B4686
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 
 
 Ex Libris 
 
 Katharine F. Richmond 
 
 and 
 Henry C. Fall
 

 
 err 
 
 v-</ /* , ^L
 
 
 EAR! TORY 
 
 OF THE TOV, 
 
 HHTHLEHEM I 
 
 
 KEY SIMEON BC: 
 
 S II 
 
 i 
 
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 1
 
 THE 
 
 EARLY HISTORY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 BETHLEHEM, 
 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE 
 
 -BY- 
 
 REV. SIMEON BOLLES, 
 
 WOODSVILLE, N. H: 
 ENTERPRISE PRINTING HOUSE. 
 
 1883.
 
 - .1 I I 
 
 Entered according to Act of Congress, June 23, 1883, 
 
 BY REV. SIMEON BOIXES, Bethlehem, N. H., 
 In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
 
 F 
 
 THE interest felt by many in preserving the early 
 history of Bethlehem as welfr as the importance of these 
 records and the opportunities for obtaining such infor- 
 mation is annually decreasing. It was apparent that 
 unless soon collected and put in form to be retained they 
 would be lost to view in that darkness that follows close 
 ly the march of time. 
 
 As no one seemed willing to undertake the task 1 
 have secured what facts I could in so short a time and 
 I now present them to the public. The style of writing 
 may vary but the facts presented lose none of their le- 
 gitimate importance or interest. 
 
 ' S. B. . 
 
 Bethlehem, August 3-, 1883. 
 
 1066699
 
 E. B. Wallace, Publisher and Printer 
 Woodsville. N. H.
 
 THE 
 
 EARLY HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 WHILE some parts of our country are furnish- 
 ing conclusive proof, in the form of mounds, for- 
 tifications and other relics of various kinds, that 
 a race were dwellers in the Western World long 
 before and superior to the red man in develop- 
 ment, if not by nature, we have no proof that 
 Bethlehem was ever inhabited or even known to 
 exist by any human being prior to the existence 
 of the North American indian; and we fail to find 
 conclusive evidence that the red man ever chose 
 this spot for a permanent home. No doubt the 
 uncultivated children of the forest (being lovers 
 of nature,) came at times to hunt and fish or to 
 enjoy a few weeks of pleasure in nature's wild 
 retreat, and it may be that these commodious
 
 2 THE EARL Y HIS TOE Y OF THE 
 
 structures that furnish pleasant homes for the 
 many tourists who annually visit thislo-vely spot, 
 have been erected on the same grounds that were 
 once utilized by the red man on which to con- 
 struct his wigwam. Who can say that on the 
 same identical spot beneath the overhanging 
 branches of some forest king, in twilight hour, a 
 wood-nymph being the only witness, the dark- 
 skinned warrior did not woo and win his dusky 
 mate? 
 
 While the mound builders were unconsciously 
 making records that would reveal the fact to fu- 
 ture generations that they once existed, that 
 which is now Bethlehem was clothed with prime- 
 val upland grandeur beautified by nature's own 
 adornments, l^o sound of the woodman's axe, 
 no crack of jbhe hunter's rifle, no merry laugh of 
 happy children were heard and no familiar bell 
 awoke the echoes of -Sabbath morning calling 
 the people to church. The morning and evening 
 stars saw no change and setting sun bid adieu, 
 (not a final farewell,) kissing tree-tops and hill- 
 side with his departing rays to greet them again 
 on the morrow. Thus things continued without 
 any essential change during periods of unknown 
 length. Could an observer have been permitted
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 3 
 
 to look upon this enchanting spot from his home 
 on some planet far off in the regions of space, 
 his thoughts might have been something like the 
 following: "Thou Invisible One! Why such lav- 
 ish display of Thy creative power in that unin- 
 habited region with gradual sloping grounds, 
 71) ore conspicuous elevations, plats and valleys 
 covered with forest kings with giant forms inter- 
 spersed with various specimens of the floral king- 
 dom? No human beings enjoy the beauties of 
 this favored spot for none are there. Why is it 
 thus?" Echo repeats, "Why?" and the sound 
 dies away in ethereal space. 
 
 After the lapse of ages the question is answer- 
 ed. In harmony with the Creators wise arrang- 
 ment of things his plans are gradually unfolded 
 to the comprehension of man. Things created 
 for the benefit of our race and the uses that the 
 Creator designed that man should make of them, 
 are made known to him as fast as man's upward 
 proguess and development require such knowl- 
 edge. The North American indian had no use 
 for oar, coal or petroleum stored away by their 
 Creator beneath the surface of the globe and he 
 knew but little or nothing of their existence. 
 But when society became civilized and enlighten-
 
 4 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 ed there were corresponding needs to be sup- 
 plied, and in harmony with the Creator's plan 
 mans knowledge of these hidden treasures, with 
 ability to obtain and utilize them, was co-extensive 
 with the demand for them. Crowded cities, close 
 application to business and unhealthy climate 
 necessitated rest, a change of scenery and atmos- 
 phere. While causes were creating a necessity 
 for such a change, causes were preparing places 
 where such changes could be obtained. Civiliza- 
 tion was on the march, and hardy pioneers found 
 their way to this hilly region, gradually the pop- 
 ulation increased and usurped the laws of nature 
 and woodland glory disappeared before the state- 
 ly tread of civilization. The hand of industry 
 utilzed the primeval forest and flowing streams, 
 while the virgin soil yielded an abundant harvest. 
 At this point we leave the subject and go back 
 to an earlier date in the history of the town. It 
 was early dawn in the beautiful morning when 
 the feathered tribe were stopped and startled in 
 the midst of their early songs, wild beasts were 
 disturbed in their lairs and old Bruin sat upon his 
 haunches, while the nimble squirrel ascended to 
 the top-most branch of some stately tree to un- 
 derstand, if possible, the meaning of those strange
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 5 
 
 sounds and wonderful sights ; but being new to 
 them they could not solve the mystery, for they 
 now beheld for the first time, the camp of the 
 white man, with its ascending smoke ; they heard 
 the sound of the wood-man's axe as stroke after 
 stroke was vigorously applied, and the meaning 
 of all this was that the wild occupants of the for- 
 est could no longer hold undisputed sway over 
 that part of natures wild domain ; and more, it 
 was the precursor of important events, a link in 
 the long chain of cause and effect by which the 
 Creator governs the world. It was a harbinger of 
 the day when Bruin must live a more retired life 
 or retreat before the advancing tide, when game 
 of all kinds must for their own safety keep a 
 sharp lookout for their new but deadly foe, when 
 the beauties of well cultivated fields would sup- 
 plant woodland glory, when log cabins would dis- 
 appear before an increasing number of more com- 
 modious and better constructed framed buildings > 
 when school and meeting houses should dot the 
 place, standing like so many guardian angels to 
 protect the best interests of society, when rail- 
 roads, telegraph and telephone would connect 
 this town with Boston and other great cities, 
 when Bethlehem Street would witness the com-
 
 6 THE EARL Y HIS TOR Y OF THE 
 
 ing and going of the majestic iron horse, when 
 this locality would become a theme of conversa- 
 tion in all parts of the civilized world and thous- 
 ands be attracted hither by its natural scenery 
 and the wonderful power of its atmosphere to re- 
 store health to suffering invalids. 
 
 Knowledge and fame of the real value of Beth- 
 lehem as a summer resort is increasing in this 
 and foreign lands with a corresponding increase 
 of annual travel to this place of beauty and won- 
 derful sights. Looking far back into the past 
 and peering away into the comparitively unknown 
 future, who can define or limit the resources and 
 ability of* Bethlehem to accommodate guests, or 
 the demand that shall be made upon her? Who 
 can tell what the ultimatum will be? 
 
 CHAPTER 2. 
 
 FROM various sources we gather the following 
 relative to the early history of Bethlehem. 
 
 Adventurous spirits are never lacking in num- 
 ber or willingness to explore unknown regions. 
 Restless and daring with great physical powers 
 and constitution like iron, they were adapted by 
 nature for fulfilling their important but hazard-
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 1 
 
 cms mission. They find no charms in city life or 
 in a quiet rural home, they court hardships and 
 delight in dangers connected with a forest life 
 far beyond the boundary of civilization. It was 
 a part of the Creator's wise arrangement of things 
 that forest grandeur would yield to superior pow- 
 er which could not be accomplished without the 
 aid of bold and energetic characters whose names 
 and individual deeds of daring, to a great extent, 
 are now unknown, being buried in the debris of 
 the past, but the results of their labors continue 
 to exist. 
 
 Bethlehem was not exempt from those restless 
 feet and keen searching eyes that sought to pen- 
 etrate to the depths of nature's secrets and reveal 
 the mysteries of her most secluded abodes, and 
 when success had crowned their efforts they pic- 
 tured in glowing terms and picturesque language 
 (though lacking in those rhetorical adornments 
 that might ernbelish the writings of literary men, 
 yet with great power being inspired by enchant- 
 ing surroundings,) what they found recorded in 
 the great book of nature. News of its discovery 
 with its many advantages of beautiful scenery, 
 forests and flowers, its rippling streams and nat- 
 ural water power, productive soil and purity of
 
 8 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 never-failing springs, spread with great rapidity 
 along the bordei-s of civilization and soon became 
 the theme of conversation at public gatherings, 
 with laboring men in their daily toil and at the 
 family hearth-stone ; children sat on father's knee 
 to hear the wonderful story and" lovers gravely 
 consulted together as to the feasibility of begin- 
 ning a wedded life in the promised land. 
 
 The first to awaken slumbering echoes by es- 
 tablishing permanent homes mid the grandeur of 
 primeval beauty, were Benjamin Brown and Jo- 
 nas Warren from Massachusetts. This was in 
 1787 or 1788. For a time there were only three 
 families in town, the two above named and an- 
 other the name of which, from whence they came, 
 how long they resided here, or whither they went, 
 we can find no trace. Mr. Warren located on 
 the place now occupied by Charles Blandin; they 
 had four children, Otis, Betsy, Jonas and Anna. 
 Mr. Brown settled on the farm known as James 
 Bean place on the South Road. They had eleven 
 children, named Abigail, Frances, Marcus, Benj- 
 amin, Ida, Cynthia, Anna, Susannah, Triphena, 
 Oliver and Mahala. Marcus died in Bethlehem 
 leaving one son and one daughter who now re- 
 side in town. Two of the eleven children above
 
 TO WN OF BETH1/EREM, N. H. 9 
 
 named, Benjamin and Ida were twins, the first 
 pair born in town. 
 
 In the spring of 1790 James Turner began his 
 settlement on Lloyd's Hill, there being at that 
 time only two families in town; afterwards dur- 
 ing the same year others came. In "March, 1794, 
 Lot Woodbury settled in town, he came from 
 Eoylston, Mass., bringing his family and effects 
 on an ox sled. ! * '' 
 
 The shorter month of February had lived out 
 its time and the longer days of March with their 
 piercing cold were now in line of march following 
 closely its predecessor. The ground was clothed 
 in its pure white garments so beautifully adapted 
 to the winter season in this northern clime. The 
 rippling brook and murmuring rill were hushed 
 in silence bound by fetters of ice and clothed 
 with a silvery sheen. The cold breath of frozen 
 north with icy coldness penetrating every nook 
 and corner. Its chilling influence caused fond 
 mothers to be more careful of their little ones and 
 travelers instinctively wrapped more closely 
 around themselves their outer garments. Snow 
 birds continued to come daily to doors and win- 
 dows of friendly dwellings in quest of food in the 
 form of bits of bread or cold potatoes from the
 
 10 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 remnants of a well-spread -table that chanced to 
 find its way to the exterior of the buildings, and 
 occasionally a group . of little children with eyes 
 sparkling with delight and showing extreme 
 pleasure, might have been seen with busy hands 
 fetching crumbs to their charming little visitors, 
 while a solitary crow might have made his pres- 
 ence known by his accustomed " haw," moving 
 lazily on thje wing as if in search of food or signs 
 of warmer weather ; but the time had not come for 
 the warm blushes of spring to dispel that frigid 
 look that covered the face of Nature. 
 
 In the town of Roylston, Mass., at the time of 
 which we are writing, there might have been seen 
 an unusual stir that showed conclusively that an 
 important event was near at hand not unlike 
 those scenes transpiring to a greater or less ex- 
 tent along the borders of civilization. Neighbors 
 gathered at this central point of attraction not to 
 converse on the general topics of the day, but to 
 share in those scenes and witness those events in 
 which they felt a special interest , no pleasing 
 story was rehearsed or jovial language used, no 
 merry peals - of laughter or songs of mirthful im- 
 port saluted the ear, but solemnity bended over 
 this little group of anxious friends, for their
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 11 
 
 hearts were sad and their eyes were filled with 
 flowing tears. 
 
 The wood in the old fashioned fire-place had 
 not been replenished for some little time, the large 
 fore-stick and huge back-log had been converted 
 into glowing embers by the devouring element 
 and a small tallow candle was burning low in its 
 iron socket, whose dim and flickering light gave 
 a dreary aspect to various objects within the room, 
 harmonizing with the feelings of the little compa- 
 ny. Warm grasping of hands, a fervent parting 
 kiss, and ejaculations of "my best wishes I leave 
 with you," "don't forget us," and "may God bless 
 us all" ends the scene within. Before the door of 
 the dwelling stood .a yoke of oxen attached to a 
 sled on which might have been seen household 
 eliects, provisions, and a small amount of farm- 
 ing implements, the family now coming forward 
 taking their allotted seats, the load was complet- 
 ed, when all being ready the team moved on. The 
 sky was cloudless and the twinkling stars still 
 shown in all their glory for twilight had not come 
 to dim their heavenly beauty. 
 
 Slowly and silently the subject of our narative 
 moves onward and when day dawned they were 
 beyond the sight of their once happy home
 
 12 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 This family consisted of Lot Woodbury and wife, 
 one pair of twins named Zariah and Oliver, about 
 two years old, and Asa about six weeks of age. 
 Asa died in this town loved and respected by all 
 who knew him, being a prominent man and a 
 good citizen, leaving behind him an influence for 
 good which none but a kind, benevolent, true- 
 hearted, and practical Christian can. We can 
 picture in our imagination the feelings and emo- 
 tions of those anxious parents as they journeyed 
 in the twilight of morning; fields and gardens 
 were being left in the rear, familiar objects and 
 loving friends had been seen by them (it might 
 be for the last time) and the certainty of what 
 they left behind and the uncertainty of that 
 which was before them made it a moment of in- 
 tense interest to those thoughtful travelers. 
 
 While contemplating the hardships that await- 
 ed them in their forest home, the possible dan- 
 gers from wild beasts, cold, and hunger, they 
 were cheered with the thought that warm hearts 
 and welcome greetings awaited them on their ar- 
 rival. As the cold increased with the rising sun 
 the fond mother cared for the twins as best she 
 could, at the same time hugging her babe more 
 closely to her throbbing bosom. Slowly and wear-
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 13 
 
 ily the day wore on, night was approaching, twi- 
 light came silently on as the brightness of day 
 began to recede. The sun had gone to rest in 
 its far off western home, giant forms stood mo- 
 tionless in the piercing cold of the evening air, 
 while their branches moved to and fro like spec- 
 tral forms in a stirring breeze far in the frozen 
 north, but the children heeded it not being wrap- 
 ped in bonds of quiet slumber. In a short time a 
 comfortable shelter was secured for the night 
 and thus ended the first day's journey. 
 
