Cheshire County NH

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Elisha Andrews

Rev. Elisha Andrews was born in Middletown, Conn., September 29, 1768, and married Wealthy, daughter of Thomas Lathrop, of Norwich, Conn. Mr. Andrews had no early education, except that afforded by the common schools, but became a fine scholar through his own exertions and without the aid of teachers, and was often sought by collegians for aid in the Greek and Hebrew languages. He was also a practical land surveyor. In 18×4 he came to Hinsdale, and preached in the “meeting house” built by the town, and which was afterwards converted into a woolen mill, and finally destroyed by fire. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Arad Fletcher

Arad Fletcher, son of Arad H., was born in Chesterfield May 20. 1823, and in 1848 married Martha S. Hall, of Chesterfield, and settled in Factory village, where he worked at finishing bits and augers, until about 1853 or 1854, when his health becoming improved he moved to the center of the town, where he lived until 1868, when he moved to the county alms-house, located at Westmoreland, as superintendent. He served in his capacity until 1883, when he moved to Keene, where he now lives. Mr. Fletcher represented the town of Chesterfield in 1859 and 1860, and also as … Read more

Biographical Sketch of T.L. Fowler

T.L. Fowler was superintending school committee for a number of years, and also taught a term of high school in Factory Village, in 1862, which was very successful. He married, in 1843, Miss Mary Folgier Hazzelton, of Northfield, N. H. She lived about three years, leaving one son, Eugene A., born February 3, 1845. In 1848, he married Nancy M. Giles, of Windsor, Me. They have had four children, Herschel J., born April 23, 1746; Orin R., born May 21, 1851; Oris L., born April 13, 1853, died November, 1855; and Manson L., born February 30, 1859.

Rev. Bunker Gay

Rev. Bunker Gay, born in Dedham, Mass., was educated at Harvard college, and was ordained a clergyman in the Congregational church. He came to Hinsdale in 1763, and was the first settled pastor of the Congregational church in the town. His church was located near the residence of Mr. Ivory S. Ide, and his parish embraced the whole town and Vernon, which was then included in Hinsdale. When Vermont became a state, and Vernon a sepa- rate town, that territory was taken from his parish, and left his church weak in members and property. He continued the nominal pastor during … Read more

The First Congregational Church, Fitzwilliam NH

The First Congregational church – The Unitarian denomination has a society under this name at Fitzwilliam village, holding meetings about three months during the summer season, in the town hall. They have no regular pastor.

Biographical Sketch of David Lacy

David Lacy came from Andover, Mass., and settled in Jaffrey previous to 1790, locating on lot 14, tier 8, and his name appears among those of early. land-surveyors. He married Charlotte, daughter of Jonathan Mollie (Fitch) Blodgett, November 2, 1788, and had born to him nine children. His son William married Betsey Brondson, May 26, 1829, and se in Jaffrey, engaging in mercantile pursuits in company with E. Cutter and L. Sweetzer, occupying the Ainsworth store. By diligence and economy found means to enlarge his trade, and in the spring of 1854, he bought stocked the Foster store, of East … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Silas Morse

Silas Morse came here from Holliston, Mass., with his parents, who settled on a farm near where Samuel Payne now lives, over a hundred years ago. After the death of his father he traded the farm owned by him for one in Sullivan, which he afterwards sold, and moved with his son, Ira L., to Gilsum. He finally returned to this town, where he died January 13, 1859, at the age of eighty-two years. His son, Ira L., was born in Sullivan, came to this town March 28, 1861, and resides on road 29.

Biographical Sketch of Obed Slate

Obed Slate, born in Bernardston, Mass., married Susan Doolittle, of Hinsdale, and came to this town about 180o, engaging as a carpenter and joiner. His first work was building the house of his wife’s father, Oliver Doolittle. Soon after he married, he purchased a farm on the Hill road, leading from Hinsdale to Northfield, where he remained till his death, about 1863. He was a man of influence, and early took an active interest in town affairs, holding all military positions from drummer to Colonel, also the office of first selectman for fifteen years, justice of the peace as many … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Sidney S. Campbell

Sidney S. Campbell, now a retired manufacturer residing at Factory Village, was born in Westminster, Vt., and came to this town in 1830. He married Clarissa Daggett, of Westmoreland, who bore him three childrenMary E., Charles S., and Clara Anna.

