Coos County
NHGenWeb
This town is situated in the north part of the county. The surface is broken
and hilly, but the soil, in many portions, is good for grass, oats and potatoes.
Starch and maple sugar are manufactured here. It is bounded on the north by
Pittsburg, east by Carlisle, south by Dixville and Stewartstown, and west by
Canaan, Vt. There are two ponds in Clarksville. Clarksville pond contains 200
acres, and Carr pond about thirty. In the latter, trout were very abundant until
a few years ago, when some pickerel were put into the pond, and the trout have
disappeared.
Clarksville was originally known as Dartmouth College
Grant. In January, 1789, "the Senate and House of Representatives passed an act
granting to the trustees of Dartmouth college a valuable tract of land eight
miles square, about forty-two thousand acres, lying north of Stewartstown." In
1820 Benjamin Clark, from whom the town received its name, and one or two other
Dartmouth students, purchased from the college 10,000 acres of this grant;
20,000 acres were also bought by two or more New York men, but the latter
failing to pay their taxes, the land was advertised and sold to Gideon Tirrill
and Josiah Young. They paid the taxes for several years, and then sold it to
lumber men. These were the purchasers of much of the territory embraced in this
section.
Early Settlers. — The first comers into this town are entitled
to much admiration and gratitude for the struggles they made in subduing the
wilderness and opening the way for comfortable homes. Few of the present day can
conceive the sufferings they endured. The survey of Clarksville was partly made
during the winter of 1799 and 1800, and one man lost his life (frozen to death)
while assisting in this work.
Among the early inhabitants were Gideon
Tirrill, Joseph Wiswall, Samuel Comstock, Benjamin Young, John Robie, Miles
Hurlbert, Joseph Crawford, Alexander Smith and Josiah Bumford.
Gideon
Tirrill was the first to settle on lot No. 41, where he lived several years, and
then removed to Canada where he died. Joseph Wiswall, brother-in-law of Benjamin
Clark, settled here in 1822, on lot No. 42; he cleared this land; after a few
years he moved to lot No. 43, and resided there during his life. He was Mr.
Clark's agent for the sale of this wild land, and lot No. 44 was purchased by
Mr. Comstock, who, with his two sons, became settlers. John Comstock came to
Clarksville about 1819, from Pittsburg, where he had resided since 1812. He was
a native of Massachusetts, and a loyal soldier of the Revolution, serving his
country faithfully through her dark days. His death occurred in Clarksville in
1828. His sons, Samuel and John, also were residents in Clarksville, and their
names appear often on the board of selectmen. His grandson, Horace Comstock, is
the present town clerk.
During the decade from 1820 to 1830, the
increase in population could not have been very rapid, as October 5, 1830, when
the first town meeting was held, there were but twenty-one voters; yet the
forest showed signs of giving way before the sturdy blows of the woodman's axe,
the soil had responded to the early farmer's labors, and the necessary grains
and vegetables were raised for the current wants of the little community.
First Town Meeting. — The signers of the petition to call the first town
meeting were Benjamin Young, John Roby, Jr., Stephen Harriman, John Hurlbert,
John Comstock, Samuel Comstock. The following officers were chosen: Joseph
Wiswall, town clerk; Joseph Wiswall, John Harriman and Josiah A. Young,
selectmen. The amount of taxes raised for all purposes was $34.92. They voted to
pay the collector for his services for collecting the same, $4; selectmen $1
each, and the town clerk $1.50.
In 1832, John Roby gave twelve and
one-half cents for the privilege of collecting taxes. In 1857, a postoffice was
established in the town, and Edmund K. Young was the first postmaster; Charles
W. Wiswall is the present incumbent. In 1858 the financial condition of the town
necessitated the choosing a town treasurer, and Edmund K. Young was elected, and
performed the duties of that position for many years in a creditable manner.
There are four schools in town, but no church building. The town was endowed
with corporate privileges in 1854, and is classed with Pittsburg for the
election of representative. Population in 1880, 328.
