Month: April 2025

By Muriel Bristol | April 27, 2025

Milton town records include a list of its “School Committees & money for 1804.” There was no mention of a single town-wide school committee, but instead nine separate district-level school committees, as well as some figures for each district

There were nine district-level school committees: eight district-level school committees, with three members each, and one other district-level school committee, with but a single member.

The nine district-level committees, and the names of their members, were listed, with some marginal calculations labeled “Rateable money.”

Esqr [Paul?] Jewett, John Witham, and James Berry, Jr.} 144 – 46.50.

Richd Walker, Eben Jones, and Theodore Ham} 3973 – 12 – 79.

Joseph Plumer, Benjn Scates, and Lt Ebr Horne} 10692 – 34 – 50.

James C. Hayes, Caleb Wingate, and Benjn Miller} 8333 – 26 – 86.

Captn D. Hayes, Saml Nute, and Enoch Varney} 10920 – 35 – 25.

Dudley Burnham, Robert Mathews, and Wm Tuttle} 10751 – 34 – 68.

Gilman Jewett, Wm Jones, and Timth Roberts} 12078 -39.

Saml Twombly, Jotham Nute, and Stephen Wentworth} 3383 – 7 – 28.

Ebenezer Wentworth} 1101 – 3 – 35.

Total $244 – 5.

This State transcription of an original town record would seem to be imperfect. Lt Elijah Horne has been misread as Lt Ebr or Ebenezer Horne. Some column numbers seem to missing and/or misaligned. If the first number in each district represented its the value of “Rateable” property being assessed, its missing total would have been something like $61,375.

The second number in each column would total to something like 236, rather than the stated “Total” of $244, so something may be missing or misaligned.

The third and final number of something like 421 might possibly represent a number of students, rather than a dollar amount. The Second (1800) Federal Census of four years earlier had enumerated 336 inhabitants aged under-10 years and 124 inhabitants aged 10-15 years, for a total of 460 inhabitants aged under-16 years.

The district schools would have had no Kindergartens. Those would not exist for many years, so something less than the 336 inhabitants aged under-10 of 1800 would have been in the district schools of 1804, probably half of them or less. And district schools ran only up to what would now be about Grade 8 or about 14 years of age, so something less than 124 inhabitants aged 10-15 of 1800 would have been students in the district schools of 1804.

The bottom of the same page lists some categories of animals and their valuation, which may or may not have intended as part of an assessment for support of the district schools.

Poll 130[,] Stud Horses 3 winters[,] 5 yrs old  horses 70[¢] – 4 yrs old horses 50[¢] – 3 yrs old colts 30 cents [-] colts 2 winters old 10[¢] [-] oxen 40[¢] [-] oxen 4 winters old 30[¢] [-] cows 4 winters old 20[¢] [-] cattle 3 winters old 10[¢] [-] cattle 2 winters old 5 cents[.] payments on Libby’s Excn viz.
73
33
23
10.23
total 139.23

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See also Milton Teacher of 1796-1805 and Milton School Districts – 1806

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References:

Find a Grave.

By Muriel Bristol | April 20, 2025

Milton’s inaugural Town Meeting was held at the dwelling house of Lt. Elijah Horn, innholder, on August 30, 1802.

The first regular annual Town Meeting was held at the dwelling house of Gilman Jewett, innholder, March 14, 1803. Among other decisions, it appointed a committee to select a central location on which to build a Town Meeting House.

The Report of the Comittee appointed to fix the Center of the Town. We the under Signers a Comittee appointed at the Annual Meeting in March Last to Calculate the travel of each individual in order to find the most Central place to fix the Center & report the place that will in our opinion be most Suitable to build a House to hold Public Meetings in & best Comode the Town at Large do Report that we have attended Said Business but could not agree upon the place but agreed to take the Opinion of Major Joshua Allin, Daniel Wingate, Esq., & W. Luther Dearborn who Reported that it was their opinion that the most Suitable place to commode the Town & to build upon was at the Head of the upper pond on Wakefield road on the top of the first Hill, which we agree to. Milton, May 30th 1803. Willm Palmer, Beard Plumer, Daniel Hayes, Jur, John Remick, Jur, Timo Roberts, John Fish } Committee. A True Copy of Record. Gilman Jewett, T. Clerk.

A Town Meeting of May 30, 1803, voted 1st) to accept the above report on siting the proposed meeting house, 2) against dismissing a meeting notification clause, 3) to build a Meeting House of dimensions 52′ long by 42′ wide, 4) that a building committee of three be chosen to build the Meeting House in a manner they might think proper, 5) that John Fish, Gilman Jewett, and Beard Plumer, be that building committee, 6) that the building committee contract the project out to the lowest bidder(s), 7) that the building committee be authorized to auction pews to the highest bidders, 8) that timber for the Meeting House be cut on the School Lot, and 9) that any money needed for the Meeting House construction, above that raised through sale of pews, be taken from the Rochester settlement money.

