Chapter 17 - Atkinson from History of Rockingham County, NH

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Source:  History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and Representative Citizens
          by Charles A. Hazlett, Richmond-Arnold Publishing Co., Chicago, Ill., 1915

Page 213

                                     CHAPTER XVII
                                       ATKINSON

          Early History-Ecclesiastical History-Educational-Atkinson Academy-
                           Military Record-Public Library
 
     Atkinson is situated in latitude 42° 51', longitude 71°8', and is about four miles in 
length and three in breadth, containing 6,800 acres, and is bounded north by Hampstead, east 
by Plaistow, south by Haverhill, Mass., and west by Salem and Derry. It is thirty-six miles 
from Concord and thirty-six miles from Boston, on the Boston and Maine Railroad. Daily stage
to village two miles.
     It originally was a part of Haverhill, which was settled in 1640. It comprises a portion 
of the territory conveyed to the inhabitants of Pentucket (now Haverhill) by the Indians 
Passaquo and Saggahew, with the consent of their chief Passaconnaway, by their deed now in 
existence, dated November 15, 1642.
     No settlement was made till eighty-five years later, when, in 1727 or '28, Benjamin
Richards, of Rochester, N. H., Nathaniel, Jonathan, and Edmund Page and John Dow, from 
Haverhill, moved into the present limits of the town. When the dividing line between New 
Hampshire and Massachusetts was settled, Atkinson, then a part of Plaistow, was assigned, 
to New Hampshire.
     Plaistow was incorporated February 28, 1749. Atkinson was separated from Plaistow August 
31, 1767, and incorporated by the Legislature Septemher 3rd of the same year.
     The increase of population from the first settlement of the town was rapid, and in 1775, 
eight years after the incorporation 9f the town. it numbered 575, more than the average from 
that time to the present. The population by the census of 1910 was 440.
     The soil is of an excellent quality, yielding large returns for the labor spent upon it, 
and the town has long been noted for its superior fruit.
     The location of the town is very high, commanding a view of the spires of sixteen villages
and of many mountains on every side around it. The air is dry and pure, and Doctor Bowditch, 
the distinguished physician, has long recommended it as one of the most favorable resorts in 
New Hampshire for those afflicted with pulmonary complaints.
     In the Revolution, which occurred so soon after the incorporation of the town, the people 
of Atkinson showed themselves truly patriotic. This they

Page 214

did by spirited resolutions and by furnishing men and money for the army. Every man in Atkinson 
signed the association test.
     Mr. Nathaniel Cogswell, who had been a merchant thirty or forty years in the adjoining 
Town of Haverhill, and had moved into Atkinson in 1766, alone gave eight sons to the service, 
besides loaning money to the town to be expended in bounty and military equipments, the greater 
part of which money, by the depreciation of currency, he lost. These eight sons performed
more than thirty-eight years of service, a greater amount of service, it is believed, than was 
rendered by any other family in the country.
     They all survived the Revolution and settled in life, and were the Hon. Thomas Cogswell, 
of Gilmanton; Hon. Amos Cogswell, of Dover; Capt. Nathaniel P. Cogswell, of Atkinson; Moses 
Cogswell, Esq., of Canterbury; Dr. William Cogswell, of Atkinson; John Cogswell, Esq., of 
Landaff; Dr. Joseph Cogswell, of Yarmouth; and Mr. Ebenezer Cogswell, of Wiscosset, Me. 
Gen. Nathaniel Peabody, by the important services he rendered to the country in this crisis 
of affairs, was a host.
     In all the wars in which our country has been engaged Atkinson has been prompt to do its 
whole duty. In the War of 1812 she sent quite a number of men to guard the forts along the 
coast, and Capt. William Page, commander of a company of cavalry, in response to a requisition
from the governor, tendered the services of this entire company. Forty residents of Atkinson
served in the War of the Rebellion, very few towns in New Hampshire furnishing so large a 
number in proportion to their population.

