Contoocook New Hampshire Genealogy

Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society

The Collections of the New Hampshire Historical Society is a 15 publication series documenting the state’s history through various primary sources, including manuscripts, letters, and public records. It collates valuable narratives that were previously difficult to access, providing insight into events, individuals, and communities in New Hampshire. Each volume offers focused topics and historical analyses, and most volumes contain individual indexes.

Narrative of the Captivity of Nehemiah How

A Narrative of the captivity of Nehemiah How, who was taken by the Indians at the Great Meadow Fort above Fort Dummer, where he was an inhabitant, October 11th, 1745. Giving an account of what he met with in his traveling to Canada, and while he was in prison there. Together with an account of Mr. How’s death at Canada. Exceedingly valuable for the many items of exact intelligence therein recorded, relative to so many of the present inhabitants of New England, through those friends who endured the hardships of captivity in the mountain deserts and the damps of loathsome prisons. Had the author lived to have returned, and published his narrative himself, he doubtless would have made it far more valuable, but he was cut off while a prisoner, by the prison fever, in the fifty-fifth year of his age, after a captivity of one year, seven months, and fifteen days. He died May 25th, 1747, in the hospital at Quebec, after a sickness of about ten days. He was a husband and father, and greatly beloved by all who knew him.

Biography of William Tasker

William Tasker, born August 21, 1852, in Pittsfield, New Hampshire, was a key figure in Contoocook’s development. A descendant of early settlers, he worked in various local businesses before serving as a Selectman and Chairman of the Board in Pittsfield, where he notably oversaw a sewerage system project. In 1887, he became the superintendent of the Merrimack County Farm, improving its management significantly. Tasker married Bertha L. Osgood, and they had three children, becoming active community members and Grange participants.

Biography of Stephen C. Pattee

Stephen C. Pattee, born in 1828 in Warner, New Hampshire, hails from a distinguished lineage that traces back to Sir William Pattee. After receiving an education in local schools, he dedicated twenty years to teaching while also managing his family’s long-held farm, Maple Grange. An accomplished agriculturist, he specialized in dairy and horse breeding, gaining recognition for his contributions, including awards at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Active in local politics and community service, Pattee married Sally Currier and had three sons, all of whom pursued notable careers.

Biography of Hon. Isaac Darwin Merrill

Hon. Isaac Darwin Merrill, born October 1, 1814, in Hopkinton, N.H., was the son of Isaac and Mary Merrill. After moving to Contoocook, he became a prominent figure, working as a storekeeper, postmaster, and justice of the peace, roles he fulfilled for decades. Known for his extensive knowledge of law and community involvement, he contributed significantly to local governance and education. At eighty-two, he remains active and engaged in his community, having never married and invested heavily in local real estate.

Biographical Sketch of John Arthur Jones

John Arthur Jones, born April 3, 1864, in Contoocook, N.H., is a prominent farmer in Hopkinton. The son of John F. and Maria Jones, he managed his grandfather’s 160-acre homestead, engaging in dairying and stock-raising with a notable herd of Guernsey cattle. A Democrat, he remains politically unengaged in public office. Married to Mabel N. Bailey in 1887, they have a daughter, Ruth, and are active in their Baptist church. The family resides on an elevated homestead overlooking the Contoocook River.