The auction of pews, as well as for contracting the construction of the Meeting House, took place on July 4, 1803.

Article 1st. The Meeting House to be built of the following Dimentions, Viz. 52 ft. long and 42 ft. wide, timber to be the following dimentions well Squared & pretty free of Sap & Sound, parts to be 23 ft. high, 14 inches by 10 inches at the head, 6 Beams 12 by 13 inches & Crowning 10 inches at the most, 8 Sills 12 by 10 inches, 2 plates 10 by 8 inches, 2 rows hung posts double Spar’d with Good white oak, Braces under each Beam with Covering Joist with Studs, Braces, Girts & Slipers as is usual in Such frames & under pin the Same with as Good Rocks as can be got within one mile of places where Set to be 18 inches from Ground and a porch at each end Eleven ft. Square & of such an higth [height] as will be convenient to go into the Gallery. [T]o be Raised at the expense of the Contactor and Sett on the first hill at the head of the Norwest pond in Milton on Wakefield Road (unless the Town Should Vote to alter the place but not to exceed 100 Rods), all the above work to be done & Compleated by the Last day of Sept. Next.
2 Article. To board, Clapboard & Shingle Said House & Porches & build Portico with Good pine boards, Shingles & Clapboards, all well Seasoned, put in the window fraims [frames], make and hang the Doors & Glaze Said house with 10 x 8 Glass to Contain 46 Windows with 28 Squares in each, Door & c. to be made of Good Clean boards well Seasoned to be Compleated by the first day of June next. Boarding & Shingling Said house to be done by the first day of December next.
3rd article. To let out the whole inside work, Viz. – to build 61 pews agreeable to the plan anexed, to build a Pulpit, Lath & plaster Said House, build Stairs, Seats, put Pillows under the Gallerys, finally to Compleat the whole of the inside work not enumerated in the above, all to be done with Good Seasoned Timber & Boards, to lay all the floors & c., to be Compleated by the last day of October 1804, every article of the above work to be done in a Good Substantial workmanlike manner to the acceptance of the Committee.
4th Article. The lowest Bidder to be the Purchaser and none to bid less than one dollar per bid and to give Sufficient Security for the faithful performance of Said Contract & in Case of non Compliance to pay ten dollars forfeit to Said Committee.
5th article. If any dispute arise Respecting a bid to be referred to & adjudged by the company present.
6th article. The timber to be Cut on the School Lott and The Money paid to the purchase[r], one half to be paid when one half the work is done, the other half to be paid when the whole of the work is done. Milton, July 4th 1803. John Fish, Gilman Jewett, Beard Plumer } Committee. A true Coppy of Record. Gilman Jewett, Town Clerk.

Caleb Wingate submitted the winning bid of $398 for the work specified in Article One of the Meeting House project. Gilman Jewett submitted the winning bid of $680 for the Article Two work, and Capt. Daniel Hayes submitted the winning bid of $940 for the Article Three work. The whole was contracted for $2,018.

But then “a number of respectable inhabitants & freeholders” sought a special Town Meeting to reconsider the proposed Meeting House site. They were Clement Hayes, Richard Manson, Daniel Manson, Samuel Bragdon, Saml Jones, Jona Pinkham, Richard Walker, Elias Ricker, John Wentworth, Joseph Walker, Willm Jones, John Downs, Ebenezer Jones, Wentworth Cook, Jotham Ham, Elisha Furbish, Will W. Lord, Saml Twombly, Jr., Ebenr Twombly, Lemuel Ricker, Jerediah Ricker, Isaac Worster, David Wentworth, Wentworth Door, Saml Twombly, Willm Hatch, and Stephen Wentworth. They thought that the site should be instead ninety or a hundred rods lower down, on the south side of the brook at the head of the Northwest Pond. The special Town Meeting was held at the home of Lieut. Elijah Horn, September 1, 1803, and that meeting decided not to change the proposed Meeting House site.

A Town Meeting was held at the house of Gilman Jewett, innholder, May 7, 1804. The Article One framing contractor, Caleb Wingate, had requested that the Town “allow him a reasonable compensation for his faithful & Extra Services in Erecting the Meeting House.” His request was “dismissed” by the assembled Town Meeting.

The State transcription of these early Milton town records has the annexed plan of the original pews in the Milton Town House. It consists of two drawings or floor plans, one of the main ground floor and the other of a second floor, which was a balcony or gallery above the main ground floor, rather than a full second floor.

The top drawing is captioned “A Plan of Meeting House 36 pews below.”

