By Muriel Bristol | June 7, 2026
Historian John Scales gave the following account of Milton’s first settlers in his 1914 History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens.
The early history of this [Milton] town is identified with that of Rochester, it having formed a part of that town under the name of the Third or Northeast Parish prior to June 11, 1802, at which time it was incorporated into a separate town by legislative enactment. On account of the destruction of the records by fire, it has been found somewhat difficult to determine just when, where, or by whom the first permanent settlement was made in this town. It is, however, very certain that it was in the southern part and probably as early as 1760, or very near that time.
The writer is of opinion that Jonathan Twombly is entitled to the honor of making the first settlement near the Twombly brook, and upon the farm now owned by Hon. Luther Hayes, and sometimes called the Bragdon farm, Samuel Bragdon having purchased the farm from a son of Mr. Twombly in about 1800. Mr. Twombly and his wife and some of their children were, no doubt buried upon this farm. An ancient headstone records that Hannah Twombly died in February 1769. She was doubtless a daughter of Jonathan and this is believed to be the oldest grave in Milton.
Richard Walker was also a very early settler and a near neighbor of Mr. Twombly; probably there was very little difference in the time of settlement. Mr. Walker died in 1813 at the age of seventy-seven years, and he and his wife are buried very near their old neighbors. The date of Mr. Twombly’s settlement is obtained from the birth of his daughter, Betsey, who afterwards married James C. Hayes. She was born June 4, 1862 [1762], and is believed to have been the first white child born in town.
John Twombly, not supposed to be a near relative of Jonathan, made a settlement in what is now known as the Varney neighborhood in 1771 or 1772, and had for nearest neighbor one [John] Jenkins, who lived upon the Goodwin hill at that time. The Christian name of Mr. Jenkins is not known, and no subsequent knowledge is had of him. Mr. Twombly very soon removed to and made a permanent settlement in the Lyman neighborhood, where he and his good wife died at a ripe old age. Our respected townsman, Theodore C. Lyman, was an adopted son of this worthy couple, and always spoke of them with much affection.
The next settlement is believed to have been made upon Plumer’s Ridge in 1772 or 1773, or very near that time and probably by Benjamin Scates, Beard Plumer, and his brother Joseph, sons of the Hon. John Plumer, of Rochester, however, were very early settlers, and it has been sometimes questioned whether they were not the first in this locality. James C. Hayes, David Wallingford, William Palmer, Elijah Horn, Moses Chamberlain and others very soon followed and opened up settlements in this neighborhood. This was soon followed by quite a rush of settlers to the west side of the town, Daniel Hayes, Caleb Wakeham, Enoch Varney, Samuel Nute, William Wentworth, William Tuttle, Ichabod Hayes, James Hayes, Ebenezer Coursan, and Stephen Meseron [Meserve] being among the first. Jeremiah Cook, Dudley Burnham, Jotham Nute, Otis Pinkham, Ephraim Plumer, John Twombly, James Varney, John Varney, William Mathes, and others coming soon after.
Early in the summer of 1776, Samuel Twombly a nephew of the first settler, Jonathan Twombly, could have been seen, with a pack well strapped upon his back wending his way up the side of Teneriffe, to search out a home for his lady love, returning and bringing her to this wild region the next year. Stephen Wentworth very soon became a neighbor of the Twomblys.
It does not appear that any settlement was made east of the West Branch river prior to about 1785 or 1786, and among the earlier settlers there may be named among others Reuben Jones, Paul Jewett, Amos Witham, the Berrys, the Millers, Ephraim Twombly, Paul Wentworth, Caleb Wingate, David Coursan, John McDuffee, and soon after Hatwell Nutter, Thomas Applebee, William Applebee, John Hart, John Remick, Jr., Jonathan Dearborn, Joseph Dearborn, and many others.
Among the first who settled at Three Ponds were Samuel Palmer, Levi Burgen, John Fish, Paul Jewett, Pelatiah Hanscom, Robert McGeoch, and others. Daniel Door and Jonathan Door settled at the head of the Pond quite early. The old tavern-house at Three Ponds, burned a few years ago, was built by Robert McGeoch in 1786 or 1787, and was perhaps the first tavern in town (Scales, 1914).
References:
Scales, John. (1914). History of Strafford County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=nGsjAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA508
Milton Observer 