By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | December 6, 2018

The Federal government established some new Post Road routes between post offices by an act of Congress in early 1827.

The Vermont Republican and American Journal newspaper published as news, in April 1827, the Congressional act that established a Maine route that took in Milton Mills, NH. It ran from Alfred, ME, to Shapleigh, ME, East Parish, to Shapleigh, ME, Emery’s Mills, to Shapleigh, ME, West Parish, to Milton Mills, NH, and finally terminated in Lebanon, ME.

Having established the route, the Federal government would next have put it out to bid. The low bidder would have won a contract to transport the mail to the post offices along the designated route and then return along that same route to the start. This was not a daily affair, but more likely a weekly run at this time. The contracts had generally a two-year term.

(Publick No. 22.) An Act to establish sundry Post Roads. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America, in Congress assembled, That the following be established as post roads:

[Extracted from a lengthy list of Post Road routes]

IN MAINE. From Bangor, by Dutton, Kirkland, and Blakesburg, to Boyleston Mills; from Freeman, by New Vineyard, to Farmington; from Dixfield to Weld; from Belfast, by Knox, Freedom, and Hussey’s Mills, to Albion from Guilford, by Abbot, and Monson, to Hashelltown; from Winthrop, by Readfield and Bellegrade, to Waterville; from Alfred, by Shapleigh East Parish, Emery’s Mills, Shapleigh West Parish, and Milton Mills, to Lebanon, in place or the present route from Alfred to Lebanon; from Bethel, by Greenwood, to Norway; from East Machias to Cooper; from Augusta by Waterville back meeting-house, and Schowheaganfalls, to Norridgewock (Vermont Republican and American Journal, April 7, 1827).

John Nutter held the office of Milton Mills postmaster at this time.

See also Milton’s First Postmasters (1818-c1840), Milton in the News – 1839, and Milton in the News – 1848

Previous in sequence: Milton in the News – 1816; next in sequence: Milton in the News – 1829

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | December 5, 2018

Senator Robert C. “Bob” Smith, of New Hampshire, gave the following Milton bicentennial tribute speech in the US Senate, on Wednesday, March 13, 2002.

TRIBUTE TO THE TOWN OF MILTON, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Mr. Smith of New Hampshire. Madam President, I rise today to pay tribute to the citizens of Milton, New Hampshire, on the occasion of the Town’s bicentennial celebration.

The Town of Milton, located in Strafford County, has a rich history in the State of New Hampshire. A petition was submitted in 1794 by the citizens of Rochester to be incorporated as a separate town. On June 11, 1802, the Town of Milton was incorporated.

Milton is located on Milton Three Ponds, an area blessed with an abundance of waterpower which was utilized by different industries including several sawmills and a woolen mill, Miltonia Mills which specialized in fine wool blankets that were used by Admiral Peary on exploratory expeditions. A distillery and five icehouses which supplied ice to Boston, Massachusetts were also located in Milton.

Construction of homes began in Milton during the early 1800’s and the first rural schools, Plummer’s Ridge School #1 and Nute Ridge School #2 were built. Both school buildings remain standing in Milton today. In 1853 [SIC], Lewis Worster Nute, a native of Milton, provided financial support in his will to build a school and library in Milton and a chapel in West Milton.

Today, the Town of Milton, situated in southeastern New Hampshire, has a population of approximately four thousand residents. Teneriffe Mountain overlooks Milton Three Ponds which connects to the Salmon Falls River, offering spectacular scenery year round.

Milton’s municipal government consists of an elected three member Board of Selectmen and numerous other boards and committees. The town’s representatives in the New Hampshire legislature include: Representatives Nancy Johnson and Rodney Woodill and State Senator Carl Johnson. The Town has an excellent on-call Fire Department and Ambulance Corps, along with a well-staffed Police Department and a summer marine patrol.

Each year the townspeople of Milton nominate a “Citizen of the Year.” In 2002, the Fire, Police and Ambulance Corps will be honored as the true heroes in Milton, New Hampshire.

