Author: Muriel Bristol

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | March 18, 2019

In this year, we encounter the auction sale of a Milton Three Ponds hotel, the calling of a new minister to Milton Mills’ Union Congregational church, and the tragic freezing death of a Lebanon mother.

Horatio Gates Wentworth, Jr., was born in Lebanon, ME, July 4, 1841, son of Horatio G. and Esther (Gowell) Wentworth. He married, probably in Lebanon, ME, circa 1861, Susan Hersom. She was born in Lebanon, ME, December 10, 1841, daughter of John and Asenath (Shorey) Hersom.

Horatio G. Wentworth, Jr., of Lebanon, ME, a laborer, married, aged twenty-two years (b. ME), registered for the Class I military draft in July 1863. He was a farmer in Lebanon, ME, in 1870.

H.G. Wentworth appeared as manager of Milton’s Glendale House hotel in the Milton business directories of 1880, 1881, and 1882.

Horatio G. Wentworth, keeps hotel, aged thirty-eight years (b. MA), headed a Milton (“Milton 3-Ponds Village”), NH, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Susan [(Hersom)] Wentworth, keeping house (hotel), aged thirty-seven years (b. ME), and their six boarders, George Babcock, works for ice co., aged twenty-two years (b. MA), Nelson Babcock, works for ice co., aged nineteen years (b. MA), George Ingalls, works for ice co., aged thirty years (b. MA), George B. Knowlton, works for ice co., aged twenty-three years (b. MA), Howard Conkling, works for ice co., aged twenty-eight years (b. VT), and Thomas J. Gile, works for ice co., aged twenty years (b. ME).

The hotel appeared in the enumeration between the households of George I. Jordan, works on shoes, aged forty-five years (b. ME), and Albert Downs, works on shoes, aged thirty years (b. NH).

AUCTION SALES. HOTEL AT AUCTION. The well-known Glendale House, situate at Milton “Three Ponds” village, on the banks of a beautiful lake on the Conway division of the Eastern Railroad, will be sold at public auction, THURSDAY, May 25, at 2 o’clock P.M., sharp; situate in a growing manufacturing village, amid beautiful scenery, pure air, on the direct line of White Mountain travel, excellent boating, fishing, etc.; within two minutes walk of the depot, it presents superior advantages as a summer resort for the invalid or pleasure-seeker; terms liberal. Apply to H.A. WORTHEN, carriage manufacturer, or V.H. McDANIEL, Auctioneer, Dover, N.H. (Boston Globe, May 23, 1882).

Note that the auction advertisement seems to be pitched more towards tourist interests than those of the ice industry.

H.G. Wentworth appeared as manager of Milton’s Phenix House hotel in the Milton business directory of 1884.

Rev. Gardner S. Butler transferred from North Troy, VT, to the Union Congregational Church at Milton Mills, NH.

North Troy. Rev. G.S. Butler has received and accepted a call to preach at Milton Mills, N.H. (Express and Standard (Newport, VT), September 12, 1882).

This next article concerns the freezing death of Mrs. Moses W. Foss. Their marital life was a bit complicated and requires a bit of preliminary explanation.

Moses W. Foss married (1st) in Milton, NH, June 7, 1874, Addie S. Simonds, he of Milton and she of New Portsmouth, NH. Rev Joseph F. Joy [of the Milton Mills Free-Will Baptist church] performed the ceremony. She was born in Dover, NH, circa 1855-56, daughter of Stillman and Hannah W. (Stevens) Simonds. They seem to have divorced.

Moses W. Foss married (2nd) in Wakefield, NH, November 13, 1878, Susan A. (Sanborn) Goodwin, he of Milton and she of Wakefield. She was born in Wakefield, daughter of Goodwin and Hannah Sanborn. She had married (1st) Frank Goodwin, with whom she had a son, Charles W. Goodwin.