 In the morning, refreshened in body and spir- 
 its, they continued on their way. Day after day 
 they moved slowly on surrounded by the same 
 general scenery, good and poor roads, forests 
 and cultivated patches of land with here and 
 there a lonely dwelling, hills and valleys met 
 their sight , while the sameness of the teamster's 
 voice and language, the likeness of the cries and 
 prattling noise of the little ones and calm, sooth- 
 ing voice of the fond, careful mother all combin- 
 ed to make their long tedious journey a monoto- 
 nous one. 
 
 In due time they reached the brook in the 
 little valley about a mile west of Bethlehem 
 Street and began to ascend the hill. The oxen,
 
 14 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 weary and worn by the heavy lo id they ha 1 
 drawn and great distance they had come, moved 
 on mindful of the fact that the end was near, 
 but by much and constant urging with a vig- 
 orous given imperative command of "Gee Star," 
 "Haw Line," or "Wake up my boy," which awoke 
 many slumbering echoes, the jaded team was in- 
 duced to obey the driver's voice and to move on, 
 stopping every four rods to rest. 
 
 The knowledge of their near proximity to their 
 future place of residence acted on the minds of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Woodbury like magic power: for 
 the moment forgeting their hardships and weari- 
 ness of body and mind, they were exultant 
 with joy at the near realization of their long 
 cherished hopes. The children seemed to catch 
 the inspiration, for the twins talked more.gladful 
 in their childish way and baby came in for a 
 share with an increasing prattle. In their frame 
 of mind the parents descanted on beauties of 
 Nature that surrounded them on either side, and 
 so charming to them was the scenery that Mrs. 
 Woodbury likened their journey up the hill to 
 that of ascending the hill of Zion. They soon 
 reached their place of destination. Halting be- 
 fore the cabin door of Jonas Warren where
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 15 
 
 they were to stay until a home of their own 
 could be prepared. 
 
 The twins referred toi in this narrative were the 
 first brought to Lloyd's Hill. The only surviv- 
 ing member of Lot Woodbury's family is widow 
 Wilder, the mother of Horace W. Wilder, the 
 proprietor of the popular Centennial House. 
 Mrs. Wilder was born in Bethlehem, which place 
 has been her home up to the present time : she is 
 the oldest person born in the town who is living 
 there. She is cared for by her son Horace W. 
 The oldest person in town is Isaac Newton 
 Gay, born in Massachusetts in 1796. ^p^ 
 
 The part that Mrs. Woodbury acted in estab- 
 lishing a new home in a distant forest seems 
 more like the work of vivid imagination than 
 of stern reality, but from the landing of the pil- 
 grims on the ice-clad Rock of Plymouth, bold 
 and brave women were ready to share in ah 1 the 
 privations of a pioneer life. To much cannot be 
 said in praise of. those women who acted so .con- 
 spicuous a part in laying the foundation for the 
 future prosperity of Bethlehem. They were not 
 only resolute and fearless but also persons of 
 strong mind with good moral, Christian character. 
 They faithfully performed their duties as wives,
 
 16 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 mothers and daughters at the same time render- 
 ing material aid in clearing, patting seed 
 in the ground in the spring-time and in 
 gathering their scanty harvest in the autumnal 
 season ; in fact there was no labor in which they 
 did not have a hand to a greater or less extent. 
 The light and cheer impaired by the females of 
 those early times was not confined alone to their 
 own cabins, but it extended to every family in 
 the little settlement, they imparted life to social 
 gatherings, and their hopeful word and strong, 
 sympathetic feelings imparted comfort and new 
 life to the sick and disheartened. The names 
 and deeds of those self-sacrificing women, who 
 so patiently and heroicly contended with great 
 hardships and perils in planting the germ of civ- 
 ilization and in fostering the growth of enlight- 
 ened society amid the the primeval forests that 
 then covered our now well-cultivated uplands and 
 valleys, deserve to be held in grateful remem- 
 brance by those who now enjoy the benefits of 
 their labors and when the last vestige of their 
 noble deeds shall have disappeared ani time 
 shall have rendered epitaphs illegible and even 
 the headstone has crumbled and lost its identity 
 in the great whole from which it was taken, and
 
 TOWN OF J1ETHLEHEM, N. H. 17 
 
 while the undying influence of those truly noble 
 women shall silently continue to work out its glo- 
 rious mission, may recollections of them be en- 
 graven on the mind to the latest posterity. 
 
 Isaac Newton Gay came into town in 1800. 
 Of a Balm Gilo id tree near the residence of A. 
 S. Phillips, Air. G.iy says, "On my seventh birth- 
 day, June 6, 1803, I Bet it out with my own 
 hands; there were two of them, but one died." 
 Nathaniel Snow, father of the Nathaniel Snow 
 who died in this town, originally surveyed Beth- 
 lehem, and the compass used is now in the pos- 
 se^sion of Reuben Baker. 
 
 CHAPTER 3. 
 
 BETHLEHEM was incorporated Dec. 27, 1799. It 
 was originally called Lloyd's Hill; the first town 
 meetings were in 1800, and the following are 
 copies of their records: 
 
 At a legal meeting of the legal voters of the 
 town of Bethlehem, held on Tuesday, the fourth 
 day of March, A. D. 1800, voted as'follows: 
 
 Sworn 1. Made choice of Moses Eastman for 
 a moderator. 
 
 ' Sworn 2. Made choice of Moses Eastman for 
 a Town Clerk.
 
 18 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 Sworn 3. Made choice of Moses Eastman for 
 the first select man. 
 
 Sworn 4. Made choice of Nathaniel Snow for 
 the second ditto. 
 
 Sworn 5. Made choice of Amos Wheeler for 
 the third ditto. 
 
 Sworn 6. Made choice of Edward Oakes for a 
 Constable. 
 
 Sworn 7. Made choice of Edward Oakes for a 
 collector. 
 
 Sworn 8. Made choice of Simeon Burt for a 
 Highway Surveyor. 
 
 Sworn 9. . Made choice of John Gile for a 
 Highway Surveyor. ,..-,>, s '"'> 
 
 Sworn 10. Made choice -of Edward Oakes for 
 a Highway Surveyor. 
 
 Sworn 11. Made choice of Lot Woodbury for 
 a fence viewer.,. 
 
 Sworn 12, : Made choice of Amos, Wheeler for 
 a Sealer of weights and measures. 
 
 Sworn 13. Made choice of James Noyes for 
 a Tithing-man. 
 
 Sworn 14. Made choice of John Russell and 
 Edward Oakes for hogreefs. 
 
 15. Voted to dissolve the meeting. 
 
 A true copy, 
 
 attest, Moses Eastman, T. Clerk. 
 Moses Eastman, Moderator.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 19 
 
 At a legal meeting of the legal voters of the 
 Town of Bethlehem, held on the tenth of April, 
 1800, voted as follows, viz: 
 
 1st. Made choice of Edward Oakes for a mod- 
 erator, 
 
 2nd. Voted to raise Twenty-four dollars for 
 Schooling. u"' 
 
 3rd. Voted to raise four dollars to defray 
 Town charges. . . (\. v 
 
 4th. Voted to raise Sixty dollars to be. worked 
 out on the road. , , V) 
 
 5th. Voted to raise twelve dollars to .defray 
 Town charges. 
 
 6th. Voted to dissolve the meeting. 
 
 Edward Oakes, Moderator. 
 
 A true copyj . <. , 
 
 Attest, Moses Eastman, T. Clerk- 
 
 At a legal meeting of the legal voters of the town 
 of Bethlehem, held on May the 8th, A. D. 1800, 
 voted as follows: r ,, > -r. . ,. 
 
 1st. Made choice of Lot Woodbury for a 
 moderator. 
 
 2nd. Voted to raise three hundred and ninety 
 dollars to repair Highways and Bridges. 
 
 3rd. Voted to allow eight cents per hour for
 
 20 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 each man and six cents per hour for each yoko 
 of oxen. 
 
 4th. Made choice of Lot Woodbury, Amos 
 Wheeler, Isaac Batchellor, Simeon Burt and Na- 
 thaniel Snow as a committee to look out a place 
 where to build a bridge over Ammonoosuc Riv- 
 er above Wm. Houghton's mills. 
 
 5th. Voted that each man shall appear on the 
 Burying ground on Wednesday, the fourth of 
 June next, to clear and fence said ground. 
 
 Lot Woodbury, moderator. 
 
 A true copy, 
 
 Attest, Moses Eastman, T. Clerk. 
 
 CHAPTER 4. 
 
 LOVE of wild scenes and exciting adventures as 
 well as a desire to acquire wealth caused immi- 
 gration hither to continue, and various parts of 
 New Hampshire and border states were repre- 
 sented by men and women of strong mental 
 powers and great physical strength in this grow- 
 ing settlement. Increase of population was not 
 confined to immigration, children were born 
 here, at an early date. Inquiring and curious
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 21 
 
 minds love to penetrate the far off past, and from 
 the gradually thickening gioom gather relics of 
 by-gone days. However interesting recent events 
 may be, there is a charm in those gleamings 
 wrenched from the relentless hand of decay or 
 snatched from the iron grasp of obscurity. 
 Nearly a century ago there might have been s^een 
 in Bethlehem a lonely cabin surrounded on all 
 sides by dense forests, a mere speck in that com- 
 paratively unknown wilderness. There was noth- 
 ing peculiar in this rude structure, being in 
 material, plan of make and general features 
 like all cabins erected by the pioneers of civiliza- 
 tion. What a scene for a painter's brush! A 
 home with walls of unsmoothed logs, shaped and 
 fitted by the woodman's axe; the roof like the 
 walls, was of rough material being made of poles 
 and covered with bark in which might have been 
 seen an uncovered spot through which the curling- 
 smoke might pass in its ethereal wanderings. 
 The aspect of the interior of this dwelling was 
 much like the exterior, rough and unadorned; 
 no carpeted floors or walls adorned with paint, 
 paper or works of art, and no centre table laden 
 with poems, histories or popular novels, organs 
 and pianos were alike strangers in this woodland
 
 22 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 but happy home. Now additional joy has been 
 added to former happiness and new pleasures 
 suffuse the entire household. New hopes and 
 fears have found a place in their meditations 
 and conflicting emotions reveal their existence in 
 looks and actions. Welcome sights greet the 
 eyes of happy parents and pleasant scenes come 
 like music to the ear. A babe was born, the 
 child of Mr. & Mrs. Benjamin Brown, whose name 
 was Abigail, the first child born in this town. As 
 cares and anxiety increased naturally the mother 
 contemplated the liabilities and probable events 
 that would attend the progress of her little one 
 from the cradle to mature years, and with true 
 motherly instinct she anticipated the training of 
 her new charge to fill with credit the responsible 
 position she might be called upon to occupy in 
 after-life. She hoped to be able to impart to her 
 daughter all the information and skill in those 
 branches of industry so necessary for women to 
 have in those early times. They were expected 
 to know how to convert raw material into needed 
 food and clothing. A young lady that could not 
 with success roast potatoes, make bean porridge 
 or bake on a board before a roaring fire, a corn- 
 meal cake, or could not skillfully use the cards,
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 23 
 
 convert toe and flax into yarn, weave it into cloth 
 and make it into garments, patch, darn, or, milk 
 a cow, was regarded as having a very imperfect 
 education and not prepared to cope with real 
 hardships and the ever-changing fortunes of life. 
 
 We now change locations, retaining essentially 
 like scenes, and go to the cabin of Jonas Warren, 
 to whom a son was born, named Otis, this was the 
 first male child born in Bethlehem. With pleas- 
 ure and joyful anticipations those happy parents 
 looked forward to the time when developed phy- 
 sical strength and unfolded mind would fit their 
 son to share in the laborious work of applying 
 the axe, piling logs and clearing land, be a bless- 
 ing to the household and occupy an honorable 
 position in society. New hopes cheered them in 
 their daily toil and many dark clouds that skirted 
 the horizon ominous of coming evil, disappeared 
 before the rising sun of prosperity. 
 
 Those hardy, self-denying pioneers, dwellers in 
 their humble home, were destined ;to share the 
 common lot of all our race. No constitution so 
 strong or physical power so great that it will not 
 yield to the great Creator's mandate. Mrs. Whip- 
 pie sickened and it became apparent that she 
 must soon bid farewell to loving friends, yielding
 
 24 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 to that inherent principle of decay which is a con- 
 stituent part of all organic life. The angel of 
 mercy, a never-failing friend of suffering human- 
 ity came to the afflicted family bringing the 
 cheerful thought th#t the fatal moment might be 
 long delayed, but hope and love could not roll 
 back the gathering gloom soon to gradually deep- 
 en into darkness of death. One last, lingering 
 look, one more soft pressure of the hand, a faint 
 " Good bye," a gasp, the heart no longer beats, 
 all is silent as death itself. She had pone beyond, 
 passing through the mystic gate to that which is 
 to us comparatively unknown, we call it Eternity. 
 The antagonistical principles of life and death 
 had long and strenuously contended for the mas- 
 tery, but the latter finally triumphed, which must 
 always be the result in all like conflicts. Life 
 ceased to animate that once active form, death 
 followed as a natural result; life and death are 
 opposite to each other, death is when the life that 
 was, is not. 
 
 Amid the wild grandeur of Nature's scenery, 
 loving Mends with tearful eyes and sorrowful 
 hearts silently consigned the cold, inanimate 
 form to the mother Earth and all that was visible 
 disappeared from sight. But the invisible, that
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 25 
 
 impress of character and influence left on the 
 family circle, and to a greater or less extent on all 
 their associates, can never die. Seeds of morality 
 and Christianity sown by an affectionate mother 
 and loving wife must silently but unceasingly. 
 work out their important mission, producing a 
 legitimate harvest through rolling ages, and in 
 that boundless expanse, that immeasurable and 
 fathomless unknown, that which had its begin- 
 ning in a rudely constructed cabin, must con- 
 tinue to fulfill its mission through the cycles of 
 eternity. This was the first death in Bethlehem, 
 and on a tombstone, worn by the ravages of time 
 in the old burying ground on the street, are the 
 following inscriptions: Mrs. Lydia Whipple, died 
 March 17, 1795; Mrs. Elizabeth Warren, died 
 March 6, 1797. 
 
 CHAPTER 5. 
 
 THE first inhabitants of Bethlehem shared the 
 lot common to all first settlers. There were cab- 
 ins to be erected, a heavy growth of timber to 
 be removed and the soil to be prepared to re-
 
 20 THE EARL Y HIS TOR Y OF THE 
 
 ceive the seed. To do all this required time. As 
 the annual productions of the soil for the first 
 few years must necessarily have been far below 
 the demand, a large portion of the food used 
 must have been supplied by forest and streams, 
 and when every effort had been made to secure 
 suitable sustenance they were forced to live on 
 humble fare and none too much of that, even 
 when prepared with skill and economy by a pru- 
 dent housewife. 
 
