History of the Town of Dunbarton, Merrimack County, New-Hampshire
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1 1800, M aass-p44 BookJil-Sj. HISTORY 3573 TOWN OF DUNBARTON MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW -HAMPSHIRE. FROM THE GRANT BY MASON\S ASSIGNS, IN 1751, THE YEAR 1860. BY CALEB S'l^ Entered according to an act of Cungres?, in the year 18G0. By Calkb Stark, 111 th" (Jlerk's Office uf the District Court of ^S'ew-IIainp.sliire. M I'AULAND .V JKNK>, riilNTERS. K1:I;ATA. — I'age 27, for Kobcrt Mack rciid Kobcrt Stark. Page 7!>. Inr iiii/icii/ua! I'cad loulivhlaf. Page 183, for B. W. AVciit-\vurth read I>. WelitWnl-th. TO OUR READERS A principal object in collecting the materials arranged in this publication was to obtain information relative to our native town, by an inspection of its public records. The interest created by their perusal determined us to em- body their contents, with an intention of publishing the result of our researches, should that design be countenanced by a subscription sufficiently large to justify the experiment. At the adjourned annual meeting of the present year, the question of publication was decided by a vote, granting one copy to each tax-payer in town.* Every inhabitant will, in consequence, be enabled to peruse a summary account of the settlement and progress of their now flourishing location, amidst whose formerly dense forests their adventurous ancestors established their abodes, without the trouble of tracing particulars through the records one hundred and nine years. To the inhabitants of Dunbarton, for whose consideration it is particularly intended, this Production is respectfully in- scribed by their often Obliged friend and Most obedient servant, The Author. * Vote of the Town. Voted, That the selectmen appropriate a suffi- cient sum of money to procure for each tax-payer in town a copy of the History of Dunbarton, now being written by Caleb Stark. A true copy— Attest: Charles Kimball, Town-Clerk. The foregoina; is a copy of a vote passed March 17th, 1860, at a meet- ing of the inhabitants of Dunbarton. INDEX TO CONTENTS. Historical sketch, 9 Proprietors' records, 40 Charter and proceedings under it, 99 Miscellaneous matters — warning out, 138 Dr. Dugall's petition, , 139 Tithing-nien, 139 Militia trainings, 140 Eaisings and trials of strength and skill, 141 Bounds of the Common, 143 Dr. Jackson's Survey, 143 Lease of town lands, 144 Grave-yard wall, 145 Grave-yard, 147 Physicians, 150 Magistrates, 150 Keligious associations, 150 Eevolution ary soldiers, , 151 Ecclesiastical statistics, 152 Post-oflSces, 154 Traders, 155 New meeting-house, 156 Protest of Major John Stinson to the meeting of 1801, 161 Accidental deaths, 162 Disappearance of McCarthy, 163 Journal of E. L. Harris, 165 INDIVIDUAL NOTICES. Archibald Stark and sons, 174 Major Eobert Eogers, 178 Captain Caleb Page, , 181 Captain William Stinson, , 194 Archibald Stinson, 196 John Stinson, Jr., 198 Vlll INDEX TO CONTENTS. Jeremiah Stinson, 200 William Stinson, 201 James Stinson, 201 Colonel John Stinson, 201 Jonathan Burhank, 201 Steplicn Burbank, 202 Samuel Stinson, 202 John Stinson, 202 Eev. Walter Harris, 203 Mills family, 210 William Beard, 212 John Biinten, 213 John Fulton, 213 Joseph Putney and James Rogers, 213 Thomas Caldwell, 249 Israel Clifford, 249 Phinehas Bailey, 249 William Tenney, 250 Nathan Gutterson, 250 James Hogg, 250 Samuel Gutterson, 251 Shubaol Tenney, 251 Nathaniel T. Saftbrd, 251 Jonas Hastings, 251 Eobert Alexander, 252 Jonathan Waite, 253 Paul Healey, 251 Eichard Cilley, 251 William BroAvn, 252 Benjamin Twiss,. 253 Benjamin Marshall, 253 John Dodge, 253 James Morse, 253 Benjamin Perley, Jr., 254 Captain Joseph Leach, 254 Eliphalet R. Sargent, 254 Joshua F. Hoyt, 254 Thomas Tewksbury, 255 John Gould, 265 : HISTORY OF DUMBARTON. The incidents attending tlie settlement and onward pro- gress of an inland agricultural town, cannot be expected to interest others than its residents, or the descendants of its early proprietors, the "forefathers of the hamlet,'" whose honored graves are located amidst the scenes of their former toil. Their indomitable resolution and life-enduring labors cleared away the wild forests, and destroyed or expelled their wilder occupants, the wnly human savage, as also the ferocious animals that prowled at will amid their solitudes. They prepared the pleasant fields and pastures now adorn- ing our hill-sides and valleys, for the peaceable enjoyment of their posterity. Tlie fortunate possessors of this fair domain, whose ac- quisition was attended by neither toil or danger, cannot too highly appreciate the noble sacrifices and cheerfully encountered perils of the stalwart pioneers who transmit- ted to them so goodly an heritage. They were truly, in the words of the Scottish bard, " Types of a race that shall the invader scorn, As rocks resist the billows round their shore ; Tj-pes of a race that shall to time unborn, Their country leave