The history of Raymond, N. H

Front matter

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Introduction

Home ! what a word ! What interesting associations fill the mind when it is named. It is the place where our eyes first opened upon the beauties of this world ; where we were first charmed by a mother's voice and fond caresses ; a father's love and the prattle of sisters and brothers. There woman's smile greets us ; children and friends gladly welcome us. The most of true bliss is enjoyed at home.

Persons of labor and business toil on patiently for the blessing of home. Mariners on rough seas anticipate home. Soldiers on well-fought fields, dash through dust and blood with the hope of victory and the blessings of home again. Speak to children of home when away, and their countenances light up with joy. Speak to the aged of it, and their eyes sparkle ; they seem youthful, living over again summers that were all sunshine.

These with many more say, "Home, thy joys are passing lovely." They remember the dwelling of their childhood ; "the orchard, the meadow, the deep-tangled wild-wood," and withal,

"The old oaken bucket, the iron boimd bucket, The moss-covered bucket which hung in the well."

The history of our Home is the object of this work. It has been the labor of convenient opportunities for many years. A goodly number have encouraged us. Some have wondered how there could be such a history. We have been asked more than once if it would be as large as a Primer or an Almanac. The inference was, that so much would be all the history of the place ; or all which the author was capable of writing. Of course, we accepted the last view of it.

We have searched records, traveled, corresponded, and asked, perhaps, thousands of questions. The result is now seen. Oral testimony is sometimes uncertain, as memory fails. Errors, therefore, may be found. We love our town and all that is good in it with the affection of a son. If the work shall prove interesting and profitable to those who read, it will be the greatest reward we expect.

Large portions of the book, in manuscript, have been shown to different persons, considered good judges, some of them learned ; those pages in verse, to a member of the bar in one of the large cities, who is the author of a town history ; for such is our extreme diffidence as to capabilities, we never could have offered the book to the public without the approval of these gentlemen. With their sanction it appears, and with it, we express our warmest gratitude to true friends, who have encouraged us in our effort.

THE OUTLOOK.

Go now, my book, to every one, And give the history of the town ; Tell all the wonders we've had here, Go tell the whole with greatest care.

Describe the landscape, plains and hills, The flowing streams, the murm'ring rills, Tell of the vales, the fields, the wood, The farms, some poor, more very good.

"We've little lakes, 'though call'd but ponds'; Their names are Governor's and Jones' ; Chief river, Lamprey, here not wide, Flows gently down to meet the tide.

Tell how the Indians wandered here, Fished in our streams, and hunted deer; Yelled in the woods, and counseled how, If white men came, they'd drop them low.

See mortars where they pounded corn, The wigwam's place for night and storm ; Their axes, chisels, warlike maul, Friend David Pecker shows them all.

Tell how the early settlers came, Built humble cots and called them "Home;" Felled forest trees and tilled the land, Raised beans and grass and Indian corn.

Tell of the early schools they had, With teachers good, school-houses bad ; Of preaching, too, all went to hear, In homely dress, no fashion's gear.

Go all about this rural town,

THE OUTLOOK.

Up "Long Hill" go, and "Break Neck" down ; Go to "The Branch" and "Fiddler's Green," There Nature's handiwork is seen.

When surging wars in fury came, Brave men left mill and farm and home ; On hard fought fields, in patriot band, Their watchword, "God and native land."

Of Dudley's, how much may be said, Stephen and James first purchase made ; The Judge, 'Squire Moses, Nat and Sam ; Why, bless your souls, we here made men.

Pray don't forget the Blakes, the Poors, The Beans, the Browns, the Nays, the Moores ; Tell all about good Deacon Cram, His brothers two, Benj'min and John.

The Pages, Prescotts, Foggs and Lanes, The elder and the younger Swains ; The Gilmans, Osgoods, Dearborns, true, And Norris, Folsom, Scribner, too.

Here in the church was Stickney good, Farnsworth and Chapman, grave in mood ; This last too pure to here remain, He left and passed to heaven beyond.

Of doctors there were Hodgkins, Trull, Pillsbury skilled, of fun brim full ; His pills did good, but more his mirth, He made his saddest patients laugh. /

Go see "The Oven" up in town;

'Twould bake your pies, white bread and brown ;

'Twould bake a lamb, in fact an ox ;

'Tis nature's work in solid rocks.

