Cheshire County NH

Biographical Sketch of Amos Kidder

Amos Kidder, son of Samuel, who came from Massachusetts at an early day and located upon the farm now occupied by Samuel M., died herein 1873, at the age of ninety-four years and seven months. Three of his six children are living, viz: Amos, in Newport; Mrs. John McNeil, in Westminster, Vt. ; and Samuel M., on the homestead farm. The latter, the youngest son of Capt. Amos, was born in Dalton, N- H., December 17. 1811, He has lived in Alstead since two years of age, and has been identified with the Methodist church over fifty years. He has … Read more

Town of Hinsdale, New Hampshire

HINSDALE (p. o.) is an enterprising, beautiful, and rapidly growing manufacturing village, situated in the southeastern part of the town, in a deep valley, and on the Ashuelot river, about a mile above its confluence with her more majestic sister. “the beautiful Connecticut.” Its principal streets are Main, Canal, Brattleboro, High and Pleasant, which contain many elegant residences, while nearly all the others are remarkably neat and tidy. It contains five church edifices- Baptist, Congregationalist, Roman Catholic, Methodist, and Universalist, and all are in fine condition. The Baptist and Catholic churches are especially fine structures. The business portion is located … Read more

Biography of John W. Jefts

John W. Jefts, a machinist by trade, but who for the past nine years has been successfully engaged in farming in the town of Langdon, was born here, December 4, 1859, son of Alphonso M. and Almira (Clough) Jefts. The genealogy of the Jefts family is traced to England, from which country, on some date between 1620 and 1638, the American progenitor emigrated to Massachusetts, and settled in Billerica. His immediate descendants continued to reside in that State for some years. Jonathan, the greatgrandfather of John W. Jefts, was the first of the name to come to New Hampshire. He … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Kneeland

John Kneeland, son of Timothy, was born in Gardner, Mass., in 1766 or 1767. He married Polly Johnson in 1791. He came to Chesterfield about 1797 and resided many years on the farm now owned by Charles C. P. Goodrich, Esq., and which has long been known as the “Squire Kneeland farm.”He was justice of the peace for many years, and held the office of selectman sixteen years in all, longer than it has ever been held by any other person since the town was incorporated. He was also representative in 1818,’20, ’22 and ’25. He died February 9, 185o, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Giles Marvin

Giles Marvin, one of the early settlers, located in the eastern part of the town, where he was engaged in farming and worked at his trade as a carpenter and joiner, His son William, born here in 1779, died in x867. Five of his eleven children are living, three in Alstead. Jackson resides on High street, and Fred J. is a prosperous merchant, located on Main street.

Biography of Francis Augustus Faulkner

Francis Augustus Faulkner, second son of Francis Faulkner and Eliza Stevens, was born in the homestead, on West street, in Keene, February 12, 1825. He early showed a decided inclination for books and study. and after attending the public schools in old Keene academy, he, in 1841, went to Philip Exeter academy to finish his preparation for college. He graduated from Harvard university in the class of 1846, standing high in that class, which numbered such able men as Hon. George F. Hoar, Prof. F. J. Child, Prof. George M. Lane and Dr. Calvin Ellis. The common-place books which he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. S. M. Dinsmore

Dr. S. M. Dinsmore was born in Antrim, N. H., June 22, 1836, graduated as an M. D. March, 1860, from Columbian university, of Washington, D. C., practiced medicine in Sullivan and Hillsboro counties for twenty years, and located in Keene in 1881, where he now resides.

Biographical Sketch of Leonard Wellington

Leonard Wellington was born September 12, 1842. He received an academic education, and attended Albany law school, from which he graduated in 1865. He was admitted, that same year, to the Cheshire county bar, and formed a partnership with Dan H. Woodward, which continued until 1877, since which time he has practiced alone. He married Harriet L. Chandler, of Connecticut, in 1870, and has two children.

Biographical Sketch of Capt. Samuel S. Brooks

Capt. Samuel S. Brooks was born in Medford, Mass., March 5, 1781. The early part of his life was spent on the sea, he being a sea captain for a number of years. On retiring therefrom he settled at Cambridge, Mass., where he was postmaster four years. In August, 1821, he came to this town and engaged in the manufacture of cotton goods at Factory Village, in which business he continued until 1850. In 1839, however, he removed to Brattleboro, where he died, in April T865. He married Eleanor Forman, June 20. 1807, who bore him a large, family, seven … Read more

Catholic Church of Keene, NH

Catholic church. – The Catholics of Keene were first united under the Rev. John Brady in 1857. He built the present church and purchased the cemetery. His successors were Rev. Fathers OHara, Parache, Herbert, Murphy, Holohan and Galvin. The present pastor is Rev. J. R. Power, who has purchased a site and is engaged in erecting a school and convent. The parish embraces the neighboring tows of Marlboro, Fitzwilliam, Troy, Swanzey and Gilsum, and numbers about 2,500 souls.