Marriages of
College Grant Settlers Recorded in Stewartstown. — April 12, 1827, Stephen
Harriman to Geranta Dearth, both of College Grant. November 29, 1827, John
Harriman, of College Grant, to Edith Tirrill, of Stewartstown. April 28, 1828,
Simon Harriman, of College Grant, to Mary Harriman, of Stewartstown. December
10, 1831, Enos Brown, of Clarksville, to Lovina Heath, of Stewartstown.
Civil List. — 1830. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, John
Harriman, Josiah A. Young.
1831. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen,
Joseph Wiswall, John Goodwin, John Comstock.
1832. Town clerk, Gideon
Tirrill; selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Gideon Tirrill, John Harriman.
1833.
Town clerk, Gideon Tirrill; selectmen, Gideon Tirrill, John Goodwin, Joseph
Wiswall.
1834. Town clerk, Gideon Tirrill; selectmen, Gideon Tirrill, Josiah
Young, Edmund Keysar.
1835. Town clerk, Gideon Tirrill: selectmen, Gideon
Tirrill, Edmund Keysar, John Goodwin.
1836. Town clerk, Gideon Tirrill;
selectmen, Gideon Tirrill, Josiah A. Young, Edmund Keysar.
1837. Town clerk,
Gideon Tirrill; selectmen, Gideon Tirrill. Josiah A. Young, Edmund Keysar.
1838. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Edmund Keysar,
Josiah A. Young.
1839. Town clerk, Gideon Tirrill; selectmen, Gideon
Tirrill, Josiah A. Young, John Comstock.
1840. Town clerk, Josiah A. Young;
selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Edmund Keysar, Samuel Comstock.
1841. Town clerk,
Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Edmund Keysar, Samuel Comstock.
1842. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall: selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Samuel Comstock,
Edmund Keysar.
1843. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall: selectmen. Joseph Wiswall,
Edmund Keysar, Samuel Comstock.
1844. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall: selectmen,
Joseph Wiswall, Josiah A. Young, Samuel Comstock.
1845. Town clerk, Joseph
Wiswall; selectmen, John A. Tirrill, Jeremiah Y. Keysar, Edmund K. Young.
1846. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, John Keysar, Joseph Wiswall, Gideon
Tirrill.
1847. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall: selectmen, Gideon Tirrill, Samuel
Comstock, Miles H. Keysar.
1848. Town clerk, Miles H. Keysar; selectmen,
Edmund Keysar, Stephen Cross, Samuel Comstock.
1849. Town clerk, Edmund H.
Keysar; selectmen, Joseph Wiswall, Edmund K. Young, Samuel Comstock.
1850.
Town clerk, Stephen G. Fuller; selectmen, Gideon Tirrill. Edmund K. Young,
Peltiah C. Roby.
1851. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Hiram H.
Kenney, Stephen Cross, Edmund Keysar.
1852. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall;
selectmen, Edmund H. Keysar, Samuel Comstock, Josiah A. Young.
1853. Town
clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller, John Keysar, Benjamin
Young.
1854. Town clerk, Joseph Wiswall; selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller,
Edmund H. Keysar, Benjamin Young.
1855. Town clerk, John Keysar; selectmen,
Gideon Tirrill, Josiah A. Young, Samuel Comstock.
1856. Town clerk. John
Keysar; selectmen, Israel W. Tyler, John Thurstin, Samuel Comstock.
1857.
Town clerk, John Keysar: selectmen, Joseph W. Young, Benjamin C. Wiswall, John
Keysar.
1858. Town clerk, John Keysar; treasurer, Edmund K. Young;
selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller. Israel W. Tyler, Levi D. Muncy.
1859. Town
clerk, John Keysar; treasurer, Josiah A. Young; selectmen, Israel W. Tyler,
Josiah Young, John Keysar.
