The second family that located in the town was that of Abiathar Wetherell, who came from Westmoreland, N. H., in 1798. In 1803, there came from the same place Zephaniah Leach and his four sons, Stephen, Nathan, William, and Jacob. He first settled on East hill, above where Nathan Page now lives , but afterward removing to the village, in connection with his son Nathan he built the first saw and grist-mill in town.
Silas Richardson, a descendant of John Richardson who came from England previous to 1636, was born in Medfield, Mass., 1748, married, in 1771, Sileme Daniels, of Medway, Mass. In 1776 he came to Chesterfield and settled on land one mile north of the Factory Village. The deed of his purchase under colonial government, still preserved, is dated in May, 1776. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and was called “Lieutenant” Richardson was one of the original trustees of the academy, selectman in 1788, ’93 an ’96, and died in 1803. His children were: Wilkes, born December, 1772 married Mehitabel … Read more
Frank A. Pierce, son of Alson and Susanna (Wheeler) Pierce, was born in Chesterfield, April 20, 1854, and married October 25, 1870, Persis M., daughter of Snow Printice. Previous to her marriage she taught several terms of school with good success. She died June 12, 1883. Mr. Pierceis a farmer, residing on the Ebenezer Pierce homestead, and has had four children, as follows: Earl, born January 8, 1872; Anna L., born October 26, 1874; Guy L., born January 14, 1878; and Ida M., born January as, 1880, died March 6, 1881.
Joseph Cutter, a native of Lexington, Mass., married Rachel Hobert, of Pepperell, Mass., and reared a family of ten children. His son John, born. October 24, 1780, married Mary, daughter of Daniel and Betsey Batchelder, of Wilton, N. H., who bore him ten children. He died in Jaffrey, January 15, 1857. His son John A. married Nancy H., daughter of Emory and Martha (Hill) Wheelock, and had four children, all of whom are now dead, He is an extensive farmer, and resides on road 32. Dr. Calvin Cutter, brother of John A., served as a surgeon three years during the … Read more
Azel R. Emerson, son of Hazen, and grandson of Richard, who came t Alstead from Haverhill, Mass., in 1786, was born December 29, 1822. H lived with his father upon the farm until twenty-one years of age, taught school two terms, and in 1847 started, with O. F. Beckwith, the first iron foundry and plow manufactory in Alstead. In 1849 he purchased Mr. Beckwith’s interest, and in 1893 sold out the business. In 1854 he was elected selectman of the town, and later on removed to Hinsdale, N. H., where t engaged in the foundry, machine and agricultural, implement business, … Read more
Lanmon Nims was born in Sullivan, February 3, 18r 1. He is the son the late Asahel and Mary (Heaton) Nims, and great-great-grandson of David Nims, one of the first inhabitants of the town of Keene, the first clerk of proprietors, and the first town clerk. Mr. Nims had comparatively few e educational advantages, but such was his diligence as a reader of history an current items of event, that he became in his maturity, a man of very extensive information. Having served his apprenticeship at the carpenter trade, with Dexter Spaulding, of Sullivan, in 1831, he continued to work … Read more
Augustus M. Rice was a soldier in the Rebellion, serving first in the 1st Mass. Cav., second in Co. I, 92d N. Y. Vols.. third in Co. F, Mass. H. A., and fourth in Co. C, 53d Mass. Vols. He was honorably discharged after having been in the army four years and three months. He married Mrs. Julia Foss, daughter of Timothy and Hannah Ellis, of Keene, and now resides in this town.
Rev. John G. Bennett was born in Swanzey, July 17, 1812. He attended the district schools until sixteen years of age, when he attended a private school in Winchester, taught by Rev. Mr. Cushman, a Methodist clergyman. He next attended the Methodist Institute, located at Newbury, Vt., where he instructed several classes and occasionally preached. Before going to Newbury he was employed to preach under the direction of the presiding elder; being at that time only eighteen years of age. In 1836 he married Ruth C Britton, of Westmoreland, N. H., and soon after joined the Vermont and New Hampshire … Read more
Early settlers on or near the shores of Spafford lake were one Ladd, near the northwest shore, hence the name of Lard’s meadow, one by the name of Jewels, on the “Charlier place, “giving the name Jewell’s point, a Mr. Reed, who settled near the east shore, in the vicinity of Reed’s cove, Capt. John Pierce, who settled on the southwest side, purchasing section No. 12, which lot included Pierce’s Island, hence Pierce’s Island and Picnic Point. The first of the pretty private cottages which now peep out from among the trees on its pleasant shores was built by Azor … Read more
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
Henry F. Morse, son of Elihu L., married Lizzie B. Hunt, and has sir children. He was a soldier in the war of the Rebellion, enlisting in Co. G, 14th N. H. Vols., served three years, and was honorably discharged. He now resides in Jaffrey.