On the ground floor drawing or plan itself the 36 numbered pews are shown, labeled with their owners’ names and the price they paid. The sequence begins on the southerly to the right of the front door, runs up the easterly side, across the northerly side, down the westerly side, and back to the front door. No. 1, Isaac Worster, $55; No. 2, W. Palmer, 46 Doll.; No. 3, Jno Downs, 45 Doll.; No. 4, D. Door, 31.25 Cts.; No. 5, John & David Wentworth, $28; No. 6, Caleb Wingate, 30: Doll.; No. 7, Wm Lord, 30 doll.; No. 8, P. Hantsom, 31 doll.; No. 9, W. Jones, 30.25 cts.; No. 10., Saml S. Wentworth, 31.50; No. 11, S. Jones, 53 doll.; No. 12, L. Jones, 32.75; Pulpit, DEACON SEAT; No. 13, Parsonage pew; No. 14, Beard Plumer, 50 dol.; No. 15, Wm Palmer, 29.50; No. 16, T. Roberts, 27 doll.; No. 17, J. Scates, 30 doll.; No. 18, Jeh Ricker, 28.25; No. 19, D. Burnham, 31 Doll.; No. 20, C. Hays, 30.25; No. 21, Jas Hayes, 30 doll.; No. 22, B. Scats, 44 Doll.; No. 23, D. Corson, 45.25; and No. 24, Robert McGeoch, $55.

A group of six pews are grouped on the floor on the east side of the main aisle, which was 5½ feet wide, and six pews are grouped on the west side of the main aisle. No. 25, Jothm Nute, 64 doll.; No. 26, Capt. D. Hayes, 43 doll.; No. 27, E. Horn, 48 doll.; No. 28, R. Walker, 53 dolls.; No. 29, J. Plumer, 100; No. 30, G. Jewett, 88 Dol.; No. 31, B. Plumer, 51 doll.; No. 32, Richd Horn, 54.50 C.; No. 33, Ez. Hays, 41 Doll.; No. 34, B. Scates, 65 doll.; No. 35, J. Fish, 78; and No. 36, N. Jewett, 81 Doll.

Below the main ground floor plan is a second plan captioned “A plan of the Galery Pews in Said House.” A set of stairs does appear on the ground floor plan, but they seem to be associated only with the raised pulpit, rather than the gallery above. However, the Article One building contract included an eleven square-foot “porch” at each end of the building, of such a height that they would be “convenient to go into the Gallery” above.

The gallery or balcony plan is mirrored or upside down relative to the ground floor plan. That is to say, the Pulpit, which appears at the top or north side of the ground floor plan appears instead at the bottom of the gallery or balcony plan.

On the Gallery drawing or plan itself 26 numbered pews are shown, labeled with their owners’ names and the price they paid. No. 1, J. Door, 22 dol.; No. 2, J. Willy, 13 dol.; No. 3, E. Drew, 11 dol.; No. 4, S. Palmer, 12.25; No. 5, D. Monson, 12.25; No. 6, G. Gerrish, 10.50; No. 7, J. Walker, 10.75; No. 8 <blank>; No. 9, Jas Varney, Jr., 17.25; No. 10, Stephn Wentworth, 16.25; No. 11, Capt. N. Jones, 17 dol.; No. 12, Capt. D. Hayes, 16.75; No. 13, Capt. D. Hayes, 17 doll.; No. 14, Capt. D. Hayes, 19.25; No. 15, D. Hanson, 16.75; No. 16, J. Door, 16.50; No. 17, Capt. N. Jones, 18 doll.; No. 18 <blank>; No. 19 <blank>; No. 20 <blank>; No. 21, E. Plumer; No. 22 <blank>; No. 23, James C. Hayes, 12 Dols. 50 Cents; No. 24, Saml Nash, 12 doll.; No. 25, Benja Corson, $20.50; and No. 26, Singing Seats, Ly.

The pew auction sale prices cited on the two plans sum to $1,902. (Six gallery pews were not yet sold). It would have been necessary to allocate an additional $206 from the Rochester settlement money, or to sell more pews, in order to satisfy the three building contracts, whose sum was $2,108.

The first Town Meeting to be held in the newly constructed Meeting House took place on August 27, 1804. (The internal Gallery no longer exists).

The Milton Congregational Society petitioned for a charter in 1814, which they received in the following year. (See Milton Congregational Society Petition – 1814). The Congregationalists continued to meet and worship in the Milton Town House, from 1804 until they moved to their own church building in 1835.

This church worshiped in the old meeting house until 1835, when the house was built at Three Ponds, which has since been transformed into a “Classical Institute.” After this time for several years the meetings were held alternately at the Three Ponds and Milton Mills. The present meeting-house of this church was built in 1860, and is a spacious and elegant edifice (Hayes, 1882; Scales, 1914).