 To be secure from cold, hunger and wild 
 beasts, who were constantly on the alert to invade 
 their barnyards, pigstyes and harvest grounds, 
 was paramount. The near proximity of hunger 
 was no strange thing, and strong men and wo- 
 men shuddered at future prospects and increas- 
 ing cold. The nearest place where grain could 
 be obtained or ground into meal was in the town 
 of Bath, a distance of about 25 miles from Beth- 
 lehem street. 
 
 It was the month of June, bright stars were 
 preparing to veil their nightly splendors and ajar 
 were the warning gates through which, softly 
 and silently, were creeping rays of mellow light 
 harbingers of coming day when a man of 
 medium size, with a knapsack strapped to his
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. * 27 
 
 back and trusty gun on his shoulder, stepped 
 upon the threshoJd of a small log cabin sur- 
 rounded on all sides by primeval forests. He 
 was strong and muscular, and care had left its 
 mark on his honest but sunburnt face. His gar- 
 ments, though made of coarse material, showed 
 the skill of well-trained hands; his hat, though 
 somewhat worn, gave evidence of having seen 
 better days. He stopped a moment, as if to 
 speak to some one within, and then stepping 
 forth into the open air, in a low tone soliloquized 
 thus: " It looks a little like rain. That belt of 
 reddish color stretched across the eastern sky 
 foretells a change in the weather, or I have failed 
 to read correctly signs that precede coming 
 storms in this hilly region;" and then, looking in 
 the opposite direction, said: ''It is a long way 
 and may be I shall have to come back without it, 
 but I must go ; I see no help for it," and started 
 off in a westerly direction. With quick but steady 
 steps he soon passed through the clearing that 
 was before him and was lost to view in the great 
 forest beyond. Guided by marked trees and 
 other familiar signs, fast becoming visible by in- 
 creasing daylight, he commenced to sing, in a 
 style peculiar to a woodman, the following 1 :
 
 28 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 " I love to roam "mid giant trees, 
 
 And dwell in Nature's bowers, 
 With silvery streams and pure cold springs, 
 Adorned with fragrant flowers. 
 
 " I dearly love my mountain home, 
 
 Its many cares and toils, 
 1 love to fish, to pile the logs, 
 And till the virgin soil. 
 
 " I labor hard, day after day, 
 Forgetful of my sorrow, 
 My dreams at night are sweet with thoughts 
 Of better times to-morrow. 
 
 " The bread I eat, the bones I pick," 
 
 The remainder of his song was lost, for at that 
 moment a noise in close proximity stopped short 
 his singing. Immediately bringing his gun to 
 his shoulder, his eyes penetrating the thick 
 growth of timber from which the noise came, he 
 heard the sound fast dying out in the distance. 
 He had been so absorbed is his own thoughts he 
 did not discover old Bruin, who was quietly tak- 
 ing his morning nap beneath the branches of a 
 stately maple and whose ears, being quicker than 
 the woodsman's eyes, had been alarmed by 
 strange sounds, and started off on double-quick 
 time without waiting to find out who the intru- 
 der was.
 
 - TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 29 
 
 Our hero gave one glance in the direction the 
 bear had taken, exclaiming as he did so: 
 
 " Good bye, good bye, my happy sir, 
 
 1 'in in a hurry now, 
 But we will meet some other day, 
 And then I '11 show you how." 
 
 So saying, he turned and walked away, none 
 the worse for his early adventure. 
 
 Nature was in her most pleasant mood, 
 clothed in her best garb and adorned in the 
 most lavishing manner. Tall trees were con- 
 spicuous in the broad sunlight which was pene- 
 trating nook and corner and fastening itself on 
 every available object; gentle zephyrs sighed in 
 the thick foliage and wild flowers, catching the 
 inspiring influence, gracefully bowed their heads 
 to the passing breeze, while feathered songsters 
 acted a conspicuous part in filling the air with 
 their sweet melodies. -,-. 
 
 Amid such surroundings one might be led to 
 exclaim: O, Nature! thou great enchantress; the 
 embodiment of the visible beauty and material 
 manifestations of the glory, wisdom and grand- 
 eur of the Great I Am, ever directing our
 
 30 
 
 thoughts to the vastness, incomprehensibleness 
 and power of the Invisible, thy Creator ! " 
 
 On reaching the Ammonoosuc river, the sub- 
 ject of our sketch crossed over on a large tree 
 that connected the two banks, directing his foot- 
 steps down the stream, making no stop until he 
 reached the town of Lisbon; here he halted and 
 seated himself at the foot of a large pine tree. 
 After placing his gun in an upright position 
 against the trunk of the same tree that he might 
 be able to grasp it at a moment's warning and, 
 removing the knapsack from his back, pausing a 
 few minutes to rest his weary limbs and while his 
 thoughts were busy about the inmates of the 
 humble home he had left at early dawn, he 
 opened his sack and soon had spread before him 
 his humble fare, which consisted of dried meat* 
 some cold potatoes and a slice of bread made of 
 that obtained by sifting bran the second time, 
 which he ate with a relish born of necessity and 
 a keenly sharpened appetite. No murmuring 
 thoughts disturbed his mind, no words of com- 
 plaint escaped his Jips, but he felt very grateful 
 for this humble meal and was truly thankful that 
 his condition was no worse. Having finished his 
 repast and replaced his gun and knapsack, he
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 31 
 
 started on his journey and in due time reached 
 his place of destination, which was the grist mill 
 in the town of bath. 
 
 The sun had passed the meridian when the 
 woodsman, placing his newly-ground grist in 
 his commodious knapsack, started homeward- 
 Beaching the top of a small eminence a short 
 Mistance from the mill, he turned his head to take 
 a hurried glanc at the western sky, as he did so 
 with some anxiety on his countenance, he ex- 
 claimed; "I was light in my opinion this morn- 
 ing about the weather; I must hasten." And in 
 another moment he was suiting actions to his 
 words with increasing pace. lie did not pause 
 again until he reached the pine beneath whose 
 shady branches he had eaten his frugal meal a 
 few hours before; here he halted to rest and take 
 another survey of the heavens. 
 
 The distant cloud that bounded his vision at 
 the time he stopped to view the sky when not far 
 from the mill had so increased in size that it now 
 jextended to the north and south as far as the eye 
 could reach and was high up in the heavens.* 
 He was about to start when a frightened rabbit 
 came hopping by, calling his attention to the 
 ground, revealing the footprints of some largo
 
 32 THE EARL HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 beast and his skillful eye at once told him that 
 they had been made by old Bruin only a short 
 time before, and which, for ought he knew, might 
 at that very moment be in close proximity to 
 him. 
 
 Being iu a hurry he had no time to investigate, 
 and, thinking it best to postpone an interview 
 with his shaggy enemy, again started homeward. 
 
 The sweet loveliness of morning was fast dis- 
 appearing, being suppressed by the more solemn 
 grandeur of declining day and rapidly gather- 
 ing showers, giant kings, nodded in the increas- 
 ing breeze while their outstretched arms waved 
 in graceful recognition of coming changes. The 
 dense foliage trembled in anxious suspense, wild 
 liowers were closing their petals while their tiny 
 forms seemed to seek shelter beneath the thick 
 shrubbery and interwoven, overhanging branches 
 as if preparing for approaching rain and night- 
 fall. The feathered tribe had retired to a place 
 of safety except a few venturesome ones not car- 
 ing for storms, and lovers of darkness could now 
 be seen on the wing enjoying gloom. Having 
 reached the locality now the site of Littleton 
 village, our traveller recrossed the Ammoonoosuc 
 at the same point and on the same tree .used by
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 33 
 
 him in the morning. Guide-marks on the trees 
 were now partially obscured by the darkness that 
 covered the forest; but he had no doubt of his 
 ability to move in the right direction. He had 
 not proceded more than half a mile when a sud- 
 den flash of lightning lit up the tree-tops and in 
 a few moments a peal of thunder came rolling on 
 the clouds from no great distance in a westerly 
 direction. The shower was now at Haverhill and 
 lashing Warren Heights with maddened fury. 
 Fortunately for our traveller the shower at this 
 point diAdded, leaving between the two parts an 
 intervening space of considerable width that did 
 not receive the full force of the storm. As soon 
 as he became aware of this fact he felt assured 
 that if he could reach home before the two di- 
 visions united, which they might do at some 
 point to the east, all would be well. With those 
 thoughts he hastened forward as fast as his 
 weary limbs and the thick darkness would 
 permit. 
 
 The almost unceasing flash of lightening whose 
 light penetrated the now appalling darkness pre- 
 vented him from losing his way. He had now 
 reached a point about a mile from home when 
 he became conscious that the neutral ground
 
 34 THE EARL Y HIS TOR Y OF THE 
 
 over which he was passing was fast yielding to 
 the powers of warring elements narrowing down 
 to a mere line, and that he was near the spot 
 where the divided shower would coalesce. 
 
 Giant trp.es were now bending before the blast 
 which threatened to uproot and prostrate their 
 noble forms. The forest was stripped of its fo- 
 liage and hurled in all directions, while broken 
 branches filled the air with their mutilated forms. 
 Great drops of rain fell thick and fast on the 
 carpet of green that covered the ground. Nearer 
 and nearer from either side came the unceasing 
 roll of deafening thunder, while at no great dis- 
 tance a blaze of light penetrated the heavens, 
 showing that the electric current had split and 
 ignited some large tree venerable with age. 
 Howling wind, terrific thunder and wild confus- 
 ion, lit up by lightning's vivid glare, all conspired 
 to make more grand and sublime this mountain 
 storm. 
 
 At the moment when the warring elements 
 which had been marshalling their forces for a fi- 
 nal struggle, came in contact in all the madness 
 of their wild fury and rain began to faU in tor- 
 rents, the traveller, whom we have followed
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 35 
 
 through the day, entered the humble cabin from 
 which he came at early dawn. 
 
 Benjamin Brown had returned to cheer an 
 anxious wife with his presence as well as with the 
 meal made from a peck of corn, which cost its 
 market price at the grist mill in Bath and a jour- 
 ney of fifty miles. 
 
 Fanciful as it may seem, kind reader, that one 
 would journey on foot a distance of fifty miles 
 to obtain the meal of a peck of corn, neverthe- 
 less, it is true, as persons will testify who were 
 born here or came with their parents to mingle 
 with the trying scenes of pioneer life, who are 
 now venerable with age. The contrast between 
 a life in Bethlehem as it then was and now is, 
 being so great and the time between the .two so 
 long that we cannot fully realize the dangers and 
 great hardships surrounding every-day life and 
 connected with every transaction pertaining to a 
 home in a vast wilderness. The real struggle to 
 sustain life in the cheapest and most simple way 
 and in every manner their ingenious minds could 
 devise, so familiar to them are to us unknown, 
 and as we read the records of those far off days 
 we have only a slight conception of what the 
 reality must have been.
 
 36 THE EARL Y HISTOE Y OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER 6. 
 
 NAMES and worthy deeds of those who figured 
 so conspicuously in their sphere of action are 
 rapidly becoming obscured by gathering gloom 
 that follows in the footsteps of advancing time. 
 Not only are names and deeds lost to memory 
 but those- marks of respect erected to show the 
 exact spot, the last resting place of loved ones 
 are fast disappearing before the merciless power 
 of unyielding fate. Not many years hence 
 names, deeds, and once sacred graves will all be 
 forgotten, and feet of careless strangers will 
 thoughtlessly press the ground where once grew 
 the fragfaot flowers planted by loving hands and 
 watered by many tears of sorrow. When a 
 knowledge of those worthy sons and daughters, 
 fathers and mothers, husbands and wives who so 
 patiently and heroically endured the hardships 
 and braved the dangers of a wilderness home 
 shall have lost its place in memory and all his- 
 toric record of them become obsolete, the last 
 epitaph obliterated by the march of time, and 
 the headstone which has stood so many years as
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. II. 37 
 
 a faithful sentinel to guard the sacred spot shall 
 cease to be; then will all record of them be buried 
 forever in the darkness of oblivion. Inscriptions 
 may become illegible, the plain uncarved stone, 
 the marble slab engraved by skillful hands, and 
 costly monumental piles will crumble and pass 
 away, but influence never dies; and who can tell 
 to what extent those influences that germinated 
 in those early cabins are interwoven in the des- 
 tiny of our town ? Notwithstanding the untold 
 hardships and many sufferings the first tillers of 
 the soil enjoyed life. The causes that would le- 
 gitimately produce happiness existed within 
 themselves; coming from the land of the de- 
 scendants of the Pilgrims they possessed many of 
 those qualities characteristic of the Pilgrim Fa- 
 thers. They were an honest, industrious people, 
 applying all their energies to the accomplishing 
 of laudable objects and contented with the lot 
 they had chosen, they cheerfully performed their 
 daily labor. Peaceful and quiet were their hours 
 of slumber, undisturbed by those frightful de- 
 mons that might arise from idleness, overeating 
 too richly prepared food, or a conscience dis- 
 turbed by many crimes. Not that this people 
 were perfect, but they had good intentions, de-
 
 38 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 siring to know their duty and then to do it. 
 They had strong minds and positive convic- 
 tions, teaching their children that strict integrity, 
 good habits, industry and economy were essen- 
 tial to success. A spirit of true friendship en- 
 tered largely into the makeup of their happiness. 
 Not a friendship that blossomed in prosperity 
 and vanished on the first indication of adversity, 
 that exhausted itself in sympathetic expressions 
 and flattering words, but a friendship that 
 bloomed in poverty and sorrow, that shone most 
 conspicuously where it was most needed in the 
 darkest hours of life. If one of their number 
 was sick or by accident disabled the neighbors 
 would ah 1 go and do him a substantial kindness 
 in cutting wood, sowing the seed, or gathering in 
 his harvest. A knowledge of this fact was a 
 powerful element in their eveiy day life, for they 
 were confident that if they or their's should be 
 unfortunate neither of them would suffer or die 
 of starvation, if the others could prevent it, and 
 this feeKng of security kept from their minds 
 those fearful thoughts that otherwise would de- 
 stroy present happiness and bJight their fondest 
 hopes. Sociability was an important factor in 
 their eventful lives. When, at times, weary and
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 39 
 
 despondent from many cares and heavy burdens, 
 as any mortal would be in like circumstances, the 
 social element would come to their rescue, like 
 the green oasis to a weary traveller in a barren 
 land, or when fear for a moment would reign su- 
 preme and their frail bark seemed to be at the 
 mercy of every rolling wave on life's stormy sea, 
 a social chat would be to them like a fertile gem 
 in mid ocean to the storm-tossed mariner. Its 
 influence had a power for good on the minds of 
 that overtasked people. It would calm their 
 tears, dispel their gloom and reinstate those 
 bright gems Hope, jOonfidence, and Cheerful- 
 ness in their proper places. To be social was 
 not an exception but the general rule. When 
 or where they met, whether by appointment, in- 
 vitation or otherwise, in field, forest, or at th 
 hearthstone in their humble dwellings, the glad- 
 ness expressed on their countenances and warm 
 grasp of the hand (not the tip of the fingers), 
 were conclusive proof of the existence of warm 
 hearts and true, loving sympathy. Together 
 they toiled and lived in the bonds of real Mend- 
 ship, sharing each other's joys and sorrows. Un- 
 like those societies of to-day, the germ of which 
 was planted one hundred years ago, that little
 
 40 THE EARL Y HIST OR Y OF THE 
 
 settlement had no castes or dividing lines. No 
 money-grasping misers, rich in land, stock and 
 government bonds to domineer; no self-con- 
 ceited petty tyrant to look upon the honest la- 
 boring class as mud-sills of society; no idlers in- 
 fested those industrious homes. No dandy, with 
 artificial polish, his lily-white hands covered with 
 fancy colored kid gloves and clothed in all the 
 styles belonging to his kind, was present to live 
 on the earnings of honest toil, there being no 
 necessity for that class of men. 
 
