ast Aue 0! sd os ra te a may ae se SL ee lee en io shes iP Atay en eiepiags eae PEE es Ae es a arte if ai i a piace at uy Bat ale aie ‘ He ‘Z ie Beh i) ui a A/ 143") CORNELL UNIVERSITY | LIBRARY ‘Or sii F 44a1 Mm Library History of Acworth iii re subject to recall after two weeks Olin/Kroch Library DATE DUE & HISTORY OF ACWORTH, WITH he froceeding of the {jentennia nniversarp, GENEALOGICAL RECORDS, AND REGISTER OF FARMS. EDITED BY Rev. J. L. MERRILL, Toon Historian. ACWORTH: PUBLISHED BY THE TOWN. 1569. PREFACE. Ir is believed that the pledge given the subscribers to the “ History of Acworth’? has been redeemed. As full a report as possible has been made of the doings and sayings of the Centennial Anniversary, only two speeches being omitted. These were not reported to the compiler. The early history of the town has been made as full as the materials at hand would allow. Great pains have been taken to make the list of the owners of homesteads and the genealogical records accurate. Where families have taken the trouble to send in their family records, they will probably find but few mistakes. Sketches of professional men, natives of the town, are given so far as known. In many cases materials have not been at hand to make as full sketches as desirable, and in other cases the scissors have been freely used, both in gene- alogical records and sketches, that a disproportionate space might not be occupied. Comparatively few, and very brief sketches of the early inhabi- tants have been prepared, partly for want of materials, but more especially because, while the general standard of energy and thrift has always been high, there never has been an aristocracy of wealth or of worth—or rather _ the aristocracy of worth have been so numerous, and there has been such a sameness in their characteristics, induced by similarity of training, that it is impossible to select a few, without being unjust to the many necessarily passed over in silence. Tt has been found necessary to adopt as a rule, that no sketches of the present inhabitants of the town should be written, for the same reason. ~ The book has been open for all to contribute portraits, who desired. But few likenesses a early settlers could be procured, which fact we deeply regret. . ivi PREFACE. - Funeral sermons, obituary notices, college catalogues, oral and written statements of friends, and all other accessible sources of information have been consulted to perfect the sketches and other parts of the History, and we take this opportunity to thank the many friends of Acworth who have assisted in this work. The book has really had a large number of authors, so large that it is useless to give even a list of those whose very words have been used to convey the information they communicated, much less to give authority for every fact stated. J. H. Dickey, Esq., has contributed the list of owners of homesteads, a large part of the military history, many genea- logical records, the sketches of the soldiers, besides many incidents in the other parts of the History. Rev. Daniel Lancaster has communicated many facts. Mrs. Sally Wilson of Ohio has contributed largely to the history of the first quarter of the present century, her very words being used in many instances. Mrs. Harvey Howard furnished the history of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Rey. J. L. Whittemore the sketch of the Baptist Church, : The principal books of reference have been ‘‘ Parker’s History of London- , derry,” ‘‘ Belknap’s History of New Hampshire,” ‘‘ Sketches of New Hamp- shire Churches,” ‘‘ Dr. Chapman’s Alumni of Dartmouth College,” “‘ Jack- son’s Genealogical Report of New Hampshire,”’ etc. J. i. M. Acworrn, April, 1869, CONTENTS. PART I. PAGE. CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY, 3 ‘ é ‘ 3 - 9-117 Officers and Committees—Centennial hence then at the Church-—Letter from Col. I. H. Silsby—Song of ‘Welcome—Address of Welcome—Centennial Address—Poem—Adjourned to the tent— Song, “A Hundred Years Ago”—Remarks by Rev. Daniel Lancas- ‘ter—Rev. Dr. Orcutt—Dr. William Grout—J. M. Barnard, Esq.