Biographical Sketch of Hon. Daniel Newcomb

Hon. Daniel Newcomb is first mentioned in the annals of Keene as a delegate to a county convention, held at Walpole, in 1780, of which he was clerk. He was born in Norton, Mass., in 1746, graduated at Harvard college, in 1768, settled in Keene in 1778, and commenced to practice law in 1783. In 1790 he was appointed chief judge of Cheshire county court. He was a justice of the superior court of judicature, from April 6, 1796, to 1798. In 1800 he was elected the first state senator from Keene, and resigned November 21, of the same year. … Read more

Biography of Ezekiel Porter Pierce

Ezekiel Porter Pierce, fifth son of Captain John Pierce, was born in Chesterfield, April 20, 1785. He lived at home, working on his father’s farm, attending the common schools and Chesterfield academy, until he learned the carpenter and joineis’ trade. At the age of twenty-one he left home, going to Farmington, Me., where he engaged in drafting and architecture. March 1, 1808, he married Susanna, daughter of Colonel Ezekial Porter, of Farmington, Me., who was born May 4, 1785. He moved here from Maine, to live with his mother, on the John Pierce homestead, in October, 1814. Here he attended … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Marsh

Benjamin Marsh, son of Rev. Elisha Marsh, came here from Walpole, about 1785. He married Mrs. Hannah Graves in 1788, and died April 7, 1811. His children were Reuben, Asa, Elizabeth and Mary L. Reuben was born December 20, 1788, and married Mary, daughter of Joab Wetherbee, in 18r5. He was captain of one of the companies of the 2d Regt_ detached militia, stationed at Portsmouth in 1814, and was selectman in 1839, ’42, ’44. He died November 16. 1855. He had born to him seven children, namely, Laura A. H., Mary W., Benjamin Lloyd, Sophira S., Charlotte and Charles, … Read more

Biography of George Wallingford

George Wallingford, a prosperous business man of Claremont in the last generation, was born in Dublin, N.H., July 17, 1808, son of Ebenezer and Mary (Hildreth) Wallingford. The first ancestor, Nicholas Wallingford, settled in Bradford, Mass., in 1672. David Wallingford, of the third generation descended from Nicholas, was a Lieutenant in the Revolutionary War. Born September 25, 1744, he went to the war from Hollis, N.H., was a minute-man, served in four companies under Captains Dow, Towns, Emerson, and Goss, and took part in the battles of Bunker Hill and Bennington. His son Ebenezer, who was born October 5, 1780, … Read more

Early Settlement of Keene, New Hampshire

Up to the winter of 1736 no person had remained in the town during that season. Those who came in the summer to clear their lands brought their provisions with them, and erected temporary huts to shelter them from the weather. But during that summer, Nathan Blake and Seth Heaton, from Wrentham, and William Smeed, from Deerfield, made preparation to pass the winter in the wilderness. Their house was at the south end of Main street. Their stock consisted of a yoke of oxen and a pair of horses, one of the latter belonging to Heaton and the others to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Elijah Gates

Elijah Gates was born in Stowe, Mass., in 1765, came to Marlboro in 180o, settled where his son Elijah how resides, and died here in 1824. The latter was born here June 17, 1801, in the house he still occupies.

The Evangelical Congregational Church, Harrisville, NH

The Evangelical Congregational church of Harrisville was organized September 22, 1840, by a council composed of clergymen and delegates from the following towns: Swanzey, Troy, Antrim. New Ipswich. and Warwick, Mass., with thirty-one members, the first pastor being Rev. Otis C. Whiton. Their church building was erected in 1840-43, a brick structure capable of seating 350 persons, cost $4,000.00, and is now valued, including grounds, at $5,000.00. The society has fifty-one members, with Rev. George H. Dunlap, pastor. There have been added to the original thirty-one members 189 others, making a total of 220, of which 169 have been removed … Read more

Phineas Wright Genealogy

Phinehas Wright of Hartford, Conn., m. Zilpha Cooper of Westmoreland, N. H., settled at Walpole and removed to Keene abt. 1796. Caleb2 Wright, son of Phinehas, b. Feb. 15, 1794, d. Keene, Nov. 21, 1869; m. Dec. 7, 1815, Sarah Reed, b. Surry, July 14, 1796, d. Keene, Nov. 16, 1838. Among their fifteen children, was: Calvin3, b. Keene, Mar. 13, 1816; d. Gilsum, Feb. 16, 1907; m. Diantha Leborveau of Keene, and had six children. Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Wright lived in S., on the Old Kemp or John Dunn place for a few years, and had born here: … Read more

General History of Fitzwilliam NH

FITZWILLIAM, one of the southern tier of townships in the county, lies in lat. 42° 45 and long. 4° 54′, bounded north by Troy and Jaffrey, east by Jaffrey and Rindge, south by the state line, and west by Richmond. The town was originally granted by the Masonion proprietors, as Monadnock No. 4, January 15, 1752, to Roland Cotton and forty-one others. These grantees, however, failed to comply with the requirements of the charter and thus forfeited their right to the territory, and it was subsequently, early in 1765, rE.granted to Samson Stoddard and twenty-three associates. On May 19, 1773, … Read more

Alstead, Cheshire County, New Hampshire History

Alstead, Cheshire county, New Hampshire, with an area of 24,756 acres, lies in the extreme northern part of Cheshire county, in 43º 6′ of north latitude, and longitude 4º 48′ east from Washington, bounded north by Sullivan county, east by Marlow, south by Gilsum and Surry, and west by Walpole and a part of Sullivan county. The territory now lying within its limits was originally granted by Gov. Benning Wentworth, probably in 1761. This history entails sketches of early industry, churches, military, and benevolent societies, as well as biographies and sketches of the early settlers. History of Alstead, New Hampshire … Read more