I congratulate the citizens of Milton, New Hampshire, as they celebrate the Town’s bicentennial anniversary and wish them continued success and prosperity in the years to come. It is truly and honor and a privilege to represent the people of the Town of Milton in the United States Senate.

See also Milton’s Centennial.

References:

Government Printing Office. (2002). Congressional Record, V, 148, Pt. 3, March 11 to April 10, 2002. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=McyywrWTLVIC&pg=PA3081

Wikipedia. (2018, October 15). Bob Smith (New Hampshire Politician). Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Smith_(New_Hampshire_politician)

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | December 3, 2018

Trip to Wildcat Shortened

In late August [1981], the New Hampshire Highway Dept. completed a 14-mile section of new highway extending the Spaulding Turnpike northward to by-pass North Rochester and Milton, N.H. The 14-mile section rejoins NH. 16 about one mile south of the traffic light in Union on the Union-Wakefield by-pass and should save skiers about 15 to 20 minutes in reaching Wildcat, N.H., depending on traffic conditions.

References:

Skiing Magazine. (1982, January). Roundup. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=btUXV5bgTxAC&pg=PT10

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | December 1, 2018

Arrangements for Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) winter outings to Milton in 1956, 1958, and 1962.

Regular Activities

An invitation has been extended to join Boston in an outing at Milton. N. H. (8 miles North of Rochester. N. H.) See Boston Outings for details.

BOSTON OUTINGS

Sat., Jan. 26. Experimental Snowcar Trip to Milton, N. H. 10 ,,,

Sat., March 30. Snowshoe and Ski Touring Outing to the Moose Mountain [in Brookfield, NH] with the Portland and New Hampshire Chapters. Meet at the Sanbornville, N.H. railroad station at 11:00 A.M., allowing 2½ hrs. to drive the 95 miles from Boston. These mountains have intrigued the leaders for years and a recent scouting trip “found” pretty little Mountain Lake, logging roads, open woods, the summit of Hanson Mountain, a deer yard, and many animal and bird tracks. Refreshments served at the home of Mr. & Mrs. Alfred Swett in Milton, N.H. about 5 PM. If you have room in your car for a passenger or two, or if you need transportation, notify one of the leaders. (Snowshoeing), Neil Whitman, 39 Walnut St., Everett 49, Mass. EV 7-9059, evenings.

Arrangements for an Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) winter outing to Milton in March 1958.

Sat. Mar. 8. One Day Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing Trip to Milton, N. H. Meet in the center of the small town of Milton at 10:30 A.M. in front of the Look Shop. (Start from Boston at 8:30 A.M.) Snowshoe or ski through open woods and pastures over small hills towards Mt. Teneriffe or skating, if you prefer, on Milton Pond. Coffee and cakes at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Swett following the outing. Neil Whitman (EV 7=9059); Al Robertson (HU 2-5100 ext. 228, days); Sven Cederstrom, 69 Pinckney St., Boston or Cliff Gallant, Contoocook, N.H. (AMC Bulletin, 1958).

Arrangements for an Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) winter outing to Milton in March 1962.

Regular Activities

Sat., March 23. One Day Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing Trip to Milton, N.H. Meet in the center of Milton at 10:30 A.M. Start from Boston at 8:30 A.M. Coffee and cake at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Swett, following the outing. Neal Whitman and Al Robertson (AT 4-1556) (AMC Bulletin, 1962).

References:

Appalachia Bulletin. (1956). Regular Activities. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=cO4NAQAAIAAJ

Appalachia Bulletin. (1958). Regular Activities. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=0O4NAQAAIAAJ

Appalachia Bulletin. (1962). Regular Activities. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=9QQOAQAAIAAJ

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | November 28, 2018

MANY MEN OF MUSCLE.

Only an Actual Test Will Determine the Strongest.

Fremont Wallace of Milton, N.H., Would Probably Hold His Own.

Isador Storm and Chief of Police Rines Also Among the Town’s Samsons.

MILTON, N.H., Nov 2. – There are many men of muscle in Milton, and only an actual test will determine which is entitled to the distinction of being termed the strongest.

Some of the villagers are willing to wager wealth on one, while their neighbors are equally confident regarding the abilities of others.