Moses W. Foss, a laborer, aged thirty-seven years (b. NH), headed a Lebanon, ME, household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Susan A. Foss, keeping house, aged twenty-five years (b. ME [SIC]), his son-in-law (i.e, stepson), Charles W. Goodwin, at home, aged six years (b. NH), and his son, James H. Foss, at home, aged one year (b. NH).

HER LAST SHOPPING. A Woman Frozen to Death in a Snow Storm Near Milton, N.H. MILTON, N.H., December 16. Mrs. Moses W. Foss walked about two miles to this place to do some trading Wednesday afternoon in a snow storm. She attempted to return in a deep and blinding storm, and had nearly reached there, when, overcome by exhaustion, she fell down and perished. She leaves three small children. Her husband was out of town (Boston Globe, December 16, 1882).

Miscellaneous Items. Mrs. Moses W. Foss, of Milton, N.H., was caught out in a snow storm last week, and froze to death (New England Farmer, December 23, 1882).

Moses W. Foss married next (3rd) in Milton, NH, June 19, 1884, Rosa Cole, both of Milton. She was born in Milton, NH, daughter of Simon and Martha O. (Sargent) Cole.

Moses W. Foss died in Cornish, ME, July 18, 1910. Rosa (Cole) Foss married (2nd) in Cornish, ME, May 30, 1911, Greenleaf Pugsley.

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1881; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1883

References:

Find a Grave. (2012, November 25). Horatio G. Wentworth. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/101246605

Wikipedia. (2018, May 12). North Troy, Vermont. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Troy,_Vermont

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | March 14, 2019

In this year, we encounter a report of another major fire in the Milton business district.

Milton experienced another major fire in its business district. (Stop at the semicolon: the remainder concerns a fire in New York City).

JUST THE JUICE. At Milton, N.H., thirteen offices, bank and several stores burned, at loss of $60000, partially insured; fire on ground floor of six-story tenement house in New York, containing one hundred and twenty families, causes terrible panic, but police use clubs effectually and. drive people out, preventing awful calamity (Leavenworth (KS) Times, January 21, 1881).

This fire, which destroyed about seventeen to eighteen buildings (at a cost of $60,000), may be compared with that of 1874, which destroyed twenty-five buildings (at a cost of $97,000).

(A loss of $60,000 in 1881 may be roughly – very roughly – translated into $1,486,918 in 2019 dollars).

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1880; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1882

References:

Official Data Foundation. (2019). Inflation Calculator. Retrieved from www.in2013dollars.com/us/inflation/1881?amount=60000

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | March 10, 2019

In this year, we encounter some not-so-sharp dealing, Milton’s own “Toby Tyler,” the intrepid Fish Commissioner, and a rescue from Lake Winnipesaukee.

This also was the year that Lewis W. Nute commissioned two paintings of his property on Nute ridge in West Milton.

The following account argues for everyone having a newspaper subscription, so as to know the general state of things. It used an example of an unnamed Milton ice merchant whose dealing was not so sharp as it might have been, had he only subscribed to a newspaper.

EDITORIAL NOTES. The case of a man living at Milton, N.H., is cited as an illustration of the false economy that places the daily or weekly newspaper among the things that can be cut off to reduce expenses. This man has two large ice houses and during the winter he stored both full of ice. He supposed all other ice houses were full, for he “got along without the papers,” and so did not know the general state of things. Recently he was called on by a Portsmouth man who offered him $600 for his ice just as it lay in store. He did not let the offer grow stale, but picked it up eagerly and cried “done.” In a day or two better offers began to come in and had to be refused, and even as high as $2,000 was sent from the door. The economical gentleman felt pretty sore and wondered he hadn’t heard about things; but his wrath boiled over when with in two weeks the purchaser of the ice turned it over to a Boston ice company for $5,600, clearing just $5,000 by the operation. A daily newspaper costing $8, $10 or $12 a year, or even a weekly costing $2 a year, would have been a fair investment for that man ((New Haven) Morning Journal Courier, March 16, 1880).