 This secluded settlement had not only the ele- 
 ments essential to happiness and development 
 but they were free from those counteracting in- 
 fluences to which thickly settled localities are 
 subjected. 
 
 CHAPTER 7. 
 
 THE desire to acquire and enjoy homes of their 
 own being inherent in human nature, was as 
 strong with our ancestors as with this generation 
 and the necessity of marriage relations in ac-
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 41 
 
 complishing the desired object was as great then 
 as now, and the circumstances under which love- 
 making commenced and ended in matrimonial 
 bonds were as varied in the days when our nar- 
 rative commences as in future times. 
 
 In the spring time of 1760, in the town of Bar- 
 nardston, in the state of Maine, at early dawn 
 a man might have been seen coming from the 
 dwelling which had been his place of abode. 
 He was of medium size and well porportioned 
 with a build that showed him capable of physical 
 endurance, unmarried aiid about 28 years of age. 
 He had brown hair, blue eyes, a frank open 
 countenance in whose general features were dis- 
 tinctly seen strength of purpose and mind, intel- 
 ligence and good character. "With a large puck 
 on his back, as if expecting a. long journey, 
 and firm step, the subject of our narrative 
 walked on in the direction of his destination, 
 and in due time reached the town of Hanover. 
 It was one of those lovely days characteristic of 
 New England spring-tirae; not a cloud to be 
 seen, and the air was soft and delightful. The 
 king of day was lavish in bestowing its cheerful 
 influence on the already changing aspects of na- 
 ture, vegetation was awaking from its long in at-
 
 42 THE EARL Y H1STOR Y OF THE 
 
 tive coudition to begin anew a career of progress 
 and unfolding, while beasts and birds alike 
 showed that they, too, were receiving inspiration 
 from the loveliness of the heavens. It was past 
 mid-day, the sun was silently but rapidly Hearing 
 its destination to shine in all its magnificent 
 splendor in the far off western sky ; but our trav- 
 eller took no note of swiftly passing time, being 
 absorbed in a line of thought in which he was 
 deeply interested, involving, as it did, his future 
 happiness and plan of action. Being unmarried 
 and having a practical turn of mind, he naturally 
 took a common-sense view of whatever he wished 
 to accomplish, which would direct his medita- 
 tions thus: 
 
 ' I will thoroughly examine the locality and if 
 half be true that has been reported of it, I in- 
 tend to make a permanent home in that land of 
 promise; but a good home, such as I contemplate, 
 means a great deal and to obtain such an one a 
 large amount of work must be done, a heavy 
 growth of timber removed, land cleared, seed 
 sown and harvest gathered; also a barn and 
 cabin must be created. Well, I think I can do 
 all of this, for I am satisfied that my mind and 
 body are equal to the emergency.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 48 
 
 "But this is not all that is needed to make a 
 happy home. I shall want a partner for life, 
 a companion to cheer me in my lonely hours, to 
 speak words of comfort and encouragement in 
 times of adversity. I shall need, yes, need, for 
 it is no boyish fancy, a wife to care for those 
 things pertaining to the inside of my cabin, and 
 a loving heart and willing hands to administer to 
 me in times of sickness. Yes, this is reasonable. 
 I must have a wife ! " 
 
 But, at this point his line of thought was in- 
 terrupted by an impression on his mind, received 
 through the medium of that unseen, mysterious 
 teJegraphic communication that connects mind 
 with mind, which caused him to look up. As he 
 did so he saw at once the author of the dispatch, 
 that a moment before had disturbed him in his 
 reveries. It was a female whose eyes were fixed 
 intent upon him. The instant our hero saw the 
 lady she turned her head, as though unconscious 
 of the near proximity of a stranger, and this 
 quick movement of our heroine might have de- 
 ceived the stranger had it not been for a deep 
 blush that mantled her fair face and the evidence 
 it gave. In an instant, with true womanly sa- 
 gacity, she put r>n an unconcerned air moving
 
 44 T&E EARL Y H1STOR Y OF THE 
 
 slowly on, as though the incident had not oc- 
 curred. She was mounted on horseback and 
 riding down a cross-road, the junction of which 
 to the more public highway, was only a few rods 
 distant. She had been to visit friends and was 
 returning home, was plainly but neatly attired, 
 rode gracefully, and the manner she managed 
 the spirited beast showed that she was well 
 skilled in the art of horsemanship, which was not 
 an uncommon thing in those early times. 
 
 What the feelings of a man would be to have a 
 beautiful female spring up in his pathway, as if 
 by magic power, at the very moment when he 
 had just decided that he must have a wife and 
 for aught he knew may have spoken his thoughts 
 so loudly as to be distinctly heard by his fair 
 friend, can be better imagined by the reader than 
 described by a pen. 
 
 In a few minutes the two strangers met face to 
 face, at the intersecting point of the roads and 
 in a gentlemanly manner he saluted her, in the 
 style peculiar to the times, and she returned the 
 salutation in a graceful way with a genteel bow. 
 
 At first the two inclined to be reticent, arising 
 on the one side from modesty and her peculiar 
 situation, on the other from an inclination not to
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. K 45 
 
 be too formal with strangers: but, as they jour- 
 neyed on together (for they were going the 
 same way,) this failing, as if by mutual consent, 
 gave place to pleasant conversation. 
 
 The lady, with that instinctive quickness pe- 
 culiar to woman, soon felt assured of the good 
 character and noble qualities of this handsome 
 stranger, and the sequel showed that she was 
 correct in her hasty conclusions. 
 
 Having formed a favorable opinion of this 
 young man her sympathy for him was at once 
 aroused ; having a kind disposition and willing to 
 practice the golden rule, " Do unto others as 
 you would have them do to you." 
 
 She generously offered to take his pack, which 
 offer he readily accepted for his load grew heav- 
 ier as the day neared its close, and the pack 
 which he had carried from early dawn was de- 
 posited on the back of the horse in care of his 
 interesting companion. 
 
 Then and there was an opportunity for the ri- 
 der to betray the man who had shown such con- 
 fidence in her by giving loose rein to the fleet- 
 footed beast, leaving the stranger minus his 
 knapsack. But he had no fears of that and there 
 was no necessity of any.
 
 46 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 Being a close observer of human nature he 
 unhesitatingly came to the conclusion that his 
 female friend was a superior woman in point of 
 intelligence and those qualifications that make 
 woman truly noble, and in after life she proved 
 to him that he did not overestimate her real 
 value. 
 
 The rays of the setting sun now lingered on 
 the summit of distant hills, as if unwilling to 
 take a final departure, but only for a moment, 
 for twilight soon claimed the right to exhibit her 
 beauty and loveliness, as the mellow light that, 
 follows closing day began to disappear before the 
 coming shroud of night. 
 
 She halted before the door of a neat looking 
 cottage, at the same time informing her friend 
 that this was her home and that he could stay all 
 night with the famijy, if he choose. Being un- 
 der the necessity of securing lodgings soon, as 
 daylight was now gone, and confident that the 
 accommodations would be satisfactory, he ac- 
 cepted the invitation and walked in. 
 
 On the morrow he started on his journey. 
 
 The name of this lady was Parker, her husband 
 having previously died leaving two children 
 The name of the gentleman was James Turner.
 
 TOWN OF UETHLEHEM, N. H. 47 
 
 The acquaintance which commenced at the 
 junction of the two roads finally ended in mar- 
 riage relations. 
 
 Mr. Turner reached Lloyd's Hill without any 
 adventure worth revealing, and liking the place 
 soon began work. 
 
 He was the third permanent settler in Bethle- 
 hem. 
 
 He worked on his laud through the season, 
 returning to Massachusetts to spend the coldest 
 part of the winter, coming back in the spring to 
 resume his labor. This course he followed for 
 two or three years, not forgetting to , patronize 
 the house where he found such good accommo- 
 dations and pleasant society on a former occa- 
 sion, in the town of Hanover. 
 
 When all was ready Mr. Turner was married 
 to Mrs. Parker and went to reside at the new 
 home in Bethlehem, and the cabin was now made 
 pleasant and cheerful (of which Mr. Turner was 
 thinking at the junction of the two roads on a 
 former occasion,) by the presence of the fair 
 stranger who generously carried for him his well 
 filled knapsack. 
 
 His union with Mrs. Parker was one of the 
 most fortunate transactions of his eventful life,
 
 48 THE EARL Y HIS TOM Y OF THE 
 
 while his wife found a husband worthy to hold 
 that relation with a truly noble woman. 
 
 Mrs. Turner was a blessing to not only her 
 own household but the whole settlement. Her 
 skill in horseback riding, which she acquired be- 
 fore her last marriage, to which we have already 
 alluded, was of great advantage to her in the 
 new condition of things in which she was placed, 
 and the little community where she resided, for, 
 there being no practising physician at hand, Mrs. 
 Turner, for a period of a number of years, 
 whenever necesity required it, and that was 
 frequently, mounted a horse, took her saddle- 
 bags of medicines and visited the sick, acting the 
 part of nurse and doctress. Though not a reg- 
 ular physician, she did good service, being ac- 
 quainted with the medicinal qualities of many 
 articles. By daylight and in darkness, in sun- 
 shine and storm, she hovered like an angel of 
 mercy about the bed of the suffering; her com- 
 ing always was greeted with delight. The sun- 
 light that beamed from her countenance, the 
 kind words she spoke and the hope inspired in 
 her suffering patients, rendered her an object of 
 respect and love by all who needed her assist- 
 ance.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 49 
 
 Although contented with her new place of 
 abode Mrs. Turner was much attached to the 
 many kind friends at Hanover whom she had 
 left behind, to share with her husband the rude- 
 ly constructed cabin in the bowers of nature. 
 As difficult as was a long arduous journey to 
 her former home and old associates, she was 
 equal to the emergency and was permitted to 
 behold again those many objects and Mends so 
 interesting and familiar to her in former times. 
 
 But how unlike the mode of travel then to that 
 of to-day ! Now the roads from Bethlehem street 
 to Hanover are comparatively good and with a 
 covered buggy, constructed in modem style, 
 drawn by spirited horses, one can pass to and 
 from those two places with ease and comfort; or, 
 if one chooses to go by rail, he can go and return 
 the same day, eating breakfast and supper at his 
 own table. But the mode of travelling by the 
 early settlers of this town was on foot guided by 
 marked trees, on horseback, or with an ox team. 
 In the last mentioned way Mr. and Mrs. Turner 
 made three visit to Hanover, she, on one of these 
 occasions, carrying in her arms a babe six weeks 
 old.
 
 50 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 With the present facilities for journeying the 
 mother of to-day can hardly realize the fatigue 
 and weariness of a journey with an infant in her 
 arms on an ox s'ed, of from 140 to 200 miles, 
 as was the case with those kind but resolute and 
 energetic mothers who lived in those early times, 
 in respect to danger, toil and suffering, we really 
 know but little. 
 
 Although much might truthfully be said in re- 
 lation to those noble women who acted so con- 
 spicuous a part in planting the germ of civiliza- 
 tion in our beautiful highland home, yet we have 
 no doubt but that the mothers and daughters of 
 Bethlehem to-day would have, had they lived in 
 those early times, as faithfully fulfilled their mis- 
 sion. 
 
 But the circumstances that necessitated some 
 of the education and practical training of the 
 times of which we write have passed away and 
 disappeared before development and progress. 
 The women of to-day can with honor and credit 
 till the places allotted them by the great change 
 in surrounding circumstances holding in grateful 
 remembrance the worthy deeds and good quali- 
 ties of their own sex, who have preceded them.
 
 TOWN OF XETHLEHEM, N. H. 51 
 
 CHAPTER 8. 
 
 THE first manner of going to mill was on foot 
 with grist on their backs; the next was to put the 
 grain on the back of steers, walking by their 
 side. But, at the time of which we write, some 
 used sleds. 
 
 Early one morning in spring-time James Tur- 
 ner started for Bath to mill, with a yoke of wide- 
 awake steers and sled. The morning was warm 
 and pleasant, teamster and team were in good 
 spirits and ready for the journey. With an oc- 
 casional " Whoa boys ! " the sled moved briskly 
 on. 
 
 While Mr. Turner was making good progress, 
 omens of a gathering storm was seen in the heav- 
 ens; a gentle breeze from the south sighed among 
 the branches of leafless tree-tops, and dark clouds 
 wandered here and there, as if on some aerial 
 mission, like. scouts on an advancing host, while 
 the wind as if inspired by knowledge of coming- 
 events moved with increasing vigor amid the vis- 
 ible, craggy peaks of neighboring mountains, a 
 prelude to a warm rain and coming thaw.
 
 52 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Mr. Turner was acquainted with these signs 
 and understood their import. He knew that if 
 the storm should burst in its fury before he could 
 recross the Ammonoosuc on his way home, he 
 might find himself surrounded with unpleasant 
 and dangerous circumstances and, with hope and 
 fear each in turn filling his mind, he made his 
 way as fast as possible to his place of destination, 
 which he reached without unnecessary delay or 
 serious accident. 
 
 When everything was in readiness he started 
 homeward. The atmosphere was now quite 
 warm, with an increasing southerly wind and co- 
 pious fall of rain. The snow was rapidly disap- 
 pearing and soon water began to cover the ice in 
 the river. He saw the danger and knew that his 
 safety depended on the speed of his team. Soon 
 an additional noise startled him, not because it 
 was so loud or frightful, but it revealed the fact 
 that jack frost was forced to succumb. The ice 
 in the river was preparing to break, but at the 
 same time he was aware that the catastrophe 
 must necessarily be delayed for awhile. 
 
 The team received new impulse from the earn- 
 est tone of the teamster's voice, and all shared in 
 the increasing excitement.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. If. 53 
 
 Faster went the steers, quicker and louder 
 came the sound of breaking ice which finally 
 mingled with a roar and a sound of rushing wa- 
 ters. Glancing backward his quick eye compre- 
 hended at once his true situation. A short dis- 
 tance below him the river had become obstructed, 
 turning the ice and water into the road only a 
 a few rods in his rear, and it was rapidly ap-_ 
 preaching to a dangerous proximity. It was now 
 a race for life The roaring waters and mingling 
 sounds of roaring elements so terrified the al- 
 ready much excited steera that they strained 
 every nerve to escape the jaws of death that were 
 opened wide to receive them. The water, as if 
 infuriated by its own exertions, receiving an im- 
 petus from the prospects of soon engulphing 
 every object in its pathway, now increased in 
 sound, volume, and rapidity of movement. While 
 the manly form of Mr. Turner might have been 
 seen as, in a voice distinctly heard above the con- 
 fused mass of mingling sounds, he cheered his 
 cattle on. It was a moment, of great anxiety, for 
 in that. short space of time would be decided the 
 question of life or death. Could they reach a 
 point but a few rods distant all would be well, as 
 at that place the ground began gradually to rise.
 
