The Portland daily press., 1875-07-20
Dixville Notch.


On Wednesday last, the new hotel built by
Mr.. George Pearson at Dixville Notch, n. H.,
was formally opened to the public. Some five
or six hundred guests partook of an excellent
dinner, a letter was read from Gen. John A.
DIX of New York and brief addresses were
made by Messrs John A Bolles of Washing
ton, Drew of LaHcaster, G. f. Talbot and G.
L. Davis of Portland, and Ex-Governor Con-
verse of Vermont. The occasion was also en-.
lvened by good music from the Colebrook
band.
The Not III has long been celebrated for the
magnifcence of its scenery, but has heretofore
afforded no accommodations for tourists. 1t is
now accessible by excellent roads leading in
one direction from Colebrook, and in the other
connecting with steam communication on the
Androscoggin, Magalloway and Lake Umba-
cog. The region abounds with fish and game,
and is full of attraction to sportsmen and low
ers of the wilder forms of nature.
The Dixville township received its name
from Col. Timothy f. Dix of Boscawen, N.
H., to whom it was granted in 1906. He was
the father of Gen. John A. Dix who has done
20 much to make the name known and hon.
cred.
At one time Mr.. Webster was one of the
proprietors of the township, and the following
letter addressed to Mr.. Webster and printed
among his published correspondence, is a Curl
GUS illustration of the manly courage with
which the first settlers met their hardships. The
grave of the writer is still to be seen in the
immediate vicinity of the Notch.
DKvILLE, June %, 1929.
SIR: The inhabitants of this town are now
reduced to two: my children are all gone but
my youngest daughter, and if there is no bet
ter prospect we must quit before winter The
roads are SO bad there is but little travel. Last
year the bridges were all carried off, and two
long slides came down in the Notch. We did
seventy days work on the road before teams
could pass; Mr.. Pearson and others worked
about twenty more; the prospe ct was so bad
that my sons were determined not to winter
here again. Mr.. Gerrsh told me the last time
saw him that you and he had agreed not to sell
any single lots nor do anything on the road.
Now, sir, if this is right, l ought not to COM
its being just before can believe it, We have
done at least five hundred days work on the
road, and the proprietors have done nothing. 1
am no beggar: all l ask is justice among men.
Your much lamented brother told me that Dan
lei would be willing to lay out hundred or
two dollars on the road, if that would satisfy
me, but that you considered such sum only as
an entering wedge for a larger sum; but am
not lawyer enough to see the proprety OF such
argument Besides, two hundred dollars, we'll
laid out, with what the people would do, pro-
vided that sum was promised to be paid those
who should do the work, when done, under the
superintendent of some good man that feels
an interest in the road, would make it tolerable
good, SO that the reverse of curses would rest
on the proprietors' heads. You can guess
pretty near what men say when they get their
horses off the Notch and have them lay in the
gulf two or three days, which has several
fImla IN T no
for your interest to sell the land by lots to set.
tiers, and 1 should like good neighDors very
much. Now, sir, if you will assist in repair
ing the road, you will let me know how and
when. General Town from Charlton has been
here; if you see him, he can tell you my situa-
tion and that of the road.
am your long neglected and very humble
servant, JOHN WHITMAN.