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References:

Find a Grave. (2005, March 1). Col. Joshua Allen. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/10543195/joshua-allen

Find a Grave. (2012, June 19). Luther Dearborn. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/92171689/luther-dearborn

Find a Grave. (2011, September 28). Daniel Wingate. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/77248301/david-wingate

Scales, John. (1914). History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=nGsjAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA513

By Muriel Bristol | April 13, 2025

Milton had Rochester School Districts already when it was still the Northeast Parish of Rochester, and those districts seem to have been continued when Milton initially became its own town in 1802. (It elected nine District School Committees in 1804).

There would have been a one-room schoolhouse in each School District. (Two at least of the ultimate nine District schoolhouses are still extant, although they are likely not the original buildings).

There were no Kindergarten or High School students (These are relatively modern innovations). Nor were there any school levels or “grades,” as such. (Grades were first used in the “graded” Milton Grammar School of 1893 (see Milton Grammar School Principals – 1893-14). Student ages would correspond with what are now termed the First through the Eighth grades. After that most students would have entered the workforce, usually on the family farm, or apprenticed in a trade. Some students went right from being a student to being the teacher. (Lewis W. Nute taught in a Milton school before embarking on his business career in Boston, MA).

Miss Sophia Cushing taught initially at Plummer’s Ridge in 1797-98 and then, just before these School Districts were newly delineated, at Milton Three Ponds. She was aged only about thirteen or fourteen years of age when she first taught in Rochester and only about fifteen or sixteen years of age when she first taught at Plummer’s Ridge. She would remember her experiences there in her 1854 autobiography (see Milton Teacher of 1796-1805).

Some few students – those intending to enter one of the “learned professions” – would have gone on to study further in some out-of-town private academy or institute prior to attending college. (The Milton Classical Institute would become available for this locally in or around 1867). More advanced books than basic “readers” might be borrowed at this time, by subscription, at the Rochester Social Library and, after 1822, at the Milton Social Library.

Each School District had its own elected three-person district School Committee. They would have been responsible for the schoolhouse, firewood for its pot-bellied stove, schoolbooks (see Milton’s Arithmetic Textbooks of 1878), slates, etc., and the hiring of a teacher, which might have included also lodging for that teacher. Each school district would have its own tax assessment and school tax to fund those expenses, thus the names of the taxpayers and lot numbers of their properties.

In December 1806, an appointed four-man Town Committee reported its definition (or redefinition) of five School Districts. District One would seem to have been situated or centered on what is now known as Plummer’s Ridge, District Two at West Milton, District Three at Milton Mills, District Four at South Milton, and District Five at Milton Three Ponds.

We the undersigned, a Committee appointed to divide the Town of Milton into School Districts, do hereby agree upon the following division, Viz.

Joseph Plumer’s District No. 1 to contain the following Inhabitants, also the following lots of Land, Viz. Persons Names. Thomas Appleby, Willm Appleby, Willm Adams, Moses Chamberlin, David Corson, Saml W. Cate, Fredrick Cate, Daniel Door, Jona Door, John Door, John Fifield, Ens. James C. Hayes, Lieut E. Horn, John Hart, Stephen Jennis, Capt. Levi Jones, Benja Miller, Henry Miller, John Mills, Thomas Nutter, Capt. B. Plumer, Joseph Plumer, Barnabas Palmer, Will Palmer, Esq., John Palmer, Enoch Plumer, Dudley Palmer, Beniah Colbey, John Remick, John D. Remick, James Roberts, Benja Scates, John Scates, Ephm Twombly, Gershm Wentworth, Otis Wentworth, Paul Wentworth, Caleb Wingate, David Wallingford, Gilbert Perkins, Wid. A. Hanson, John McDuffee. Lots of Land. No. 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 67, 61, 63, in 3rd Division, and 119, 120, 121, in the 4th Division.

Lieut J. Nute’s District No. 2 Contains the following Inhabitants and Lotts of Land, Viz. Samuel Bragdon, Daniel Hayes, Jur, Theodore Ham, Daniel Hayes, Esq., Ezekiel Hayes, Ichabod Hayes, Stephen Jenkins, Stephen Jenkins, Jur, Ebenr Jones, John Jenkins, Richard Monson, Lt. D. Monson, Saml Nute, Lt. Jotham Nute, Nicholas Nute, Ens. E. Twombly, James Varney, Wid. Mary Varney, Benja Varney, Lemuel Varney, Aron Varney, James Varney, Jur, Edmund Varney, Richard Walker, Joseph Walker, Ebenr Wingate, John Twombly, Aron Wentworth. Lots of land. No. 53, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 98, 100, & two third of 101, & 1 third of 88, in 2nd division & lotts No. 6 & 8 in 3rd division & lotts No. 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 & 81 in the fourth division.

