Upstream Newsletter of the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society Fall 2013 Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society Annual Meeting Tuesday, October 29, 7:00 p.m., at the Museum, 26 Church Street, Lincoln A Short History of Lost River and the Kinsman Notch Region Presented by Mike Dickerman This program will look back at the rich history of this less celebrated White Mountains Notch, and will include archive images of Lost River Gorge, the loggers and lumbermen of Kinsman Notch, and the two Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps that operated on either side of the notch more than 70 years ago. Mike Dickerman is an award-winning journalist and author with a deep interest in the history of the White Mountains Region. He has authored, co-authored or edited a dozen hiking guides and his- tory books related to the mountain country of northern New Hampshire, including the recently published 29th edition of the venerable AMC White Mountain Guide, and the celebrated 2011 anthology Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire's North Country, named the Outstanding Work of Nonfiction for 2010-11 at a recent New Hampshire Literary Awards presentations. Two of his 2013 publications are White Mountains Hiking History: Trailblazers of the Granite State and Stories from the White Mountains: Celebrating the Region’s Historic Past. Dickerman is also au- thor of the photo history book, Lincoln and Woodstock New Hampshire, and the founder of Littleton-based Bondcliff Books, a book publishing firm specializing in titles about the White Mountains. One of the waterfalls in Lost River Gorge A group of Lost River visitors / explorers in 1908 2 Upstream Fall 2013 UPHS Officers: Thank You for Your Carol Riley, President Generous Donations! Donna Thompson, Vice President Janet Peltier, Treasurer Frank Copenhaver—Pictures Judy Boyle, Secretary Elliott—Postcard of Mill Victoria Bunker—Magneto ID tag of Bomber Engine Directors: Brian Baker Jayne and George Spanos—Assorted Items Carol Govoni Family of Betty Hyde—Black Cape worn by Mrs. David Thompson Charles Henry; Card Games, Flinch and Rummy, 1942; Dominoes, Measuring Tape; Cigarette Jim Fadden Lighter presented by President Eisenhower, Jack Patterson 1958; Wooden Pencils, Franconia Paper Corp.; Pictures; World War II Ration Stamps. Barbara Avery, Newsletter Editor Edith Boyd—School Graduation Program, 1956; Dedication of Lin-Wood School; Lincoln Opera UPHS Cookbook House, 1964; Newsletters Lincoln School, 1955, 1956. We are putting to- Charles and Pauline Harrington—War Ration Books gether another cook- for Ida Govoni and Norma Govoni. book! There is nothing Glenn Parker—Pictorial Negatives of 200th Bicen- tennial better than a tried and true recipe handed down Chiara Govoni Putnam—Mug and Plate used in boarding house run by her grandfather, E. G. through the generations, Mosco. and we would love it if you would share William Conn—Stromberg Time Clock used for mill yours with us. If your recipe comes with a workers. story or anecdote, even better! Gail Trembley—Bicentennial Book 200th Please send your recipes, and stories too Gil Bossie—Assorted historical books and pictures if you wish, to Carol Riley, PO Box 863, Bob Stahler—Two Life Magazines, 1959 and 1961. Lincoln, NH 03251. If you have any ques- Marti Talbot—Copy of Pycolog (August 1941) and tions, call Carol at 745-8159, or stop by the two coins. Lincoln Library. Bill Fadden—Assorted books in memory of his Nana, Marion Clark Fadden Verne Sawyer Anderson—Model of the Fairview House, 1884. John Hedenburg—Book, Karl Pomeroy Harrington. UPHS Board of Directors Interested in serving on our Board of Directors? Contact Carol Riley before the Annual Meeting. 3 Upstream Fall 2013 250th Anniversary Our Facility of The building at 26 Church Street in Lincoln has had a long and varied history and for many years has Lincoln’s been home to the UPHS. Over the past several years many improvements have been made. It is now ap- Original Charter parent that the siding and roof needs to be replaced. Help us celebrate in 2014. If you have This project will probably cost about $75,000 ideas for events, projects, or if you want to join the committee organizing the We would welcome any do- celebration, contact: nations toward this capital pro- ject. Thank you for your con- Carol Riley, 745-8159. sideration. Woodstock War Memorial of Our Early Wars The names included in earlier issues of Up- stream are: Winter 2013: James McNorton, Benj Barron, John V. Barron, Jacob Selingham, Henry Sel- ingham, Daniel Selingham, Frank W. Seling- ham, Jacob B. Demeritt, and Seneca Sargent. Spring 2013: Peter Russell, Joseph Russell, Joseph C. Russell, Henry C. Russell, Stephen S. Sharon, Curtis L. Parker, John M. Rowe, Henry W. Benton, David Dearborn, Henry C. Dearborn, Levi G. Dearborn, James F. Kim- ball, Royal A. Fifield, Albert A. Fifield, Frank Lear, Matthew P. Hunt, Royal Jackman and Lyman Jackman. Summer 2013: George Henry Brown, William E. Brown, Hollis Hunt, Frank J. Thurston, Ben- jamin W. Chandler, Charles Darling, Ivory H. Glover, and Moody Howland This Fall 2013 issue includes information about the remaining names: Thomas Vincent, Wil- liam Vincent, Samuel Smith, Thomas J. Smith, Lucien Smith, Isaac S. Jones, Sr., Isaac S. Jones Jr., Israel Jones, William Jones and Simon Tuttle. 