December, what was the Toleration Act of 1819?
Answer: The “Toleration Act of 1819” refers to a law passed in New Hampshire that effectively ended mandatory religious taxation, allowing citizens to support the church of their choice rather than being forced to contribute to the established Congregational Church.
This was a significant response to the growing diversity in religious beliefs among the population, fostering religious freedom.
November, Does the Baptist Meeting House, now the Salisbury Historical Society, look the way it did originally? And, was it always in the same place?
Answer: No, it does not look the same. It may have looked quite different if we rely on the information in the History of Salisbury by John Dearborn, 1890. It was an early NE Meeting House style with two ‘porches”/little towers on the ends and one main entrance along the broad east side. It had 2 stories of windows, balconies, and side entrances, and no doubt had stairways to the balconies. The ceiling likely was not arched until the second renovation.
From descriptions, it likely looked identical or very similar. This is the Fremont Meeting House. It has a main door on the broad side (pulpit would be opposite), and it has two entrances in the towers. It has double rows of windows. Did our Baptist Meeting house originally look like this? Entrance facing the road? It certainly sounds like Dearborn’s description. All thoughts welcome! For more details on the changes: Baptist Meeting House
Not exactly the same location, it was moved slightly. In 1839 (first remodel), it was moved back.
If one studies the information in the History of Salisbury, there is no indication that it was turned why the mostly easterly tower is referred to as the north tower is a mystery.
Why was it moved back? It is unclear, but even our other town church at the junction of Rtes 127 & 4 was moved once in that location. (Actually, it was disassembled and removed from its original location on Searle’s Hill years before.) Moving buildings didn’t seem to intimidate the early settlers.
The roads and traffic patterns changed from the beginning with the addition of the Fourth NH Turnpike (route 4), and teams of horses with carriages would go through, so perhaps it was too close to the road? We may never know the answer, but that is likely it. In addition, in 1790, it was still unclear whether the other roads, specifically Old College Road, had a role.
The cemetery was already in use when it was moved. The church today is oddly very close to the first row of graves, for that reason presumably.
October, what is the Salisbury Time Capsule, where is it, and what is in it?
Answer: The Salisbury time capsule was buried in 2018 to celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our town’s founding by the Sesquicentennial Committee.
The Salisbury Time Capsule is located just outside the library entrance in the brick walkway where the granite brick is located in the center design.
For more details Time Capsule
September, did you know that Salisbury had a toll booth back in the 1800s? Where was it?
Answer: see the map Fourth NH Turnpike
August, There was once a small schoolhouse at Thompsons (Thompson’s?) Corner. Where is Thompson Corner?
Answer: At the junction of the Center Rangeway (Center Road>Searle’s Hill Road), Raccoon Hill Road, and New Road. If anyone has any information on exactly where the schoolhouse was, please let us know.
On old maps, the Center Rangeway is straight and becomes Searle’s Hill Road at this point, not as a turn-off as it appears to do now.
July, what hill in town was originally referred to as Mt. Pisgah?
Answer: Referred to by Ebenezer Webster as Mt Pisgah, this hill was later called Searle’s Hill after the Reverend Jonathan Searle, who preached there.
June, what do Bakerstown, Stevenstown, and Gerrishtown all have in common?
Answer: Prior names of Salisbury, in the early colonial days.
May, who were Roger’s Rangers?
Answer: Roger’s Rangers began in 1755 as a company in the provincial forces of the colony of New Hampshire in British North America.
The recruitment of frontiersmen in New Hampshire in 1755 to form companies capable of conducting long-range patrols through the wilderness was a strategic move by the British Army during the French and Indian War (1754-1763). Rapidly becoming an autonomous ranger company within the British military, they were expertly trained and led by Rogers himself. These frontier units, commonly known as Rogers’ Rangers, after their leader Robert Rogers, gathered intelligence, captured prisoners, engaged in brutal guerrilla warfare, and skirmished. Their tactics were outlined in Roger’s 28 “Rules of Ranging.” These tactics proved highly effective, prompting the expansion of the initial company into a ranging corps boasting more than a dozen companies and reaching a peak strength of 1,200–1,400 men.
