The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-08-24
HAVERHILL 70 YEARS AGO.
GRADUATION ESSAY BY ELSIE MAE
WESTGATE, NINTH GRADE,
uAvEprITrr NJ II SCHOOL,

HAVERHILL 70 YEARS AGO.
GRADUATION ESSAY BY ELSIE MAE
wEsTGATE NINTH GRADE,
HAyERHILL, N. H., SCHOOL.
We Of today can hardly realize that
three quarters of a century ago the
town of Haverhill was very important
business center, it being the shire town
of the county, and the principal stage
center of Northern New Hampshire.
In 1927 there were five different
stage lines. The Boston, Concord, San
bornton and Plymouth; The Boston
and Concord Mail Stage by the way of
Hanover; Northern Mail Stage from
DanviIle. vt; Northern Mail Stage
from Lancaster and Colebrook; and
The Haverhill, Montpelier and Burling-
ton accommodation.
Some of these stages stopped at
Towle's Tavern, others at William S,
or, as it was sometimes called, 1.-THE
Grafton Coffee House." known to us
as Smiths Hotel
In 1882 one of the stages was the AL
bany, Saratoga Springs, and City of
New York Mail Stage, which left
HaverhiIl every Tuesday, Thursday
and Saturday, at six O'Clock in the
morning. One could go to Saratoga
Springs in two and one-half days and
to New York City in three days. The
fare to Albany was six dollars, and
tickets could be given at Haverhill
through to Albany and Saratoga
Springs if wished.
We wonder how, in the Spring of
the year, these heavily loaded stages
got through the mud on Haverhill
streets, especially Court Street, or, as
it was then called, Eastern Avenue.
Sometimes the stages coming in over
the turnpike were very late, and
anxious walters would often come
somewhere between the two commons,
put their ears to the ground and listen
for the rumbling of the stages, when
they were way beyond Sinclair Hill. If
they heard no rumbling they knew the
stage would not be in for at least half
an hour.
1t is said that the taverns of Haver-
hill Corner accommodated from seven
ty-five to one hundred travellers every
day.
Think for a moment the amount of
food it must have taken to feed all
these people. Remember, at this time
all supplies had to be brought from
Boston or New York by team; there
were no railroads, telegraphs, or tele-
phones then.
We find, however, by looking at ad
printed in newspapers, at that time,
that the stores were crowded to over
flowing with good things, both to eat
and to wear. One merchant adver-
tises oranges, lemons, figs, dates, and
all kinds of nuts.
There were at Haverhill Corner, in
1927, seven dealers in English and
West India goods. The store at the
brook was called the "Oliverian Cheap
Store" az one at the corner, where
1Dn18 - ID sgiass were sold,
VA store which had for
ssmboat.
that store keepers were will
glad, to accept anything the
peopE had to offer in exchange for
their goods. One merchant asks for
hogs bristles, calf and sheep skins, fax
seed, etc.
Mr.. Goss, the printer, advertises his
newspaper, 1.-THE New Hampshire In
telligencer," for any length of time,
taking rags as payment. Again he asks
for corn, wheat, rye, peas, beans, oats,
or in fact, anything to keep the jaws
moving"
Shoes were manufactured by five
different firms, wagons and sleighs by
three firms; there were five black
smiths, a tailor and five tailoresses,
two hatters and milliner, two butch
ers a miller and a cloth dresser, be-
side cabinet makers and a furniture
warehouse; there were tanners, leath-
er dressers, a cooper, a mason, a con-
stable, a printer, two physicians, four
lawyers three ministers and an under
taker. Pianos were manufactured by
Mr.. Gay. Tall clocks by Mr.. Osgood.
Rifles and guns by Carleton and Ladd,
and at one time there was an iron
foundry.
There were two jewelry and gold
smith establishments, connected with
each were bookstores, one called the,
"Haverhill Bookstore" the other the
FRANKLIN Bookstore" sign of the watch
and book. Each had circulating libra
ries where books were loaned at the
rate of three dollars per year
The only bank in the county for many
years was the one here at Haverhill,
first called the Cohos Bank. In 1921
the charter was renewed and the name
changed to Grafton Bank.
In the village register, printed Feb
ruary 4, 1927, we find there we're 81
houses, 81 stores and shops, a meeting
house, a court house, a Jail, two
school-houses, a grist mill, two saw
mills, fulling mill, two bark mills and
a carding mill.
At this time the brick court house
and county buildings had not been