Paul Jewett Esq.’s District No. 3 Contains the following Inhabitants and lotts of Land, Viz. Joseph Berry, Will Berry, Francis Berry, James Berry, Isaac Brackett, Ens. W. Corson, Saml Chatman, Beniah Door, Nathl Dearborn, Joseph Dearborn, Enoch Farnham, Nathl Gilman, Jeremiah Goodwin, Humphry Goodwin, Daniel Grant, Peter Grant, George Hoyt, Paul Jewett, Esq., Nat Jewett, Reuben Jones, Nathan Jones, Joseph Libby, James Merrow, Mark Miller, Jur, Bartholomew Miller, Hatevil Nutter, Will S. Nutter, John Nutter, Joseph Rines, Henry Rines, Henry Rines, Jur, John Remick, Jur, Thomas Remick, Henry Rollins, John Smith, Aron Witham, John Witham, Josiah Witham, Obediah Witham, Edmd Witham, Amos Witham, Peter Copp. Lotts of Land ~ No. 40, 39, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 75, 76, 77, 78, & 79, in third division, & lott No. 122 in 4th division.

Dudley Burnham’s District No. 4 Contains the following Inhabitants & Lotts of Land, Viz. Persons names. Dudley Burnham, Enoch Bunker, Ebenr Corson, Robert Corson, Jeremiah Cook, Joseph Cook, John Drew, Moses Downs, James Goodwin, Jonathan How, Robert Mathews, Will Mathews, John Meserve, Enoch Wingate, Amos Place, Francis Nute, Saml Nute, Jur, Otis Pinkham, Oliver Peavey, Shubel Roberts, Ephm Plumer, John Twombly, Jur, Will Tuttle, Saml Wentworth, Daniel Wentworth, Caleb Wakeham, Jona Wakeham, Benja Wakeham, Ephm Wakeham, Ichabod Wentworth, Enoch Wentworth. Lotts of Land. No. 97, 99, & 1 third of No. 101, in 2nd division, & lotts No. 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, & one half of No. 18, in third division.

John Fishe’s District No. 5 Contains the following Inhabitants and lotts of Land, Viz. Persons Names. Wentworth Cook, John Downs, Gershom Downs, Aron Downs, Ens. John Fish, Benja Foss, Will Foss, Wentworth Door, Clemt Hayes, Nicholas Hartford, Jotham Ham, Will Hatch, Peletiah Hanscom, John Hansom, John B. Hartford, Lieut. Gilman Jewett, Ens. Will Jones, Will W. Lord, Will Lord, Robert McGeoch, Jona Pinkham, Nathl Pinkham, Saml Palmer, Lemuel Ricker, Jerediah Ricker, Saml Ricker, John Ricker, Ebenr Ricker, Timo Ricker, Timo Roberts, Saml Twombly, Saml Twombly Jur, John Wentworth, Saml S. Wentworth, David Wentworth, James Wentworth, Stephen Wentworth, Isaac Worster, Thomas Wentworth, Josiah Willey, Widow Gerrish. Lotts of Land. No. 94, 95, 96, 89, 90 & two thirds of No. 88 in 2nd divn & lotts No. 66, 68, 62, 60, 65, 64, 20, 21, 22, 19, & ½ of No. 18, in third division, & lotts No. 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, & 52, in 4th division.

Dated at Milton this first day of December 1806. Levi Jones, William Palmer, Saml S. Wentworth, Jotham Nute.

True Coppy attest Gilman Jewett Town Clerk.

The Second, Third, and Fourth Divisions designations associated with the land lot numbers represent successive divisions of “common land.” When a town, such as Rochester, was chartered, its original settlers received original grants of chartered land.

(Original grants of chartered frontier land were sometimes given to veterans of various wars and conflicts. Such grants might bear the name of the town from which those veterans served. For instance, New Boston, NH, from Boston, MA; New Durham, NH, from Durham, NH, and New Ipswich, NH, from Ipswich, MA. Many such namesake land grants were later renamed or subdivided, as Milton being separated out of Rochester, NH. For instance, New Marblehead, ME, was renamed as Windham, ME).

Granted land not initially set out for original settlers was reserved as “common” land, to which those settlers had reserved rights as “commoners.” Over time, successive divisions of that land might be made until there was little or no undivided land remaining. (One hopes to find someday the accompanying map associated with these lot numbers).

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References:

Wikipedia. (2018, October 31). Common School. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_school

Wikipedia. (2018, October 21). Normal School. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Normal_school

By Muriel Bristol | April 6, 2025

There was published in the Dover Enquirer a July 1854 description of a White Mountains trip, presumably taken just before, i.e., in June or July of 1854, by eight Rochester tourists (three men and five women).

Apart from its intrinsic interest, the initial part of this travelogue contains an interesting detail regarding the “pleasant village” of Milton. The path of the PGF&C railroad line had been completed through Hayes Station in South Milton. The traveling tourists observed a prepared and graded roadbed running through to Milton, but its iron rails had not yet been laid.