 54 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 A misstep of one of the steers and all would be 
 lost. No accident occurred; they were saved, 
 and at nightfall he reached the usual place of 
 crossing at the point now covered by Littleton 
 village. 
 
 The river was so swollen he did not think it 
 advisable to attempt to cross. There was one 
 cabin in that locality, occupied by the family of 
 one Mr. Mann, with whom he staid all night, as 
 he could proceed no further. 
 
 Mr. Mann informed Mr. Turner that he could 
 stop with them, but there was nothing whatever 
 for his team and that they were but little better 
 off in the house for anything to eat. He replied, 
 that while he stayed he would furnish meal from 
 his grist for them all, which he gladly did, but 
 the steers had no supper, as they refused to eat 
 meal. 
 
 Early the following morning he succeeded in 
 getting his team to the opposite shore, by stand- 
 ing on the bank and driving it through the wa- 
 ter. They, at first, were not inclined to go, but 
 after a while the object was accomplished. 
 
 This part of his plan being executed, he at 
 once began to carry out the remainder of his 
 programme, which was to connect the two banks
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 55 
 
 with some tall tree that might stand near the 
 water's edge, on which to cross the swollen 
 stream. Taking his axe he soon found one 
 which he thought to be of sufficient length for 
 the use he intended it. Quick and hard came 
 the strokes of the axe, given with a will and by 
 his strong vigorous arm, and soon this forest son 
 came down with a crash into the surging water; 
 but to his surprise it lacked much of reaching 
 the opposite shore. He went further down the 
 stream, made another selection which in due 
 time shared the fate of the other tree, and again 
 Mr. Turner was disappointed. As he followed 
 the downward course of the river stroke after 
 stroke, crash after crash might have been heard, 
 and thus the day hour by hour wore away, 
 and when the garments of night began to clothe 
 the face of nature with gathering gloom, his ob- 
 ject was not accomplished, and with no better 
 prospects of reaching home than on the previous 
 evening. 
 
 On returning to the crossing he found the 
 steers had, some time during the day, recrossed 
 the 1 river and were now on the same side as 
 himself and, as a matter of necessity, he stayed 
 the second night at Mr. Mann's cabin.
 
 56 THE EA KL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 Early the next morning lie went two miles 
 down the river, to Mr. Hoskins's, and procured 
 a bundle of hay for his team and then employed 
 his time as he had done the day before and 
 night-fall found him again at his humble lodging 
 place. 
 
 But Mr. Turner was not the man to get dis- 
 couraged and wait for something favorable to 
 occur; like Napoleon, he believed in creat- 
 ing circumstances; so, early the following morn- 
 ing our hero, with his purpose unchanged, went 
 to work hopeful and with his usual determi nation 
 to succeed. 
 
 At a point about three miles below the cross- 
 ing he fortunately succeeded in connecting the 
 two banks, as a reward for his perseverance. 
 His next move was to go to Mr. Hoskins's, whom 
 he found at home, and engaged him to drive the 
 team through the water while he (Turner) would 
 cross on the tree and be ready to take the steers 
 as they reached the shore. 
 
 After some delay a crossing Avas effected and 
 Mr. Turner and team reached home without any 
 further adventure, minus his sled and grist, 
 which he left at Mr. Mann's, to return and get as
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 57 
 
 soon as the water should subside sufficiently 
 to make the undertaking safe. 
 
 CHAPTER 9. 
 
 THE first settlers of Bethlehem were subjected 
 to the same inconvenience as all others under 
 like circumstances. They had no enclosed 
 grounds in which to pasture their cows and so 
 were compelled to turn them loose in the woods, 
 without bounds or limitations to roam at pleas- 
 ure where they would. The hunting of cows in 
 a dense wilderness is not much like travelling for 
 delinquent ones in an enclosed field. To loose a 
 cow in the boundless forest in those days meant 
 a great deal. The loss of the milk to the family 
 was keenly felt, for they placed much reliance on 
 the daily produce of the cow to supply them 
 food in its season. It meant great anxiety on the 
 part of the owner, as to the length of time be- 
 fore she could be found, or whether she would 
 ever be recovered; and, if she was, might it not 
 be that the milk would cease to flow and they be
 
 58 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 deprived of any further benefit from that source. 
 
 To illustrate the inconvenience of keeping 
 stock to which the early pioneers were necessari- 
 ly subjected, we give seme facts relative to a 
 genuine cow hunt. 
 
 Mr. Turner and Mr. Oakes had each a cow that 
 ran together in the woods, coming home together 
 at night, as a general rule; but, on one occasion, 
 neither came and it being so near dark only a 
 slight effort was made to find them that night. 
 On the following morning, just at peep of day, 
 Mr. Turner took his trusty gun and started out 
 to search for the missing beasts. He went first 
 to those places he thought most likely they would 
 be, but to his surprise no trace of them could be 
 found. During the first part of the day he con- 
 fined his researches to those localities which he 
 knew to be sometimes frequented by the cows; 
 disappointed at not finding them, about noon he 
 sat down to rest beneath the thick branches of a 
 stately tree. Not expecting to be gone so long 
 from home he had not taken the precaution to 
 bring any food with him and having no dinner to 
 eat and becoming somewhat anxious about the 
 situation of things, he only stopped a short time. 
 He now took a course that led him far from fa-
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 59 
 
 miliar scenes, examining every spot where it was 
 possible for the objects of his search to leave 
 some trace of themselves had they passed that 
 way, eyeing sharply the ground, taking notice of 
 things and flowers, hoping to find some evidence 
 of their whereabouts by the sides of brooks and 
 streamlets, on high ground and in valleys. He 
 continued to search until the rapidly setting sun 
 admonished him that the inmates of his humble 
 cabin would have feat's that he was lost and he 
 must return. 
 
 But all in vain. Night was fast covering the 
 face of nature with its solemn grandeur, when 
 Mr. Tumer reached his home and reported the 
 unfavorable results of the day's labor to his 
 waiting, anxious wife. 
 
 After a consultation had been held between 
 the two in relation to what was best to be done 
 under the circumstances, it was unanimously 
 agreed that the search must be continued. 
 
 On the following morning Mr. Turner again 
 started to hunt for the cows, being careful this 
 time to take something for a lunch; penetrating 
 deeper into the dense growth of timber than on 
 the previous day, squirrels chattered, partridges 
 gazed intently but shyly from some secluded cov-
 
 GO THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ert on the strange looking intruder and a deor 
 bounded past him with an expression in his looks 
 that showed conclusively that a human being 
 had never before crossed his pathway and old 
 bruin, as if unwilling to form an acquaintance 
 with a strange being of whose strength he had 
 no knowledge and did not care to know, acted 
 as though he considered prudence the better part 
 of valor, kept out of the reach of the intruder's 
 gun, keeping a sharp lookout at a respectful and 
 safe distance. 
 
 Noon came, but the cows had not been found, 
 and seating himself in a cooling shade in close 
 proximity to a eold crystal spring he ate in a 
 hurry, but with good relish, his humble ineaJ. 
 
 Having stopped about fifteen minutes he again 
 started, up and down, over and under huge trees 
 uprooted by some wild mountain storm, through 
 thickets and plats of tall weeds and grass, through 
 and around bog-holes he directed his footsteps, 
 looking for some sign, occasionally calling loudly 
 to the objects of his search, but he saw no token 
 of their presence and the echo of his own voice 
 was the only reply. 
 
 In this manner the second day of the hunt 
 was spent and at nightfall he returned home to
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H, 61 
 
 again report a failure. Thus for nine days Mr. 
 Turner continued to hunt for the cows. On his 
 return home at the close of the ninth day's search 
 with his usual report of " can 't find them," Mr. 
 and Mrs. Turner held another counsel, in which 
 the matter was thoroughly re-examined and dis- 
 cussed and the conclusion reached was; "The 
 cows must be found, dead or alive ! " 
 
 Some time during the evening the owner of 
 the other cow, Mr. Oakes, came in and said he 
 would accompany Mr. Turner in the search on 
 the following morning, which he did. 
 
 The reader will doubtless be curious to know 
 why Mr. Oakes seemed to take so little interest 
 in the matter, and it is but doing justice to him 
 that we give the reasons for his apparent indiffer- 
 ence. The fact that he was very busy in other 
 matters, besides that his cow did not give milk, 
 and not being particular where she was if out of 
 mischief and danger, and doing well, which he 
 was satisfied was the case with her, provided 
 that she would return home when he had need 
 of her, about which he felt but little misgivings. 
 Knowing full well that she must be somewhere in 
 the' big pasture caused him to wait and see what 
 would be the result of Mr. Turner's efforts.
 
 62 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 Early next morning, which was the tenth day 
 of the hunt, both men with their guns and an 
 ample supply of provisions, started for the woods, 
 and on reaching it they held a consultation as to 
 the best way of procedure. It was finally de- 
 cided to go to the Ammonoosuc River, at some 
 point near what is now known as McGregory 
 Hollow. Soon after reaching the point desig- 
 nated, they found signs of cattle having been 
 there the night previous. 
 
 Being satisfied that the object of their search 
 could not be far away they found the trail and 
 hurried on, and fortunately they soon found their 
 cows; seemingly contented and apparently none 
 the worse for their wanderings, and the two men 
 returned home with their runaway property and 
 with lighter hearts than when they started at 
 early dawn. 
 
 Under the skillful treatment of Mrs. Turner, 
 to the surprise of all concerned, their cow was 
 restored to her former usefulness, yielding her 
 usual amount of milk.
 
 TOWN OF UETHLEHEM, N. H. 63 
 
 CHAPTER 9. 
 
 THE wild beasts, which at first were shy, grew 
 bolder as they became more and better ac- 
 quainted with the sights and sounds of civiliza- 
 tion. The early settlers not only made good and 
 effectual use of their trusty guns to rid them- 
 selves of those troublesome enemies, but they 
 had a cheap and efficient mode of catching bears 
 in traps. 
 
 This trap was in form very much like a figure 
 4, with the top parts intersecting. It consisted 
 of an upright standard of sufficient length to 
 leave room for the bear to enter. This piece of 
 wood was placed in a perpendicular position on 
 and near the end of a large log. Another 
 piece was placed, on the top of tbis upright stand- 
 ard, projecting beyond two feet, more or less; 
 the other end pointing downward at an angle of 
 about 45 degrees, of sufficient length to corres- 
 pond with the general plan of the trap, the end 
 being fashioned wedge-like. A long stick, in the 
 side of which and near the end a notch was cut,
 
 64 THE EARL Y H1STO11 Y OF THE 
 
 in which was placed the lower end of the top- 
 piece of timber. This long stick was placed a- 
 long-side of the upright standard at about half 
 way between its ends at which point a notch was 
 to fit one in the long slick; on the end of this 
 spindle (long stick) the bait was fastened. When 
 all things were made ready they proceeded to set 
 the machine. The framework was put together 
 and held in position by one man, (it requiring 
 more than one to set up a large one,) while 
 another completed the work. This was done by 
 placing one end of a large log on the projecting 
 end of the top piece of timber, the other end 
 resting on the bottom leg, the bait being turned 
 inward, so that the bear could not reach it unless 
 his head was beyond and toward the inside of 
 the two logs, it being so arranged that he could 
 not reach it from the back side. 
 
 This trap was sprung by bearing down on the 
 bait sufficiently hard to unfasten the spindle on 
 the upright piece, which the bear would do in re- 
 moving the bait, when the top log would fall on 
 bruin with crushing weight and he bemadetosuf- 
 the extreme penalty for his reckless disregard of 
 civilization.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 65 
 
 In this way Mr. Turner caught many of his 
 shaggy foes. 
 
 In the fall of the year he set one of these 
 traps in the woods near a piece of grain to which 
 his son Timothy, on one fine afternoon was sent 
 to reap. He did as was directed and labored 
 without any interruption until a noise in the 
 woods not far distant, attracted his attention. 
 The heavy tread and cracking of dried branches 
 convinced young Timothy (being a small lad) that 
 a large bear was not many rods distant. His 
 fears were strong, but the necessity of staying to 
 cut the grain was stronger, so he worked and 
 watched till it was time to return to the house 
 which he did much quicker than he had been in 
 the habit of doing, and immediately made a re- 
 port of what he had heard while at work in the 
 field. 
 
 The father was satisfied that it was a bear that 
 had made the noise and remembering his plan, 
 started out to investigate, and on reaching the 
 spot he found bruin fast is his trap. ' 
 
 On one occasion a bear had remained so long 
 in the trap that it could not be disposed of in 
 the usual manner. So Mr. Turner coucluded to 
 give it to his hogs, he having a number of them
 
 6f> THE EARLY H1STOUY OF THE 
 
 at that time, and he proceeded at once to carry 
 his plan into execution by throwing the meat 
 into the yard where he kept his swine; but, to 
 his astonishment,'' instead of its being received 
 with gladness, it disturbed their equanimity. 
 They showed their displeasure, first, by sly looks 
 and low grunts, which increased in dimensions 
 until every hog seemed to be doing his very best 
 to increase the uproar and confusion, running, 
 j .imping, and squealing as if impelled by an un- 
 seen power. Crazed by fright, and mad frantic 
 from their own unearthly noise they, as if by 
 mutiial agreement, decided to leave that terrible 
 place and bursting through the strong fence that 
 surround* d the enclosure, scattered in all direc- 
 tions. 
 
 It was now Mr. Turner's time to be alarmed 
 for the safety of his valuable property, for there 
 was great danger that they might take to the 
 woods and escape beyond the power of recoA'erv, 
 but by much coaxing and labor they were all 
 restored to their .proper place and usual quiet- 
 ness again prevailed among the inmates of Mr. 
 Turner's hog-yard. 
 
 But one thing is certain, his hogs never had 
 another opportunity to dine on bear meat.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 67 
 
 There is an incident connected with one of his 
 log bear traps which is worth relating, because 
 of the moral lesson it teaches. 
 
 An old fox in his ramblings chanced one day 
 to be rusticating in that vicinity and, illured by 
 the tempting bait, he thought it a good time to 
 lunch; so, after closely scrutinizing the locality, 
 his foxship walked leisurely in and helped him- 
 self. The bait being turned so far inward and 
 the fox so much smaller than a bear that when 
 in a position to dine he was beyond harm, being 
 to the one side of the trap. He was enjoying his 
 meal with a good relish when, evidently, the trap 
 was on the point of springing, when seeing the 
 motion of the top log (being on the alert for mis- 
 chief,) he started to retrace his steps and reached 
 the fatal spot just in time to receive the full force 
 of the descending, crushing weight. 
 
 Had he quietly remained and finished his re- 
 past he might have left the spot unharmed and 
 with a satisfied appetite have gone on his way 
 rejoicing. 
 
 Moral: Acting from impulse, minus judgment, 
 may bring fatal results, and there is such a thing 
 as'beinjr too smart.
 
 fi8 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER 10. 
 
