Stirrup Iron Brook, crossing South Range Road (partly Route 127) in present-day East Salisbury, once powered a series of enterprises. Starting in the late 1700s with Wilder and Bower’s Grist Mill and continuing into the 1900s with William Holmes’ sawmill, it was a key resource. Now, only the foundation walls remain as a reminder of its industrial past.
Opposite the old mill site is Gerrish Road, which winds along the brook to the Merrimack..
Gerrish Road dates back to Revolutionary War times and was likely used earlier by Native Americans who moved away from the riverbanks into the forest for safety.
For many years, Gerrish Road was called Stirrup Iron Road, a name it still holds on the Boscawen side. The road follows Stirrup Iron Brook through the State Forest for over two miles. The brook got its name from Revolutionary War General Henry Dearborn, who reportedly lost a stirrup iron while crossing it.
“Stirrup Iron Brook rises in the meadow land south of Racoon hill, flows south easterly and empties into the Merrimack, a half mile below the south line of the town. It received its name, as the story goes, from a stirrup iron lost in the stream by General Henry Dearborn of Revolutionary War fame.” John Dearborn’s “History of Salisbury” (1890) mentions the town line on Route 3, which was the old southern border of Salisbury with Boscawen before Franklin was established, and Salisbury extended to the river. Since Franklin already existed when Dearborn wrote this, it is curious that he still refers to that town line as Salisbury.
Location
Although now a rough path, Gerrish Road was once a vital transportation route after the railroads were built. It offered the fastest access to the rail line at the bustling North Boscawen/Gerrish Station, covering about 2.5 miles compared to the 5 miles to the Boscawen Depot via Route 4.
The Gerrish Depot
“Constructed in 1855 to replace the original station, this is the oldest surviving depot on the former Northern Railroad. First known as ‘North Boscawen Depot,’ it was renamed in 1909 following a fatal train collision caused by confusion over similar station names, along with several other depots on the line. The name ‘Gerrish’ was chosen in honor of a prominent farming family. The depot provided freight and passenger service for local farms and residents, the state nursery, the county nursing home, and the county jail until 1955.”
The railroad brought benefits to Salisbury, though it made South Road Village less significant as a commercial hub. For many years, it served as our town’s mail delivery route.
This excerpt is from an interview with Liza Buzzell, born in 1889, conducted by Paul Shaw (PS). The conversation between Liza (LB) and Paul is featured in “They Said it in Salisbury” by Paul S. Shaw, where they discuss a stage traveling along Gerrish Road.
PS- “They used to talk about a ‘stage’ that would take the mail down to Gerrish.”
LB-” Oh —- Dimond. He used to take it, and used to take passengers, and bring passengers.”