George L. Hoyt was born in Milton, NH, June 7, 1869, son of Rufus A. and Lucy A. (Drew) Hoyt.

STATE NEWS. Androscoggin. The youngest tramp that has put up at police headquarters, Lewiston, arrived on Monday. He gave his name as George Hoyt and said he had lost both his father and mother. He is eleven years old, and be came all the way from Milton, N.H. He is a bright, handsome little fellow, is already quite a pet at the police station (Bangor Daily Whig & Courier, April 15, 1880).

Rufus A. Hoyt, a farmer, aged forty years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census, in June 1880. His household included his wife, Lucy Hoyt, keeping house, aged thirty years (b. NH), and his children, George L. Hoyt, at home, aged eleven years (b. NH), and Dean Hoyt, aged four years (b. NH).

(They lived near Millett W. Bragdon, aged forty-five years, who “runs Excelsior mill.” “Excelsior” is wood shavings, used as a packing material, not unlike Styrofoam “popcorn” today).

George L. Hoyt, a farmer, died in Milton, January 1, 1933, aged sixty-three years.

NH Fish Commissioner Luther Hayes appeared again, this time in Peterborough, NH.

New England Items. Nine thousand land-locked salmon have been taken from the fish-hatching house at Plymouth, N.H., to the waters near Peterborough, by Commissioner Luther Hayes (Boston Globe, May 27, 1880).

NH Fish Commissioner Hayes, of West Milton, stocked also ponds in Milton, in 1878, and Nottingham, NH, in 1879.

The steamer Lady of the Lake was active on Lake Winnipesaukee before the current steamer Mt. Washington. She was built in 1849 and had an active career, including several fires and renovations, before being scuttled in Smith Cove in 1895 (“The ‘Lady of the Lake’ made her last trip down the lake last Saturday” (Argus and Patriot, September 20, 1893)). The steamer Mt. Washington, built in 1872, has been her successor on the lake.

On this occasion, the Lady of the Lake fished two men out of the lake after a severe squall.

Severe Storm in New Hampshire. (Special Despatch to The Boston Globe). Weirs, N.H., July 27. – A heavy shower with high winds passed over the lake this afternoon, damaging the boats at the moorings and wrecking boats on the lake. The steamer Lady of the Lake picked up two men in a nearly drowned state, one-half mile out of Wolfboro, at 3.30. One was Abram Sanborn of Milton Mills, N.H., and the other unknown (Boston Globe, July 28, 1880).

Abram Sanborn, a harness maker, aged fifty-eight years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Mary Sanborn, keeping house, aged fifty-seven years (b. ME). The census enumerator recorded their household between those of Asa A. Fox, a carpenter, aged forty-three years, and Francis A. Busch, Jr., works in woolen mill, aged twenty-six years (b. MA). (This same Asa A. Fox lost his Milton Mills grocery store to a fire in 1876).

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1879; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1881

References:

Find a Grave. (2013, August 17). Abram Sanborn. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/115611001

Find a Grave. (2010, March 8). Luther Hayes. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/49429209/luther-hayes

Lost New England. (2015, July 14). SS. Lady of the Lake. Retrieved from lostnewengland.com/tag/ss-lady-of-the-lake/

Wikipedia. (2018, January 3). Toby Tyler. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Tyler;_or,_Ten_Weeks_with_a_Circus

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | March 7, 2019

In this year, we encounter a fatal equine accident, some thievery, another mill fire, the passing of an elderly veteran, more stocking by the fish commissioner, and some minister shopping.

The Rev. Willis A. Hadley came to the Union Congregational Church in Milton Mills from Rye, NH, where he had offered a strong sermon.

New England Items. The Rev. Willis S. Hadley, late of Rye, N.H., has received a unanimous call from the Congregational Church at Milton Mills to become its pastor (Boston Globe, January 21, 1879).

Poor Mr. Charles Chase had a fatal encounter with a horse.

EASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE. Charles Chase, of Milton Mills, was fatally injured, Tuesday, 7th. He was kicked by a horse in the throat, and died in a few minutes (Vermont Journal (Windsor, VT), January 25, 1879).

Two burglars from Great Falls [Somersworth, NH] broke into a storehouse at Milton Three Ponds in late January.

NEW ENGLAND NEWS. NEW HAMPSHIRE. In default of $2000 bail, George Whitehouse and Richard Pine of Great Falls were committed to jail Wednesday to await trial for stealing a sleigh, harness and robes from George H. Jones, and a quantity of flour and grain from Daniel Corkery at Milton, Sunday night (Boston Post, January 30, 1879).

Summary of News. George Whitehouse and Richard Pike, of Great Falls, N.H., were last week arrested for breaking and entering a storehouse at Milton Three Ponds, and stealing therefrom several barrels of flour, the property of Daniel Corkery. They also stole a horse and pung to carry away their plunder, but the heavy load broke down the pung, and hence their arrest (Argus and Patriot (Montpelier, VT), February 5, 1879).

The burglars probably came by train. The stolen getaway “pung” may be defined as a low boxlike one-horse sleigh. (This was winter in Milton).

The same George Whitehouse, with the aid of two other ne’er-do-wells, had robbed a pedler in the ironically-named Fair Play saloon in Great Falls in the prior year (Boston Globe, April 22, 1878).

The owner of the flour barrels managed Milton’s relatively-new railroad depot. Daniel Corkery, depot master, aged thirty-nine years (b. New Brunswick), headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Lizzie A. Corkery, keeping house, aged thirty-two years (b. NH), and his daughters, Annie J. Corkery, aged fourteen years (b. NH), and Daisy A. Corkery, aged four months (b. NH, in January).

George H. Jones, a farmer, aged fifty-four years (b. NH), headed also a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Lucy J. [(Varney)] Jones, keeping house, aged fifty-three years (b. NH), and his sons, Charles H. Jones, aged twenty-seven years (b. NH), and Ira W. Jones, sets water wheels, aged twenty-five years (b. NH).

Milton resident Luther Hayes lost his Portsmouth, NH, saw mill.

New England Items. The saw mill belonging to Luther Hayes at Portsmouth, N.H., was burned yesterday afternoon. Loss, $2000; no insurance (Boston Globe, February 11, 1879).

Luther Hayes of South Milton had appeared as a justice of the peace, and as proprietor of a grist, lumber, saw, and shingle mill, in the Milton business directory of 1877.

We encounter him again in his role of NH Fish Commissioner in October of this year (see below).

Joseph Page was born in neighboring Wakefield, NH, August 7, 1795, son of Josiah Page.

OBITUARY. Joseph Page, an old and respected citizen of Milton Mills, N.H., died at that place September 20, aged 84 years. He was a veteran of the war of 1812, in which he served faithfully (Boston Post, September 29, 1879).

Joseph Page enlisted in Captain James Hardy’s militia company (August 11, 1814): Nathaniel Abbott, Frederic Ballard, James L. Gowdy, Stephen Grant, Daniel Page, Joseph Page, Hiram Pierce, Obadiah Witham, all of Wakefield; and James Drew, Joseph Pitman, George Stevens, and Stephen Young, all of Brookfield. (Their experience would have been similar to that of Milton’s militia company in the War of 1812).

He married October 7, 1816, Lydia Staples Remick. Their children were born in Wakefield between then and the mid-1830s. They moved from Wakefield to Milton Mills prior to 1850.

Joseph Page, a farmer, aged seventy-four years (b. NH), headed a Milton household at the time of the Ninth (1870) Federal Census. His household included Lydia S. Page, keeping house, aged seventy-five years (b. NH), Josiah Page, a farm laborer, aged thirty-six years (b. NH), Hannah E. Page, a housekeeper, aged twenty-nine years (b. NH), Amanda M. Page, at school, aged seven years (b. NH), Clara M. Page, aged two months (b. NH), and Haven Jewett, a farm laborer, aged thirteen years (b. NH).