1860. Town clerk, John Keysar; treasurer, Josiah
A. Young; selectmen, Edmund K. Young, Orrin Covill, Josiah Young.
1861. Town
clerk, John Keysar; treasurer, Edmund K. Young; selectmen. Edmund K. Young,
Orrin Covill, Levi D. Muncy.
1862. Town clerk, John Keysar; treasurer,
Edmund K. Young; selectmen, John Keysar, Josiah Young, Andrew J. Barnett.
1863. Town clerk, Edmund K. Young; treasurer, Edmund K. Young; selectmen, Edmund
K. Young, Josiah Young, Andrew J. Barnett.
1864. Town clerk, Edmund K.
Young; treasurer, Edmund K. Young; selectmen, John Keysar, Oren F. Tewksbury,
Levi D. Muncy.
1865. Town clerk. Edmund K. Young; treasurer, Edmund K.
Young; selectmen, Edmund K. Young, John S. Tirrill, Josiah Young.
1866. Town
clerk, Edmund K. Young; treasurer, Edmund K. Young; selectmen, Edmund K. Young,
John S. Tirrill, Peltiah C. Roby.
1867. Town clerk, Edmund K. Young;
treasurer, Edmund K. Young; selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller, Stephen Goodwin
Benjamin Young.
1868. Town clerk, Edmund K. Young; treasurer, Edmund K.
Young: selectmen, John Keysar, Horace Comstock, David F. Hall.
1869. Town
clerk, Edmund K. Young; treasurer, Benjamin C. Wiswall; selectmen, Stephen G.
Fuller, David F. Hall, Stephen Goodwin.
1870. Town clerk, Edmund K. Young;
treasurer, Benjamin C. Wiswall; selectmen, Edmund K. Young, Norman C. Young,
Ephraim S. Parker.
1871. Town clerk, John Keysar; treasurer, Benjamin C.
Wiswall; selectmen, John Keysar, Norman C. Young, Ephraim S. Parker.
1872.
Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Jeremiah H. Young; selectmen, Edmund K.
Young,
Horace Comstock, Oren F. Tewksbury.
1873. Town clerk, Charles
Young; treasurer, Joseph W. Young; selectmen, Edmund K. Young, Horace Comstock,
Oren F. Tewksbury.
1874. Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Joseph W.
Young; selectmen, Charles W. Wiswall, David F. Hall, Josiah Young.
1875.
Town clerk, Joseph W. Young; treasurer, Joseph W. Young; selectmen, Horace
Comstock, David F. Hall. Josiah Young.
1876. Town clerk, Joseph Young;
treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Horace Comstock, Jeremiah H. Young, Hosea
Crawford.
1877. Town clerk, Joseph W. Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young;
selectmen, Jeremiah H. Young, Joel H. Munn, Hosea Crawford.
1878. Town
clerk, Joseph W. Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Joel H. Munn,
James E. Hilliard, Charles Young.
1879. Town clerk, Joseph W. Young;
treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Charles Young, Josiah Young, Joel H.
Munn.
1880. Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young;
selectmen, Josiah Young, Charles Young, Horace Comstock.
1881. Town clerk,
Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Josiah Young, Hiram A.
Schoff, John Keysar.
1882. Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C.
Young; selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller, John Keysar, Hiram A. Schoff.
1883.
Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Joseph W.
Young, Berkley Keysar, David F. Hall.
1884. Town clerk, Charles Young;
treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Charles Young, William W. Scott, Horace
Comstock.
1885. Town clerk, Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young:
selectmen, Horace Comstock, Charles Young, Berkley Keysar.
1886. Town clerk,
Charles Young; treasurer, Norman C. Young; selectmen, Berkley Keysar, Noah F.
Kidder, Charles Young.
1887. Town clerk, Horace Comstock; treasurer, Norman
C. Young; selectmen, Stephen G. Fuller, Charles W. Wiswall, David F. Hall.
BENJAMIN CLARK WISWALL.
