  on  June  4,  1896,  with  the  fol- 
lowing list  of  oflficers : 

John  G.  Derby,  president;  Henry  O.  Kent,  Frank  Smith,  Edward 
R.  Kent,  vice-presidents ;  Loring  B.  Porter,  secretary ;  Erastus  V. 
Cobleigh,  treasurer ;  W.  H.  Thompson,  A.  G.Wilson,  L.  H.  Parker, 
M.  Monahan,  M.  Vashon,  directors;  E.  R.  Kent,  L.  H.  Parker, 
Vernon  Smith,  E.  R.  Stuart,  committee  on  by-laws. 

The  first  fire  engine  was  what  was  termed  a  rotar}^  engine.  The 
water  was  poured  into  the  tub  by  a  line  of  men  (and  at  fires,  wo- 
men) leading  to  the  place  of  supply,  while  another  line,  facing  the 
first,  passed  back  the  empty  buckets.  The  machine  was  worked  by 
cranks,  with  polished  iron  arms  extending,  when  in  place,  eight  feet 
each  side  of  the  tub,  and  capable  of  engaging,  perhaps,  twenty  men 
at  a  relief. 

The  house  of  this  engine  was  at  the  northwest  corner  of  the  inn 
yard  of  the  Coos  hotel,  next  beyond  the  coach  shed  and  alongside 
the  garden,  about  where  the  rear  of  the  livery  stable  on  Canal  street 
now  is.  The  original  rotary  engine  was  dismembered,  the  pump 
connected  with  the  machinery  of  Williams's  machine    shop  and    set 

*  A  complete  fire  alarm  system  by  districts  was  established  in  1899,  with  about  a  dozen 
stations,  the  alarm  bells  being  that  upon  the  Congregational  church  and  one  placed 
upon  the  roof  of  the  Masonic  Temple  or  Town  Hall  building. 


THE   FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  527 

in  the  basement  as  a  force  pump.  It  was  destroyed  by  the  fire  that 
consumed  that  building. 

The  yEtna,  the  strong  but  crude  machine  bought  by  David  Burn- 
side  and  Perry  W.  Pollard  in  1857  at  St.  Johnsbury,  was  housed 
temporarily  in  convenient  sheds  until  the  winter  of  that  year,  when 
Henry  O.  Kent  and  John  G.  Derby  secured  contributions  of  mate- 
rials, labor  and  a  little  money,  and  built  the  engine-house  now  in 
ruins,  standing  just  east  of  the  grist-mill.  v^Itna  engine  had  this  until 
the  Hunneman  tub,  "Lafayette,"  was  purchased  in  1864,  when  an 
engine-room  and  hall  was  finished  off  for  the  yEtna  in  rear  of  Frank 
Smith's  block  on  Main  street,  where  the  north  end  of  Eagle  block 
now  is,  and  which  was  burned  in  the  great  fire  of  1878.  ^tna  was 
thereafter  housed  "  under  the  arch,"  in  comfortable  quarters  in  the 
town  hall  building,  until  the  era  of  the  new  fire  department  and  erec- 
tion of  the  present  commodious  headquarters,  when  it  was  sent  out 
to  Grange  Village,  where  it  now  is.  "Lafayette"  remains  for  special 
service  ;  but  modern  hydrants,  hose  companies,  and  hook  and  lad- 
der companies  have  supplanted  the  old  firemen  who  "  run  wid  der 
machine,"  or  used  the  ponderous  "  fire  hooks,"  of  which  a  speci- 
men still  exists  at  the  old  headquarters. 

The  date  of  the  organization  of  a  fire  department  is  from  the  erec- 
tion of  the  engine-house  in  1888,  and  the  establishing  of  quarters 
for  two  engines.  From  that  date  the  fire  wards,  or  their  successors, 
the  fire  engineers,  assumed  command,  placing  engines  and  directing 
operations  at  fires.  Edward  R.  Kent  is  easily  the  "  Nestor  "  of  the 
department,  having  served  as  fire  ward  and  engineer  for  twenty-four 
years. 

PERSONS    WHO    HAVE    HELD    THE    OFFICE    OF    FIRE   WARDS    SINCE 
1835,    TO   THE   ADOPTION    OF   THE    FIRE    PRECINCT   IN    1 892. 

1835.  David  Burnside,  Warren  Porter,  Harvey  Adams,  Turner 
Stephenson,  John  Wilson,  Royal  Joyslin,  Benjamin  Stephenson, 
Ephraim  Cross. 

1836.  John  Wilson,  Warren  Porter,  Benjamin  Stephenson, 
Ephraim  Cross,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Royal  Joyslin,  Harvey  Adams, 
Levi  F.  Randlett. 

1837.  David  Burnside,  Warren  Porter,  Benjamin  Stephenson, 
John  Wilson,  Ephraim  Cross,  Harvey  Adams,  Apollos  Perkins, 
John  S.  Wells. 

1838.  Royal  Joyslin,  Harvey  Adams,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Benjamin 
Stephenson,  Warren  Porter,  John  Wilson,  Ephraim  Cross,  Noyes 
S.   Dennison. 

1839.  John  Wilson,  John  S.  Wells,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  War- 
ren Porter,  Harvey  Adams,  David  Burnside,  Ephraim  Cross,  Royal 
Joyslin. 


528  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

1840.  John  S.  Wells,  John  Wilson,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  War- 
ren Porter,  Harvey  Adams,  David  Burnside,  Ephraim  Cross,  Royal 
Joyslin. 

1 841.  Amos  Balch,  Royal  Joyslin,  David  Burnside,  John  Wil- 
son, Ephraim  Cross,  John  S.  Wells,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  Warren 
Porter. 

1842.  Warren  Porter,  Ephraim  Cross,  Harvey  Adams,  David 
Burnside,  John  Wilson,  Royal  Joyslin,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  John  S. 
Wells. 

1843.  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Ephraim  Cross,  John  Wilson,  David 
Burnside,  Harvey  Adams,  Benjamin  Stephenson,  John  S.  Wells, 
Warren  Porter. 

1844.  Warren  Porter,  John  S.  Wells,  Ephraim  Cross,  Samuel 
Rines,  Oliver  W.  Baker,  David  Burnside,  Richard  P.  Kent,  Reuben 
Stephenson,  Harvey  Adams. 

1845.  Ephraim  Cross,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Harvey  Adams,  James 
H.  Hall,  Royal  Joyslin,  Warren  Porter,  Samuel  Rines. 

1846.  Harvey  Adams,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Reuben  Stephenson, 
Ephraim  Cross,  Royal  Joyslin,  George  F.  Hartwell,  James  W. 
Weeks. 

1847.  Ephraim  Cross,  Harvey  Adams,  Reuben  Stephenson, 
Albro  L.  Robinson,  Royal  Joyslin,  George  F.  Hartwell,  James  W. 
Weeks. 

1848.  Ephraim  Cross,  Harvey  Adams,  Joseph  C.  Cady,  Samuel 
Rines,  Hazen  C.  Walker,  Charles  B.  Allen,  Jacob  Benton,  Charles 
S.  Palmer. 

1849.  Harvey  Adams,  Jonathan  Hovey,  Lucius  M.  Rosebrooks, 
Jacob  Benton,  Richard  P.  Kent. 

1850.  Jonathan  Hovey,  Lucius  M.  Rosebrooks,  Jacob  Benton, 
Richard  P.  Kent. 

185 1.  John  Lindsey,  Webster  M.  Rines,  Edwin  F.  Eastman, 
William  Burns,  Reuben  Stephenson,  Hosea  Gray,  George  C.  Wil- 
liams. 

1852.  John  Lindsey,  Harvey  Adams,  John  W.  Lovejoy,  Horace 
F.  Holton,  George  C.  Williams. 

1853.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  David  Burnside,  John  Lindsey, 
Royal  Joyslin,  Hazen  C.  Walker,  Turner  Stephenson. 

1854.  Richard  P.Kent,  John  W.  Lovejoy,  Horace  F.  Holton, 
William  Burns,  Robert  Sawyer,  Frederick  Fisk. 

1855.  Perry  W.  Pollard,  Webster  M.  Rines,  Robert  Sawyer, 
Richard  P.  Kent,  David  Burnside,  James  A.  Smith. 

1856.  John  G.  Derby,  Richard  P.  Kent,  John  Lindsey,  Enoch 
L.  Colby,  George  Bellows,  Frederick  Fisk,  George  C.  Williams. 

1857.  Jacob  Benton,  David  Burnside,  Samuel  Rines,  Richard  P. 
Kent,  John  Lindsey,   Perry  W.   Pollard.     It  seems  that  the  $200 


THE   FIRE    DEPARTMENT.  529 

that  was  voted  by  the  town  in  1853,  had  laid  in  the  hands  of  the 
selectmen.  This  year  by  a  vote  of  the  town  it  was  paid  over  to 
the  Engine  Co. 

1858.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  George  A.  Cos- 
sitt,  David  Burnside,  John  Lindsey,  Ephraim  Cross,  John  G.  Derby, 
Richard  P.  Kent. 

1859.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  David  A.  Burn- 
side,  John  Lindsey,  Charles  B.  Allen,  John  G.  Derby,  Richard  P. 
Kent. 

i860.  Richard  P.  Kent,  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  David  A.  Burn- 
side,  John  Lindsey,  Jared  L  Williams,  Harvey  Adams,  Hartford 
Sweet,  John  H.  Hopkinson. 

1861.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  John  H.  Hopkinson,  George  A. 
Cossitt,  Hartford  Sweet,  Oliver  Nutter,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  John. Lind- 
sey, Kimball  B.  Fletcher. 

1862.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  John  H.  Hopkinson,  George  A. 
Cossitt,  Hartford  Sweet,  Oliver  Nutter,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Kimball  B. 
Fletcher. 

1863.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  John  H.  Hopkinson,  George  A. 
Cossitt,  David  A.  Burnside,  John  Lindsey,  Ephraim  Cross,  John  G. 
Derby,  Richard  P.  Kent. 

1864.  John  H.  Hopkinson,  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  George  A. 
Cossitt,  Hosea  Grey,  Hartford  Sweet,  Enoch  L.  Colby. 

1865.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  John  H.  Hopkinson,  George  A. 
Cossitt,  Hosea  Grey,  Hartford  Sweet,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Frank 
Smith. 

1866.  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  George  A.  Cossitt,  Hartford  Sweet, 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Hosea  Grey,  John  H.  Hopkinson, 
Kimball  B.  Fletcher. 

1867.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Hosea  Grey,  John  H. 
Hopkinson,  Kimball  B.  Fletcher,  Hartford  Sweet,  George  A.  Cos- 
sitt, Anderson  J.  Marshall. 

1868.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Enoch  L.  Colby,  Hosea  Grey,  John  H. 
Hopkinson,  Kimball  B.  Fletcher,  Hartford  Sweet,  George  A.  Cos- 
sitt, Anderson  J.  Marshall. 

1869.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Charles  W.  Smith,  Ariel  M.  Bullard, 
Anderson  J.  Marshall,  George  A.  Cossitt,  Daniel  Thompson,  Kim- 
ball B.  Fletcher,  Orville  E.  Freeman,  John  H.  Hopkinson. 

1870.  Henry  O.  Kent,  George  A.  Cossitt,  Anderson  J.  Mar- 
shall, Orville  E.  Freeman,  Charles  W.  Smith,  Edmund  Brown,  John 
H.  Hopkinson. 

1 87 1.  Henry  O.  Kent,  Anderson  J.  Marshall,  George  A.  Cos- 
sitt, Charles  W.  Smith,  John  H.  Hopkinson,  Kimball  B.  Fletcher, 
Hosea  Grey. 

1872.  Charles  W.  Smith,   Henry  Porter,  Frank  Smith,  Erastus 
34 


530  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

V.   Cobleigh,  Charles   E.  Allen,   George  H.  Emerson,  Edward    R. 
Kent. 

1873.  Charles  W.  Smith,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R.  Kent, 
Charles  E.  Allen,  Henry  H.  Porter,  Frank  Smith,  George  H.  Emer- 
son. 

1874.  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R.  Kent,  Charles  E.  Allen, 
Henry  H.  Porter,  Frank  Smith,  George  H.  Emerson,  Ariel  M. 
Billiard. 

1875.  William  L.  Rowell,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R. 
Kent,  Charles  E.  Allen,  Henry  H.  Porter,  Frank  Smith,  Ariel  M. 
Bullard. 

1876.  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Horace  R.  Porter,  Charles  E.  Allen, 
John  G.  Derby,  Edward  R.  Kent,  James  Monahan. 

1877.  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ariel  M.  Bullard, 
John  G.  Derby,  Charles  E.  Allen,  James  Monahan,  William  L. 
Rowell. 

1878.  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ariel  M.  Bullard, 
John  G.  Derby,  Charles  E.  Allen,  James  Monahan,  William  L. 
Rowell,  Frank  Smith. 

1879.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ariel  M.  Bullard,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh, 
John  G.  Derby,  Charles  E.  Allen,  James  Monahan,  William  L. 
Rowell,  Frank  Smith. 

1880.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ariel  M.  Bullard,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh, 
John  G.  Derby,  Charles  E.  Allen,  James  Monahan,  William  L. 
Rowell,  Frank  Smith. 

1 88 1.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Charles  L.  Griswold,  Erastus  V.  Cob- 
leigh, Ariel  M.  Bullard,  Charles  E.  Allen,  John  G.  Derby,  James 
Monahan,  Frank  Smith. 

1882.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Charles  E.  Allen,  Charles  L.  Griswold, 
Frank  Smith,  James  Monahan,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  John  G.  Derby, 
Ira  E.  Woodward. 

1883.  Edward  R  Kent,  Ira  E.  Woodward,  Charles  E.  Allen, 
Charles  L.  Griswold,  Frank  Smith,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  James 
Monahan,  John  G.  Derby,  Ivan  W.  Quimby. 

1884.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Charles  E.  Allen, 
James  Monahan,  William  L.  Rowell,  John  G.  Derby,  F'rank  Smith, 
Ira  E.  Woodward,  Ivan  W.  Quimby. 

1885.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  William  L. 
Rowell,  Charles  E.  Allen,  Frank  Smith,  James  Monahan,  John  G. 
Derby,  Ira  E.  Woodward,  Ivan  W.  Quimby. 

1886.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  William  L.  Rowell, 
Frank  Smith,  Charles  E.  Allen,  Nathaniel  H.  Richardson,  Robert 
McCarten,  Ira  E.  Woodward,  William  A.  Folsom. 

1887.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Fielding  Smith, 
Robert  McCarten,  Charles  E.  Allen,  John  G.  Derby,  Charles  A. 
Howe,  Ira  E.  Woodward. 


THE    CIVIL    LIST   OF    LANCASTER.  53 1 

1888.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Fielding  Smith, 
Robert  McCarten,  Charles  A.  Howe,  Willie  E.  Bullard,  Isaac  W. 
Hopkinson,  Kimball  B.  Fletcher,  Jr. 

1889.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Fielding  Smith, 
John  G.  Derby,  Charles  A.  Howe,  Horace  F.  Whitcomb,  Kimball 
B.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  WilHe  E.  Bullard. 

1890.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Fielding  Smith, 
Charles  A.  Howe,  John  G.  Derby,  Horace  F.  Whitcomb,  Kimball 
B.  Fletcher,  Jr.,  WilHe  E.  Bullard. 

1 89 1.  Edward  R.  Kent,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  John  G.  Derby, 
Charles  A.  Howe,  KimbaU  B.  Fletcher,  WilHe  E.  Bullard,  Virgil  V. 
Whitney. 

At  the  first  annual  meeting  of  the  fire  precinct  March  i,  1892,  it 
was  voted  that  the  officers  elected  be  called  engineers  instead  of  fire 
wards.  The  first  board  of  fire  engineers  were  :  E.  R.  Kent,  W.  E. 
Bullard,  J.  L.  Moore,  K.  B.  Fletcher,  and  W.  L.  Rowell. 

1893.     The  same  reelected. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

THE    CIVIL    LIST    OF    LANCASTER. 

The  Names  of  Citizens  of  Lanxaster  who  Have  Held  National,  State, 
County,  and  Town  Offices. 

Senator  in  Congress. 

Jared   W.   Williams,   U.    S.    Senate    (appointed  to  fill   vacancy), 

i853-'55- 

Representatives  in  Congress. 

John  W.  Weeks,  1829-33. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  1837-41. 
Jacob  Benton,  1867— '71. 
Ossian  Ray,  1880-84. 

Governor. 

Jared  W.  WilHams,  1847-48. 

Councilor. 
John  H.  White,  1839-42. 

Presidential  Electors. 

William  Lovejoy,  Republican,  1828. 
John  W.  Weeks,  Democrat,  1840. 


532  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

John  H.  White,  Free  Soil,  1848;    RepubHcan,  1856. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  Repubhcan,  1864. 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  RepubHcan,  1872. 

Fede7'al  Aff  ointments.  "^ 

Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  minister  to  Hayti,  1862-65. 
James  M.  Rix,  government  printing-office,  1853. 
Jacob  Benton,  inspector  of  customs,  1849. 
Ephraim  Cross,  inspector  of  customs,  1845. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  postmaster  U.  S.  Senate,  i863-'64. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  naval  officer,  port  of  Boston,  i885-'90. 
George    H.    Emerson,    clerk    interior    department    and    customs 
inspector,  1863. 

Delegates  to  JVational  Political  Conventions. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  Democratic  convention,  Baltimore,  Md.,  1832.- 

James  M.  Rix,  Democratic  convention,  Cincinnati,  O.  (alternate 
for  Robert  Ingalls  of  Shelburne,  and  attended  in  his  place). 

John  H.  White,  Republican  convention,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  1856. 

Jacob  Benton,  Republican  convention,  Chicago,  111.,  i860. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  alternate  delegate  at  large,  Republican   conven- 
tion, Chicago,  111.,  i860;    attended. 

William    Burns,   Democratic,    Charleston,    S.    C,   and    Baltimore, 
Md.,  i860. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  Democratic,  Chicago,  111.,  1864. 

Enoch  L.  Colby,  Republican,  Baltimore,  Md.,  1864. 

Ossian  Ray,  Republican  convention,  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  1872. 

Henry   O     Kent,    Liberal    Republican    convention    at    Cincinnati, 
1872. 

B.  F.  Whidden,  Republican  convention,  Cincinnati,  O.,  1876. 

Irving  W.  Drew,  Democratic  convention,  Cincinnati.  O.,  1880. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  Democratic  convention,  Chicago,  111.,  1884. 

William  S.  Ladd,  Democratic  convention,  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  1888. 

Irving  W.  Drew,  Democratic  convention,  Chicago,  111.,  1892   and 
1896. 

State  Senators. 

John  W.  Weeks,  1826-29. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  i832-'35. 
^    Ephraim  Cross,  1844-46. 
James  M.  Rix,  1852-54. 
William  Burns,  1856-58. 
John  W.  Barney,  1868-70. 
Irving  W.  Drew,  1883-85. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  1885-87. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1897-99. 


THE    CIVIL    LIST    OF    LANCASTER.  533 

Presidents  of  the  State  Senate. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  1833-34. 
James  M.  Rix,  1853. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1897. 

Clei'k  of  the  Senate. 
G.  C.  Williams,  1853-54. 

Clerks  of  the  House. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  1855-59. 
Josiah  H.  Benton,  Jr.,  1870. 

Speakers  of  the  House. 

John  S.  Wells,  1841. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1881. 

3Ie?nbers  of  Constitutional  Conventions. 

David  Page,  1781. 

John  Weeks,    1788,  convention  to  ratify  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States. 

William  Cargill,  1791. 
John  H.  White,  1850. 
Jacob  Benton,  1876. 
William  Burns,  1876. 
William  S.  Ladd,  1889. 
WilHam  H.  Smith,  1889. 

y list  ice  of  Supreme  fudicial  Court. 
William  S.  Ladd,  1870-74. 

Justice  of  Superior  Court  of  fudicature. 
William  S.  Ladd,  1874-76. 

Justices  of  Court  of  Common  Pleas. 

Richard  C.  Everett,  1813-15. 
Richard  Eastman,  i84i-'48. 

Reporter  of  the  Suprejne  Court. 
William  S.  Ladd,  1883-91. 

Judges  of  Probate. 

Benjamin  Hunking,  1829—52. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  1852-53. 


534  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

James  W.  Weeks,  1853-55. 
Turner  Stephenson,  1855-68. 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  i868-'74- 
William  D.  Weeks,  1876-85. 
Everett  Fletcher,  1885-95. 

Clerks  of  Courts. 

Jonas  Baker,  court  of  common  pleas,  1804— '10. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  court  of  common   pleas  and  superior  court  of 
judicature,  1810-37. 

William  Farrar,  court  of  common  pleas,  i837-'39. 

James  M.  Rix,  court  of  common  pleas,  1839-56;   supreme  judi- 
cial court,  1847-56. 

Daniel  C.  Pinkham,  court  of  common  pleas  and   supreme  judicial, 
1856-68. 

Chester  B.  Jordan,  supreme  judicial  court,  1868—74. 

Moses  A.  Hastings,  superior  court,  1874-76;    and  supreme  judi- 
cial, 1 876-. 

Registers  of  Probate. 

William  Lovejoy,  1822-29.  George  H.  Emerson,  1875-77. 

Jared  W.  WiUiams,  1829-37.  Charles  B.  Allen,  1877-80. 

George  A.  Cossitt,  1837-52.  George  H.  Emerson,  1880-86. 

John  W.  Barney,  1852-55.  Joseph  W.  Flanders,  1886-95. 

Albro  L.  Robinson,  1855-60.  Fielding  Smith,  1895-97. 

John  M.  Whipple,  1860-75.  Burleigh  Roberts,  1897- 

ON    STATE    COMMISSIONS. 
To  Adjust  Eastern  Boundary  of  State. 
John  W.  Weeks,  1828.  Henry  O.  Kent,  1858. 

To  Survey  and  Allot  Public  Lands. 

Ephraim  Cross,  1844.  John  M.  Whipple,  1858. 

George  C.  Williams,  1858. 

Bank  Commissioners. 

Jas.M.  Rix,  1843-46;  1848-54.   Henry  O.  Kent,  1866-69. 

On  Construction  of  State  Library. 
Irving  W.  Drew,  1894. 

On  Construction  of  JVezv  Prison. 
John  W.  Barney,  1874. 


THE    CIVIL    LIST   OF    LANCASTER. 


535 


Fish  and  Game  Commissions. 

William  H.  Shurtleff,  1892. 
School  Commissioner  for  Cods. 

Francis  Laban  Towne,  1858. 

State  Board  of  Agricidttire. 

Barton  G.  Towne,  1871.  Joseph  D.  Howe,  1893. 

Horace  F.  Holton,  1873,  James  W.  Weeks. 

High  Sheriffs. 

Levi  Willard,  1805-12.  Enoch  L.  Colby,  1857-67. 

Lemuel  Adams,  1816-20.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  1872-77. 

John  W.  Weeks,  i820-'25.  George  M.  Stevens,  1887-93. 

John  H.  White,  1830-39.  John  T.  Amey,  1893-95. 

Reuben  Stephenson,  i849-'5  5.  Thomas  C.  Beattie,  1895-. 

County  Commissioners. 

George  R.  Eaton,  1879-83. 


Andrew  J.  Congdon,  i867-'70. 
James  W.  Weeks,  1873-76. 


Solicitors. 


Abraham  Hinds,  1807. 
William  Farrar,  1816-21. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  1821-38. 
John  S.  Wells,  1838-47. 
Saunders  W.  Cooper,  i847-'49. 
William  Burns,  i849-'53. 


George  C.  Williams,  i853-'56. 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  i856-'63, 
Ossian  Ray,  1863-73. 
Henry  Heywood,  i875-'77. 
William  S.'Ladd,  1879-80. 


Abraham  Hinds. 

Asa  W^  Burnap. 

Wjlliam  Farrar 

John  M.  Dennison. 

Reuben  Stephenson,  i830-'39. 

John  W.  Lovejoy,  1839-49. 

John  S.  Roby,  1849-55. 

Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  1855-61. 


Registers  of  Deeds. 

Hezekiah  B.  Parsons,  1 861— '66. 
Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  1866—71. 
Charles  W.  Smith,  1871-76. 
Joseph  W.  Flanders,  1876-82. 
Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  1882-87. 
James  M.  Rowell.  1887-93. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  1893-95. 
Henry  S.  Hilliard,  1895-. 


County  Treasurers 

John  W.  Weeks. 

Richard  Eastman. 

George  A.  Cossitt,  1865-67. 


James  M.  Rowell,  1879-83. 
George  R.  Eaton,  1885-91. 
William  H.  McCarten,  1894-. 


536  HISTORY  OF  LANCASTER. 

Rep7'esentaiives  to  the  General  Court* 

Jonas  Wilder,  Jr.,  1793. 

Jonathan  Cram,  1795. 

Richard  C.  Everett,  1796-97;    1799-1802. 

WilHam  Lovejoy,  1803-11. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  i8i3-'i'7. 

Richard  Eastman,  18 18. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  18 19. 

Richard  Eastman,  1820. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  1821-22. 

John  Wilson,  1823-25. 

Richard  Eastman,  1826-27. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  1828. 

Richard  Eastman,  1829. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  1830-31. 

Richard  Eastman,  1832-34. 

Jared  W.  Williams,  1835-36. 

Adino  N.  Brackett,  1837. 

Richard  Eastman,  1838. 

John  S.  Wells,  1839-42. 

In  1843  voted  not  to  send. 

William  D.  Weeks,  1844. 

Harvey  Adams,  1845-46. 

James  M.  Rix,  1847-48. 

Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  1849-50. 

In  1 85  I  voted  not  to  send. 

George  A.  Cossitt,  1852. 

Royal  Joyslin,  1853. 

Jacob  Benton,  1854. 

Jacob  Benton,  Edmund  Brown,  1855-56. 

John  M.  Whipple,  Jacob  E.  Stickney,  1857-58. 

George  C.  Williams,  Seth  Savage,  1859-60. 

In  1 86 1  voted  not  to  send. 

Moody  P.  Marshall,  Henry  O.  Kent,  1862. 

Moody  P.  Marshall,  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  1863. 

Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  D.  Folsom,  1864. 

William  F.  Smith,  Edward  Spaulding,  1865. 

In  1866  voted  not  to  send. 

Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  Charles  Plaisted,  1867. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  Ossian  Ray,  i868-'69. 

In  1870  voted  not  to  send. 

Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  James  LeGro,  1871. 

♦Lancaster  was  a  classed  town  from  1775  to  1S17,  after  which  the  town  had  its  own 
representatives. 


THE   CIVIL   LIST   OF   LANCASTER. 


537 


John  W.  Spaulding,  Seneca  B.  Congdon,  1872-73. 
George  S.  Stockwell,  Edward  Savage,  1874. 
John  E.  Dimick,  James  McCarten,  1875-76. 
George  S.  Stockwell,  Francis  Kellum,  1877— '79. 
Jared  I.  Williams,  William  Clough,  1879-80.* 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  James  Monahan,  i88i-'82. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  William  S.  Ladd,  1882-84. 
Frank  Smith,  Matthew  Monahan,  1884-86. 
Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  Robert  McCarten,  1886-88. 
John  M.  Clark,  Matthew  Smith,  1888-90. 
Joseph  D.  Howe,  George  Farnham,  Patrick  Small,  i890-'92. 
Alexander   M.   Beattie,  WilHe  E.   Bullard,   Gilbert  A.   Marshall, 
1892-94. 

William  R.  Stockwell,  John  L.  Moore,  James  W.  Truland,  1894- 

'95- 

George    W.    Lane,    George    A.    Hartford,    James    A.   Monahan, 
1896-98. 

County  Coroners. 


W.  Rosebrook,  1806. 
Benjamin  Boardman,  1817. 
William  Farrar,  1818. 
Ephraim  H.  Mahurin,  18 18. 
Benjamin  Boardman,  i8i'8. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1828. 
Benjamin  Boardman,  1828. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1836. 
Benjamin  Stephenson,  1840. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1841. 


Benjamin  Stephenson,  1843. 
Oliver  G.  Stephenson,  1852. 
Amos  LeGro,  1852. 
Oliver  G.  Stephenson,  1857. 
Anderson  J.  Marshall,  1859. 
Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  1865. 
E.  V.  Cobleigh,  1884-91. 
Charles  E.  Allen,  1891-96. 
E.  V.  Cobleigh,  1896. 


J.  M.  Dennison,  1807. 
A.  W.  Burnap,  1808. 
Orrace  Wallace,  181 1. 
Jonathan  Carleton. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  18 14 
E.  H.  Mahurin,  1818. 
Noyes  Dennison,  1820. 
William  Dennison,  1822. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1825 
Francis  Wilson,  1826. 
Charles  Bellows,  1826. 
John  H.  Willard,  1830. 


Deputy  Sheriffs. 

Thomas  Carlisle,  1831. 
Benjamin  Stephenson,  1834. 
John  Dean,  1836. 
William  Cargill,  1838. 
Ephraim  Cross,  1838. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1839. 
Noyes  Dennison,  1840. 
Ephraim  Cross,  1840. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1840. 
Benjamin  H.  Chadborne,  1844. 
Reuben  Stephenson,  1847. 
Ephraim  Cross,  1850. 


*Under  the  amended  constitution  the  election  of   representatives  occurs  biennially, 
and  offices  hold  for  two  years  ;  since  1878. 


538 


HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 


James  H.  Hall,  185  i. 
Oliver  G.  Stephenson,  1851. 
Ephraim  Cross,  1854. 
W.  S.  Clark,  1857. 
Seth  Adams,  1859. 
William  Cargill,  1859. 
Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  1863. 
Joseph  S.  Green,  1864. 
Charles  F.  Colby,  1866. 
Enoch  L.  Colby,  1867. 
William  W.  Lindsey,  1870. 
George  S.  Stockwell,  1872. 


William  W.  Lindsey,  1873. 
Leroy  S.  Stalbird,  1873. 
Freedom  M.  Rhodes,  1875. 
Benjamin  F.  Hunking,  1875. 
Leroy  S.  Stalbird,  1877. 
George  M.  Stevens,  1877. 
George  M.  Stevens,  1882. 
Richard  Fletcher,  1886. 
George  M.  Stevens,  1886. 
Richard  Fletcher,  1887. 
Geo.  M.  Stevens,  1887;   1892-93, 
Edgar  Ingerson,  1893-     • 


Moderators. 


Capt.  Thomas  Burnside,   1769.* 
David  Cross,    1773. 
David  Page,  1774-79. 
Jonas  Wilder,    1780-82. 
David  Page,  1783. 
Jonas  Wilder,  1784. 
Emmons  Stockwell,  1785. 
David  G.  Mason,  1786. 
Jonas  Wilder,  1787-88. 
John  Weeks,    1789. 
Jonas  Wilder,  1790-92. 
John  Weeks,  1793-99. 
Jonas  Baker,  1800. 
John  Weeks,  1801-02. 
Bryant  Stephenson,  1803. 
Capt.  John  W.  Weeks,  1804-05. 
Richard  C.  Everett,  1806. 
Stephen  Wilson,  1807. 
Richard  C.  Everett,  1808. 
Bryant  Stephenson,  i8o9-'io. 
Stephen  Wilson,  181 1. 
William  Lovejoy,  18  12. 
Richard  C.  Everett,  18 13. 
Stephen  Wilson,  18 14. 
Richard  Eastman,  18 15. 
Adino  N.  Brackett,  18 16- 18. 
John  W.  Weeks,  1819-20. 
Adino  N.  Brackett,  1821. 


John  W.  Weeks,  1822. 
Eliphalet  Lyman,  1823. 
John  W.  Weeks,  i824-'2  5. 
Adino  N.  Brackett,  1826. 
Eliphalet  Lyman,  1827-28. 
John  W.  Weeks,  1829. 
Richard  Eastman,  1830-31. 
John  W.  Weeks,  1832-34. 
Richard  Eastman,  i835-'36. 
Eliphalet  Lyman,  1837. 
Richard  Eastman,  1838. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  1839. 
John  H.  White,  1840-41. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  1842. 
Gen.  Ira  Young,  1843-44. 
John  H.White,  1845. 
George  A.  Cossitt,  i846-'49. 
James  W.  Weeks,   1850. 
George  A.  Cossitt,  i85i-'52. 
Jacob  Benton,  1833-56. 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,  1857-58. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  1859. 
Jacob  Benton,  i860. 
George  C.  Williams,  1861-62. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  1863-65. 
Benjamin  F.  Whidden,    1866. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  1867. 
Jacob  Benton,  1868. 


*  The  Proprietors  Records  being  lost  from  1765  to  1769,  it  is  not  possible  to  give  the 
names  of  the  moderators  during  that  period. 


-7" 


THE    CIVIL    LIST   OF    LANCASTER. 


539 


Henry  O.  Kent,  1869-72. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1872-73. 
Henry  O.  Kent,    1 874-75 • 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1876. 
Henry  O.  Kent,    1877-80. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1881. 


Henry  O.  Kent,    1883-85. 
Irving  W.  Drew,  1886-88. 
Chester  B.  Jordan,  1889-90. 
Henry  O.  Kent,    1891-94. 
WiUiam  P.  Buckley,  1895- 


Tozun  Clerks. 


Edwards  Bucknam,    1769— '89. 
Samuel  Johnson,  1790. 
Jonas  Baker,  1791-96. 
Isaac  Chaffee,  1796-1800. 
William  Lovejoy,  1801-07. 
Briant  Stephenson,  i8o8-'o9. 
William  Lovejoy,  1809-16. 
John  Wilson,  18 17. 
William  Lovejoy,  i8i8-'2  2. 
John  Wilson,  1823-25. 
George  Wait  Perkins,  i826-'27 
Turner  Stephenson,  1828. 
Thomas  Carlisle,  1829—31. 
Thomas  Dennison,  1832-36. 
John  W.  Lovejoy,  1837. 


Reuben  L.  Adams,  i837-'45. 
John  S.  Roby,  1845-49. 
Reuben  L.  Adams,  1849-57. 
David  B.  Allison,  1857-59. 
Reuben  L.  Adams,  1859-64. 
Charles  E.  Allen,  1864-66. 
Edward  Savage,  1866-76. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  1877. 
John  G.  Crawford,  1^78. 
George  H.  Emerson,  1879. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  1879-81. 
Charles  B.  Allen,  1881. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  1882-86. 
Charles  B.  Allen,  1887-88. 
RolHn  J.  Brown,  1889-. 


Selectmen. 

1769.  David  Page,   Abner  Osgood,   George  Wheeler,   Emmons 

Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1770.  David  Page,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons  Stockwell.        « 

1 77 1.  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1772.  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  David  Cross. 

1773.  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1774.  David  Page,  David  Cross,  David  Page,  Jr. 

1775.  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1776.  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1777.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Moses  Page. 

1778.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam,   David   Page,  Jr. 

1779.  Jonas  Wilder,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam. 

1780.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Jonas  Wilder.  Emmons  Stockwell. 

1781.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons  Stockwell. 

1782.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons  Stockwell. 

1783.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Jonas  Wilder,  Emmons  Stockwell. 

1784.  Jonas  Wilder,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons  Stockwell. 

1785.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Jonas  Wilder,  David  Page. 

1786.  Edwards  Bucknam,  David  Page,  Emmons  Stockwell. 


540  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

1787.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Jonas  Wilder,  Samuel  Johnson. 

1788.  Jonas    Wilder,  Edwards    Bucknam,    Emmons    Stockwell, 

Samuel  Johnson,  Jonas  Baker. 

1789.  Edwards  Bucknam,  John  Weeks,  Jonas  Wilder. 

1790.  Edwards  Bucknam,  Emmons  Stockwell,  Francis  Wilson. 

791.  Emmons  Stockwell,  Edwards  Bucknam,  Francis  Wilson. 

792.  Emmons  Stockwell,  John  Weeks,  Jeremiah  W^ilcox. 

793.  John  Weeks,  Jonathan  Cram,  Jeremiah  Wilcox. 

794.  Jonathan  Cram,  John  Rosebrook,  Titus  O.  Brown. 

795.  John  Rosebrook,  David  Page,  Dennis  Stanley. 

796.  John  Rosebrook,  David  Page,  Dennis  Stanley. 

797.  Richard  C.  Everett,  Titus  O.  Brown,  Nathaniel  White. 

798.  Stephen  Wilson,  Nathaniel  White,  Titus  O.  Brown. 

799.  Stephen  Wilson,  Nathaniel  White,  Titus  O.  Brown. 

800.  David  Page,  Joseph  Wilder,  Levi  Willard. 

801.  David  Page,  Benjamin  Twombley,  Jr.,  William  Bruce. 

802.  William  Bruce,  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Sylvanus  Chessman. 

803.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Elias  Chapman,  Levi  Willard. 

804.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman,  Elias  Chapman. 

805.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman,  Elias  Chapman. 

806.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman,  Nathaniel  White. 

807.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Nathaniel  White,  Richard  Eastman. 

808.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  John  W.  Weeks,  Benjamin  Boardman. 

809.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman,  Jonas  Baker. 

810.  Richard  Eastman,  John  W.  Weeks,  Uriel  Rosebrook. 

811.  Richard  Eastman,  John  W.  Weeks. 

812.  Richard  Eastman,  Ebenezer  Twombly,  Stephen  Wilson. 
-813.  Richard  Eastman,  Benjamin  Boardman,  Reuben  W.  Freeman. 

8«4.  Stephen  Wilson,  Abiel  Lovejoy,  Richard  Eastman. 

815.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Abiel  Lovejoy,  Richard  Eastman. 

:8i6.  Richard  Eastman,  William  Lovejoy,  John  Aspenwall. 

817.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  John  W.  Weeks,  William  Lovejoy. 

818.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  John  W.  Weeks,  William  Lovejoy. 

819.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman,  John  W.  Weeks. 

820.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  John  W.  Weeks,  Richard  Eastman. 

821.  Richard  Eastman,  Sylvanus  Chessman,  Joel  Hemmenway. 

822.  Richard  Eastman,  John  W.  Weeks,  Joel  Hemmenway. 

823.  John  W.  Weeks,  William  Lovejoy,  Joel  Hemmenway. 

824.  John  W.  Weeks,  William  Lovejoy,  Nathaniel  Goss. 

825.  John  W.  Weeks,  Nathaniel  Goss,  Samuel  White. 

826.  Richard  Eastman,  Ephraim  Cross,  Nathaniel  Goss. 

827.  Nathaniel  Goss,  John  H.  White,  Ephraim  Cross. 

828.  William  Lovejoy,  Edward  B.  Spaulding,  Benjamin  Stephen- 

son. 

1829.  Ephraim  Cross,  Richard  Eastman,  John  H.  White. 


THE    CIVIL    LIST    OF    LANCASTER.  541 

830.  John  H.  White,  Reuben  Stephenson,  James  B.  Weeks. 

831.  Richard  Eastman,  Reuben  Stephenson,  Ephraim  Cross. 

832.  Reuben  Stephenson,  Amos  LeGro,  John  Smith. 

833.  John  H.  White,  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Richard  Eastman. 

834.  John  W.  Weeks,  Abiel  Lovejoy,  Reuben  Stephenson. 

835.  Reuben  Stephenson,  John  H.  White,  EHjah  D.  Twombley. 

836.  Reuben  Stephenson,  EHjah  Twombley,  Harvey  Adams. 

837.  Solomon  Hemmenway,  Reuben  Stephenson,  Harvey  Adams. 

838.  John  H.  White,  Harvey  Adams,  William  Holkins. 

839.  Reuben  Stephenson,  Harvey  Adams,  Barton  G.  Towne. 

:  840.  Reuben  Stephenson,  William  D.  Spaulding,  Barton  G.  Towne. 

841.  William  D.  Spaulding,  Barton  G.  Towne,  Richard  Eastman. 

842.  Reuben  Stephenson,  William  Lovejoy,  William  Holkins. 

843.  Reuben  Stephenson,  John  W.  Hodgdon,  William  Lovejoy. 

844.  Adino  N.  Brackett,  Samuel  Mclntire,  John  W.  Hodgdon. 

845.  Barton  G.  Towne,  Samuel  Mclntire,  James  W.  Weeks. 

846.  Reuben  Stephenson,  James  Marden,  Edward  B.  Mclntire. 

847.  Reuben  Stephenson,  James  Marden,  Edward  B.  Mclntire. 

848.  James  W.  VVeeks,  Edward  B.  Mclntire,  Barton  G.  Towne. 

849.  Reuben  L.  Adams.  William  R.  Stockwell,  James  Mclntire. 

850.  John  H.  White,  John  W.  Hodgdon,  Joseph  B.  Moore. 

851.  George  Alexander,  William  R.  Stockwell,  Joseph  B.  Moore. 

852.  Seth  Sav^age,  Silas  Mclntire,  Hiram  Twitchell. 

853.  Seth  Savage,  William  S.  Clark,  John  W^  Hodgdon. 

854.  Seth  Savage,  James  LeGro,  William  S.  Clark  (until  August), 
William  R.  Stockwell  (from  August  26). 

855.  Seth  Savage,  James  LeGro,  Seth  Adams. 

:-856.  Charles  Plaisted,  William  A.  White,  Seth  Adams. 

857.  Charles  Plaisted,  William  A.  White,  Fenner  M.  Rhodes. 

858.  Fenner  M.  Rhodes,  William  D.  Weeks,  Hiram  Savage. 

859.  William  D.  Weeks,  Hiram  Savage,  Samuel  H.  LeGro. 

860.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  William  F.  Smith,  Charles  B.  Allen. 

861.  William  F.  Smith,  Charles  B.  Allen,  James  W.  Weeks. 

862.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Edward  Spaulding,  Horace  F.  Holton. 

863.  Edward  Spaulding,  Horace  F.  Holton,  Horace  Whitcomb. 

864.  Seth  Savage,  Joseph  B.  Moore,  Fielding  Smith. 

865.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Jason  W.  Savage,  Charles  B.  Allen. 

866.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  Charles  B.  Allen. 

867.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  Charles  B.  Allen. 

868.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Charles  B.  Allen,  Jason  W.  Savage. 

869.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  Charles  B.  Allen. 

870.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  Hiram  Savage. 

871.  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  W.  Weeks,  Hiram  Savage. 

872.  Seth  Savage,  Charles  S.  Hodgdon,  William  J.  Harriman. 

873.  Seth  Savage,  Barton  G.  Towne,  Edward  Emerson. 


542  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 


874 

876 

877 
878 

879 
880 

881 


883 

884 
885 

886 
887 
888 
889 
890 
891 
892 
893 
894 
895 

896 

897 
898 


William  Clough,  Francis  Kellum,  Edward  Emerson. 
Seth  Savage,  Barton  G.  Tovvne,  Philip  Hartley. 
Seth  Savage,  Philip  Hartley,  Thomas  S.  Ellis. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Roswell  W.  Chessman,  John  Daley. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Roswell  W.  Chessman,  John  Daley. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Roswell  W.  Chessman,  John  Daley. 
Roswell  W.   Chessman,  Edward   Spaulding,  Isaac  W.  Hop- 

kinson. 
Edward     Spaulding,     Erastus    V.    Cobleigh,    Sylvanus    R. 

Chessman. 
Edward  Spaulding,  Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  Jonas  Powers. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  John  M.  Clark,  Daniel  Truland. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  John  M.  Clark,  Daniel  Truland. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  James  Bain,  Charles  C.  Noyes. 
Samuel  H.  Legro,  James  Bain,  Charles  C.  Noyes. 
Edward  Spaulding,  H.  J.  Guernsey,  Willie  E.  Bullard. 
Frank  Smith,  Joseph  D.  Howe,  Thomas  C.  Sheridan. 
Edward  Spaulding,  Henry  S.  Hilliard,  Jonas  Powers. 
Edward  Spaulding,  Jonas  Powers,  Richard  H.  Chessman. 
Charles  A.  Cleaveland,  Thomas  S.  Ellis,  Alvin  J.  Clark. 
Edward  Spaulding,  Henry  S.  Webb,  George  A.  Cummings. 
Joseph  D.  Howe,  Loring  B.  Porter,  William  R.  Stockwell. 
Richard  H.  Chessman,  William  H.  Hartley,  Thomas  S.  Ellis. 
Richard   H.    Chessman    (until   June),  William   H.   Hartley, 

Thomas  S.  Ellis,  Willie  E.  Bullard  (from  June). 
William   H.  Hartley,  Joseph  D.  Howe,  Gilbert  A.  Marshall. 
Edward  Spaulding,  Gilbert  A.  Marshall,  Fred  S.  Linscott. 
George  M.  Amadon,  Frank  Smith,  Fred  S.  Linscott. 

Postmaslers . 


Stephen  Wilson,  Jr.,  1803-08. 
Abraham  Hinds,  1808-12. 
Samuel  A.  Pearson,  1812-29. 
Benjamin  Hunking,  1829-42. 
Reuben  L.  Adams,  1842-50. 
Robert  Sawyer,  1850-53. 
Harvey  Adams,  1853-58. 
James  A.  Smith,  1858-61. 
Royal  Joyslin,  1861-66. 
Oliver  Nutter,  1866-73. 
John  W.'  Spaulding,  1873-78. 
Charles  E.  Allen,  1878-87. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  1887-91. 
Erastus  V.  Cobleigh,  1891-95. 


