FITZWILLIAM is a pleasant post village located in the northern-central part of the town, on six main roads. Besides the usual mechanic shops, and stores, it has a savings bank, three church organizations, town hall, two hotels, and several granite shops and quarries.
Hezekiah Stone came from Massachusetts about 1780, and bought the land where Benjamin Whitcomb now lives. He was a farmer, owned a saw-mill, and had two sons and three daughters. The eldest, Artemas, had a son, Artemas, who was the father of Stillman S. Stone. Moses, second son of Hezekiah, was born in Fitzwilliam, December 31. 1785. He was also a farmer, and operated a saw-mill. He was one who responded to the call for troops in 1812, and went to Portsmouth, but not into active service. He died in January, 1854.
William Dunton was born here in May, 1824, and for twenty years before the war worked at the manufacture of wooden-ware for N. & J. Howe. He enlisted in April, 1861, in the 2d N. H. Vols., and went South in defense of the Union. He followed the fortunes of his regiment through the peninsula campaign unscathed, until the second Bull Run battle, when he was struck in the left cheek by a gall which came out under his left eye, shattering his upper jaw and knocking out every tooth. He was left on the field for dead, where he … Read more
General James Reed was the only one of the proprietors of Fitzwilliam, named in the charter of 1773, who located here. He organized three com. panies for the Revolutionary war, and was one of the three colonels from New Hampshire, who fought at Bunker Hill. He continued with the army until he was afflicted with blindness, when he returned to Fitzwilliam, but after. wards removed to Fitchburg, Mass., where he died.
Daniel Spaulding, son of Phinehas, of Jaffrey, married Lucinda Perkins. May 11, 1819, and removed to Gardner. Mass., where he remained until 1825 or 1826. He then bought out Luke Richardson, of Fitzwilliam, and opened a store on the corner where Elisha Chaplin now lives. At one time he had John Perkins, his wife’s brother, as a partner, and later, Dr. G. C. Noble, but carried on the business alone most of his life. He was chosen to all the offices of the town, including town representative in 1833 and 1834. He died July 17, 1882, at the great age … Read more
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
Oren Brooks, a native of Putney. Vt., moved with his parents to Massachussets while he was a child. He married Julia A. Wright, of Boston, who bore him twelve children. He moved to this town in 1848, where his two youngest were born, and died here in 1876, surviving his wife sixteen years. Two sons, George W. and Amos W., served in the civil war, the latter dying in the service. George W. is a merchant in West Swanzey, and the only son living. Three daughters, Serepta, wife of Dea. Alva S. Clark, Louisa P., wife of Franklin Whitcomb, living … Read more
HOWEVILLE is a hamlet in the southern part of the town at the foot of South Pond.
David Forristall was born in Holliston, Mass., in 1780, and came to this town with his father when a child. His father, one of the early settlers, came first, cleared some land, and built a log house, and then moved his two children, Daniel and Jessie, here. His son, Thomas, was born here, and still lives in the house his father built over a hundred years ago.
Elizabeth1 Winch, spinster, of Great Alhallows, London, in her will, made 1659, proved 1661, calls herself “bound for Virginia” and names her brothers Richard and John. It is thought that John may have been the father of Samuel of Framingham, Mass. Virginia was often used to mean America. I. Samuel2 Winch was in Sudbury, Mass., as early as 1670. A few years later he settled in Framingham and was an original member of the Framingham church. He was buried, Aug. 3, 1718; m. (1), Feb. 11, 1673, Hannah, dau. of Matthew Gibbs and had seven ch. by her. He m. … Read more
Bartlett and John Bowker, brothers, from Scituate, Mass., were among the early settlers of the town. They bought a tract of land in the northern part, and were the first ones who settled where the hamlet of Bowkerville now is. Bartlett married Jemima Wright, a widow, of Templeton, Mass., and reared a family of fifteen children. John also had a large family. The former erected a grist-mill near where Coolidge & Whittemore’s mills now are. Luke and Elijah, sons of Bartlett, erected the dam, and built the mill now used for a pail shop. They operated the grist-mill, and manufactured … Read more
Dexter Whittemore, son of John, who came here at an early date, and kept a small store in the cottage where he lived, was born in Fitzwilliam, October 9, 1798. When Dexter became of age he induced his father to buy the store of Dr. Scott, and there engaged in trade, continuing over forty years. He is said to have been the first merchant of Cheshire county to give up the sale of spirituous liquors. He was chosen to many offices of trust, and was very generous and liberal in all good works. He married twice, first, Betsey Wright, April … Read more
Edward C. Reed, son of Phinehas, was born here, March 8, 1793, and graduated from Dartmouth college, in 1812. He studied law in Troy, N. Y. and settled in Homer, N. Y., in 1816. He was admitted to practice in one court after another, until 1830, when be was admitted to the court of chancery. He was elected to the Twenty-second congress; was district attorney many years, and also judge. He married Amanda Weller, of Pittsfield, Mass., and reared a family of twelve children, four of whom survive him.
Amos Andrew Parker, son of Nahum, was born in Fitzwilliam, October 8. 1791. He was fitted for college at the New Ipswich academy, and graduated from the University of Vermont. He studied law with James Wilson, of Keene, and opened an office at Epping, N. H., where he remained two or three years. He then went to Concord, N. H., where he established the “New Hampshire Statesman.”
Fitzwilliam Savings bank, located in the Postoffice block, at Fitzwilliam village, was incorporated in 1871, and commenced business in 1872, with Philip S. Batchellor, president, and Milton Chaplin, treasurer. The present officers are Amos J. Blake, president, and Stephen Batchellor, treasurer. George D. Webb Granite Co.’s quarry and shops are located at the crossing of the railroad and road 31. The firm consists of George D. Webb and C. F. Batchelder, of Worcester, Mass., who began work here in July, 1882. They have extensive sheds, a polishing-mill, blacksmiths shops and enginehouse, using three engines and two steam drills. Their works … Read more
Rev. Samuel S. Dudley, a native of Sudbury, Mass., has been a Methodist minister forty-four years, seventeen of which he has preached in this county. He now resides on road 42.
John A. Streeter, son of Adam, of Orange, Mass., came to Fitzwilliam. where he married Ruth C. Carroll, and located at Bowkerville, where be lived sixteen years. He then moved to the southern part of the town where he died. He reared a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters. none of whom are now living in town. His widow and two daughters, Jennie L. and Hattie M., live in Baldwinsville, Mass., and John H. resides in Swanzey.
Royal Smith came here from his native town, Lexington, Mass. He was a carpenter and died here in 1838. His son, Oliver W., was born here, is a farmer and lives on road 1.
Capt. Jonathan S. Adams, the only son of Joshua, was born in Plainfield, Conn., September 22, 1802. His father was a major of militia in Connecticut, and had two daughters, who, with Jonathan, constituted the family. Maj. Joshua Adams died in August, 1813, from a fall upon a stake. His son Jonathan came here in December, 1814, to live with his uncle, Rev. John Sabin, who was the pastor of the Congregational church. He spent the first six years of his life here in study with his uncle, who added to his labors as pastor here, those of tutor, and … Read more
The First Baptist church, located at Fitzwilliam, was organized in 1815, with six or eight members, by Rev. Nathaniel Bowes, of Richmond, Rev. Arnot Allen being the first pastor. The church building, erected in 1842, will seat 250 persons, cost $1,800.00, and is valued, including grounds, etc., at $5,000.00. The society now has sixty-two members, and a Sabbath-school with ninety scholars, with Rev. Andrew Dunn, pastor.