 OXE of the many ills to which flesh is heir to, 
 is, methinks, the toothache. Who can describe 
 it, or to what can it be likened ? What language 
 can be found that will truthfully convey the real 
 feelings of the unpleasant sufferer? One who 
 never experienced its effect, both on the mind 
 and body, is not qualified to give an authorized 
 opinion on the subject. As a general rule it has 
 no respect of person. From the highest officer 
 in the government down to the lowest serf or most 
 degraded beggar, it makes its unwelcome visits 
 sooner or later and on that dreadful occasion the 
 general expression is, " Oh ! how my tooth does 
 ache." Sometimes the pain continues as if having 
 no disposition to stop or in no hurry to cease tor- 
 menting its victim, again as if to make haste and 
 bring matters to a speedy close or to try its pow- 
 er in another form the pain comes and goes by 
 jumps. Its effect on different dispositions is tru- 
 ly surprising, for the best of people with a mild 
 and gentle temper may lose their equanimity of
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 69 
 
 mind, but what shall be said of the irritable and 
 fractious ? Only this : It certainly makes no visi- 
 ble improvement on their use of language, man- 
 ners or general deportment. It is not for us to 
 investigate the causa of the various kinds and 
 form of toothaches, but only state the fact that 
 Mr. Turner had the toothache in its worst and 
 most perplexing manner, and if he would have 
 the trouble removed by having the diseased part 
 extracted,three conditions must be complied with: 
 a disposition to go, sufficient time in which to go, 
 and then to go and have it taken out. 
 
 The point of time in which everything was in 
 readiness for the operation was in the middle of 
 the night, and surely the aspect seemed gloomy 
 enough toothache within and inky darkness 
 without which circumstances did not conspire 
 to make him hopeful, or his prospective journey 
 cheerful or pleasant. 
 
 Taking a blazing torch, to prevent his losing 
 his way, he was soon on his mission, the object- 
 ive point being a house on West Hill, where re- 
 sided a man who sometimes acted the part of the 
 dentist. His instruments were of the most ap- 
 proved ancient style, the modern instruments in 
 dentistry not being in use.
 
 70 THE EA RL Y HIS TOR Y OF THE 
 
 The torch which Mr. Turner can-led was not 
 only of service to him in directing his footsteps 
 but it kept the wild inmates of the forest at a 
 proper distance. So deep was the darkness 
 that his glaring light hardly penetrated the thick 
 gloom, beyond his immediate presence. The 
 movement of the light showed that though care- 
 ful as he endeavored to be, he would frequently 
 step from the path to one side or the other, and 
 its unsteady motion revealed the fact that the toe 
 of his boot now and then came in contact with 
 some unseen obstacle a protruding stump of 
 some small sapling or treacherous projecting 
 root. 
 
 Under these vexed circumstances our hero was 
 slowly but surely making progress westward with 
 that mental activity natural to one in like condi- 
 tion, his thoughts and feeJings occasionally finding 
 vent in expressions like the following: " How my 
 tooth aches ! hope I shall find him at home." 
 Just at this moment an inquisitive owl, perched 
 on an old stub in close proximity, being disturb- 
 ed in his midnight reveries by the glaring torch 
 and, as if catching the last words of the in- 
 truder " find him at home ! " and curious to 
 know who this " him " was with whom this stran-
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 71 
 
 ger could have business at the hour of midnight, 
 unceremoniously disturbed the pervading solem- 
 nity of the night by making the forest echo, 
 " Who, who, who, who ! " 
 
 This night bird continued to repeat his saucy 
 question, while Mr. Turner as persistently refused 
 to notice the interrogator, his mind being fixed 
 on his aching tooth and the dentist. 
 
 In due time the inmates of a dwelling on West 
 Hill were disturbed in the midst of pleasant 
 dreams by a loud rap on the door. Fortunately, 
 the Doctor was at home, and in a few minutes 
 the aching tooth was removed, root and branch, 
 and Mr. Turner returned home in season to get 
 a pleasant morning nap. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 ALTHOUGH Mr. Turner was successful generally 
 in his various undertakings, accumulating con- 
 siderable property, yet in some things he was 
 unfortunate.
 
 7-2 THE EARL Y HLSTOR Y OF THE 
 
 He bought the land on which he settled, and 
 paid for it, but subsequently it was ascertained 
 that liis title was worthless and, not wishing to 
 change his place of residence, he paid for his 
 farm the second time. 
 
 We refer to one more instance of a like kind, 
 showing his financial misfortunes. The idea of 
 making a turnpike road through Bethlehem was 
 conceived, it being clearly seen that for years a 
 large business would be transacted between the 
 merchants at Portland, Maine, and the people of 
 northern New Hampshire and eastern part of the 
 Green Mountain Slate, and that the many teams 
 necessarily engaged in carrying the trade would 
 most naturally find their way through this town, 
 and subsequent events proved the correctness of 
 this idea. 
 
 To carry out the plan of making Bethlehem a 
 great thoroughfare of business a company was 
 legally formed or it had that appearance to the 
 outside world and Mr. Turner took the job of 
 building a part of this turnpike. He built it ac- 
 cording to contract, hiring help to the amount of 
 two hundred dollars, but the expense incurred 
 by him in constructing the road the company
 
 TOWN OF JiETHLEHEM, N. H. 73 
 
 never paid one cent, having lost its identity, if 
 ever bad any real existence. 
 
 The amount lost by a worthless title to hie 
 land and his expense in constructing the turnpike 
 was a great misfortune to Mr. Turner, for let it 
 be remembered that the loss of a few hundred 
 dollars in those days and under difficult circum- 
 stances was much greater than the loss of a like 
 sum at the present time. 
 
 Mr. Turner ended his earthly pilgrimage in 
 Bethlehem at the age of 73 years, on the farm 
 where he made his settlement in 1790. He was 
 father of Timothy P. Turner, a much esteemed 
 citizen who represented the town in the councils 
 of State, being father of Mr. James N. Turner, 
 the proprietor of a pleasant summer boarding 
 hous situated on the old homestead farm. 
 
 In June, 1803, an accident occurred that 
 brought feelings of sadness to the whole town. 
 Isaac BatcbeJlor and Aarcn Kenney were shing- 
 ling a bain en what is known as the Lot Wood- 
 bury farm, now occupied by Harrison Sawyer- 
 While at work another man came on the roof, 
 and the additional weight thereby caused the 
 staging to give way, precipitating the three per- 
 sons to the ground. The visitor and Mr. Kenney
 
 74 THE EARLY HltiTOltY OF THE 
 
 were not dangerously injured, catching hold of 
 some parts of the staging in their descent the 
 force of the concussion was lessened. Mr. Bach- 
 ellor was not so fortunate. With no impediment 
 to obstruct his descent he fell on the rocks below 
 with great force. 
 
 Dr. Burns of Littleton, was sent for in great 
 haste, but on his arrival at the place of disaster 
 he found the unfortunate man had breathed his 
 last. 
 
 There was one incident that added solemnity 
 to the presence of death. 
 
 While the men were busy at their work there 
 was a rapidly gathering storm in the far oft' west- 
 ern sky, a long black mass of rising clouds skirted 
 the distant horizon; peal on peal of cracking, 
 rolling thunder moved in all its native grandeur, 
 amid the distant storm, while the vivid lightning 
 played its wild fantastic part in the general con- 
 fusion of waring elements, assuming an appear- 
 ance of vast sheets of lire, as it moved in a ser- 
 pentine manner along the angry billowy pile. 
 Nearer and nearer came the shower, quicker and 
 heavier fell the descending hammers, while the 
 grand old forest awake to the increasing interest 
 of the moment, sent back its echoes with iucreas-
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 75 
 
 ing rapidity. At this juncture the staking broko 
 and with fatal results. 
 
 About the time Mr. Batchellor breathed his 
 last the storm burst on the solemn scene in all 
 the wild fury of a mountain shower. Death 
 within the dwelling, with its ghastly form, com- 
 bined with the noise of the roaring raging ele- 
 ments without, all conspired to make the scene a 
 fearftal and impressive one. , ; 
 
 Thus the living were brought face to face with 
 that great mystery so much alike to all mankind. 
 
 The educated and illiterate, alike, gaze earnest- 
 ly and wishfully (as they stand on the border of 
 the known,) towards the boundless unknown be- 
 yond, with doubtful forebodings, and the mystery 
 is no nearer solved than it was before. While 
 reason and revelation only comparatively reduces 
 the darkness into twilight, enabling man to quite 
 distinctly discern some essential features of a fu- 
 ture life, there are very many things which we 
 would be glad to learn that are veiled by impen- 
 etrable blackness. 
 
 Isaac Batchellor is no more; but his good char- 
 acter and worthy deeds are a lasting monument 
 of -his unselfishness and high esteem in which he 
 was held bv all who knew him. He was father
 
 70 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 of Stillman Batchellor, who died in Bethlehem, 
 and who was the father of Albeit Batchellor, a 
 rising young lawyer in his profession, now lo- 
 cated in Littleton, N. H. 
 
 GH AFTER 12. 
 
 THE liability to be lost in the woods was 
 greater in those early days than now. Even the 
 most experienced in woodcraft and accustomed 
 for many long years to a forest life, would some- 
 times find themselves so bewildered in the bow- 
 ers of nature as to be unable to discern the four 
 cardinal points of the compass, mistaking one for 
 the other, believing that every stream of water 
 they saw run exactly the reverse from what it 
 really did. Men who would have laughed at the 
 idea of being lost where they felt so well ac- 
 quainted and were so much at home, found them- 
 selves so entangled that they could not be extri- 
 cated without outside aid. 
 
 We will relate an instance of that kind.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. II. 77 
 
 Bruin was very much annoy< d at his future 
 prospects, for civilization was rapidly destroying 
 his cherished home, driving him further and fur- 
 ther away from his delightful, chosen retreat; 
 taking from him, by force, the land and foiests 
 to which he had an undoubted title by rightful 
 inheritance. But the cool, calculating brain of 
 man was too much for the instinctive power of 
 his noble bearsirip; he saw the constantly increas- 
 ing number of the invading foe without being 
 able to prevent it. This he could do, and did, shared 
 with them their crops, lambs, and whatever else 
 could be of use to him, thus making the bold 
 intruder pay rent for occupying his majesty's 
 beautiful, and productive domain. 
 
 On the other hand the settlers claimed the 
 right to all of nature's vast and delightful ground, 
 and the right to cultivate where, and as much of 
 the same as they chose; and not only this but to 
 catch and kill every bear, great and small, that 
 they could. This state of feelings caused an un- 
 ceasing warfare between the parties interested 
 which would most surely, end in the almost en- 
 tire extermination of the shaggy beasts. 
 
 A. man by the name of John Bemis who re- 
 s' ded in -Littleton, in what is now known as the
 
 78 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 Towne's neighborhood, had a piece of growing 
 corn to which a bear took a great liking, and lie 
 went about the work of securing by stealth his 
 part of the golden kernel before its harvest 
 time. 
 
 Mr. Bemis soon discovered the plot, and at 
 once determined to punish, if possible, the dar- 
 ing thief; for the selfish creature showed no dis- 
 position to make a fair division of the much de- 
 sired treasure, but on the contrary seemed in- 
 clined to appropriate it ah 1 to his own use. Ac- 
 cordingly, he so arranged a trap that he was 
 quite positive ere long he could bring old bruin 
 to summary punishment, he having already been 
 tried and convicted, the only remaining part of 
 the programme being to catch and kill him. 
 
 Everything was now ready to carry his plan in- 
 to execution. Mr. Benais went to and from his 
 trap, but found no prisoner. Bruin continued to 
 visit the corn-field about his accustomed business, 
 regardless of what his bitter foe might think or 
 do. But the monotony of the general aspects of 
 affairs was suddenly broken. -One morning as 
 usual, Mr. Bemis went to look at his trap and 
 found that it was gone. The truth at once flashed 
 across his 'mind; the trap had done its part of
 
 TO WN OF UETHLEHEM, N. H. 79 
 
 the work faithfully, but the fastenings had not 
 been made sufficiently strong, and the bear had 
 escaped taking it along With him. 
 
 The neighbors were soon informed of the true 
 state of things and having a common interest in 
 the matter, they unhesitatingly agreed to make 
 it a common cause and to go immediately in 
 search of the culprit. With Mr. Bemis they 
 soon started on the hunt. 
 
 This was on the morning of October 9, 1804. 
 Mr. Bemis, not anticipating a long search, started 
 before eating his morning meal, taking with him 
 his little dog and gun, expecting soon to return. 
 Being lame he could not keep up with the rest of 
 the party, and soon finding himself left beyond 
 the other hunters' call took the way that seemed 
 to him the most advisable. From that time he 
 saw no more of his companions until found by 
 them in a sad condition. 
 
 The weather signs of the morning were omi- 
 nous of a coming storm. The low distant sound 
 of murmuring thunder was born from afar on a 
 passing breeze, while the distant stifled noise of 
 the restless elements, like some mighty giant 
 putting forth all his strength to free himself from 
 some galling chain, ready to snap asunder at
 
 80 THE EARL Y IILKTOR Y OF Till-: 
 
 every successive attempt to extricate himself, 
 was indistinctly heard from away to the west- 
 ward. 
 
 Mr. Bemis moved on and the clouds continued 
 to thicken as the storm gathered. In a short 
 time the rattling thunder and vivid flash, accom- 
 panied with a heavy la!l of rain, was followed by 
 a calm, which showed that the storm had done 
 its work in that locality and passed on its way 
 to visit the mountains. When it ceased to rain 
 the snow began to fall and continued till the 
 ground was covered to the depth of about twelve 
 inches. When ths rain began to descend Mr. 
 Bemis sought shelter I eneath some friendly cov- 
 ert and there remained until the calm that f ol- 
 io Aved the shower; thju he again resumed his 
 search and commenced to shout for his compan- 
 ions, but no answer came, echo being the only 
 reply. 
 
 It now became evident to him that he had 
 better return home; having thus decided he 
 commenced as he supposed a homeward journey 
 with his thoughts on the occurrences of the day. 
 He moved on not doubting but what he would 
 reach home in due time in safety, but to his 
 astonishment the coming night began to wrap
 
 TO IVy OF JiETHLEUEM, .V. //. 81 
 
 her sable curtains around hilltops and valley, 
 warning him that greater darkness and increas- 
 ing cold would soon surround him. And those 
 loved ones at home were waiting and watching 
 eigerly for his return. He now increased his 
 etertions expecting every moment to hit some 
 familiar spot from whence he could make a stai^t 
 in the right direction, for he now saw that he 
 had lost the points of compass, for had he gone 
 towards home he would have reached it long be- 
 fore that time. 
 
 Feeling assured that he did not know what 
 course to follow after a while he concluded to 
 make the best of his unpleasant situation and 
 finding the best shelter that the unfavorable cir- 
 cumstances would allow of, weary and hungry he 
 halted for the night; but being used to the 
 woods he expected to reach home on the mor- 
 row in time to eat an early breakfast with his 
 now anxious family. 
 
 With these thoughts he yielded to the impera- 
 tive demands of nature and was lost to his dan- 
 gerous situation in the close embrace of welcom- 
 ed sleep. 
 