Ten cords of wood would heat it hot, Then in with beans and pudding pot ; 'Twill hold till full, potatoes, fish, When done, oh, what a dainty dish !

McClures own the land round there.

Where roamed the wolf and growling bear ;

VI THE OUTLOOK.

The cunning fox, too, had his den, Secure from dogs and hunting men.

The ladies here are fine and fair,

Bless Heaven, they've made us what we are ;

Just fit for wives and mothers too,

They seem like angels here helow.

I little thought this country town Had done so much till written down ; We've got a start, and Crocket said, "Be sure you're right, then go ahead."

Hurrah ! hurrah ! throw up your hats, Use all your hands in ringing claps ; Hurrah ! hurrah ! a prize we've gained, The laurel, crown and diadem.

Nay, little thought we'd done so much ; I need the canvas, pencil, brush ; A picture large like spreading land, With scenes of action bold and grand.

To Raymond's sons we bid God-speed, In wisdom's path let each one tread ; Then honor, fame and bliss will come, And heaven be the final home.

HISTORY OF RAYMOND.

Chapter I General Description

SITUATION AND EXTENT.

The town is in latitude 43 2' north; longitude 50 52' east of Washington. It is bounded north by Nottingham and Deerfield, east by Epping and Fremont, south by Chester, and west by Chester and Candia. It embraces, according to Merrill's Gazetteer, 16,317 acres, of which 300 are water.

THE LAND AND SCENERY.

As a whole, the soil is less rich and productive than most other towns in the vicinity, yet there are some good farming sections. There are not, properly, any mountains. It is variegated by plains of small extent, some large swells and hills, well cultivated fields, good meadows on the streams, pleasant vales and beautiful forests.

A lover of nature finds much to contemplate with interest. In the warm season, there are wonders and delights on every hand. The streams flow gently and form murmuring waterfalls. The hills rejoice; the trees seem to " clap their hands ;" the birds sing their sweetest songs ; while the flowers send forth the best perfume. Winter is long and cold, but has enjoyments. The tillers of the earth have leisure, social pleasures and opportunities for reading and instruction. The winds, driving storms and deep snows are attended with some gloom, yet often they are gloriously wonderful. Then, as Thompson says,

" God is awful with clouds and storms Around him thrown, tempest o'er tempest rolled Majestic darkness ! On the whirlwind's wing Riding sublime, he bids the world adore, And humbles nature with the northern blast."

RIVERS.

The largest river in this section is Lamprey, formed by the union, in the west, of a stream from Deerfield and one from Candia, and then flowing the whole length of the town. The Indians called it Piskassett. Somewhat early in the history of the State, settlers in towns below, through which it passes, gave it the name it now bears, or, rather, Lamprey-ell, plenty of those fish being found in it. In some books it was called Lampril. In Chester Records, A. D. 1762, it is called Lamprey-eel; but for many years it has been called simply Lamprey river.

After leaving this town it flows through Epping, thence into New Market, where it meets the tide. Below, it falls into Great Bay, which has an outlet into the Piscataqua, on which Portsmouth stands.

This river, in places where there are many large ones, would be called but a creek, or large brook, but its relations to this town are such, it is so interesting and valuable, that we say of it as the American poet, Barlow, says of the Connecticut, —

OF RAYMOND. V

" Few watery streams through happier villas shine, Nor drinks the sea a lovelier wave than thine."

The next in size is the Branch, so called because it is a branch of the Swamscot on which Exeter stands. It is in the south-east part of the town, coming from Chester and passing into Fremont.

Pawtuckaway is in the north-east, coming from Nottingham and soon enters Epping. The name Pawtuckaway, with the Indians, signified Great Buck Place. In early times, this was quite generally called Stingy river, because, at the raising of a saw-mill on it, the rum furnished was not enough to satisfy those who assisted on the occasion. Raisings then and long after were much prized by those who wished to get their spirits up by pouring spirits down.

A stream from Jones' Pond falls into Lamprey river, near Mrs. H. D. Page's, and is called Cider Ferry, from the following circumstance : .Some early settlers, before there was any bridge across it, were getting a barrel of cider over, when by some mishap it fell and burst, and the contents were mingled with the flowing stream. But, as fish do not drink cider, no harm was done.