THE  SOLDIERS  OF  LANCASTER.  543 

John  T.  Amey,  1895-97. 

Fielding  Smith,  1897-. 

WilHam  G.  EUis,  Grange  Village  P.  O.,  1887-. 

Edward  A.  Steele,  South  Lancaster  P.  O.,  1891-96. 

Thomas  Sweetser,  South  Lancaster  P.  O.,  1896-. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 

THE  SOLDIERS  OF  LANCASTER. 
By  Col.  Henry  O.  Kent. 

It  is  not  within  the  province  of  this  chapter  to  gather  the  names 
of  all  residents  of  the  town  who  have  served  the  state  in  the  recur- 
ring wars  of  the  country,  or  who  have  been  enrolled  in  the  militia. 

Frontier  scouts  or  rangers  and  soldiers  of  the  old  French  War 
were  among  her  first  settlers.  Officers  and  soldiers  of  the  War  of 
the  Revolution  early  gave  force  and  character  to  her  citizenship. 
Citizens  of  Lancaster  served  with  distinction  in  the  War  with  Great 
Britain,  in  the  second  decade  of  the  present  century,  others  were 
engaged  in  maintaining  the  authority  of  the  state  during  the  trou- 
bles at  Indian  Stream,  and  others  enlisted  in  the  gallant  regiment 
that  Pierce  led  and  Ransom  commanded   in  the  War  with   Mexico. 

During  the  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  the  town  con- 
tributed freely  of  her  people  and  her  treasure  to  maintain  the 
nation's  life,  and  during  all  the  years  reaching  back  to  the  earliest 
settlement  an  enrolled,  and  most  of  the  time  an  active,  militia  fur- 
nished the  reserve  from  which  officers  and  men  were  drawn  for  ser- 
vice on  the  battle-fields  of  the  country  or  for  duty  at  home. 

It  is  manifestly  impossible  to  compile  a  list  of  all  the  soldiers  of 
the  town  in  the  state's  service  during  that  long  period  when  all 
able-bodied  citizens  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five 
were  enrolled  and  mustered  for  regular  duty,  because  such  a  roster 
would,  in  its  entirety,  comprehend  nearly  the  entire  male  popula- 
tion. 

It  has  been  decided,  however,  to  collect  in  this  connection  the 
names  of  all  citizens  of  Lancaster  who  have  borne  commissions  in 
the  federal  or  state  military  service,  and  to  publish  entire  the  list  of 
all  who  served  for  the  town  in  the  great  contest  of  1 861— '65,  with 
names  of  others  in  actual  service  in  other  wars. 

The  rolls  of  the  adjutant-general's  office  at  Concord  are  not  com- 
plete, but  they  have  been  carefully  examined,  and  such  information 
as  they  furnish  is  here  presented. 

The  state  was  early  divided  into  territory  assigned   to   each   regi- 


544  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

ment,  and  as  the  population  increased  this  territory  was  in  many 
instances  restricted,  while  the  number  of  the  regiments  gradually 
increased  until,  when  the  old  establishment  was  at  its  height,  about 
1850,  there  were  forty-two  regiments;  that  in  the  territory  corre- 
sponding nearly  to  the  southern  judicial  district  of  Coos  county 
being  the  Forty-second ;  a  single  command,  the  Twenty-fourth, 
prior  to  this  division  comprising  the  entire  county  as  at  present 
constituted,  and  Jackson  and  Bartlett  in  the  county  of  Carroll,  then 
part  of  the  county  of  Coos. 

For  very  many  years  there  was  an  artillery  company  in  each 
regiment;  one  always  at  Lancaster,  and  after  the  division,  one  at 
Stewartstown,  in  the  Twenty-fourth.  The  original  Lancaster  com- 
pany had  a  light  3-pound  brass  cannon,  without  limber  or  caisson, 
manipulated  by  drag  ropes  attached  to  hooks  at  the  ends  of  the 
wooden  axle.  The  later  guns  were  brass  6-pounders,  with  limber, 
managed  in  the  modern  way  with  horses  and  handled  by  bricoles. 
They  were  sent  away  during  the  days  of  the  war  to  be  rifled  and 
recast,  or  turned  in  toward  the  procurement  of  the  equipment  of  the 
First  New  Hampshire  light  battery. 

There  were  at  times  a  cavalry  company  and  several  independent 
or  light  infantry  companies.  Lancaster  has  had  at  one  time,  under 
the  old  regime,  an  artillery  company,  an  independent  company, 
and  the  old  line  company,  or,  as  it  was  sometimes  most  disrespect- 
fully called  in  the  days  of  its  decadence,  the  floodwood. 

Perhaps  the  crack  light  infantry  company  of  the  county  was  the 
Jefferson  Guards,  a  company  of  splendid  physique,  striking  in  white 
pants,  with  black  leggings,  black  plumes,  and  bearing  a  white  silk 
banner  on  which  was  a  life-sized  bust  portrait  of  Thomas  Jefferson. 
Of  course  the  command  was  from  the  town  of  Jefferson. 

But  again  a  digression  is  checked.  This  chapter  is  not  a  history 
of  the  old  militia  or  a  description  of  its  musters.  It  will  not  breathe 
of  the  shrill  fifes  or  rattling  drums,  as  heading  the  companies  from 
Stark,  or  Carrol,  or  Dalton,  or  Jefferson,  which  streamed  into  Lan- 
caster before  light  of  a  muster  morning, — they  told  of  "The  White 
Cockade,"  "  The  Road  to  Boston,"  or  "  Boney  over  the  Alps  " — but 
merely  present  a  chronological  record  of  the  men  who  bore  com- 
missions and  who  served  the  country  in  her  later  wars ;  and  so  the 
Assembly  is  ended  and  the  Roll-Call  begins: 

Governor  and  Captain-General. 
Jared  Warner  Williams,  June  3,  1847.     June,  1848. 

Major-Generals. 
John  Wilson,  Second  division,  June  15,  1824. 


the  soldiers  of  lancaster.  545 

Brigadier-Generals. 

Edwards  Bucknam,  Sixth  brigade,  1800. 
John  Wilson,  Sixth  brigade,  June  29,  1822. 
Ira  Young,  Sixth  brigade,  June  16,  1836. 
Jacob  Benton,  Sixth  brigade,  June,  1857. 

Staff  Officers. 

Richard    C.   Everett,   inspector   and    brigade    major    Sixth    brigade, 

1800. 
Charles  J.  Stuart,  brigade  inspector  Sixth  brigade,  Aug.  10,  1822. 
Jared  W.   Williams,   brigade   inspector   Sixth   brigade,    Gen.   Lewis 

Loomis,  Sept.  21,  1823. 
William  Cargill,  aid  to  Gen.  George  P.  Meserve,  Sixth  brigade,  Aug. 

9,  1824. 
Jared  W.  Williams,  division  inspector  to  Maj.-Gen.  Geo.  P.  Meserve, 

July  16,  1825. 
Ira  Young,   division   inspector   to   Maj.-Gen.  Jonathan    Poole,  April 

19,  1826. 
Turner  Stephenson,  quartermaster  Sixth  brigade,  Gen.  John  Wilson, 

Aug.  10,  1822. 
David  Burnside,  quartermaster  Sixth  brigade,  Aug.  9,  1824. 
Jared  VV.  Williams,  aid  to  Brigadier-General  Wilson,  Sixth  brigade, 

Aug.  10,  1822. 
Hiram  A.  Fletcher,  judge  advocate  Eighth  brigade,  1850. 
Mark  R.  Woodbury,  aid  to  Brig. -Gen.  Moses  Cook,  Sept.  25,  1834. 

On  Governor's  Staff. 

Albro  L.  Robinson,  aid  to  General  Gilman,  Aug.  17,  1839. 

Charles  B.  Allen,  aid  to  General  Gilman,  Aug.  3,  1840. 

Col.  John  S.  Wells,  aid  to  Gov.  John  Page,  July  4,  1839. 

Henry  O.  Kent,   colonel  and   division   inspector,    Maj.-Gen.  Nelson 

Converse,  June,  1857. 
Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  brigade  major  Sixth  brigade,  June,  1857. 
Levi  B.  Joyslin,  aid  Sixth  brigade,  June,  1857. 
Col.  William  Burns,  aid  to  Governor  Williams,  June  21,  1847. 
Col.  George  C.Williams,  aid  to  Governor  Dinsmore,  June  15,  1849. 
Col.  Edmund  Brown,  aid  to  Governor  Metcalf,  June  20,  1855. 
Col.  Chester  B.  Jordan,  aid  to  Governor  Straw,  June  6,  1872. 
Col.  Edward  R.  Kent,  aid  to  Governor  Weston,  June  19,  1874. 
Col.  Ossian  Ray,  aid  to  Governor  Prescott,  June  7,  1877. 
Brig. -Gen.  Ezra  Mitchell,  aid  to  Governor  Bell,  June  23,  1881. 
Brig. -Gen.  Everett  Fletcher,  aid  to  Governor  Hale,  June  26,  1883. 
Brig. -Gen.  Philip  Carpenter,  aid  to  Governor  Currier,  June  17,  1885. 
35 


546  history  of  lancaster. 

Twenty-Fifth  Regiment. 

Col.  Joseph  Whipple  of  Dartmouth  (Jefferson),  commanding. 
Edwards  Bucknam,  lieutenant-colonel,  1787. 

Twenty-Fourth  Regiment. 

field. 

Edwards  Bucknam,  lieutenant-colonel  commanding,  Dec.  28,  179-' 

Edwards  Bucknam,  colonel,  1797. 

Nathan  Barlow,  lieutenant-colonel  commanding,  June  9,  1801. 

Richard  Clair  Everett,  major  First  battalion,  1802. 

Hopestill  Jennison,  major  Second  battalion,  1802. 

Richard  Clair  Everett,  lieutenant-colonel,  1805. 

Stephen  Wilson,  major,  1805. 

Stephen  Wilson,  lieutenant-colonel  commanding,  1812. 

Sylvanus  Chessman,  major,  18 12. 

John  Wilson,  colonel,  18 18. 

John  H.  White,  colonel,  June  18,  1825. 

Ephraim  Cross,  colonel,  June  21,  1832. 

Ira  Young,  colonel,  June  25,  1833. 

Jonathan  W.  Willard,  lieutenant-colonel,  July  8,  1826. 

Ephraim  Cross,  lieutenant-colonel,  June  22,  1821. 

John  M.  Denison,  lieutenant-colonel,  June  9,  18 16. 

John  W^ilson,  lieutenant-colonel,  June  19,  18 17. 

John  M.  Denison,  colonel,  June  19,  181 7. 

Jonathan  W.  Willard,  colonel,  June  26,  1827. 

John  M.  Denison,  major,  June  14,  18 14. 

Sylvanus  Chessman,  major,  1812. 

Joel  Hemenway,  major,  June  23,  18 19. 

John  H.  White,  major,  June  15,  1824. 

Jonathan  W.  Willard,  major,  June  18,  1825. 

Ira  Young,  major,  June  21,  1832. 

STAFF. 

John  H.  White,  adjutant,  June  22,  1820. 
Charles  Baker,  adjutant,  July  9,  1824. 
Charles  A.  Going,  adjutant,  June  23,  1826. 
Ephraim  Cross,  adjutant,  July  22,  1829. 
Joseph  C.  Cady,  adjutant,  June  22,  1831. 
George  W.  Perkins,  adjutant,  June  3,  18 14. 
William  Denison,  adjutant,  July  3,  1818. 
Richard  Eastman,  quartermaster,  June  11,  1811. 
Noyes  Denison,  quartermaster,  Dec.  24,  1816. 
John  W.  Hodgdon,  quartermaster,  Nov.  10,  1827. 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF    LANCASTER.  54/ 


George  Bellows,  quartermaster,  July  22,  1829. 
William  T.  Carlisle,  quartermaster,  Aug.  23,  1838. 
Edwards  Bucknam,  paymaster,  Dec.  9,  18 16. 
William  Holkins,  paymaster,  July  9,  1824. 
Benj.  H.  Chadbourne,  paymaster,  Aug.  15,  1837. 
Eliphalet  Lyman,  surgeon,  June  9,  1813. 
Jacob  E.  Stickney,  surgeon,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
George  T.  Dexter,  surgeon's  mate,  Dec.  8,  1838. 
James  R.  Wheelock,  chaplain,  July  9,  1824. 
Orange  Scott,  chaplain,  July  5,  1827. 
Haskell  Wheelock,  chaplain,  July  22,  1829. 

LINE. 

Cavab'y. 

Thomas  Carlisle,  captain,  June  9,  1813. 
Charles  Hilliard,  captain,  Dec.  9,  18 19. 
Jesse  Carr,  lieutenant,  June  7,  18 13. 
James  Dewey,  lieutenant,  Dec.  9,  1816. 
Stephen  Wilson,  lieutenant,  Aug.  9,  18 14. 
Samuel  Bundy,  lieutenant,  June  9,  1813. 
John  Lucas,  lieutenant,  July  15,  1820. 
William  Mitchell,  cornet,  June  3,  18 14. 

Art  i Her y. 

John  Wilson,  3d,  captain,  June  13,  1820. 
Edwin  F.  Eastman,  captain,  Dec.  24,  1836. 
Seth  Adams,  captain,  April  21,  1837. 
John  Mason,  captain,  April  5,  1838. 
Josiah  G.  Hobart,  captain,  Aug.  8,  1828. 
William  W.  Chapman,  captain,  July  22,  1829. 
Jabez  D.  Philbrook,  captain,  March  3,  1831. 
Erastus  Woodward,  captain,  July  i,  1834. 
John  W.  Spaulding,  lieutenant,  June  13,  1820. 
Fred  G.  Messer,  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1824. 
Jabez  D.  Philbrook,  lieutenant,  July  22,  1829. 
Joseph  C.  Cady,  lieutenant,  March  2,  183 1. 
Erastus  Woodward,  lieutenant,  Aug.  11,  1831. 
Seth  Adams,  lieutenant,  July  i,  1834. 
Caleb  Walker,  lieutenant,  June  24,  1837. 
Ephraim  Cross,  lieutenant,  June  13,  1820. 
Hezekiah  M.  Smith,  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1825. 
Harry  Hobart,  lieutenant,  July,  1828. 
Joseph  C.  Cady,  lieutenant,  July  22,  1829. 
Erastus  Woodward,  lieutenant,  March  2,  183  i. 


548  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER, 

Seth  Adams,  lieutenant,  Aug.  ii,  1831. 
Elijah  D.  Twonibly,  lieutenant,  July  i,  1834. 
John  Mason,  lieutenant,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
Joseph  Greenleaf,  lieutenant,  April  5,  1838. 
Prescott  Lovejoy,  lieutenant,  Feb.  17,  1840. 

FIRST   COMPANY. 
Light  Itifaniry. 

Samuel  White,  captain,  Dec.  9,  1824. 
Abel  Leavins,  Jr.,  captain,  Aug.  10,  1827. 
Joseph  Chessman,  captain,  March  2,  1831. 
Daniel  W.  Allen,  captain,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
George  W.  Perkins,  lieutenant.  Dec.  9,  1824. 
Benjamin  Stanley,  lieutenant,  July  18,  1828. 
Seth  Savage,  lieutenant,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
Abel  Leavins,  Jr.,  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1825. 
Oliver  W.  Baker,  lieutenant,  March  2,  1831. 
Oren  Mason,  lieutenant,  Dec.  21,  1836. 

Infantry. 

John  Wilson,  captain,  June  3,  18 14. 
Joel  Hemmenway,  captain,  Sept.  i,  1817. 
William  Stanley,  captain,  Aug.  9,  18 19. 
Jonathan  W.  Willard,  captain,  June  17,  1820. 
Adna  Crandall,  captain,  Aug.  8,  1825. 
Greenleaf  C.  Philbrook,  captain,  June  24,  1828. 
Levi  F.  Ranlet,  captain,  April  26,  1830. 
Harvey  Adams,  captain,  June  14,  1832. 
Joseph  Brackett  Moore,  captain,  March  23,  1835, 
Daniel  W.  Allen,  captain,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
William  D.  Weeks,  captain,  April  25,  1839. 
Joel  Hemmenway,  lieutenant,  June  3,  18 14. 
Samuel  White,  lieutenant,  June  3,  18 14. 
Bailey  Denison,  lieutenant,  Sept.  r,  18 17. 
Jonathan  W.  Willard,  lieutenant,  Aug.  9,  18 19. 
Charles  Baker,  lieutenant,  June  17,  1820. 
William  Moore,  2d  lieutenant,  June  17,  1820. 
Adna  Crandall,  lieutenant,  May  31,  1824. 
Greenleaf  C.  Philbrook,  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1825. 
John  C.  Moore,  2d  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1825. 
John  C.  Moore,  ist  lieutenant,  June  23,  1828. 
Levi  F.  Ranlet,  lieutenant,  June  23,  1828. 
Harvey  Adams,  lieutenant,  April  26,  1830. 
William  D.  Weeks,  lieutenant,  June  21,  183 1. 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF    LANCASTER.  549 

Joseph  B.  Moore,  lieutenant,  June  13,  1832. 
Seth  Savage,  2d  lieutenant,  March  23,  1835. 
Seth  Savage,  ist  lieutenant,  Dec.  21,  1836. 
Daniel  W.  Allen,  lieutenant,  March  23,  1835. 
Oren  Mason,  lieutenant,  Dec.  21,  1838. 
Edward  F.  Bucknam,  lieu4:enant,  April  25,  1839. 
John  Sargent,  lieutenant,  April  25,  1839. 

Forty-Second  Regiment. 

Organized,  as  before  stated,  from  the  division  of  the  Twenty-Fourth 
regiment,  in  1840. 

The  last  Regimental  Muster  was  holden  Saturday,  Sept.  22,  1849, 
on  "  Burnside's  Field  on  the  Sand  Hill" — the  land  now  embraced 
by  Pleasant  Street,  and  its  abutting  properties.  James  H.  Hall  was 
colonel,  Horace  Whitcomb,  lieutenant-colonel,  and  Orville  E.  Free- 
man, major.  July  12,  1850,  all  parades,  save  of  independent  vol- 
unteer companies,  were  abolished.  The  muster  of  1848  was  on 
Baker  Hill,  where  Winter  street  now  is.  In  September,  1847,  was 
an  "  Of^cers'  Drill "  of  three  days,  on  Cady's  meadow,  Gustave 
A.  Breaux,  a  Norwich  cadet,  still  living  in  New  Orleans,  being  the 
instructor. 

FIELD. 

John  S.  Wells,  colonel,  June  22,  1840. 
James  W.  Weeks,  colonel,  July  6,  1846. 
James  H.  Hall,  colonel,  June  30,  1849. 
Horace  Whitcomb,  colonel,  Jan.  8,  1853. 
Joseph  W.  Merriam,  colonel,  March  30,  1855. 
Orville  E.  Freeman,  colonel,  March  20,  1857. 
William  D.  Weeks,  lieutenant-colonel,  June  20,  1844. 
Erastus  I.  Abbott,  lieutenant-colonel,  June  22,  1848. 
James  H.  Hall,  lieutenant-colonel.  May  24,  1849. 
Horace  Whitcomb,  lieutenant-colonel,  Aug.  21,  1849. 
Joseph  W.  Merriam,  lieutenant-colonel,  Jan.  8,  1853. 
Orville  E.  Freeman,  lieutenant-colonel,  March  30,  1855. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  lieutenant-colonel,  March  20,  1857. 
William  D.  Weeks,  major,  Dec.  7,  1840. 
James  W.  Weeks,  major,  Dec.  20,  1845. 
James  H.  Hall,  major,  Aug.  5,  1848. 
Jason  F.  Nutter,  major,  June  3,  1849. 
Orville  E.  Freeman,  major,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
Charles  E.  Connor,  major,  March  30,  1855. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  major,  Dec.  i,  1855. 
Henry  J.  Whitcomb,  major,  March  30,  1857. 


550  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

George  A.  Cossitt,  adjutant,  Oct.  2,  1841. 
William  A.  White,  adjutant,  March  8,  1844. 
John  M.  Whipple,  adjutant,  Aug.  5,  1848. 
Joseph  W.  Merriam,  adjutant,  Aug.  3,  1849. 
Henry  J.  Whitcomb,  adjutant,  April  18,  1853. 
Jared  I.  Williams,  adjutant,  April  9,  1857. 
James  H.  Hall,  quartermaster,  Sept.  4,  1847. 
James  Spaulding,  quartermaster,  Aug.  3,  1849. 
Paschal  M.  Hovey,  quartermaster,  April  18,  1853. 
Robert  Sawyer,  paymaster,  July  8,  1844. 
David  A.  Burnside,  paymaster,  Sept.  14,  1848. 
Jacob  E.  Stickney,  surgeon,  Oct.  2,  1840. 
George  T.  Dexter,  surgeon,  March  20,  1843. 
John  W.  Barney,  surgeon,  March  30,  1844. 
Henry  Hill,  chaplain,  Aug.  3,  1849. 

LINE. 

Artillery. 

Prescott  Lovejoy,  captain,  March  4,  1841. 
John  Mason,  captain,  July  25,  1844. 
John  Weeks,  captain,  Nov.  20,  1844. 
Erastus  I.  Abbott,  captain,  April  25,  1846. 
Jason  F.  Nutter,  captain,  Sept.  4,  1848. 
John  M.  Lindsey,  captain,  April  29,  185  i. 
Joseph  H.  Balch,  lieutenant,  Aug.  28,  1841. 
John  Weeks,  lieutenant,  July  25,  1844. 
Erastus  I.  Abbott,  lieutenant,  Nov.  20,  1844. 
Jason  F.  Nutter,  lieutenant,  April  25,  1846. 
John  M.  Lindsey,  lieutenant,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
Mark  Reed,  lieutenant,  April  30,  1850. 
George  F.  Stone,  lieutenant,  April  29,  185  I. 
John  M.  Smith,  lieutenant,  Aug.  28,  1841. 
Benj.  H.  Darby,  lieutenant,  Nov.  20,  1844. 
Orville  E.  Freeman,  lieutenant,  April  28,  1847. 
M.  D.  L.  F.  Smith,  lieutenant,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
Edward  E.  Cross,  lieutenant.  May  14,  1850. 
John  G.  Derby,  lieutenant,  April  29,  185  i. 
James  S.  Brackett,  lieutenant,  June  t8,  185  i. 

Infantry. 

Edward  I".  Bucknam,  captain,  Oct.  2,  1840. 
James  W.  Weeks,  captain.  May  8,  1843. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  captain,  April  25,  1846. 
James  Mclntire,  captain,  April  4,  1848. 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF    LANCASTER.  551 

Horace  Whitcomb,  captain,  April  ii,  1849. 
Charles  E.  Connor,  captain,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
William  H.  Heath,  captain,  April  16,  1855. 
Josiah  Harrington,  lieutenant,  Oct.  2,  1840. 
James  R.  Whittemore,  lieutenant,  Sept.  2,  1841. 
James  W.  Weeks,  lieutenant,  Aug.  8,  1842. 
John  Weeks,  lieutenant,  May  8,  1843. 
Samuel  H.  LeGro,  lieutenant,  Sept.  2,  1843. 
James  Mclntire,  lieutenant,  Aug.  ii,  1844. 
Horace  Whitcomb,  lieutenant,  April  4,  1848. 
Charles  E.  Conner,  lieutenant,  April  11,  1849. 
Charles  S.  Hodgdon,  lieutenant,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
Jared  I.  Williams,  lieutenant,  April  2,  1856. 
James  S.  Freeman,  lieutenant,  Aug.  31,  1849. 
William  R.  Joyslin,  lieutenant,  April  2,  1856. 

In  1857  the  militia  was  "  reorganized  " — all  able  bodied  males 
between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five  were  enrolled  yearly 
by  the  selectmen  when  taking  the  April  inventory,  and  returned  to 
the  adjutant-general.  Three  divisions  and  six  brigades  were  desig- 
nated geographically,  and  major  and  brigadier-generals,  with  staff 
ofificers,  appointed. 

There  was  no  active  militia  for  several  years  thereafter,  and  until 
after  the  great  Civil  War,  save  several  incorporated  associations,  such 
as  the  "Amoskeag  Veterans"  and  "  Governor's  Horse  Guards,"  and 
a  few  independent  companies,  not  more  than  half  a  dozen  in  all. 

The  Governor's  Horse  Guards. 

A  command  of  four  companies  of  cavalry  organized  as  a  regi- 
ment. Its  especial  duty  was  to  act  as  escort  for  the  governor-elect 
at  the  capitol  on  "  election  day."  It  first  paraded  in  i860,  and  its 
last  parade  was  in  1865. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  colonel,  March  17,  1864. 
Henry  O.  Kent,  major,  Jan.  11,  i860. 

Second  Regiment,  Volunteer  Militia, 
lancaster  rifles,  company  i. 

Jared  I.  Williams,  captain,  March  24,  1865. 
John  G.  Derby,  ist  lieutenant,  March  24,  1865. 
Francis  L.  Cross,  2d  lieutenant,  March  24,  1865. 
Disbanded  1868. 


552  history  of  lancaster. 

Third  Regiment,  Infantry. 

FIELD. 
Irving  W.  Drew,  major,  April  i8,  1878. 

STAFF. 
Frank  A.  Colby,  surgeon.  May  8,  1878. 

LANCASTER    RIFLES,    COMPANY    F. 

William  G.  Ellis,  captain,  April  11,  1878. 
Moses  A.  Hastings,  captain,  July  25,  1879. 
George  H.  Emerson,  captain,  Aug.  30,  1882. 
Frank  A.  Colby,  lieutenant,  April  11,  1878. 
Solon  L.  Simonds,  lieutenant,  June  25,  1878. 
Moses  A.  Hastings,  lieutenant,  June  25,  1878. 
Willie  E.  Bullard,  lieutenant,  July  25,  1879. 
George  H.  Emerson,  lieutenant,  June  24,  1882. 
Henry  J.  Cummings,  lieutenant,  Aug.  30,  1882. 
Richard  B.  Whitcomb,  lieutenant,  April  10,  1884. 
James  H.  Darby,  lieutenant,  April  10,  1884. 
Disbanded  May  16,  1884. 

ACTUAL     SERYICE. 

In  the  earlier  da}^s  of  the  state,  regiments  and  companies  were 
raised  for  scouting  duty,  for  garrisons,  or  for  different  military  expe- 
ditions, as  occasion  required,  such  as  the  taking  of  Crown  Point, 
and  the  capture  of  Louisburg.  In  1760  there  were  appointed  ten 
regiments.  The  Twenty-fourth  regiment  was  organized  in  1792, 
after  the  adoption  of  the  new  state  constitution. 

So  far  as  can  be  ascertained  from  tradition  and  scattered  mem- 
oranda, the  men  of  Lancaster  who  were  participants  in  the  French 
and  Indian  wars  and  in  the  War  of  Independence,  were  as  follows: 

FRENCH    AND    INDIAN    WARS,    1755-63. 

Emmons  Stockwell,  Major  Rogers  Rangers. 

Thomas  Burnside,  Major  Rogers  Rangers  and  John  Stark  Rangers, 

David  Page,  Jr.,  Major  Rogers  Rangers. 

REVOLUTIONARY    WAR,    1775-83. 

John  Burgin,  lieutenant.  Dennis  Stanley,  ensign. 

John  Weeks,  lieutenant.  Phinehas  Hodgdon,  sergeant. 

Joseph  Brackctt,  lieutenant.  Moses  White,  aide  to   Major-Gen- 

eral  Hazen. 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF   LANCASTER. 


553 


Privates. 


Rev.  Joseph  Willard, 
Richard  Clair  Everett, 
David  Greenleaf, 
Ebenezer  Twombly, 
Isaac  Darby, 
Samuel  S.  Wentworth, 
John  Mclntire, 
Nathaniel  White, 


Jonathan  Willard, 
Abner  Osgood, 
Samuel  Page, 
Moses  Page, 
James  Rosebrooks, 
Eleazer  Rosebrooks, 
James  Hardy. 


Lieut.  John  Weeks  was  in  service  in  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  N.  Y. ; 
Lieut.  Joseph  Brackett  served  at  the  forts  about  Portsmouth  (N.  H.) 
harbor;  Ensign  Dennis  Stanley  was  engaged  on  scouting  parties; 
Jonathan  Willard,  Abner  Osgood,  Samuel  Page,  John  Page,  and 
Moses  Page  served  under  Captain  Eames  at  the  forts  in  the  Cohas 
country;  James  Rosebrooks  served  in  Whitcomb's  Rangers  from 
1776  to  1779,  and  Eleazer  Rosebrooks,  James  Hardy,  and  the 
other  men  in  the  foregoing  list,  not  specially  designated  as  on  duty 
elsewhere,  were  in  the  Continental  Line  regiments. 

WAR   WITH    GREAT    BRITAIN,    i8i2-'i5. 

John  W.  Weeks,  major  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 
John  W.  Weeks,  captain  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Benjamin  Stephenson,  lieutenant  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Amaziah  Knight,  sergeant  nth  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Edwards  Bucknam,  sergeant  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Allen  Smith,  musician  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Orvin  R.  Dexter,  musician  iith  U.  S.  Infantry. 


Privates  nth 


Stephen  Bullard, 
Gad  Beecher, 
John  Burgin,  2d, 
John  Bickford, 
John  English, 
Joel  Farnham, 
Samuel  Gotham, 
Robert  Gotham, 
Alpheus  Hutchins, 
John  Hicks, 
John  M.  Holmes, 
Daniel  Holmes, 
George  W.  Lucus, 
Jacob  Mclntire, 


U.   S.   Infantry. 

Harvey  Moore, 
Shepherd  Morse, 
Jacob  B.  Moore, 
John  W.  Moore, 
Daniel  Perkins, 
James  Perkins, 
Levi  Pratt, 
Edmund  Sanborn, 
James  B.  Stanley, 
Israel  Sanderson, 
John  Wilson, 
George  Ingerson, 
Abram  Sanborn. 


554  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Capt.  Edmund  Freeman's  (of  Lebanon)  company  at  the  Canada 
line,  1812  : 


Joel  Hemmenway,  sergeant. 
Stephen  Hayes,  fifer. 


Privates. 


Gustavus  A.  Hall,  Amasa  Page, 

George  W.  Moore,  David  Taylor, 

John  Perkins,  Benjamin  Upham. 

Capt.  James  Mooney's*   company  at  Indian   Stream,  1835.     The 
Indian  Stream,  or  "Applebee  War." 

Privates. 

James  H.  Balch,  Eli  Kenerson, 

Harry  Boutwell,  John  Perkins, 

Alfred  C.  Greenleaf,  Charles  F.  Stone, 

Douglass  Ingerson,  John  Sweet. 
Dennis  Jones, 

In   Capt.   Daniel    Batchelder's    (Bath)    company.   Ninth    or   New 
England  regiment,  Mexican  War,  1 847  : 

Privates. 
James  Powers, 

Harvey  Wade  ("Tinker"  Wade), 
Jefferson  Perkins  ("Gentleman"  Perkins). 

WAR  OF  THE   REBELLION,   i86i-'65. 

In  the  State  Service. 

Henry  O.  Kent,  aide  to  the  adjutant-general  with  rank  of  colonel, 
April  16,  1 86 1  (detailed  to  organize  recruiting  in  Coos 
county)  ;  assistant  adjutant-general  of  New  Hampshire,  with 
rank  of  colonel,  April  30,  1861. 

In  the  United  States  Service. 

FIELD. 

Edward  E.  Cross,  colonel  Fifth  volunteer  infantry   (killed  at  Gettys- 
burg, in  command  of  a  brigade,  July  3,  1863). 
Henry  O.  Kent,  colonel  Seventeenth  volunteer  infantry. 

*  Captain  Mooney  was  from  Stewartstown. 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF    LANCASTER.  555 

Richard  E.  Cross,  lieutenant-colonel  Fifth  volunteer  infantry  (com- 
missioned colonel  1865,  but  not  mustered  by  reason  of  deple- 
tion of  regiment). 

Richard  E.  Cross,  major,  Fifth  volunteer  infantry. 

It  seems  proper,  from  the  value  and   prominence  of  their  services, 
to  add  the  names  of, — 

Nelson  Cross,  born  and  reared  in  Lancaster;  colonel  of  New  York 
volunteer  infantry;  brigadier-general  and  major-general  by 
brevet,  who  died  in  1897. 

Harris  M.  Plaisted,  born  in  Jefferson;  educated  and  always  at  home 
in  Lancaster;  colonel  of  Maine  volunteer  infantry;  brigadier- 
general  United  States  volunteers,  and  governor  of  Maine,  who 
also  died  in  1897. 

STAFF. 

John  W.  Bucknam,  surgeon  Fifth  infantry. 

James  D.  Folsom,  surgeon  Seventeenth  infantry. 

Horatio   N.   Small,    assistant    surgeon    Seventeenth    and  Thirteenth 

infantry,  and  surgeon  Tenth  infantry. 
Ira  S.  M.  Gove,  commissary  Seventeenth  infantry. 

REGULAR   ARMY. 

Francis  L.  Towne,  assistant  surgeon  United  States  army,  1861  ; 
retired  with  rank  of  colonel;  assistant  surgeon  general  United 
States  army,  1896. 

UNITED    STATES   NAVY. 
Alfred  Titus  Snell,  rank  of  commander. 

SPECIAL   DUTY. 

Ossian  Ray,  commissioned  lieutenant  and  deputy  provost-marshal 
during  the  later  years  of  the  war,  assigned  to  duty  in  Coos 
county. 

Horace  A.  White,  sutler  Fifth  infantry. 

Frank  Smith,  sutler  Seventeenth  infantry. 

LINE. 

Hugh  R.  Richardson,  captain  Company  C,  Second. 
Harrison  D.  F.  Young,  captain  Company  H,  Second. 
Henry  S.  Hilliard,  captain  Company  B,  Fifth. 
Edmund  Brown,  captain  Company  B,  Fifth. 
Charles  P.  Denison,  captain  Company  A,  Seventh, 
Freedom  M.  Rhodes,  captain  Company  E,  Fourteenth. 


556  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Jared  I.  Williams,  captain  Compaii}^  A,  Seventeenth. 
John  G.  Lewis,  lieutenant  Company  H,  Ninth. 
James  S.  Brackett,  lieutenant  Company  A,  Seventeenth, 
Joseph  Chase,  lieutenant  Company  A,  Seventeenth. 
Charles  N.  Kent,  lieutenant  Company  C,  Seventeenth. 
Walter  S.  Bailey,  lieutenant  Company  A,  heavy  artillery. 
John  C.  Jenness,  lieutenant  Company  I,  heavy  artillery. 
Richard  E.  Cross,  lieutenant.  Company  H,  Fifth  infantry. 
William  H.  Shurtleff,  lieutenant  Company  I,  heavy  artillery. 

RESIDENTS     OF     LANCASTER,     AT     PERIODS     SINCE    THE    WAR,     BUT 
NOT    DURING    SERVICE. 

(This  list  is  necessarily  incomplete,   but  as  full  as   possible  from 
attainable  data. )  \ 

Dr.  Ezra  Mitchell,  Ninth  Maine,  medical  cadet  U.  S.  A. 

E.  W.  Wyman,  lieutenant  Maine  infantr}^ 

Parker  J.  Noyes,  Eighth  Vermont ;  lieutenant  United  States  colored 
troops. 

Alexander  M.  Beattie,  Company  I,  Third  Vermont ;  has  congres- 
sional gold  medal  of  honor. 

Sergeant  Levi  H.  Parker,  Eighth  Vermont. 

Dr.  Dan  Lee  Jones,  Fourth  Vermont  and  U.  S.  A. 

Thomas  Sweetser,  Fifth  and  Fiftieth  Massachusetts. 

Thomas  S.  Thayer,  Fifth  New  Hampshire. 

Stephen  Simmons,  Seventeenth  Vermont. 

James  N.  King,  National  Guard. 

Frank  M.  Lucas,  Eighth  Vermont. 

George  R.  Bush,  Sixth  Vermont. 

Alvah  B.  Sleeper,  Eleventh  Vermont. 

Davis  T.  Timberlake,  Twenty-third  Maine. 

Charles  Couture,  Nineteenth  Maine. 

Sergeant  Charles  E.  King,  Seventeenth  New  Hampshire. 

Harlow  Connor,  D,  First  Cavalry. 

Edward  B.  Beach,  Ninth  Vermont. 

Frank  C.  Grant,  Vermont  Volunteers. 

George  W.  Cummings,  Sixth,  Ninth,  Seventeenth  New  Hampshire. 

Patrick  Gleason. 

Joseph  Forshy. 

Sergeant  Charles  Forbes,  Company  H,  Thirteenth  New  Hampshire. 

John  W.  Stevens,  First  Vermont  Cavalry. 

Calvin  Fuller,  Third  Vermont. 

Henry  J.  Cummings,  A,  Third  New  Hampshire. 

(It  is  impossible  to  present  the. names  of  non-resident  soldiers, 
deceased,  sometime  resident  of  Lancaster.) 


THE  SOLDIERS  OF  LANCASTER. 


557 


Second  Regiment  Infantry. 


Chas.  W.  Fletcher,  sergt.  Co.  F. 
Richard  O.  Young,  Co.  F. 
Charles  Buck,  Co.  F. 
George  Burt,  Co.  F. 
Joseph  Benway,  Co.  F. 
George  W.  Morgan,  Co.  F. 
Patrick  McCaffrey,  Co.  F. 
Charles  F.  Nutter,  Co.  F. 
George  Robinson,  Co.  F. 
Gilman  Aldrich,  Co.  F. 
Levi  P.  Barrows,  Co.  F. 


Jerome  H.  Brown,  Co.  F. 
Ebenezer  Carpenter,  Co.  F. 
Ira  G.  Douglass,  Co.  F. 
Oliver  P.  Day,  Co.  H. 
Morrill  C.  Day,  unknown. 
James  Martin. 
Charles  E.  Mclntire,  Co.  G. 
Samuel  O.  Nutter   Co.  F. 
John  Puryea,  Co.  K. 
Benjamin  Sawyer,  Co,  F. 
Joseph  Thompson,  Co.  D. 


Third  Regiment. 


Orville  R.  Moulton,  sergt.  Co.  I. 
Thomas  Cassady,  corp.  Co.  I. 
Edwin  R.  Jones,  corp.  Co.  I. 
Nelson  B.  Lindsey,  corp.  Co.  I. 
John  W.  Morse,  musician  Co.  I. 
James  Blanchard,  Co.  I. 
Frederick  T.  Bennett,  Co.  I. 
John  H.  Cameron,  Co.  I. 
Oscar  Gaines,  Co.  I. 


Charles  H.  Kane,  Co.  I. 
William  Wilkins,  Co.  I. 
Calvin  O.  Wilkins,  Co.  I. 
Frederick  A.  Wentworth,  Co. 
Charles  M.  Blood,  Co.  I. 
Andrew  J.  Fowler,  Co.  I. 
James  Moulton,  Co.  I. 
John  W.  Moulton,  Co.  I. 


Orange  Fisk,  Co.  H. 
Charles  Williams,  Co. 
Michael  Geno,  Co.  D. 


Fourth  Regiment. 

George  L.  Harrington,  Co.  K. 
K.  James  Taylor,  Co.  C. 


Fifth  Regiment. 


Freeman  Lindsey,  wagonmaster. 
John  G.  Sutton,  Co.  B. 
William  A.  Corson,  Co.  B. 
James  Cummings,  Co.  B. 
Alexander  Cummings,  Co.  B. 
W^illiam  G.  Ellis,  Co.  B. 
Levi  J.  Corson,  Co.  B. 
Michael  Cassady,  Co.  B. 
James  Cassady,  Co.  B. 
Michael  Eagan,  Co.  B. 
Erastus  W.  Forbes,  Co.  B. 
Leonard  W.  Howard,  Co.  B. 
Francis  Heywood,  Co.  B. 


Sylvanus  Chessman,  Co.  F. 
Richard  Fletcher,  Co.  B. 
George  H.  Nickerson,  Co.  F. 
Milton  A.  Adams,  Co.  A. 
Enoch  N.  Clement,  Co.  A. 
James  Colby,  Co.  B. 
Reuben  F.  Carter,  Co.  K. 
Joseph  Hart,  bugler,  Co.  D. 
Joseph  P.  Matthews,  Co.  H. 
Martin  McCormic,  Co.  F. 
Daniel  Mahone}-,  Co.  F. 
George  W.  Marden,  Co.  A. 
Charles  D.  Farrington,  Co.  B. 


558 


HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 


Louis  Lapointe,  Co.  B.  Edward  Sweeney. 

Eldad  A.  Rhoades,  sergt.  Co.  B.   Solomon  Wilson,  Co.  B. 
Hosea  Stone,  Co.  B.  Jonathan  Dow,  Co.  B. 

Sixth  Regiment. 


Edward  Gillingham,  Co.  H. 
Theodore  Hagerman,  Co.  K. 
Harvey  Knip,  Co.  A. 
Harvey  H.  Lucas,  Co.  H. 


Charles  Parker,  Co.  F. 
Charles  E.  Rogers,  Co.  H. 
Aaron  Wight,  Co.  L 
Franklin  Walker,  Co.  A. 


Seventh  Regiment. 


Frederick  Ingerson,  Co.  A. 
James  S.  Lucas,  Co.  A. 
Alden  Lewis,  Co.  A. 
Philip  McCaffrey,  Co.  A. 
John  L.  Meserve,  Co.  A. 


Cyrus  Savage,  Co.  A. 
Charles  C.  Beaton,  Co.  G. 
Daniel  T.  Johnson,  Co.  G. 
James  A.  King,  Co.  B. 
Joseph  Lary,  Co.  H. 


Eighth  Regiment. 


Wellington  Brown,  Co.  G. 
William  Cloutman,  Co.  F. 
George  C.  French,  Co.  C. 
William  B.  Hetson,  Co.  E. 
John  Jordan,  Co.  E. 
Allen  Johnson,  Co.  F. 
James  S.  Lome,  Co.  H. 
Peter  Larson,  Co.  D. 
Jonathan  Metcalf,  Co.  G. 


Charles  O.  Merry,  Co.  G. 
Michael  O'Flanigan,  Co.  G. 
Adam  Osborne,  Co.  C. 
Jacob  Renold,  Co.  G. 
Oliver  Sules,  Co.  G. 
William  H.  Veazie,  Co.  G. 
Joseph  G.  Wolcott,  Co.  G. 
William  Brown,  Co.  F. 


Ninth  Regiment. 


Frederick  Morse,  corp.  Co.  H. 
William  H.  Allen,  Co.  H. 
William  H.  Farnham,  Co.  H. 
Henry  H.  Moulton,  Co.  H. 
Freeman  H.  Perkins,  Co.  H. 
Henry  H.  Sanderson,  Co.  H. 
Lucien  F.  Thomas,  Co.  H. 
Simon  Connary,  Co.  H. 
George  W.  Cummings,  Co.  H. 
Ira  G.  Douglass,  Co.  F. 
Loren  E.  Stalbird,  Co..  H. 
Joseph  E.  Hodge,  Co.  H. 
Edwin  R.  Jones,  Co.  H. 


John  G.  Lewis,  2d,  Co.  H. 
Harvey  H.  Lucas,  Co.  H. 
Paul  Perkins,  Co.  H. 
Charles  E.  Rogers,  Co.  H. 
Sanford  E.  Dinsmore,  Co.  H. 
Harrison  E.  Round,  Co.  H. 
George  Tenry,  Co.  F. 
William  H.  Wilkins,  Co. 
John  Boudle,  Co.  H. 
Nelson  Palmer,  Co.  H. 
Sumner  Perkins,  Co.  H. 
John  Mooney,  Co.  H. 


H. 


Eleventh  Regiment. 


John  Burgin,  Co.  G. 


THE  SOLDIERS  OF  LANCASTER. 


559 


Thirteenth  Reglment. 
Otis  B.  Harriman,  Co.  D. 

Fourteenth  Regiment. 


Hiram  J.  Round,  sergt.  Co.  E. 
Lewis  P.  Summers,  sergt.  Co.  E. 
Abel  H.  Wesson,  Co.  E. 
Frank  Boutwell,  Co.  E. 
Moses  Colby,  Co.  E. 
Alden  A.  Dow,  Co.  E. 
Joseph  M.  Gray,  Co.  E. 
Ida  A.  Hodge,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Jarvis,  Co.  E. 
William  Jarvis,  Co.  E. 
Andrew  J.  Lang,  Co.  E. 
Charles  E.  Nutter,  Co.  E. 


Spaulding  S.  Rich,  Co.  E. 
William  Sherwood,  Co.  E. 
W.  H.  H.  Stalbird,  Co.  E. 
Edward  B.  Wilder,  Co.  E. 
David  Young,  Co.  E. 
Thomas  Cassady,  Co.  F. 
Frederick  O.  Hayes,  Co.  F 
John  McMahon,  Co.  L 
William  Blair,  Co.  E. 
Edward  Lotcher,  Co.  F. 
Thomas  Wentworth,  Co.  E 
Benj.  F.  Moulton,  Co.  E. 


