at South Merrimack, 2d Congre-
gationalist, no settled pastor, 40
members. There are twelve
schools in town; average length,
for the year, twenty-one weeks;
total value of school houses, $6,900.

Hotel. Merrimack House.

First Settlements. This town
was part of Dunstable (now Nash-
ua) and originally called Souhe-
gan East. Settlements were com-
menced as early as 1733. The first
house was erected in town, several
years before any permanent settle-
ment was made. It was located
on the margin of the river, and
occupied as a place of traffic with
the Indians. It was owned by
John Cromwell, of England, and
was called Cromwell’s House. He
carried on a profitable trade with
the Indians, for some time, in pur-
chasing their furs, having as a
weight on the opposite scale his
foot for their furs to weigh down.
This deception, at length, they
found out, and they determined to
kill him for his perfidy towards
them. Cromwell heard of their
intention, through some source,
buried his furs, and made his es-
cape. Soon after his flight a party
of the Pennacook tribe made their
appearance, and not finding him,
burned his house. The town was
incorporated April 2, 1746, and de-
rived its name from the river on
which it was situated.

Hon. Matthew Thornton, one of
the signers of the Declaration of
American Independence, resided
many years in this town. The
old town records show that Mr.
Thornton presided over their town
meetings, and held various town
offices. Statesmen and eminent
men of to-day, who hold honorable
positions of trust, would do well
to ponder the epitaph on his head
stone, in the cemetery at Merri-
mack. It is short, but a worthy
biography of a life time. It is
enough to fill volumes, but all
implied in three words, “ The
Honest Man.” He died in 1803, at
the age of eighty-nine.

The people are to-day noted for
their staid integrity, and general
intelligence.

First Minister. Rev. Jacob Bur-
nap settled in 1772, died in 1821.

Boundaries. North by Bedford,
east by Litchfield, south by Nash-
ua, and west by Amherst. Area,
19,361 acres; area of improved
land, 8,798 acres.

Distances. Twenty-seven miles
south from Concord, eight north
from Nashua, and six miles east
from Amherst.

Railroads. The Concord Rail-
road passes along its eastern bor-
der, while the Nashua and Wilton
Railroad runs through the south-
ern pai*t. On the Concord road
there are stations at Reed’s Ferry,
Merrimack, and Thornton’s Ferry;
on the Wilton road, at South Mer-
rimack.

MIDDLETON.

Strafford County. The sur-
face is even, and in some por-
tions rocky. By careful cultiva-
tion, the soil can be made to yield
fine crops.

Mountains. Moose Mountain,
which separates this town from
Brookfield, is the principal ele-
vation,

There are no ponds nor streams
of any note, consequently there is
but very little water power.

Employments. The employ-
ments of the people are varied.
Some are engaged in Agriculture,