History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men

1882·85.4 MB·English

by  Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)

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HISTORY
7
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COUNTIKS.
New
Hampshire,
BIOGRAPHICAI. SKETCHES
()!•' MANY OF ITS
Pioneers and Piiominent Men.
COMPILED UNDKK TIIH SUl'liRVISIOX OF
HAMILTON HURD.
D.
ILXjTJSTI^j^TEID.
PHILADELPHIA:
LEWIS
J. W. & CO.
188
2.
PRESS OF J B LIPPINCOTT & CO., PHILADELPHIA.
Copyright, 1882, J. W. Lewis & Co.
PREFACE.
The provinceof the historian is togatiier tlie threadsofthepast,erethey eUide forever his
grasp,and weave tiieni intoa harmonious welj, to which tiie art preservative maygive immor-
tality. Therefore he wiio would roseue from fast-gatliering oblivion thedeedsof acommunity,
and send them on to futurity in :ui imperishable record,siiould deliver"a plain, unvarnished
tale,"
"Nothingextenuate,
Norsetdownnii-jlitinmnlico."
In such aspirit have tiie compilersof thefollowing pagesapproached the work of detailing
thehistory of theterritory embodied herein, and trustthey have been fairly faithful to thetask
imposed.
Ithasbeentheir honestendeavorto trace the historyofthedevelopmentofthissection from
thatperiod when it was in the undisputed possession of the led man to the present,and toplace
beforethe readeran authentic narrativeof its rise and [jrogress to the prominent position it now
occupiesamong thecountiesof New England.
Thatsuch an undertaking isattended with no little diiliculty and vexation none will deny.
Theaged jiioneer relatesevents of the earlysettlements, while his neighbor sketches the same
events with totally dilFerentoutlines. Man's memory is everat fault, while time j)aintsadiffer-
ent picture upon every mind. With these the historian has tocontend; and while it has been
ouraim tocompiletin accurate history, were it devoid of all inaccuracies, that j)erfeetion would
have-been attainedwhich thewriter had not the faintest conception of, and which Lord Macaulay
oncesaid nevercould be reached.
From colonial and other documents in the Statearchives, froiy county, town, and village
records,family manuscripts,printed publications,and innumerable privatesourcesofinformation,
wehaveendeavored to producea history which should prove accurate, instructive, and in every
respectworthy ofthecountiesrepresented. How well we havesucceeded in ourtask agenerous
public, jealous of its reputation and honor, of its traditions and memories,of its defeats and
triumphs, must now bethe judge.
Wedesire toacknowledge our sincerethanks to theeditorial fraternity generally for much
.valuable information, which has greatly lessened our labor in the j)reparation of thiswork; to
each and everyone who hasassisted us inthecompilation,and would cheerfully make personal
mentiou of each, but itisimpracticable,asthe numberroaches nearly athousand.
Philadelphia, Nov. 10,1882.
D. H. H.