Benjamin Clark Wiswall, son of Joseph and Sally (Clark)
Wiswall, was born in Newton, Mass., June 10, 1808. His maternal grandfather was
Capt. Norman Clark, a resident of Rutland, Mass., who was one of the "embattled
farmers" of the Revolution, where he held the rank of captain, and was wounded
while gallantly fighting in his country's service. Capt. Clark attained the
advanced age of ninety-eight years and eight months. Richard Clark was a
passenger, and John Clark was mate of the "Mayflower" on its memorable voyage in
1620, and Clark's island in Plymouth harbor was named for him. The Wiswell
family was of the early settlers of Plymouth Colony, as, in 1688, we find "that
Ichabod Wiswell, and Elder Faunce the town clerk of Plymouth, were arrested
(under the arbitrary laws of King James II.) for levying and aiding in levying
taxes upon his majesty's subjects and bound over to the Supreme Court at
Boston."
Benjamin Clark,
son of Capt. Norman Clark, for whom the town of Clarksville received its name,
was the maternal uncle of B.C. Wiswall, and a graduate of Dartmouth college.
While a student there, he, with Joseph Brackett and one other, purchased of the
college 10,000 acres of land in "Dartmouth College Grant" (now Clarksville, and
engaged Joseph Wiswall, his brother-in-law, as agent for its sale. Mr. Wiswall
was a hotel keeper and farmer in Newton, Mass. In 1822, he moved his family to
Clarksville, and became the agent for the sale of this wild land (about 30,000
acres). He also cleared much land, made many improvements, and was a resident of
the town until his death at the age of seventy-nine. He was an efficient town
officer, served twelve years as selectman and fourteen as town clerk, and was an
active business man.
Bejamin Clark Wiswall came from Newton, Mass.,
where he received a good common-school education, to Clarksville with his
father, in 1822, when he was about fourteen years old. This section was then
almost a wilderness, and the hardships and privations of those early settlers
can only be conceived by those who have endured them. Benjamin remained with his
father until he was twenty years old, assisting him in his arduous labors in
felling trees and bringing land into cultivation, and helped clear four farms.
He then returned to Newton, where he married, in 1830, Susan Sawyer, of
Foxborough, Mass. She was born April 4, 1808. Their children were Mary (Mr.
Moody B. Haines) deceased; Albert C., born in Newton, November 4, 1835, resides
in Fox Lake, Wisconsin; Joseph N. born in Newton, November 25, 1837; William H.,
deceased; Charles W., born in Clarksville, February 6, 1846; George O., born in
Clarksville, February 17, 1853.
About 1838 Mr. Wiswall returned to
Clarksville, became a tanner, continued in agriculture until 1878, manufactured
starch for two years, and after his father's death succeeded him as land agent.
In 1878 Mrs. Wiswall died; since then the ownership of the homestead farm of 150
acres has passed to his son Charles, and Mr. Wiswall resides with him.
Republican in politics in a town where the majority are Democrats. Mr. Wiswall's
fitness for position has been recognized by his political opponents, and be has
filled the office of selectman, treasurer and moderator to the satisfaction of
the people. He also holds a commission as justice of the peace, and has
frequently been a delegate to state and senatorial conventions. He does not
belong to any religious denomination, but is a believer in the law of love and
good will to man, and is a christian in his morals and principles.
Mr.
Wiswall is a bright, cheerful old gentleman, who has made friends all along the
path of life, and, while keen and shrewd in business, has not let the love of
money crush out the kindly feelings actuating him, but has ever been ready to
aid and advance all benevolent and progressive objects. He possesses a quaint
humor and a large fund of sociality, and those who know him best attest that the
world is the better for his having lived.
His descendants are, and
should be, proud of his unostentatious life which has exhibited the sterling
qualities of usefulness, honesty and integrity.
JOHN KEYSAR.