 Leaving the unfortunate man unconscious of , 
 what was transpiring around him, we turn our
 
 82 THE EARLY H18TORY OF THE 
 
 attention to his friends and neighbors. Hope 
 and fear, each in turn filled his family with con- 
 flicting emotion; the liabilities and probabilities 
 were freely discussed, and the circumstances fa- 
 vorable for and against his safe return were 
 weighed with deep feelings experienced only un- 
 der a like condition of things. While now and 
 then some one of their number would exclaim, 
 "Hark! I hear footsteps; guess he has come." 
 But it was all an illusion born of the wish that it 
 might be so. 
 
 Thus the long night of suspense wore slowly 
 away with those anxious ones. 
 
 When morning dawned the men in that settle- 
 ment having been informed that Mr. Bemis had 
 not returned to his home, prepared to search for 
 him. Everything being ready the party started 
 for the forest taking dinner horns, dogs and guns. 
 When at a given point the men blew their horns 
 and discharged their guns, which caused the 
 dogs to set up a vigorous and prolonged whining 
 and barking; then separating, as marked out by 
 a previous programme, the search was continued 
 throughout the day, occasionally halting to shout 
 at the top of their voices the name of the lost 
 man, to which was added the sound of horns and
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 83 
 
 barking of dogs. This mingling of discordant 
 sounds when blended into one confused 
 mass made the welkin ring with an inde- 
 scribable noise that reached the ears of distant 
 listeners in a wild fantastic manner, disturbing- 
 numberless slumbering echoes, frightening wild 
 beasts from their hiding places, and birds of va- 
 rious kinds sought safety on the wing as if con- 
 scious of some impending danger. At nightfall 
 they all returned home with sorrowful hearts to 
 report that their efforts to find Mr. Bemis had 
 proved a failure. 
 
 Hope, that bright angel of mercy that hitherto 
 had been a constant companion with the discon- 
 solate and afflicted family, whispered words of 
 cheer and brighter anticipations; thus, to some 
 extent, lessening the sadness of the hour, now 
 ceased to be regarded, its soothing voice being 
 lost in the thickening darkness of fear that per- 
 vaded their hearts and with which the very at- 
 mosphere seemed to be impregnated. 
 
 "We now return to Mr. Bemis who, when day- 
 light appeared, came from the place where he 
 had stayed the previous night. Faint with hun- 
 ger and worn with the labor and excitement of 
 the preceding day, he started with his faithful
 
 84 Till'. /;.!/,' A)' ir/HTO/lV OF T1IK 
 
 dog. as lie supposed in a hom^w.ird direction, 
 but ou reaching the Ammonoosac Iliver he dis- 
 covered his mistake; and he was still farther de- 
 ceived in thinking the river before him was 
 John's River, and that it ran in the opposite di- 
 rection from what it really did. 
 
 This was a fatal mistake, for had he followed 
 the stream downward he would soon have found 
 the abode of man ; but in going up the river he 
 penetrated deeper and deeper into the forests of 
 Bethlehem. He spent the day in wandering and 
 resting and when night came on lie was still be- 
 yond the reach of human aid, and seating him- 
 self beneath the friendly branches of the nearest 
 tree he went to sleep. Thus ended the second 
 day of his absence from home. 
 
 After the friends of Mr. Bends had returned 
 from their fruitless search, they held a council 
 and it was decided to resume the search for him 
 on the following day, which they did, their com- 
 pany being enlarged by additional numbers, us- 
 ing the same means as the day before to ascer- 
 tain the whereabouts of the object of their 
 search with no better results. 
 
 The movements of Mr. Bemis on this day 
 were similar to tho.^e of the day previous, he
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 85 
 
 growing more weary and confused, having less 
 and less comprehension of his real situation. 
 Travelling more in circles, coming back to his 
 starting point, at the same time moving some- 
 what higher up the river. Nature could endure 
 no more for the time and he sank down upon the 
 earth exhausted. A little sleep revived him, but 
 on the following morning the once strong mind 
 and body was deranged and weak, yet he con- 
 tinued to wander about stopping often to rest 
 and then to move again. Too much overcome 
 with hunger, fatigue and exposure to have any 
 well devised plan, only a vague idea that he was 
 lost seemed to inspire him and he must go home. 
 Thus he traveled having no regard as to where 
 pr in what direction. 
 
 J^fter the second day was ended it was decided 
 that the search should be continued until the 
 lost man should ba found, dead or alive as might- 
 be. 
 
 By this time the news that a man was lost in 
 the forest had spread far and wide. On the next 
 day the number of men that joined in the search 
 was greatly augmented, and the manner of pro- 
 cedure was similar to that of the preceding days, 
 only, if possible, the party shouted more earnest-
 
 86 7'J/K EARL Y HISTOR Y OF Til /: 
 
 ly, blew their horns with greater rigor, and tho 
 guns were made to speak more loudly. Sudden- 
 ly some of the men were attracted by the bark- 
 ing of a dog belonging to the party, and on go- 
 ing to the spot discovered the lost man. 
 
 When found Mr. Bemis was sitting on a loo- 
 
 o o 
 
 holding his gun. Examination showed his powder 
 was wet and the flint of his gun lost, leaving him 
 without the means to kill 'game or make a fire; 
 his feet were badly frozen and he had eaten 
 nothing since leaving home, excepting a piece of 
 his dog's tongue, the remainder of which was 
 found in his pocket. 
 
 The shock which Mr. Bemis received by this 
 sad event caused his death about stvc-n years 
 later. 
 
 The place where Mr. Bemis was found was in 
 the vicinity of Alder Brook, on what is now 
 known as Platt's Meadow.
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 87 
 
 CHAPTER IS. 
 
 THE wants and needs of the early settlers were 
 unlike in amount and kind, in many respects, to 
 those of to-tl.iy, and their manner of securing 
 the necessaries of life corresponded with their 
 surroundings. Their food was of the plainest 
 kind, anything eatable being gladly welcomed. 
 The texture and cut of their wearing apparel 
 was in harmony with their idea of durability, 
 convenience and comfort. The animal, vegeta- 
 ble and mineral kingdoms were put under con- 
 tribution and ever}' thing within their reach util- 
 ized to the best advantage. Costly ornaments 
 and silk dresses as well as the luxuries known to 
 older communities had no place in their humble 
 homes. The heavy growth of timber was made 
 to serve a purpose, in a manner not practical 
 now, neither would it be available at the present 
 time. From early dawn to a late hour at night 
 there might have been seen from various locali* 
 ties the curling smoke making its way above the 
 surrounding tree tops. A visit to the spot would
 
 88 THE EARL Y H18TOR Y OF THE 
 
 reveal the reason why it was so, and also afford a 
 practical illustration of salts making. There 
 would be on or more men busy in rolling great 
 hardwood logs on a large pile, on one side of 
 which the fire was fast converting the once stand- 
 ing trees into ashes, while close by would be seen 
 large kettles in which alkali was boiling and 
 foaming, having been obtained by leaching the 
 ashes secured after the logs had been burned, as 
 a row of tubs or old barrels near by indicated. 
 
 The salts obtained by boiling were sent to 
 market, in exchange for which they would receive 
 the necessaries of life. In various localities small 
 mounds, made of ashes leached by the salt ma- 
 kers may now be seen. On the Joel Winch 
 place, near the line that separated that from Mr. 
 Turner's, was a building where salts were manu- 
 factured from ashes bought of all who chose 
 to selJ them. 
 
 One incident in salts making that has been 
 handed down to the present generation, we give 
 as an echo from the past. One of the salt mak- 
 ers returned home at night for his supper, tak- 
 ing good care to have his trusty rifle in readi- 
 ness for use at a moment's warning, as he had 
 seen a bear a number of times in that vicinity.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 89 
 
 It was dark when he set out on bis return. The 
 surrounding gloom and thoughts of bruin had 
 worked his imagination into so lively a condition 
 that he would not have been disappointed in see- 
 ing game at any time. With this state of feel- 
 ings he carne in sight of his place of work and 
 suddenly halted; the dim light of fire gave sur- 
 rounding objects an indistinct appearance, which 
 combined with an excited brain, brought him to 
 the conclusion that his shaggy enemy had, in his 
 absence, taken the liberty to gratify his majesty's 
 curiosity by making an examination of things in 
 general, and, bringing his rifle to his shoulder, 
 his eye rested along the barrel till it reached 
 the unconscious object of his gaze, when a sharp 
 report broke the pervading stillness of the place. 
 Drawing his long knife to finish the ugly brute 
 if -not already dead, he rushed to the spot and to 
 his surprise found what he supposed to be a bear 
 was a kettle which he sometimes used in boiling 
 alkali, bxit at that time it was not in use, which fact 
 he did not realize when he discharged his rifle. 
 Being a good marksman the ball had hit the 
 mark so squarely that it destroyed its future use- 
 fulness. But he had this consolation, if it had
 
 DO THE EARLY HitiTVliY OF THE 
 
 been a bear be would have been sure of his hide 
 and also the bounty. 
 
 The great suffering arising from the need of 
 proper and sufficient food, and the importance of 
 making salts in connection with obtaining it, is 
 illustrated by the following incident : 
 
 When the bridge which the town voted to 
 build was in process of construction, some of 
 the workmen were obliged to labor continually 
 in the water, with nothing to eat during the day, 
 but warm milk porridge brought to them by 
 their families. This extremity to which the citi- 
 zens of Bethlehem were forced, resulted in dis- 
 continuing the building of the bridge for the 
 time and to keep themselves from starving, they 
 went to making salts. When a sufficient amount 
 had been manufactured it was sent to market a 
 distance of about 170 miles, with an ox team. 
 The people during the time it took to go to mar- 
 ket and return (which was nearly a month) sub- 
 sisted to some extent on boiled roots, and indeed 
 everything that could afford them nourishment.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 91 
 
 CHAPTER 14. 
 
 THE inhabitants of Bethlehem resided so far 
 from any post office and the facilities for distrib- 
 uting mail matter were sobad that the newspa- 
 pers were delivered at the homes of those who 
 took them, by special arrangement outside of the 
 post office department, the cost of which was 
 paid by the subscribers. 
 
 The first person employed to act on this plan 
 was Reuben Baker, then a boy, and who now re- 
 sides in town. He obtained the papers in the 
 town of Barnet, Vermont, and in connection 
 with this, he did errands of various kinds and 
 any other business that different inhabitants de- 
 sired. 
 
 A serious accident would have befallen a man 
 near Bethlehem street, but for the fortunate fact 
 that the center of gravity was on the side of the 
 horse opposite the danger. The man rode into 
 town and after gratifying his desire for toddy 
 and flip (his favorite kinds of drink) to an inor- 
 dinate extent, it being near dark, lie mounted 
 his Iforse with some assistance and started home-
 
 92 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 ward, but a muddled brain and an unsteady hand 
 guided his horse into an adjoining field in which 
 was a deep well around which there was no curb. 
 In that direction horse and rider went uncon- 
 scious of any danger until they had reached a 
 point so close to the well that one stirrup of the 
 saddle hung directly over the edge of the yawn- 
 ing abyss, when the rider lost his balance and 
 fell to the ground on the side of the horse far- 
 thest from the excavation. In his descent his 
 boot was left behind and, as if disliking the turn 
 events had taken, as soon as it was freed from 
 the foot and stirrup it fell into the dark depth 
 below. Search was made for the missing boot, 
 but its whereabouts remained a mystery until af- 
 ter a time it became necessary to clean out the 
 well, when, at the bottom, the article that disap- 
 peared so mysteriously on that eventful evening, 
 was found. 
 
 Accidents of various kinds with more or less 
 serious results, occupy a place in the early his- 
 tory of this locality. It was during one of these 
 extremely cold days of winter that sometimes 
 come to our northern clime, that a man with an 
 ox team arrived in front of a tavern on West 
 Hill, kept by Thornton Barrett (now owned by
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. If. . 93 
 
 Luther Wallace,) being- very cold he left his 
 team in the road and went in to warm himself 
 by a blazing fire and take something to cheer 
 his drooping spirits. 
 
 Mr. Barrett had the reputation of being well 
 provided with good fuel and that wonderful work- 
 ing drink " that warms a man in winter and cools 
 him in summer." 
 
 How long he stayed is uncertain, but when he 
 was ready to depart he started out and coming 
 in sight of his team which had not moved from 
 where he left it, he gave in a sharp, loud voice 
 the command, " Wake up my boys and go along 
 there ! " Perceiving that they took no notice of 
 what he said, he started towards them, repeating 
 the command with some additional exclamations 
 and adjectives in a more vehement manner, but 
 with no better results. 
 
 On reaching his team he found his cattle dead, 
 they having died from cold while standing in 
 their tracks.
 
 94 THE EARL Y HI8TOR Y OF THE 
 
 CHAPTER 15. 
 
 THE first resident shoemaker in town was 
 Moses Eastman, who resided on the farm now 
 occupied by Amasa Streeter. The first black- 
 smith was Abel Hale, whose shop was located on 
 the ground now covered by the Sinclair House. 
 The first regular physician by profession in town 
 was Peter Shattuck, but he did not practic medi- 
 cine. The first practicing physician was a Mr. 
 Kawson, who resided on West Hill opposite the 
 spot where stood for many years the school house 
 in District No. 4. The first grist mill was located 
 at Me Gregory Hollow, Stephen Houghton, pro- 
 prietor. Two churches were erected not long 
 after the town was organized. The Congrega- 
 tional building was located near where now stands 
 the beautiful Centennial House; the Free Will 
 Baptist building was located about a mile farther 
 west on the main road nearly opposite the resi- 
 dence of Timothy Hildreth and his son Orville, 
 at the junction of the two roads.
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. IL 95 
 
 After these places of worship had served the 
 purpose first intended, they were disposed of in the 
 following manner: The first was sold and used 
 for various building purposes, it being very com- 
 modious the amount of timber was large. The 
 other was taken down and transformed into a 
 starch factory, and located near the main street, 
 on the stream once known as Bean Brook near 
 Reuben Baker's residence, where it now remains. 
 On that stream and in the same vicinity there 
 once existed a mill for grinding provender, a 
 threshing machine moved by water power, a 
 blacksmith shop, clover-seed mill and chair fac- 
 tory (some of the chairs there manufactured are 
 now in existence,) and a brick yard. 
 
 Then, as now, officers of justice were on the 
 alert to punish offenders of the law. The follow- 
 ing is an incident connected with the administra- 
 tion of justice at the time of which we now write. 
 One Button, for not doing as the law required 
 was duly arrested at the proper time and in an 
 official manner by Stephen Houghton, constable, 
 who politely informed the prisoner that his pres- 
 ence at Haverhill jail was very desirable and that 
 as he was somewhat interested in the aftair, and, 
 to be sure that he, Dutton, was not prevented by
 
 % THE EAli L Y HLSTOlt Y OF TJl /; 
 
 some uiiforseen event from reaching the plac3 
 he, Houghtoa, would escort him hither. 
 
 Apparently by mutual consent the two stinted 
 for their place of destination. At the clos;' of 
 the first day's j mrney the}' reached the honu of 
 Caleb Baker, a merchant in Franconia, distant 
 live miles from Bethlehem. Here the evening 
 was spent in a jovial manner telling stories ;nid 
 relating incidents in their individual lives the 
 prisoner taking part in the conversation. 
 
 Everything progressed finely until the time to 
 retire had arrived, when the question arose, 
 "What shah 1 be done with Mr. Dutton?" 
 