PONDS. a

Jones' pond is the largest, and is situated south-west of the village and north of the railroad. A saw-mill was built near its outlet, in early times, by a Mr. Jones, hence its name. Governor's pond is north of the Long Hill. It was named in honor of the Provincial Governor, Benning Wentworth, in office in New Hampshire from 1741 to 1767-

LOCAL NAMES.

A little to the south-east is "The Branch," so called from the rivef of that name there. A mile below the village is " Freetown," in the early years the central place of business. Two miles north of the Center is "Oak Hill," named from the heavy growth of oak timber once found there. In the north-west is "Break Neck Hill," called thus because an ox once ran down it, fell, and broke his neck. "The Mountain" is near J. Tucker Dudley's. Here grow maples, which, though not as large as the cedars in ancient Syria, are useful in producing sap for sugar. In the west is "Healey Mountain." Abundance of granite stone is found and carried by rail to Portsmouth. " Shattica" is in the south-west. The mountain glens of Scotland were scarcely more secure from invasion than this formerly was. As our countryman, Washington Irving, said of another place, "one might get into it as a fish into an eel-pot, but the mystery seemed to be how to get out again." Of late a road has been made through it. "The Green" is a place commanding a view of some distance. It was long called "Fiddler's Green," because one Green, formerly living there, amused himself with the use of a fiddle. But if he fiddled or piped, he found none to dance. South-west of the Gile school-house is "Rattlesnake Hill," so named because that reptile was once numerous there. "Guinea" is near the Nay House, northerly of the Gile school-house. A colored family once lived there, supposed to have come from Guinea in Africa.

Last, but chief, as to locality, is the village, usually called the Center. Eighty years ago it was mostly a pine forest, with but one dwelling, just back of where that of W. B. Blake now stands. Fifty years ago there were four houses ; that of Mr. Blake, Wm. Towle's,on the spot where Mrs. Willard now lives, Jonathan Cram's, near the blacksmith's shop, and the one where Mr. Sargent resides. The next erected was that now owned by Mr. S. P. Blake. There are now sixty houses here. In the village are three churches, the town hall, five stores, a milliner's shop, an apothecary's shop, a tin plater's shop, and two hotels. The depot here is a central wood station between Concord and Portsmouth. The wood and other lumber business is immense for a county place, and the trade is great.

CURIOSITY.

There is but one natural curiosity here. It is on the land owned by the McClures, in sight of the road leading to Deerfield. It is a natural excavation in a ledge, called "The Oven," from the appearance of its mouth. At the opening it is five feet high, about as wide, and extends inward fifteen feet.

Chapter II The Primeval State

For ages, this place was an almost unbroken woodland. The sun, moon and stars shone as now ; the rains came ; but man, with industry, civilization, the arts and comforts of society, was not. The forest trees were large. Any considerable portion of the wood and timber would now be quite a mine of wealth.

INDIANS.

The Indians were then here. They had their trails through the woods, hunted in the forests, fished in the streams and planted in the small openings. About twenty rods east of the house of J. Fisk Stevens, and near the river, a cave was found in which it is supposed they lived, instead of a wigwam. Traces of it are still seen. There two Indian relics were found, which are in possession of Joseph Fisk. One is a knife of flint-like stone ; the other, we are convinced, was a whistle, used to call each other in the dense woods. It is of stone about the size of a hen's egg, resembling it in shape, with a hole nicely cut through it lengthwise.

John Folsom, brother to Eliphalet, found, after i'J'JO, a stone chisel on the north side of the town. Some relics were found in the Branch district. Within a few years, David Pecker has obtained quite a collection, mostly from this town ; among which are a stone ax, two stone war clubs, gauges, a stone knife, a stone pestle, two whistles, &c.

At the east of Freetown saw-mill is a mortar .in a rock, and another on land of the Abbotts, west of Oak Hill. This last has a groove around it, evidently for catching corn that flew out while being pounded. South of Jones' pond is an Indian pot, cut in a ledge, and north of the Green is another. The latter is in a rock some three feet high. Both are nicely cut out, and will hold nearly half a barrel each. Probably they were heated with a fire in them, and then used for cooking food.

WILD BEASTS.