All
readers of our New England poet Whittier remember the "Vision" of the "Cobbler
Keezar." The changes therein described as occurring in his dream, whereby the
forest solitudes were transformed into smiling fields, with manufactories and
villages scattered through the intersecting valleys, have been realized in fact,
and many of the cobbler's descendants and namesakes have wrought valiantly in
bringing them about. First, by good service in the War of the Revolution;
second, by turning their swords into plowshares, their spears into pruning
hooks, and erecting buildings and factories, thereby promoting the prosperity of
the community.
Among the early inhabitants of Hampstead we find John and
George Kezar. In Canterbury, Edmond Kizer's name appears on the soldiers' roll
of the Revolution, to which place some of the family emigrated from Hampstead.
Dr. Keysar was prominent among the early settlers of Northfield.
Edmund
Keysar was a native of Northfield, emigrated to Stewartstown in 1807, and
settled on the Kent place on North hill, where he and John Keysar owned a tract
of land two miles in length. Here he commenced the difficult labor of the
pioneer, and worked for more than ten years, developing his land, and otherwise
enhancing the weal of the settlement. In 1814 he was a representative to the
General Court. His wife was Betsey Young. Of their fifteen children eleven
attained maturity. John, Betsey (Mrs. J. P. Wiswall), and Miles H. are the only
survivors of this large family.
In 1818 Mr. Keysar sold his property in
Stewartstown and removed to Canterbury, where he bought a farm and resided until
1832, when he came again to Coos county, and settled in Clarksville on lot No.
2, range 1, where his son John now lives. Here he bought 200 acres of land,
built a saw-mill which he conducted, and was a useful citizen of Clarksville
until his death. He served as selectman for several years.
John Keysar,
son of Edmund and Betsey (Young) Keysar, was born in Stewartstown, July 10,
1816. He received such educational advantages as the common schools of his town
offered. When nineteen years old he went to Colebrook and learned the trade of a
joiner, and worked at house building for several years. He then bought the home
place at Clarksville, and has since been a resident of the town. In 1869 he
built a starch mill of one hundred tons capacity, and carried it on until 1882,
when S. S. Merrill ran it for four years: since Mr. Merrill's death, the mill
has been conducted by W. E. Drew, of Colebrook. Mr. Keysar has also made
clapboards for eight years, shingles two years, and been engaged in agriculture
quite extensively. On retiring from starch manufacturing, he sold his farm of
275 acres to his son, Berkley. In 1883 the telephone line from Colebrook to
Clarksville was constructed, and June 10, 1884, the first message was
transmitted and received by Berkley, who was the first operator.
Mr.
Keysar married Sarah Clark Wiswall. She was born in Clarksville, March 11, 1817.
(See biography of B. C. Wiswall.) Their children were Maria C., married John
Gathercole, has three children, James C., Sarah E., and Phebe E. Sarah; Phebe
Y., wife of E. S. Parker; her children are John R. and Otis L. Wiswall, died
aged twenty-two. Clark, died young. Susan M., married Charles F. Hibbard; she
died February 27, 1877, leaving one child, Harry. Berkley, married Eliza L.
Moses: their children are Lula E., Clyde W., Lottie M., Jesse L. [Blakeley M.
died in infancy.]
Mr. Keysar is a good and reliable citizen. He has been
connected with the town affairs of Clarksville for many years, and as a Democrat
represented his party in the state legislature two years; has served as
selectman and town clerk, and in his avocations as farmer and manufacturer for
many long years has been a worker, a producer, and not a mere consumer. Mrs.
Keysar is a bright, active woman, a kind mother and pleasant companion. Berkley
Keysar is the representative for Clarksville and Pittsburg for 1886-87.
Contributed 2024 Jun 23 by Norma Hass, extracted from History of Coos County, New Hampshire by Georgia D. Merrill, published in 1888, pages 689-695.
Coos County NHGenWeb Copyright
Design by Templates in Time
This page was last updated 06/23/2024