The tourists started from Rochester and passed through Milton, Wakefield, Ossipee, Eaton, Conway, (with a side trip to Albany,) and then Bartlett, on to Crawford Notch (and up Mt. Washington), [Franconia,] Bethlehem, Woodstock, Thornton, Campton, Plymouth, Holderness, Meredith, Alton, [New Durham,] and back to Rochester.

A Trip to the White Mountains. Our party, consisting of eight persons, started from R. [Rochester] about 4 o’clock A.M.; the morning was beautiful and while a few straggling clouds were hanging lazily around the horizon the sun was already, making his way in the east, changing their appearance to a pearly white or dispelling them altogether from view, Ours was a jovial crew, and we wended our way swiftly along, leaving behind the low lands upon which the village is situated while the air grew warmer and we were met by a breeze from the north west, which gradually became cooler, and we soon passed the pleasant village of Milton, the business of which is soon to be increased by laying down the iron upon the already graded track of the Great Falls and Conway railroad.
Here are situated the beautiful sheets of water known as the “Three Ponds,” much resorted to by the disciples of old Isaak Walton; they lay nearly parallel with the main road and on leaving them we ascended the high lands where the eye was met by a carpet of green in forest and field; nature was arrayed in all her loveliness which chased away dull care and provided a speedy antidote for the ills engendered by months of confinement. Halting a few minutes by the side of a running stream we slaked our own, and the thirst of the horses with nature’s cooling beverage, resumed our journey, passed Union village in Wakefield, stopped at old “Hall Gilman’s” to tell him his cows were in the field, and passing beneath the stately pines that crowd closely upon the road and throw their shadows completely across it, we stopped, twenty miles from home, at Wakefield corner, at the Inn of Mrs. [Elizabeth B. (Wiswall)] Wiggin until the sun had spent his fiercest rays, when we again started for the regions of the North West, among the numerous hills, valleys, and what was t0 us more interesting, the trout streams of old Ossipee, from whose well stored beds, we filled our firkin, and paused a while at Centre Ossipee, which appears to be a business place, and among its best citizens is Mr. [Levi] Perkins of the Temperance Hotel. Still further on we pass the shore of Ossipee Lake, a fine sheet of water rendered almost classic by being the scene of so many Indian legends, And upon its western bank is still to be seen one of the largest mounds in New England, beneath which repose the bones of the red man, the last sad vestige that remains to remind us of his departed glory, and of the time when he held undisputed sway of forest and lake. And while the same sky was over head, the same Lake before our eyes, the red man with birchen canoe and bow and arrows, have passed away: his hunting grounds have become the abodes of of civilization and where his shrill war whoop was heard, and his revengeful eye flashed fire, the ear is greeted by the lowing of herds and the joyful sound of the horn of peace and plenty.
We stopped for the night at the West Ossipee Hotel, kept by Mr. [Asa] Ames, where we were well accommodated and furnished with music through the night, with or without our consent, by a band of mosquitoes, “too numerous to mention.” Taking an early start and traveling six miles we came to the village of Eaton, the most notable thing of which is its ancient dilapidated Church, which appears to have belonged to a generation gone by. Seven miles further on we entered the fine village of Conway, the Indian Pequawket, and stopped at the Conway House, one of the finest Hotels in the country, kept by the mountain renowned [Horace] Fabyan. This is a great thoroughfare for mountain travel and Fabyan is just the man to accommodate you over night and direct you to the mountains in the morning; and it appears to be his object to keep a better house than any other man. In the afternoon the whole party concluded to go to Albany to fish in Swift River, which is well stored with trout, but they did not appear to be in a biting mood. We found, however, a bundle of New Hampshire Patriots Extra, which had withstood the storms of Winter and Summer, headed “John Atwood Letters,” “Read, Ponder and Decide.” They did not appear to have been read, and had doubtless been lost on their way to enlighten the democracy of Carroll County, and to warn them of the machinations and short comings of the aforesaid John. We found accommodations at the private house of Mr. Chase for the night, and started the next morning for the foot of Kiarsage [Kearsarge] mountain, having a thunder shower by the way, which among the mountains is more terrible than in the open country; the lightning is more vivid, and
“From crag to crag leap’d the live thunder.”
This cooled earth and air, and we left our horses and started for the summit of the mountain, three thousand feet high. Of five ladies in our company three considered “discretion the better part of valor” and concluded to ride to the summit, while the other two determined to walk. The path is rough but not impracticable and we all arrived at the Summit House (kept also by Fabyan) about the same time in high glee where we met the cool winds that swept down over the snow dotted mountains of the farther north west; and obtained a view of the surrounding country that is equaled by that from few places in New Hampshire. After partaking of a good dinner we commenced the descent which we accomplished with much less fatigue than the ascent, and rode ten miles in the evening to Bartlett, where we stayed for the night; and the next morning travelled over a picturesque road fourteen miles to the Mt. Crawford House, kept [by] N.T.P. [Nathaniel P.T.] Davis, Esq.
This was the house of the venerable Abel Crawford, the man, who volunteered the services of the best years of his life in laying out roads around and up these mountains, in bringing their attractive wilds, deep ravines and lofty summits to be visited by the curious and pleasure seeking world; it was he who first made a bridle path upon the top of Mt. Washington, and rode a horse there when more than seventy years of age. He lived for some time nearly alone among the mountains, and was possessed of moral and physical strength, by which he endured hardships and privations from which others would shrunk in despair. But after living to a good old age he is gathered to his fathers, and beneath trees of his own planting and nursing, a few rods from the house in a quiet unobtrusive grave sleep his mortal remains, fit resting place for him who loved with such a love his sweet mountain home; while above, the carol of the birds, and below the dashing of the mountain stream sound the requiem of his departed worth.