4 Upstream Fall 2013 The Mount Cilley Connection With the exception of Simon Tuttle, the families on the following pages have strong ties to the Mount Cilley settlement. Symnes Sawyer was one of the first to settle in this area in the early 1820’s. He was soon followed by the Vincents, descendants of Edward Smith, descendants of Henry Smith, the Joneses, the Hunts and the Jackmans. The area had its own church, school and mills, but suffered from some isolation because the roads were difficult to maintain. The Vincents, Smiths, and Joneses created a cohesive community as they quickly intermarried, strengthening the bonds. Thomas Vincent was one of the earliest to arrive in Woodstock. His son Thomas lived on Mount Cilley as well as daughters Mary and Rosamond after they married, respectively, Joseph Smith and Morrill Smith. Edward Smith of Gilmanton owned land there and his two sons, Robert and Samuel, moved onto Mount Cilley with their families in the 1830’s. Robert Smith’s eldest son, Edward, married Huldah Smith, sister of Joseph Smith. Robert’s second son, Morrill, married Rosamond Vincent, daughter of Thomas Vincent. Robert’s third son Royal G. married Mary E. Jones, daughter of Isaac S. Jones, Sr. Three children of Henry Smith of Sanbornton, Joseph, Hezekiah and Huldah, moved to Mount Cilley. As mentioned above, Huldah married Edward Smith. Joseph married Mary Vincent, daughter of Thomas, and their son, Thomas Vincent Smith, married Betsey Jones, daughter of Isaac S. Jones Sr. Road into Mount Cilley as shown on the 1860 Map The following pages include a lot of data, and it is easy to include erroneous information. I wel- come feedback! Please contact me with corrections and omissions. Thank you. Barbara Avery, PO Box 35, Woodstock, NH 03293 / 603-745-8845 / [email protected] 5 Upstream Fall 2013 Ida Sawyer wrote the following about homesteads on Mount Cilley: Symnes Sawyer settled on what came to be known as the Royal Smith place. This was known as “Top of the Hill” because one climbed from the River Road, now Daniel Webster Highway, to that place and then went down grade to the next places. After leaving the Royal Smith place one crossed Gate Brook, first called Pipe Brook, but later called Gate because a gate was put across to separate the John Smith place from the Royal Smith place. At the crossing a stone dam was built to make a pool where sheep were washed before shearing. The road continued on through the woods to a small stream known soon as School House Brook, where it again forked and went down hill to the Jackman farm and mill.... Back to the fork of the road one proceeded to the place occupied first by Robert Smith and then by John Smith. Here was built the school house, … The next farms belonged to Matthew P. Hunt, Thomas Vincent and Edward Smith. These farms formed one big field with no woods between. These were the only places on Mt. Cilley where one could see one’s neighbors. … Next in order was the Samuel Smith place. Samuel Smith was a veteran of the War of 1812. His place faced into the south had gentle slopes not too stony. He abandoned the place for some years and went to live in Vermont but came back. … Going back to the Symnes Sawyer homestead one could follow a fork of the road to the west a bit upgrade to land cleared and occupied by Joseph Smith. Three other places were on this road, one cleared and buildings partly put up but never finished belonged to Alvin Smith, brother to Joseph. Another place was cleared and occupied by Josiah George. Thomas Vincent—Revolutionary War, William Vincent—War of 1812 Thomas Vincent, son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Furber) Vincent, was born in Newington, New Hampshire, 14 April 1761. Thomas went off to fight in the Revolutionary War and returned to marry Mary Ayers 16 November 1780 in Greenland, New Hampshire. The Vincents settled in Woodstock around 1805. Justus Conrad wrote the following in a 1895 : Thomas Vincent enlisted in the service of his country when only seventeen years of age and his career as a soldier was an eventful one. Barefooted, hungry and almost clotheless at times, he passed through the different stages of the revolution and bore himself only as a noble sol- dier should. He was in many engagements and the most eventful one was at Bennington, Vt., when Gen.