— Rev. Amos Foster—Ode—Remarks by Dr. A. R. Cummings—Rev. George Cooke—Song, “Our Acworth Home ”—Remarks by Prof. Hiram Orcutt—George R. Brown, Esq.—Col. Thomas Clark—Part- ing Invocation—Response of Dr. E. G. Cummings—Rey. Hiram Houston—J. Davis, Esq.—George B. Brooks, Esq.—L. V. N. Peck, “Esq.—David Campbell, Esq.—Jonathan Robinson, Esq.—Letters from President A. D. Smith, Hon. George W. Nesmith, Dr. E. 8. Wright, Maj.-Gen. Cram, Hon. Nedom L. Angier, President N. J. ‘Morrison, Rev. George Cooke, John Wilson, and Miss Lurinda Cummings. PART II. HISTORY OF ACWORTH. Cuarrer J. Crvit History, . - : 3 ; 4 . 118—142 Geographical and Geological Description of the Town—Charter— Settlement—Character of Settlers—A Secession Movement—The Village in 1800—Emigration—Spotted Fever—The Common— Cemeteries—Schools—Temperance—Ladies’ Charitable Society— ‘Merchants-Mills—Present Condition of the Town—List of Town Officers. Cuapter Il. EccresrasticaL History, . 3 5 - 148—163 ‘Congregational Church—First Meeting-House—Organization of the -Church—Rey. Mr. Archibald—Rev. Mr. Kimball—Reyv. Mr. Cooke— Rev. Messrs, Grosvenor, Merrill, Wright, Foster and Merrill—Sketch of the Baptist Church—Sketch of the Methodist: Church, vi CONTENTS. PAGE. Coaprer IT. Mrirary History, . : ‘ : . 164-177 Militia—Revolutionary War—War of 1812—War of the Rebellion— Sketches of Soldiers Dying in the Service. PART III. GENEALOGY OF FAMILIES AND SKETCHES OF INDIVIDUALS, . 178—289 APPENDIX. ReGisteR or HoMEsTEADS, 7 ‘ s ‘ . 289—306 List of Homesteads in Town and Names of the Individuals who have Owned them. INDEX TO PLATES. PAGE. Rey. Puinraas Coorn, ‘ . - . . . FRONTISPIECE. Cot. I. H. Sitssy, F é : . ‘ ‘ 3 . ‘ - (16 Rey. Gites Baitey, . é . : . 3 - ‘ 7 - 18 Miran Davipson, é i . 3 ; ‘ : P ‘ » 42 Rey. AMos Foster anp WIFE, . x : ‘ ‘ ; : . 64 Rev. Dr. Joun OrcvrTtT, : A ‘ - ‘ ‘ : : - 71 J. M. BARNARD, Esq., . ‘ji 3 ‘ ‘ ‘ . 7 ‘ - 77 Dr. A. R. CumMines, . : F : 7 j ‘ . , » 85 Pror. Hiram Orcutt, " : . F - . ‘i . - 90 Dr. E. G. CUMMINGS, .- ‘ $ ‘ 3 . . ‘ ‘ . 94 Rev. Hiram Hovsron, . oe S @ we ww w & & 86 Dr. Lyman Brooks, .« : . ‘ 7 ‘ ‘ : : . 99 Rev. Dr. WriGut, . . a ‘ . - p ‘ . - 112 Davie, Grout, Esq., AND WIFE, . 7 : a ‘ . 118 Mrs. SaLty WILSON, . _ ; é i - r : é - 130 GRANVILLE GILMORE, . 7 . . 7 7 2 ‘ : - 182 S. A. REED, . ‘ ‘ ‘ é . . * ° - - 135 DaniEL J. WARNER, Esq, . : . 7 : 4 ‘ $ » 142 Rey. JosepH MERRILL, ‘ , 3 : - ‘ if . . 153 Rev. J. L. MERRIL1, : . . ‘ 5 ‘ i < ‘i . 154 Davip BLANCHARD, Esq, . e ‘ ‘ 5 ‘3 . ‘ - 168 THerRon DuNCcAN, : : - : r : F 3 3 . 172 NatTHaniuL WARNER, - : : ao Ms F : i . 178 Hon. Nepom L. ANGIER, . «© - «© «© «© «© + + I8l Mrs. BARNARD, . ‘ ‘ ‘ i : ‘i ; . . - 185 Lewis CAMPBELL, Esgq., : 5 3 ‘ e ‘i , “ . 197 Morris Cuark, Esq., . ‘ - . ‘ ‘ : : : . 200 Jamess G. Dickey, Esq., ‘ a ‘ é 3 ‘ . ‘ . 209 Vili, INDEX TO PLATES. PAGE. Turron Dickey, < ‘ 7 ‘ < . r ‘ i . 210 SAMUEL Finuay, ‘ , . . : , 3 ‘ 3 . 216 Hon. Atexanper H. Giumore, . : 5 : - s : . 219 NatTHANIEL GRouT, : : ; 2 ‘ . a ; . 224 Cou. Esenrzer Grout, i ‘ ‘ . . : ‘ ‘ - 225 Dr. Joun H. Hempgity, 4 . a 7 . . . 3 - 228 SaMvueEL Kine, Fi : z a‘ : : . ‘ : z . 235 Rev. Danie, LANCASTER, . - : p A . : é . 236 Lemve. Lincoiy, . : : ‘ S a 5 ‘ ‘* - 288 Joun G. Mayo, . : . ‘ - : : : é ‘ . 242 Dea. Wittiam McCrore, . : : " . . ‘ : . 243 Pertey MircHett, : ‘i ‘ ; 7 ‘ i‘ ‘ 5 . 246 Davip Montgomery, Esq., . ‘ - 3 ‘ a ‘i . 248 THomas MurpoucH, . 7 : : : : 3 : : . 249 Wititiam Nourse, . 7 s c : ‘ , 2 » 251 Dr Mitton ParKer, . : : 5 " F : ‘i . + 255 Miss Jutia A. PaRKER, . ‘i ‘i . 7 7 . ‘ . 256 WitniaM Prentiss, . . » @ Ww ws 4% . . . 258 SrepHen R. Rogers, . é . 3 ‘ : . 7 r - 262 Capt. E. H.Savace, . : : . . ‘i 3 . : - 263 Itnret Siuspy, Esq., . - r . 7 ‘ . ‘ . - 265 Desa. Zenas SLADER, . i , " “ ‘ : ‘ - - 266 Tuomas SuapER, 7 ‘ ; “ 5 - : é ‘ - 267 OrviLLeE L. SLADER, . , . ‘ ’ 7 ‘ ; ‘ + 268 Cart. James WALLACE, - é ‘ . ‘ : : - 277 Grorce M. Warner, - i . . - 7 : . . 278 Wititiam Warner, Esq, . 5 ‘. 3 3