 To answer this grave question in a legal way 
 puzzled the officer. How to s-eep and keep a 
 sharp lookout for the prisoner at the same time 
 was a task beyond his comprehension. 
 
 Some said one thing, some another; several 
 plans were discussed, Avheu one mind more fer- 
 tile than the rest, said he had a feasible way of 
 fixing things all right, and this was his plan. 
 
 In the room was a very large cradle having no 
 footboard, in which Mr. Dutton was to be placed 
 and securely bound. All agreed that this was 
 just the thing to be done, wondering why it had 
 not been thought of before.
 
 T()\\'N OF KETHLEUEM, N. K. D7 
 
 By this mode the prisoner would be placed be- 
 yond the power of escape, besides securing com- 
 fortable quarters, an opportunity for a short 
 sleep and pleasant dreams, at least so thought 
 the officer of justice. 
 
 The scheme executed to the apparent satisfac- 
 faction of all interested, officer Houghton waited 
 until a deep sonorous sound from the cradle an- 
 nounced his presence no longer necessary with 
 hi^ prisoner. His physical and mental powers 
 beginning to feel the effects of the great strain 
 to which they had been subjected through the 
 day, and the reaction that sooner or later comes 
 to all minds wrought up to a high pitch by exter- 
 nal and internal causes, beginning to manifest 
 itself, he arose from his sitting posture and taking- 
 one searching look at the place from whence came 
 the sound, now changed to such loud heavy snoring 
 as to be almost frightful. At which point the old 
 family clock chimed its hourly music with a sat- 
 isfied air announcing twelve o'clock. All was 
 well and he retired. He was soon sleeping only 
 as one can who needs rest and is conscious of 
 having faithfully perfoimed his duty. 
 
 All continued to slumber peacefully until the 
 day dawned when Mr. Dutton awoke much re-
 
 98 THE EARLY H18TOHY OF THE 
 
 freshed by the repose he had enjoyed. Every- 
 thing was still and he was alone. After a few 
 moments reflection he thus soliloquized: "I have 
 no desire to escape; but if I could play a practi- 
 cal joke on my keeper and make him an object 
 of laughter, placing him in a position where he 
 wouJd feel compelled to pay certain bills I would 
 very much like to do it, for, in that case, I would 
 share in the fun and receive tangible proof of 
 the benefit to be derived from the execution "of 
 such a movement. But, should I be detected 
 and fail, the laugh would be turned on myself 
 and I be obliged to pay the necessary expenses." 
 After a moment's pause, he added, " Yes, I will 
 try it, and run the risk, for in either case I shall 
 get a drink!" 
 
 The cradle, though a large one, was short com- 
 pared with the length of the occupant, his feet 
 protruding far beyond the end of his prison 
 house he could not extricate himself from his 
 fastenings without arousing the family and thus 
 frustrate his plans; but he could leave and take 
 his prison with him. 
 
 As every moment's delay endangered the suc- 
 cess of his scheme he immediately got to his feet 
 and noiselessly moved out of the house.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 99 
 
 A few rods distant from the bouse a secluded 
 spot afforded him the necessary retreat, and here 
 we leave him to return to his official majesty. 
 
 Hardly had Dutton ensconced himself and the 
 shrubbery ceased to move when an inmate of 
 the family came tripping along, pail in hand, 
 bound for the spring. About the same time Mr. 
 Houghton arose from his bed, hastily dressed 
 and, with a serene and placid countenance, went 
 to give a morning salutation to his friend Dut- 
 ton. 
 
 On opening the door of the apartment wher 
 he had left the prisoner only a few hours before, 
 with one foot on the threshold he stopped in 
 blank amazement, for the culprit was nowhere to 
 be seen. Was he dreaming, in a nightmare, or 
 was it a reality? At that moment the loud noise 
 of swallows in the capacious old-fashioned chim- 
 ney attracted his attention in that direction and 
 he would have made an examination of that lo- 
 csHity but for the fact which he now for the first 
 time seemed to realize, that the cradle was gone 
 as well as prisoner; surely both could not be in 
 that sooty aperture. 
 
 The calmness that sat enthroned on his hope- 
 ful visage but a few moments previous had now
 
 ioo TIII-: /;.!///.) IIIS'I'<>I:Y <>/' Tin-: 
 
 dis appeared. Hope and fear alt 'rnati'lv occupied 
 a place in his disturbed mind, occasionally blond- 
 ing together in one confused imss m-dung his 
 situation no enviable one. 
 
 " Yes, he has vanished, and I, officer Houghton 
 am responsible; but he must be found." The 
 alarm was given, and search immediately com- 
 menced. All were animated by the event: great 
 excitement prevailed; men, women and children 
 were on the alert running hither and thither, 
 some giving their opinions quite freely in the 
 matter, while others were silently endeavoring to 
 find the trail, were scrutinizing every nook and 
 corner, when suddenly a shout was heard fol- 
 lowed by the declaration that made the welkin 
 ring, "We have found him!" 
 
 Soon all gathered at the spot to iind Mr. Dut- 
 ton as quiet and undisturbed as though nothing 
 unusual had occurred, at the same time, remark- 
 ing, "I was enjoying life very much, and cannot 
 comprehend the necessity for so much noise and 
 confusion solely on ray account.'' 
 
 He had come to that spot for a little out door 
 
 exercise and change of atmosphere, and that he 
 
 would have returned in due time alone; but, un- 
 
 er the circumstances, he would go with the crowd.
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 101 
 
 Rising to his feet he returned to the house as 
 he left it, with the cradle on his back, saying as he 
 did so, in his most polite off-handed way, "Mr. 
 Houghton, Sir, officer of justice: I think that it 
 is your treat ! " 
 
 The game had been successfully played and 
 Button had won. Amid shouts and laughter, in 
 which all joined, they returned back and as ex- 
 pected, Mr. Houghton regarded it as a good joke 
 and acted well his part in the closing scene. 
 
 The matter was settled on the spot and the 
 two returned home together, leaving on record 
 the fact that one man had literally taken up 
 his bed and walked.
 
 10-2 THE EARLY HI8TOR Y OF Till-: 
 
 CHAPTER 16. 
 
 CONTRASTING Bethlehem, as it was nearly one 
 hundred years ago, with what it now is we can 
 hardly realize the fact that from so small a begin- 
 ning has been developed our prosperous and 
 flourishing condition. To say that wealth has 
 done all this is to defame the time-honored mem- 
 ory of our worthy ancestors and do great injus- 
 tice to the honest laboring men of Bethlehem of 
 to-day. It puts in the background intelligence, 
 morality and Christianity elements ever essen- 
 tial to success. It ignores the fact that wealth 
 is only an instrument in accomplishing high and 
 noble purposes. It disregards prominent facts 
 in our history, as though undisputed records of 
 the past could be blotted out of existence by an 
 empty, pompous assertion. It seeks to change 
 the order of things established by the Creator, 
 and to found prosperity on an entirely new basis. 
 Such an idea is born of ignorance, with no time
 
 TO WN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 103 
 
 conception of the nature of true greatness or 
 the mode of obtaining it. 
 
 Those who assert that wealth is the highest 
 point to reach the one great object of life, reiter- 
 ates the sentiments of Mr. Hammond of South 
 Carolina, when he said of the laboring portion 
 of the community, "They are the mud-sills of 
 society ! " 
 
 An attempt to enforce this theory has brought 
 into existence secret organizations which honey- 
 combed the nations of the East and made inse- 
 cure the despotic governments of the old world, 
 and like causes would produce like results in our 
 own happy land. 
 
 The foundation of what Bethlehem now is and 
 what she is capable of being was laid deep on 
 broad principles that exist in the nature of things, 
 unaccompanied by wealth and the many luxuries 
 of a later date, but under a condition of things 
 the reverse of all this. The germ of its great- 
 ness was planted beneath overhanging branches 
 of forest trees, among granite rocks and piles of 
 snow attended by piercing blasts from the frozen 
 clime. It was fostered and cared for amid the 
 gloom of poverty as well as great perils and 
 hardships, and at times with many fears of star-
 
 104 THE EARL Y HISTOR Y OF THE 
 
 vation. It was watered by many tears that often 
 times flowed like summer's rain to invigorate the 
 tender plant destined to unfold its branches and 
 bear its legitimate fruitage far down the pathway 
 of time. Certain fundamental principles under- 
 lie prosperity and true greatness and are essen- 
 tial elements of success at all times and in all 
 parts of the globe, whether surrounded with 
 palm and cocoa trees, in the land of orange blos- 
 soms, of cotton and of cane, or among the gran- 
 ite hills of our New England homes. Industry 
 in the right direction has acted a conspicuous 
 part in the growth of Bethlehem, from the day 
 the woodman's axe broke the silence of the dense 
 forests of Lloyd's Hill to the present time. 
 Economy also takes its place as a valuable fea- 
 ture in the great whole, to which much credit is 
 due, while the school and meeting houses tru- 
 ly proclaim: "Without our aid the present 
 condition of things could not have been what 
 they now are." The seed of prosperity was sown 
 by other hands, we reap the harvest: they plant- 
 ed the tree, we gather the fruit thereof. It is 
 not for this generation to lay the foundation, but 
 it is our duty to defend and, by our individual 
 efforts, aid in strengthening that glorious struc-
 
 TOWN OF BETftLEHEM, N. H. 105 
 
 ture, the building of which was commenced by 
 our worthy ancestors nearly one hundred years 
 ago on the site of our pleasantlyjsituated and 
 beautiful mountain homes.
 
 106 THE EARLY HISTORY OF Till-: 
 BETHLEHEM AT THE PRESENT TIME. 
 
 Bethlehem village is situated upon a high pla- 
 teau nearly 1500 feet above the level of the sea, 
 with mountains fringing the horizon in every di- 
 rection. Thousands of people visit this place 
 annually to enjoy its beautiful scenery and in- 
 vigorating air. Some of the best views in the 
 world are obtained from Bethlehem, and the 
 cars can be seen almost any day ascending Mt. 
 Washington. The town is supplied with never- 
 failing spring water, brought from a high hill 
 back of the village. The drainage is perfect. 
 
 There are about thirty hotels and boarding 
 houses, a public hall, three miles of sidewalks 
 and all necessary improvements. Being situated 
 midway between the White and Franconia 
 Mountains every point of interest can be visited 
 in a day's excursion. 
 
 Tourists visiting Bethlehem should come on 
 the P. & O. R. R or the B. C. & M. and White 
 Mountains E. R. to Bethlehem Junction and 
 there take the Narrow Gauge Road to the village. 
 Those coming over the B. C. & M. R. R, can take
 
 TOWN OF BETHLEHEM, N. H. 107 
 
 the stage at Littleton and reach Bethlehem 20 
 minutes in advance of railroad time. 
 
 Below is a list of the principal hotels and 
 boarding houses : 
 
 Maplewood, one of the largest and handsom- 
 est buildings of its kiud about the mountains; 
 accommodates 500 guests. Maplewoocl Cottage 
 accommodates 100, and Maple wood Hall 150. 
 These three houses are all under one ownership. 
 The Sinclair House covers the site of the original 
 establishment the first of its kind in Bethlehem 
 accommodates 300 guests. Blandin House, H. 
 C. Clark, proprietor, accommodates 30 guests ; 
 Centennial House, H. \V. Wilder, proprietor, 60 
 guests; Mt. Agassiz House, H. Nye, proprietor, 
 60; Mt. Washington House, C. L. Bartlett, pro- 
 prietor, 60; Prospect House, G. W. Phillips, pro- 
 prietor, 80; Eanlet's Hotel, D. W. Kanlet, pro- 
 prietor, 75; Turner House, J. N. Turner & Son, 
 proprietors, 75. The Highland House, the Belle- 
 vue, the Alpine, the Uplands, the Bethlehem 
 House, the Howard and the Strawberry Hill 
 Houses each accommodate from 50 to 150 guests. 
 
 There are numerous smaller houses at which 
 guests can secure good accommodations at rea- 
 sonable rates.
 
 108 THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE 
 
 All these houses have good livery stables con- 
 nected where fine teams can be obtained to visit 
 any of the various points of interest, and return 
 the same day. 
 
 Taking everything into consideration, Bethle- 
 hem offers better advantages to the summer tou- 
 rist than almost any place on the western conti- 
 nent. 
 
 The Narrow Gauge Kailroad from Bethlehem 
 Junction, which runs to the Profile House, also 
 to Bethlehem street, is a great accommodation 
 to travelers. 
 
 Many fine private residences have been erected 
 iu this town in the past few years, among which 
 is one built the present season on West Hill, 
 and which is probably the most oddly construct- 
 ed pi'ivate residence in New England. 
 
 During the month of August 2,000 summer 
 boarders have comfortable rooms in this town. 
 
 The population of Bethlehem is 1,400.
 
 ENTERPRISE PRINTING HOUSE, 
 
 Odd Fellows' Block. 
 
 Posters, Dodgery, 
 
 Circulars, Pamphlets, 
 
 Books, Bill Heads, 
 
 Note and Letter Heads, 
 Cards, Envelopes, and 
 
 Cofflniercial Printin Neatly Eiecntei, 
 
 AT LOW PRICES. 
 
 One of the LARGEST and BEST FAMILY NEWS- 
 PAPERS in Grafton County. 
 
 Terms: $1.25 per Year. 
 
 ELI B. WALLACE, Proprietor, 
 
 Woodsvffle, N. H.
 
 A New and Important Discovery .' 
 
 NATURE'S OWN REMEDY, 
 
 A SAFE AND SURE REMEDY 
 
 For all curable cases of Piles, Old Sores, and any 
 case of Inflammation. 
 
 BEST THING OF THE XIXTH CENTURY ! 
 
 A f jw applications will test its virtue. 
 
 Price 60 cts a Box; $6.00 per Dozen. Sent 
 postpaid to any address, on receipt of price. 
 
 PREPARED ONLY BY REV, S, BOLLES, 
 
 LITTLETON, N. H. 
 
 FOR SALE BY 
 
 Robinson Bros., Littleton, N. H., and G. F. Abbott, 
 Bethlehem, N. H.
 
 Mail Stage between Bethlehem 
 and Littleton. 
 
 Leave Bethlehem at 7.30 and 9 a. in., and 1.15 
 
 p. in. 
 Leave Littleton at 11.11 a. rn., 3.05, 4.42 and 7.48 
 
 p. in. 
 
 Passengers leaving the train at Littleton save 
 fourteen miles of railroad travel and two changes 
 of cars, and reach Bethlehem twenty minutes in 
 advance of those going round by Bethlehem and 
 Wing Road Junction. 
 
 Stage fare 75 cents, being 25 cents less than 
 by stage and railroads; Bethlehem to Littleton 
 and return $1. 
 
 HENRY C. CLARK, Bethlehem. 
 Agent U. S. & Canada Express Co.
 
 Best Work at Lowest Prices ! 
 QO 
 
 JAMES DAGGLE, 
 
 (Craft Block,) 
 
 Boot and 
 
 Shoemaker, 
 
 BETHLEHEM, N. H. 
 Superior Custom Work.
 
 This book is DUE on the last 
 date stamped below. 
 
 flP/t ?
 
 UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
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