Of the kind attention of Mr. Davis and his family I need not speak, for all that pass that way or have the pleasure of their acquaintance bear testimony to the urbanity of their manners and the quiet homelike retreat of their house. Passing on six miles farther amid beautiful scenery and lofty mountains, whose peaks stand out like gloomy sentinels to guard the narrow passway, we reach the Willey House situated at the base of lofty mountains in a place so dreary that the mountain bird seems to forget his song and dull monotony of the place is only broken by the humming waters of the puny Saco as it winds its way over the rocks and gravel o the fearful slide of the 26th [28th] of August 1826, which buried in a moment beneath its ruins the interesting family by that name; the old House still stands to tell with silent eloquence the tale “no no voice may speak,” for all, Father, Mother, Brothers, and Sister found a common grave; and none may tell of the hopes, the fears, the sufferings and mortal agony of that night of death. And when we look over the scene of desolation which covers this once beautiful valley the mind instinctively reverts to the sad catastrophe, breaks ups the fountains of the heart and brings to the eyes the makes of an embarrassing weakness. Two miles from this place is the veritable Notch of the White Mountains, and whoever would know ought [aught[ of this must see it in its mystic, thrilling beauty; and in passing up through, may be seen to the right a fine scene of water dashing down the mountain side leaping from cliff to cliff, a hundred feet at a bound, forming a bright silver cascade whose waters hurry on in cold haste, to join the little stream which here takes its rise and forms the Saco. A few rods above is the height of land between the Saco and Connecticut Valleys, upon which is situated the Notch House, built by T.J. Crawford, but kept by J.L. [Joseph L. ] Gibbs. Four miles further on we pass the Giant’s Grave, the ruins of the once noble Mt. Washington House (the old Rosebrook Stand), and stop at the White Mountain House, kept by Campbell & Moore, rather poetical names, but whether they are descendants of the poets of old Scotia and Green Erin I cannot say, but they make vary good landlords. We stopped here but a few minutes and then started for the summit of Mt. Washington, about ten miles distant, and for the present the height of our ambition. About four and one half miles of this distance is a wagon path, over which we rode with Mr. Moore, crossing several times the waters of the Ammonusuck [Ammonoosuc] in their winding course; and now we bid adieu to the driver and guide and with staff in hand commence the long and wearisome road which for the first two miles was a good forest path closely hemmed in by tall trees. – Our party consisted of three gentlemen and three ladies and now began the ascent in good earnest. – Up and still higher, but “excelsior” was our motto, and as we rose higher the forest trees grew shorter and the air which was sultry below grew cooler, until the trees disappeared altogether, and the air increased to a wintry blast, making coats and shawls very desirable, and when about a mile from the summit we beheld such a sunset as none of us had seen before; and as none view but from the top of Mt. Washington or some other lofty eminence. For as he sank in all his majestic grandeur into a bed of blazing clouds, as they lay fold upon fold behind the distant mountains of the west, we had a view of one of nature’s richest scenes. But when the sun was out of sight the clouds grew blacker and gathered more closely about us, until they enveloped us in their mist, while the bitter blasts of wintry wind grew more bitter still, but our course was upward, and about nine o’clock in the evening we reached the tip-top House, where we found a good coal fire very comfortable, the mercury being but a few degrees above freezing point. Here we were well cared for by Messrs. [Joseph S.] Hall and [Samuel F.] Spaulding, who are here for the purpose of assisting those who make the ascent. We partook of a good supper and retired to the “Lodging House” situated a few yards from tip top and drank in a full draught of
“Kind nature’s sweet restorer balmy sleep,”
which had indeed by morning restored us to our wonted activity and fully prepared us for the enjoyment of the rising sun whose rosy tints shot up the eastern skies, driving away the misty clouds of the previous evening and relighting old earth with apparently more evening glory, giving us a view which well repaid us for all our toil. We stayed upon the mountain until nearly noon, viewing the objects of interest both far and near, when we returned by the same path, found Mr. Campbell waiting and rode to the White Mt. House, where we joined our friends left behind, took dinner and drove ten miles over a good road to the town of Bethlehem to stop for the night at the Phoenix Hotel, kept by [Thomas J.] Spooner; as good a place as ever weary, hungry mortals could wish to meet with. In the morning we pursued our course and after riding about fourteen miles enter the Franconia mountains and the first object of interest we meet with is the “Echo Lake, a beautiful sheet of water closely ensconced among lofty hills, where the echo from the report of a pistol comes back like thunder near at hand, while the echo from the sound of the horn dies away in sweet lingering strains as the notes pass from mountain to mountain. A few rods further and we pass the Profile House, one of the largest in the region, situated in a wild gloomy place where the sun shines only about three hours in the shortest days of winter; and a little distance from this is the profile itself, the “Old Man of the Mountain,” whose appearance changes but little though winter’s storm. The same road leads to the “Basin,” where the clear waters of a running stream in dashing over a precipice have worn out a huge soup bowl in the solid rock beneath, which makes it an object of interest.
Still further on, or five miles from the Profile House, is the Flume House, kept by [Richard] Taft, which has many things to induce the traveler to pause; the greatest of which is the world renowned Flume itself, situated about mile from the House, whose perpendicular sides and hanging rock are grand beyond description, and should be seen by all who pass that way. And now, having seen all in the mountains reputed to be worth seeing, we leave them in their picturesque grandeur and unrivalled beauty, and turn our steps homeward, passing through the towns of Woodstock, Thornton, and Campton, arrived at the Old Town of Plymouth and rest for the night at the Pemigewasset House, kept by [Dennison R.] Burnham. In the morning we travel through Holderness to Meredith village and stop for dinner at the Railroad House, kept by James Hussey, formerly of Great falls, from thence to Alton Bay round the Lake and over hills. The Bay has but little to boast of except being the terminus of the Cochecho Rail Road, but Alton Corner, appears to be a business place, where we stop for the night at the pleasant Inn of Geo. D. Savage & Co., and the next day reach home after an absence of a week, and find our friends all in good health, and our own much improved by the journey.
Rochester, July, 1854 (Dover Enquirer, August 1, 1854).