Seventeenth  Regiment. 


John  P.  Denison,  com.  sergt. 
Ezra  H.  Bennett,  sergt.  Co.  A. 
Charles  A.  Larkin,  sergt.  Co.  A. 
Geo.  H.  Emerson,  corp.  Co.  A. 
H.  E.  Hadlock,  hdqrs.  Co.  A. 
Thomas  P.  Moody,  corp.  Co.  A. 
Harvey  H.  Lucas,  Co.  A. 
Walter  S.  Bailey,  hdqrs.  Co.  A. 
Simpson  E.  Chase,  wardmaster, 

Co.  A. 
Thomas  Cunningham,  Co.  A. 
John  G.  Derby,  ord.  sergt.  Co.  C. 
Willard  A.  Jackson,  Co.  A. 
Alfred  L.  Jackson,  Co.  A. 
John  C.  Jenness,  clerk,  O.  M.  S. 


John  C.  Moore,  Co.  A. 
Henry  McCarthy,  Co.  A. 
Sidney  H.  Peaslee,  wagonmaster, 

Co.  A. 
Sumner  Perkins,  Co.  A. 
Alfred  C.  Pratt,  Co.  A. 
William  C.  Putnam,  Co.  A. 
Frank  Rafferty,  Jr.,  Co.  A. 
Albro  L.  Robinson,  hosp.  steward. 
James  Ross,  Co.  A. 
William  L.  Rowell,  sergt.  Co.  A. 
Jason  Sherwood,  Co.  A. 
John  W.  Smith,.  Co.  A. 
Cyril  C.  Smith,  Co.  A. 


Eighteenth  Regiment. 
Michael  Early,  Co.  H.  Patrick  Cassady,  Co.  K. 

Heavy  Artillery. 


William  G.  Ellis,  Co.  L 
Joseph  H.  Wilder,  Co.  L 
Zeb  Twitchell,  Co.  L 
William  M.  Gushing,  Co.  L 


Richard  M.  J.  Grant,  Co.  I. 
Phineas  R.  Hodgdon,  Co.  L 
Horatio  O.  Lewis,  Co.  L 
Joseph  P.  Matthews,  Co.  I. 


$60  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

Charles  Sherwood,  Co.  I.  John  Monahan,  Co.  I. 

George  Robinson,  Co.  I.  John  G.  Monahan,  Co.  I, 

Isaac  F.  Cotton,  Co.  I.  Samuel  S.  McDonald,  Co.  I. 

Roswell  C.  Chessman,  Co.  I.  Orville  R.  Moulton,  light  battery, 
Joseph  B.  Cloutman,  Co.  I.  or  Co.  M. 

Richard  H.  Emerson,  Co.  I.  Jason  Sherwood,  Co.  I. 

John  M.  Farnham,  Co.  I.  Hezekiah  E.  Hadlock. 
Edwin  Farnham,  Co.  I. 

Company  G,  Second  United  States  Sharpshooters. 

Zeb  Twitchell.  Joseph  K.  Hodge. 

Reuben  F.  Carter.  James  S.  Kent. 

Thomas  S.  Ellis.  Horace  F.  Morse. 
Reuben  Gray. 

First  New  England  Cavalry. 

Kimball  A.  Morse,  Co.  L.  John  K.  Burton,  Co.  F. 

Michael  Leary,  Co.  F. 

Commissions,  21 

Enlistments,  240 

Total,  261 

Probably  about  230  different  soldiers. 

Regiment  and  Company  Unknown. 

Allison  Chapman,  recruit. 

George  C.  Wilson,  recruit. 

Henry  Long,  recruit. 

Harpless  Ellison,  recruit, 

William  Ward,  recruit. 

Nelson  Heath,  recruit. 

Luke  Odell,  recruit. 

George  Williams,  recruit. 

Alexander  Lilley,  recruit. 

Louis  Warren,  recruit. 

Joseph  Staples,  recruit. 

Charles  Wilson,  recruit. 

Peyton  Jackson,  colored,  Washington,  August,  1864. 

William  Harden,  colored,  Washington,  August,  1864. 

John  F.  Sims,  colored,  Washington,  August,  1864. 

John  F.  Newman,  colored,  Washington,  August,  1864. 

It  is    perhaps    needless   to   say   that    the   foregoing    lists   of   sol- 
diers do  not  comprehend  the  names  of  all  present  or  past  citizens 


THE    SOLDIERS    OF    LANCASTER.  56 1 

of  Lancaster  who  have  served  in  the  miHtia  or  the  armies  of  the 
Union,  but  only  of  those  who  were  citizens  of  the  town  during  their 
time  of  service,  and  who  are  credited  to  Lancaster  on  the  official 
records  of  the  period,  and  of  those  now  resident  in  town. 

Since  the  compilation  of  the  foregoing,  the  following  additional 
information  concerning  the  of^cers  in  command  of  the  militia  in  the 
regiments  embracing  the  county  of  Coos  has  been  furnished  by 
Hon.  A.  S.  Batchellor,  state  historian : 

Field  officers  of  the  militia  regiment,  covering  the  northwestern 
part  of  Grafton  county  (then  embracing  the  present  county  of 
Coos)  : 

The  Provincl\l  Period. 

From  1773,  1774,  1775,  until  August  24: 

John  Hurd,  colonel,  Haverhill. 

Asa  Porter,  lieutenant-colonel,  Haverhill. 

William  Simpson,  major,  Orford. 

Revolutionary  Period. 

The  state  was  divided  into  sixteen  regiments  August  24,  1775, 
1776,  1777,  1778,  1779,  1780,  1781,  and  to  January  12,  1782  : 

Israel  Morey,  colonel,  Orford. 

Charles  Johnson,  lieutenant-colonel,  Haverhill. 

Jonathan  Child,  first  major,  Lyme. 

John  Hale,  second  major,  Haverhill. 

By  act  of  assembly.  Lieutenant-colonel  Charles  Johnson  was  given 
command  of  the  regiment  in  place  of  Morey,  January  12,  1782,  on 
account  of  the  relations  of  the  latter  with  the  "  Vermont  movement" 
(the  forming  of  an  independent  government,  by  the  towns  on  either 
side  of  the  river,  in  the  Connecticut  valley,  with  Hanover  as  the 
focus).  No  record  is  found  as  to  the  other  field  officers.  After  the 
promotion  of  Johnson,  who  was  colonel  to  1785,  Major  Child  was, 
however,  mixed  with  the  Vermont  movement,  as  was  Morey. 

Twenty-Fifth  Regiment. 

A  new  organization  of  the  regiments,  and  increase  in  their  num- 
ber, was  effected  in  1785,  the  field  officers  of  the  regiment  in  this 
territory  being  for  1785,  1786,  1787,  1788,  1789,  a  break  in  the 
records  here  appearing  until  March  26,  1793  : 

Joseph  Whipple,  colonel,  Jefferson  (then  Dartmouth). 
Edwards  Bucknam,  lieutenant-colonel,  Lancaster. 
John  Young,  major  first  battalion,  Lisbon. 
Asa  Bailey,  major  second  battalion,  Landaff. 
-,6 


562  history  of  lancaster. 

Twenty-Fourth  Regiment. 

March  26,  1793. 

Edwards  Bucknam,  lieutenant-colonel  commanding,  Lancaster. 

John  Young,  major  first  battalion,  Lisbon. 

Jabez  Parsons,  major  second  battalion,  Colcbrook. 

Young  retired  as  major  in  1798,  when  Amos  Wheeler  of  Fran- 
conia  was  commissioned  major  of  the  first  battalion. 

1799  and  1800 — Jabez  Parsons,  Colebrook;  Amos  Wheeler,  first 
battalion,  Franconia ;  Nathan  Barlow,  second  battalion,  Strat- 
ford. 

i8oi-'o2-'o3 — Nathan  Barlow,  Stratford  ;  Richard  C.  Everett,  Lan- 
caster;   Hopestill  Jennison,  Lancaster. 

June  4,  1804 — Richard  Clair  Everettif,  Lancaster;  Stephen  Wilson, 
Lancaster;    Jeremiah  Fames,  Jr.,  Stewartstown. 

THE    WAR   WITH    SPAIN   AND    IN   THE    PHILIPPINES. 

(We  are  enabled,  just  as  this  chapter  goes  to  press  (1899)  to  add 
in  this  connection  names  of  Lancaster  men,  so  far  as  ascertained, 
engaged  in  the  Spanish  War  and  its  consequent  service.) 

John  W.  Weeks,  captain  Massachusetts  brigade  naval  militia. 

Harry  Hayes,  U.  S.  S.  Pawnee. 

Charles  Cragie,  71st  N.  Y.  Vol.  Inf. 

Alexander  Kier,  ist  N.  H.  Vol.  Inf. 

Fred  Fuller,  ist  N.  H.  Vol.  Inf. 

Ernest  Dow,  14th  Minn.  Vol.  Inf. 

Charles  French,  ist  Vt.  Vol.  Inf. 

Frank  Cassady,  ist  Vt.  Vol.  Inf. 

*N.  H.  Prov.  Papers,  Vol.  7,  p.  578  ;  N.  H.  State  Papers,  Vol  4,  pp.  256  and  558. 

t  Upon  the  promotion  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Johnson,  at  this  time,  by  reason  of  the 
removal  of  Colonel  Moray  from  his  command,  on  account  of  his  identification  with  the 
"Vermont  Movement,"  and  the  consequent  ]:)rejudicial  effect  on  the  regiment,  one  or 
more  vacancies  in  the  field  officers  resulted,  but  what  appointments  or  promotions 
resulted  is  not  shown  by  the  records.  Major  Child  was  in  the  same  boat  as  Morey,  as 
regards  the  Vermont  affair.  Old  records  mention  Hale,  by  the  title  of  colonel  (possi- 
bly lieutenant-colonel).  Child  would  not  have  been  promoted — Hale  might  have  been  ; 
there  is  doubt  concerning  such  promotion,  however. 

\  New  Hampshire  State  Papers,  Vol.  8,  p.  928. 

§  New  Hampshire  State  Papers,  Vol.  20,  p.  261. 

II  New  Hampshire  State  Papers,  Vol.  22,  pp.  738-740. 

T[  In  1805  Coos  county  was  organized  according  to  the  act  of  1803  establishing  it,  and 
December  13,  1804,  that  part  of  Grafton  outside  the  limits  of  the  new  county  that  had 
been  included  in  the  Twenty-fourth  regiment  was  "  set  off  "  for  the  Thirty-second  regi- 
ment. The  militia  of  Coos  remained  the  Twenty-fourth  regiment,  mustering  annually 
alternately  at  Lancaster  and  Colebrook  until  1S40,  when  that  part  in  the  present  southern 
judicial  district  of  Coos  was  assigned  to  the  Forty-second  regiment,  and  so  remained 
until  the  abolition  of  the  militia  system  in  1850. 


Main  Street,  aijove  Lancaster  House,  il 


Main  Street,  above  Court-house,  1868. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  563 


Patrick  McRae,  Mass.  Vol.  Inf. 
Frank  McRae,  Mass.  Vol.  Inf. 
Thomas  Hopkins,  26th  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf. 
Isaac  McGoff,  26th  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf. 
Elwyn  R.  Marsh,  46th  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf. 
Henry  C.  Whittier,  46th  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf. 
George  W.  Foshey,  46th  U.  S.  Vol.  Inf. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION  OF  THE  SETTLEMENT  OF  THE  TOWN 

OF  LANCASTER. 

[Being  a  reprint  of  the  essential  parts  of  the  "Centennial  Pamphlet"  of  1864, — "J.  M. 
W.  Yerrington,  Reporter.     Published  by  Edward  Savage,  Bookseller."] 

In  accordance  with  a  notice  extensively  circulated  by  a  committee 
of  the  citizens  of  Lancaster,  the  one  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
settlement  of  this  town  was  celebrated  on  Thursday,  July  14,  1864. 
Invitations  had  been  extended  to  very  many  of  the  former  residents 
of  the  town,  now  scattered  throughout  the  broad  Union,  to  revisit 
their  early  home,  and  take  part  in  the  exercises  of  the  occasion.  To 
these  invitations  a  large  number  responded  in  person  or  by  letter. 
Among  the  prominent  gentlemen  from  abroad  were  Hon.  Edward 
D.  Holton,  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.;  John  B.  Brown,  Esq.,  of  Portland, 
Me. ;  Nathaniel  White,  Esq.,  of  Concord,  and  I.  B.  Gorham,  Esq., 
of  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. 

A  national  salute,  fired  from  two  old  field  pieces,  taken  from  the 
British  by  Stark,  at  Bennington,  the  display  of  flags  and  the  ringing 
of  bells,  ushered  in  the  day.  At  an  early  hour  the  stream  of  travel 
from  the  neighboring  towns,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  commenced, 
and  soon  the  usually  quiet  town  presented  an  animated  and  holiday 
aspect.  In  the  village  itself  all  labor  was  suspended,  and  the  people 
gave  themselves  up  to  the  unrestrained  enjoyment  of  the  day,  and 
the  exercise  of  a  general  and  cordial  hospitality. 

The  day  was  one  of  enchanting  loveliness.  Nature,  with  radiant 
smiles,  welcomed  her  truant  children,  returning  from  crowded  city 
or  town  to  her  motherly  embrace,  and  fanned  them  with  the  breath 
of  gales  that  "  winnowed  fragrance  round  the  smiling  land."  Well 
might  these  wanderers  from  the  lovely  valley  where  their  youth  was 
cradled  repeat  the  lines  of  Gray,  on  revisiting  Eton : 

Ah,  happy  hills!  ah,  pleasing  shade  ! 

Ah,  fields  beloved  in  vain  ! 
Where  oft  my  careless  childhood  strayed 

A  stranger  yet  to  pain  ; 


564  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

1  feel  the  gales  that  round  ye  blow 
A  momentary  bliss  bestow  ; 

As  waving  fresh  their  gladsome  wing, 
My  weary  soul  they  seem  to  soothe, 
And  redolent  of  joy  and  youth, 

To  breathe  a  second  spring. 

A  procession  was  formed  at  9  :  30  o'clock,  on  the  south  side  of  Elm 
street,  the  right  resting  tipon  Main,  which  soon  after  ten  o'clock 
moved  in  the  following  order : 

Aid.  Marshal-in-Chief.  Aid. 

Lancaster  Cornet  Band,  Lt.  Albert  F.  Whipple,  leader. 

North  Star  Commandery  of  Knights  Templar,  ' 

Sir  Kt.  J.  L  Williams,  commander. 

Aid.  North  Star  Lodge  No.  8,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Aid. 

B.  F.  Hunking,  W.  Master. 

Engine  Company,  No.  i . 

State  and  Town  officials. 

Aid.  Committee  of  Arrangements.  Aid. 

Officers  of  the  Day  and  Committees. 

President  of  the  Day. 

Distinguished  Visitors  in  carriages. 

County  officials  and  Government  officers. 

Soldiers  bearing  the  National  Flag. 

Venerable  settlers  and  residents  of  the  Town,  in  carriages. 

The  Reverend  Clergy. 

Lancaster  Glee  Club. 

Aid.  The  Sabbath  Schools  Aid. 

connected  with  the  various  churches. 
Aid.  Citizens  of  Lancaster.  Aid. 

Aid.  Citizens  of  other  towns.  Aid. 

Appropriate  banners  and  flags  were  displayed  by  the  several 
societies,  and  the  glorious  stars  and  stripes,  conspicuously  exhibited 
at  several  points,  thrilled  the  heart  w-ith  their  patriotic  associations. 

The  route  of  the  procession  was  up  Main  street  to  the  Lancaster 
House,  where  the  president  of  the  day,  with  other  distinguished 
guests,  was  received  ;  thence  up  Main  to  North,  and  down  again  to 
the  space  adjoining  the  Congregational  church,  where  the  literary 
exercises  were  to  take  place,  a  window  having  been  removed  from 
the  north  side  of  the  church,  and  a  temporary  platform  erected  that 
all,  both  inside  and  out,  might  have  an  opportunity  to  see  and  hear. 

The  church  was  soon  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  the 
space  adjoining  well  filled  by  a  large  company  waiting  the  com- 
mencement of  the  exercises.  The  number  present  was  variously 
estimated  at  from  two  to  three  thousand.  Inside  the  church  several 
of  the  most  venerable  citizens  occupied  the  front  seats.  Among  them 
were  Emmons  Stockwell,  Reuben  G.  Freeman,  Francis  Wilson, 
Douglass  Spaulding,  Ephraim  Stockwell,  Spencer  Clark,  William 
Holkins,  Benjamin  Hunking,  and  Beniah  Colby. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  565 

At  1 1  o'clock  the  exercises  were  commenced  with  music  by  the 
cornet  band,  at  the  conclusion  of  which  Colonel  Kent,  chief  marshal, 
said  : 

My  friends,  I  regret  to  commence  the  exercises  of  the  day  by  making  excuses 
or  apologies  ;  but  it  is  necessary  I  should  do  so,  in  order  to  a  correct  understand- 
ing of  the  remaining  part  of  the  programme.  It  was  thoroughly  understood  that 
Colonel  Farrar,  of  Oregon,  was  to  deliver  the  oration,  and  he  gave  me  his  per- 
sonal pledge,  on  the  5th  inst.,  that  he  would  be  here  without  fail.  He  was  in 
Washington  a  few  days  ago,  and  the  recent  rebel  incursion  into  Maryland,  sun- 
dering the  connection  between  that  city  and  the  rest  of  the  country,  has,  I 
suppose,  rendered  it  impossible  for  him  to  be  here.  Several  gentlemen,  who 
were  invited,  and  also  expected  to  be  present.  His  Excellency,  Governor  Andrew, 
of  Masaachussetts  and  His  Excellency,  Governor  Gilmore,  of  this  state,  among 
others,  have  found  it  impossible  for  them  to  be  here,  in  consequence  of  the  busi- 
ness that  has  been  thrust  upon  them  from  the  same  cause — the  rebel  raid.  I 
have  received  letters  from  several  of  these  gentlemen,  which  will  be  read  at  the 
proper  time. 

But  I  am  happy  to  say,  that  on  this  anniversary  of  the  settlement  of  our  good 
old  town,  we  are  not  to  be  without  speakers  who  will  entertain  us.  There  are 
gentlemen  present  from  abroad,  who,  having  served  their  country  honorably  in 
posts  of  danger,  have  come  back  to  join  with  tliose  who  remain  at  home  in  cele- 
brating this  glorious  anniversary,  and  others,  who,  in  civil  life,  have  honored  by 
their  success  the  town  of  their  nativity.  From  them,  you  will  be  glad  to  hear.  I 
take  pleasure  in  saying  that  the  programme  at  the  dinner  will  be  fully  carried  out. 

And  now,  fellow-citizens,  I  am  happy  in  introducing  to  you  the  president  of  the 
day,  Hon.  David  H.  Mason,  a  Lancaster  boy,  whom  yon  will  rejoice  to  welcome 
here  to-day,  who  will  preside  on  the  occasion,  and  will  address  you,  in  the 
absence  of  the  orator. 

Rev.  David  Perry,  of  Brookfield,  Vt.,  then  invoked  the  divine 
blessing  upon  all  the  proceedings  of  the  day,  after  which  the  follow- 
ing song,  written  for  the  occasion  by  Henry  O.  Kent,  Esq.  (music 
by  L.  O.  Emerson  of  Boston),  was  sung  by  the  Glee  club  in  a  most 
acceptable  manner : 

The  mountains  look  down  in  their  grandeur  and  pride. 

On  the  home  of  our  childhood  to-day  ; 
On  the  wandering  children  who  roamed  from  their  side 

To  gather  rare  flowers  by  the  way. 
They're  united  again  in  the  dear  old  town, 

'Mong  the  streams  and  the  woods  of  yore. 
They  have  fought  well  the  fight  for  gold  and  renown, 

And  they  turn  to  their  childhood's  door. 

There  are  those  who  have  lingered  around  the  old  home. 

While  their  brethren  were  far  in  the  strife  ; 
Who  have  tilled  the  old  fields  through  the  years  that  are  flown. 

In  the  quiet  and  comfort  of  life  ; 
These  welcome  ye  back  with  hearts  full  of  joy, 

A  joy  that  commingles  with  pride, 
As  they  greet  with  warm  fervor  each  wandering  boy 

To  the  town  where  his  forefathers  died. 


566  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

We  gather  to-day  among  scenes  so  endeared, 

To  crown  with  the  fame  of  her  sons, 
The  time-silvered  locks  of  the  mother  revered, 

While  an  hundred  long  winters  have  flown  ; 
-  To  wreathe  a  full  chaplet  of  daughters'  warm  love 

'Mid  the  silvery  sheen  of  her  hair, 
As  enduringly  pure  as  the  azure  above 

That  smiles  on  an  homage  so  fair. 

Welcome  home,  from  the  East  and  the  West  and  the  South, 

Welcome  home,  on  this  dear  natal  day ; 
The  kiss  of  some  loved  one  is  warm  on  each  mouth ; 

Ye  have  tarried  a  long  time  away. 
Welcome  home,  and  forgetting  the  wearying  care 

That  compassed  the  pathway  ye  trod, 
Throw  off  the  chill  years  and  be  young  again  here, 

In  the  smile  of  a  love  born  of  God. 

Welcome  home,  to  each  spot  so  remembered  of  yore, 

Welcome  home,  to  each  love  that  endures ; 
Gather  strength  for  the  journey  that  stretches  before. 

Ere  our  sails  leave  these  vanishing  shores. 
Go  forth  from  among  us  with  tokens  of  love. 

Glad  burdens  each  journey  to  crown  ; 
So  shall  memory's  banquet  be  spread  as  ye  rove 

From  the  home  that's  behind  ye — our  dear  old  town. 

The  Preshjent.  We  will  commence  with  the  opening  chapter 
of  the  history  of  Lancaster.  I  therefore  call  upon  Ossian  Ray,  Esq., 
to  read  the  charter  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Ray.  Mr.  President :  The  original  document  is  not  to  be 
had  upon  this  occasion.  Whether  it  was  deposited,  like  some 
ancient  charters  that  we  read  of  in  history,  in  the  hollow  of  a  tree  in 
this  town,  or  elsewhere,  and  has  thus  been  lost,  I  know  not.  But 
we  have,  at  any  rate,  2ifac  simile  of  the  original  document,  nearly 
as  old  as  that.      I  propose  to  read  from  that  copy. 

[Published  elsewhere  in  this  volume.] 

The  President.  This  is  a  day  of  jubilee,  and  I  propose  to  call 
for  three  cheers  for  the  quaint  old  charter.  My  friend,  the  chap- 
lain, says  it  is  all  right,  even  in  a  meeting-house.  Col.  Kent  will 
lead  off  in  the  cheers. 

The  audience  responded  to  this  call  with  three  hearty  cheers, 
which  was  followed  by  another  song,  entitled  "  Our  Lancaster," 
written  by  Mrs.  Mary  B.  C.  Slade.  (This  song,  also,  was  set  to 
music  by  Mr.  Emerson.) 

The  sturdy  tree  of  Pilgrim  stock 
Its  root  had  struck  'neath  Plymouth  Rock ; 
And  sweet  savannahs  smiled  to  see 
The  Coming  of  the  Chivalry  ! 


CENTENNIAL-  CELEBRATION.  5^7 

When,  turning  from  the  vales  of  ease, 
On  lowlands  washed  by  sunny  seas, 
With  heart  of  hope,  a  noble  band, 
Came  toiling  up  our  mountain  land. 

Through  dark  pine  forests.  North  and  West, 
The  warwhoop  rushed  across  their  rest. 
While  creeping  up  the  eastern  sky, 
The  British  thunder  cloud  drew  nigh. 
But  Coos  smiled,  the  meadows  rang, 
Siwoogannock  sweet  echoes  sang  ; 
And  circling  hills  and  placid  wave 
Their  welcome  and  protection  gave. 

Here,  loyal  sons,  your  patriot  sires 

Enkindled  Freedom's  altar-fires ; 

The  fathers'  watchword  ours  shall  be, — 

The  Union,  God,  and  Liberty! 

Here  grew  they  free  and  strong  and  brave. 

Till  fierce  Oppression  crossed  the  wave ; 

Ask  storied  battlefields  how,  then. 

For  Freedom  stood  the  mountain  men ! 

The  Aloe  drinks  the  sun  and  rain. 
Nor  blooms  her  answer  back  again. 
Till,  lo!  a  flowery  crown  she  wears. 
The  blossom  of  an  hundred  years. 
The  mountain  winds,  the  valley's  stream. 
The  winter's  snow,  the  summer's  gleam, 
■  A  hundred  years  have  brought  to  her 
To-day's  bright  bloom,  our  Lancaster  ! 

Where,  long  ago,  the  Indian  found 
A  resting-place  and  hunting  ground, 
To  beauty's  pilgrims  rest  we  lend. 
Ere  they  to  snow-capped  heights  ascend. 
God  of  the  Mountains!  bless  our  home,  , 
While  through  its  paths  to  thee  we  come ; 
Till  o'er  its  purpled  heights  we  see 
The  White  Hills  of  Eternity  ! 

ADDRESS    OF    HON.    DAVID    H.    MASON. 

Ladies  and  Gentlemen :  A  hundred  years  ago,  the  last  act  in  the  drama  of  the 
French  and  Indian  war  had  just  closed.  France  and  Spain  had  ceded  all  claimed 
rights  to  the  possession  of  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  and  England 
held  undisturbed  sway  in  the  vast  country,  stretching  from  the  Gulf  to  the  Arctic 
sea, and  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ocean. 

The  last  great  struggle  of  the  native  Indians  to  recover  their  hunting  grounds 
was  over.  The  brave  Pontiac,  with  his  five  and  twenty  Indian  tribes,  scattered 
all  along  from  the  Shenandoah  to  the  great  lakes,  and  down  the  Ohio  to  the  very 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  over  the  mountains  and  through  the  prairies,  had  buried 
the  tomahawk  and  scalping-knife,  and  smoked  the  pipe  of  peace. 

At  the  first  dawn  of  security  the  indomitable  sons  of  the  Pilgrims  plunged  into 
the  wilderness  with  their  a.xes  and  their  rifles,  to  plant  new  homes  for  themselves 
and  their  posterity. 


568  HISTORY  or  Lancaster. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  A.  D.  1764,  Captain  David  Page,  liis  son  David  Page, 
Jr.,  about  18  years  of  age,  and  Emmons  Stockwell,  witli  perhaps  one  or  two 
others,  having  puslied  up  the  Connecticut  valley  from  Petersham,  Massachusetts, 
through  the  town  of  Haverhill,  reached  the  spot  where  we  now  are.  They  were 
charmed  by  the  natural  loveliness  of  this  valley,  and  their  fondest  desires  were 
gratified.  Standing  on  yonder  elevation,  with  those  majestic  mountains  behind 
them,  the  unrivaled  Pilot  range  on  their  right  hand  and  the  green  hills  on  their 
left,  with  those  bald  sentinels  guarding  the  passage  before  them,  they  gazed  down 
into  this  paradise  of  meadows,  with  the  meandering  river,  like  a  silver  cord,  run- 
ning through  them,  all  clothed  in  the  fresh  verdure  of  the  opening  spring.  What 
a  heaven  was  here  spread  out  before  them  !  With  hearts  full  of  gratitude,  they 
thanked  the  God  of  nature  that  his  mysterious  providence  had  guided  them  here. 

They  came  on  the  19th  of  April,  a  day  since  made  sacred  in  the  nation's 
history ;  the  day  on  which  was  shed  the  first  blood  of  the  Revolution  on  Lexing- 
ton Green  ;  the  day  on  which  flowed  m  the  streets  of  Baltimore  the  first  northern 
blood  in  the  War  of  the  Rebellion ;  the  same  day  on  which  was  founded  the  first 
Normal  school  in  the  new  world,  that  crowning  glory  of  our  system  of  popular 
education.  It  was  fortunate  for  our  ancestors  that  they  came  to  this  valley,  and 
that  was  a  fortunate  birthday  for  our  beautiful  town. 

The  war  for  existence  had  passed ;  the  war  for  principle  was  approaching. 
The  North  American  colonies  had  cost  tlie  mother  country,  at  the  close  of  the 
French  war,  nearly  seven  hundred  millions  of  dollars.  Her  treasury  was 
exhausted  by  the  long  and  fierce  struggle  with  the  continental  powers.  In  look- 
ing about  for  some  way  to  restore  the  equilibrium  between  her  magnificence  and 
her  means,  she  fell  upon  the  plan  to  tax  these  colonies.  The  right  to  do  this  was 
indignantly  denied.  Her  peerless  statesman,  the  immortal  Pitt,  to  whose  genius 
and  wisdom  she  owed  the  chief  glories  of  the  eighteenth  century — the  true  friend 
of  the  colonies — was  no  longer  in  office,  and  the  soung  king  had  called  to  his 
council  men  of  moderate  ability.     The  war  of  the  Revolution  followed. 

At  the  period  of  its  commencement,  our  town  contained  but  eight  families. 
None  of  its  inhabitants  joined  the  army;  they  were  too  few  in  numbers,  too  far 
from  the  strife,  and  were  out  of  sight  in  the  wilderness.  Their  families  were 
exposed  to  the  depredations  of  the  savages,  and  in  common  with  all  the  new 
settlements  along  our  northern  frontier,  they  suffered  greatly  from  dangers  and 
privations,  through  that  long  and  bloody  war.  Their  stern  duties  at  home  were 
paramount  to  all  public  considerations.  Thev  had,  however,  in  many  ways,  their 
courage  and  their  patriotism.  The  dauntless  Stockwell  was  in  one  of  the  expeditions 
which  went  up  for  the  invasion  of  Canada,  during  the  French  war.  He  was  an  orphan 
boy  in  his  native  town,  bound  out  to  service  during  his  minority.  In  order  to  encour- 
age enlistments  and  to  fill  the  ranks  of  our  army,  a  regulation  was  made  that  inden- 
tured apprentices  should  be  entitled  to  their  freedom,  if  they  would  enlist  in  the 
public  service.  Stockwell,  tliough  a  mere  boy,  possessed  the  spirit  of  a  man,  and 
took  advantage  of  the  provision  which  gave  him  his  liberty.  On  his  return  from 
this  unfortunate  expedition,  with  a  few  stragglers  he  came  down  the  Connecticut 
river,  and  for  the  first  time  beheld  the  magnificent  valley.  Its  attractions  led  him, 
a  few  years  later,  with  those  hardy  pioneers,  to  choose  it  for  his  future  home. 

Some  of  the  Revolutionary  heroes  settled  in  Lancaster  after  the  close  of  the 
war.  I  remember  very  well  Major  Moses  White,  of  Rutland,  Mass.  He  was  a 
true  gentleman,  of  the  old  Revolutionary  school.  He  had  filled  many  high  posi- 
tions in  the  continental  army  with  ability  and  honor,  and  was  rewarded  by  a  grant 
from  the  government,  through  General  Hazen,  of  the  Catbow  tract  of  land  in 
Lancaster,  where  he  fixed  his  residence  and  passed  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He 
attained  very  great  consideration  in  his  adopted  state,  and  was  very  widely  and 
favorably  known.  Wherever  his  duty  called  him,  he  never  lost  his  dignity  or 
forgot  the  courtesies  of  life. 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  5^9 

When  our  independence  was  acknowledged  and  peace  was  restored,  our  settle- 
ment began  to  increase  in  numbers.  But  tlie  country  nowhere  prospered  as  was 
contidently  expected.  We  had  no  national  credit  and  no  commerce  to  bring  us 
trade.  Though  we  were  independent  upon  the  land,  England  was  still  mistress 
upon  the  sea,  and  it  soon  became  apparent  if  we  would  prosper  as  a  nation  our 
flag  must  be  respected  and  our  commerce  built  up.  The  impressment  of  a  tew 
seamen  was  not  of  vast  public  importance,  but  the  great  principle  that  the  flag  of 
a  nation  shall  protect  its  citizens  on  the  land  and  sea  was  of  inestimable  value  ; 
and  for  this  the  second  war  with  England  was  waged.  Its  triumph  was  complete, 
and  we  came  out  from  that  controversy  with  our  honor  vindicated  and  our  rights 
established. 

In  this  second  national  war  our  citizens  bore  an  important  part.  You  all 
remember  Major  John  W.  Weeks.  On  the  5th  day  of  July,  A.  D.  18  [4,  by  a 
brave  and  timely  movement  of  his  command,  he  turned  the  tide  of  victory  at 
Chippewa.  He  was  the  captain  of  the  first  company,  Eleventh  regiment  of  infantry, 
and  held  the  extreme  right  of  our  line.  Having  discovered  the  enemy  advancing 
upon  the  centre  with  a  heavy  column,  he  threw  his  command,  by  a  quick  move- 
ment, upon  their  flank,  and  delivered  a  destructive  fire,  which  broke  their  ranks 
and  hurled  them  back  in  a  disastrous  retreat,  leaving  their  dead  and  wounded 
upon  the  field.  He  was  promoted  for  his  gallantry  to  the  rank  of  major.  He 
came  to  this  town  in  1787,  when  only  six  years  of  age.  He  learned  the  trade  of 
a  house-joiner,  and  received  his  education  from  the  scanty  means  the  settlement 
afforded.  He  arose  to  various  high  positions  in  public  life,  and  represented  his 
district  in  congress  with  credit,  at  a  time  in  our  history  when  to  be  in  congress 
was  an  honor,  and  men  of  the  highest  ability  and  character  were  chosen  to  the 
national  councils.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  and  comprehensive  mind,  a  great 
reader  and  close  reasoner.  whose  opinions  and  judgment  upon  public  questions 
were  respected  by  our  public  men  in  the  state  and  country. 

By  his  side  at  Chippewa  were  other  citizens  of  Lancaster.  There  was  Alpheus 
Hutchins,  of  whose  bravery  and  bearing  I  have  often  heard  his  commander  speak 
in  terms  of  great  commendation.  There  was  Benjamin  Stephenson,  also,  who, 
now  in  a  happy  old  age,  is  reaping  the  rich   rewards  of  an  honorable  life. 

Since  the  close  of  the  second  war  the  prosperity  of  the  town,  as  well  as  of  the 
country,  for  nearly  fifty  years,  has  been  rapid  and  uninterrupted.  The  number  of 
its  voters  and  its  material  wealth  have  quadrupled,  and  to-day  we  find  its  hills  and 
its  valleys  covered  with  handsome  habitations  and  an  industrious  and  a  happy 
people.  '  Would  to  God  that  the  darkness  which  now  hangs  over  our  national 
prosperity  would  disappear  and  reveal  a  future  as  propitious  as  the  past ! 

We  celebrate  to-day  the  termination  of  the  first  century  of  municipal  life.  One 
centennial  space  is  filled  in  the  history  of  Lancaster.  We  have  arrived  at  a  point 
of  time  convenient  for  the  measurement  of  our  prosperity.  Standing,  therefore, 
as  we  do  at  the  end  of  a  century,  we  can  look  across  the  chasm  that  separates  us 
from  its  beginning,  and  contrast  the  difterence  in  the  appearance  and  condition  of 
our  town.  Forgetting  intervening  events,  we  will  look  into  the  first  years  of  its 
settlement,  and  place  what  we  see  beside  the  developments  of  this  day,  and  mark 
the  progress  and  the  change. 

The  charters  for  the  towns  of  Lancaster  and  of  Lunenburg,  opposite  to  us,  bear 
the  same  date,  were  granted  on  the  same  day,  to  the  same  person,  by  the  same 
hand  ;  and  these  names  were  given  to  us  in  memory  of  the  two  towns  similarly 
situated,  near  the  early  homes  of  the  first  settlers  in  Massachusetts,  and  thus  they 
sanctified  their  new  homes  by  the  fond  recollection  of  those  of  their  youth.  The 
whole  country  was  then  a  dense  wilderness  ;  not  a  highway  had  been  constructed 
in  or  to  our  ancient  town.  The  pioneer  settlers  found  their  way  by  marked  trees 
through  the  woods.  They  drove  before  them  some  twenty  head  of  cattle,  with 
bags  of  salt,  provisions,  and  farming  tools  fastened  on  their  horns.     They  erected 


570  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

their  first  camp  on  the  Holton  meadows,  and  cleared,  the  first  spring,  twelve 
acres  of  land  on  the  old  Stockwell  place,  which  they  planted  with  corn.  It  grew 
so  luxuriantly  that  by  the  25th  of  August  it  was  twelve  feet  in  height  and  full  in 
the  milk;  but  on  the  fatal  night  which  succeeded,  it  was  utterly  destroyed  by  the 
early  frost.  Although  our  town  is  800  feet  above  the  sea,  in  this  high  latitude 
and  in  the  midst  of  lofty  mountains  such  a  calamity  has  happened  but  three  times 
in  sixty  years.  Our  persevering  settlers,  not  discouraged  by  this  disaster,  cut 
their  grass  on  the  open  lands  on  Beaver  brook,  and  thus  kept  their  cattle  through 
the  winter,  and  were  ready  to  renew  the  struggles  of  another  year. 

It  was  many  years  before  any  traveled  public  way  was  constructed.  The  near- 
est mill  was  perhaps  at  Plymouth,  but  the  most  accessible  was  at  No.  4,  in  the 
town  of  Charlestown.  From  that  place  they  brought  their  meal  and  grain,  travel- 
ing on  foot,  on  horseback,  or  upon  the  river  in  their  bark  and  log  canoes,  which 
they  paddled  with  wonderful  skill ;  and  many  a  joyous  feast  did  our  ancestors 
have  from  the  rare  luxury  of  brown  bread  and  Indian  pudding,  the  rewards  of 
their  perilous  and  arduous  journeys.  I  can  almost  see  the  young  Mrs.  Stockwell 
preparing  for  some  great  occasion,  sitting  before  her  blazing  wood  fire,  watching 
her  baking  bannock,  which  she  had  spread  upon  a  huge  chip,  and  set  up  between 
the  great  andirons,  a  style  of  cooking  not  quite  obsolete  in  this  ancient  town 
twenty-five  years  ago. 

The  canoes  were  their  only  carriages,  and  were  made  with  their  own  hands 
from  the  trunks  of  huge  pines,  or  from  bark  peeled  from  their  own  trees.  They 
were  strong  enough  to  be  trusted  on  the  deepest  waters,  and  light  enough  to  be 
carried  upon  their  shoulders  around  the  falls,  or  from  pond  to  pond.  The  strong 
women  rowed  tliese  same  rude  barks  up  and  down  these  rivers,  from  settlement  to 
settlement,  from  Stockwell's  to  Bucknam's,  or  whenever  they  went  out  to  spend 
the  afternoon,  or  on  some  errand  of  business.  It  will  not  be  supposed  that  the 
settlers  depended  upon  the  food  transported  from  Charlestown  for  their  daily  use. 
Their  more  common  food  was  prepared  by  means  contrived  by  themselves ;  our 
ancestors  had  no  patent  for  their  invention  which  stood  for  a  mill.  Have  you 
never  heard  of  the  good  old-fashioned  ''thump?"  Emmons  Stockwell  kept  a 
huge  mortar,  which  held  about  two  bushels;  into  this  they  put  their  corn,  beans, 
and  rye ;  then  they  pounded  it  with  a  great  wooden  pestle,  as  none  but  they  could 
pound.  With  this  they  mixed  potatoes,  well  baked  and  peeled,  and  the  varieties 
of  vegetables  their  tastes  might  select,  and  the  whole  was  baked  together  into 
magnificent  thump.  Seasoned  with  good  appetites,  it  was  found  a  delicious  dish 
by  the  early  inhabitants  of  our  glorious  old  town. 

The  tables  of  these  hardy  pioneers  had  other  dainties.  The  rivers  and  streams 
were  full  of  fishes,  and  the  forest  of  moose  and  game  ;  and  our  ancestors  of  both 
sexes  could  use  the  rifle  and  the  fishing-rod  with  astonishing  skill.  It  is  some- 
what remarkable  that  no  deer  or  wolves  were  found  here  till  long  after  the  coun- 
try was  first  settled,  and  it  is  said  there  were  no  eels  in  the  river  till  the  extermi- 
nation of  the  beaver.  But  the  moose  \vere  abundant,  and  were  most  mercilessly 
slaughtered  by  the  wicked  hunters,  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  killing.  One  Nathan 
Caswell  killed  ninety-nine  in  a  single  season,  ana  leftmost  of  them  to  decay  in 
their  native  woods.  All  honor  to  those  humane  settlers  who  turned  him  out  of 
their  houses  as  a  reward  for  this  ignominious  sport.  I  can  never  forgive  those 
African  and  South  American  explorers  for  their  wanton  destruction  of  the  noble 
beasts  of  the  forests ;  nor  can  I  understand  how  they  can  wish  to  couple  the  his- 
tory of  such  exploits  with  that  of  their  noble  discoveries. 

The  first  mill  erected  in  our  town  was  turned  by  horse  power,  and  was  but  little 
better  than  the  old  Stockwell  mortar.  Major  Jonas  Wilder  built  the  first  grist- 
and  sawmill.  Major  Wilder  brought  his  large  and  very  respectable  family  to 
Lancaster  in  1780.  He  had  acquired  a  little  fortune  for  those  days,  in  his  native 
state,  and  some  few  years  before  had  purchased   here  a  tract  of  land   one  mile 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  571 

square,  which  included  the  present  burying-ground.  In  1779,  being  chosen  on  a 
committee  to  select  a  public  burying-ground,  he  presented  this  mound  to  the 
town,  to  be  used  for  that  purpose.  He  commenced  to  build  the  cellar  of  the  Hol- 
ton  house  on  the  famous  dark  day.  The  town-meeting  was  held  at  his  house  in 
1779,  and  he  was  chosen  one  of  the  selectmen,  which  was  his  earliest  appearance 
on  the  official  records  of  Lancaster.  He  was  a  very  valuable  accession  to  this 
settlement,  and  has  left  a  record  of  his  life  of  which  his  descendants  may  well  be 
proud. 

Governor  Page,  so  called  by  way  of  distinction  merely,  never  was  a  resident  of 
Lancaster,  though  named  in  the  charter.  He  was  only  a  sort  of  director  of 
the  settlement,  making  frequent  journeys  to  visit  the  new  colony,  and  by  his  coun- 
sel and  his  services  rendering  them  great  aid  in  the  management  of  their  affairs. 
His  daughter,  Ruth  Page,  came  here  a  spinster.  On  the  night  of  the  great  frost, 
the  25th  of  August,  1764,  she  slept  in  the  woods  in  Orford.  on  her  way  to  Lan- 
caster, where  she  arrived  the  last  of  that  month.  She  came  to  cook  the  food  and 
do  the  work  for  the  little  colony,  then  more  than  forty  miles  from  their  nearest 
neighbors.  She  was  the  first  white  woman  who  came  to  our  town.  The  next 
year  she  married  Emmons  Stockwell,  and  began  housekeeping  on  the  old  Stock- 
well  place.  She  was  then  eighteen  years  of  age,  and  he  was  twenty-three.  They 
lived  together  more  than  fifty-five  years,  and  had  fifteen  children — seven  sons  and  , 
eight  daughters — all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  ;  and  in  her  old  age  Mrs.  Stock-A" 
well  could  call  around  her  one  hundred  and  ninety  living  descendants,  three  of 
whom  yet  survive — Ephraim,  Emmons,  and  John  Stockwell — whose  combined 
ages  are  two  hundred  and  forty-seven  years.  She  died  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  ; 
her  husband  at  seventy-eight.  David  Stockwell,  their  oldest  child,  was  the  first 
son  of  Lancaster.  After  a  long  and  useful  life,  he  perished  a  few  years  since  in 
the  conflagration  of  a  portion  of  his  dwelling. 

Edwards  Bucknam,  a  young  follower  of  Governor  Page,  soon  after  married 
another  of  his  daughters,  and  settled  at  the  mouth  of  Beaver  brook,  where  for 
many  years  Mr.  Benjamin  Adams  resided.  A  hunter,  named  Martin,  caught  vast 
numbers  of  beaver,  which  abounded  in  the  stream  running  through  these  mead- 
ows. The  ingenious  hunter  gave  his  name  to  the  meadows,  and  the  ingenious 
animals  to  the  stream  they  occupied.  Bucknam  was  an  accomplished  surveyor,  a 
man  of  unbounded  hospitality,  and  of  great  usefulness  to  the  colony.  He  could 
"  let  blood,"  "draw  teeth,"  and  perform  the  marriage  service  before  the  minister 
and  doctor  arrived.  He  did  the  business  of  the  colony  which  required  education. 
He  laid  out  a  large  portion  of  the  town,  and  many  of  the  highways.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  present  century  there  was  a  very  good  road  leading  up  the  river 
by  his  residence.  In  a  few  years  the  settlers  in  that  vicinity  crept  back  from 
Martin's  meadows,  and  cleared  off  the  hills  behind  them.  They  all  lived  in  log 
huts,  quite  rudely  constructed,  with  roofs  made  of  bark.  They  had  no  school, 
and  what  to  them  was  an  infinitely  greater  hardship,  no  place  of  worship.  Buck- 
nam had  six  children,  from  whom  have  descended  the  Moores,  the  Howes,  the 
Mclntires,  and  Bucknams.  His  daughter  Eunice,  the  first  child  of  Lancaster,  was 
born  in  1767. 