     Ecclesiastical History.-The reasons assigned by the petitioners for a separation from the 
Town of Plaistow were "that by reason of the great distance of their dwellings from the 
meeting-house they undergo many and great difficulties in attending the worship of Almighty 
God there, and that the said meeting-house is not large enough to accommodate more than half 
of the inhabitants of said town."
     Before the erection of the church services were held at the house of Mr. Nathaniel Cogswell.
The first meeting-house was built in 1768-69, and remained until 1845.
     The town extended a call to Mr. Stephen Peabody, February 26, 1772, and voted to give him 
"160 pounds lawful money as a settlement, upon condition that the salary begin £66 13s. and 4d.
lawful money the first year, and add on 40 shillings per year till it amount to 80 pounds per 
year." They also voted to give him "ten cords of wood per year as long as he carry on the work 
of the ministry in Atkinson." Mr. Peabody accepted, and was ordained November 25, 1772, at which
time the church was organized at the house of Mr. Samuel Little.
     The covenant of the church adopted at its organization was evangelical. Mr. Peabody 
continued pastor of the church until his decease.
     After the death of Mr. Peabody the pulpit was supplied by the following gentlemen: 
Jacob Cummings, from 1822 till 1824; Stephen Farley, from 1824 till 1832; Luke A. Spofford 
(Ins.), from 1832 till 1834; Samuel H. Tolman (Ins.), from 1835 till 1839; Samuel Pierce (Ord.),
from 1843 till 1844; Jesse Page, 1845 till 1869; Charles F. Morse (Ins.), 1872 till 1875;
Charles T. Melvin, 1876 till 1880; Ezra B. Pike, 1880 till 1882; John O.

Page 215

Barrows, 1882 till 1885; James Alexander, 1886; Augustus C. Swain, 1887 till 1892; Geo. Hale 
Scott, 1893 till 1907; Edgar Warren, 1907 till 191O; R. Albert Goodwin, 1910 till 1914.
     In March, 1819, three months previous to the death of Mr. Peabody, the town "voted to let 
the Universalists have the privilege of using the meeting-house the present year their 
proportion of Sundays, according to the taxation."  This vote was repeated in subsequent years.
     Deeming it expedient, on account of the inconvenience which attended the worship of God 
in connection with those of other denominations, the church and orthodox part of the community
formed, February 19, 1834, a society for the support of Christian institutions, called the
"Congregational Society in Atkinson." During the year 1835 a meeting-house was erected by this
new society from subscriptions by themselves and others. It stands on land given for this 
purpose by Joseph B. Cogswel1.
     In 1845, Mrs. Judith Cogswell, widow of Dr. William Cogswell, gave to the Orthodox 
Congregational Church and Society a bell weighing 1,30O pounds. A fine parsonage was erected 
in 1872. The meeting-house was remodeled in 1879 at an expense exceeding its original cost.
     In 1872, Francis Cogswell, George Cogswell, Nathaniel Cogswell, and Jesse Page gave to 
the Congregational Church a thousand dollars each, "The interest to be expended, under its 
direction, for the support of preaching and sustaining the gospel ministry"; and Joseph B. 
Cogswell, another brother, a similar amount for the support of preaching and repairs on the
house of worship. Donations to the preaching fund have also been made by John Pettengill and 
Eliza W. Noyes.
     It may be well to remark that the singing in the church has always been by a volunteer 
choir. To one family, children of Mr. Henry Noyes,has the church been especially indebted. 
Four sisters of this family sat side by side for more than forty years preceding 1865, and 
several brothers nearly as long, and the husband of one of the four sisters sang in the choir
more than fifty years, a great part of the time as the leader.
     A Universalist Society was incorporated June 18, 1818, by the name of the Universalist 
Society of Atkinson and Hampstead. The old society was given up, and the present one formed 
in 1839, and is known by the name of the Atkinson Universalist Society. The society erected a 
meeting-house in 1842.
     For the years 1843 and 1844 the Rev. Josiah Gilman resided in the town, and supplied the
pulpit half the time. Since then the society has had preaching only occasionally.
    
     Education.-The early settlers seem to have been people of intelligence, and one of their 
first thoughts was the education of their children. March 29, 1774, according to the records 
of the town, it was voted to hire a schoolmaster eight months the ensuing year, an unusual 
length of school for so small a population at that early period. January 30, 1775, the town 
was divided into three school districts and subsequently into six; the present number is five. 
The people, however, were soon dissatisfied with the advantages of the common district schools,
and in 1788 erected a suitable building and established Atkinson Academy, which is entitled to 
an honorable