Fremont Wallace is undoubtedly one of the strongest, if not the most powerful, of the entire number. He was 42 years old on Wednesday, Nov 14, was born in the neighboring village of Middleton, but has been a resident of Milton nearly all his life. He is married and has four children. His height is 5 feet 9 inches and his weight 178 pounds. Of late he has been employed as a shoemaker, and in the leather board factory on the outskirts of the village. Previous to this he was accustomed to heavy work, such as falls to the lot of the truckman. That was the vocation followed by his father, who was noted for his great strength among the men of’ Middleton.

One day a number of men employed in a local factory were testing their lifting capacity on the section of a broken iron water wheel, weighing 442 pounds. Struggle as they might, not one among them could make the object budge, although they tugged at it with both hands and with might and main.

Fremont Wallace had been an interested spectator, and when all their efforts had failed he grasped the weight firmly with one hand and lifted it fairly from the ground. From that day to this his lifting abilities have never been questioned. Mr. Wallace himself states that there is one man in Milton who is stronger in some ways than he, but asserts that, while Isadore Storm can with one hand raise a dumbbell weighing 135 pounds above his head repeatedly and with apparent ease, a thing that he (Wallace) has never been able to accomplish, he is positive that he can lift a greater dead weight from the ground than can Storm.

Isadore Storm is an iceman, and will toss a 300-pound cake of ice into a refrigerator as easily as the ordinary man handles a feather pillow.

He is 31, stands 5 feet 9 inches and weighs 200 pounds. For a number of years this modern Hercules traveled about the country with an Indian medicine company, performing feats of strength. Four years ago this company gave an exhibition in the adjoining village of Sanbornville, and there Storm was smitten with the charms of a Sanbornville maiden, whom he married. The couple located in this village, and here they have since made their home.

It is Storm’s custom, after his day’s work is completed, to play with the dumbbells for an hour or more every evening, and he is constantly performing some new feat to the astonishment of his neighbors.

Another of the Milton Samsons is Chief of Police Harris Rines. Mr. Rines is very popular, and many of his friends assert that he is actually the strongest man in town. Chief Rines is 40, measures 5 feet 11 inches in height and tips the scales at 210 pounds. His commands are always promptly obeyed, for it is well known that the genial chief is not at all backward about enforcing them whenever occasion demands.

One of the most jovial and thoroughly good-natured specimens of robust manhood in Milton Is Dan Lockhart. He is always ready to cope with any emergency, and up to the present has always come off with flying colors.

He is 28, stands 6 feet in his socks and weighs 185 pounds. It is told of Lockhart that while driving a yoke of oxen one day not long ago, the big sleek fellows became frightened and attempted to run away. A yoke of oxen can travel pretty fast when badly scared, and away they went, the big wagon, loaded with prize pumpkins, jolting from one side of the road to the other, the whole outfit in Imminent danger of upsetting and rolling down the hillside. Lockhart dashed after them, and, overtaking the cattle, grasped the nigh ox by the horns and actually threw the animal to the ground. Then he assisted the beast to regain his feet and continued the journey as though a struggle with a big fat ox was an everyday occurrence. He has been known to handle a vicious bull in the same manner.

A neighbor of Lockhart’s was having some trouble with a hayrack, the heavy wheels of which had got into a position through the stable floor from which it appeared impossible to extricate them. Lockhart happened along, and stooping, placed his shoulders under the hay-rigging. In another moment he had solved the problem by lifting rigging, wheels and all, out of the hole, and with a motion of his body, threw them to one side. The total weight that rested upon his shoulders during the operation is estimated at 1500 pounds.

Lockhart handles barrels of oil weighing from 450 to 500 pounds with ease. He will pick up an ordinary kitchen range and carry it unassisted from a delivery wagon into a house, placing it anywhere that the good housewife may designate. Once when a number of men were endeavoring to decide how best an invalid of rotund figure, weighing close to 200 pounds, whose condition was such that he could be moved only in an invalid chair on wheels could be got within the door of his domicile, he having just returned from a journey during which he had been taken violently ill, Lockhart listened to the various theories for a moment, and then picked up both chair and invalid and quietly walked into the house with them while his neighbors looked on in open-mouthed wonder.