Overall, the role of Rogers’ Rangers exemplified the importance of specialized, unconventional forces in colonial conflicts, particularly in the challenging environment of frontier warfare.
During the American Revolution, which followed some remained loyal to the Crown while others became part of the Continental Army.
Robert’s 28 Rules of Ranging are still used by the U.S. Army Rangers today.
April, Who Was Moses Garland?
Answer: Moses Garland was both a Robert’s Ranger in the French and Indian War and served in the American Revolution. He was a well-known Salisbury citizen whose home once also housed a busy tavern and still stands.
For more details: Moses Garland
He also happens to be a beloved character in our Cemetery Walk reenactments. For a time, John Kepper played his character, and currently Joe Schmidl has the role.
Died: November 13, 1821, at the age of 88.
Wife: Mehitable Sleeper, died June 13, 1821, age 78.
Buried: Baptist Cemetery, Salisbury Heights, Route 4, Salisbury, NH
March, who were Rhoda Bartlett True and Reuben True?
Answer: She was the fourth child, fourth daughter of Mary Bartlett and Josiah Bartlett, Esq, signer of the Declaration of Independence and eventual Governor.
The connection of Josiah Bartlett Esq. to Salisbury, NH began before the arrival of his daughter and husband about 1789-1790. He was a frequent visitor from Kingston, NH, a participant in the Meeting House services on Searles Hill, as he owned a pew in the church itself. The pew was likely a family box pew as was common a that time. The Meeting House on Searles Hill existed from about 1769 to 1790.
Josiah Bartlett came on occasion to visit his nephew and Rhoda’s cousin, Dr. Joseph Bartlett, who practiced medicine in Salisbury for 30 years.
Dr. Joseph Bartlett arrived in town in 1771 and resided on the South Rangeway west of Stirrup Iron Brook. No building or barn is remaining; however, some intriguing cellar holes exist in the area that coincide with the location description in the History of Salisbury, opposite the residence (1890) of William Merrill. This location for William Merrill was adjacent and downhill from the 1851 Rev Eldridge house, still standing (Southside). This is according to an old town map printed in Salisbury Lost by Paul S. Shaw.
Rhoda Bartlett True:
b. Kingston, NH on 22 May 1760, Kingston, NH
m. Reuben TRUE on 22 Feb 1789.
d. Salisbury, MA on 25 Sept 1794.
Burial: Baptist Graveyard, Salisbury Heights
Children:
Levi TRUE, b. 22 June 1790; died, burial unknown
Josiah Bartlett TRUE, b. 4 Sept 1792, d Jan 20, 1831, @38 years, Burlington, Vt.
Inscription from her beautiful tombstone:
Consort of Mr. Reuben True and Dau. of His Excy Josiah Bartlett, Esq.; died in the 35th year of her age.
Her headstone is the oldest in the cemetery (Salisbury Historical Society).
The stone reads :
Stop, my friend, and take a second view
The dust that’s here was once beloved like you
Spouse REUBEN TRUE
b. Oct 16, 1761, Salisbury, Mass.
d. Dec 1826 ae 65 yrs
Reuben True Farm:
Abt 1790, Reuben True Home was built
Location Salisbury Heights Rte 4 & 127. Later purchased abt 1816 by the Pettengills, who made extensive alterations and established the tavern known as the Bell TavernIn , later known as the Traveller Home- Historic Salisbury Houses by Paul S. Shaw
Reuben True was an active town citizen involved in many projects.
From the History of Salisbury:
Most notable for:
June 1789, Reuben True is noted as having been part of a group of citizens forming the Baptist Society, which moved forward to erect a new place of worship at the Center Village. For a time, the group held meetings in private houses and in an old schoolhouse which they had bought from the town. Oct 1790, it was decided to build, and Reuben True was part of a committee to sell pews.
