Gilmanton

History of Gilmanton

Gilmanton was the home to the Gilmans and others. There were twenty-four Gilmans receiving land grants. Gilmanton was the second largest town in New Hampshire many years ago. Original boundaries were Alton, Barnstead, Loudon, Canterbury, Northfield, Winnipesaukee River and Winnisquam Bay. Current boundaries are the towns of Alton, Barnstead, Belmont, Canterbury, Loudon, Pittsfield.

Gilmanton was incorporated in 1727. The terms of the original charter was that there must be seventy dwelling houses built, and a family living in each within the first three years of the charter. Other conditions included three cleared acres of land for planting and a meetinghouse built within four years. Also a house for the minister and a school needed to be built. If anyone defaulted on the agreement they would lose their share of land.

1749 saw another attempt to start with the Proprietor Committee. They wanted the way cleared, rebuild the block houses and look for a site for a saw mill. In June and July of 1749 the way was cleared from White Hall block house, to Wares block house. They built a third block house called Camp Meadow. Some men attempted settlements there in the winter of 1749 and 1750 but Indian hostilities had not ended yet and the men soon retreated.

A cart path was built from Epsom to Gilmanton in 1750 and a saw mill was built.

The town was not settled until 1771 due to fears of the Indians and a land dispute with John T. Mason, who owned a lot of land in NH. Among the first to live year around in Gilmanton were John and Benjamin Mudgett, who were brothers, in 1761. By 1767 there were forty five families living in Gilmanton.

Moses Leavitt, Nathaniel Gilman, and Jethro Pearson were appointed to clear a road to Gilmanton and to build Block Houses. They built the first Block House at the SE corner of the first division lots, 18 feet square and called it White Hall. The next block house was 14 feet square and was called Wares. Due to the French and Indian War, attempted settlement in Gilmanton was halted.