The first baptism in town was administered in September, 1768, by Rev. Thomas Fessenden, of Walpole. In 1770 the town “chose nine men to conduct religious worship,” one of the number being appointed to procure a minister. Its 1773 a committee was chosen to select a site for building a house of worship, and the same year Rev. James Treadway was employed to supply the town with preaching, and was subsequently given a call to settle with them in the ministry, but declined because no church had been organized. In 1776 a vote was passed by the town to build … Read more
W. A. Barrett, son of Luther, was born in Stoddard, came to Keene in 1856, and worked that season for H. Pond & Co., at the brick-making business. He became a partner in the firm in 1857, and with the exception of three years he has been a member of the firm under various titles, until he engaged in the business alone in 1882. He served three years in the war for the Union, in Co. G, 14th N. H. Vols. He has been selectman of Keene, married Maria Fradenburg, October 23, 1850, and has a family of three sons … Read more
Asa Powers, whose father, Elliot, was a soldier in the Revolution, was a native of Temple, N. H., and married Rachel Cutler of the same place. He had but one child, Elliot, who married Mary, daughter of Joseph and Abigail Robins. Joseph W. is their only living son.
Jaffrey East Congregational church.- On the first of December, 1849, the following named persons requested letters of dismission from the church at the Center, for the purpose of organizing a church at East Jaffrey: Jonas M. Melville, Betsey Mellville, Liberty Mower, Mary Ann Mower, William Morse, Salmon H. Rand, Emeline A. Rand, Martha W. Lacy, Mary Bacon, Rebecca Bacon, John Verder, Sarah J. Verder, Samuel Marble, Lucy Marble, Roxanna J. Mower, Angelina S. Mower, Phineal Spaulding, Lyman Spaulding, Susan M. Spaulding, Thomas A. Stearns, Sarah E. Stearns, Samuel N. Laws and Abigail. Parker. On the 9th of January, 1850, the … Read more
Francis Tuttle came here from Winchester, about 1859. He married Sarah J., daughter of John Beal, of this town, October 6, 1857, and has had a family of six children, as follows: George A., born September 7, 1859; Frankie, born February 22, 1863, and died May 22, 1864; Fred M. born March 27, 1867; Willie R., born April 29. 1870; and Charlie A., born January 27, 1876.
Solomon Woodward came to this town, from Milbury, Mass., in 1797 and settled upon the farm now owned by his son Daniel. The latter resides here and is eighty-five years of age.
John Converse, a native of Leicester, Mass., came to Marlboro in 1780 and located about half a mile east of the village. Here he passed his time as a carpenter and joiner, wheelwright and farmer, until his death, about 1850. His son Nelson was born here and has been proprietor of the Converse House for the past twenty years. He is a justice of the peace, was colonel of the 6th N. H. Vols., has been deputy sheriff many years, represented the town in 1855-56, and has been selectman two or three years.
Martin Chase was born in Unity, N. H., and came to this town in 1869. He represented the town of Washington in the legislature of 1840, and now holds the office of justice of the peace.
Rodney Fletcher, son of Arad H. and Bethana (Darling) Fletcher, wasborn in Chesterfield, November 18, 1826, and married Olive W. Albee, daughter of Captain Nathaniel Albee, of Chesterfield, November 3, 1847. He has one daughter, Sarah E., who was married in 1873, to B. H. Swan; D. V. S. Since 1843 Mr. Fletcher has resided at Chesterfield Factory, and has worked in the auger factories located there, under various firms at different periods as finisher, having had charge of the polishing-room, where b has been for more than forty’ years. Under the old military regime, he was a prominent member … Read more