1798 p.200 Corporate officer of the first Library in Salisbury
P 307 History Salisbury- took part in arguments and negotiations to determine the route of the Fourth NH Turnpike, which was to be a toll road. (RTE 4)
1801- Involved in town boundary perambulations, p. 328 , abt 1816 . Testified regarding Town perambulations, specifically the NW corner area.
1804 p 415 Taxed as one of the first chaise owners in town. Definition from Wikipedia light two or four-wheeled traveling or pleasure carriage for one or two people with a folding hood or a canvas top. Wheeled sedan chair.
February, how well do you know Salisbury geography?Where are the following hills in Salisbury?
- Bean Hill abt 875 ft
- Bald Hill/Sawyer Hill 1,825 ft
- Calef Hill abt 950 ft
- Garland Hill abt 825 ft
- Loverin Hill abt 925 ft
- Raccoon Hill same as Shaw Hill , abt 1,200 ft
- Sanborn Hill Unknown
- Searle’s Hill (Mt. Pisgah) abt 1,075 ft
- Shaw Hill same as Raccoon Hill, abt 1,200 ft
- Switch Hill abt 725 ft
Answer:
Bean Hill is off Couchtown Road, east side, just past the junction with Mill & Warner Road.
Bald Hill is likely the same as Sawyer Hill on the side of Kearsarge, maybe still is. There was once a Salisbury settlement on the side of the incline up to Kearsarge called the Watson District, and the Sawyers who resided below in Salisbury grazed their sheep on the slopes.
Please note, Bald Hill may be referred to as Sawyer’s Hill and partially in Warner. Anyone with info on this?
Calef Hill– Calef Hill Road is in Salisbury, off Rabbit Road and once connected to now Route 4, at the top is Calef Hill up on the rise along Route 4 (behind Veterinary Office), before the Boscawen line.
Garland Hill– just off Whittemore and Center road, likely named after Moses Garland.
Loverin Hill -on Loverin Hill Rd (old Center Rangeway)
Raccoon Hill and Shaw Hill are the same. This is a tricky one! Most people today think of Shaw Hill as the hill where all recent Shaws reside along North Road. However, old timers know that Shaw Hill is Raccoon Hill, the area of the earlier homesteads of the Shaws. This explains why the road leading up to”Raccoon Hill” from the Andover side is called Shaw Hill Road, though it goes to Raccoon Hill, not North Road!
Sanborn Hill is a tricky one. We are not sure if it was ever a town name, but it is referred to in an interview in They Said It In Salisbury as a sledding point down into West Salisbury. The assumption is that it is somewhere along West Salisbury Road near an old Sanborn homestead. Any ideas? There was an early proprietor, the name of Sanborn, who owned the lot up to the heights. Any thoughts?
Searles Hill is the high point on the Center Rangeway that was the site of the earliest Salisbury Meetinghouse and settlement. The Road up is the Center Rangeway, although now it appears to divert off it. It exists on Route 127 in Franklin near Easy Street. It continued at one point to the river, as did the South Rangeway, as part of Salisbury. Named after the Reverend who preached there.
Switch Hill– Known only to very old timers, perhaps, and researchers of deeds on Gerrish Road. Gerrish Road takes a switch turn and descends into Boscawen.
January, where was the Salisbury Poor Farm or Almshouse?
Answer: Northside of Warner Road, just east of Hensmith Road. Destroyed by fire in 1940. For more information, please see Salisbury Lost by Paul S. Shaw, MD, 1996: p 111
For more in-depth information on the Almshouse, please see History of Salisbury by John Dearborn, 1890.
Pages. 363-366 Chapter XXVI
Excerpts P366 : In 1831, the selectmen purchased the farm and about 150 acres from Daniel Kent for $1850.
The stock and tools cost $672.20
Enoch Fifield and his wife were employed to take charge of the house and farm.
The system of supporting the poor was continued for 30 years, after which time the farm was sold in 1866.
Some of the poor requiring assistance were taken to the County Farm. The few persons remaining who required assistance were supported by friends at low rates, and the town had granted satisfactory enumeration.