Charles F. Wallace, a day laborer, aged forty-one years, headed a Milton village household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Dora Wallace, aged thirty-seven years, and their children, Walter S. Wallace, at school, aged sixteen years, Sarah I. Wallace, at school, aged fourteen years, and Dora M. Wallace, at school, aged ten years.

Esedore Storm, a farmer, aged twenty-six [SIC] years, headed a Milton town household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Mary A. Storm, aged twenty-six years, their children, Blanche Storm, aged three years, and Alice Storm, aged ten months, and Storm’s mother-in-law, Delima Hambo, a widow, aged fifty years. The Storm parents and her mother were all natives of French Canada, i.e., Quebec.

James H. Rines, a day laborer, aged forty-six [SIC] years, headed a Milton village household at the time of the Twelfth (1900) Federal Census. His household included his wife, Emma Rines, aged forty-three years, and his brother-in-law, Forrest E. Knox, a day laborer, aged twenty years.

Daniel Lockhart, a hostler, aged thirty-four [SIC] years, resided in the Milton village household of Charles Bodwell, a hotel keeper, aged forty-three years. (E.M. Bodwell was proprietor of the Milton Hotel in 1901).

References:

Boston Globe. (1900, November 26). Many Men of Muscle. Boston, MA: Boston Globe.

By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | November 27, 2018

This extract from the Official Automobile Blue Book of 1918 outlines the route that one would take in order to travel between Portsmouth, NH, and Bretton Woods, NH [their Route Number 463, Pp. 665-71].

Note that none of the Route numbers refer to US or NH Route numbers, as those highway systems did not yet exist. The “Routes” mentioned are the here-to-there descriptions in the book and the numbers are the sequence numbers of those descriptions within the book. They tend to be rather brief, as space was no doubt a premium.

Note also, as you “travel” the route, with your finger on the page or screen, that Portsmouth, Dover, Somersworth, and Rochester all had trolley lines. They likely began as horse-drawn trolleys, although by 1918 they may have been electrified.

The “major” places, those that are both capitalized and bolded in the book, had footnote descriptions that have not been extracted to here. The Hotels, Garages, Service Stations, and Tea Rooms mentioned are those of their advertisers only.

The distance numbers before each step are 1) the total distance from the beginning of the Route, and 2) an intermediate distance from some prior step. Note how often one would have encountered a railroad crossing and that each one is included. These would have been important warnings in a day when tire technology was considerably less advanced than it is now.

This was the way, with some possible minor variations, that one would have traveled from Portsmouth to Union, and beyond to Bretton Woods, right up to the creation of the Spaulding Turnpike. As described in our previous Milton and the Spaulding Turnpike article, the Spaulding Turnpike replaced the Portsmouth-to-Dover Point portion of this 1918 route in September 1956, and the Dover Point-to-Rochester portion in August 1957.

The Spaulding Turnpike is estimated to have brought three times the traffic volume as previously to Rochester from the south. As you may see, all that traffic had to pass then through Rochester and Milton, which lay just 3.3 miles beyond Rochester. This was the situation that prevailed between 1957 and 1981.

Selectman Lucier recalled that tree-cutting for the third section of the Spaulding Turnpike began in 1978. Blasting too, one supposes, as one passes between several high rock faces along that stretch.

The Spaulding Turnpike’s third section came “online,” so to speak, in 1981. It extended the previous route past Rochester to the second Milton “Fork” intersection of the 1918 route description, just before Union (now Exit 18). That final 1981 ribbon cutting is what bypassed both Rochester and Milton, at least in the highway sense.

The route past Union (Exit 18) has changed considerably over the years that followed too, as successive NH Route 16 straightenings and bypassings were gradually implemented.

It is possible to follow these directions still for much of its described route. You might find it interesting, instructive, and “scenic” to do so sometime.

Route 463 – Portsmouth to Bretton Woods, N.H., White Mountains – 117.0 m. 

