ALSTEAD CENTER, (p. o.) a hamlet located upon a hill about half a mile east of the geographical center of the town, was formerly the business center of the town, and about 1802, the prospective sight of the county court-house. It long since lost its prestige, however, and now along its single street, a school […]
The First Congregational church of Keene was organized October 18, 1738, with a membership of nineteen males. Rev. John Bacon, the proprietors clerk, was ordained October 18th, and settled over the church. Mr. Bacon graduated at Harvard in 1731. The church, originally built near the south end of Main street, was moved, in 1741, to
John Symonds was born in Hancock, N. H., May 18, 1816, and spent his boyhood in that town. In 1836 he commenced work as an apprentice with Elijah Reed, at his tannery in Hancock, and was employed there and at other places till 1841, when he began the tanning business himself, at South Antrim. But
Rev. John Brockway, the first Universalist preacher in Surry, settled in that town at a very early day and died there about 1810. He was the father of four sons and two daughters. John, the eldest, was an officer in the war of 1812, and died at Schenectady, N. Y. Cephas was a goldsmith and
Dea. Luke Joslin, born in Stoddard, December 22, 1797, married Lydia, daughter of Samuel Foster, of Stoddard, November 24; 1824. They lived in `Leominster Corner” until 1840, when they moved to a farm near the village. He held many offices of trust while in town, and was a deacon of the Congregational church for some
Dr. Henry Carpenter was born in Alstead, N. H., December 24, 1803. His father, Eber Carpenter, was a practicing physician in Alstead from 1802 until his death, May 23, 1841. Henry, the eldest of his eight sons, distinguished himself in the profession of medicine and surgery. He graduated medicine at Castleton, Vt., in 1825, and
Joseph Cutter, a native of Lexington, Mass., married Rachel Hobert, of Pepperell, Mass., and reared a family of ten children. His son John, born. October 24, 1780, married Mary, daughter of Daniel and Betsey Batchelder, of Wilton, N. H., who bore him ten children. He died in Jaffrey, January 15, 1857. His son John A.
Alger, William Rounseville, son of Nahum and Catherine Sampson (Rounseville) Alger, was born in Freetown, Bristol County, December 28, 1822. He attended the common schools from the age of four to ten, then began to work for a livelihood; he worked five years in a cotton mill at Hookset, N. H., studied attentively in all
David Crowninshield, one of the pioneer settlers of Hinsdale, came from Rhode Island at a very early date and settled on road 7, where his grandson Samuel T. Crowninshield, now lives. His farm at first contained only enough cleared land to place his house and barns upon, and here he lived and labored until his
The first company of militia was formed here in 1973, of which Timothy Dilano was chosen captain, Samuel Chandler, lieutenant, and Jason Wait, ensign. “It is worthy of notice,” says Rev. Seth S. Arnold, in an historical sermon printed in 1826, “that a spirit of independence, and much decision of political character prevailed among the
T.L. Fowler was superintending school committee for a number of years, and also taught a term of high school in Factory Village, in 1862, which was very successful. He married, in 1843, Miss Mary Folgier Hazzelton, of Northfield, N. H. She lived about three years, leaving one son, Eugene A., born February 3, 1845. In
The Hinsdale Savings bank, located a Hinsdale village, was incorporated in June, 1874, with C. J. Amidon. president, Edward Stebbins, vice-president, George S. Wilder, secretary, and George Wellman, treasurer, which list of officers is still retained. This bank has a solid financial basis, and is doing a constantly increasing business. Haile, Frost & Co.’s woolen
Willard Martin, born in Rehoboth, Mass., March 6, 1786, married Lucretia Houghton, in 1810, and died in Hinsdale, October 14, 1849. Mr. Martin was long known as one of the leading merchants of Guilford, Vt., where he was distinguished as one of the principal citizens, and for many years received almost the universal suffrage of
Oliver Wright 1. Reuben2 Wright, son of Oliver1, was b. in Keene, Apr. 29, 1772, of Oliver and Sarah Wright; d. Houghton, Mich., Aug. 18, 1852; m. Dec. 30 (or 31), Olive Atwood, b. Templeton, Mass., July 5, 1775, d. Washington, N. H., Aug. 15, 1842; dau. of John and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Atwood of Packersfield.
The First Universalist church of Marlboro, located at the village, was organized by Rev. J. V. Wilson, with forty members, in October, 1835, Rev. Edwin Davis being the first resident pastor. Their church building, a wood structure erected in 1850, will seat 250 persons, cost $2,000.00, and is valued at $5,000.00, The society has fifty
Abraham Browne, with his sons, Abraham, Jr., Nathaniel and Oliver, came from Grafton, Mass., and located just northeast of Warren Pond, about 1775. Oliver, with his father, located where Alonzo M. Fogg now lives, Nathaniel, where James A. Browne now resides, and Abraham, Js., upon the hill to the north. Abraham, Sr., died in r808.
John W. Jefts, a machinist by trade, but who for the past nine years has been successfully engaged in farming in the town of Langdon, was born here, December 4, 1859, son of Alphonso M. and Almira (Clough) Jefts. The genealogy of the Jefts family is traced to England, from which country, on some date
Roger Gilmore, Esq., was one of the early settlers of the town and the first settler on road 30, near the center of the town. Most of the town meetings were held, previous to the erection of the first meeting-house, in 1775, at his home. When the town was organized, he was chosen the first
Russell Tinker, born at Lempster, N. H., in June, 1818, located in Marlow when eighteen years of age, where he remained until 1866, then purchased his present farm in this town, on road 14. He has held the office of selectman three years and has also served as supervisor.- He married Mare. daughter of Jonathan
Benjamin Thatcher, one of the early settlers of the town, subsequently removed to Swanzey, where he died. Benjamin, Jr., born here, made the town his home until twenty-one years of age, then removed to Keene, and finally to Swanzey, where he passed the remainder of his days His son George, born in Keene, has spent