The catamount and bear were found here, but the latter were not very numerous. The red deer with branching horns, which were shed annually, were plenty. When Deerfield was incorporated, in 1766, the name was given to it from the abundance of deer found there. After Raymond was incorporated, at the annual town meetings, Deer-Inspectors, (called "Deerspectors" by the first town clerk,) were chosen. There was a law of the Province that none should kill deer from the first of December to the first of August. The penalty was ten pounds lawful money. Deer Inspectors were to search and detect suspected violators of the law.

Wolves were also common. When this town was a part of Chester, a bounty was offered for killing them. The law was in force ten years, ending in 1758. At first the bounty was about $1.33, but was afterwards increased .to twice that sum. In 1749, John Stark, of Derryfield, now Manchester, killed a wolf in Chester and obtained a bounty. This was the Stark who became a Major- General in the war of the Revolution, and proved himself more capable of overcoming and capturing British forces than in taking wolves, when a young man.

Raccoons, foxes, beavers and many other animals, some of which are still here, were found in great numbers.

Chapter III Events Prior To The Settlement Of The

TOWN.

Columbus discovered America in Oct., 1492.

John Cabot discovered North America in 1497.

Capt. John Smith discovered the shore of New Hampshire in 1614.

The Province was called Laconia till 1629, when John Mason, an original proprietor, gave it the name New Hampshire, from the County of Hampshire in England, from which he came.

The first settlements were at Portsmouth and Dover in 1623 ; next were Exeter and Hampton in 1638.

John Whelewright purchased what is now Exeter and a large territory near it of the Indians. The deed is dated April 3, 1638. It was obtained of the Indian Sagamore, We-ha-now-no-wit. It probably took in what is now our town. It would be gratifying to know the price, but the deed does not specify. The Sagamore only says, "I, We-ha-now-no-wit, Sagamore of Piscataquacke, for good considerations me thereunto moving and for certain commoditys Which I have received have granted and sould (sold) ," etc. The Indians for some time proved troublesome, and no more towns were settled for about 60 years.

A little before 1700, Kingston was settled. It embraced what is now East Kingston, Danville and Sandown. It had a garrison on the Plains as security against the Indians.

Londonderry, including what is now Derry and Windham, was settled in 1719. Scotch Presbyterians came from' Ireland, and finding plenty of chestnuts, they named it Nutfield. They cultivated potatoes, the first ever raised in New Hampshire.

Not far from the same date, 1719, the settlements of Exeter were extended to the part now called Epping, and soon to what is known as Brentwood.

Chapter IV Events From The First Operations To The Incorporation

The place was discovered. What is now Epping and Fremont, being parts of Exeter, formed the western boundary of occupation as a town. A foreseeing, business man at Exeter, looked beyond and saw there was " much land to be possessed." This man was Col. Stephen Dudley. Dudley's purchase.

In Jan., 1717, Col. Dudley purchased what is now this town of an Indian, named Penniwit, and Abigail, his squaw. The date of the deed is in the Register's Office, but not the deed itself. The following is a copy of Dudley's Commission :

"Province of New Hampshire. Sam'l Shute, Esq. Captain General and Commander in Chief in and over His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire, in New England, <fcc.

To Stephen Dudley of Freetown, in the Province aforesaid, Greeting.

By virtue of the Power and Authority in and by his Majesty's Royal Commission to me granted to be Captain General, &o., over this His Majesty's Province of New Hampshire aforesaid, I do (by these Presents) reposing espeeial trust and confidence in your loyalty, courage, and good conduct, constitute and appoint you the said Stephen Dudley to be Colonel and Totvn-Major of Freetown aforesaid, which land you have obtained by deed from Capt. Peter Penniwit and Abigail his Squaw. Given under my hand and seal at arms at Boston, the seventeenth day of August in the seventh year of the reign of his Majesty King George Annoque Domini, 1717. Sam'l Shute.

By his Excellency's command

John Boydell his Sec'y."

This was the first transaction relative to the settlement of the town.

WHY A RE-PURCHASE?

If the deed of Whelewright was obtained in 1638, why was there a necessity of purchasing this territory again oi the Indians? The only answer that can be given is, seventy-nine years had passed, Whelewright was dead, the place had not been occupied, and probably the Indians claimed it. There is evidence, too, that Abigail, named in Dudley's Commission, was daughter of Om-a-can-can-oe, a Sagamore and former owner of the land.