Reverse Route 571

Via Dover, Rochester, Osslpee, No. Conway and Crawford Notch. Forty-four miles macadam. Balance gravel. This is the main route to shore resorts and the White Mountains. This route follows thru a thickly settled country to West Ossipee with only scattered sections of woods and connecting here with route around Lake Winnipesaukee. From this point the valley grows narrower and is followed nearly all the way to Crawford Notch. A good option to this route is via 469 to Meredith and Route 491 to Bretton Woods.

• 0.0 0.0 PORTSMOUTH. Congress, Market & Pleasant Sts. Go west with trolley on Congress St.
• 0.1 0.1 Vaughan St.; turn right, leaving trolley. Cross RR. 0 3. 
• 0.5 0.4 4-corners; turn left with trolley.
• 0.6 0.1 End of street; turn right over stone causeway.
• 0.7 0.1 Fork; keep right onto Maplewood Ave., leaving trolley. 
• 3.2 2.5 Right-hand diagonal road; bear right with travel and macadam.
  • Dover City Map and Points of Interest, page 666. 
• 4.6 1.4 3-corners; bear right.
  • Pay 15c. toll 4.9 and cross long wooden bridge over the Piscataqua River. 
• 5.4 0.8 Dover Point. sta. on right. Straight thru.
  • Cross RR 6.0. 
    • Left on Silver St., at 11.2 is Route 472 to Concord.
• 11.6 6.2 Dover. Central Ave. & Washington St. Straight thru (north) on Central Ave. with trolley.
  • SERVICE STA. – United States Tire Sales and Service Depots located here. Right on Chapel St., Just before water trough 11.8 is Route 464 to Well.
  • Cross RR 11.9.
• 13.6 2.0 Fork; keep right with trolley. Pass amusement park on left 14.3. 
• 16.5 2.9 Somersworth. diagonal 4-corners. Turn sharp left upgrade, leaving trolley (north). 
• 18.6 2.1 4-corners; turn right with travel. Cross RR. 22.9 and join trolley. 
• 23.2 4.6 Rochester. Main & Wakefield Sts. at green. Bear right with branch trolley onto Wakefield St.
  • HOTELS – Hayes Hotel, Portland St. New City Hotel, Main St. 
  • GARAGES – Phillips Garage, 111 S. Main St.
  • Bear right with branch-trolley onto Wakefield St.
    • Left on Main St. Is Route 469 to Meredith.
  • Pass city hall on right 23.3. Cross RRs. 23.5 – 24.1 – 28.2 – 29.6 – 30.4. 
• 31.1 7.9 Milton. Straight thru (north).
• 32.1 1.0 Fork; keep right along Milton 3-ponds. Cross RR. 32.4. 
• 35.9 3.8 Fork; keep left. 
• 37.6 1.7 Union. Keep ahead across RR. and pass P.0. on right just beyond. Cross RRs. 40.1 – 42.0
• 42.2 4.6 Sanbornville. Straight thru (north). 
• 43.4 1.2 Wakefield. P.O. on left. Straight thru. Cross RR. at sta. 43.8. Cross RR 47.9
• 48.4 5.0 North Wakefield. P.O. on left. Straight thru. Cross RR. 49.2.
• 53.5 5.1 Ossipee, court house over to left. Straight thru (north).
  • HOTELS – Carroll Inn, opp. court house.
    • Left Is Note (a) to Holderness and Note (a) Route 571 to Wolfeboro.
  • Cross RR. at sta. 53.9.
• 59.0 5.5 Center Ossipee, church on right. Straight thru.
  • GARAGES – Carleton’s Garage
    • Right at 59.1 is Route 466 to Portland.
  • Cross RR. 62.1. Pass Ossipee Valley P.0. on left 62.2.
• 62.8 3.8 Fork; bear right across iron bridge.
• 65.2 2.4 Fork, at small green; bear right.
  • Left fork is Route 566 to Concord.
• 65.3 0.1 West Ossipee, diagonal 4-corners. Bear left with travel.
  • GARAGES – White’s Garage.
• 69.3 4.0 4-corners; turn right across small bridge.
• 69.4 0.1 Chocorua, left-hand road. Turn left – sign “Conway.”
  • Straight ahead leads to Silver Lake.
  • HOTELS – Chocorua Inn at 70.4.
• 70.9 1.5 Right-hand road; turn right along shore of Chocorua Lake.
  • Straight ahead leads to Wonalancet and Sandwich.
• 72.8 1.9 3-corners; bear left across small bridge – sign “Conway.” Cross RRs. 80.0 – 80.7.
• 81.0 8.2 End of road; bear right with travel.
• 81.4 0.4 Conway, 4-corners at water trough. Turn left (north).
  • Straight ahead leads to Fryeburg.
• 81.6 0.2 Fork, green in center; bear right thru covered bridge 81.8.
• 84.3 2.7 End of road, turn left.
  • Right is Route 667 to Portland.
  • Right at 86.3 leads to Forest Glen Inn, ½ mile.
  • Detail Map of White Mts. pages 752-763.
• 86.9 2.6 North Conway, bank on left. Straight thru (north).
  • HOTELS – Hotel Randall, Main St., Sunset Inn, Main St.
  • TEA ROOMS – Old Homestead Tea Room and Gift Shop, 1 mile below North Conway.
  • GARAGES – Bent’s Garage, Main St., next to P.O.
  • Cross RR. 87.3.
• 88.8 1.9 Intervale. Straight thru. Cross RRs. 88.9-90.9.
  • HOTELS – Intervale House.
• 91.3 2.5 Fork; bear left with travel.
  • Right at 92.7 is Route 500 to Gorham.
• 92.9 1.6 Glen. Straight thru covered wooden bridge. Caution, thru covered bridge 94.5
• 94.7 1.8 End of road just beyond RR.; turn right. Cross RR. 97.0.
• 98.9 4.2 Bartlett. Straight thru.
  • HOTELS – Howard Hotel.
  • Cross RR. 99.3. Caution for bridge 102.8. Cross RRs. 103.0 – 104.1. Bear right across RR. Bemis Sta. 105.1. Start stiff climb thru Crawford Notch* 111.7. Pass sta. on left 113.5.
• 113.7 14.8 Crawford House on left. Straight thru.
• 117.0 3.3 BRETTON WOODS (White Mountains), sta. on right.
  • HOTELS – The Mount Pleasant, opp. sta. Right across RR. leads to The Mount Washington Hotel.

