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The drives in and around Clare-
mont, over good and well worked
roads, in almost every direction,
are varied, attractive and pleasant.
The people have been too much oc-
cupied with other pursuits to give
attention to the building of hotels
with which to “take in” strangers
as summer boardei's, yet there are
ample accommodations for ordina-
ry travel. City visitors in consid-
erable numbers are entertained by
private families, and many are
hospitably received by their friends
during the hot season.
The Statistics and Gazetteer of New-Hampshire, Seventh
Edition, Compiled by Alonzo J. Fogg. Concord, N.H.: D.L.
Few towns are more generally
healthy than Claremont. Epidem-
ics and prevailing sicknesses of any
kind are unknown here, which is
accounted for by rapid streams,
entire exemption from fogs and
the causes of them, pure water,
and the generally comfortable
condition and regular habits of
the people.
Claremont village is situated
about three miles due east from
Connecticut river, occupies a large
and varid area and through it runs
Sugar River. The fall of the riv-
er in the town is two hundred and
fifty feet; in the village it falls a
hundred and fifty feet in a distance
of about half a mile. Each foot of
fall is capable of turning one thou-
sand spindles. The private dwell-
ings are all comfortable, well
painted and well kept, while many
of them are large, elegant, and
surrounded by handsome yards,
and flower, fruit and vegetable gar-
dens. This village furnishes an
abundant market for all the wood
and agricultural productions of
this and the surrounding towns,
and is quite a center of trade for
the western part of the county, and
adjacent towns in Vermont. |
97
One of the great advantages of
Claremont over other towns is its
superior water-power, derived,
mainly, from Sugar River. This
river is the outlet of Sunapee Lake,
wdiich is nine and a half miles long
and from a half mile to two and a
half miles wide, and lies eight
hundred and twenty feet above
Connecticut River. By an act of
the New-Hampshire Legislature,
authorizing the Sunapee Dam Cor-
poration, composed of mill owners
along Sugar River, this lake can be
drawn down ten feet, as maybe re-
quired in any time of drouth—
though this has never yet been
found nefcessary—which insures an
abundant supply of water during
all seasons of the year. Sugar
River is about twenty miles long
from the Lake to Connecticut Riv-
er, into which it empties. It is
fed by what is called the South
Branch, which has its sources in
Lempster, Unity and Goshen, the
NorthBranch, coming from Spring-
field, Grantham and Croydon, both
of which it receives in the town
of Newport, and other smaller
streams along its course.
Employments. The inhabitants
of this town are engaged in agri-
culture, manfacturing, the various
mechanic arts, different branches
of trade, and the professions. The
leading business, after agriculture,
is the manufacture of cotton goods.
Some of the larger establishments
are noticed in detail.
Monadnock Mills. Manufacture
cotton cloths from one to three
yards wide, Marseilles quilts, union
flannels, and lumber. Capital,
$200,000. Employ 125 males and
225 females. Pay annually for la-
bor, $115,000. Produce 2,908,911
square yards sheeting; 12,000 Mar- |