Lydia S. (Remick) Page died in Milton, March 6, 1871.

NEW HAMPSHIRE. The Fish Commissioner, Luther Hayes, has been engaged the past week in stocking Langley and Pea Porridge ponds in Nottingham with black bass (Boston Post, October 9, 1879).

NH Fish Commissioner Hayes, of West Milton, stocked also ponds in Milton, in 1878, and Peterborough, NH, in 1880.

Next we have several ministerial candidates auditioning, as it were, to “supply” pulpits.

Sutton. The Rev. B.A. Sherwood of Milton Mills, N.H., occupied the desk Sunday forenoon as a candidate for the pastorate of the church. We learn the committee intend to secure his services as soon as possible if the people will sign liberally and raise his salary. The church has been without a pastor and regular preaching since Mr. Atwood closed his labors last March (St. Johnsbury Caledonian, October 24, 1879).

Rev. Charles E. Stowe married in Cambridge, MA, May 26, 1879, Susan M. Monroe. Despite what it said in the following article, he became minister in Saco, ME. He wrote his mother from Saco in December 1879 and entertained her there in the summer of 1880 (Butte Miner, June 30, 1880).

PERSONAL AND POLITICAL. MRS. HARRIOT BEECHER STOWE’s son Charles has engaged to supply the Congregational pulpit at Milton, N.H. for a year (Pittsburgh Daily Post, October 31, 1879).

Stowe’s mother, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was a well-known abolitionist, as well as having been the author of the novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Although he did not “settle” in Milton, he likely gave at least one audition sermon there and perhaps visited from Saco.

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1878; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1880

References:

Find a Grave. (2010, March 8). Luther Hayes. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/49429209/luther-hayes

Find a Grave. (2015, August 5). Rev. Willis Augustus Hadley. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/150217793

Wikipedia. (2018). Harriet Beecher Stowe. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Beecher_Stowe

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | March 3, 2019

In this year, we encounter a Milton factory slowdown, J.O. Porter on his home ground, another centenarian, and the activities of a NH fish commissioner. (Milton’s use of White’s Arithmetic textbooks was advertised in this year: Milton’s Arithmetic Textbooks of 1878).

John Townsend’s son, Henry H. Townsend, started his own blanket mill. It appeared under his name in the Milton business directories of 1873 and 1874. He then took on Sullivan H. Atkins, as a partner.  The partnership appeared as Townsend & Company in Milton business directories of 1876, 1877, and 1880.

Townsend & Company’s woolen felt factory suspended production for a time in early 1878.

TELEGRAPHIC NOTES. Townsend & Co., at Milton Mills, N.H., have suspended, throwing 30 hands out of employment (St. Albans Daily Messenger,  January 3, 1878).

Henry H. Townsend, a woolen manufacturer (felt), aged thirty-seven years (born MA), headed a Milton (Milton Mills P.O.) household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Agnes J. [(Brierley)] Townsend, keeping house, aged thirty-five years (born MA), his children, John E. Townsend, at school, aged eight years (born NH), and Grace M. Townsend, at home, aged six years (born NH), and his uncle, Thomas Townsend, a carder in felt mill, aged seventy-two years (born England).

Sullivan H. Atkins, a felt manufacturer, aged forty-three years, headed a Milton (Milton Mills P.O.) household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his [third] wife, Sarah A. [(Ricker)] Atkins, keeping house, aged thirty-five years, his children, Winnifred Atkins, at house, aged sixteen years, Mary E. Atkins, at house, aged six years, and George A. Atkins, at house, aged four years, and his sister, Emma J. Atkins, at house, aged twenty-eight years.

Henry H. Townsend bought out Sullivan H. Atkins’ share in Townsend & Company in 1880. (The partnership name continued to appear in Milton business directories for several years).