unconquered, as of yore." This location is noticed in Haywood's Jlew-England Gazetteer as follows " DuNBARTOX, Merrimack Co. This town lies nine miles south-west, from Concord, and seven miles south-east from 2 10 IIISTOIIY OF DUXBARTOX, Ilopkinton, ropulation in 18-30, 10G7. The situation of the town is somewhat elevatod, tliougli there are but few hills, nor any niounfains. The air is clear, the water is good, and the liealth of its inhabitants seldom interrupt- sickness. The soil is good peculiarly suited for ed by ; corn, wheat, and oivharding. Almost every lot in town is capaltle of making a good farm. The farmers here have good buildings, and are excellent husbandmen. The ad- vantages in iH)int of water jirivileges are not great. The inhabitants are ju'incipally descendants of the Scotcli-Irish, so called, from the north of Ireland. Their descendants still retain many traits of charactei- ])eculiar to that peojtle. "Dunbarton was granted, in 17ol, to Archibald Stark. Its present name (formerly Starksiown) is derived from Dunbarton, in Scotland, whence Stark cuiigrated. The first settlement was made about 1741t. "William Stinson, born in Ireland, came to Londonderry with his fatlier. He was much respected, and was a useful man. dames Rogers was from Ireland, and father to Major liobert Rogers. lie was shot in the woods, being mistaken for a bear." "We will add to tlie above, that the scenery of this place is diversified with many considerable elevations, fertile valleys, and meadows, watered by numerous small streams. A portion of its territory afi:"ords excellent pastures. The extensive landscape prospects from the high lands in dif- ferent parts of the town are very intei'csting, particularly those presented to view from the hill ujion which the meeting-house and central village ai'c lot-ated. From that lieight the White Mountains, one hundred miles distant, are at times distinctly visible. Mill sites arc furnished ])y several ponds, and small streams issuing iVom oi- fiowing into them. The })rincipal ponds are Gorham's, Kimball's, and Long Pond. These, with a smaller one called Tui-gatoi-y Loud, are situated in the southern and south-eastern (juarters of the town. Stark's mill pond lies about mid way of its western border line, from \\ lilch it is distant the length of two lots. Tliis IIISTOllY OF DUNBARTON. 11 townsliip is considered one of the most healthy in the county. ]\[an3' of its inhabitants have lived to advanced ages. The widow of Capt. Joseph Leach was the oldest person who ever 'died in this place. She attained tlie age of one hundred and two years. She died June 20, 1849. The inhabitants of Dunbarton are principally farmers, good livers, and generally in comfortable, independent circumstances. I'opulation in 1850, 915. A^aluation in 1854, |387,984. In another portion of this volume may be found Dr. Jackson's report of a vein of arsenic, discov- ered in the eastern section of this town, on the estate of Stephen Wheeler. The first settlement is supposed to have ])ecn made by- James Rogers and Joseph Putney. The precise time is not known, although probably several 3'ears prior to 1746. They established their families on the border of a large meadow called the " Great Meadow," erected log-houses, and planted apple trees, which had so far advanced to- wards maturity as to produce fruit, when a body of Indi- ans appeared in the vicinity of Rumford (Concord). Two friends from that place traced their way in the night, by spotted trees, through the forest, to the " Great Meadow," to notify them of the impending danger. Upon the receipt of this intelligence they at once abandoned their homes, and, by a speedy retreat to Rumford during the same night, insured their personal safety. Returning in the course of the next day, to drive their cattle to the Rumford garrison, they found them all slaughtered, and lying scattered around in every direction. Their houses had been plundered and burned, and their apple trees, Avith one exception,* cut down. In 1749, Messrs. Putney and Rogers made a permanent settlement, having resided at Rumford during the three previous years. The year 1746 was memorable in conse- quence of the massacre on the Ilopkinton road, which occurred on the morning of August 11, 1746, near the * The stump of this tree is still visible on the land of Mr. James Bailey (lot No. 8, sixth range). The tree produced good fruit. : 12 HISTORY OF DIXBARTOX. place where the Bradley monument now commcnioratc« the tras^ie event. Putney and iJog-ers had ]»roeured no title to the land, hut their [lossession was eonlirmed by the proprietors, who in ITol obtained a grant of tlie townshi]).* Tlu' i'.\tensi\T raiige of meadow lands, ah-eady cleared by the iiulustry of the beaver, and the abundant mitural ero]is of tall blue joint grass, there produced, inlluenced these pioneers in selecting their location, to which James l\ogcrs gave the name of Mountalona, from a })lace where he had once dwelt in Ireland.