The History of Chester, New Hampshire, Including Auburn by John Carroll Chase, published in 1926, serves as a supplement to the original 1869 History of Old Chester. This work was produced in response to a desire to document events that had occurred in the town since the previous publication, as well as to cover topics that were initially omitted. While Chester had seen a decline in population and industrial activity, the book highlights notable historical and social developments. It incorporates additions to military history, church records, and gravestone inscriptions, providing a comprehensive overview of Chester and Auburn’s past.
In preparing for the 200th anniversary, in 1922, of the founding of the Town of Chester, a general desire was expressed that events which had occurred since 1869, together with the earlier ones which Benjamin Chase was unable to include in his History of Old Chester, should be published in suitable form.
The History of Old Chester published in 1869 covered the ground so thoroughly that there is comparatively little to add. Since that time the town has not been making history to any great extent, shrinkage in population and prestige being the most prominent incidents of the last half-century, and, therefore, there is little that is noteworthy, or of interest, to record.
Repetition of what was already in print has been avoided, except in-so-far as was necessary to connect the previous work with the present one. Features that had been overlooked, or omitted on account of lack of space, have received attention, gravestone insriptions and church records being prominent examples. Increasing interest in the several patriotic and historic societies appeared to make it desirable to reprint in full the military history with some necessary additions and corrections.
Regretful as it is to record, our history of the past few years is one of decadence, so far as industry is concerned. The manufacture of edge-tools, shoes and pails ceased several years ago, agriculture and fruit raising have shrunk with the population, and dilapidated dams are the only evidence of a great majority of the busy mills of by-gone years.
The opening of the electric railroad to Derry, in the closing years of the last century, was an important event for the town but the rapid increase of automobiles presages its early demise, when one learns of what is taking place in neighboring communities, and the coming generation may be using aerial transportation. The introduction of electric lighting marks a recent step in the latter-day progress, the telephone having been installed so long ago that it is no longer a novelty.
The published history of mills and roads leaves little to record, except to say that of the nearly a score of saw and grist mills existing in the two towns in the late sixties, only four of the former are now operated, the portable steam sawmill functioning in the devastating work of preventing forests from coming to maturity. The fathers would have been appalled at the slaughter of the innocents.
No new highways have been built and some of the old ones have been discontinued, but the rapid increase in the use of automobiles has led to a “good roads” movement, in which Chester is doing its share.
Table of Contents
Chapter I 63
Early Proprietary Records and Royal Charter
Early Records — Petition for Grant — The Royal Charter —List of Proprietors.
CHAPTER II 78
The Congregational Church
Church Records — Pastors
CHAPTER III 83
The Presbyterian Church
Church History — Records — Officers — Members —Baptisms — Assessments.
CHAPTER IV 102
The Baptist and Methodist Churches
Baptist Church History — Ordinations — Ministers — Gifts —Methodist Church History — Pastors.
CHAPTER V 112
Native Ministers of Chester
CHAPTER VI 116
Military History
Soldiers of the Revolutionary War — War of 1812-15 —Mexican War — Civil War — Spanish War — World War — Red Cross Nurse — Bell Post, No. 74, G. A. R.— Bell Woman’s Relief Corps, No. 128 — Chester Militia 1842-50.
CHAPTER VII 126
The Public Schools
School History — School Life by Gerry W. Hazelton and Mary A. (Tenney) Bartley.
CHAPTER VIII 131
School and Missionary Teachers
CHAPTER IX 151
The Academies
CHAPTER X 156
Social and Public Libraries
The Libraries — Catalogue of 1821 — Free Public Library
CHAPTER XI 159
Professional and Civic
Lawyers — Physicians — Nurses — Dentists — Druggists
CHAPTER XII 166
Industrial History
Farming — Cooperage — Shoemaking — Stores and Tradesmen — Railroads — Telephone and Telegraph — The Grange — Town Officers and Representatives — Votes
for Governor.
CHAPTER XIII 176
Cemetery Inscriptions
Chester Village — North Chester — The Branch — Sanborn— Old Presbyterian — Lane Family — Marden Family —Auburn Village — Long Meadow — Roby Family.
CHAPTER XIV 246
Bi-Centennial Calendar
CHAPTER XV 255
Biographies
CHAPTER XVI 274
Genealogies
CHAPTER XVII 384
Congregational Church Records
Members — Marriages — Births — Baptisms
CHAPTER XVIII 406
Soldiers Monument and Junior Order United
American Mechanics
CHAPTER XIX 412
Mills, Roads and Taverns
CHAPTER XX 415
Historic Spots and Homes
Manchester Road — Chester Street — The Square — Haverhill Road— Walnut Hill Road— Derry Road— Hall’s Village — Raymond Road — The Brown-Richardson House — The Almshouse.
CHAPTER XXI 420
Reminiscences
Judge Henry F. French — Edward Coolidge — Helen A. (French) Cochrane — Charles A. Wilcomb.
CHAPTER XXII 437
Longevity
CHAPTER XXIII 444
Addenda and Miscellany
Additional Biographies, Daniel French, Col. William H. Paine — Additional School Teachers — College Graduates — “Lord” Timothy Dexter — Fire Engines and Fires — Tower Clocks — Public Gifts — Hampton Falls Records — The Church Choir.
AUBURN
CHAPTER XXIV 451
Historical and Descriptive
Historical — The Long Meadows.
CHAPTER XXV 456
Military History and Town Officers
Soldiers in the Civil War — The World War — Town Officers — Representatives — Votes for Governor
CHAPTER XXVI 462
The Congregational Church
Church History — Pastors — Superintendents of Sunday School — Deacons — Clerks
CHAPTER XXVII 468
Congregational Church Members
CHAPTER XXVIII 475
The Methodist Church and Pastors
CHAPTER XXIX 476
School Teachers and Schools
Teachers — College Graduates — Professional
CHAPTER XXX
Longevity 483
Additional Genealogy 488
Errata 490
General Index 491
Index of Persons 495
Notes About the Book
- Errata
- General Index
- Name Index
- Table of Contents
Surnames
Surnames of families that appear in the biographical and genealogical section. The index has a more complete list of everyone mentioned in the manuscript.
Aiken, Bell, Blaisdell, Blasdell, Bouton, Buswell, Caldwell, Carr, Chase, Clark, Clarke, Cochran, Coolidge, Couch, Cowdrey, Crawford, Crombie, Currier, Dearborn, Dennis, Dinsmore, Emerson, Emery, Fitts, Fitz, Forsaith, Fox, French, Gilbert, Goldsmith, Gordon, Grant, Greenough, Griffin, Hall, Haselton, Hazelton, Hill, Hills, Hosley, Howe, Kimball, Knowles, Lawrence, Learnard, Lufkin, Mackintosh, Marden, Marsters, Marston, Melvin, Mills, Moore, Morse, Noyes, Parker, Plummer, Richardson, Robie, Robinson, Sargent, Savage, Shackford, Sleeper, Smith, Stevens, Tenney, Townsend, True, Underhill, Wason, Watson, Webster, Wells, West, and Wilcomb.
Source
Chase, John Carroll, History of Chester, New Hampshire, including Auburn : a supplement to the History of old Chester, published in 1869, Derry, N.H. : [s.n.], 1926.