John O. Porter, who would be later one of Milton’s ice magnates, appeared in his original capacity, proprietor of a Marblehead, MA, livery stable.

Miscellany. The horse and buggy stolen from John O. Porter of Marblehead on Sunday were found yesterday hitched in Abbott’s stable. Mr. Porter received a note from young Barron, who hired the vehicle, where to find his property. Mr. Barron appears to have peculiar ideas in regard to the rights of livery stable keepers. He is a sharp young man, but those eye-teeth of his may prove a trifle too keen ere long. He coolly informed Mr. Porter in the note that he hired his team to go to Salem and that he would find it in Salem. Mr. Porter desires to warn hotel keepers of this precious individual. Hereafter it will be necessary to stipulate with such sharp characters the necessity of bringing the team back. There is a trifling board-bill which Barron forgot to mention in his billet doux. Hotel keepers are warned.

The festive dandelion has appeared, and “bacon and greens” are now in order (Boston Globe, April 3, 1878).

John O. Porter, a harness maker, aged thirty years, headed a Marblehead household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his children, John O. Porter, Jr., at school, aged seven years, Alice Porter, aged four years, Mary Porter, aged one year, his housekeeper, Hannah Glass, a housekeeper, aged sixty-five years, and a boarder, Martin Flynn, a harness shop worker, aged thirty-two years.

Porter and his Marblehead Ice Company appeared in the Milton business directories of 1892, 1901, and 1904.

As mentioned before, those that attained advanced age were always of great interest. David Hanson Evans had been born in Madbury, NH, May 24, 1778, son of Solomon and Catherine (Hanson) Evans.

New Hampshire. David Evans of Branch Hill Farm, near Milton Mills, celebrated his 100th birthday Wednesday, and thinks he is good for some years yet (Boston Post, May 24, 1878).

Albert L. Evans, a farmer, aged thirty-six years. headed a Tuftonborough household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Harriet M. Evans, keeping house, aged twenty-nine years, his daughter, Abbie J. Evans, at school, aged eight years, his father, Joseph G. Evans, suffering from paralysis, aged seventy-five years, and his grandfather, David Evans, aged one hundred two years.

David H. Evans was indeed “good for some years yet.” He outlived his son, Joseph G. Evans, who died July 26, 1881, aged seventy-six years. David H. Evans died in Wakefield, NH, September 29, 1882, aged one hundred four years, four months, and five days.

NH Fish Commissioner Luther Hayes, of West Milton, acquired white perch with which to stock Milton ponds.

LYNN. The News in Brief. Luther Hayes, one of the Fish Commissioners of Milton, N.H., was in town yesterday, and took fifty white perch from Flax Pond home with him to stock a pond at Milton. The fish were caught by John Marior during the past three days (Boston Globe, August 24, 1878).

Luther Hayes of South Milton appeared as a justice of the peace, and as proprietor of a grist, lumber, saw, and shingle mill, in the Milton business directory of 1877.

Luther Hayes, a farmer, aged sixty years, headed a Milton household at the time of the Tenth (1880) Federal Census. His household included his [third] wife, Nellie R. [(Morrill)] Hayes, keeping house, aged thirty-nine years, his children, Lyman S. Hayes, at home, aged seventeen years, Fannie L. Hayes, at home, aged fourteen years, Hattie E. Hayes, at home, aged twelve years, Luther C. Hayes, at home, aged ten years, Clarence M. Hayes, at home, aged two years, and his mother-in-law, Rachel M. Morrill, at home, aged seventy-four years.

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1877; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1879

References:

Find a Grave. (2015, October 25). David Hanson Evans. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/154231987

Find a Grave. (2013 August 12). Henry H. Townsend. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/115352239

Find a Grave. (2013, January 28). John O. Porter. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/104301616/john-o_-porter

Find a Grave. (2010, March 8). Luther Hayes. Retrieved from www.findagrave.com/memorial/49429209/luther-hayes