Biography of Capt. Thomas Taylor

Capt. Thomas Taylor, a son of Thomas and grandson of John, was a colonial captain and one of the grantees of Northfield. He was born in 1717 and learned the trade of a shoemaker. As a sergeant he was in command of seventeen men who were attacked in this town by twenty-six French and eighty Indians, July 14, 1748, while on a march from Northfield to Fort Dummer. After a desperate resistance Mr. Taylor was captured and carried to Canada, where he was kept in close confinement till September 2d, when he was released, arriving at his home on September … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Daniel P. Adams

Daniel P. Adams, son of Isaac, and grandson of Stephen, married Emily L., daughter of Edmond and Oliver Burpee, of this town, and resides upon the old homestead of his grandfather, on road 22.

Biographical Sketch of Phineas Farrar

Phineas Farrar, son of Josiah and Hannah Farrar, was born in Sudbury, Mass., came to Marlboro in 1768, and died here at the age of ninety-four years. His son William, a native of the town, died at the age of eighty-one years. Calvin, son of William, resides on road 9.

Biography of Samuel Burt

Samuel Burt6, (Samuel5) whose portrait appears here, was born Westmoreland, November 5, 1990. He married Betsey, daughter of Josia Jr., and Lena (Holbrook) Penniman, born in Mendon, Mass., April 2,1798 He settled on the road where William Atherton now lives. In the spring 1837 be bought the farm where Rodney Fletcher now lives, west of the village, where he lived until the spring of 1845, when he purchased of D. Walton, what is now Walter Wheeler’s hotel, residing there twenty-two years. In the spring of 1867 he sold the same to Sanford Guernsey, removing to the north side of the … Read more

Industry and Manufacturing of Gilsum NH

GILSUM is a handsome post village, located on the Ashuelot, at the inner of the “carpenter’s square.” It has a beautiful location, surrounded by and lying about 780 feet above sea level. It has one church, (Congregational) three stores, one hotel, two woolen mills, a saw-mill, two blacksmith shops and about fifty dwellings. John S. Collins’s wollen-mill, on road 10, was built by Gerould & Wetherby in 1845, and came into the present proprietor’s hands in 1872. He employed sixty-five hands, has twenty-four broad looms and 880 spindles, and manufactures, 8,000 yards of cloth per month. The Gilsum Woolen Co.’s … Read more

The First Universalist Society of East Jaffrey, NH

The First Universalist society, at East Jaffrey, was organized November 16, 1822, and re-organized in 1858, with twenty-five members. Rev. Dolphus Skinner was the first pastor. Their church building, erected in 1844, will seat 275 persons, and is valued, including grounds, at $3,000 00. The society now has about sixty members, with Dr. Sawyer pastor. Their Sabbath-school, organized in 1845, has thirty-five scholars.

Biographical Sketch of Dea. Noah Vilas

Dea. Noah Vilas, the only child of Peter Vilas, the immigrant and the progenitor of the entire Vilas family in America, came to Alstead in 1779, from Grafton, Mass. He had a family of six sons and two daughters. The first son, Joseph, and one daughter died in infancy. Wm. F. Vilas, PostmasterGeneral in President Cleveland’s cabinet, is a descendant of Dea. Noah Vilas.

General History of Chesterfield New Hampshire

Chesterfield lies in the western part of the county, in lat. 42° 54′ and long. 4° 40′, bounded north by Westmoreland and Keene, east by Keene and Swanzey, south by Winchester and Hinsdale, and west by the west bank of Connecticut river, and has an area, exclusive of the Connecticut, of about forty-four square miles, or 28,160 acres. In tracing the sketch of the grant of Chesterfield, etc., it is necessary to glance at the trouble attending the settlement of the boundary line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which are written up in the sketch of Hinsdale and in the … Read more

Chesterfield Village, Cheshire County NH

CHESTERFIELD is a delightful little post village located in the central part of the town. It has two churches (Congregational and Methodist Episcopal), one store, one hotel, two blacksmith shops, town-hall, and about thirty dwellings. Here also was located the celebrated Chesterfield Academy. This institution was incorporated under the laws of the state, by an act passed in 1790. The school was soon after opened and was one of the most flourishing institutions of the kind in the county for a period of over a half century. An academy building was erected in 1794, on the southeastern part of the … Read more