Route 571 – Bretton Woods (White Mountains) to Portsmouth, N.H. – 117.0 m.

Reverse Route 463

Here follows an extract [Wakefield through Rochester] only from the Reverse Route 571 [Pp. 780-83], which is included because it mentions an additional Milton feature – the location of the post-office – that was not mentioned in the original Route 463.

• 73.6 4.9 Wakefield. Straight thru.
• 74.5 0.9 Fork; bear left with poles.
• 74.8 0.3 Sanbornville. Straight thru Cross RR. 75.0 – 76.9.
• 79.4 4.6 Union. P.O. on left. Straight thru across RR.
• 80.9 1.5 Fork; bear left sign – “Rochester.”
• 81.0 0.1 Fork; bear right. Pass Milton 3-Ponds on left 83.9. Cross RR. 84.6.
• 85.9 4.9 Milton. P.O. on right. Straight thru. Cross RR. 86.6 – 87.4 – 88.8 – 92.9 – 93.5. Pass [Rochester] city hall on left 93.7.
• 93.8 7.9 Rochester,* Wakefield and Main Sts. green on right. Bear left with branch trolley onto Main St.
  • HOTELS – Hayes Hotel, Portland St. New City Hotel, Main St.
  • GARAGES – Phillips Garage, 111 S. Main St. Sharp right 93.8 is Route 469 to Meredith. Cross RR. 94.1

References:

Automobile Blue Book Publishing Co. (1918). Official Automobile Blue Book, Volume Two, New England, Eastern Canada and Maritime Provinces. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=dtsNAAAAYAAJ

US Department of Transportation. (2018). From Names to Numbers: The Origins of the U.S. Numbered Highway System. Retrieved from www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/numbers.cfm

Wikipedia. (2018, October 6). Interstate Highway System. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System