David  Page,  the  son  of  the  governor,  so  called,  came  herewith  the  first  settlers, 
married  his  cousin,  of  Haverhill,  and  had  thirteen  children.  The  Page  family 
were  highly  respectable.  Any  alliance  with  them  was  honorable.  It  was  not  so 
difficult  for  Stockwell  and  Bucknam,  poor  as  they  were,  and  lowly  as  their  condi- 
tion had  been,  to  marry  into  high  life.  The  young  ladies,  so  elevated  in  society 
and  beautiful  in  person,  could  have  had  no  better  overtures  in  this  settlement  than 
those,  which  the  young  gentlemen  were  emboldened  to  make  and  the  young  ladies 
to  accept,  because  it  was  plainly  the  only  change  to  which  they  seemed  eligible. 

Stockwell  possessed  prodigious  strength,  and  was  capable  of  great  endurance. 
He  could  not  read  or  write  till  he  was  taught  by  his  accomplished  wife.     He  had 


572  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

a  firm  and  vigorous  mind,  with  a  large  sliare  of  common  sense.  In  the  days  of 
the  Revolution  he  was  the  salvation  of  the  colony.  The  hardsliips  and  dangers 
which  surrounded  them,  the  successive  failure  of  their  crops,  the  capture  of  two  or 
three  of  the  settlers  by  the  hostile  Indians,  and  the  stormy  future  prospects  of  the 
country,  shook  the  resolution  of  the  settlers,  and  they  met  at  StockwelPs  house  to 
discuss  the  abandonment  of  the  town.  The  dauntless  Stockweil  declared,  notwith- 
standing these  things,  "  My  family  and  I  sha'n't  go."  He  had  seen  this  valley  in 
1759,  and  was  enamored  with  its  loveliness.  He  had  chosen  it  for  his  home,  for 
the  better  or  for  the  worse,  and  he  knew  of  no  such  thing  as  failure.  A  few  fam- 
ilies rallied  around  him,  and  the  settlement  was  saved. 

For  many  years  there  were  no  schoolhouses  or  schools.  Mrs.  Stockweil  was  a 
respectable  scholar  for  those  early  days.  She  could  read  the  Psalter,  and  write 
and  cypher  very  well,  and  in  her  own  house  taught  the  cliildren  of  the  settlers. 
She  had  wonderful  general  capacity,  which  supplied  all  the  wants  of  this  new 
colony.  She  was  one  of  those  remarkable  persons  who  could  do  everything  that 
was  necessary,  and  did  everything  well. 

In  1 791  the  inhabitants  of  Lancaster  voted  to  build  a  meeting-house,  and  in 
town-meeting  chose,  as  a  committee  to  locate  and  build  it,  Col.  Edwards  Buck- 
nam.  Col.  Jonas  Wilder,  Capt.  John  Weeks,  Lieut.  Emmons  Stockweil,  Lieut. 
Joseph  Brackett,  Lieut.  Dennis  Stanley,  and  Capt.  David  Page.  From  the  military 
titles  of  the  committee,  one  would  expect  great  dispatch  in  this  work  ;  but  the 
structure  was  not  completed  for  some  years  afterward.  Taxes  were  assessed,  pay- 
able in  wheat,  rye,  and  corn,  labor,  and  lumber  at  certain  fixed  prices,  to  aid  in 
its  construction.  In  1794  the  first  town-meeting  was  held  in  this  meeting-house. 
Previous  to  this  date  they  met  at  private  houses  to  transact  their  business,  and,  as 
their  numbers  increased,  selected  larger  houses.  Colonel  Wilder's  splendid  new 
mansion  answered  well  till  the  meeting-house  was  ready. 

There  was  no  regular  preaching  of  the  gospel,  and  no  settled  minister,  till  the 
eighteenth  of  September,  1794,  when  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard  was  settled  here  as 
pastor  over  a  church  "gathered"  in  July  previous,  consisting  of  twenty-four  per- 
sons. He  presided  over  the  religious  affairs  of  the  town  for  twenty-eight  years. 
He  had  been  in  the  Continental  army  through  the  Revolutionary  War.  He  had  a 
noble,  commanding  presence,  a  firm  and  measured  step,  which  he  preserved 
through  his  lifetime.  You  may  all  thank  God  tliat  in  his  providence  he  sent  to 
the  town  of  Lancaster  such  a  man  as  Joseph  Willard.  He  was  a  noble  specimen 
of  goodness  and  religious  faith  ;  was  wise  in  counsel,  learned  in  doctrine,  and  full 
of  true  charity  and  grace.     Ail  honor  to  the  memory  of  the  Rev.  Joseph  Willard. 

The  church  was  an  imposing  structure  for  those  days.  It  was  erected  upon  the 
plain,  on  the  very  brow  of  the  hili  just  south  of  the  village.  It  had  a  tower  at  the 
west  end,  with  two  porches  for  entrance,  and  a  broad  entrance  on  the  side.  It 
had  a  high  gallery,  a  lofty  pulpit  crowned  with  a  high  sounding-board,  and,  what 
is  yet  more  characteristic,  the  seats  were  all  so  arranged  in  the  square  pews  that 
they  could  be  raised  during  prayer,  when  the  congregation  stood  up,  and  when 
the  prayer  was  over  would  fall,  one  after  another,  with  a  horrible  clatter.  The 
old  church  has  passed  away,  or  rather  been  moved  away,  down  the  hill,  disman- 
tled of  all  its  sacredness,  and  made  into  a  house  of  merchandise,  except  the 
pleasant  room  which  rejoices  in  the  name  of  the  town  hall.  Even  its  foundations 
have  been  dug  away;  not  a  vestige  of  the  long  flight  of  stairs  now  remains,  and 
the  places  that  knew  it  shall  know  it  no  more  forever.  It  will  only  live  hereafter 
in  the  songs  and  chronicles  of  its  exterminators. 

It  was  many  years  after  the  first  settlement  of  the  town  before  schoolhouses 
were  erected.  I  tliink  the  church  preceded  the  schoolhouse.  It  was  some  years 
before  they  built  even  framed  huts  with  a  single  room.  The  Stockweil  and  Buck- 
nam  houses,  of  very  moderate  proportions,  on  the  old  homesteads,  you  will 
remember.     The  two  first  splendid   mansions,  as  they  then   called  them,  were  the 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  573 

famous  Holton  house  and  the  old  Wilson  tavern,  at  the  north  end  of  the  street. 
The  latter,  and  the  little  red  cottage  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  below  it, 
were  the  two  first  painted  houses  in  Lancaster.  1  think  a  portion  of  the  present 
Stockwell  house  and  the  Holton  mansion  are  all  that  now  remain  of  those  very 
old  structures. 

The  first  town-meeting  which  assembled  in  Lancaster  was  at  the  house  of  David 
Page,  in  1769.  Capt.  Thomas  Burnside  was  moderator;  Edwards  Bucknam  was 
chosen  clerk,  to  which  office  he  was  reelected  for  twenty-one  years.  They  chose 
five  selectmen.  Unfortunately,  the  dwelling-house  of  Mr.  Bucknam  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1772,  and  with  it  perished  the  town  records  to  that  year.  It  is  well 
known  that  Bucknam  and  Stockwell,  Page,  Wilder  and  Weeks,  composed  the 
town  government  for  nearly  thirty  years.  The  salary  of  the  "  settled  minister" 
was  fixed  at  fifty  pounds,  one  third  of  which  was  payable  in  cash  and  two  thirds  in 
produce.  This  was  to  increase  as  the  inventory  of  the  town  increased,  till  it 
reached  eighty  pounds. 

The  first  lawyer  in  Lancaster  was  Richard  C.  Everett.  He  was  born  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  and  was  left  an  orphan  early  in  life.  He  was  at  one  time,  during 
the  Revolutionary  War,  a  servant  of  General  Washington.  He  came  to  Lancaster 
in  October,  1787,  and  with  two  other  hardy  men  cut  out  the  road  through  the 
Notch  for  the  purpose  of  transporting  salt  to  upper  Coos.  He  saved  his  earnings, 
and  went  through  Dartmouth  college ;  studied  law  in  New  York  and  at  Haverhill, 
in  this  state,  and  in  1793  began  practice  here.  He  rose  to  be  district  judge,  and 
to  a  high  position  as  a  sound  and  honorable  man,  and  has  left  a  spotless  character 
in  the  memory  of  men. 

The  first  bridge  erected  was  the  old  Stockwell  bridge,  across  Isreals  river,  and 
the  right  to  cross  it  first  was  put  up  at  auction,  and  bid  off"  by  Emmons  Stockwell 
for  five  gallons  of  brandy,  which  cost  him  forty-two  shillings  a  gallon. 

It  was  many  years  before  any  wheelwrights  or  wheels  were  found  in  Lancaster. 
The  early  settlers  transported  their  merchandise  upon  two  long  poles,  fastened 
together  by  a  cross-piece.  One  end  answered  for  shafts,  to  which  the  horse  was 
attached,  the  other  dragged  upon  the  ground.  It  was  similar  in  construction  to 
the  modern  truck,  without  the  wheels.  There  are  many  present  who  will  remem- 
ber the  caravans  of  farmers  who,  every  winter,  carried  their  produce  to  the  Port- 
land market  in  sleighs,  where  they  purchased  their  annual  supply  of  luxuries  for 
domestic  use  ;  and  they  will  remember,  too,  their  adventures  and  frolics,  when, 
snow-bound  on  the  journey,  they  were  compelled  to  wait,  sometimes  for  days,  till 
the  fierce  storms  were  over  and  the  roads  were  passable. 

I  have  thus  given  you,  to-day,  only  the  outlines  of  a  picture  of  Lancaster  a  hun- 
dred years  ago.  The  same  heavens  are  indeed  over  our  heads,  the  same  moun- 
tains wall  in  the  valley,  and  the  same  river  winds  gracefully  through  the  meadows, 
but  all  else,  how  changed  !  It  will  not  be  thought  invidious,  on  an  occasion 
entirely  our  own,  to  say,  in  compliment  to  ourselves,  that  we  may  defy  the  world 
to  produce  a  lovelier  village,  or  more  beautiful  farms,  or  a  better  and  happier 
people,  than  are  found  in  our  noble  town  ;  and  with  its  natural  scenery,  embracing 
mountains  and  valleys,  rivers  and  lakes,  what  spot  is  there  on  the  earth  of  which 
we  could  feel  prouder,  and  to  which  we  could  return  with  more  delight?  And  how 
can  we  wonder,  as  the  summer  approaches,  that  men  leave  the  great  cities,  their 
business  and  their  homes,  to  look  on  this  scenery,  and  breathe  the  air  of  these 
mountains,  and  drink  their  inspirations? 

It  may  not  be  unprofitable  to  enter  the  chasm  between  the  bounds  of  our  cen- 
tury, and  learn  something  of  the  causes  of  our  municipal  growth  and  success.  We 
owe  much,  my  friends,  to  the  morality  of  our  community.  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  theology  of  our  early  days  was  derived,  in  some  measure,  from  the  great 
Doctor  Wheelwright,  who,  banished  from  Massachusetts,  settled  in  the  vicinity  of 
Exeter,  and  there  led  the  religious   development  of  our  northern  New  England. 


574  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

He  was  a  little  more  tolerant  and  less  bigoted  than  the  full-blooded  Puritan,  but 
just  as  firm  in  his  faith  and  unyielding  in  his  opinions.  They  tried  and  Iimig  the 
witches;  he  only  tried  \.\\&xa..  He  had  a  mantle  of  charity,  small  as  it  was;  they 
had  none  at  all,  and  gloried  in  their  severity.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  we 
have  enjoyed  a  softer  persecution  between  religious  sects,  a  more  tolerant  theology, 
for  which  we  are  indebted  to  this  gifted  preacher. 

We  owe  much  to  the  richness  of  our  soil.  The  first  settlers  of  this  town 
regarded  the  productions  of  their  meadows  in  their  earliest  cultivations  as  wonderful. 
The  grass  grew  so  luxuriantly  that  rakes  were  in  disuse,  and  the  pitchfork  was 
only  needed  to  gather  up  the  enormous  crops.  All  kinds  of  vegetation,  when  the 
spring  was  open,  came  forward  with  such  rapidity,  and  with  such  a  wealth  of  verdure, 
as  they  had  never  known  before ;  and  if  a  market  were  lying  at  your  doors,  to 
stimulate  the  use  of  modern  applications  to  bring  forward  vegetation  earl}-,  your 
meadows  would  now  find  no  rivals  in  their  productiveness  and  value. 

We  owe  much  to  natural  scenery  ;  and  in  this  connection  I  will  only  say  that 
the  early  settlers  had  a  quick  eye  for  the  beautiful.  I  cannot  help  thinking  that 
one  of  our  oldest  inhabitants — Mr.  Edward  Spaulding,  a  descendant  of  the  famous 
Mrs.  Dustin — who  was  brought  here,  when  a  mere  child,  in  his  mother's  arms, 
afterward  fixed  his  residence  on  the  spot  where  he  lived  and  where  he  died,  because 
of  the  exceedingly  lovely  landscape  there  spread  out  before  him  ;  and  there  is  not 
a  single  spot  in  our  beautiful  town  which  exceeds  in  beauty  that  where  Spaulding 
lived.  He  was  a  noble  and  generous  man,  too  good  ever  to  be  unkind.  He  has 
gone  to  his  repose,  and  left  an  honored  memory. 

I  need  not  apologize  for  the  distinction  in  saying  to  you  now,  that  I  believe  we  are 
largely  indebted  to  the  energy  and  principle,  the  faith  and  the  works  of  Stockwell  and 
Bucknam,  for  the  prosperity  and  real  value  of  our  ancient  town.  They  were  good, 
and,  in  their  way,  great  men.  In  our  country,  great  and  manly  qualities  are 
found  in  every  class  and  condition  of  men.  Extreme  wealth  and  extreme  poverty 
furnish  most  of  the  profligacy  and  licentiousness  of  society.  Its  chief  strength, 
health,  and  vigor  are  derived  from  the  great  middle  classes,  which  represent  the 
labor  and  the  sound  judgment  of  the  country.  I  have  often  heard  it  said  that  the 
race  of  great  men  is  dying  out  in  our  land.  This  is  not  the  fact ;  but  great  ability 
seeks  now  the  avenues  of  trade,  commerce,  and  agriculture,  because  they  yield  a 
better  reward  than  statesmanship,  or  the  professions,  and  men  of  second-rate 
ability,  with  more  cunning  than  wisdom,  have  been  permitted  to  stand  in  the 
places  of  the  giants  of  former  years.  You  will  recognize  in  the  names  of  the 
descendants  of  these  pioneers  the  large  part  they  have  borne  in  our  material 
wealth  and  prosperity.  How  large  a  portion  of  our  population  can  look  back 
with  distinguished  pleasure  to  these,  their  worthy  ancestors  !  Almost  all  of  their 
descendants  have  settled  among  us.  They  have  falsified  the  truth  of  history, 
which  declares  that  a  stock  of  virtue  in  a  family  will  run  out  in  three  generations ; 
for  the  great  qualities  of  these  first  settlers  have  come  down  through  their  chil- 
dren to  this  day  unimpaired.  All  honor  to  the  names  of  those  noble  pioneers; 
and  to  the  memory  of  that  brave  and  noble-hearted  woman,  who,  at  that  tender 
age,  came  through  the  wilderness  to  aid  the  infant  settlement,  and  nursed  it  for 
more  than  threescore  years  into  life  and  prosperity,  and  left  such  a  long  list  of 
mourning  descendants,  we  pay  our  grateful  homage. 

W'e  owe  much  of  our  prosperity  to  the  little  academy  standing  there  bv  the 
graveyard,  in  its  new  dress  to-day,  which  I  have  never  seen  before.  It  shows 
that  it  is  prosperous,  and  that  the  old  ancestral  fires  have  not  yet  gone  out.  I 
tell  you,  seriously,  that  the  education  found  within  its  walls  for  the  past  thirty 
years,  for  all  the  practical  uses  of  life,  has  been  not  much  inferior  to  that  of  our 
colleges;  and  in  proof  of  what  I  say,  I  adduce  the  history  and  success  of  its 
numerous  graduates,  both  men  and  women,  to  show  how  well,  in  practice  and  in 
fact,  they  have   stood   l:)eside   those  who  received   their  education   in   our  great 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  575 

schools  and  universities.  Having  received  here  the  best  instruction  in  elemen- 
tary studies,  the  student  has  gone  out  into  the  world  as  well  prepared  for  the 
struggles  of  life,  and  to  advance  alone  in  the  higher  walks  of  attainment,  as  is 
commonly  the  case  where  they  have  pursued  a  regular  course  of  college  education. 
Our  students  have  studied  here  in  maturer  life,  with  firmer  health  and  better  con- 
stitutions. They  have  taken  in  and  appropriated  what  they  have  learned.  It 
has  formed  their  characters  and  given  shape  and  vigor  to  their  minds.  I  know 
it  may  be  said  they  are  deficient  in  higher  literary  culture,  which  gives  a  finish  to 
education.  I  grant  this  ;  but  they  have  here  gained  the  strength  and  will  to 
climb  alone  to  higher  and  more  rugged  ways  in  after  life,  and  through  their  lives, 
than  any  mere  refinement  of  schools  or  colleges  could  give  them.  I  do  not,  by 
this,  mean  to  give  any  preference  for  the  mere  culture  of  earlier  days,  or  to  reflect 
upon  that  of  our  own  ;  but  I  do  mean  to  say  that  the  times  and  ways  of  business 
have  pressed  upon  us  the  necessity  of  educating  our  youths  at  too  early  an  age, 
and  that  elementary  studies  are  too  much  neglected  ;  so  that  we  lose  more  in 
strength  than  we  gain  in  advantages.  I  wish  we  might  retain  the  great  virtues  of 
earlier  times,  to  be  added  to  the  improvements  of  more  modern  systems;  and  if 
our  children  do  enter  upon  active  life  later,  they  will  have  more  character  and 
strength  for  the  duties  and  perils  that  await  them.  Of  what  benefit  is  study,  if 
the  knowledge  we  get  is  not  our  own,  and  does  not  in  some  way  enter  into  the 
character  of  the  man?  The  little  particles  of  matter  absorbed  by  the  roots  ascend 
through  the  body  to  the  limbs  and  leaves,  and  when  purified  and  prepared,  be- 
come a  part  of  the  great  tree,  with  its  mighty  trunk,  its  broad  branches  and  rich 
foliage.  And  so  is  the  growth  of  character  from  the  particles  of  knowledge, 
experience,  and  truth,  which,  under  the  blessing  of  Almighty  God,  are  gathered 
up  in  life. 

My  friends,  I  have  thus  imperfectly  sketched  the  settlement  and  condition  of 
this  ancient  town.  This  is  a  day  of  jubilee.  We  welcome  home  her  children. 
The  citizens  of  the  town  have  opened  their  houses  and  their  hearts,  and  bid  you 
welcome.  You  can  here  see  the  old  familiar  faces  you  left  behind  you,  the  pic- 
tures on  the  walls,  the  old  curtains  by  the  windows,  the  crockery  on  the  table. 
They  will  recall  to  your  minds  pleasant  reminiscences  of  your  earlier  days  ;  they 
will  fill  the  canvas  of  memory  with  images  of  the  past ;  they  will  speak  to  you  of 
childhood,  and  you  will  live  over  again,  in  a  few  brief  hours,  childhood's  happy 
days.  In  yonder  mound,  formed  by  the  hand  of  Nature  for  a  country  church- 
yard, repose  the  ashes  of  our  fathers;  and  the  green  turf  of  the  new-made  graves 
tells  us  of  some  fresher  griefs.  Sadness  and  joy,  sorrow  and  gladness,  are 
strangely  commingled  in  a  day  like  this.  But  such  is  the  lesson  of  life;  its  little 
history  is  filled  with  events  of  which  the  experience  of  this  day  is  but  a  brief  epi- 
tome. When  we  again  leave  these  homes  of  childhood,  may  we  go  with  fresh 
strength  and  firmer  wills  to  the  performance  of  all  the  duties  of  life;  and  as  gene- 
ration after  generation  shall  come  and  go  in  future  centuries,  may  the  virtues  of 
our  ancestors  never  be  forgotten,  and  may  peace  and  prosperity  forever  dwell  in 
this  lovely  valley ! 

The  President. — I  see  here  to-day  a  gifted  son  of  Lancaster. 
I  refer  to  Hon.  Edward  D.  Holton  of  Wisconsin.  The  audience  are 
waiting  to  hear  him. 

ADDRESS    OF    MR.    HOLTON. 

Mr.  Chairt/iati,  and  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : 

The  first  thing  I  desire  to  do  here  to-day  (although  it  was  not  upon  my  pro- 
gramme when  I  left  home),  is  to  thank  King  George  the  Third.-  I  never  heard 
the  magnificent  charter  of  this  old  town  read  before,  and  I  come  here  to  thank 


576  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

that  good  old  king, — we  called  him  "good"  in  those  days,  though  we  did  not 
like  him  a  few  years  after,  and  had  a  good  round  turn  with  him, — 1  come  here  to 
thank  him  that,  among  other  things,  he  laid  down  grand  laws  for  the  government 
of  this  town.  How  wise  was  that  provision  which  granted  a  tract  of  land  for  the 
support  of  the  ministry!  Parson  Willard  enjoyed  the  benefits  of  that  provision 
up  there  on  his  farm  ;  and  the  benefits  were  mutual.  Although  the  Puritans  dif- 
fered with  him  in  some  matters,  yet  there  was  the  grand,  magnificent  fact, — a 
gospel  for  man  ;  the  great  foundation  principle  of  man's  progress  and  welfare. 

Mr.  Chairman,  the  grand  tribute  which  you  have  just  paid  to  the  memory  of 
Stockwell  and  Page  and  Bucknam  most  thoroughly  agrees  with  all  that  I  have 
heard  of  those  noble  men.  There  were  other  men,  it  seems,  who  came  to  Lan- 
caster with  them  ;  but  it  remained  for  Stockwell,  particularly,  as  the  learned  ora- 
tor has  told  us,  to  stay  the  infant  settlement.  I  am  told  that  the  first  year  the 
corn  grew  well  for  a  time,  and  the  people,  who  had  lived  upon  suckers  and  clams 
taken  out  of  the  river,  were  looking  with  hope  and  confidence  to  the  little  patches 
of  corn  in  the  meadows;  but  the  frost  came  in  August  and  killed  it  all,  and  with 
it  destroyed  all  their  hopes.  Several  of  those  men  then  said:  "  It  is  no  use  to 
live  in  this  country.  Here  are  beautiful  meadows  and  streams,  to  be  sure ;  the 
aspects  of  nature  are  grand,  but  food  man  must  have,  and  here,  right  in  the 
midst  of  summer,  it  is  all  cut  off,  and  we  cannot  live  here;  we  must  leave  you." 
Stockwell  said:  "I  shall  not  go  back,  and  I  beg  you  not  to  go  back."  "We 
must  go  back."  "Well,  I  shall  stand  here.  I  will  go  into  the  woods  and  kill 
the  wild  beasts  in  winter.     I  will  stand  here  on  the  spot."     And  stand  he  did. 

Mr.  Chairman,  it  is  a  blessed  thing,  growing  out  of  our  English  character,  this 
love  of  home, — this  grand  old  Saxon  idea  of  home.  When  I  got  your  message, 
bidding  me  come  here  from  a  thousand  miles  away,  I  was  so  circumstanced  that 
it  was  exceedingly  difiicult  for  me  to  leave.  But  I  remembered  my  early  home ; 
I  remembered  that  here  was  the  place  of  my  birth,  and  though  I  had  traveled  far 
and  seen  many  flourishing  communities,  and  been  cognizant  of  numerous  settle- 
ments tiiat  had  sprung  from  the  wilderness,  as  Lancaster  did,  still  none  of  these 
had  taken  the  place  of  that  loved  home,  and  though  I  got  off  from  a  sick  bed,  my 
heart  bounded  with  joy  when  I  turned  my  face  homeward.  When  I  got  to  Chi- 
cago I  met  Jim  and  Nat  and  Selden  (three  of  the  White  brothers),  and  as  we 
rode  along  we  talked  and  laughed  and  joked  and  were  like  boys  again.  What  a 
ride  was  that !  When  we  went  out  we  had  to  journey  a  thousand  miles,  through 
a  country  much  of  it  occupied  by  savages ;  we  had  to  walk  or  ride  on  horseback 
a  great  part  of  the  way,  and  now  on  our  return  we  came  careering  on  twenty- five 
miles  an  hour,  so  that  in  fifty  hours  we  spanned  the  thousand  miles  between  our 
far  Western  homes  and  this  our  natal  spot. 

As  we  were  riding  along  in  Canada  a  gentleman  who  sat  behind  me  called  my 
attention  to  a  range  of  mountains  across  the  magnificent  St.  Lawrence,  and  said: 
"  Those  mountains  look  splendidly.  Do  you  know  whether  they  are  in  New  York 
or  in  Vermont?  "  "  Well,"  said  I,  "I  do  n't  think  we  have  got  down  to  the  Ver- 
mont line  yet;  I  think  they  must  be  in  New  York."  "Well,"  said  he,  "they 
look  good  to  me.  I  haven't  seen  any  mountains  for  ten  years.  I  was  born 
among  the  mountains."  "Ah!  where  were  you  born?"  ''I  was  born  in  New- 
Hampshire."  "What  town  in  New  Hampshire?"  (I  always  claim  kindred  with 
New  Hampshire  people  wherever  I  meet  them.  I  claim  them  as  cousins,  and 
generally  kiss  the  women — feeling  at  liberty  to  do  that.) 

The  President. — I  warn  my  friend  not  to  come  coiisinmg  down 
to  Boston  in  his  way.      (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Holton  (resuming).— "  Well,"  said  he,  "I  was  born  in  Lancaster." 
"Indeed!  that  is  my  native  town,  sir.     Pray  tell  me  your  name."     "My  name 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  577 

is  Derby."  "  Indeed  !  30U  are  a  descendant  of  Isaac  Derby."  "  Yes,"  said  he, 
"  my  father  was  Andrew  Derby."  "  Indeed  !  and  your  mother  was  Mary  Green- 
leaf."  "Yes."  "Ah,  I  went  to  school  to  your  mother,  Mary  Greenleaf." 
Where  do  you  live?"  "At  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa."  "What  is  your  busi- 
ness?" "I  am  a  merchant  there;  I  sell  books."  He  had  made  his  way  through 
the  states  as  hundreds  of  others  have  done,  as  a  schoolmaster,  and  finally  found 
himself  located  in  that  magnificent  country,  the  most  beautiful  that  human  eyes 
ever  rested  upon, — the  valley  of  the  Cedar  river — and  has  carried  out  there,  from 
the  old  hearthstone,  the  fires  that  shall  now  be  planted  by  him,  in  his  turn,  in 
that  new  country.  He  said  there  was  another  Lancaster  boy  on  the  train,  and 
presently  he  brought  him  along  and  introduced  him  as  a  Chessman  boy.  Thus 
we  met,  children  of  this  good  old  town,  and  recalled  the  pleasant  memories  of 
bygone  times. 

I  do  not  know  that  I  am  right,  but  it  has  always  seemed  to  me  that  Lancaster 
was  a  better  town  than  Percy  (formerly  Stark)  or  Guildhall  (I  hope  our  friends 
from  those  towns  will  pardon  me),  and  I  have  often  reflected  what  it  was  that  thus 
distinguished  my  native  town.  I  believe  all  that  the  learned  orator  has  said  in 
regard  to  the  influence  of  Lancaster  to  be  true  ;  but  what  are  the  causes  that  have 
produced  this  influence?  It  will  be  profitable  for  us  to  consider  that  question  as 
we  meet  here  to-day.  He  has  said  that  Mrs.  Stockwell  was  the  mother  of  fifteen 
children,  and  counted,  before  her  death,  one  hundred  and  ninety  descendants. 
Why  did  you  not  clap  your  hands  when  he  made  that  statement?  There  is  not 
so  honorable  a  person  in  the  world  as  she  who  gives  human  life.  Stockwell  and 
David  Greenleaf,  who  had  twenty-one  children,  ought  to  have  monuments  to 
their  memory. 

The  President. — Their  children  are  their  monuments.  "  These 
are  their  jewels." 

Mr.  Holton  continued. — What  are  the  principles  that  produced  these  results? 
Mrs.  Stockwell  was  a  model  woman.  She  not  only  read  the  Psalter,  as  the  orator 
has  told  you,  but  in  the  absence  of  a  settled  minister,  she  drew  the  people 
around  her,  in  her  own  house,  to  hear  that  great  principle  which  stands  first 
related  to  human  welfare,  namely,  obedience  to  God. 

But  it  is  not  alone  of  those  early  people,  of  whom  I  know  nothing  except  from 
hearsay,  that  I  would  speak.  I  come  down  to  people  within  my  own  memory,  a 
goodly  company.  I  remember  Parson  Willard  well.  So  stately  was  he,  so 
august  his  manner,  so  magnificent  his  bearing,  that  we  boys  were  rather  afraid 
of  him.  I  recollect  that  I  used  to  run  across  the  street  when  I  saw  him  coming. 
But  that  fear  did  not  keep  us  quiet  in  meeting,  and  sometimes  we  received  a 
pointed  rebuke  from  the  pulpit,  or  the  deacon  came  up  into  the  gallery  to  pinch 
our  ears.  (Laughter.)  But  who  shall  measure  the  influence  and  power  of  such 
a  man?  He  stamjDed  his  influence  upon  all  who  came  around  him.  Every  man 
and  woman — even  those  who  did  not  go  to  his  church — felt  it.  Nor  was  he  the 
only  man  who  exerted  an  abiding  influence  for  good.  I  well  remember  when 
other  good  men  came  here.  I  came  back  in  the  days  when  Rev.  Mr.  Peck  was 
here,  and  other  men  of  the  same  class.  And  what  a  power  were  those  men  in 
this  community,  even  in  the  last  half  of  this  century,— Peck  and  Hilburn  and 
Orange  Scott  and  Wheelock !  And,  by  the  way,  Mr.  Wheelock  lives  out  in  Wis- 
consin now,  nearly  ninety  years  of  age,  and  an  efiicient  man  he  has  been  for 
twenty-five  years  in  every  good  and  noble  work  in  that  state.  I  have  met  him 
often  in  conventions  that  have  had  for  their  object  the  promotion  of  the  moral  and 
religious  welfare  of  the  community.  We  have  had  energetic  men  in  Lancaster 
and  in  this  neighborhood.  The  successors  of  those  early  settlers,  Bucknam  and 
Stockwell,  were  men  of  power.     Here,  too,  were  the  Weekses,  and  old  Major 

37 


578  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

White  (my  friend  has  done  no  more  than  justice  to  that  glorious  man)  and  old 
Colonel  Wilson.  These  were  sterling  men  ;  these  were  men  of  force  and  power, 
and  they  have  left  their  mark  upon  the  town. 

Then  there  has  been  a  class  of  educated  men  among  us.  I  have  often  reflected 
upon  that.  At  the  upper  end  ot  tiie  street,  when  I  was  here,  there  was  Pearson, 
there  was  Farrar,  there  was  a  lawyer  by  the  name  of  Sheafe,  a  very  accomplished 
man.  These  were  men  of  mark ;  these  were  men  who  made  their  influence  felt 
in  this  community.  Besides  these  there  was  A.  N.  Brackett,  a  modest,  unas- 
suming man,  not  a  man  of  education — self-made,  almost  entirely.  My  mother, 
who  relied  upon  him  for  counsel  in  times  of  adversity,  used  to  send  me  down  to 
his  house,  and  I  always  found  him  reading  or  studying.  I  heard  him  deliver  one 
or  two  orations  here.  I  remember  him  as  a  man  of  great  philanthropy,  emi- 
nently just  and  patriotic,  and  a  good  man  in  the  community.  What  a  man  of 
power  was  John  W.  Weeks!  I  remember  meeting  him  on  one  occasion,  and  he 
laid  his  hand  on  my  head  and  said :  "  Young  man,  you  are  one  of  Mrs.  Helton's 
sons,  aren't  you?"  "  Yes,  sir."  "  What  are  you  going  to  do?"  "  I  don't  know; 
I  shall  dig  my  way  along,  I  suppose."  "Why  don't  you  go  West?  If  I  had  ten 
boys  I  would  spank  everyone  of  them  if  they  did  n't  go  West."  (Laughter.) 
That  was  a  blunt  remark,  but  he  was  a  steady,  thoughtful,  and  cautious  man. 
Edward  Spaulding  has  been  alluded  to.  I  remember  him  as  a  most  excellent 
man.  Then  there  was  William  Lovejoy,  a  neighbor  of  ours.  My  recollection  of 
him  is  of  the  most  satisfactory  kind.  He  used  frequently  to  come,  with  his  basket 
in  his  hand,  and  saddle-bag  of  tools  on  his  back,  to  his  day's  work  as  carpenter 
and  joiner,  I  have  seen  him  many  times  wheeling  his  bushel  of  corn  down  to  the 
mill  to  be  ground.  I  recollect  him  as  a  man  of  singular  beauty  and  dignity  of 
character.  How  did  virtue  stand  out  in  his  life,  and  how  is  it  seen  streaming 
along  down  through  a  goodly  family!  I  want  to  say,  once  more,  that  the  lives  of 
such  men  fill  the  world  with  goodness.  Well  have  I  known  some  members  of 
this  family.  I  wanted,  above  all  things,  to  see  John  Lovejoy  here  to-day,  and 
exceedingly  regret  that  I  cannot. 

Now,  how  has  it  been  with  those  sons  of  Lancaster  who  have  gone  out  from 
this  valley  to  try  their  future  in  other  parts  of  the  land?  So  far  as  I  can  reckon 
them  up,  and  I  have  endeavored  to  keep  an  eye  on  a  few  of  them,  they  have  done 
tolerably  well.  Perhaps  I  may  be  permitted  to  say,  leaving  the  two  speakers  on 
this  occasion  out,  that,  so  far  as  I  know,  none  of  them  have  gone  to  the  state 
prison  (laughter),  none  of  them  have  dishonored  their  town.  On  the  other  hand, 
many  of  our  Lancaster  men  have  ornamented  the  various  walks  of  life.  If  you 
want  to  buy  any  sugar  go  to  Portland  and  buy  of  Mr.  Brown.  If  you  want  to  iDuy 
any  clothing,  you  will  find  the  White  boys,  at  Chicago,  fair  dealers.  If  you  want 
any  scales,  go  to  St.  Johnsbury,  and  buy  of  Baker,  Bingham  &  Porter.  Those 
St.  Johnsbury  scales  have  a  great  reputation  ;  there  is  not  a  merchant  on  the  con- 
tinent who  would  think  he  could  get  along  without  them,  and  I  believe  there  are 
no  better  scales  in  the  world  ;  but  I  think  they  would  have  failed  without  our 
Lancaster  boys,  Oliver  Baker,  Chandler  Porter,  and  Mr.  Bingham.  Then  we 
have  a  distinguished  representative  of  Lancaster  on  the  bench,  in  the  person  of 
Judge  Woodruff;  so,  if  you  have  suits  to  be  tried,  try  them  before  him.  If  you 
want  a  lawyer,  go  to  Oregon  and  get  Farrar  ;  but  be  sure  you  get  him  here  before 
your  suit  comes  on!      (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Chairman,  the  hours  are  rapidly  passing  away.  I  shall  not  trespass  much 
longer  upon  your  patience.  There  is  a  long  list  of  names  that  I  have  run  over  in 
my  mind,  as  those  of  men  particularly  worthy  of  mention  on  an  occasion  like  this  ; 
but,  in  the  hasty  remarks  that  I  have  made,  many  of  them  have  slipped  from  my 
memory.  These  men  deserve  to  be  remembered  and  honored,  for  they  laid  broad 
and  deep  the  foundations  of  pul)lic  and  private  virtue  in  this  town,  without  which 
the  welfare  of  no  community  can  be  secured.     Let  every  man,  and    especially 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  579 

these  young  men,  understand  this,  that  in  this  day  of  our  country's  peril  and  our 
country's  need,  when  there  is  accumulating  upon  us  such  a  burden  of  debt,  pri- 
vate virtue  is  the  only  thing  that  will  shield  us  in  these  trying  hours.  It  is  the 
virtue  of  the  individual  men  and  women  who  have  lived  within  her  borders  that 
has  shielded  Lancaster  in  the  past ;  it  is  that  which  has  brought  us  together  here, 
and  made  us  joyful  beyond  measure  in  the  greetings  of  this  centennial  day. 

Let  me  say,  in  conclusion,  that  I  come  home  with  increasing  love  for  my  native 
town.  And  let  me  exhort  you  to  stand  by  the  principles  of  your  fathers.  I  shall 
go  back  to  the  West  feeling  more  and  more  the  importance  of  those  principles, 
and  feehng  called  upon  to  gird  myself  up,  so  long  as  I  live,  to  maintain  those 
principles,  and  help  to  lay  the  same  foundations  that  our  fathers  laid. 

There  is  one  other  matter  to  which  I  wish  to  refer.  You,  sir,  alluded  to  our 
first  preceptor,  Mr.  Wilson.  I  also  want  to  thank  him.  They  used  to  thrash  us 
most  tremendously,  those  old  schoolmasters.  No  doubt  the  boys  and  girls 
needed  considerable  whipping,  but  they  pounded  us  most  unmercifully.  When 
Mr.  Wilson  came  here  he  turned  over  a  new  leaf.  He  said,  "  You  are  gentlemen 
and  fine  fellows."  That  pleased  us  amazingly.  We  accepted  his  word,  and  he 
never  had  occasion  to  whip  any  of  us,  I  think.  I  want  to  say  that  I  owe  a  great 
deal  to  Mr.  Wilson  for  the  noble  reformation  that  he  made  in  this  respect.  He 
first  taught  our  school  here  in  the  old  schoolhouse,  and  then  assumed  the  charge 
of  the  academy.  I  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  just  one  term  at  the  school  and 
then  one  term  at  the  academy,  and  I  never  gained  in  my  life,  from  any  one  mind, 
so  much  benefit  as  I  derived  from  that  gentleman's  instruction  in  those  few  brief 
months.  I  have  always  attributed  much  of  my  success  in  life  to  the  excellent 
ideas  and  excellent  spirit  which  he  inculcated.  Be  careful,  you  that  are  engaged 
in  teaching,  how  you  deal  with  young  minds.  Learn  from  him  to  deal  gently, 
kindly  with  them.  To  lead  is  better  than  to  drive.  We  are  all  able  to  speak  of 
the  excellence  of  that  school,  which  has  existed  now  the  major  part  of  half  a  cen- 
tury. 

My  friends,  this  is  indeed  a  joyous  day.  You,  sir,  spoke  of  the  beauty  of 
our  town.  I  come  back  to  testify  to  the  same  thing.  I  have  had  an  opportunity 
to  look  over  this  country  quite  extensively,  and  I  can  say  that  you  enjoy  one  of 
the  most  favored  spots  that  are  to  be  found  in  this  whole  land.  So  far  as  healthful- 
ness  of  climate,  soil,  and  temperature,  and  the  other  great  elements  that  go  to 
make  up  the  prosperity  of  any  country  are  concerned,  I  should  scarcely  know 
where  to  go  rather  than  to  this  very  locality.  In  1862  I  had  occasion  to  travel 
through  New  England  when  the  land  was  suffering  severely  from  drouth,  and  as 
I  approached  Portland  there  were  a  thousand  acres  on  fire';  the  roots  of  the  grass 
were  being  burned  up  ;  all  that  region  was  as  barren  as  a  desert.  I  came  to  Lan- 
caster, and  this  beautiful  valley  was  green  as  the  garden  of  Paradise.  It  is  so 
to-day.  All  through  the  West  we  are  suffering  from  a  severe  drouth.  The  farm- 
ers are  not  expecting  to  get  half  a  crop.  Wisconsin,  Iowa,  Ohio,  are  suffering 
dreadfully.  But  everything  here  is  green  and  beautiful  ;  and,  take  it  year  by  year, 
I  do  not  know  where  you  could  go  to  better  your  fortunes.  Not  but  that  you  can 
find  magnificent  openings  in  the  West,  but  the  man  who  has  got  a  good  home  let 
him  not  sell  out  that  home  because  he  expects  to  find  a  better.  He  may  find  a 
better  one  in  some  respects,  but  I  tell  you,  look  far  and  long  before  you  part  with 
these  green  fields  and  these  magnificent  slopes  because  of  any  hearsay  story  of 
better  lands. 

Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  trespassed  too  long  upon  your  patience.  We  shall  not 
meet  at  Lancaster  again  at  the  end  of  another  century.  Time,  with  many  of  us, 
flies  quickly.  Let  us  act  well  our  part,  upon  the  principles  that  have  been  sug- 
gested, and  whether  we  meet  here  again  or  not,  all  is  well. 


58o  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

The  Presh^ENT. — My  honorable  friend  has  not  trespassed  upon 
our  patience.  I  would  beg  leave,  however,  to  make  a  simple  cor- 
rection of  one  of  his  remarks.  When  he  spoke  of  the  Lancaster 
boys  who  had  not  been  to  the  state  prison,  he  excepted  himself  and 
excepted  me.  I  desire  to  relieve  him  from  excepting  me.  He 
shall  enjoy  that  distinguished  honor  alone.      (Laughter.) 

Another  piece  of  music  was  then  performed  by  the  band,  after 
which  the  procession  was  reformed  and  marched  to  the  field  a  short 
distance  south  of  the  church,  where  a  rustic  bower  of  evergreens 
and  maples,  covering  two  thirds  of  an  acre,  had  been  constructed, 
affording  a  pleasant  and  grateful  shade.  In  this  bower  tables  had 
been  spread  for  two  thousand  five  hundred  people,  and  were  abun- 
dantly supplied  with  substantial  and  attractive  viands,  to  which  the 
large  company,  filling  the  capacious  bower,  did  full  justice.  Prayer 
was  offered  by  Rev.  Mr.  Fay  of  the  Congregational  church,  and 
then  a  half  hour  or  more  was  spent  in  discussing  the  bountiful  re- 
past, which  was  served  by  a  committee  of  ladies,  who  devoted  them- 
selves assiduously  and  untiringly  to  the  comfort  of  their  guests. 
The  wants  of  the  physical  nature  having  been  satisfied,  the  president 
called  the  company  to  order. 

The  President. — The  ladies  are  requested,  as  far  as  possible,  to 
be  seated.  For  the  first  time  in  all  the  world  some  of  them  are 
obstructions.  (Laughter.)  I  am  not  aware  of  any  way  by  which 
we  can  contrive  to  be  heard  unless  the  audience  remain  silent. 

We  have  a  few  gentlemen  present  whose  names  are  prominent  in 
our  minds,  and  we  shall  desire  to  hear  from  them,  for  they  must 
have  something  to  say.  Having  occupied  your  attention  so  long  this 
morning,  I  will  not  preface  the  exercises  here  with  any  remarks  of 
my  own.  I  therefore  call  upon  the  marshal  for  the  first  regular  toast. 

Colonel  Kent. — In  the  absence  of  the  toastmaster,  various 
toasts,  sentiments,  and  letters  have  been  committed  to  my  care. 

The  toasts,  as  hereafter  indicated  in  italics,  were  then  read,  re- 
sponses being  made  on  the  call  of  the  president. 

The  Officers  and  Soldiers  Present. 

The  President. — We  have  scarcely  referred  to-day  to  the  mili- 
tary spirit  of  our  ancient  town,  and  yet  I  think  it  may  be  remem- 
bered with  pride.  There  occur  to  me  at  this  moment  the  names  of 
many  of  our  citizens  who  have  done  noble  service  for  their  country, 
and  I  desire  to  read  a  little  notice,  which  I  find  in  the  Brooklyn 
(N.  Y.)  Union,  of  the  services  of  a  gallant  gentleman  whom  I  see 
before  me. 

[This  notice  referred  to  the  part  taken  by  the  Sixty-seventh  New 
York,  volunteers  (First  Long  Island)  in  the  war,  and  Col.  Nelson 
Cross,  its  present  commander.] 


CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  58  I 

That  is  a  truthful  description  of  the  noble  part  taken  by  Colonel 
Cross  in  the  present  war.  It  speaks  for  itself.  I  have  read  it  be- 
cause it  is  a  record  so  honorable.  He  has  been  in  every  fight;  he 
has  done  his  duty  faithfully,  and  comes  here  to-day,  having  passed 
unharmed  through  every  danger.  I  now  beg  leave  to  call  upon 
Colonel  Cross,  Sixty-seventh  New  York  regiment,  for  a  few  re- 
marks. 

SPEECH  OF  COL.  NELSON  CROSS. 