Page 216 

place among the educational institutions of New England from its antiquity and usefulness.
     The first four academies of New Hampshire were Phillips, at Exeter, incorporated 1781; 
New Ipswich, incorporated 1789; Chesterfield, incorporated 1790; and Atkinson, incorporated 
February 17, 1791. As the one at Atkinson, however, went into operation several years before 
its incorporation, it is really the second in the state in point of age. The origin of the
academy is due mainly to the efforts of three men,--Hon. Dr. and Gen. Nathaniel Peabody, 
Rev. Stephen Peabody, and Dr. William Cogswell.
     The first academy building, one story in height, was erected in the center of the town, 
where the road to Salem diverges from the main street. It was burned in 1802 and rebuilt in 
1803.
     When first established the academy, through the scarcity of such institutions, soon gained
an enviable reputation, and was largely patronized from a distance, fitting young men for 
college, and giving instruction in the higher English branches. It early became a mixed school,
when but little attention had been paid to female education, and has so continued to the 
present time, being the first academy, according to Rev. Dr. Foll, himself one of the pupils, 
where the sexes were educated together in the higher branches.
     It is interesting to note, in comparison with the present educational expenses, how small 
were the charges of the school in its early history. The tuition for the first two years was 
only 6s. for a quarter of twelve weeks; then 9S.; in 1797, $2.00; in 1805, $3.00; in 1839 it 
was raised to $4.00; in 1854 it was $4.80. Board at first was 4s. 6d., including lodging and 
washing. Then for many years it was 6s.; in 1830 it was 7s. 6d. for the whole week, including 
washing and lodging, and 6s. for those who spent the Sabbath at their homes; in 1850 from 
$1.50 to $2.00 per week, including room rent and washing.
   Very many have enjoyed its privileges who would otherwise have secured no instruction 
beyond that of the common district schools. To the town where it is located it has been of
priceless value.
     Among the many pupils of the old academy are not a few who have attained eminence. There 
may be mentioned the names of Levi Woodbury, noted in youth as in manhood for his untiring 
industry; Governor Kent, of Maine; Jonathan and Joseph Cilley; President Brown, of Dartmouth
College; Gen. James Wilson; Judge White, of Salem; President Hale, of Hobart College; 
Benjamin Greenleaf, author of many mathematical works; Edmund R. Peaslee, LL. D., the 
distinguished medical professor and practitioner, of New York City; Judge Greenleaf Clarke,
of the Supreme CoUrt, Minnesota. To these should be added, besides others previously mentioned,
a large number of clergymen of great usefulness.
     Grace Fletcher, the first wife of Daniel Webster, was educated here, and has been 
described by her schoolmates as a pale, modest, retiring girl. The following have been 
principals 0£ the academy: M. H. Neal, D. Hardy, Samuel Moody, S. Dinsmore, S. P. Webster, 
John Vose, Moses Dow, Wm. Cogswell, Francis Vose, Jacob Cummings, Stephen Farley, Enoch
Hale, John Kelly, Jos. Peckham, J. A. Taylor, B. A. Spaulding, J. W. Ray, E. H. Greeley, 
Jos. Garland, C. D. Fitch, W. C. Todd, C. P. Parsons, J. W.

Page 217

Dodge, J. W. Spaulding, N. Barrows, W. E. Buntin, B. H. Weston. E. C. Allen, M. P. White, 
J. V. Hazen, C. D. Tenney, B. H. Weston, T. B. Rice, H. N. Dunham, A. P. Averill, O. B. Lord, 
W. H. Thompson. Oscar E. Gibbs is the present principal.

                                     MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS
     The first house in the town was built by Benjamin Richards, at the end of the lane 
leading from the main street, a little north of the burying-ground. In this same house Lieut. 
Ezekiel Belknap died, January 5, 1836, aged one hundred years and forty days. He was a soldier
of the old French war, afterwards an officer in the Revolutionary war, and was present at the 
execution of Andre.

