|
goods, of all kinds, annually man-
ufactured, is $ 84,000.
There are three villages, under
the post office names of Alstead,
Centre Alstead and New Alstead.
At New Alstead there are two
churches, school-house, rake shop,
scythe nib and pail handle manu-
factory ; at the Centre, one church,
town-house, school-house; at Al-
stead, two churches, one large
graded school-hotfse, six or eight
stores, one hotel, also manufacture
edge tools, paper, lumber, chair-
stock, flour, meal,.&c.
Resources. Productions of the
soil, $123,000; mechanical labor,
$25,800; stocks and money at in-
terest $61,988- deposits in savings
banks $57,276; stock in trade,
$ 19,387.
Churches and Schools. Congre-
gational, no pastor; Universal-
ist, Rev. W. J. Crosby, pastor.
Center, Congregational, no pastor.
New Alstead, Rev. Charles Pack-
ard, pastor; Methodist, no pastor.
There are fourteen schools in
town, two of which are graded.
Average length of schools for the
year, seventeen weeks.
Hotel. Humphrey House.
First Settlement. This town was
originally called Newtown, and
was granted to Samuel Chase and
others, August 6, 1763. In 1771,
there were twenty-five families,
besides ten bachelors. This lonely
class cultivated their lands, and
attended to their own household
affairs, cooking their meals, &c.
General Amos Shepard was one
of the most prominent citizens of
this town from 1777 to the time of
his decease in 1812. He was a
member of the General Court of
New-Hampshire, and president of
the Senate seven years. He was
respected for his upright and just
dealings with all men, and through
this course he acquired a handsome
fortune, which enabled him to pass
his last days in ease and quiet. |
One great drawback to the prog-
ress of the first settlers was the
multitude of wild beasts which
infested this section, especially
bears and wolves, which were so
numerous as to devour their swine
and sheep, and sometimes assail
the larger cattle. The wife of
John Beckwith took her son Rich-
ard Beckwith, then an infant, and
went to the woods to gather ber-
ries. She placed her child on the
ground, and wandered through
the bushes. On her return toward
the object of her affection, judge
of her feelings as she saw a huge
bear smelling and passing around
her sleeping babe, while she could
do nothing but silently wait the
result; but again judge of her un-
speakable joy, when she saw this
voracious monster of the forest,
retire and leave her unconscious
boy unharmed.
First Ministers. Rev. Jacob
Mason (Cong.), ordained in 1782,
dismissed in 1789; Rev. Samuel
Mead, ordained in 1791; dismissed
in, 1797; Rev. Levi Lankton, or-
dained in 1799, dismissed in 1828.
Boundaries. North by Acworth,
east by Marlow, south by Gilsum,
and west by Walpole. Area of
improved land, 17,714 acres.
Distances. Twelve miles south-
east from Charlestown, fourteen
north from Keene, and fifty-six
west from Concord.
Railroad. By daily stage five
miles to Bellows Falls, Vermont.
ALTON
Belknap Co. The surface of |