Men  and  Women  of  Lancaster :  I  heard  of  your  celebration  in  the  army,  some 
weeks  before  my  time  expired.  I  was  then  so  circumstanced  that  I  thought  it 
doubtful,  in  more  than  one  view,  whether  I  should  be  able  to  be  with  you  to-day. 
I  thought  your  celebration  was  to  be  on  the  12th,  and  I  took  the  evening  cars  on 
the  nth,  determined  to  be  here  at  the  close  of  the  exercises,  if  I  could  not  before. 
But  on  my  way  I  met  some  friends  on  their  route,  who  informed  me  that  it  was  to 
be  on  the  14th,  and  that  I  was  still  in  time.  I  was  glad  to  know  it.  I  wished 
to  be  here,  to  meet  my  old  friends,  and  to  witness  that  reunion  of  Lancaster  peo- 
ple which  I  knew  would  be  so  productive  of  pleasure  to  us  all.  I  wished  to  come 
simply  to  mingle  with  you  as  one  of  your  citizens,  not  to  take  an  active  part;  and 
when  I  was  asked  to  address  you  here,  I  rather  declined.  I  wished  to  be  a  sim- 
ple looker-on.  I  never  felt  less  like  speaking  than  I  do  to-day.  This  coming 
together  of  old  friends  —  this  thronging  upon  me  of  old  memories,  the  dearest  of 
my  life  ;  this  standing  amidst  the  old  scenes  of  my  boyhood,  is  too  much  for  me. 
It  utterly  unmans  me,  and  unfits  me  to  address  you  as  I  should. 

My  career  in  the  army  has  been  alluded  to.  It  is  true  I  have  been  in  the  army 
for  three  years.  I  went  there,  not  because  I  had  been  bred  to  the  profession  of 
arms,  not  because  I  had  any  liking  for  that  profession,  for  I  had  not,  but  because 
I  saw  the  country  in  danger,  and  I  felt  that  the  great  danger  arose  from  the  fact 
that  we  were  not  a  military  nation.  We  had  become  one  of  the  greatest  commer- 
cial nations  on  the  face  of  the  earth  ;  we  had  become  a  great  agricultural  people  ; 
but  we  had  devoted  less  time  and  money  to  military  training,  to  preparing  our- 
selves for  human  butchery,  than  any  other  nation  in  existence  ;  and  I  felt,  as  a 
citizen,  called  on  to  go  forth  to  the  field,  and  I  gave  up  all  and  went.  I  spent 
some  time  in  organizing  a  regiment  in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  where  I  happened  to  be 
living,  raising  and  organizing  it  in  opposition  to  some  of  the  leading  politicians 
of  the  place ;  but  when  I  called  upon  the  general  government  to  accept  it,  they 
thought  they  did  not  want  it ;  they  thought  they  had  enough  ;  seventy-five  thou- 
sand men,  they  thought,  were  more  than  sufficient  to  crush  out  this  rebellion, 
Finally,  however,  they  were  prevailed  upon  to  take  us.  On  the  20th  of  June, 
1 861,  we  were  mustered  into  the  service,  and  from  that  time  to  this  we  have  par- 
ticipated in  the  campaigns  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Further  than  this,  for 
myself,  I  cannot  say.  We  have  done  our  duty.  We  have  gone  wherever  we 
have  been  sent ;  we  have  stayed  wherever  we  have  been  put.  I  brought  home 
but  the  fragment  of  a  regiment.  That  is  the  saddest  part  of  it  all.  The  soil  of 
Virginia  has  been  made  sacred  in  this  war  as  it  was  never  made  before.  Among 
you,  how  many  there  are  who  have  cause  to  mourn  the  loss  of  some  relative  or 
friend,  who  has  been  left  on  the  field,  or  here,  on  yonder  sacred  hill,  sleeps 
among  his  dearest  friends,  whose  career  has  been  cut  short  by  this  terrible  war, 
which,  I  fear,  is  not  yet  near  its  end  ! 

I  have  this  to  say  for  the  citizen  soldiers,  however,  as  a  general  remark :  No 
better  soldiers  ever  lived,  no  braver  men  ever  went  forth  to  battle,  than  the  men 
who  have  been  sent  forth  by  your  state  and  by  other  states, — men  who,  from  the 
counting-house  and  the  plough,  all  unskilled  in  the  art  of  war,  sprang  to  arms 


582  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

when  their  country  was  threatened,  and  went  forth,  as  I  said  before,  to  the  field. 
They  have  done  all  that  is  vested  in  human  power  to  do;  they  have  combatted 
an  enemy  as  fearless,  as  determined,  as  persistent,  as  ever  an  enemy  was,  and 
have  failed  to  overcome  him,  simply  because  they  have  met  him  —  as  a  general 
thing  —  at  great  disadvantage,  and  frequently,  too  frequently,  with  overpowering 
numbers  opposed  to  them.  During  the  last  campaign,  we  attacked  him  in  his 
fortified  positions,  and  everywhere  we  found  him  ready  to  receive  us,  and  in  force 
equal  to  our  own.  You  wonder,  perhaps,  why  Richmond  has  not  been  taken. 
If  you  had  been  with  me,  if  you  had  passed  through  the  scenes  I  have  passed 
through,  you  would  know  why  Richmond  has  not  been  taken,  and  you  would 
know  that  you  have  got  more  to  do  at  home  before  Richmond  can  be  taken.  You 
must  make  further  sacrifices ;  more  men  must  go  forth  to  battle.  I  would  it 
were  not  so.  But  let  us  rest  where  the  old  Roman  rested,  on  whose  sword  was 
inscribed,  "Draw  me  not  without  cause;  sheath  me  not  without  redress"  —  on 
patriotism  and  valor.  You  have  drawn  the  sword  in  the  most  sacred  cause  in 
which  man  was  ever  engaged  —  the  preservation  of  your  liberties.  I  beg  you  not 
to  sheath  that  sword  until  the  work  is  accomplished ;  until  the  power  of  the  rebel- 
lion is  crushed,  and  the  country  is  restored  to  peace. 

I  hope  you  do  not  think  I  am  making  a  political  speech.  I  am  no  partisan  ;  I 
have  given  up  party,  and  I  know  but  one  principle,  and  that  is,  to  stand  by  the 
country  at  all  times,  at  all  hazards,  and  under  all  circumstances.  (Applause.) 
When  the  chairman  told  me  I  was  to  say  something  to-day,  I  felt  as  I  have  told 
you  —  utterly  unprepared  to  give  voice  to  the  feelings  that  crowd  upon  my  soul. 
I  feel  so  now.  Instead  of  offering  a  sentiment  to  call  up  some  one  individual,  I 
will  conclude  with  a  sentiment  which  addresses  itself  to  all,  which  I  have  pre- 
pared since  I  was  invited  to  speak,  and  you  will  excuse  me  from  saying  more  now. 
I  would  say,  however,  that  there  is  no  individual  among  you  who  experiences  a 
higher  pleasure  or  a  sincerer  gratitude  to  God  that  he  is  permitted  to  mingle  with 
you  to-day  than  I  do.  A  few  years  ago,  in  Milwaukee,  I  met  the  gentleman  who 
has  addressed  you  (Mr.  Holton),  and  we  had  some  conversation  in  regard  to  a 
reunion  of  Lancaster  people ;  but  the  war  broke  out  soon  after  that,  and  these 
things  were  forgotten.  But  in  spite  of  the  war,  you  determined  to  bring  about 
such  a  reunion,  and  I  rejoice  that  you  have  been  so  successful  in  drawing  together 
Lancaster  people  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  have  given  occasion  to  every 
one  to  rejoice  in  the  embrace  of  old  friends. 

Once  again  the  blooming  valley 

Offers  up  its  grateful  charms, 
And  the  circling  hills  securely 

Fold  you  in  their  shielding  arms. 

Lo,  the  mountains  !  famous  ever 

In  the  architectural  plan, — 
Thus  it  is  that  God,  the  Father, 

Here  reveals  himself  to  man. 

In  these  wondrous  works  behold  him. 

See  his  image,  hear  his  voice. 
Who  hath  made  the  hills  to  blossom. 

And  the  mountains  to  rejoice. 

Reared  within  these  classic  borders, 

Edged  and  tempered  for  the  strife. 
Ye  have  probed  the  world's  disorders. 

Leading  men  to  better  life. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  583 

Art  and  science,  manifestations 

Of  the  Infinite  and  True, 
Ye  have  spread  among  the  nations, 

Foremost  where  there's  work  to  do. 

Bring  your  laurel  branches  hither. 

Lay  them  on  the  altar's  hearth  ; 
They  will  keep  your  memory  greener 

In  the  land  that  gave  you  birth. 

The  second  regular  toast  was  then  read : 
The  Day  We  Celebrate. 

The  President. — Some  years  ago,  I  happened  to  be  traveHng 
through  the  Western  country,  and  came  to  the  city  of  Milwaukee. 
It  presented  a  New  England  appearance.  I  always  find  that  I  can 
trace  New  England  people  by  the  New  England  houses  and  scenes 
around  them.  Take  a  New  England  man  and  cast  him  into  the 
wilderness,  and  he  will  sow,  as  far  as  he  can  reach,  New  England 
principles  and  habits.  On  inquiry,  I  found  in  that  city  a  New  Eng- 
land man,  whom  they  told  me  was  one  of  the  fathers  of  the  place ; 
having  lived  through  its  entire  history.  I  remember  that  only 
thirty  years  ago  Wisconsin  was  made  a  territory,  and  it  has  been  a 
state  but  fifteen  years.  I  find  that  it  is  six  times  as  large  as  the 
state  of  New  Hampshire,  and  has  150,000  children  in  the  public 
schools.  Who  could  stand  with  such  prosperity?  Who  could  lead 
and  direct  it;  who  create  it?  Well,  my  friends,  I  will  show  you 
the  man  who  contributed  to  it  largely ;  one  of  my  old  schoolmates, 
Edward  D.  Holton.  And  now,  if  he  is  here,  I  would  like  to  know 
what  he  has  to  say  about  Wisconsin.  There  was  one  thing  more 
that  I  saw  in  Milwaukee.  I  went  down  to  the  market,  and  found 
there  a  cart-load  of  salmon  trout  floundering  about,  that  had  not 
been  out  of  the  lake,  apparently,  more  than  half  an  hour.  They 
were  as  large  as  calves !  (Loud  laughter.)  It  is  the  greatest 
country  I  ever  saw,  out  there,  and  Milwaukee  is  one  of  the  greatest 
places;  and  this  gentleman  (Hon.  Edward  D.  Holton)  is  one  of  the 
greatest  men  in  that  place.      (Renewed  merriment.) 

SPEECH    OF    HON.    E.    D.    HOLTON. 

I  wonder  if  there  is  any  justice  of  the  peace  here  ?  I  want  to  have  this  young 
man  indicted.  (Laughter.)  He  has  dealt  most  profusely  in  broad  statements, 
which  I  think  ought  to  expose  him  to  a  great  deal  of  censure.  I  think  he  is  in- 
dictable, though  I  am  not  much  of  a  lawyer.  Now  about  those  salmon,  big  as 
calves  !  That  is  a  big  story.  Old  Billy  Ingerson  never  saw  as  big  salmon  as 
that  in  the  Connecticut,  in  all  his  life,  although  he  saw  awful  big  salmon,  as  well 
as  big  bears.      (Laughter.) 

I  heard  the  name  of  Milwaukee,  the  city  where  I  have  the  honor  to  live,  men- 
tioned by  our  excellent  and  esteemed  president.     Well,  friends,  it  has  been  my 


584  HISTORY   OF    LANCASTER. 

fortune  to  see  what,  perhaps,  falls  to  the  lot  of  but  few  persons  of  my  age  to  see. 
I  have  witnessed  every  brick  raised  in  that  city  of  now  sixty  thousand  inhabitants. 
When  I  went  to  Milwaukee  it  was  a  hamlet,  and  there  was  but  a  single  brick 
house  —  a  one-story  building.  Now  it  is  literally  a  city  of  bricks.  One  of  the 
peculiarities  of  the  town  is,  that  there  is  an  extraordinary  deposit  of  clay,  that 
makes  a  yellow  or  cream-colored  brick.  Those  bricks  are  found  all  over  the 
country.  There  is  scarcely  a  city  in  the  United  States  that  has  not  now  some 
handsome  structure  built  of  those  bricks.  They  make  a  peculiarly  handsome 
material  for  building.  Milwaukee  is  a  cream -colored  city  —  the  natural  color  of 
the  bricks.  Very  superior  bricks  are  these ;  they  are  equal  to  marble  for  endur- 
ance. It  has  been  my  privilege  also  to  see  that  people  grow.  I  have  seen  the 
people  come  trooping  in  until  the  state  has  reached  a  population  of  a  million. 
Many  of  these  people  are  Germans.  I  have  seen  a  great  deal  of  the  Germans, 
and  I  have  come  to  love  them  very  much.  At  least  twenty  or  twenty-five  thou- 
sand of  the  inhabitants  of  Milwaukee  are  Germans.  They  are  a  noble  people. 
They  have  some  peculiarities.  They  arefvery  fond  of  lager  beer,  and  deal  in  it 
almost  everywhere;  but  now  and  then  a  Yankee  likes  a  little  lager.  But  still, 
they  are  a  most  industrious,  law-abiding  people,  and  a  people  of  great  productive 
power.  To  illustrate  the  stability  of  the  Germans,  I  will  mention  that  I  took  a 
lad,  twelve  years  old,  from  the  street,  who  was  indentured  to  me,  in  the  old- 
fashioned  way,  for  six  or  seven  years.  That  was  in  1842,  twenty-five  years  ago, 
and  that  boy  has  remained  with  me  from  that  time  to  this  —  that  is,  in  the  differ- 
ent stations  I  have  occupied.  He  is  now  a  bookkeeper  in  one  of  the  banks,  to 
which  I  introduced  him,  having  brought  him  up  to  that  business.  This  steadi- 
ness and  tenacity  in  business  are  what  we  need,  and  we  shall  borrow  them  from 
the  German  character. 

Another  characteristic  of  the  German  is  his  love  for  home.  Any  Yankee  will 
go  to  work  and  fix  up  a  farm,  and  then  sell  it  right  out,  without  even  asking  per- 
mission of  his  wife,  if  he  can  get  his  price.  Not  so  with  the  Germans,  Mr. 
Chairman.  I  can  take  you  to  many  a  German  who  would  not  sell  his  farm  if  you 
covered  it  with  gold.  It  is  worth  twenty  dollars  an  acre,  perhaps.  You  say  to 
him,  "I  will  give  you  twenty-one."  "No."  "I  will  give  you  twenty-two." 
"No."  "  I  will  give  you  twenty-five."  "No:  you  can't  buy  it  at  all."  "Why 
not?"  "It  is  my  house  —  my  home."  Well,  this  stability  of  character,  united 
with  the  characteristics  of  our  people,  is  really  going  to  improve  us.  A  good 
cross  is  an  advantage.  That  boy  to  whom  I  have  referred  is  now  a  young  man, 
and  is  worth  $25,000,  which  he  has  accumulated  by  little  savings.  I  want  to  call 
the  attention  of  young  American  men  to  this  element  of  the  German  character  — 
steadiness,  perseverance,  and  economy.  It  is  an  element  which  we  need  to  in- 
corporate into  the  American  character.  So,  in  Milwaukee,  I  congratulate  myself 
at  the  new  type  of  character  that  the  German  population  will  bring  among  us. 
They  are  peculiar  in  some  things,  as  I  said  before.  They  have  departed  from  the 
old  faith  of  Luther  to  a  considerable  extent.  They  are  a  little  degenerate  in  the 
matter  of  theology,  but  that  we  hope  to  remedy. 

Our  schools  are  open;  the  New  England  element  comes  in,  and  we  hope  to 
gather  up  all  the  children  to  meet  together  in  our  common  schools.  We  hope  to 
keep  ourselves  well  up  with  the  times  in  that  regard.  We  have  now  nine  school- 
houses,  three  stories  high,  which  have  cost  from  fifteen  to  forty  thousand  dollars 
apiece.  I  know  of  no  public  buildings  around  there  that  are  so  handsome  and 
elegant  as  they  are.  Into  those  schools  we  introduce  the  best  talent  that  can  be  got, 
as  teachers.  Our  common  schools  will  carry  the  young  man  or  the  young  maiden 
up  to  the  languages,  and  perfect  them  in  everything  they  need.  And  we  are 
spreading  this  education  broadcast,  as  you  do,  to  all  those  German  and  Irish  and 
Scotch  and  Welch  that  come  among  us,  and  thus  we  will  produce  a  homogeneous 
population,  that  shall  spread  out  and  produce,  we  hope,  a  higher  order  of  char- 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  585 

acter  than  we  have  yet  seen  on  the  continent  in  that  valley  of  the  Mississippi. 
God,  we  trust,  will  bless  the  efforts  that  are  being  put  forth,  not  only  by  Mil- 
waukee, but  by  other  cities  and  towns  in  the  West.  The  great  city  of  Chicago 
might  be  instanced,  in  a  far  grander  sense  than  Milwaukee,  for  they  have  done 
nobler  and  better  in  all  those  matters  that  stand  related  to  the  highest  welfare  of 
the  community.  By  applying  these  instrumentalities,  we  hope  finally  to  prepare 
a  population  that  shall  be,  with  you  here,  a  sheet-anchor,  that  shall  hold  the 
nation  against  any  force  that  may  be  brought  against  it. 

The  President. — This  is  an  occasion  when  the  forms  of  men 
rise  up  before  us  swifter  than  thought.  Of  the  oldest  inhabitants, 
I  cannot  help  mentioning  the  name  of  Barnard,  whose  white  locks 
and  venerable  appearance  I  well  recollect,  for  he  was  aged  when  I 
came  to  Lancaster.  He  was  a  man  of  extensive  culture,  a  fine 
speaker,  and  an  honorable  gentleman.  He  has  gone  from  among 
us,  but  his  life  and  character  will  be  valuable,  now  and  always.  I 
remember,  too,  Richard  Eastman,  one  of  the  most  honored  and 
honorable  men  in  our  town.  He  was  a  man  without  reproach. 
Fortunate  is  he  who  successfully  follows  his  example.  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  once  said  that  he  wanted  to  live  among  the  hills,  where 
there  had  been  trouble ;  where  there  had  been  steam  power  which 
had  thrown  up,  in  some  grand  convulsion,  great  mountains.  It  was 
a  very  ancient  engine  that  burst  when  these  hills  were  blown  up 
from  their  deep  foundations.  There  is  a  gentleman  here  to-day 
who  has  always  been  familiar  with  steam  power,  and  on  the  train  of 
fortune.  But  he  loves  his  mountain  home.  He  is  a  son  of  Lancas- 
ter, who  went  out  into  the  world  alone,  and  has  come  back,  bearing 
the  record  of  an  honorable  and  successful  life.  I  mean  Nathaniel 
White,  Esq.  He  sends  me  this  sentiment,  being  too  modest  to 
speak : 

May  our  town  always  keep  on  the  track  of  prosperity,  and  may 
her  merchandise  be  transported  as  successfully  as  this  occasion 
transports  us. 

The  third  regular  toast  was  then  read  : 

Our  Friends  fro7n  Abroad. 

The  President. — The  gentleman  who  was  expected  to  respond 
to  that  toast  was  the  first  preceptor  of  the  academy  in  this  place, 
Nathaniel  Wilson,  and  I  know  there  are  many  of  his  old  pupils  here 
to-day  who  will  be  delighted  to  see  and  hear  him.  He  claims  not 
to  have  educated  me  wholly,  but  only  half  of  me.  I  am  sorry  to 
say,  however,  that  in  that  he  is  mistaken ;  it  was  her  sister. 
(Laughter.)  The  value  of  the  services  that  gentleman  has  ren- 
dered the  town  cannot  be  calculated.  His  pupils  all  speak  of  him 
with  respect  and  affection.  If  present,  I  wush  he  would  come  for- 
ward and  address  them  a  moment. 

[Mr.  Wilson  did  not  respond,  and  the  president  continued.] 


586  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

My  friends,  before  any  of  you  retire,  there  is  a  little  business  to 
be  transacted.  I  propose  that  when  we  adjourn,  it  be  to  meet  again 
at  this  place  on  the  14th  of  July,  1964  (laughter  and  applause),  and 
I  venture,  in  behalf  of  the  committee  of  arrangements,  to  invite  all 
of  you  to  be  present.  (Renewed  merriment.)  The  orator  will  by 
that  time  be  ready  to  dehver  his  oration,  and  the  governors  of  Mas- 
sachusetts and  New  Hampshire  will  be  able  to  attend.  If  it  is  your 
wish,  when  we  do  adjourn,  to  adjourn  for  a  hundred  years,  and  to 
meet  as  proposed,  you  will  say  "Aye."  ("Aye,"  "aye.")  It  is  a  unan- 
imous vote,  therefore  you  will  all  be  here.      (Great  merriment.) 

The  next  regular  toast  was  then  read  : 

Ou7'  Honored  Dead, 

Responded  to  by  Henry  O.  Kent,  giving  statistics  of  enlistments, 
mortality,  and  notable  acts  on  the  part  of  the  town  and  natives  of 
Lancaster  in  the  service. 

The  PRESH3ENT. — I  do  not  mean  to  say,  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
that  Lancaster  has  ever  felt  very  materially  any  of  its  great  losses, 
because  its  resources  have  been  so  unbounded.  It  has,  however, 
been  quite  a  custom  in  times  past  for  inquiring  young  men,  and 
also  sometimes  for  sober,  serious,  and  disconsolate  older  ones,  to 
make  pilgrimages  to  our  mountains,  to  recuperate  their  health  and 
restore  their  spirits.  They  often  came  to  Lancaster  for  relief,  and 
for  a  spiritual  medicine,  carry  off  our  daughters  to  adorn  other 
homes  in  other  states.  I  have  seen  here  to-day  one  of  these  fortu- 
nate men  from  Massachusetts,  a  valued  acquaintance  and  friend  of 
mine  for  some  years.  If  Mr.  Ezra  C.  Hutchins  is  in  the  audience,  I 
would  like  to  ask  him  what  sentiment  he  cherishes  for  the  town  of  Lan- 
caster, the  birthplace  of  his  better  half?  I  know  he  has  very  happy 
feelings  and  a  most  thankful  disposition  concerning  us.  I  will  venture 
to  say  he  is  a  very  fortunate  man,  and  must  know  it.    (Laughter.) 

Mr.  Hutchins  sent  up  the  following  toast:  May  the  daughters 
of  Lancaster  be  found  as  lovely  in  the  future  as  they  have  been  in 
the  past. 

Fourth  regular  toast : 

Our  Conunon  Coufitry. 

The  President. — I  have  been  requested  to  call  upon  Daniel  C. 
Pinkham,  Esq.,  to  respond  to  this  toast. 

In  the  necessary  absence  of  Mr.  Pinkham,  the  next  sentiment  was 
announced : 

The  Ancient  Fraternity . 

Colonel  Kent. — I  will  call  upon  Sir  Knight  Jared  I.  Williams 
to  respond  to   that  sentiment.     He  was  early  connected  with   the 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  587 

revival  of  the  order  in  this  town,  and   it  is  as  much  indebted  to  him 
as  to  any  person  for  its  present  flourishing  condition. 

SPEECH    OF    SIR   KNIGHT   J.    I.    WILLIAMS. 

I  could  wish,  sir,  that  some  older  member  of  the  fraternity,  some  one  better 
versed  in  its  history,  and  whose  eloquence  would  do  better  justice  to  it  than  any 
words  of  mine,  had  been  designated  to  respond  to  this  sentiment ;  but  as  I  make 
it  a  rule  never  to  shrink  from  trying,  at  least,  to  do  my  part,  I  will  say  a  few 
words. 

In  1797,  I  think,  authority  was  given  to  Mr.  John  Weeks  and  associates  to 
establish  North  Star  lodge.  From  that  time  down  to  the  Morgan  excitement  the 
lodge  worked  on,  with  that  varying  fortune  that  marks  all  human  institutions ; 
sometimes  meeting  with  a  high  degree  of  prosperity,  and  at  other  times  sinking  to 
a  very  low  state.  At  that  time,  when  unprincipled  politicians  —  then,  as  always, 
ready  to  seize  upon  anything  to  accomplish  their  ends  —  grasped  at  the  alleged 
abduction  of  a  worthless  citizen  to  raise  an  outcry  against  the  order,  the  lodge 
languished,  and  finally  the  charter  was  returned  to  the  grand  lodge,  where  it 
remained  until  1852,  when  Dr.  Eliphalet  Lyman  procured  its  restoration.  Since 
then  it  has  prospered  to  a  great  degree,  and  now  numbers  some  hundred  and 
fifty  members.  What  we  have  accomplished  for  the  good  of  the  town,  how  far 
our  lessons  of  love  and  kindness  taught  in  the  lodge  have  gone  toward  uniting 
the  people  of  this  town,  will  only  be  known  when  the  last  records  are  made  up 
and  we  all  stand  before  our  Master  and  wait  his  final  inspection.  This  much  we 
know,  that  the  honored  names  of  those  who  have  presided  over  us,  and  who  have 
assisted  us  in  all  our  undertakings,  are  those  of  our  most  respected  citizens  —  men 
of  worth,  whose  names  are  sufficient  vouchers  that  we  have  been  engaged  in  noth- 
ing wrong,  but  that  we  have  always  wrought  for  the  best  interests  of  our  native 
town.  The  names  of  Weeks  and  Savage  and  Wilson  and  Chapman,  and  others 
familiar  to  the  older  citizens  of  this  town,  are  good  sureties  for  our  well  meaning, 
and,  I  think,  for  our  good  conduct.  To-day  we  have  met  together  and  carried 
before  you  the  banner  of  the  knights  of  old,  the  emblem  of  our  order.  With 
pleasure  we  have  done  it,  and  we  hope  it  has  reminded  you,  as  it  ever  reminds 
us,  that  in  our  course  of  life  the  cross  of  our  blessed  Saviour  should  be  our  only 
guide. 

I  would  here  remind  my  brother  Masons  that  this  is  the  first  time  that  we  have 
been  called  out  on  an  occasion  of  festivity.  Our  meetings  have  been  generally 
those  of  sorrow  and  mourning.  Soon  after  the  restoration  of  our  lodge  we  were 
called  to  lay  the  remains  of  Dr.  Lyman  in  the  silent  tomb,  and  pay  to  them  the 
last  sad  honors  which  were  denied  by  his  kindred.  We  recorded  his  virtues  upon 
our  records,  and  threw  over  his  frailties  the  mantle  of  Masonic  charity.  Since 
then  we  have  been  called  upon  to  bury  many  of  our  most  influential  members. 
I  was  struck  with  the  mention,  by  the  marshal,  of  Colonel  Cross,  Lieutenant 
Lewis,  and  others,  who  have  fallen  in  this  Civil  War,  and  whom  we  have  laid  in 
the  grave. 

But,  citizens  of  Lancaster,  as  we  joyously  assist  you  on  this  occasion,  so  we 
ask  you  to  assist  us  with  your  smiles  and  your  encouragement,  that  our  Masonic 
trowels  maybe  more  efficient  in  spreading  the  cement  of  love  and  Union ;  that 
our  Masonic  swords  may  be  sharper  to  smite  asunder  the  arrows  of  temptation, 
and  that  our  armor  may  be  proof  against  them. 

The  next  regular  toast  was  then  read : 
The  Volunteer  Army. 


588  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

Seventh  regular  toast: 
The  Federal  Navy. 

Colonel  Kent. — I  desire  to  call  upon  a  son  of  Lancaster  to 
respond  to  that  toast;  a  young  man  whose  bravery  is  only  equaled 
by  his  modesty;  who  has  gone  through  the  several  gradations  in 
the  navy,  until  he  now  holds  the  honorable  position  of  lieutenant. 
I  refer  to  Alfred  T.  Snell,  late  of  the  ship  Lancaster. 

The  Preshjent. — I  happen  to  know  something  of  the  manner 
in  which  Lieutenant  Snell  has  performed  his  duties,  and  it  has  been 
so  creditable  that  I  am  sure  his  name  will  be  written  among  the 
honored  sons  of  the  town. 

Lieutenant  Snell  having  left  the  bower,  Colonel  Kent  said : 

I  desire  to  call  for  a  toast  from  an  old  and  respected  citizen, 
whose  long  and  honorable  career  has  been  without  spot  or  blemish ; 
whose  descendants  have  sprang  up  around  him,  and  whom  we  all 
rejoice  to  see  here  to-day.  I  allude  to  Col.  John  H.  White.  Will 
he  favor  us  with  a  sentiment,  or  some  remarks? 

Colonel  White  said  he  had  no  speech  to  make,  but  he  would  offer 
as  a  sentiment, — 

Lancaster  as  it  was  one  hundred  years  ago,  a  howling  wilderness, 
now  blossoming  like  the  rose.  Never  need  a  son  look  beyond  his 
own  town  to  find  anything  surpassing  the  sublime  beauty  of  its 
scenery. 

Eighth  regular  toast : 

The  Churches  and  the  Sabbath  Schools. 

To  this  toast  there  was  no  response,  and  the  next  was  read,  as 
follows : 

The  Early  Settlers  of  Our  Town. 

SPEECH    OF    REV.    WM.    R.   JOYSLIN    OF    BERLIN,    VT. 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  :  I  thank  you  for  the  invitation  to  respond 
to  this  toast.  I  am  one  of  those  who  revere  age,  and  it  is  exceedingly  pleasant  to 
me,  when  I  come  back  here,  to  see  so  many  reverend  and  revered  men  and 
women,  who  have  given  character  to  our  town.  The  earliest  settlers  have  passed 
off  the  stage.  Stockvvell,  Bucknam,  Spaulding — they  have  passed  off,  as  indi- 
viduals, from  the  stage  of  action,  but  their  descendants  remain;  and  this  town, 
in  the  families  of  the  Spauldings,  the  Savages,  the  Stockwells,  the  VVeekses,  and 
their  descendants,  directly  and  indirectly,  with  their  comfortable  homes,  attests 
the  character  of  those  settlers.  They  were  industrious,  thrifty,  sturdy  men,  and 
they  gave  character  and  life  to  this  town.  Their  descendants  are  of  the  same 
class,  and  we  know  —  as  we  look  abroad  over  our  community  —  that  they  are  its 
bone  and  sinew.  Our  fathers  endured  stern  hardships  and  privations.  Mr. 
Edward  Spaulding,  who  settled  upon  the  hill,  was  brought  here  in  the  arms  of 
his  mother  —  the  first  infant  brought  to  this  town.  Many  came  from  Massachu- 
setts, as  we  have  heard.     They  came  into  the  wilderness  and  laid  the  foundations 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  589 

upon  which  our  prosperity  has  Ijeen  built  up.  Among  other  things  —  and  it  may 
become  me  to  speak  of  it,  my  friends  —  they  brought  with  them  and  estabhshed 
the  Gospel  and  its  institutions.  The  early  settlers  reared  the  old  meeting-house, 
and  there  the  families  gathered  in  those  pews  —  every  pew  representing  a  family ; 
and  thus  the  people  of  this  town  were  brought  together  in  a  bond  of  religious  and 
spiritual  union  —  a  union  that  will  outlast  all  other  unions.  Our  stability,  my 
friends,  is  in  following  the  example  that  has  been  exhibited  by  the  lives  and  the 
actions  of  the  early  settlers;  holding  fast  to  the  truth,  building  upon  the  founda- 
tions that  they  laid,  and  standing  by  the  principles  that  have  been  committed  to 
us  by  a  Christian  and  pious  ancestry.  I  believe  that  in  this  rests  our  strength, 
and  that  by  this  we  shall  conquer. 

May  we,  my  friends,  be  as  faithful  in  our  day  and  generation  —  those  who  are 
coming  upon  the  stage  and  those  who  are  now  in  middle  life—  as  the  early  set- 
tlers of  this  town  ;  and  7nay  the  prosperity  of  this  town  henceforth  be  an  honor  to 
us,  as  it  has  been  an  honor  to  them.  May  we  all  stand  in  the  principles  that 
were  left  to  us,  and  be  a  united  and  a  happy  people. 

In  this  connection,  a  communication  received  from  Judge  Wood- 
ruff of  Ohio,  whose  wife  is  the  daughter  of  Hon.  John  H.  White, 
was  read. 

Colonel  Kent  continued :  Several  other  toasts  have  been 
handed  in  by  various  parties  during  the  day,  to  which  no  person 
has  been  assigned  to  respond.      I  will  read  them. 

By  Nathaniel  Wilson,  Esq.,  the  first  preceptor  of  the  academy,  of 
Orono,  Me. : 

Lancaster' . — In  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  her  natural  scenery 
unrivaled,  but  in  her  social  relations  more  notable,  more  truly  beau- 
tiful. As  her  generations  in  the  past  century  were  distinguished  in 
all  the  elements  that  constitute  an  intelligent  and  virtuous  commu- 
nity, may  the  present  and  the  future  rival  the  past. 

By  Rev.  John  Lovejoy,  the  chaplain  designated  for  the  occasion, 
who,  much  to  our  regret,  is  unable  to  be  with  us  to-day: 

Lancaster. — Beautiful  for  situation  —  the  joy  of  all  resident  and 
absent  citizens.  Surrounded  by  the  "  Mountains  of  God,"  may  her 
love  for  liberty,  education,  religion,  and  religious  institutious  be  as 
permanent  as  the  White  Mountains. 

The  United  States. — The  most  glorious,  the  happiest,  "  the  most 
magnificent  dwelling  for  men  on  earth."  Its  disunion  is  sought  by 
worthless  men.  Let  the  language  of  every  loyal  heart  be,  "  The 
Union  MUST  and  SHALL  be  preserved."  May  the  eternal  God  be 
its  refuge,  and  underneath,  the  everlasting  arms. 

T/ie  Ladies. — No  celebration  is  complete  without  the  presence 
of  the  ladies.  At  this  time  we  welcome  them  with  peculiar  pleas- 
ure. We  attribute  the  present  position  of  the  town,  in  wealth,  cul- 
ture, and  influence,  to  the  force  of  their  example  and  the  effect  of 
their  labors.     While  we  cherish  with  the  warmest  affection  the  name 


590  HISTORY   OF   LANCASTER. 

of  the  town  of  our  youth,  we  can   never  forget  the  dear  ones  that 
have  made  and  still  rend^er  it  doubly  dear. 

The  Committees  of  the  Occasion. — Better  labor  was  never  more 
cheerfully  rendered  than  that  by  our  men,  matrons,  and  maids,  in 
preparing  this  enthusiastic  welcome  to  the  old  home.  May  the 
efforts  they  have  shown  in  our  behalf  bear  abundant  fruit  in  the 
harvest  of  pleasant  recollections  that  will  spring  from  the  seed  here 
planted. 

The  Citizens  Gene7-ally. — From  the  farm,  the  ofifice,  the  shop, 
and  the  counter  the  people  have  come  up  to  enjoy  this  day's  fes- 
tivity. As  we  glance  over  the  luxuriant  fields  and  among  the  evi- 
dences of  prosperity  that  surround  us,  we  may  well  have  reason  for 
a  day's  festive  congratulation  on  the  peaceful  progress  that  has 
passed  over  the  happy  valley.  During  long  years  to  come  may  we, 
the  people  of  this  good  old  town,  dwell  in  harmony,  peace,  and 
plenty,  striving  for  the  common  good,  and  diffusing  influences  that 
shall  endure  long  after  they  have  lain  down  to  sleep  beneath  the 
shade  of  the  hills  that  smiled  over  their  cradle. 

The  Sons  and  Daiightei's  of  Lancaster . — May  those  of  them 
who  have  left  their  homes,  honor  their  native  town  by  their  deeds 
as  much  as  she  has  honored  them  in  their  birth. 

The  President. — My  friends,  we  have  had  some  disappoint- 
ments to-day,  but  I  am  sure  we  have  had  also  considerable  happi- 
ness. It  is  hardly  proper  for  us  to  pass  by,  with  a  single  sentiment, 
the  labors  of  the  several  committees  here  to-day.  They  have  been 
so  well  performed,  and  in  all  respects  are  so  creditable,  that  I  think 
the  children  of  Lancaster  who  reside  out  of  the  town  and  the  state 
ought  to  give  them  some  special  commendation.  I  therefore  pro- 
pose that  the  thanks  of  the  sons  and  daughters  of  Lancaster  be 
given  to  the  various  committees  of  arrangements,  for  the  highly 
satisfactory  manner  in  which  they  have  discharged  their  duties. 
Those  in  favor  of  that  proposition  will  say  "Aye."  "Aye,"  "  aye." 
Contrary  minded,  "  No."  (No  response.)  Everybody  is  satisfied 
with  those  committees.      (Applause.) 

And  now,  my  friends,  it  remains  for  us  simply  to  congratulate 
ourselves  that  we  have  had  such  a  beautiful  day.  Providence  has 
smiled  upon  this  occasion  in  a  peculiar  manner.  There  is  much 
felicity  in  what  has  been  said  and  done.  It  has  been  clearly  dem- 
onstrated to-day  that  the  love  and  friendship  of  the  people  of  Lan- 
caster are  stronger  than  their  politics  and  party  spirit.  Not  one 
word  has  been  uttered  reflecting  upon  any  man  or  set  of  men  under 
heaven.  It  is  a  precious  blessing,  and  a  cause  of  rejoicing,  that 
there  are  still  some  occasions  in  life  when  we  can  meet  in  friendship 


CENTENNIAL   CELEBRATION.  59I 

and  harmony.  I  trust  that  when  we  separate  we  may  go  with  the 
right  temper  and  right  feehng,  and  with  a  fixed  determination  that 
we  will  hereafter  do  nothing  which  will  reflect  dishonor  upon  our 
native  town ;  that  we  shall  go  forth  self-reliant,  and  with  the  firm 
purpose  to  accomplish  whatever  we  undertake,  as  becomes  the  sons 
of  Lancaster.  I  trust,  too,  that  we  shall  be  true  to  ourselves  and 
the  virtues  of  our  fathers,  and  as  often  as  we  remember  them,  renew 
the  resolution  that  their  posterity  shall  never  be  unworthy  of  them. 

Colonel  Kent. — My  friends,  this  closes  the  exercises  of  the 
day.  A  levee  will  be  held  at  the  town  hall  this  evening,  which  we 
hope  will  be  made  one  of  the  pleasant  incidents  of  this  occasion,  by 
the  presence  of  our  friends  from  all  parts  of  the  country,  and  the 
interchange  of  cordial  greetings  and  sentiments, of  friendship.  We 
hope  to  see  you  all  to-night,  and  that  you  will  extend  this  notice 
as  much  as  possible,  that  there  may  be  a  large  attendance. 

This  meeting  stands  adjourned  until  the  14th  da)'  of  July,  1964. 
(Laughter  and  applause.) 

The  President. — Colonel  Kent  will  conduct  the  exercises  on 
that  occasion.      (Rei>ewed  laughter.) 

levee  at  the  town  hall. 

The  festivities  of  this  interesting  occasion  were  fitly  terminated  by 
a  levee  in  the  evening,  at  the  town  hall  —  the  ancient  meeting- 
house, the  first  erected  in  the  town,  and  itself,  therefore,  a  link  be- 
tween the  present  and  the  past  —  which  was  crowded  to  overflowing 
by  the  residents  of  the  town  and  their  friends  from  abroad.  The 
hall  was  handsomely  decorated  with  flags  and  wreaths  of  evergreen, 
while  a  magnificent  bouquet,  gigantesque  in  size,  but  arranged  with 
exquisite  taste,  hung  over  the  platform,  like  the  breath  of  Imogen, 
perfuming  the  room.  The  gathering  was  an  informal  one,  and  the 
principal  portion  of  the  time  was  spent  in  the  exchange  of  friendly 
greetings  and  conversation,  in  which  the  reminiscences  of  the  past 
held  a  conspicuous  place.  Old  friends,  long  parted  by  time  and 
widely  separated  by  distance,  here  met,  to  renew  once  more  the  in- 
tercourse of  early  years  and  revive  the  pleasant  memories  of  the  past. 

The  following  songs,  written  for  the  occasion,  were  sung  in  a 
spirited  and  effective  manner  by  the  glee  club : 

(By  Henry  O.  Kent.) 

In  the  grateful  shade  of  our  mountain  home 

A  glad  throng  gathers  to-day, 
To  welcome  with  joy  to  the  old  hearthstone 

Companions  so  long  away. 

And  list,  'mid  our  welcome  resounding  clear, 

A  plaintive  strain  from  afar, 
That  sweetly  falls  on  our  gathering  here 

Through  the  listening  summer  air. 


592  HISTORY    OF   LANCASTER. 

The  greeting  of  friends  to  the  olden  home, 
Now  rested  from  mortal  strife  ; 

Whose  spirits  attend  ye,  as  back  ye  come 
To  haunts  of  their  earthly  life. 

Warm  is  the  greeting  and  strong  the  embrace 
That  welcome  ye  home  again  ; 

Which  bid  ye  forget  the  wearying  race 
That  led  from  this  peaceful  plain. 

Ring  the  glad  chorus  full  joyously  out, 
While  the  old,  old  tales  are  told; 

Let  silvery  laugh  and  echoing  shout 
Prove  hearts  that  have  not  grown  cold. 

Aye,  the  sturdy  old  town  is  glad  to-day, 
As  she  welcomes  home  her  own. 

And  her  jocund  smile  is  as  blithe  and  gay 
As  that  of  her  youngest  born. 

Ye  have  done  her  honor  where'er  ye  strove. 
Her  dead  have  been  leal  and  true ; 

The  pride  of  her  sons  and  her  daughters'  love 
Been  pure  as  our  mountains'  snow.  * 

Let  us  strengthen  here  this  union  of  ours, 
Near  the  graves  of  loved  ones  gone  ; 

Renew  at  this  altar  our  youthful  vows, 
And  cheerfully  journey  on. 

WELCOME    HOME. 
(By  Mrs.  Mary  B.  C.  Slade.) 

Mountain  winds  and  singing  waters 

Sound  our  old  home's  gladsome  strain : 
Climb  the  hills,  my  Sons  and  Daughters  ! 

Welcome,  welcome  home  again  ! 
Climb  the  hills,  my  Sons  and  Daughters  ! 

Welcome,  welcome  home  again  ! 
Climb  the  hills,  my  Sons  and  Daughters! 

Welcome,  welcome  home  again  ! 

Haste  from  prairie,  lake,  and  ocean  ; 

From  the  crowded  cities  come. 
And  afar  from  war's  commotion. 

Soldiers,  brothers,  welcome  home! 

Come,  unseen  ones,  at  our  calling, 
Who,  our  glory  and  our  loss, 

Nobly  fought,  as  nobly  falling. 

With  the  brave  and  gallant  Cross  ! 

Lovely  spot,  sweet  home  of  beauty, 
On  her  birthday  bright  and  clear, 

At  the  call  of  love  and  duty. 
All  shall  find  a  welcome  here. 


CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION.  593 

Crown  with  love  each  joyous  hour, 

Write  each  name  so  dear  to  her 
On  the  Inindred  petaled  flower. 

Sweet  wild  rose  of  Lancaster. 

In  the  course  of  the  evening,  Albert  Holton,  Esq.,  of  Bangor, 
proposed  that  the  natives  of  Lancaster,  now  resident  abroad,  should 
purchase  the  field  where  the  dinner  had  been  given,  and  present  it 
to  the  town  for  a  public  common,  as  a  memorial  of  their  affection 
for  the  place  of  their  birth.  The  proposition  was  heartily  seconded 
by  Nathaniel  Wilson,  Esq.,  of  Orono,  Me.,  and  J.  B.  Brown,  Esq., 
of  Portland.  A  subscription  paper  was  drawn  up,  and  considerable 
progress  made  in  obtaining  the- requisite  amount.  A  resolution  was 
also  passed  authorizing  Colonel  Kent  to  procure  all  available  statis- 
tics in  regard  to  the  history  of  the  town,  to  be  printed  with  the 
account  of  the  celebration. 

At  10:30  o'clock  the  company  separated  (the  band  playing 
"Home,  Sweet  Home"),  to  seek  their  several  homes,  their  souls 
strengthened  and  their  hearts  inspired,  we  trust,  by  the  events  of 
the  day,  and  a  store  of  fragrant  memories  treasured  up  for  the  years 
that  are  to  come. 

As  a  matter  for  future  reference  in  this  connection,  we  insert  the 
names  of  those  officials  who  were  present  and  acted  on  the  occasion  : 

President. — David  H.  Mason,  Boston,  Mass. 

Vice-Presidents. — Nathaniel  White,  Concord;  John  B.  Brown, 
Portland.  Me. ;  L.  C.  Porter,  St.  Johnsbury,  Vt. ;  Edward  D.  Holton, 
Milwaukee,  Wis. ;  Nathaniel  Wilson,  Orono,  Me. ;  Spencer  Clark, 
Lunenburg,  Vt. ;  John  W.  Lovejoy,  Hatfield,  Mass. ;  Reuben  G. 
Freeman,  Guildhall,  Vt. ;  Charles  Baker,  Royal  Joyslin,  J.  E.  Stick- 
ney,  Horace  Whitcomb,  Allen  Smith,  William  Lovejoy,  Seth  Sav- 
age, William  Holkins,  William  Burns,  Douglass  Spaulding,  Emmons 
Stockwell,  W'arren  Porter,  Amos  LeGro,  Porter  G.  Freeman,  Joseph 
Howe,  John  H.  White,  Benjamin  Hunking,  Turner  Stephenson, 
J.  W.  Williams,  James  W'.  Weeks,  Ephraim  Cross,  Charles  D.  Steb- 
bins,  Richard  P.  Kent,  Samuel  Mclntire,  Gilman  Wilder,  Ephraim 
Stockwell,  Beniah  Colby,  Daniel  Stebbins,  William  Moore,  Lan- 
caster. 