Much of this trip might be repeated and many of its scenes – save the Old Man of the Mountain – can still be seen today.

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References:

Find a Grave. (2022, October 27). Dennison Rogers Burnham. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/245079882/dennison-rogers-burnham

Find a Grave. (2012, July 29). Abel Crawford. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/94437525/abel-crawford

Find a Grave. (2016, August 4). Horace Fabyan. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/167765930/horace-fabyan

Find a Grave. (2013, June 2). Joseph Lane Gibb. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/111693621/joseph-lane-gibb 

Find a Grave. (2013, October 2). Levi Perkins. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/117976522/levi-perkins

Find a Grave. (2007, October 23). LTC George D. Savage. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/22401192/george-d-savage

Find a Grave. (2006, December 29). Samuel Fitch Spaulding. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/17206268/samuel-fitch-spaulding

Find a Grave. (2014, July 27). Thomas Jefferson Spooner. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/133426065/thomas-jefferson-spooner

Find a Grave. (2015, November 25). Richard Taft. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/155373070/richard-taft

Find a Grave. (2012, June 24). Elizabeth Bond Wiswall Wiggin. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/92466280/elizabeth-bond-wiggin

Wikipedia. (2024, August 11). Crawford Family of the White Mountains. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_family_of_the_White_Mountains

Wikipedia. (2024, November 20). Crawford House (Crawford Notch, New Hampshire). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_House_(Crawford_Notch,_New_Hampshire)

Wikipedia. (2025, February 28). Crawford Notch. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crawford_Notch

Wikipedia. (2024, February 25). Echo Lake (Franconia Notch). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echo_Lake_(Franconia_Notch)

Wikipedia. (2025, February 16) Flume Gorge. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flume_Gorge

Wikipedia. (2025, January 6). Franconia Notch. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franconia_Notch

Wikipedia. (2025, March 20). Izaak Walton. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izaak_Walton

Wikipedia. (2025, January 5). Kearsarge North. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kearsarge_North

Wikipedia. (2025, March 17). Mount Washington. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Washington

Wikipedia. (2025, March 24). Old Man of the Mountain. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man_of_the_Mountain

Wikipedia. (2025, February 17). Profile House. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Profile_House

Wikipedia. (2025, January 7). Tip-Top House. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip-Top_House

Wikipedia. (2025, February 11). Willey House (New Hampshire). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willey_House_(New_Hampshire)