THE NAME FREETOWN.

It is seen that this was called Freetown when Dudley purchased it. It bore that name till it was incorporated. It is believed that it arose from the ship timber business. The king of England claimed the best, and agents explored the forest and marked the trees they chose with the letter R, the abbreviation of the latin Rex, translated king. Attempts would be made to take these trees, and being successful here, none molesting, they called it Freetown. But at length it was found this business was not free. After 1740, a load of this timber was started for Exeter, and when near where Aaron W. Brown now lives, officers of the king came, unloaded the timber, unhitched the oxen and ran the wheels into the river near. Sergent Wm. Towle, who afterwards lived at the Center, was then a boy, and with those who drove the team.

COL. DUDLEY SELLS A PART.

In March, 1718, Col D. sold one-eighth part of his purchase to James Dudley, Jr., cooper. This James Dudley was the father of Judge Dudley, and his brothers Samuel and Joseph, all of whom afterwards lived here. A part of the land then obtained has been in possession of the Dudleys ever since, more than 150 years. This, to the Dudley family, is quite interesting. J. Tucker Dudley, now of this town, is of the fifth generation of the purchaser at that time.

We have seen the deed given by Col. Dudley to James Dudley aforesaid. It is a curiosity, and would be copied here if a part of it had not been torn off and lost. Instead of commencing as now, "Know all men," it commences thus, — " To all Christian people." From the location of what is set forth in the deed, it commenced somewhere at the Center, was " three miles in width on both sides of the river by the bridle path." The price, as stated in the deed, was three pounds.

In May, 1722, Col. Dudley disposed of 400 acres more of his possessions here, giving a deed to Francis James, of Gloucester, Mass.

THE FIRST SAW-MILL.

This was erected at what is still called Freetown mills. Probably it was built by Col. Dudley and others of Exeter. This was not far from 1725. It stood a few rods above the present mill ; the dam was high, and ;the water flowed the meadows north and west of the Center.

DID COL. DUDLEY RESIDE HERE?

Dean Dudley, Esq., of Boston, thinks he did. The late Hon. J. Kelly, of Exeter, in some account of him, says he was of this place. Our opinion is, that he lived mostly in Exeter, but was here some of the time, superintending the affairs of his property, and showing his possession.

He was a shoemaker by trade. He possessed much energy, enterprise, and was spirit-stirring. He wore a scarlet coat, laced jacket, ruffled shirt and powdered wig. He died at Exeter, in 1734, aged 46. John, a brother of his, was killed by the Indians in the part of Exeter now called Fremont, in 1710. Col. Stephen Dudley was uncle of Judge Dudley. A son of Col. D., named Stephen, was deacon of the Congregational church in Gilmanton, and died Aug. 11, 1811.

CHESTER GRANTED AND SETTLED.

In Oct., 1719, about eighty persons, chiefly of Hampton and Portsmouth, associated and obtained a grant for a township. The grant was given Aug. 26, 1720. It was then called the " Chestnut country." The town granted was ten miles square, and embraced, besides what is now Chester, Raymond, Candia, Auburn and a portion of two other towns. Settlements were immediately commenced by persons from Hampton and Rye, among the most active of whom were S. Ingalls, J. Goodhue, J. Sargent, Eben Dearborn, R. Smith, B. and E. Colby, John and S, Robie. The Robie family, afterwards in Raymond, came later from Hampton Falls.

The town was called Cheshire till its incorporation in 1722.

In 1750, a portion of Chester was set off to help constitute Derryfield, now Manchester. In 1763, the part called Charmingfare was incorporated Candia. In 1764, Freetown was disannexed and incorporated Raymond. In 1822, another portion was spared to help constitute Hooksett. And, finally, in 1845, the west part of Chester, called Long-meadow, was incorporated Auburn. Chester is, in a sense, the venerable mother of all of these places.

THE SURVEY.