Coniniittee  of  Arrangements. — J.  W.  Barney,  William  R.  Stock- 
well,  J.  L  Williams,  Samuel  H.  LeGro,  Edward  Savage,  H.  J.  Whit- 
comb, E.  R.  Kent. 

Marshal-in-Chief. — Henry  O.  Kent. 

Aids  to  the  Marshal. — Levi  B.  Joyslin,  Edward  R.  Kent,  Ira 
S.  M.  Gove,  Frank  Smith,  Loren  B.  Porter,  Chapin  C.  Brooks, 
William  C.  Spaulding,  Oscar  F.  Bothel,  H.  G.  Hodgdon,  H.  F. 
Whitcomb,  Sylvanus  Chessman,  William  Warren,  James  S.  Brackett, 
\\.  D.  Stockwell,  G.  H.  Emerson,  Philastus  Eastman,  P^-ed  C.  Colbv. 
38 


594  HISTORY    OF    LANCASTER. 

Special  Marshal/or  Sabbath  Schools. — Harvey  Adams. 

Ass/slants. — Joseph  C.  Marshall,  Seneca  Congdon,  George  M. 
Smith,  Albert  T.  Johnson,  C.  M.  Winchester. 

In  the  absence  of  the  orator  selected,  William  H.  Farrar  of  Ore- 
gon, addresses  were  delivered  by  David  H.  Mason  of  Boston,  Mass., 
and  Edward  D.  Holton  of  Milwaukee,  Wis. 

Cha-plain. — Rev.  David  Perry  of  Brookfield,  Vt. 

Toastinasters. — The  President  and  Marshal-in-Chief. 

Reader  of  the  Charter. — Ossian  Ray. 

Committee  on  Dinner. — Frederick  Fisk,  E.  R.  Kent,  A.  H.  Aspin- 
wall,  G.  H.  Watson,  W.  F.  Smith,  C.  E.  Allen,  G.  O.  Rogers,  H.  J 
Whitcomb,  L.  B.  Porter,  E.  Spaulding,  J.  B.  Moore,  W.  D.  Weeks 
J.  Moore,  R.  L.  Hodgdon,  W.  J.  Harriman,   Charles  W.  Hodgdon 
Francis  H.  Wentworth,  Alonzo  P.  Freeman,  Dudley  N.  Hodgdon,  2d 
Barton  G.  Towne,  James  LeGro,  Hiram  Savage,  John  W.  Spaulding 
J.  W.  Savage,  O.  F.  Bothel,  Warren  Marden,  R.  G.  Kimball,  Joseph 
Colby,  Zeb.  Twitchell,  J.  S.  Brackett,  George  W.  Webster,  S.  H.  Le- 
Gro, C.  D.  Allen,  Charles  Mclntire,  Nelson  Kent,  William  Darby, 
C.  B.  Allen,  William  L.  Rowell,  B.  F.  Hunking,  L.  F.  Moore,  W.  H. 
Clarke,  J.   C.   Marshall,    George   Cotton,    Nelson    Sparks,  John   E. 
Field,  and  their  wives ;    Horace  Spaulding,  Henry  VVebb,  and  their 
sisters ;    George  S.  Stockwell,  Phineas  R.  Hodgdon,  Miss  Rebecca 
Colby,  and  Miss  Abigail  Colby. 

Letters  were  received  and  read  from  Gov.  John  A.  Andrew  of  Mas- 
sachusetts, United  States  Senator  Aaron  H.  Cragin  of  Lebanon,  A. 
Curtis  and.  W,  H.  Stockwell  of  Cincinnati,  William  W.  Field  of  Fen- 
nimore,  Wis.,  J6hn  E.  Haines  and  Col.  Joseph  W.  Merriam  of  Chi- 
cago, Edward  B.  Moore,  M.  D.,  of  Boston,  John  G.  Foster,  major- 
general  United  States  Volunteers,  and  Gov.  Joseph  A.  Gilmore. 


I  N  D  EX 


Abbott,  Amos  F'. 

454 

Abbott,  Annie 

505 

Abbott,  Erastus  I. 

549'  550 

Abbott,  Samuel     ...... 

121 

Abraig,  Samuel     ...... 

121 

A^o^latv,,r        T    .,,..->  of  o,- 

^_,         ^^^         ^T<       ^-r 

CORRECTION. 

By  some  fatality  the  name  of  the  beautiful  river  flowing  through 
the  village — the  ancient  Sawa-coo-nauk,  or  Siwooganock — is  per- 
sistently printed  "  Isrrals,"  instead  of  "  Israels "  as  it  should  be 
spelled,  in   honor  of  Israel  Glines,  the  pioneer  hunter  and  trapper. 


Alden,  Henry 
Aldrich,  Gilman    . 
Alexander,  Benjamin  D. 
Alexander,  George 
Allen,  Asahel 
Allen,  Charles  B. 

Allen.  Charles  E. 


Allen,  Cyrus  D. 
Allen,  Daniel  W. 
Allen,  Isaac 


267 


-67'  323,  335.  377.  398,  399.  444 

528,  529,  534,  539.  541,  545 

258,  337,  377,  378.  385. 

399,  530,  537,  539,  542 

158 

548 


121 

557 
192 

541 
206 

.  524 
594 
386, 
.  594 
.  594 

.  549 
-,86 


I  N  DEX 


Abbott,  Amos  F'. 
Abbott,  Annie 
Abbott,  Erastus  I. 
Abbott,  Samuel     . 
Abraig,  Samuel 
Academy,  Lancaster 
Accounts,  Early  Private,  with 
Adams,  Andrew    . 
Adams,  Benjamin 
Adams,  B.  S. 
Adams,  Elisha 
Adams,  Ezra  E.    . 
Adams,  Harvey 

Adams,  Rev.  James 

Adams,  J.  W. 

Adams,  Lemuel 

Adams,  Milton  A. 

Adams,  Reuben  L. 

Adams,  Ruth 

Adams,  Seth 

Agriculture    . 

Agriculture,  Commissioner  on 

Agricultural  Societies 

Alcott.  B.  S. 

Alden,  Henry 

Aldrich,  Gilman    . 

Alexander,  Benjamin  D 

Alexander,  George 

Allen,  Asahel 

Allen,  Charles  B. 

Allen,  Charles  E. 

Allen,  Cyrus  D.     . 
Allen,  Daniel  W. 
Allen,  Isaac 


the  Town 


229,  258,  267, 
505,  523,  527, 


State  Board  of 


.  267, 


323. 
528, 


454 
505 

549.  550 

121 

121 

275'  333^  416-421 

194-198 

131,  194,  410 

13I'  194,  375'  410,  436 
505 

43^ 
420 

335'  37S^  376,  385'  436,  437 
529,  536,  541,  542,  548,  593 

336,  438 

438 

13I'  535 

557 

33S^  368,  398,  539'  542 

193 

433'  538.  54I'  547,  548 
126,  152 

535 

126,  400,  402 

390 

121 

557 

192 

267,  541 

206 

335'  377,  398,  399.  444>  5^4 
529.  534'  539-  541,  545'  594 
258,  337,  377'  378.  385-  386, 
399,  530,  537,  539,  542,  594 

158'  594 

548,  549 

386 


334 
528 


258,  267, 


430, 


596 


INDEX. 


Allen,  Maria 
Allen,  William  H. 
Allison,  David  B. 
Alverson,  Thomas 
Amadon,  Ada 
Amadon,  George  M. 
Ames,  Jere'h 
Amey,  John  T. 
Amey,  Harry  B.    . 
Amey,  E.  C. 
Amusements  of  Early  T 
Andrew,  E. 
Animals 
Annance,  Louis 
Anti-Slavery  Movement 
Applebee,  Dorcas 
Apthorp,  Charles  Ward 
Armington,  J.  W. 
Arsenal,  The  State 
Ashley,  Rev.  Andrew  \\ 
Aspinwall,  A.  H. 
Aspinwall.  John     . 
Atkinson,  Theodore 
Austin,  Rev.  Daniel 
Austin,  Eliza 

Babb,  Nathaniel    . 
Babcock,  Rev.  D.  C. 
Babcock,  Rev.  J.  M. 
Bacon,  Sarah  Hawes 
Bailey,  C.  A. 
Bailey,  Charles  R. 
Bailey,  Daniel 
Bailey,  Harry 
Bailey,  Jacob 
Bailey,  Josephine  A. 
Bailey,  N.  M. 
Bailey,  Richard  W. 
Bailey,  Walter  S. 
Bailey,  Ward 
Bailey,  William  W. 
Bain,  James 
Baird,  J.  H. 
Baker,  Benjamin  T. 
Baker,  Betsey 
Baker,  Charles 
Baker,  Charles  O. 


in  Lancaster 


143. 


235. 


93. 


263 


131,  192,  209,  335,  428,  486,  546,  548, 


325. 

558 

457,  524. 

539 
1 2 1 

497 

542 

77 

339,  535, 

543 

476, 

497 

497 

349- 

-363 

191 

289, 

292 

313. 

486 

143, 

144 

190 

21,  30,  3c 

,  42 

421 

5i7> 

518 

451 

594 

228,  436, 

540 

3,8 

487 

192 

190 

434, 

439 

447 

464 

394. 

395 

460, 

491 
121 

499. 

525 

72 

494, 

501 

438 

336 

337^  SS<^^ 

559 

71 

^  82 

121 

■        388, 

542 

459 
121 

193 

423 

546,  548, 

593 

323 

INDEX. 


597 


Baker,  C.  W. 
Baker,  Etta  I. 
Baker  House 
Baker,  James 
Baker,  Jonas 

Baker,  Lucinda 
Baker,  Mary 
Baker,  Oliver  W. 
Baker,  Sophia 
Baker,  T.  T. 
Baker,  W.  G. 
Balch,  Amos 
Balch,  Charles  H. 
Balch,  James  H. 
Balch,  Joseph 
Balch,  Joseph  H. 
Ball,  Ebenezer 
Ball,  Isaac    . 
Banfield,  Samuel 
Banks  . 
Bank  Commissioners 
Baptists 
Barlow,  Abner 
Barlow,  Joseph 
Barlow,  Nathan 
Barnard,  Julia 
Barnard,  Levi 
Barnard,  Lucy  R. 
Barnard,  Rev.  Stephen 
Barney,  Dr.  John  W. 

Barrel,  Nathaniel 
Barrows,  Rev.  L.  D. 
Barrows,  Levi  P. 
Barstovv,  George  . 
Bartlett,  Isaac 
Bartlett,  Dr.  Josiah 
Bass,  J.  L.   . 
Batchelor,  D.  W. 
Batchelor,  Jonas   . 
Batchelor,  Mary  E. 
Batchelder,  C.  D. 
Batchelder,  Jacob 
Batchelder,  James 
Beach,  Edward  B. 
Beach,  H.N. 


323 

.  .  .        502 

333 

397 

32,  59,  90,  loi,  131,  177,  193,  197 
422,  423.  433.  534,  538,  539,  540 

427 

191 

374,  510.  528,  548 

191 

505 
505 
528 

390 

134,  192,  418,  419,  554 

191 

550 

121 

40 

192.  513 

336.  338,  392-395 

534 

80,  iSj.  450.  451 

11 

.  11,  82 

83,  546 

509 

131.463 
192 

430,  442 

237,  267,  275,  335,  336,  369,  444,  478 
481,  489,  495,  532,  534,  550,  593 

?~ 

438,  459 

557 

420 

496 

34 
338 
505 
372 
505 
459 
192 
191 
556 
338 


598 


INDEX. 


Bean,  Albro 
Bean,  Curtis 
Bean,  Lieut.  Riciiard 
Beadier,  Gad 
Beaton,  Charles  C. 
Beattie,  Capt.  Alexander  M. 
Beattie,  D.  H. 
Beattie,  Thomas  C. 
Beattie,  T.  G. 
Beckwith,  George  H. 
Bell,  Rev.  Benjamin 
Bellows,  Charles   . 
Bellows,  George    . 
Bellows,  John 
Bellows,  Josiah,  2d 
Bellows,  Lydia 
Bemis.  O.  W. 
Benman,  Jonas 
Bench  and  Bar,  The 
Bennett,  Chester  . 
Bennett,  Daniel     . 
Bennett,  Ezra  B.  . 
Bennett,  Frederick  T. 
Bennett,  Nathaniel 
Bennett,  Rev.  W.  E. 
Bennett,  Zera 
Benton,  Benjamin 
Benton,  Hon.  Jacob 


Benton,  Josiah  H.,  Jr. 
Benton,  Louisa  Dow 
Benton,  Reuben  C. 
Benway,  Joseph 
Bergin,  Abigail 
Bergin,  Anna 
Bergin,  Joseph 
Berry,  Henry  B. 
Berry,  William  H. 
Bickford,  John 
Bigelow,  Asahel 
Bingham,  Francis 
Birds  of  Lancaster 
Bishop,  Benjamin 
Black  Lewa 
Black,  Zebulon 
Blackmer,  Dr.  John 
Blair,  George  W. 


160,  232,  233,  234, 
336,  385,  468. 


418, 

121 

499, 
62,  244,  395,  505,  537. 

•         384, 
489,  493, 


176, 

192,  267,  337,  36S, 
131,  267,  528, 

131,  194,  261, 


460, 


490,  524, 


438, 


236,  240,  267,  272,  275, 
528,  531,  532,  533,  536, 
237,  458,  469, 


427, 
165, 

121, 

131.  334, 
293 

181, 375' 
335' 


457 
419 
121 

553 
558 
556 

395 

535 
384 
497 
422 

537 
547 
267 

358 
427 

335 
191 
476 
121 

I2l 

559 
557 
121 

439 
121 

496 

335 
538 

533 
160 
275 

557 
509 

427 
403 
458 
458 

553 

59 

510 

-316 

434 

72 

388 

459 
2.37 


INDEX. 


599 


Blair,  William 

•       559 

Blacksmiths 

98,  375'  376 

Blake,  James 

•    n,  83,  87 

Blake,  Thomas 

■     458 

Blanchard,  Harriet 

418,419 

Blanchard,  Heber 

131,  192, - 

267,  335'  349,  373 

Blanchard,  James 

•        557 

Blanchard,  Joseph 

10 

Blanchard,  Peter  . 

■        384 

Blodgett,  Archippus 

•  77.87 

Blodgett,  Betsey   . 

190 

Blodgett,  Elijah     . 

.  82,  87 

Blodgett,  Josiah    . 

■  n,  82 

Blodgett,  Thomas 

n 

Blood.  Charles  M. 

■     557 

Blood,  E.      . 

•     492 

Boardman,  Benjamin 

90, 

131. 

194,  334, 

364, 370, 537. 540 

Board  man,  Edward 

191 

Boardman,  Sarah  Ann 

.     191 

Bonett,  William    . 

337 

Borged,  Gilbert     . 

82 

Bosvvell,  William  . 

335 

Botany  of  Lancaster 

283-288 

Bothel,  Oscar  F.    . 

593. 594 

Bothwell,  William 

193 

Boudle,  John 

558 

Boundary  Surveys 

137-139 

Boutwell,  Frank     . 

•     559 

Boutwell,  Harry     . 

•     554 

Bowe,  Daniel  A.    . 

143.  233,  234,  398,  420,  457 

Bowler,  Rev.  J.  A. 

438 

Brackett,  Adino  N, 

.    131,  165,  167,  191,  194,  220.  224,  225,  267,  341 

358,  410,  416,  428,  534,  536,  538,  540,  541,  578 

Brackett,  A.  N.,  Jr .267 

Brackett,  Lieut.  James  S.        . 

138,  235,  257,  402,  410,  444 

459,  500.  550,  556,  593,  594 

Brackett,  John 

190 

Brackett,  John  Weeks   .... 

182,  412 

Brackett,  Deacon  Joseph         59,  90,  99,  loi, 

193,  262,  406, 

422,  423, 552, 553 

Brackett,  Mary      ..... 

193'  423 

Brackett,  Mary  N. 

324.  494 

Brackett,  Martha  ..... 

191 

Brackett  House,  The  Old 

•       333 

Bradley,  Sole  Survivor  of  Rogers  Rangers 

4 

Braden,  Clark        ..... 

.         98 

Brainard,  John      ..... 

121 

Bridge  Company,  The  ] 

-ancaster 

395-398 

6oo 


INDEX. 


23. 


Bridges 

Bridge,  J.  D. 

Brigham,  Tliomas 

Broolcs,  Cliapin  C. 

Brooks,  Ezra 

Brooks,  Kate  J. 

Brooks,  Sally 

Brown,  Benjamin 

Brown,  Charles  Francis 

Brown,  Chester  P 

Brown,  C.  W. 

Brown,  Edmund    .      145 

Brown,  F.  P. 

Brown,  George 

Brown,  Hope 

Brown,  James 

Brown,  J.  B. 

Brown,  Jerome  H 

Brown,  John 

Brown,  M.    . 

Brown,  Mary  E. 

Brown,  Nancy 

Brown,  RoUin  J. 

Brown,  Samuel  W. 

Brown,  Sarah  W. 

Brown,  Titus  O.      59,  60,  90 

Brown,  Wellington 

Brown,  William 

Brown,  William  J 

Bruce,  Ezekiel 

Bruce,  Phineas 

Bruce,  William 

Bryant,  George  N 

Buck,  Charles 

Buckley,  Lizzie  D 

Buckley,  Will  P. 

Bucknam,  Gen.  Edwards 


(Artemas  Ward 


=  34 


190 


385 


3^8 


386 


319 


)93 


326 


.    61-66 
339'  497.  505 


492.  495' 
418,  419.  529, 


235' 
319' 


488,  495, 
499'  505- 
53^1.  545- 


364' 


381, 


382, 


5,   ig,  20 

52,    54'    56, 
84,    87,   89,    > 
209,  212,  255, 
329,  330,  363, 
422,  539,  540, 


Bucknam,  Edwards,  Jr. 
Bucknam,  Edward  F. 
Bucknam,  Eunice 
Bucknam,  George 
Bucknam,  Grove   . 


497' 

501, 
83'  397- 

372, 
67'  358, 

59' 
59. 


339.  476, 

,   23,   25,    27,   34,  38,  39,  42 

57,    59,    60,    72,  76,    78,    82 

j8,    99,    loi,   107,   112,    193, 

262,  289,  291,  313,  325,  327, 

370,  372,  396,  403,  406,  410, 

545.  546,  547,  553,  561,  562, 


27,  549 
.    27,  28.  190 


75 


'83 


593 

35S 
470 
192 

436 
456 

499 

525 

555 

395 

189 

190 

'87' 

323 

557 

121 

498 

505 
191 

539 
374 
521 
540 
558 
558 
406 
190 
423 
540 
438 
557 
416 

539 

<    44 

.    83 

194 

328 

421 

571 

27 

550 

571 

27 

27 


INDEX. 


60 1 


Bucknani,  Dr.  John  W 
Bucknam,  Lydia 
Bucknam,  Mary 
Bucknam,  Polly 
Bucknam,  Sally 
Bucknam,  Soffia 
Bucknam,  Susanna 
Bugbee,  Dr.  Frank 
Bui  lard,  Ariel  M. 
Bui  lard,  A.  T. 
Bullard,  Jarius  T. 
Bullard,  Rachel      . 
Bullard,  Stephen   . 
Bullard,  William   . 
Bullard,  Willie  E.      244,  328 
Bunday,  David 
Bunday,  Elisha 
Bundy,  Isaac 
.Bundy,  Samuel 
Bundy,  Susannah 
Burbank,  Adino  J 
Burbank,  Daniel 
Burbank,  Hazen 
Burbeck,  W.  A. 
Burbeck,  William  Oliver 
Burgen,  Betsey 
Burgin,  John 
Burgin,  John,  2d  . 
Burgin,  Samuel 
Burgin,  Triphenia 
Burke,  Rev.  Edward 
Burley,  Cyrus  G.   . 
Burnaby,  Rev.  Sydney  A. 
Burnap,  Asa  W.    . 
Burns,  Charles  E. 
Burns,  John 
Burns,  W.  F. 
Burns,  Hon.  William 


Burnside  Brook 
Burnside,  David    . 
Burnside,  David  A. 
Burnside,  James    . 
Burnside  Meadows 
Burnside,  Capt.  Thomas 
Burt,  George 
Burton,  Azro 


395 


.  439 


67,  275 


491 


492, 


524, 


525. 


131- 


325,  478,  555 
27 

27 

[89 

27 

27 
>7,  92,  191 

33^,  478 
390,  529,  530 

437 
418,  419 
418,  419 

121,  553 
192 

552 
397 
397 
397 
547 
190 
420 
121 
121 
421 
458 
190 
558 


531,  537,  54- 


'93.  55- 


232,  234,  239,  240,  269, 
394,  444,  467,  528,  532, 

,  368,  372,  392,  509,  523, 
335.  368,  385. 


121,  553 
131 
192 
429 

449 
432 

193.  372,  535.  537 
337 
121 

459 

275-  336,  385.  393 

533.  535.  545.  593 

.       318 

527,  528,  529,  545 

398,  489.  529.  550 

87 

•       318 

318,  483,  538,  552 

557 

433 


6o2 


INDEX. 


Burton,  John  K.    . 
Bush,  George  R.   . 
Buxton,  Rev.  Edward 
Byam,  Abram 

Cady,  Charles 

Cady,  Lieut.  Joseph  C. 

Cady,  Sarah 
Cady,  Zadoc 
Cady^s  Meadow 
Cahoon,  Charles  D. 
Call,  Abbie  S. 
Cameron,  John  H. 
Campbell,  Rev.  Henry 
Carbee,  George  E. 
Carbee,  Thomas  D. 
Cargill,  Guy  C. 
Cargill,  Susan  D.  F. 
Cargill,  William     . 
Carlisle,  Thomas  . 

Carlisle,  William  T. 
Carlton,  D wight    . 
Carlton,  F.  H.       . 
Carlton,  Jonathan 
Carpenter,  Ebenezer 
Carpenter,  G.  W. 
Carpenter,  Dr.  Harry  B 
Carpenter,  Gen.  Philip 
Carr,  Jesse   . 
Carter,  Ella  . 
Carter,  Reuben  F. 
Carter,  Thomas     . 
Carter,  Zebulon 
Cass,  M.  G. 
Cass,  William  D. 
Cassady,  Frank 
Cassady,  James 
Cassady,  Michael  . 
Cassady,  Patrick   . 
Cassady,  Thomas 
Cassin,  Warren 
Caswell,  Nathan    . 
Caswell,  Nathaniel 
Cat  Bow  Tract 
Catholic  Church,  The 


129 


560 

414,  556 

427,  428 

39 


194,  267,  268,  383,  512, 
515,  527,  528,  546, 


67, 


267,  333' 


333.  364,  365.  483,  533.  537,  538, 
131,  167,  194,  203,  209,  364,  365, 
3^3,  397,  416,  509,  513,  537,  539, 
129,  267,  364, 


09,  378, 

338, 
339.  479. 
472, 


145. 


411, 


00,  5 


57, 


57, 


77,  82,  83,  87, 
185,  449- 


267 

513 
547 
427 

513 

354 
437 
502 

557 

451 
401 

C21 
36s 

445 
545 
370 
547 
547 
433 
497 
537 
557 
483 
499 
545 
547 
501 
560 
40 
121 
436 
438 
562 

557 
557 
559 
559 
122 

311 
189 

39 
450 


INDEX. 


605 


Cattle,  first  in  Lancaster 

Cave,  George  E.   . 

Cemeteries    ..... 

Census  of  Lancaster  at  Various  Periods 

Centennial  of  Settlement  of  the  Town 

Centennial  Park     . 

Chadbourne,  Benjamin  H 

Chaddock,  Bowman 

ChaiTee,  Isaac 

Chaffee,  Otis 

Chamberlain,  Rev.  E.  B 

Chamberlain,  James 

Chandler,  George  E. 

Chaney,  Rev.  George  L, 

Channing,  Rev.  George 

Chapman,  Allison 

Chapman,  Elias     . 

Chapman,  Dr.  Jedediah 

Chapman,  Katy  C. 

Chapman,  Nabby 

Chapman,  William  W. 

Charter  of  1769     . 

Charter 

Charter,  Renewal  of 

Chase,  Albert 

Chase,  Aurin  M.    . 

Chase,  Dexter 

Chase,  Horace 

Chase,  Joseph 

Chase,  Persis  F.    . 

Chase,  Simpson  E. 

Cherry,  Helen 

Cherry,  Philo  S.    . 

Chessman,  Charles 

Chessman,  Joseph 

Chessman,  R.  C.  . 

Chessman,  Richard  H. 

Chessman,  Roswell 

Chessman,  Roswell  W 

Chessman,  Silas    . 

Chessman,  Sophia 

Chessman,  Sylvanus 

Christian,  Levi  H. 
Cholera 
Church,  Levi 
Church,  Moses 


23 

338,  391 

325-328 

70,  328-340 

148,  149,  563-594 

149 

129,  481,  537,  547 

397 

539 
121 

431 

483,  484 

499 

447 
447 
560 

90.  433>  540 

190 

191 

191 

436,  547 

31 

4-1 1 

30-32 
505 
39& 
457 
486 
556 
494,  501,  502 
559 
493 

490.  493 
411 
548 

492,  560 
542 

35& 

542 

13I'  193 
191 

113,  128,  131,  181,  190,  209,  319,  375 
383,  511,  515,  540,  546,  557.  593 

121 
262 

131 

13J 


6o4 


INDEX. 


Churches 

172- 

186, 

336,  421-452 

Cilley,  M.  T. 

•       438 

Civil  List,  The 

531-543 

Clarey,  Patrick 

449 

Clark,  Alvin  J.       . 

■        542 

Clark,  Eunice 

190 

Clark,  Guy   . 

121 

Clark,  John  M.      . 

244,  537,  542 

Clark,  John  S.       . 

410 

Clark,  Rev.  Lyman 

447 

Clark,  Mindwell    . 

423 

Clark,  Morris 

269 

Clark,  Seth  . 

121 

Clark,  Solomon  B. 

121 

Clark,  Spencer 

485,  564 

^lark,  William  H. 

439,  444,  594 

Clark,  William  S. 

335,  538,  541 

Cleaveland,  Charles  A.  . 

243.  336 

394, 

395, 

491, 

492. 

+93,  535,  537,  542 

Cleaveland,  Charles  F.  . 

476 

Cleaveland,  Curtis 

■       489 

Cleaveland,  Sarah  B.      . 

493,  494 

Clement,  Enoch  N. 

557 

Clerk  of  Courts 

•       534 

Clerk  of  House  of  Representatives 

533 

Clerk  of  State  Senate 

533 

Clerks  of  the  Town 

•       539 

Clocks,  Manufacture  of  in  Lancaster 

377 

Clough,  Fred  H.    . 

496 

Clough,  Fred  R.    . 

499 

Clough,  J  ere 

121 

Clough,  Mary  M. 

•       50s 

Clough,  William    . 

.    240 

241, 

334, 

375, 

394,  395,  401,  537,  542 

Cloutman,  Joseph  B. 

496,  497,  500,  560 

Cloutman,  William 

•        558 

Coaching  Parade,  North  Side 

161-162 

Cobleigh,  Ellen  E. 

493-  495 

Cobleigh,  Erastus  V. 

337,  366,  394,  395,  487,  488,  490,  49' 
492,  493,  53°,  531,  537,  542 

Colby,  Abigail 

594 

Colby,  Benaiah 

436,  564,  593 

Colby,  Charles  F. 

32,7^  378,  482,  497,538 

Colby,  Enoch  L.   . 

2>2>7,  385 

.398 

399,  444,  528,  529,  532,  535,  538 

Colby,  Dr.  Frank  A.      . 

263,  369,  478,  482,  552 

Colby,  Fred  C. 

338,  593 

Colby,  George  H. 

369,  458 

Colby,  Gilman 

418,  419,  524 

Colby,  James 

•        557 

INDEX. 


605 


Colby,  Joseph 

Colby,  Moses 

Colby,  Rebecca 

Colby,  W.  C. 

Cold  Seasons 

Cole,  Rev.  Otis 

Cole,  S. 

Collins,  Charles 

Collins,  John 

Collins,  Winthrop 

Commissioners,  County 

Commissioners,  Fish  and  Game 

Commissioners,  State 

Concord  Gore 

Concrete  Sidewalks 

Connecticut,  Early  Settlers  from 

Congdon,  Andrew  J, 

Congdon,  F.  E.  . 

Congdon,  George  M 

Congdon,  Seneca  B. 

Connary,  John 

Con  nary,  Mary 

Connary,  Patrick 

Connary,  Simon 

Connary,  Thomas 

Conner,  Charles  E 

Conner,  Harlow 

Conroy,  Michael 

Cook,  Warren 

Coolidge,  H.  O. 

Cooper,  Moses 

Cooper,  Saunders  W 

Cods  County  Democrat  .  .226 

Coos  County 

Coos  Country 

Coos  He?'ald 

Coos  Hotel   . 

Cods  Republican     . 

Copp,  Harrison 

Corning,  B.  H. 

Corning,  Martha  A. 

Corrigan,  E.  P. 

Corson,  Levi  J. 

Corson,  William  A. 

Cossitt,  George  A. 

Costello,  John 


229 


230 


38, 


399 


23 


89-90 
38,  401,  410 


496 
39-  450.  537 


388 
325 

549 


233,  234,  267,  335,  398,  399 
335,  339,  454,  368,  453,  457 


■33, 


261 
335,  338,  454. 

272,  276, 


232,  234,  335,  336,  393, 

529,  534,  535,  536,  538, 

324, 


-  594 
559 
594 
455 

-124 

438 

395 
121 
121 
121 

535 
535 
534 

35 
150 

,  187 

,  535 

339 

,  525 

,  594 

449 

449 

,  449 

,  558 

449 

,  551 

556 

340 

483 

394 

121 

-  535 
.  459 

124 

1-17 

460 

-262 

■  457 

371 

337 

495 

505 

557 

557 

468 

550 
401 


6o6 


INDEX. 


Cotton,  George 
Cotton,  Isaac  F.    . 
Cotton,  Isaac  N.    . 
Coult,  Rev.  A.  C. 
Councilor,  State     . 
County  Commissioners 
County  Coroners  . 
County  Solicitors  . 
County  Treasurers 
Court-houses 
Couture,  Charles    . 
Cragie,  Charles 
Cram,  Celinda 
Cram,  Emeline  J. 
Cram,  Francis 
Cram,  Humphrey 
Cram,  John  . 
Cram,  Jonathan     . 
Cram,  Polly 
Crandall,  Adna      . 
Crawford,  Ethan   . 
Crawford,  Ethan  A. 
Crawford,  Gertrude  P. 
Crawford,  John  C. 
Crawford,  Hon.  John  G 
Crawford,  Maria    . 
Crawford,  Rosebrook 
Crawford,  Sally 
Crawford,  Thomas  J. 
Crawshaw,  J.  W. 
Creamer,  Rev.  Fr.  M.  J 
Crosby,  Elisha 
Crosby,  Mehitabel 
Cross,  Benjamin    . 
Cross,  David 
Cross,  Col.  Edward  E. 
Cross,  Col.  Ephraim 


Cross,  Francis  L. 
Cross,  Jeremy  L. 
Cross,  Nellie  W. 
Cross,  Gen.  Nelson 
Cross,  Col.  Richard  E. 
Culver,  Rev.  David 
Cummings,  Alexander 
Cummings,  Dr.  E.  G. 


511 

340,  500. 


190.  537 
90,  193,  262,  326. 


59,  90,  191.  193,  326,  327,  397,  536 


339 

11^  241 
179 


388, 


328,  339,  450 


195.  538 

145,  146,  148,  325,  455,  456,  457,  504,  550 

.    95,  192,  228,  333,  348,  358,  379 

406,  486,  515,  523,  527,  528,  529 

534.  537.  538,  540.  541,  546,  547 


246,  248 

267,  555 

456,  457,  555 


594 
560 

436 
438 
531 

535 
537 
535 
535 
-514 
556 
562 
191 
501 
540 
397 
131 
540 
190 
548 
334 
508 

494 
336 

.  539 

250 

.  434 
190 

515 
492 

,498 

40 

190 

121 

.  539 

.  554 

.  392 

.  532 

.  593 

551 

485 

.  249 

,581 

,556 

436 

557 

479 


INDEX. 


607 


Cunimings,  George 
Cummings,  George  A. 
Cummings,  George  W. 
Cummings,  Henry  J. 
Cummings,  James 
Cummings,  Pearl  . 
Cummings,  S.  E. 
Cumner,  Nathaniel  VV. 
Cunningham,  T.    . 
Currier,  Ezra 
Currier,  George  W. 
Currier,  John 
Currier,  Sylvanus 
Curtis,  James 
Curtis,  James  H.  . 
Curtis,  William 
Gushing,  Dr.  E.  B. 
Gushing,  Stetson  Ward 
Gushing,  W.  M.    . 
Cushman,  Elisha  . 
Cushman,  Lewis  P. 
Cutter,  Ammi  R.  . 
Cutter,  Nancy 

Daggett,  Joseph     . 

Daggett,  Roxanna 

Daggett,  William 

Daley.  John 

Dana,  Daniel 

Dana,  David 

Danforth,  H.  H.    . 

Danforth,  Rev.  L.  R. 

Danforth,  W.  R. 

Danner,  Rev.  M.  P. 

Darby,  Abijah 

Darby,  Benjamin  H. 

Darby,  Ezra 

Darby,  George 

Darby,  Isaac 

Darby,  James  H. 

Darby,  Moses 

Darby,  William 

"Dark  Year,"  The 

Darling,  Flora  Adams 

"Dartmouth  College  Lands' 

Davenport,  Eli 

Davenport,  Nathaniel  M. 


394. 


67, 


340,  388 

542 

556,  558 

552,  556 

557 

•  505 
420 
490 

338,  559 
195 
491 
192 
121 

•  77,  87 
394 
192 
480 

490,  491,  492 

325-  559 

512 

438 

32 

192 

193 

192 

40 

542 

483,  48s 

397 

395 

339.  440 
395 
450 

59.  376 
550 
413 
192 

t3i,  373,  553 
552 
191 

594 
124 
258 
[07-109 
121 
500 


6o8 


INDEX. 


Davenport,  Phineas 

Davis,  Albert  Bradley 

Davis,  G. 

Davis,  Moses 

Day,  Eliphalet 

Day,  F.  N.   . 

Day,  Morrill  C. 

Day,  N.  D. 

Day,  Oliver  P. 

Dean,  John 

Dearborn,  Reuben 

Dearth,  Jonathan 

Deaths  of  Prominent  People  from  Settlement 

Debating  Clubs 

Deering,  J.  E. 

De  Forest,  Mills 

Delegates  to  National  Political  Conventions 

Denison,  Bailey     . 

Denison,  Charles  P. 

Denison,  Henry  W. 

Denison,  John  M. 

Denison,  John  P. 

Denison,  Noyes  S. 

Denison,  Rebecca 

Denison,  Sophronia 

Denison,  Thomas 

Denison,  William 

Dentists 

Derby,  Andrew 

Derby,  Edwin  R. 

Derby,  Isaac 

Derby,  John  G.      .     457.  500'  524,  5^6,  527 

Dewey,  James 

Dewey,  Dr.  John  . 

Dexter,  Dr.  George  T. 

Dexter,  Orrin  R.  . 

Dexter,  Robert 

Diamond  Granite  Works,  Th 

Dickson,  R.  W.     . 

Dietrich,  Christian 

Dimmick,  John  E. 

Dinsmore,  Dr.  Freedom 

Dinsmore,  Sanford  E.     . 

Diphtheria     . 

Directories  of  the  Village  at  Various  Times 

Dodge,  John 

Dodge,  Luimer 


f  the 


528, 
13'- 


Fown 


131, 


529, 
261, 


till  I 


131, 
209, 


418,  419, 


850 


364, 


515' 


93- 


499,  500, 

535,  537, 

515, 

27,  537, 


-09-  537, 
479- 

418, 
510, 

530,  531,  55°,  551, 
364, 

275-  336,  383,  3S4, 
477,  479,  547, 
121, 


338, 
240, 
336. 

263 
333- 


121 

457 
492 
121 
121 

395 
557 
269 

557 
537 
437 
40 
-194 
184 
505 
483 
532 
548 
555 
458 
546 

559 
546 

427 
427 

539 

546 

-480 

577 
419 

577 
559 
547 
516 
550 

553 
340 

391 

406 

371 
537 
478 

558 
-264 
-340 

12  I 


INDEX. 


609 


Dodge,  W.  F. 
DoUofF,  Charles  L. 
Domestic  Life 
Dooley,  Fred 
Douglass,  Ira  G. 
Dow,  Alden  A. 
Dow,  Ernest 
Dow,  John    . 
Dow,  Jonathan 
Dow,  Louise 
Draper,  George 
Drew,  Holman  A. 
Drew,  Hon.  Irving  W. 


Drew,  Lizzie  F. 
Drisco,  Ralph  L. 
Druggists,  The 
Dudley,  J.  H. 
Dufoe,  Edward 
Duncan,  John 
Durgin,  Timothy 
Dustin,  Phebe 
Dyer,  Joseph 
Dyke,  "  Brother  " 

Eagan,  Michael 

Eager,  Fortunatus 

Eames,  Capt.  Jeremiah 

Eames,  Jeremiah,  Jr. 

Eames,  Rev.  Joseph 

Eames,  Lois 

Eames,  Seth 

Eames,  Thomas    . 

Early,  Michael 

Eastern  Star,  Olive  Branch  Chapter  of  the  Or 

Eastman,  Amos 

Eastman,  Edwin  F. 

Eastman,  George  V. 

Eastman,  John  C. 

Eastman,  L.  L. 

Eastman,  Nellie     . 

Eastman,  Philastus 

Eastman,  Richard 


Eaton,  Charles 
Eaton,  George  R. 
Edmunds,  Nena  H. 
39 


490, 
90,  340- 
337> 
557> 
499. 

9I'  349' 


243,  277,  336,  339,  370,  394,  395, 
402,  452,  474,  521,  532,  534,  539, 


der  of 


490, 
480- 


167,  190,  223,  225,  383, 
512,  513,  533,  535,  536, 


395 
491 

-349 
339 

558 

559 
562 

373 
558 
469 
192 
456 
401 

552 
476 
491 
-483 
395 
376 

40 
191 

93 
483 
183 


557 
59,  209 

n.  81 

562 

339,  452,  489,  491 

189 

191 

308 

559 

493-495 

I 

28, 547 

364 

488,  490 

437 
458 

593 

413,  416,  417,  428,  509 
538, 540, 541, 546, 585 

276 

311^   394,  395,  402,  535 
494 


'y:>^ 


34>  444.  5 


6io 


INDEX. 


Education     . 

, 

1 64-1 

71,  402-421 

Egypt 

319 

Ellis,  Thomas  S. 

145 

337. 

388, 

395,  490,  492,  493,  499,  500,  542,  560 

Ellis,  William  G. 

258,  388,  499.  543.  552,  557.  559 

Ellis,  W.  H. 

390 

Ellison,  Harpless 

560 

Emerson,  David    . 

413 

Emerson,  Edward 

401,  541,  542 

Emerson,  George   H. 

338,  399,  400,  401,  458,  459,  499,  500 
530.  532,  534.  539.  552,  559.  593 

Emerson,  Jacob     . 

190 

Emerson,  Richard  H.     . 

458,  560 

Emery,  Stephen     . 

•       499 

Emmons,  Rev.  Henry  V 

•       431 

English,  John 

121,  553 

Epidemics     . 

259-266 

Evans,  Albion  G. 

325.  337 

Evans,  A.  R. 

395 

Evans,  C.  H. 

492 

Evans,  C.  W. 

■       505 

Evans,  Etta  A. 

505 

Evans,  E.  W. 

•       492 

Evans,  J.       . 

401 

Evans,  M.  B. 

•        505 

Evans,  Samuel  G. 

33S.  368 

Evans,  S.  N. 

•       338 

Everett,  Drusilla   . 

191.  477 

Everett,  E.  A. 

335 

Everett  House 

332 

Everett,  Persis  F. 

192,  423,  427 

Everett,  Hon.  Richard  Clair 

34,  48,  51,  63,  94,  189,  193,  209,  215 

248,  371,  382,  396,  397,  462,  4S3,  533 

536,  538.  540,  545.  546,  553^  562,  573 

Fabyan,  Horace  G 499 

Farnham,  Dolly     . 

190 

Farnham,  Dorcas 

190 

Fai'nham,  Edwin  . 

560 

Farnham,  Elden    . 

•        505 

Farnham,  Eliza      . 

192 

Farnham,  George 

244,  38S,  537 

Farnham,  Hannah 

191 

Farnham,  Joel 

121,553 

Farnham,  John 

•        388 

Farnham,  John  M. 

560 

Farnham,  Joseph  . 

191,  193 

INDEX. 


6ll 


Farnham,  Mary     . 
Farnham,  Ransom  J. 
Farnham,  William  H.    . 
Farrar,  Tryphena 
Farrar,   Deacon  William 

Farrar,  William  H. 

Farrington,  Charles  D. 

Faulkner,  Persis    . 

P^aulkner,  Sally 

Faulkner,  Sylvester 

Faulkner,  Timothy 

Fay,  Rev.  Prescott 

Fay,  Solomon 

Federal  Appointments    .    , 

Felch,  Nathan 

Fernald,  Mary 

Fernald,  Payson  E. 

Ferries  Across  Connecticut  River 

Field,  Daniel 

Field,  John  E. 

File  Works  . 

Fires,  Main  Street 

Fire  Department    . 

Fire  Wards  . 

Fish     .... 

Fish  and  Game  Commissioners 

Fisher,  G.  C. 

Fishing 

Fisk,  Anson 

Fisk.  Frederick      .  .     158,  267 

Fisk,  Henry 

Fisk,  Orange 

Fisk,  William  C.    . 

Fitch,  Rev.  John  . 

Flanders,  James     . 

Flanders,  James  R. 

Flanders,  Joseph  W. 

Flanders,  Walter  P. 

Fletcher,  Charles  W. 

Fletcher,  Everett  . 

Fletcher,  Hiram  A.         .  .    256 

Fletcher,  Kimball  B. 

Fletcher,  Kimball  B.,  Jr. 

Fletcher,  Mira  B. 

Fletcher,  Richard 


335 


371 


131,  167,  192,  194,  407,  416, 

433.  463,  509,  534.  535. 
418, 


Z7^, 


385, 


387, 


390, 


98- 


436, 


98, 
436, 


'53 

527 
527- 


15,528, 


488,  491, 
504,  505.  534, 


505 
388 

558 

427 
427 

S37 
419 

557 
190 
192 
190 
397 
431 
40 

532 
181 

50s 
505 
100 

337 
594 
391 
-155 
-531 
-531 
311 

535 
421 
102 
267 

594 
203 

557 
335 
426 

499 
496 


336, 
335. 


339.  .394.  395.  420,  474.  497.  534. 
336,  373.  393.  394,  399.  444.  466, 
328,  337,  385,  394,  444,  525,  529, 

390. 


535 
420 

557 
545 
545 
531 
531 
473 
499,  538,  557 


6l2 


INDEX. 


Flood,  T.  L. 
Foley,  Michael  J. 
Folsom,  Alice 
Folsom,  Dr.  James  D. 
Folsom,  Susan 
Folsom,  William  A. 
Foote,  Elijah 
Forbes,  Addie  P. 
Forbes,  Charles 
Forbes,  Erastus  W. 
Forbush,  Henry  C. 
Foresters,  Catholic  Order 
Forest,   Merrill  C. 
Foshy,  George  W. 
Foshy,  Joseph 
Fort  Weare  . 
Fort  Wentworth     . 
Foster,  Maj.-Gen.  John  G. 
Foster,  Perley 
Fowle,  Susan 
Fowler,  Andrew  J. 
Fox,  Edward 
Fraternal  Societies 
Freeman,  Alonzo  P. 
Freeman,  Harmony 
Freeman,  James  S. 
Freeman,  Mercy    . 
Freeman,  Orville  E. 
Freema.i,  Porter  G. 
Freeman,  Reuben  G. 
Freeman,  Reuben  W. 
Freeman,  Sally 
Freeman,  William  P. 
French,  Charles     . 
French,  George  C. 
French,  James 
French,  John 
French,  John  J.     . 
Frickey,  John 
Frost,  Great  (1764) 
Frost,  Oliver 
Freewill  Baptists  . 
Fountain,  Benton  Memorial 
Fountain,  Kent  Memorial 
Fuller,  Calvin 
Fuller,  Fred 
Fuller,  Hezekiah    . 


33^ 


236, 


374 


336, 


383. 


478, 


489,  495,  536, 


500, 
2,37' 


483- 
27,  68, 


385,  524,  529,  549, 
427,  430,  433, 


19I'  433. 