                                    MILITARY RECORD, 1861-65
     Edward B. Murray, Co. C, 3d Regiment; enlisted December 23, 1861; discharged July 20, 1865.
     James Carroll, Co. F., 3d Regiment; enlisted December 6, 1864.
     Jacob Van Dunran, Co. C, 4th Regiment; enlisted December 9, 1863.
     George W. Heath. Co. E, 4th Regiment; enlisted September 18, 1861; re-enlisted February 
25, 1864; discharged January 27, 1865.
     Edmund F. McNeil, Co. H, 4th Regiment; enlisted September 18, 1861; re-enlisted January 
1, 1864, and promoted to 1st sergeant; killed August 16, 1864.
     John E. Austin, corporal Co. H, 1st Regiment; enlisted May 3, 1861; discharged August 9, 
1861; corporal Co. H, 4th Regiment; enlisted September 18, 1861; promoted to 1st sergeant 
February 20, 1864; discharged August 23, 1865.
     George Hopper, Co. G, 5th Regiment; enlisted August 17, 1864; discharged June 28,1865.
     John Mulligan, Co. G, Sth Regiment; enlisted August 29, 1864.
     John Conley, Co. H, 5th Regiment; enlisted August 13, 1864.
     John Henrys, ----, 5th Regiment; enlisted August 9, 1863.
     Harry Blake, Co. H, 5th Regiment; enlisted August 13, 1864; promoted to corporal April 18, 
1865; discharged June 28, 1865.
     Henry Hall, Co. C, 7th Regiment; enlisted January 3, 1865; discharged July 20, 1865.
     John Smith, Co. C, 7th Regiment; enlisted January 3, 1865; discharged July 20, 1865.
     William Lovell, Co. C, 7th Regiment; enlisted September 12, 1864; died at Jones' Landing, 
Va., date unknown.
     Andrew Mack, Co. K, 7th Regiment; enlisted September 12, 1864; promoted to corporal July 3,
1865; discharged July 20, 1865.
     Frederick W. Sleeper, Co. C, 7th Regiment; enlisted November 20, 1861; re-enlisted 
February 28, 1864; discharged July 20, 1865.
     James Richmond, Co. H, 9th Regiment; enlisted December 9, 1863.
     Mamuel Silver, Co. K, 9th Regiment; enlisted December 9, 1863.

Page 218

     Andrew Coleman, Co. K, 9th Regiment; enlisted December 9, 1863. 
     Lafayette Tebbetts, Co. C, 10th Regiment; enlisted August 25, 1864; discharged June 3, 
1865.
     James Harper, Co. G, 10th Regiment; enlisted October 29, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Lorenzo Frost, Co. K, 15th Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862; discharged August 13, 1863.
     Frank P. Ireson, Co. K, 1sth Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862; discharged August 13, 
1863.
     A. Noyse, Co. K, 1sth Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862; died July 24, 1863.
     Charles G. Perkins, Co. K, 15th Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862; discharged August 13, 
1863.
     Orrin F. Richards, Co. K, 1sth Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862; discharged August 13, 
1863.
     Arthur L. Merrick, Co. K, 1sth Regiment; enlisted October 16, 1862, sergeant; discharged 
August, 13, 1863.
     Robert King, Co. A, 17th Regiment; enlisted December 10, 1862; promoted to corporal; 
discharged April 16, 1863.
     J. H. Smith, ---, 17th Regiment; enlisted February 4, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Patrick Mack, Co. C, 1st Cavalry; enlisted March 31, 1864.
     John Roberts, Co. C, 1st Cavalry; enlisted March 31, 1864.
     Ebenezer Buck, V. R. C. ; enlisted November 10, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Patrick Dunn, ---; enlisted July 29, 1864; date of discharge unknown.
     Patrick K. Norton, ---; enlisted July 3, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Philip G. Lord, ---; enlisted July 3, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Andrew M. Dunning, ---; enlisted July 3, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     Joseph Vedo, ---; enlisted July 3, 1863; date of discharge unknown.
     George Hughes, ---; enlisted August 29, 1864; date of discharge unknown.
     Marcus M. Merrick, Co. H, 1st Regiment; enlisted May 3, 1861 ; discharged August 9, 1861.
     Gilman Noyes, Co. H, 1st Regiment; enlisted May 3, 1861; discharged August 9, 1861.
     David 0. Clarke, sergeant Co. K, 5th Regiment; enlisted October 12, 1861; discharged 
March 16, 1863.
     Joseph A. Carlton, Co. K, Sth Regiment; enlisted October 12, 1861; discharged February 7, 
1863.
     James Hahir, Co. G, 10th Regiment; enlisted December 29, 1863; transferred 2d N. H. 
Regiment, June 21, 1865.
     John C. Ryan, Co. K, 5th Regiment; enlisted October 12, 1861; discharged January 7, 1863.
     Samuel B. Mason, sergeant Co. H, 4th Regiment; enlisted September 18, 1861; discharged 
September 27, 1864.

Page 219

     Byron Noyes, sergeant Co. H, 4th Regiment; enlisted September 18, 1861; discharged 
September 27, 1864.
     Nathaniel G. Scott, marine; enlisted March 15, 1864; date of discharge unknown.
     Lorin Heath, marine; enlisted August II, 1864; date of discharge unknown.

     The Atkinson Public Library was founded by the State in July, 1894. It has 1953 volumes. 
Alice Gilbert is librarian.
     Atkinson Grange, P. of H. and I. 0. U. R. M. are the societies.