The next event in the history of our town was its survey, in 1728, by a committee of five, chosen at Chester, and residing in the part now comprised in that town. Besides the name Freetown, it was frequently called the "North Woods." It was divided by the survey into 140 lots and a few gores, not numbered. No. 1 was in the north-east. Each lot was intended to be 100 acres, but many of them were larger.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The first settlement of a town forms an important part of its history. All would like to know something of those who first planted the wilderness ; whence they came ; the time when ; how they lived and what hardships they endured. But it is often difficult to get the desired particulars, espedaily, as in this case, when the town was formerly part of another. We have already noticed the opinion that Col. Stephen Dudley was here for a while, and that about that time a saw-mill was built. Very likely a few families were here then. This was more than 140 years ago, between 1720 and 1730. Many years since, traces of cellars were seen near the mill-yard at Freetown, where, doubtless, some of the early settlers lived ; but there seems no possibility of ascertaining who they were, nor concerning any others who came here previous to 1740, Not many were here before that date. We will give the result of extensive inquiries and researches.

1744. There is a record, which we think reliable, that Samuel Dudley was here at this date, his oldest son having been born about that year. He lived where the Judge afterwards liv.ed.

In 1745, Samuel Healey settled in the west part. His house was east of what is now the Jersey road in Candia.

1750. About this date, David Bean came from Kingston. He was brother of Lieut. Benjamin Bean, who came soon after. He lived just south of Capt. Levi Brown's, where a cellar is now seen. He soon moved to the Island in Candia, and some of his descendants,' by the name of Bean, have since lived there.

1751. Elisha Towle, from Hawke, now Danville, settled a little north of the residence of Col. Lyba Brown.

1752. Lieut. Benj. Bean, from Kingston, settled back of Aaron W. Brown's blacksmith shop ; a little after, in the old house opposite Widow John Bean's. That house was standing then, and had been occupied by one Smith. The house is the oldest in town.

Jedediah and Jonathan Brown, from Seabrook, came to the Page road. Jedediah lived where Col. Lyba Brown lived, and Jonathan in the field east of the road, on land now owned by the Prescotts.

20 THE HISTOKT

Maj. Josiah Fogg, from Hampton, settled where Timothy O. Page owns, and his brother Stephen on the Page road where Mr. Floyd lives.

Daniel Robie, from Hampton Falls, settled where the author of this book resides.

1753. Daniel Todd, originally from Ireland, came to a place east of the Dean Smith place. There is no house there, but the cellar remains, and on the door-stone, yet in its place, is " 1764," the date of the incorporation of the town, which he had chiseled there about that time.

1754. Daniel Holman was from West Epping. He had lived below, but was disposed to move westward, with civilization. His small house in Epping was not far from Thomas Folsom's, and was the first built west of the river. In Raymond, he lived on Oak Hill, just above the Abbotts. He was not blessed or troubled with neighbors for some time.

1755. Robert Page, - from Pagetown, in North Hampton, came, built a house opposite Simon Page's, and established himself in it. And about the same date, John and James Fullonton came from Epping. John built a log house in front of Lieut. John E. Cram's, which had no glass or doors, properly such. James built back from the highway, in the field now owned by Mr. Tufts.

These are but fragments of the history of that early period. The above became families of note. In the meantime, and during the nearly ten years that followed the incorporation, "the common people" were filling in; indeed, some of the uncommon, till there was the life and industry of human activity in different parts of the town. But, in the absence of materials for any full account of those times, what can we do? A good cause, with courage and perseverance, knows no defeat. We will accomplish our object in spite of seeming formidable obstacles. We will make an exploring tour through the principal places of the town, gather all the information possible by observation and rigid inquiry, and, in a familiar talk to readers, give them the whole of it. Like one of Bunyan's characters, "we will talk of things past, present and to come, provided it be for mutual benefit." In many cases, dates can not be given. An account of some will not be mentioned here, but will be found under the head of Biography.

THE EXPLORATION.

Please not suppose that much of what follows is romance. Simply guess there are four of us, two intelligent lady friends, a gentleman and the writer, seated in a substantial farm wagon, drawn by a horse like one described by Washington Irving, named "Gun-powder," that had some metal in his day, but has lost it, so that a good whip must be used. The ladies eye him sharply, and express some dissatisfaction. But exercise patience. Columbus's men wished to find land in a day, and would have returned, but that intrepid navigator was not disheartened, though the prospect seemed hopeless. The result was, the discovery of a continent. Our voyage shall result in discoveries that will interest the people here in all coming time.