160- 
159- 

82, 


438 
498 
497 
555 

502 

530 
485 
502 

556 
557 
340 
498 

399 

563 

556 

77 

.  19 

204 
203 
190 

557 
388 
-505 

594 
191 

551 
427 

550 
593 
564 
540 
191 

433 
562 

558 
121 
121 
483 
77 

22 

383 
452 
161 
160 
556 
562 
380 


INDEX. 


613 


Fuller,  Jeremiah    . 

Fuller,  Lemuel 

Fuller,  Luther 

Fuller,  Peter 

Furniture,  Manufacture  of 

Gage,  Rev.  David 

Gaines,  Oscar 

Game  . 

Games  in  Early  Times 

Gamsby,  George   . 

Gamsby,  John 

Gamsby,  Peter 

Gardner,  Rowse  B. 

Garland,  B.  C. 

Garland,  Eben  C. 

Gay,  Abner 

Gazette,  The  Independent 

Gazette,  The  Lancaster 

Gazette,  The  New  Hanipshh 

Geology  of  Lancaster 

Geno,  Michael 

George,  Ruth  E.   . 

George,  William    . 

Gerrish,  Samuel  J. 

Gibson,  J.  A. 

Giddings,  Tempa 

Gil  key,  H.  B. 

Gillespie,  Edward 

Gleason,  Patrick    . 

Glines,  Rev.  George  A 

Glines,  Lsrael 

Glines,  John 

Glover,  Samuel 

GofFe,  Col.  John    . 

Going,  Ashael 

Going,  Charles  A. 

Goodall,  David 

Goodrich,  George  A. 

Goodrich,  Rev.  J.  B. 

Goodwin,  Wells  . 

Going,  Dr.  Charles 

Gore,  Concord 

Gorham,  L  B. 

Gormley,  O.  J. 

Goss,  Frank 

Goss,  H.  L 


374, 


[31. 


121 
121 

121 
I  go 

557 
311 
349 
192 

83 
121 

436 

395 
;83,  444 

121 

338,  459 

459 

43 

!8l-282 

557 
427 

453 
388 

437 
190 
492 


556 
451 
2,  i7>  317 
2,  17,  317 
.   191 
34,  307 
'94,  331,  334 
546 

337 
383 
536,  451,  452 
121 

•  478 
35 

267,  379 

•  498 

•  457 
469 


6i4 


INDEX. 


Goss,  Natlianiel  . 
Goss,  Dr.  Nathaniel 
Goss,  Sarah  Ann 
Gotham,  C.  H. 
Gotham,  Lavinia  . 
Gotham,  Robert  . 
Gotham,  Ruth 
Gotham,  Samuel  . 
Gould,  Andalusia 
Gould,  Asa 
Gould,  George 
Govan,  Rev.  Andrew- 
Gove,  Ira  S.  M.  . 
Gove,  John  M. 
Governor 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
Grange,  Mount  Prospect 
Grange  Village 
Grannis,  Timothy 
Grant,  Frank  C.  . 
Grant,  F.  W. 
Grant,  Jonathan  . 
Grant,  Richard  M.  J. 
Grantees  of  Lancaster 
Graves,  C.  A. 
Graves,  H.  A. 
Gray,  Hosea 
Gray,  Joseph  M.  . 
Gray,  Reuben 
Great  Brook  '"'"^ . 
Green,  Daniel 
Green,  Elisha  B. 
Green,  Frank 
Green,  James 
Green,  Joseph  S. 
Greene,  S.  J.  ^"^-v 
Greenleaf,  A.  C.  . 
Greenleaf,  Alfred 
Greenleaf,  David  . 
Greenleaf,  Eunice 
Greenleaf,  Joseph 
Greenleaf,  Mary  . 
Greenleaf,  Nancy  . 
Greenleaf,  Sally  . 
Greenleaf,  Seth 
Greeley,  Horace,  in  Lancaster 
Griffing,  C.  L.        . 


399 


444. 


131. 


535. 


537. 


267, 


194. 


538, 


367. 


272 


394, 


476, 


121 , 
418, 


426, 

545.  555. 


499- 

383. 

505. 

39. 
499. 

444.  528, 
145. 


444. 


334,  382,  553. 


272. 
238. 


540 

477 
192 

339 
192 

553 
191 
553 
419 
267 
340 
441 

593 
269 

531 

-502 

504 

411 

145 
556 
496 
396 
559 
9 
483 
492 
529 
559 
560 

318 

439 
121 

339 
121 

53S 
457 
554 
335 
577 
192 
548 

577 
191 
191 
323 
239 
459 


INDEX. 


615 


Griswold,  Charles  L. 
Griswold,  Sarah  E. 
Guernsey,  Aaron 
Guernsey,  H.  I. 
Guernsey,  H.  J. 
Guernsey,  J.  W. 
Gun  House,  The  Old  Red 
Gunsmiths    . 
Gustin,  Polly 

Hadley,  Robert 
Hadley,  Stephen 
Hadley,  William  H. 
Hadlock,  Hezekiah  E. 
Hagerman,  Theodore 
Haines,  John  S.    . 
Hale,  Daniel 
Hale,  Ensign  Ephraim 
Hale,  Israel 
Hale,  Israel,  Jr.     . 
Hall,  Ella  F. 
Hall,  Enoch 
Hall,  Gustavus  A. 
Hall.  Henry 
Hall,  James  H.      . 
Hall,  T.  S.   . 
Hamblen,  E.  B.    . 
Hamblen,  Jacob    . 
Hamilton,  Peter    . 
Hannaford,  J.  R. 
Hannux,  Samuel    . 
Harden,  William  . 
Hardy,  James 
Hardy,  John  W.    . 
Harness- makers  and  Saddlers 
Harriman,  H.  C.  . 
Harriman,  Otis  B. 
Harriman,  William  J 
Harrington,  Rev.  Charles  E. 
Harrington,  George  L. 
Harrington,  Josiah 
Harris,  Mrs.  J.  B. 
Hart,  Joseph 
Hart,  Samuel 
Hartford,  George  A. 
Hartford,  M.  E.    . 
Hartford,  N.  W.   . 


267, 


528, 


336.367, 530 

494 

375'  394 

401 

542 

•   437 

516-517 

373 

190 

•    •   497 

334,  376 

420 

499,  559'  560 

■   558 

•   334 

40 

2 

40 

40 

502 

82 

•   554 

121 

538,  549,  550 

482 

369,  478 

335,  337 

122 

497 

131 

560 

553 

436 

378 

267,  418 

•   559 

541,594 

336,  432 

•   557 

551 

246 

325,  557 

60 

245,  537 

•   439 

3 

40,  371 

6i6 


INDEX. 


Hartford,  Stephen 
Hartford,  M.  E.     . 
Hartley,  Mary 
Hartley,  Philip 
Hartley,  William  H. 
Hartshorn,  Harry  C. 
Hartshorn,  Lilla    . 
Hartshorn,  Lydia 
Hartwell,  Betsey  . 
Hartwell,  George  F. 
Hartwell,  Rev.  Henry  H 
Hartwell,  Jonathan 
Hartwell,  Polly      . 
Hartwell,  Samuel 
Harvey,  James 
Hastings,  Moses  A. 
Hatch,  Kate 
Hatch,  Obed  S.     . 
Hatch,  W.  I. 
Hatch,  W.  W.       . 
Hatters 
Haven,  John 
Hawley,  Betsey  Libbey 
Hayes,  Benjamin 
Hayes,  Frederick  O. 
Hayes,  Harry 
Hayes,  J.  F.  C.     . 
Hayes,  Lucinda 
Hayes,  Stephen     . 
Hays,  Joanna 
Hazen,  Ann 
Hazen,  Gen.  Moses 
Hazen,  L.  T. 
Head,  Edmund 
Heath,  Nelson 
Heath,  William  H. 
Heath,  William  M. 
Hemmenway,  Clarissa 
Hemmenway,  George  B 
Hemmenway,  Joel 
Hemmenway,  Lucy 
Hemmenway,  Solomon 
Henderson,  Joseph 
Hendley,  Rev.  C.  J. 
Hendricks,  William  W. 
Heney,  Thomas     . 
Hening,  Crawford  D. 


137 


474 


194 


487, 


267, 


490, 


590, 


491. 


368,  369, 
437. 


492>  493'  534- 


383, 


540, 


193' 


194, 


505- 
458- 


338, 
378- 


04,  267, 


325- 

546,  548, 
409,  429, 
452,  494, 


388 

497 
502 
542 
542 
459 
505 
190 
191 
528 
439 
193 
190 
191 
121 
552 
494 
121 

378 
524 
-379 
193 
190 
192 

559 
562 

453 
191 

554 
194 

193 
88 

395 
483 
560 

551 
490 

427 
409 

554 
191 

541 
121 

495 
500 

498 

339 


INDEX. 

617 

Henry,  Samuel       .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .121 

Herald,  The  Prohibition 

•       459 

Herald,  The  Coos 

460 

Hetson,  William  B. 

•         ■         •       558 

Heywood,  Francis 

325.  557 

Heywood,  Henry 

336,  401,  474,  535 

Heywood,  Hon.  William 

234. 

275. 

335'  336,: 

98,  399,  451,  466,  520, 

Hibbard,  Hon.  Harry    . 

225,  420 

Hibbard,  Nat. 

•       453 

Hicks,  John 

121,  553 

Hill,  Aaron 

190 

Hill,  Charles  A.     . 

■         •         •       338 

Hill,  Edward 

•       337 

Hill,  Henry 

437,  550 

Hill,  L.          .          .          . 

•       437 

Hilliard,  Alma  P. 

.505 

Hilliard,  Charles    . 

203,  547 

Hilliard,  Emily  T. 

•       505 

Hilliard,  H.  DeF. 

•       497 

Hilliard,  Capt.  Henry  S. 

8 

9,  92 

401, 

406,  499, 

500,  505,  535,  542,  555 

Himes,  Rev.  William  Lloyd 

. 

•       452 

Hinds,  Abraham  . 

256,  462,  535,  542 

Hinds,  H.  W.       . 

.       492 

Hines,  William     . 

•       397 

Hinman,  Joseph    . 

.       326 

Hinman,  H.  B.      . 

.       492 

Hobart,  Harry 

•       547 

Hobart,  Josiah 

•       131 

Hobart,  Josiah  G. 

513,547 

Hodgdon,  Annie  J. 

•       505 

Hodgdon,   Betsey 

190 

Hodgdon,  Charles  S.     . 

541,  551 

Hodgdon,  Charles  W. 

594 

Hodgdon,  Dudley  N.,  2d 

594 

Hodgdon,  H.  G. 

•       593 

Hodgdon,  Irving  D. 

505 

Hodgdon,  John  W. 

267,  413,  541,  546 

Hodgdon,  Olivia  . 

192 

Hodgdon,  Phinehas 

90,  552 

Hodgdon,  Phineas  R. 

499,  559 

Hodgdon,  R.  L.    . 

594 

Hodgdon,  Thomas 

194 

Hodgdon,  Thomas  S. 

235,  267 

Hodgdon,  W.  C. 

•         •        505 

Hodge,  I.  A. 

•        559 

Hodge,  Joseph  E. 

•         •         •        558 

6i8 


INDEX. 


Hodge,  Joseph  K. 
Hodgson,  Rufus    . 
Hogg,  Jolin 
Holbrook,  John     . 
Holbrook,  Sheldon 
HoHdays,  In  Early  Times 
Holkins,  Olive  B. 
Holkins,  William 
Holman,  William  W. 
Holmes,  Asa 
Holmes,  Betsey    . 
Holmes,  Daniel 
Holmes,  Dorcas    . 
Holmes,  John 
Holmes,  John  M. 
Holmes,  Lemuel    . 
Holmes,  Martha    . 
Holmes,  William 
Holt,  Rev.  Kilburn 
Holton,  Edward  D. 
Holton,  Fred 
Holton,  Homestead 
Holton,  Horace  F. 
Holton,  James 
Holton,  Joseph 
Hood,  Asa   . 
Hoogs,  Edward     . 
Hooper,  Josiah 
Hopkins,  Hannah 
Hopkins,  John  M. 
Hopkins,  T.  A.     . 
Hopkins,  Thomas 
Hopkinson,  Isaac  W. 
Hopkinson,  John  H. 
Hopkinson,  Joshua 
Horan,  James 
Horn,  William 
Hoskins,  Robert 
Hosmer,  Lewis 
Hosmer,  L.  R. 
Hosmer,  Riley 
Hotels,  The 
Hotels 

American  House 

Coos 

Elm  Cottage 


19. 


370. 


176, 


59 
121 


323'  574, 
504, 
329,  332,  354, 

528,  535- 


398, 


337> 


41,  5 


145' 

198 

47,  564, 


339' 


401,  505,  531, 
338,  394, 


514- 

339,  350,  514, 
123, 


560 

335 
5'  6 

83 

121 

-207 

427 

593 
421 

397 
191 

553 
191 

121 

553 
397 
192 
512 
451 
583 
505 
514 
541 
323 
131 
192 
458 
438 
190 
516 
498 
563 
542 
529 
190 
49S 

5'3 
121 

499 
505 
?>?>7 
-517 
515 
515 
515 
516 


INDEX. 


619 


Hotels,  continued. 

Green's  Cottage 
Lancaster  House 
Stewart  House 
Temperence  House 
Williams  House 

Houghton,  Neh.    . 

Houses,  Some  Old 

Hovey,  Jonathan 

Hovey,  Paschal 

Hovey,  Richard    . 

Hovey,  Ruth  A.    . 

Hovey,  Stephen    . 

How,  Charles 

How,  Daniel 

Howard,  Leonard  W. 

Howard,  Lewis 

Howard,  Rev.  Thomas 

Howe,  Charles 

Howe,  Charles  A. 

Howe,  Daniel 

Howe,  Edward 

Howe,  George 

Howe,  Harvey 

Howe,  John  C. 

Howe,  Joseph 

Howe,  Joseph  D. 

Howe,  Lupy 

Howe,  Lydia 

Howe,  Nathan 

Howe,  Samuel 

Howe,  Selden  C. 

Hoyt,  Rev.  Benjamin  R. 

Huckins,  John 

Huggins,  William 

Hunking,  Dr.  Benjamin 

Hunking,  Benjamin  F. 


Hunnux,  Elizabeth 
Hunnux  House 
Hunnux,  Samuel    . 
Hunt,  John  . 
Hunt,  Moses  T.     . 
Hunter,  Johnson  C. 
Huntoon,  George 
Huntoon,  Greenleaf 


244 


394 


420. 


439' 


155.  157 


390,  490 


340 

304,  337,  338 
328,  416,  504,  530 


350.  436 


413,  436,  437, 
492,  504,  535,  537. 


436. 


131,  191,  238,  257,  260,  267,  336, 
444,  477,  485,  486,  533,  542,  564, 

327,  418,  419,  489,  490,  493. 

504,  516,  533,  536,  538,  564. 


13I'  191 


516 

515 
S16 
516 
516 
121 
332 
528 

550 
493 
493 
261 

40 
190 
557 
438 
447 
378 
531 
193 

60 
516 
267 
427 

593 
542 
508 
427 
43& 
397 
505 
437 
191 
I9t 
358 
593 
495 
594 
193 
335 
372 
192 

383 
337 
122 


620 


INDEX. 


Huntoon,  Willard 
Hurd,  Col.  John    . 
Hurlburt,  Silas 
Hurley,  Patrick 
Hutchins,  Alpheus 
Hutchins,  Frank  D. 
Hutchins,  G.  E.    . 
Hutchins,  J.  C. 
Hutchins,  "Mother" 
Hutchins,  Ruth  Stockwell 
Hutchins,  Stilson 

Indians 
Indian  Brook 
Independent  Gazette 
Ingerson,  C.  H.     . 
Ingerson,  Douglas 
Ingerson,  Edgar    . 
Ingerson,  Frederick 
Ingerson.  George 
Ingerson,  George  W. 
Ingerson,  John  S. 
Ingerson,  W.  E.    . 
Insects 

Insurance  Co.,  The  Coos  Mu 
Irish,  J.  C.    . 
Israels  River 


Jackson,  Alfred  L. 
Jackson,  Peyton     . 
Jackson,  Willard   . 
Jackson,  Willard  A. 
Jails 

Jacobs,  Proctor 
Jaques,  Robert 
Jaques,  Thomas    . 
Jarvis,  Edward 
Jarvis,  William 
Jenness,  John  C. 
Jenison,  Thomas   . 
Jenison,  Hopestill 
Jennison,  Samuel 
Joe,  Captain 
John,  Captain 
Johns  River  . 
Johnson,  Allen 
Johnson,  A.  T. 


tual  Fire 


121 

•  53,  72 

487 

340 

121,  192, 

553 

569 

394,  395,  452, 

474, 

521 

492 

492 

181 

1 

-183 

-4,  I 
338, 
134, 

486, 

435 

272 
181 

4-17 
317 

459 
340 
554 
538 
558 
553 

67, 

371, 
338, 
398 

511 
333 

525 

292 

-400 

421 

12,  14,  17.  6: 

..64, 

317 

• 

559 

560 

335 

559 

510 

-511 
401 
388 
388 
559 
559 

556, 

559 
191 

546, 

562 

26 

308 

308 

:,  17, 
444. 

317 
558 
594 

INDEX. 


621 


Johnson,  Daniel  T. 
Johnson,  Emily     . 
Johnson,  George  H. 
Johnson,  John 
Johnson,  L. 
Johnson,  Moses     . 
Johnson,  Samuel   . 
Johnson,  William 
Jones,  Alexander  . 
Jones,  Dr.  Dan  Lee 
Jones,  Dennis 
Jones,  Edwin  R.    . 
Jones,  Emma  F.  M. 
Jones,  Frank 
Jones,  Harry 
Jones,  Harry  H.     . 
Jones,  S.  A. 
Jones,  William  T. 
Jordan,  Hon.  Chester  B 


Jordan,  Hollis 
Jordan,  John 
Joyslin  House 
Joyslin,  Julia  J. 
Joyslin,  Levi  B. 
Joyslin,  Royal 


336, 


50, 


339. 


242, 
475. 


1 13,  129,  131,  225, 
365,  366,  370,  385, 


Joyslin,  Rev.  William  R.         .  ... 

Judges  of  Probate  .... 

Justices  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas    . 
Justices  of  the  Superior  Court  of  Judicature 
Justices  of  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court     . 


Kane,  Charles  H. 
Keeler,  S.  C. 
Kehew,  F.  A. 
Kellogg,  S.  G. 
Keir,  H.  A. 
Kellum,  Daniel 
Kellum,  Francis 
Kellum,  John 
Kenerson,  Eli 
Kenerson,  Ezra 
Kent,  Annie  O. 
Kent,  Bernice  A 
Kent,  Charles  N. 


01,  107, 
59- 

479'  494. 
134. 

557: 

394. 


243.  245,  339'  394'  395'  4i5' 
490.  532,  533'  534'  537.  539: 


545' 
227,  234,  25S,  267,  269,  331, 

393'  452'  4^7'  509'  523'  527^ 
536,  542, 
33,  418,  419. 


335'  373 


55S 
192 

505 
372 
269 

420 

539 
189 
122 
556 
554 
558 
495 
395 
339 
497 
421 

3':«> 
458 
545 

32>7 
S5& 
333 
427 
593 
335 
528 
593 
551 
533 
533 
533 
533 


557 

•  438 
455'  459 

•  438 

•  525 
449 

240,  449,  537,  542 

449 

•  554 
436 
494 
501 

160,  460,  456 


622 


INDEX. 


Kent,  Debby  A.  . 
Kent,  Col.  Edward  R. 

Kent,  Emily  Mann 
Kent,  George  N.  . 
Kent.  Col.  Henrv  O. 


Kent,  Henry  Percy 
Kent,  James  S. 
Kent,  Mary  R.      . 
Kent,  Nellie  B.      . 
Kent,  Nelson 
Kent,  Richard  P. 


i6o,  336,  338,  366 
494,  524,  525 


138,  145,  234,  236 

324.  349,  393,  395 
518,  524,  529,  532 


113,  127,  129,  131 

327,  328,  331,  333 

372,  393 


Kidder,  Amos 
Kier,  Alexander 
Kilby,  John 
Kimball,  Albert 
Kimball,  C.  E. 
Kimball,  George 
Kimball,  J.  M.      . 
Kimball,  Dr.  O.  H. 
Kimball,  R.  G.      . 
Kimball,  Thomas  H. 
King,  Charles  E. 
King,  James  A.     . 
King,  James  N.     . 
Kingsley,  E.  W.   . 
Knapp,  Joshua 
Knight,  Amaziah 
Knight,  Shepard  . 
Knip,  Harvey 
Koster,  John  S.     . 

Labare,  Joseph     , 

Labare,  Peter 

Ladd,  Fletcher 

Ladd,  Hon.  William   S 

Laforce,  Fred 

Lamb,  Caleb 

Lamkin,  Joshua     . 

Lamson,  Reuben  . 

Lancaster  Gazeite,  The 

Lancaster,  First  Settlement  of 


24; 


336 


394 


394,  395,  401,  487. 
526,  527,  530,  531 


238,  239,  240,  242, 

398,  400,  418,  454, 

533,  534,  536,  538' 

551^ 

394 


336,  366,  367, 
160,  234,  248,  255, 
335,  336,  337,  365, 
394,  397,  452,  524. 


595' 


472, 


513, 


93,  445 
490,  491,  493 

545,  593,  594 

160 

328,  496 

244,  245,  306 

473,  487,  499 

543,  545,  549 

554,  591,  593 

395,  398,  476 

145,  560 

415,416 

494 
398,  444,  594 
267,  269,  275 
366,  367,  370 
528,  529,  593 

437 
562 
191 
246 
338 
483 
378 
480 

594 
203 

05,  556 
558 
556 

459 
122 

J2I,    553 

yoi^  373,  436 
558 
338 


504, 5 


339' 
533, 


18 


122 
460,  474 

535,  537 

•       338 

436 

87 

423 

257,  339 

.  172-173 


INDEX. 


623 


Lancaster,  Grantees  of  . 
Lancaster  House    .... 
Lancaster,  Location  of  . 
Lancaster  Manufacturing  Co. 
Lancaster,  Organization  of  the  Town  of 
Lancaster,  Relocation  of  Boundaries  of 
Lands,  Original  Allotment  of 
Lancaster  Public  Library,  The 
Lane  Brothers'  Clothing  Co. 
Lane,  Eben 
Lane,  G.  A. 
Lane,  George  W. 
Lane,  Gorham 
Lang,  Andrew  J. 
Lang,  David  R. 
Lang, John 
Langdon, John 
Langworthy,  R.  M 
Lapointe,  Louis 
Largy,  Marquis 
Larkin,  Charles  A 
Larned,  Abel 
Larned,  Abijah 
Larned,  David 
Larson,  Peter 
Lary,  Joseph 
Laton,  Abigail 
Lawson,  David 
Leary,  Michael 
Leavens,  Abel 
Leavens,  Abel,  Jr 
Leavens,  Fanny 
Leavens,  Francis 
Leavenworth,  B.  M 
Leavitt,  Eugene 
Lee,  Charles 
LeGro,  Amos 
LeGro,  Abigail 
LeGro,  David 
LeGro,  Eliza 
LeGro,  Eunice 
LeGro,  Hannah 
LeGro,  James 
LeGro,  Dr.  Samuel 
LeGro,  Samuel  H.  .  .  .  276,  323, 

490.  535. 


192, 


28, 


518- 
371- 


245. 
67,  358, 


537.  541 


436, 


238,  541, 

180,  192,  234,  236,  240, 

325,  386,  387,  394,  395,  439, 

536,  541,  542,  550,  551,  593, 


9 

515 

28 

338 
38 
28 
36 

■521 
•372 
191 

492 

537 
428 

558 
420 

383 
179 

496 
558 
498 
559 
.85 
,  77 

77 
558 
558 
191 

40 
560 
192 
548 
192 
192 
525 
495 
388 

593 
192 

325 
191 
192 
192 

594 
477 
487 

594 


624 


INDEX. 


Leith,  Dr.  W.  H. 
Leonard,  Benjamin  F. 
Lessard,  Rev.  H. 
Lewis,  Alden 
Lewis,  Lieut.  John  G., 
Lewis,  Horatio  O. 
Libbey,  Henry  C. 
Lilley,  Alexander 
Lincoln,  Luke 
Lindsey,  Carrie  B. 
Lindsey,  Freeman 
Lindsey,  John 
Lindsey,  John  M. 
Lindsey,  Ned  A.    . 
Lindsey,  Nelson  B. 
Lindsey,  Samuel   . 
Lindsey,  Wallace  . 
Lindsey,  William  W. 
Linscott,  Fred  S. 
Little,  Rev.  E.  P. 
Little,  VVheelock  H. 
Livermore,  Judge  Arthur 
Localities,  Names  of 
Locke,  John  H.     . 
Long,  Henry 
Long,  Timothy 
Loomis,  John 
Lord,  John   . 
Lord,  Samuel  A.  . 
Lome,  James  S.    . 
Lotcher,  Edward  . 
Lougee,  M.  B. 
Lovejoy,  Abiel 
Lovejoy,  Artemas 
Lovejoy,  George    . 
Lovejoy,  John  W. 
Lovejoy,  Prescott 
Lovejoy,  Hon.  William 

Lovewell,  Nathan 
Loyne,  Rev.  W.  A. 
Lynds,  Ziba 
Lucas,  Frank  M.    . 
Lucas,  George  W. 
Lucas,  Harvey  H. 
Lucas,  James  S.     . 


155 


271 


72, 


401, 


138, 


339. 


325^ 

252,  325'  555^ 
325^ 


444>  516,  5 


338.  497, 
32, 
!i6. 


55' 


411,  412,  540. 
131^ 


232,  267,  430,  528,  535, 
548, 

131,  167,  190,  194,  397,  416,  485,  492 
531,  534,  536,  538,  539.  540,  541, 

59. 


122 

558 

325 


479 
337 
450 

558 
558. 

559 
276 
560 
40 
516 
557 
529 
550 
516 

557 

122 

68 
538 
542 
452 
492 
512 
-320 

383 
560 

498 
203 

43& 
420 

558 
559 
492 
541 
513 
439 
539 
550 
,510 

593 
189 

492 
131 
556 
553 
559 
558 


INDEX. 


62  i 


Lucas,  John 
Lucas,  Levi  . 
Lyman,  Dr.  Eliphalet 
Lyon,  William  E. 

Macomber,  Thomas 
Magoon,.  Garvin  R. 
Mahoney,  Daniel  . 
Mahurin,  Ephraim 
Mahurin,  Ephraim  H. 
Mahurin,  W.  C.     . 
Mails,  The  . 
Mann,  Benjamin    . 
Mann,  John 
Manning,  E.  T.     . 
Manufacturing,  First 
Marble,  Samuel 
Marden,  Fanny 
Marden,  George  W. 
Marden,  James 
Marden,  Warren    . 
Marriages,  Some  Early 
Marsh,  Elwyn  R. 
Marsh,  Sylvester   . 
Marshall,  Anderson  J. 
Marshall,  Antipas  P. 
Marshall,  Caleb     . 
Marshall,  Daniel  R. 
Marshall,  Emma    . 
Marshall,  Gilbert  A. 
Marshall,  Joseph  C. 
Marshall,  Kate  M. 
Marshall,  Rev.  Moody  P. 
Marshall,  Washington  D. 
Marshall,  William 
Martin,  An  Early  Hunter 
Martin,  George  A, 
Martin,  James 
Martin,  Moses 
Martin  Meadovi^      . 
Martin  Meadow  Pond 
Martin,  Rebecca    . 
Mason,  David  G. 
Mason,  Hon.  David  H 
Mason,  John 
Mason,  Oren 
Masonic  Lodge 
40 


234 


335 


68 


337 


i3i> 


374 


261, 


376, 


477. 


485. 


393^ 


244. 


i94> 


486, 


394, 


414, 


406, 


113- 


524, 


504- 


235, 


428, 


547 

190 

492, 

538,  547 

496,  499 

421 

489 

491,492 

•   557 

131, 

193,  209 

537 

•   458 

254-259 

40 

•   314 

•   437 

-130 

,  369-391 

40 

192 

•   557 

192 

436,  541 

594 

189-192 

•   563 

420 

528 

529,  537 

377 

.  82,  87 

490 

•   494 

505 

537,  542 

388,  594 

494 

236 

388,  536 

494,  495 

•   195 

•   316 

337,  378 

•   557 

191 

.   316 

316-317 

.   191 

•   538 

565,  567 

547, 

548,  550 

548,  549 

483-495 

626 


INDEX. 


Matliews,  Joseph   . 
Mathews,  Joseph  P. 
Matliews,  W.  S.    . 
McCaffrey,  Owen  F. 
McCaffrey,  Patrick 
McCaffrey,  Philip  . 
McCaffrey,  Timothy 
McCarten,  James  . 
McCarten,  Robert 
McCarten,  WilHam  H. 
McCarthy,  Henry 
McClintock,  J.  H. 
McCIintock,  Wilham  R 
McCormic,  Martin 
McDonald,  Samuel  S. 
McGinley,  Thomas 
McGoff,  Isaac 
McGraw,  J.  E. 
McHugh,  M. 
Mclntire,  Charles  E. 
Mclntire,  Dorothy 
Mclntire,  Eben 
Mclntire,  Edward 
Mclntire,  Edward  B, 
Mclntire,  Emmons 
Mclntire,  Eunice 
Mclntire,  Irving 
Mclntire,  Jacob 
Mclntire,  James 
Mclntire,  James  E 
Mclntire,  Jane 
Mclntire,  John 
Mclntire,  John,  JV 
Mclntire,  Laura 
Mclntire,  Mary 
Mclntire,  Mercy 
Mclntire,  Olive 
Mclntire,  Sallie 
Mclntire,  Samuel 
Mclntire,  Sarah 
Mclntire,  Silas 
Mclntire,  Susan 
Mclntire,  Susie 
Mclntire,  William 
McKellips,  Nellie 
McKoy,  William 
McMahon,  John    , 


328 


,  488 


491 


92 


493 


181 


499 


500, 


191, 


267 

557,  559 
496 

498 
557 
558 


240,  337.  339, 
243,  395,  53°,  531, 
525, 


535, 


539,  542,  557, 


92,  541,  550, 
412,  414,  504, 

194,  338-  383^  414, 


67,  436,  541 


537 
537 
535 
559 
499 
499 
557 
560 

498 

563 

339 

52s 

594 

92 

92 

92 

541 

92 

92 

505 

553 

551 

505 

92 

553 

92 

92 

92 

92 

190 

92 

593 
192 

541 
92 

497 
92 
502 
436 
559 


INDEX. 


627 


McNally,  C.  T.     . 
McRae,  Patrick     . 
McRae,  Frank 
Meacham,  A.  B.   . 
Melcher,  Edward 
Mellen,  James 
Memorial  Day 
Mercbandise,  First  Stocks  of, 
Merchants,  The     . 
Mercantile  Pursuits,  The  Vai 
Meeting-house,  The  Old 
Merriam,  Joseph  W. 
Merriam,  William 
Merrill,  Carrie  B. 
Merrill,  Dudley      . 
Merrill,  Oliver 
Merrill,  Capt.  Peter 
Merrill,  Seneca  S. 
Merry,  Charles  O. 
Meserve,  John  H. 
Meseive,  John  L. 
Meserve,  William 
Messer,  Frederick  G, 
Messer,  Lucy 
Metallak  (Indian) 
Metcalf,  Jonathan 
Methodists,  The  Early 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
Miles,  Daniel 
Millette,  M.  J.       . 
Military  History  of  the  Town 
Millerite  Excitement,  The 
Mills,  Appropriations  for 
Mills,  "Cloth"     . 
Mills,  First  . 
Mills,  Grist  and  Saw 
Mills,  Lands  Set  Apart  for 
Mills,  Starch 
Miner,  Thomas 
Mitchell,  Dr.  Ezra 
Mitchell,  William 
Moderators  . 
Molineaux,  W. 
Monahan,  Edward  M 
Monahan,  James   . 
Monahan,  James  A. 
Monahan,  James  M. 


Brou 


eht  to  Town 


-113 

444, 


131^ 


194, 


The 


336, 


339- 


394, 


395' 


452, 


334, 


479-  5 


395 
563 
563 
338 
267.  335,  2,2>7 
122 
199 
26,  1 12,  363 

363-369 
129,  363-369 
506-509 

454,  549,  550 
122 

475 
192 
192 
512 
394 
558 
436 
558 

418,  419 
348,  378,  547 
192 

309,  310 

•  558 
179-181 
434-440 

40 

339' 498 

543-563 

452 

42 
334,  371 

•  96-97 
336,  379-384 

•  .  2>3> 
387-389 

190 

00,  545,  556 

191,  547 

538-539 

26 

•  498 
530.  537 

245,  498,  537 
498,  525 


628 


INDEX. 


Monahan,  John 
Monahan,  John  G. 
Monahan,  M. 
Monahan,  Martin  A. 
Monahan,  Martin  J. 
Monahan,  Matthew 
Monroe,  Polly 
Montgomery,  Charles 
Montgomery,  L. 
Moody,  George 
Moody,  Thomas  P. 
Moody,  William 
Mooney,  Capt.  James 
Mooney,  John 
Moor,  Polly 
Moore,  Ann 
Moore,  Betsey 
Moore,  Blanche  A. 
Moore,  Coffin 
Moore,  Comfort 
Moore,  Eliza 
Moore,  Fanny 
Moore,  George  W, 
Moore,  Harmony 
Moore,  Harry 
Moore,  Harvey 
Moore,  Herberta 
Moore,  Jacob  B. 
Moore,  J.  B. 
Moore,  John 
Moore,  John  C. 
Moore,  John  L. 
Moore,  John  W 
Moore,  Joseph  B. 
Moore,  L.  F. 


Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 
Moore, 


Louisa 

Martha 

Martha  P 

Mary 

Mary  Jane 

Nancy 

Nathanie 

Peggy 

Sally 

Sarah  Ann 

William     . 


63, 
394, 


191, 
416, 


242, 


59^ 


93' 
487, 


94- 


43,  337 


338 
67,  325 


9^373 


267 


492, 
122, 


62,  375,  383 

267,  548, 

245,  394,  416,  487,  524,  525,  531, 

122, 
541,  548, 

241,  323,  338,  370,  377-  385,  394- 
399,  444,  487,  489,  490,  495, 


7, 


52,  59,  90,  94,  131,  192,  414,  509,  548 


560 
560 
526 

449 
498 

.  537 
190 
388 
269 
.  391 
.  559 
513 
134 
558 
190 
192 
191 

494 
412 
191 
407 
191 

554 

427 

122 

553 

495 

553 

594 

594 

559 

537 

553 

549 

398 

594 

192 

191 

192 

192 

431 
192 
122 
191 
191 
427 
593 


INDEX. 


629 


Moore,  William  Weeks 

Morgan,  Erasmus  B. 

Morgan,  George  W. 

Morrill,  A.  W.      . 

Morrill,  William  W. 

Morrison,  Rev.  J.  B. 

Morse,  B.  C. 

Morse,  Charles 

Morse,  E.  B. 

Morse,  E.  L. 

Morse,  Florence 

Morse,  Frederick 

Morse,  George  H 

Morse,  Horace  F 

Morse,  J.  H. 

Morse,  J.  M. 

Morse,  John  W. 

Morse,  Kimball  A 

Morse,  Shepard 

Morse.  Thomas 

Moultoh,  Benjamin  F. 

Moulton,  Deborah 

Moulton,  George  V. 

Moulton,  Henry  H. 

Moulton,  James     . 

Moulton,  John  W. 

Moulton,  Joseph  . 

Moulton,  Orville  R. 

Moulton,  William 

Mount  Pleasant 

Mount  Prospect     . 

Mount  Washington 

Mount  Willard 

Mountains,  Presidential  Range  of 

Mudge,  Ebenezer 

Mudgett,  Samuel  S. 

Muster  Days 

Nash,  Samuel 

Nash,  Timothy 

Nash,  Timothy,  Jr. 

Nash  and  Sawyer's  Location 

Nash  Stream 

Neel,  Hughbastis 

Nesbit,  James 

Nevins,  James 

Newell,  Rev.  W.  W. 


19 


23>  39 


54 


372, 

513 

437 

499- 

557 

383- 

390 

421 

448, 

521 

504, 

505 

378 

505 

505 

505 

558 

505 

145, 

560 

505 

499 

557 

560 

122 

553 

335. 

373 

559 

191 

338 

496 

558 

557 

557 

267 

557, 

560 

54 

.  12,  92 

12,  92, 

318 

14 

318 

12-13,  14 

122 

444 

200 

-204 

77 

55,  ?,i7^ 

318 

380 

22,  60, 

317 

317 

II 

122 

32 

447 

630 


INDEX. 


New  Hampshire  Gazette 

Newman,  John  F. 

Newmarsh,  Joseph 

Newspapers,  The 

Newspapers,  The  First 

Nickerson,  George  H.    . 

Noisseaux,  Rev.  Fr.  Isadore 

Noonan,  P.  .  . 

Norris,  George  S. 

Norris,  G.  W. 

Norris,  James 

Northern  N'ews,  The 

North  Side  Coaching  Parade, 

Norton,  G.  A. 

Notton,  Margaret 

Nourse,  Fred  H.   . 

Nourse,  J.  B. 

Noyes,  Charles  C. 

Noyes,  Clara  I. 

Noyes,  F.  W. 

Noyes,  Gertrude   . 

Noyes,  Hohnan  H. 

Noyes,  Ira  G. 

Noyes,  Rev.  James 

Noyes,  J.  B. 

Noyes,  Jennie  M. 

Noyes,  Lieut.  Parlter  J. 

Nutter,  Charles  A 

Nutter,  Charles  E 

Nutter,  Charles  F 

Nutter,  Ida  R. 

Nutter,  Jason  F. 

Nutter,  Joseph  L. 

Nutter,  Oliver 

Nutter,  Samuel  O 

Nutting,  Harvey 

O'Brion,  C.  C. 
Ockington,  B.  B. 
Ockington,  John  S. 
Odell,  Luke 
Odell,  William  A. 
Odd  Fellows,  The 
OTlanigan,  Michael 
Olcott,  Barzillai  S. 
Olcott,  Dr.  Brainerd  T. 
Oleson,  Herman  E. 


H. 


The 


324, 


337 


482, 


483, 


490, 


491 


496, 


23s 


43 
560 

32 
452-460 
132,  452 

557 
328,  336,  450 

•  498 
340 

•  438 

436 

460 

161-162 

492 

192 

491,  492 

496 

542 

.       SOI 

492 

494,  497 

497.  525 

504,  505 

336,  438 
492 
505 

499'  500.  556 

•  337 

•  559 

•  557 
.       475 

549'  550 
337 
542 

557 
374 


258,  368,  529, 


395.  492 

233 

490,  495 

560 

421 

336,  495-496 
•        558 

337'  391 

480,  499 

491 


INDEX. 


631 


Olin,  C 

Orr,  Benjamin 

Orr,  Stephen 

Orthodox  Congregational  Church, 

Osbourne,  Adam  . 

Osbourne,  H.  T.  . 

Osbourne,  William 

Osgood,  Abner 

Osgood,  Rev.  George    . 

Otis,  Ezra     .... 

Otter  Brook 


Padelford,  Peter 
Padelford,  Philip 
Page,  Abigail 
Page,  Amasa 
Page,  Caleb  . 
Page,  David 


The   . 

38, 

4,  5,  6,  8,  18,  19,  2 
39,  42,  54,  57,  59 
195,   198,  291,  313 


Page,  David,  Jr. 
Page,  Elijah 
Page,  Fred  W. 
Page,  Harlan  W. 
Page,  Harriet 
Page,  Jack    . 
Page,  Joel 
Page,  John    . 
Page,  Maria 
Page,  Mary  . 
Page,  Moses 
Page,  Orasmus 
Page,  Rachel 
Page,  Ruth  . 
Page,  Samuel 
Page,  Susannah 
Page,  William 
Paine,  S.  E. 
Palmer,  Charles  S 
Palmer,  Nelson 
Palmer,  O.  C. 
Paper  Mills,  The 
Paris     . 

Parker,  Charles 
Parker,  John  L. 
Parker,  Levi  H. 


6,  19,  22 


437 

59 
122 

421-433 

•  °S58 

339 

.        388 

n^  539'  553 

246,  447 

190 

.       3'8 

•  383 

•  383 
190 

•  554 
180 

o,  21,  22,  23,  25,  26,  27,  28,  29,  33,  38 

,  71,  75,  85,  86,  89,  97,  100.  112,  194 

325.  Z^l>^  379'  380,  41O'  422,  533,  538 

539,  540,  568,  571 

3,  39,  53,  194,  539,  552,  568,  571 

193 
491,  492 

421 
. -       .        192 

190 
131,  181,  193 

•  553 
191 

418,  419,  482 

195'  325.  539'  553 

193 

193 

24'  44.  571 

11^  86,  553 

21 

40,  513 

395 

528 

•  558 
421 

385-387 
319 

•  558 

•  457 
490,  491,  492,  499,  500,  525,  526,  556 


59-8 


2,  85 


87' 


o,  22 


632 


INDEX. 


Parks,  David           .... 

340 

Parks,  John             ...........        340 

Parks,  The  Public          ..........         322-325 

Parsons,  Hezekiah  B.     .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          .          -535 

Parsons,  J.  I.         .........          .        395,  483 

Party,  American    ...........        233 

Party,  Abolitionist         .......          227,  228-229,  230 

Party,  Democratic          .          .         217,  218,  221,   222,  225,  227,  228,  229,  230, 

231,  23s,  237,  238,  240,  242,  244,  245 

Party,  Federalist 

216,  217,  218, 219 

Party,  Free  Soil     .... 

227,  228, 232,  234 

Party,  Greenback 

241,  242 

Party,  Independent  Democrats 

227,  230,  234 

Party,  Know-nothing 

232,  233 

Party,  Labor  Reform 

237 

Party,  National  Republican     . 

220 

Party,  Prohibition 

237,  241,  242,  244,  245 

Party,  Republican           .          .    216,  217,  230,  233,  234,  235,  237,  242,  244,  245 

Party,  Whig           .          .          .    220,  223,  224,  225,  227,  228,  230,  231,  232,  234 

Parties,  Political    ..........         211-246 

Pasko,  Wesley  W.           .          .          . 

458 

Pattee,  John  C 

395,491,492 

Patterson,  Rev.  G.  W. 

472 

Paul,  James  ..... 

54 

Payne,  Josiah        .... 

337 

Peabody,  Alice      .... 

494 

Peabody,  F.  D 

.      ■    .         .         .525 

Peabody,  Frank     .... 

340,  494 

Peabody,  Joseph    .... 

191 

Peabody,  Luella  E.         .          .          . 

494,  495 

Pearson,  Isaac        .... 

•        383 

Pearson,  Joseph,  Jr.       . 

191 

Pearson,  Samuel  A.        .     131,  167,  191 

194, 

256, 

257>  333'  383-  407,  416,  463 

Pearson,  William  .... 

436 

Peaslee,  Sydney  H. 

559 

Peavy,  George  S.  . 

505 

Peavy,  Ida  M.        . 

505 

Peavy,  J.  S. 

414,  459.  460,  504,  505 

Peck,  William        .... 

436,  437 

Perkins,  Adeline    .... 

•       435 

Perkins,  Apollos    .... 

225,  366,  452,  453,  527 

Perkins,  Daniel      .... 

122,435,553 

Perkins,  David       .... 

•       397 

Perkins,  Elmira     .... 

192 

Perkins,  F.  H 

499'  558 

Perkins,  George  W.        . 

•  131. 

194. 

267,  334,  37I'  539'  546,  548 

INDEX. 


633 


Perkins,  James 

Perkins,  Jefferson 

Perkins,  John 

Perkins,  J.  R. 

Perkins,  Manasah 

Perkins,  Paul 

Perkins,  Sumner   , 

Perkins,  W.  C. 

Perry,  Caroline 

Perry,  Rev.  Clark 

Perry,  Rev.  David 

Petition  for  New  County 

Petition  on  Making  of  Roads 

Pettingill,  Erastus 

Peverly,  Joseph 

Peverly,  Thomas 

Phelps,  C.  D. 

Phelps,  Eleazer 

Phelps,  Lavina 

Phelps,  Samuel 

Philbrook,  Greenleaf  C 

Philbrook,  Henry 

Philbrook,  Jabez  D. 

Philbrook,  Samuel 

Philbrook,  Walter 

Phillips,  Jennie 

Phillips,  Martha 

Phillips,  Theodore 

Phipps,  J.  S. 

Physicians,  The 

Pierce,  Ashvel 

Pierce,  Elizabeth  S. 

Pike,  Col.  James 

Pike,  W.  W. 

Pinkham,  Daniel 

Pinkham,  Daniel  C. 

Pinkham,  Mary 

Pixley,  Orange 

Plaisted,  Charles 

Plaisted,  Harris  M. 

Plaisted,  Leland  H 

Plaisted,  Samuel    . 

Poets  of  Lancaster 

Political  History  of  the  Town 

Pollard,  Perry  W. 

Poor,  Peter  . 

Porter,  Abel 


336 


337 


398, 


399 


417. 


130. 


T22,    190, 
131.    134, 

558, 
418, 
429, 

•  57 

82,  83, 
82, 


423,  433^ 
131,  192,  436, 


90,  131 
59,  90,  10 1 


420, 


233. 


444, 


235,  2 


523.  5 


476. 
377, 


458,  490, 
418, 


36,  536, 


246- 
21 1- 

24,  527, 


553 
554 
554 
492 
492 

558 
559 
492 
419 

429 

442 

49 
,  59 
437 
215 

193 

459 
181 

423 

483 
548 
191 

547 
373 
191 
502 

427 
122 

492 
-480 

525 
502 

438 
492 
122 

534 
419 
122 
541 
555 
457 
180 

-254 
-246 

528 
82 

375 


634 


INDEX. 


Porter,  Edna 

Porter,  Emily 

Porter,  E.  W. 

Porter,  Henry  H. 

Porter,  Horace  R. 

Porter,  Lewis  C. 

Porter,  Loring  B. 

Porter,  Mary 

Porter,  R.  H. 

Porter,  Warren      .  .  .    131,  191,  334 

Porter,  W.  R. 

Postmasters  of  the  Town 

Post-offices 

Post  Riders,  Early 

Potash 

Potter,  Benoni 

Pound  Keepers,  The 

Pounds,  The  Town 

Powers,  Capt.  Peter 

Powers,  James 

Powers,  Jonas 

Powers,  R.    . 

Powers,  Thomas 

Pratt,  Alfred  C. 

Pratt,  Levi    . 

Praught,  P.   . 

Preceptors  of  Lancaster  Academy 

Presidential  Electors  from  Lancaster 

Presidents  of  State  Senate  from  Lancaster 

Prices  of  Produce  at  Various  Periods 

Prince,  W.  H.  N. 

Prohibition  Herald 

Proprietors,  First  Meetings  of 

Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  The 

Prospect  Farm 

Prouty,  Caleb 

Public  Buildings    . 

Purington,  William 

Purtle,  Michael      . 

Puryea,  John 

Putnam,  Mary 

Putnam,  Roswell  . 

Putnam,  William  C. 


Quakers  in  Lancaster 
Ouimby,  Ivan  W. 
Ouimby,  Moses 


338 


401 


335 


453 


375, 


459, 


525, 


392, 


418, 
336,  494, 
336, 
267,  323, 
526,  542,  593, 


523^ 


118, 


128- 


27,  528, 

56,  542- 
254, 

25-126, 


336, 


427 
476 
419 
530 
53° 
366 

594 
494 
394 
593 
374 
-543 
258 
256 

369 
122 
1 1 1 
1 1 1 

2 

554 
542 


•  525 
559 

122,  553 

•  498 
420-421 

531-532 

533 

9'  143.  'hl^ 

490 

459 
39 

85.  451-452 
14 

122 

334 
■hn 
498 
557 
192 

436 
559,340 


452 
490,  491,  493, 530 

n 


INDEX. 


635 


Rafferty,  Frank,  Jr. 

Railroads 

"  Raisings,"  in  Early  Times 

Rangers,  Rogers   . 

Ranlet,  Levi  F. 

Rathbone,  Albert 

Ray,  Edward 

Ray,  Martin 

Ray,  Hon.  Ossian 


Readfield,  Anthony  C. 

Reading  Rooms,  The     . 

Rebekah  Lodge,  No.  56 

Records,  Proprietors,  Lost 

Recruiting  Officers,  during  War  of 

Reed,  Joseph  C.    . 

Reed,  Josiah 

Reed,  Mark 

Register  of  Deeds 

Register  of  Probate 

Remick,  Alfred  E. 

Remick,  D.  R.      . 

Renold,  Jacob 

Reporter  of  Supreme  Court 

Representatives  in  General  Court 

Reptiles,  The 

Revolutionary  War,  The  Period  of 

Rhodes,  Eldad  A. 

Rhodes,  Fenner  M. 

Rhodes,  Freedom  M. 

Rhodes,  William  H. 

Ricard,  Truman    . 

Rice,  Rev.  Geo.  M. 

Rice,  Silas    . 

Rich,  Spaulding  S. 

Richardson,  Rev.  C.  W 

Richardson,  Francis 

Richardson,  Fred  E. 

Richardson,  Henry 

Richardson,  H.  R. 

Richardson,  N.  H. 

Richardson,  Gen.  R.  M 

Richardson,  Will  A. 

Richey,  Frank  E. 

Richey,  W.  K.      . 

Rindge,  Isaac 

Rines,  P. 


236,  237,  241 
444,  471.  53ii 


Rebellion 


136-137,  141-142,  266 

204- 


527- 


242,  272,  323,  336,  390,  394, 
532,  535'  536,  545,  555>  566, 


521- 
496 


40 


334 


143' 


2,Z7^ 


336, 


371, 


69 


430, 


374, 


536- 
288- 

88,  187, 
558, 
335> 

25,  538, 


443,  445^ 


337, 

499. 
374. 
433,  524- 
204, 


559 

-278 
-206 

,  15 

548 
122 
460' 
122 
395 
594 
122 
-522 

-497 
21 

145 
337 
121 

55» 
535 
534 

505 
496 

558 
533 
-537 
-289 
561 

499 
541 
555 
336 
420 

447 
40 

559 
429 
515 
374 
505 
555 
530 
323 
515 
497 
515 
30 
49& 


62,6 


INDEX. 


Rines,  Samuel 
Rines,  Webster  M. 
Rix,  Hon.  James  M. 

Roads 

Roberts,  Burleigh 
Roberts,  Emma  F. 
Robertson,  Mary 
Robertson,  Robert  H. 
Robinson,  Albro  L. 
Robinson,  George 
Robinson,  Increase 
Robinson,  Jedediah 
Roby,  Abbie  L.     . 
Roby,  Charles  W. 
Roby,  Clara  A.      . 
Roby,  Ephraim  C. 
Roby,  John  S. 
Roby,  Joseph 
Roby,  Joseph,  Jr. 
Rogers,  Abram 
Rogers,  Charles  E. 
Rogers,  Dr.  Geo.  O. 
Rogers,  Isaac  L. 
Rogers,  John 
Rogers,  Robert     . 
Root,  C.  A. 
Rosebrook,  A.  J. 
Rosebrook,  Ariel 
Rosebrook,  Charles 
Rosebrook,  Eleazer 
Rosebrook,  Irena 
Rosebrook,  James 
Rosebrook,  Jonathan 
Rosebrook,  John 
Rosebrook,  John,  Jr. 
Rosebrook,  Lillian 
Rosebrook,  Louisa  T. 
Rosebrook,  Lucius  M. 
Rosebrook,  Lydia 
Rosebrook,  Polly 
Rosebrook,  Sarah 
Rosebrook,  Uriel 
Rosebrook,  William 
Rosebrook  House 
Ross,  James 
Kound,  Hiram  J. 


i3i>  335.  336,  355,  375-  383.  389. 
335.  32,(>^  375.  383.  389.  524, 
226, 229,  231,  232,  234,  368, 

454.  455.  513.  532,  533.  534, 
38,  40,  53-69 

394.  395. 
494. 


233. 


234. 


385. 


444, 


528, 


479.  490.  5 


534.  545. 

557. 


!,  490,  491, 

535. 
267, 


62, 


20, 


4.  5 


59. 
77,  99. 


59>  423. 


90.  397. 
51. 


)35. 


528 
528 
407 
536 
,96 
534 

495 
191 
1 22 

559 
560 

335 
122 

494 
386 
494 
494 
539 
385 
459 
122 

558 
594 
421 
40 
.  IS 
525 
340 

131 

333 
553 
190 

553 
190 
540 
59 
497 
505 
528 

423 
190 

423 
540 

537 
333 
559 
559 


INDEX. 


^17 


335 


Rounds,  Harrison  E. 
Rounds,  Samuel    . 
Rowe,  Elihu  T.    . 
Rowell,  Amos  F. 
Rowell,  Dr.  Charles  E 
Rowell,  Charles  H. 
Rowell,  D.  E. 
Rowell,  Emily 
Rowell,  Geo.  P.    . 
Rowell,  James  M. 
Rowell,  Levi  W. 
Rowell,  Martha  A. 
Rowell,  Nellie 
Rowell,  Samuel 
Rowell,  William 
Rowell,  William  L.    32 
Rowell,  William  L.,  ]x 
Russell,  Robinson  Y. 
Ryan,  Thomas 


Samp 

Sampson,  Mary     . 

Sampson,  Williani 

Sanborn,  Abram  . 

Sanborn,   Edmund 

Sanborn,  Rev.  Jacob 

Sanborn,  John 

Sanborn,  Richard 

Sanderson,  Henry  H. 

Sanderson,  Israel 

Sanford,  John 

Sargent,  John 

Sash,  Door,  and  Blind  Factories 

Saunders,  Elizabeth 

Saunders,  John 

Savage,  Ann  I. 

Savage,  Cyrus 

Savage,  Edward  . 

Savage,  Franklin  . 
Savage,  Hiram 
Savage,  Jason  W. 
Savage,  John 
Savage,  John  W. 
Savage,  Seth 
Sawyer,  Benjamin 
Sawyer,  Dies 


339 


487 


490 


233. 


493. 


499' 


525. 


•  558 
267 

420 

339,  459,  460,  497 
458,  479 

•  45S 
340,  488,  491 

521 

14,  401,  459,  521 

336,  535 

457.  458 

493,  494 

•  458 
406 

262,  335,  337 
530.  531.  559.  594 


•   458 
496 

24 

509 

267,  365 

122,  553 

122,  553 

436 

I  go 

421 

558 

22,  553 

122 


384- 


493.  494, 
325. 

239,  337.  369,  394,  482,  490, 
492,  493.  494.  537.  539.  563. 

541, 
541, 

338.  388,  406, 

428,  536,  541,  542,  548,  549, 

Z^l,  318, 


549 
-385 
423 
40 
495 
558 
491 

593 
513 
594 
594 
486 
411 
593 
557 

n 


638 


INDEX. 


Sawyer,  Dill 
Sawyer,  Edmund 
Sawyer,  F.  A. 
Sawyer,  John 
Sawyer,  Josiah 
Sawyer,  Nancy  D.  M. 
Sawyer,  Robert 
Sawyer's  Rock 
Scarlet  Fever 
Schools 

School  Commissioners 
School  Tax  List,  1797-1 
Scott,  Dr.  Nath.  H. 
Scott,  Nathan  W. 
Scott,  Rev.  Orange 
Scribner,  E.  W.    . 
Sedgell,  Charles  L. 
Selectmen  of  Lancaster 
Senators,  State 
Senators,  U.  S. 
Sewers 

Shackford,  Robert  C. 
Shannon,  William  H. 
Shattuck,  Ephraim 
Shattuck,  Silas 
Shattuck,  Thomas 
Shaw,  F.  E. 
Sheafe,  John  L.     . 
Sheperd,  Nathaniel 
Sherbon,  Catherine 
Sherburne,  W.  C. 
Sheridan,  Thomas  C. 
Sheridan,  Thomas  H. 
Sheriffs,  Deputy    . 
Sheriffs,  High 
Sherman,  Walter  . 
Sherwood,  Charles 
Sherwood,  Jason  . 
Sherwood,  W.  C. 
Sherwood,  William 
Shirland,  George 
Shirley,  John 
Shoemakers 
Shores,  Peter  N. 
Shurtleff",  Merrill 
Shurtleflf,  Hon.  William  H. 
Simmons,  Stephen 


16: 


.  235 


258 


267, 


46, 


335: 


165, 


371. 


169, 


444, 


402, 


426, 


406,  4 


436,  5 


418 


28,  54 


90,  338 


08, 


39 


62 


59' 


372 


339.  476. 
339.  475,  476, 


82 
419 
121 

40 
483 
445 
550 
318 
264 
416 

535 
46 

336 
436 
547 
395 
340 
-542 
532 

531 

-164 

192 

337 

40 

40 

40 

458 

463 

423 
190 

372 
542 
388 
537 
535 
510 
560 
560 
340 

559 
122 
122 
Z72> 
337 
522 

535 
556 


INDEX. 


639 


Simonds,  Arthur 
Simonds,  Solon  L 
Sims,  John  F. 
Slade,  Mary  B.  C. 
Sleeper,  Alva  B. 
Sleeper,  Charles 
Sleeper,  Ellen  M. 
Small,  Horatio  N. 
Small,  Patrick 
Small,  Peter 
Small  Pox     . 
Smith,  Allen 
Smith,  Carrie  M. 
Smith,  Charles 
Smith,  Charles  H 
Smith,  Charles  W 
Smith,  Cyril  C. 
Smith,  D.  G. 
Smith,  D.  J. 
Smith,  Elizabeth  . 
Smith,  Emmons  S 
Smith,  Ephraim 
Smith,  Ernest  E 
Smith,  Eudora 
Smith,  Fielding 
Smith,  Frank 


Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 
Sm 


Frank  B. 
George  M 
George  P. 
Gideon 
Hannah 
Hattie  B. 
Hezekiah 
Hezekiah  M 
H.  VV. 

J-   . 
J.  A. 
Jacob 
James  G. 
Job  . 
John 
John  H. 
John  M. 
John  W. 
Jonathan 
Joseph 


204 


267 


335 


378, 


394 


499. 

247, 566, 
505. 
390. 


244, 

260- 

436,  437.  486,  553, 
494. 
337. 

458,486,  529,  530, 
62, 335, 

337. 
338. 


402,  491,497,  530,  531,  534,  541, 
242,  243,  245,  276,  335,  337,  338,  339,  383,  385, 
390,  401,  444,  525,  526,  529,  530,  537,  542,  555, 


435. 


456. 


234 


,258 


.  336 


367, 


375 


389. 


454. 


494. 


458,  489.  5 


28, 


436,  437. 
337,  340, 


421, 
490,  491, 


497 
552 
560 
592 
556 
496 

505 
555 
537 
340 
-261 

593 
501 

439 
438 
535 
559 
337 
438 
427 

439 
337 

490 

494 
543 
386 

593 
337 
594 
458 

131 
192 

495 
192 

547 
496 

498 
542 
512 

436 
122 

541 
491 

550 
559 
458 
492 


640 


INDEX. 


Smith,  Josiah 

131.372 

Smith,  Mary 

335 

Smith,  Matthew     . 

244,  537 

Smith,  M.  D.  L.  F.       . 

550 

Smith,  Nathaniel 

.      ■    .         .         .         .          40 

Smith,  Orange 

335.  373 

Smith,  Sally 

190 

Smith,  Vernon  E. 

335.  337.  338 

Smith,  William      . 

.121 

Smith,  William  F. 

236,  536,  541,  594 

Smith,  William  H. 

156,  232,  418,  419,  533 

Smugglers,  in  Early  Times 

120 

Snell,  Alfred  Titus 

555 

Social  Life,  in  Early  Times 

130,  132-134 

Soldiers  of  Laricaster     . 

543-563 

Somers,  Rev.  A.  N. 

339,  416,  440,  448 

Southworth,  Luther 

122 

Sparks,  Nelson 

258,371,488.491,594 

Spaulding,  Daniel 

.  82,  93,  262 

Spaulding,  Douglas 

411,  564,  593 

Spaulding,  Edward 

59,  93,  191,  194,  236,  290,  313,  401 

414, 

420,  427,  444,  536,  541,  542,  574,  594 

Spaulding,  Edward  B.    . 

540 

Spaulding,  Edward  C.    . 

94.  393.  444 

Spaulding,  Edward,  Jr. 

236 

Spaulding,  Edward,  Sr. 

93-94 

Spaulding,  Eliza  M. 

.         .         .          .495 

Spaulding,  Eliza  Turner 

470 

Spaulding,  Eliza  W. 

94.  192 

Spaulding,  Fred  B. 

298,  421,  525 

Spaulding,  Horace 

594 

Spaulding,  James  . 

550 

Spaulding,  James  B. 

94,  444 

Spaulding,  John  Hubbard 

94,  137,  228,  374,  414,  418,  419,  444 

Spaulding,  John  W. 

.  94,  192,  238,  239,  258,  366 
367,385,386,  537,542,  594 

Spaulding,  Justin  . 

437 

Spaulding,  Kate     . 

497 

Spaulding,  Martha  B. 

94 

Spaulding,  N.  S.    . 

436 

Spaulding,  Russell  H.     . 

436,  437 

Spaulding,  Samuel  F. 

235,  436,  444 

Spaulding,  Sarah  A. 

445 

Spaulding,  William  C.    . 

401,  593 

Spaulding,  William  D.    . 

•     94 

,  192,  234,  267,  269,  444,  445,  447,  541 

Spencer,  Elihu 

122 

Sperry,  Jacob 

122 

INDEX, 


641 


Spiritualism  in  Lancaster 
Spofford,  Rev.  Luke  A. 
Spooner,  Dr.  Frank 
Spooner,  Lucy 
Springer,  Eunice   . 
Springer,  John 
Springer,  Jonathan 
Springer,  Nancy     . 
Springer,  Samuel,  Jr. 
Stackpole,  Samuel 
Stalbird,  George  H. 
Stalbird,  "Granny" 
Stalbird,  Harriet  E. 
Stalbird,  John 
Stalbird,  Loren  E. 
Stalbird,  Leroy  S. 
Stalbird,  Sally  B.  . 
Stalbird,  VV.  H.  H. 
Stanley,  Benjamin 
Stanley,  Betsey 
Stanley,  Cynthia    . 
Stanley,  Lieut.  Dennis 

Stanley,  James  B. 
Stanley,  Sarah 
Stanley,  William    . 
Staples,  Joseph 
Starch  Mills 
Stark,  Gen.  John  . 
Stark,  William 
State  Commissioners 
State  Senators 
Stearns,  Ephraim  . 
Stebbins,  Amanda 
Stebbins,  Charles  D. 
Stebbins,  Chester  . 
Stebbins,  Daniel    . 
Stebbins,  Electa    . 
Stebbins,  J.  A. 
Stebbins,  Levi 
Stebbins,  Louisa    . 
Stebbins,  Sophronia 
Steele,  Edward  A. 
Stephens,  Benjamin  C. 
Stephens,  Joshua  . 
Stephenson,  Bryant  O. 
Stephenson,  Lieut.  Benj 


333 


339. 


479 


488, 


139- 


490,  491,  492,  494, 
494, 


131. 


92,  194 
191 


57,  59,  62,  83,  87,  96,  193,  197, 
312,325,  372,422,434,  540,552, 

122, 


131 , 262, 


387- 
I1  2,  17, 


94,  444, 
192,  413,  427, 


2^8, 


129,  194, 
121,  131,  192,  392, 
527,  528,  537,  540,  553, 


140 
426 
495 
495 
193 
190 
190 
190 
180 
122 
505 
477 
445 
427 

558 
538 
427 

559 

548 
508 
407 
262 
553 
553 
423 
548 
560 
-389 

I 

534 
532 
40 
427 
593 
335 
593 
192 

337 
181 
427 
192 

543 
192 
122 
538 

523 
569 


642 


INDEX. 


Stephenson,  Briant 
Stephenson,  Uebby 
Stephenson,  Eliza 
Stephenson,  John  G. 
Stephenson,  Lucitanus 
Stephenson,  Oliver  G. 
Stephenson,  Reuben 


Stephenson,  Richard 
Stephenson,  Hon.  Turner 

Stevens,  Benjamin  C. 
Stevens,  CO. 
Stevens,  Enos 
Stevens,  George  E. 
Stevens,  George  iVl. 
Stevens,  Lieut.  James 
Stevens,  James  O. 
Stevens,  J.  H. 
Stevens,  John  W. 
Stevens,  Capt.  Phineas 
Stevens,  Reuben    . 
Stewart,  Charles  J . 
Stewart,  E.  R. 
Stickney,  David 
Stickney,  G.  M.     . 
Stickney,  Jacob 
Stickney,  Dr.  Jacob  E. 
Stickney,  Nathaniel  G. 
Stickney,  Mary  S.  H. 
Stiles,  Betsey 
Stillings,  Alonzo    . 
Stillings,  Lyman    . 
Stinson,  David 
Stocking,  Dr. 
Stockwell,  Betsey 
Stockwell,  Charlotte 
Stockwell,  David   . 
Stockwell,  Dolly    . 
Stockwell,  E.  D.    . 
Stockwell,  Dr.  E.  F. 
Stockwell,  Lieut.  Emmons 


Stockwell,  Emmons,  2d 


536 


131 
509. 


385 


413 


267,  406,  407, 


418, 


418,  419,  504,  537, 

131,  167,  191 ,  260,  267, 

370,  383,  416,  528,  534,  537, 

234,  267,  334,  33S'  3S5'  392, 
523,  527,  528,  534,  539,  545, 


477, 


479. 


339, 


394, 


486, 


402, 
395'  535, 


7, 


92,  I 


536,  547,  593 


94 


28, 
59,  436, 


539 
192 

509 
419 

267 
538 
334 
540 
406 
464 

593 
209 
492 
219 . 

497 
538 

339 
437 
556- 

3 

122 
463 
340 
436 
339 
131 
550- 

337 
427 
191 

337 

457 

I 

480 

28 

189 

571 


593 
339,  416,  479,  49S 
5,  6,  19,  20,  22,  23,  24,  25,  27,  28,  29,  34 
38,  39,  42,  44,  53,  54,  55,  56,  59,  62,  77,  82 
84,  85,  99,  107,  113,  131,  177,  181,  193 
195,  209,  272,  282,  325,  329,  358,  381,  3S2 
410,  421,  422,  538,  539,  540,  552,  568,  571 
28,  383,  564,  571,  593. 


INDEX. 


643 


Stockwell,  Ephraim 
Stockwell,  George  S. 
Stockwell  House,  The 
Stockwell,  John 
Stockwell,  Liberty- 
Stock  well,  Mary     . 
Stockwell,  Phebe   . 
Stockwell,  Polly     . 
Stockwell,  Ruth     . 
Stockwell,  Ruth  Page 
Stockwell,  Sally     . 
Stockwell,  Samuel 
Stockwell,  William 
Stockwell,  William  R. 
Stodard,  David 
Stone,  Abner 
Stone,  Charles  F. 
Stone,  Frederick  M. 
Stone,  George  F.  . 
Stone,  Hosea 
Stone,  James 
Stone,  Reuben 
Stonington,  Conflicts  with  the  Town  of 
Stores  . 
Stowell,  Joseph 
Stowell,  M.  E. 
Stratton,  A.  E. 
Stratton,  Daniel     . 
Straw,  John 
Streeter,  Fred  W. 
Streeter,  Joseph     . 
Streets 

Streets,  Lighting  of 
Stuart,  Bernice 
Stuart,  Charles  J. 
Stuart,  Edward 
Stuart,  Helen  A.     . 
Sules,  Oliver 
Sullivan,  Rev.  D.  Alex 
Sullivan,  Edmund 
Sullivan,  Thomas 
Summers,  Lewis  P. 
Sumner,  Rev.  Charles  E 
Sumner,  J.  B. 
Sutton,  G.     . 
Sutton,  John  G.     . 
Swain,  John  C. 


233 


28,  131,  191,  383,  564,  571,  593 
239,  240,  420,  505,  537,  538,  594 

332 
28,  131,  436,  571 
28,  383 
28 
28 
.  27,  28,  189 
28,  165,  193 
402,  423,  572 
.  27,  92,  189 
28 
28,  418,  419 
234,  245,  398,  537,  541,  542,  593 


333,  335.  33^ 
I 


34, 


320 
151,  15^ 

131, 

494, 


339,  476, 
340, 


336, 


191 

554 
181 

550 

558 

427 

40 

28 

338 

40 

505 
378 
122 

131 

525 
497 
-322 
-159 
337 
545 
337 
495 
558 
450 
498 
525 
559 
432 
393 
499 
557 
122 


644 


INDEX. 


Swan,  Polly 
Sweeney,  Barnard 
Sweeney,  Edward 
Sweet,  Hartford     . 
Sweet,  John 
:Sweetser,  A.  H.    . 
-Sweetser,  Emma  H. 
Svveetser,  Thomas 

Tailors 

Tanners 

Taverns 

Chessman 

White's 

Wilson 
Taxes 

Taylor,  B.  A. 
Taylor,  David 
Taylor,  Holloway 
Taylor,  James 
Taylor,  Rachel 
Taylor,  Submit 
Telegraph,  The 
Telephone,  The 
Temperance  House,  Th 
Temperance  Organizatii 
Tenney,  Hon.  A.  W. 
Tenry,  George 
Thatcher,  Rev.  R.  P.  E. 
Thayer,  C.  H.       . 
Thayer,  Thomas  S. 
Thomas,  Frank  Foster 
Thomas,  Fred 
Thomas,  Lucien  F. 
Thomas,  Martha 
Thompson,  Abner 
Thompson,  Alexander 
Thompson,  Charles 
Thompson,  Daniel 
Thompson,  Joseph 
Thompson,  Joseph  M. 
Thompson,  Rev.  Lathrop 
Thompson,  Mabel  C.     . 
Thompson  Manufacturing  Company 
Thompson,  Martha  J. 
Thompson,  W.  A. 
Thompson,  Dr.  W.  H 


43 


337 


191 

325 

•  558 
2>7l^^  385.  529 

•  554 
499 
501 

499,  300,  543,  556 


334. 
333'  335.  514. 


,46. 


389. 


103- 


104, 


557 
191 
190 
150 
150 
516 

207-211,  502,  503,  504 
421 
558 
447 
492 

556 
458 
497 
558 
191 

494 
490 

•        338 
389,  490,  529 

557 
444 
421 

494 
389-391 
493 
505 
0,  489,  495,  496,  499 


05 


371 
372 
515 
515 
515 
514 
-1 10 

395 
554 


490.  493. 
390,  391,  489, 


INDEX. 


645 


Thornton,  Matthew 
Tillotson,  John  M. 
Tilton,  Rev.  Geo.  H. 
Timberlake,  D.  T. 
Tirrell,  Phillip  S. 
Tithingmen 
Tobacco  Culture    . 
Tolford,  John 
Tolford,  Lieut.  Joshua 
Tolford's  Survey   . 
Tomson,  Rev.  Lathrop 
Toscan,  John 
Tovvne,  Barton  G. 
Town  Clerks 
Town,  Dr.  Francis  L. 
Town  Lots 
Transition  Period,  A 
Tread  well,  Jacob 
Truland,  Daniel    . 
Truland,  James     . 
Truland,  James  W. 
Trussell,  Jacob 
Tubbs,  George 
Tubbs,  Orrin 
Turner,  Deborah    . 
Turnpikes 
Tuttle,  N.     . 
Twitchell,  Abiathar 
Twitchell,  A.  S.     . 
Twitchell,  F.  H.    . 
Twitchell,  Frank  . 
Twitchell,  Hiram  . 
Twitchell,  O.  M.  . 
Twitchell,  Zeb 
Twombley,  Benjamin,  J 
Twombley,  Ebenezer 
Twombley,  Elijah  D. 
Twombley,  Ella  M. 
Twombley,  James 
Twombley,  Joseph 
Twombley,  Rebekah 
Twombly,  Alvah    . 
Twombly,  Dorcas 
Twombly,  Eliza     . 
Twombly,  Jonathan 
Typhoid  Fever,  Epidemics  of 


32 

371, 

387,  485 

.     283, 

339. 

421,  433 

421 

500,  556 

•  492 

SI 
.   318 
.  29,  32 

•  29,  30 

29 
.   176 

I  12, 

209, 

364,  406 

478,  535. 

541, 

542,  594 
539 

479 

535.  555 
.  29,  36 
1 14-140 
32,  195 

•  542 
.   498 

245.  537 
122 

336 
336,  368 

•  193 

I lO-III 

496 
388 
492 

390 
■   337 

•  541 
233 

388,  499, 

559. 

560,  594 

540 

540,  553 

513. 

541,  548 

•   338 
191 
190 
191 
436 
192 
.   192 
63,  194 
263 

646 


INDEX. 


Underwood,  George  B. 
Underwood,  T.  S. 
Union  School  District 
Unitarianism 
Unitarian  Church,  The 
Utley,  Daniel 
Uphani,  Benjamin 


Valentine,  Richard  H.  C. 

Valuation  of  Town,  The  First 

Valuation  of  Town,  The  Last 

Van  Dyke,  George 

Van  Dyke,  Hon.  Thomas  H 

Van  Ness,  S.  W. 

Vanschork,  Samuel 

Veazie,  William  H. 

Vermont  Controversy,  The 

Veteran  Firemen's  Association,  Th 

Village,  The 

Wade,  Harvey 

Wagon  Makers  and  Wheelwrights 

Wakefield,  John  H. 

Wakefield,  Thomas  L 

Waldron,  John 

Wales,  Nathaniel  . 

Wales,  Seth 

Walker,  Caleb 

Walker,  Franklin  . 

Walker,  Hazen  C. 

Walker,  Lyman     . 

Wallace,  Orrace     . 

War  of  1812,  Enlisted  Men 

War,  The  Mexican 

War  of  the  Rebellion 

War  of  the  Revolution 

Wark,  Dr.  A.  W. 

Ward,  Artemas 

Ward,  William 

Warner,  Daniel 

Warren,  George 

Warren,  Louis 

Warren,  Simon 

Warren,  William 

Washburn,  F.  P. 

Washburn.  Josiah 

Water  Supply  and  System  of  Works 


488,  489,  491,  497 
335'  337'  338,  37^^   390 
414 
184-185 

430-440,  444 

122 

554 


376,  383 


104 

395' 

245. 


186-189, 
526 
I,  10,  123,  126-127,  '5°- 


458 
-105 
161 
402 
277 
340 

12  2 

558 
562 
-527 
-151 


554 
376-377 
420 
420 
190 

•   483 
72 

547 

■   558 

385,  528 

420 

537 
121 ,  329 

135 
145-149 

69-87 
480 

351.  456 
560 
32 
122 
560 
122 

593 
492 

122 

156-158 


INDEX. 

C47 

Waters,  Edmund  M. 

•       457 

Watson,  G.  H.      . 

594 

Way,  N.  0. 

437 

Way,  Spofford    A. 

.       218 

Weare,  Meshech    . 

32 

Webb,  Azariah 

190,  483 

Webb,  Henry  S.   . 

401, 

505. 

525. 

542,  594 

Webster,  George  W. 

594 

Weed,  David 

192 

Weed,  Joseph 

122 

Weeks,  Deborah  . 

423 

Weeks,  Eliza 

190 

Weeks,  James  B. 

191. 

314. 

412. 

444.  508 

Weeks,  Judge  James  W 

35. 

137. 

234, 

240, 

269, 

288, 

289, 

315. 

316,  323 

326 

.  340 

377. 

388, 

393. 

394. 

401, 

407. 

412,  413 

420 

,  434 

444. 

445. 

509. 

528, 

534. 
549. 

535. 
550, 

538,  541 
551.  593 

Weeks,  John          .     59 

62, 

90,  9 

I.  99 

100, 

114, 

137, 

177. 

193. 

197. 

198,  203 

IT- 

2.  403 

,  414 

,  422 

483. 

533. 

538, 

540, 

550. 

551. 

552,  553 

AVeeks,  Major  John  W. 

94, 

121, 

131. 

138, 

165, 

167,  ] 

91. 

192, 

221, 

222,  224, 

22t: 

5,  22g 

,  260 

,  262 

283, 

291, 

312, 

358, 

383. 

403. 

416,  454 

50 

5.  513 

.  531 

.  532 

534, 

535. 

538, 

540, 

553. 

562, 

569,  578 

Weeks,  J.  W.,  Jr. 

401 

Weeks,  Rev.  Joshua  W 

ngate 

32 

Weeks,  Martha 

94.  193 

Weeks,  Mary  W. 

191 

Weeks,  M.  Eliza  . 

•       445 

Weeks,  Persis  F. 

427,  445 

Weeks,  Hon.  WilHam  E 

). 

228, 

323. 
534. 

327. 
536, 

388, 
541, 

400, 
548, 

40 1 ,  444 
549.  594 

Weeks  House 

333 

Wellington,  Dr.  S.  B. 

480 

WelHngton,  Samuel  L. 

500 

Wells,  E.      . 

436,  437 

Wells,  Col.  John  S. 

225, 

226, 

227. 

234, 

235. 

267, 

454.  465 

» 

527, 

528, 

533. 

535. 

536, 

545.  549 

Went  worth.  Benjamin 

191,  436 

Wentworth,  Gov.  Benni 

ng 

I, 

7.8, 

18, 

19,  22,  29,  34,  186 

Wentworth,  Francis  H. 

594 

Wentworth,  Fred  A. 

.    - 

325.  557 

Wentworth,  Gov.  John 

: 

-9.  30.  31 

Wentworth,  Joseph 

436 

Wentworth,  Samuel 

194,  372 

Wentworth,  Samuel  S. 

•       553 

Wentworth,  Shackford 

192,  436 

Wentworth,  Tamson 

191 

Wentworth,  Thomas 

559 

648 


INDEX. 


Wentworth,  William  G. 

515 

Wesson,  Abel  H. 

335.  559 

Wesson,  Asa 

67,  194,  267 

West,  Presbury     . 

258,  429 

West,  Presbury,  Jr. 

269 

Weston,  Rev.  Isaac 

430.  443 

Wheeler,  George 

19,  22,  38,  539 

Wheeler,  Jere 

122 

Wheelock,  Rev.  Haskell 

436,  547 

Wheelock,  Rev.  James  R. 

425,  441,  547 

Wheelock,  Rev.  John    . 

108 

Wheelwright,  Nathaniel 

39 

Whidden,  Ann  L. 

407,  427 

Whidden,  Judge  Benjamin  F. 

.  230,  233,  234,  236,  262,  327,  336,  385 

393.  398.  399.  409.  420,  444.  458,  469 

532,  534.  535.  536,  538 

Whidden,  Eliza  D.         .........          .        445 

Whidden,  Mary  N. 

.       427 

Whidden,  Samuel  L. 

411,427 

Whipp,  CO. 

492 

Whipp,  Lauren  B. 

155.  339.  492,  576 

Whipple,  Albert  F. 

145.  564 

Whipple,  Barney  B. 

122 

Whipple,  Belle  '    . 

340 

Whipple,  John  M. 

137. 

233.  234,  339.  444.  534.  536,  550 

Whipple,  Col.  Joseph     . 

48,  60,  75,  84,  96,  546,  561 

Whitcomb,  A.  K. 

421 

Whitcomb,  Maj.  Benjamin 

189 

Whitcomb,  Catherine  J. 

•       427 

Whitcomb,  Elmer 

496 

Whitcomb,  Grace 

494.  495 

Whitcomb,  Henry  J. 

549,  550,  593.  594 

Whitcomb,  Horace     131,  23^ 

U  267 

.  335 

.  337 

378, 

427. 

430,  541,  549,  551,  593 

Whitcomb,  Horace  F.    . 

531,  593 

Whitcomb,  R.  Baxter    . 

337.  552 

White,  Allen 

122 

White,  David 

191 

White,  Ellen  A.    . 

247,  445 

White,  Ellen  C.     . 

445 

White,  Dr.  Samuel 

476 

W/iite  Mount ai7i  ^'Egis,  The  . 

225,  : 

226,  366,  368,  453 

White,  Eunice  (Aunt)  . 

261 

White,  F.      .          .          . 

•       335 

White,  Henry 

192 

White,  Horace  A. 

•        555 

White,  James  H. 

323 

White,  Jeremiah    . 

122 

INDEX.                                                            649 

White,  John  E 323 

White,  Hon.  John  H.     .    131,  227,  228,  230,  233,  234,  247,  267,  275,  358,  392 

444,  454,  531,  532,  533,  535,  538,  540,  541,  546,  593 

White,  Moses        .........          131,  552,  568 

White,  Moses  H. 

420 

White,  Nathaniel  . 

•  63,  i93>  511.  540,  553 

White,  Nicholas    . 

193 

White,  Noah 

191 

White,  Polly 

190 

White,  Samuel 

131 

191, 

209,  323,  364,  370,  376,  515,  540,  548 

White,  Sarah 

427 

White,  William  A. 

235.  39S,  399.  410,  444,  445,  541,  550 

White  Mountain  Notch 

22,  48,  55,  60,  318 

Whitney,  James     . 

122 

Whitney,  Silas 

121 

Wiiitney,  Timothy 

40 

Whitney,  V.  V.     . 

339'  391.  492,  524,  531 

Whiton,  Thomas  . 

122 

Whittemore,  Ji)hn  Colebrook 

398,  399 

Whittemore,  J.  R. 

226,  454,  455,  551 

Whittier,  Henry  C. 

563 

Wiggin,  Andrew    . 

32 

Wight,  Aaion 

558 

Wilcox,  Lieut.  Jeremiah 

177.  319.  422,  540 

Wilder,  Artemas    . 

397,  483,  510,  511 

Wilder,  Artemas,  Jr. 

190,  193,  2og 

Wilder,  Edmund  C. 

427 

Wilder,  Edward  B. 

325.559 

Wilder,  Elisha      . 

51,  52,  59,  90,  193,  423 

Wilder,  Elizabeth 

193.  423 

Wilder,  Ephraim  . 

427 

Wilder,  Eunice 

190 

Wilder,  Oilman     . 

427.  433.  593 

Wilder,  James 

< 87 

Wilder,  John 

194.  427 

Wilder,  Maj.  Jonas       34,  44,  56,  59,  62,  82,  83,  84,  95,  99,  107,  167,   177.  193 

195,  209,  325,  329,  381,  421,  422,  423,  514,  538,  539,  540,  570 

Wilder,  Jonas,  Jr.           .........           48,  422 

Wilder,  Joseph 

59,  90,  99,  423,  433,  540 

Wilder,  Joseph  H. 

.....       559 

Wilder,  Lucy 

190 

Wilder,  Manassah 

190,  194 

Wilder,  Mehitabel 

193.423.427 

Wilder,  Orange     . 

413 

Wilder,  Persis 

95,  189,  462 

Wilder,  Polly 

423 

Wilder,  Rhoda      . 

427 

650 


INDEX. 


wiiKins, 

<„aivin  u. 

557 

Wilkins, 

Elijah  R. 

43S 

Wilkins 

Jotham   . 

122 

Wilkins, 

WiUiam  . 

557 

Wilkins 

William  H.      . 

558 

Wilkinson,  John    . 

122 

Willard, 

Calvin 

513 

Willard, 

Jonathan 

3f 

319 

553 

Willard, 

Jonathan  W.   . 

c 

13, 

546, 

548 

Willard, 

John 

192 

Willard, 

John  Dwight    . 

407 

Willard, 

John  H. 

■  \ 

, 

537 

Willard, 

Parson  Joseph 

21,35 

,  44, 

131, 

178, 

'79 

193 

345 

422, 

423, 

425,  440 

553 

572 

Willard, 

Levi 

63,  67, 

190, 

383, 

396,  397, 

535 

540 

Willard, 

Levi,  Jr. 

376 

Willard, 

Martha     . 

191 

Willard, 

Sophronia 

192 

Willard' 

5  Basin 

318 

Willey,  Danforth  . 

489 

Willey,  George 

335 

Willey, 

3.  R.        . 

335 

Williams 

,  Charles 

557 

William* 

,  F.  W.    . 

458 

Williams 

,  George 

560 

Williams 

,  Col.  George  C. 

234.  235, 

335, 

336,. 

593,  4 

^7I, 

489, 

493 

515,  528, 

533, 

534, 

535,  ! 

36, 

538, 

545 

Williams 

,  Henry    . 

335 

Williams 

,  Capt.  Jared  L 

146, 

241,  276, 

324, 

328,. 

535.  2 

39. 

383, 

385 

389, 

393.  394, 

418, 

419,  - 

120,   4 

50. 

454, 

473 

489, 

490,  492. 

493, 

495,  ^ 

^99,  5 

GO, 

512, 

521 

424, 

529.  537. 

550. 

551,  . 

556,  5 

64, 

587. 

593 

Williams 

,  Gov.  Jared  W. 

131 

,  167, 

222,  223, 

224, 

226, 

229,  : 

67, 

320, 

335 

359 

,383 

393.  416, 

444, 

454,  - 

04,  A 

^92, 

509, 

512 

531 

.  532 

533.  534. 

535. 

536, 

538,  5 

44, 

545, 

593 

Williams 

House,  The     . 

516 

Williams 

, John  M. 

122 

Williams 

,  Mary  H. 

502 

Williams 

,  Sarah  J. 

521 

Williams 

,  Rev.  Stephen 

316 

Williams 

,  Sylvester  P.   . 

436, 

437 

Williard, 

John  W. 

377 

Willoughby,  C.  E. 

496 

Willow  Tree,  The  Old,  Illust) 

ation 

of  an 

i  Poem  on 

248 

Wilson, 

Absalom 

122 

Wilson, 

Addle  E. 

494, 

502 

Wilson, 

Arthur  G. 

3 

39. 

3 

91, 

499 

INDEX. 

&51 

Wilson,  Benjamin 

. 

121 

Wilson,  Caleb 

193 

Wilson,  Charles    . 

56a 

Wilson,  Edward    . 

504 

Wilson,  Elvira 

192 

Wilson.  Erdix  T. 

248, 

337 

Wilson,  Frances  B. 

I92 

Wilson,  Dr.  Francis 

lOI, 

131 

,  176 

190, 

191. 

193. 

209, 

267. 

333' 

476, 

564 

Wilson,  George     . 

453 

Wilson,  George  C. 

56a 

Wilson,  Hubbard 

464 

Wilson,  Gen.  John 

122 

,  131 

193, 

203, 

209, 

220, 

260, 

267, 

341, 

345 

366 

,  370 

392, 

393> 

427, 

429, 

452, 

492, 

512, 

514 

523. 

527. 

528, 

536, 

545. 

546, 

553 

Wilson,  John  M.  . 

491 

492 

Wilson,  John,  3d 

547 

Wilson,  Mary 

192 

193 

Wilson,  Nathaniel 

167, 

420 

Wilson,  Nicholas  B. 

335. 

384 

Wilson,  Polly 

193 

Wilson,  Solomon 

40, 

558 

Wilson,  Stephen   .          { 

?9,  92, 

112 

.  131 

193. 

194, 

209, 

215, 

256, 

330. 

334. 

364 

397 

406 

,484 

.  485 

492, 

514, 

538 

540 

546 

547 

562 

Wilson,  Stephen,  Jr. 

542 

Wilson,  W.  B.      . 

525 

Winch,  Joseph 

401 

Winchester,  C.  M. 

594 

Witherell,  James  . 

122 

Windus,  Jacob 

371 

Wolcott,  George  S. 

337 

Wolcott,  Joseph  G. 

558 

Wolcott,  Rev.  R.  T. 

440 

Wolcott,  William 

515 

Wood,  Isaac 

4<> 

Woodbury,  Dr.  Mark  R 

336, 

478, 

545 

Woods,  Andrew  . 

122 

Woods,  George  A. 

496 

Woodward,  Alice 

494 

Woodward,  Edward 

112 

Woodward,  Edward  A. 

491. 

496, 

505 

Woodward,  Erastus 

547 

Woodward,  Ira  E. 

499. 

53c^ 

Woodward,  Jason  H. 

319. 

385, 

386, 

394. 

401 

Woodward,  J.  S. 

504. 

505 

Woodward,  Moses 

388, 

393 

Woodward,  Nellie  A. 

505 

Woodward,  William 

201 

6^2 


lSDYX. 


Woodward.  Wuliam  H.          -          . 

4S5 

Woo"-5os.  Sabin  C.        .          .          . 

3*^5 

Wo— ar/>  ChrL'^rian  Temperance  U-'c".  The  . 

;r:-;r3 

Wonra-'s  Relief  Coras,  The 

5Ci-5r2 

Worcicster.  Thossas       ..... 

S5 

WcrthlT.  Dr.  Oscar 

.i-S 

WrUi:^  Si=cel    . 

::r.  -.-7 

Wrrnaa.  £.  W. 

340. 

499.  556 

WT-sn.  Mav  M 

501 

Wratt,  John  R 

1^2 

Yoang.  Cal^        ...... 

3S4 

Yoannjr,  Rev.  C.  -\. 

44S.  ss- 

Yooi^.  David 

355" 

537-  559 

Yaang,  Capt.  Hairisoii  De  J 

465,  499. 

500.  555 

Yom^,  Gen.  Ira             . 

464.  538. 

545-  546 

Yoong.  Mary 

-        319 

Yoang.  Richard  Cms     ... 

465.  557 

464 

Yoonj.  Gen.  J   .A. 

^64-465 

> 


^^J-  -^ 


\ 


*    <iV 


rO^ 


.-"b 


-^. 


.y^ii^'  c  -■■■ 


-\..^^ 


»*■•■  -^i 


^-i.  ^* 


.'b'Ct 


>^  v^^ 


-.^^  %, 


cl"^ 


<^^"^<^.     ^ 


,-i>" 


'^    V" 


^>.      ". 


%■  .<^' 


s^' 


-^ 


.00 


V 


LIBRARY  OF  CONGRESS 


0  013  996  901  7«