Stories of Early Pioneers
In the early winter of 1827, Benjamin Thompson was heading back home with a sled of hay, that he picked up in Shelburne, pulled by a team of oxen. He made it safe through Shelburne Addition (Gorham) and got to a little bridge that crossed the Dead River around the area of what is Main Street today. His sled flipped over, and he knew it was too late in afternoon to reload his
hay before dark. He hitched his oxen and headed up the river to the Wheeler residence to get a flint and steel to start a fire. When Thompson reached the Wheeler place, there was no flint and steel. Instead he started back down the river with a couple of firebrands.
By the time Benjamin Thompson returned to his oxen and overturned sled, the firebrands went out, leaving him in total darkness. He finally returned to the oxen and gave them some hay and then they crawled up in the rest of it, keeping them from freezing to death. He had to wake up twice during the night to fight off wolves that were after the oxen. Wolves once inhabited New Hampshire until being wiped out in the 1840s. It’s hard to believe that all this went on very close to where Family Dollar store now stands. In the morning Mr. Thompson reloaded his hay and headed back to his house where the Brown Farm is today, then called the Thompson Farm.
Thomas Wheeler came here from Shelburne in 1826, with his wife and children, all natives of Gilead, Maine. Before coming here, he and his sons cleared some land on the Milan road. He built a log house and during the month of September, put all he owned on an ox-cart and came up a trail near the present location of Main Street. Everyone walked, with the older children assisting the younger one.
We now come back to the little bridge crossing the Dead River that is spoken of above. This story takes place before the one of Mr. Thompson. The Green family built this little bridge when they made the trail from Shelburne to what is now Berlin. The little bridge was wiped out in August of 1826 during a flood, which had taken the Greens sawmill also. The bridge had to be repaired in order for the Wheelers to get to their new home, near where the road to Cates Hill is today.
The bridge was repaired and they made their way to their home, which was unfinished. They could not get the material on the ground to construct a chimney until late fall, and had to cook over an open flame. The family suffered immensely from the cold. This home was used as the first schoolhouse in 1827.
Now it’s time for a description of Mr. Wheeler. Thomas Wheeler was a small man, he weighed about 110 pounds, but very active. This rewarded Wheeler with a very long life; he died on February 22, 1868 at the age of 84 years and 23 days. Towards the end of his life, he lived with his son Rueben. Being the son of a Revolutionary War soldier, he was a staunch American. It is
said that he also favored slavery, but his two daughters would not submit to his beliefs.
On December 13, 1836, Sally Blodgett, the wife of Thomas Wheeler, died. She was 49 years old. She was a tireless worker, skilled in all the necessaries of a pioneer’s wife. She had to feed ten children and she made all the clothing that the family wore from flax and wool worked out by hand. She accomplished more in her short time here than most women of our time do.
Another tragedy struck Mr. Wheeler in 1837 when he lost two of his sons. One day while Amos and Thomas Wheeler, along with Samuel Phipps, were logging in their camp up in Jericho, near where Granite State is today. Their camp caught on fire and all three men lost their lives.
Let’s now take a look at the young Cyrus Wheeler; only 15 at the time, coming here and helping his Uncle “Bill” build the first home. Wheeler was very homesick and concerned about the wild animals that roamed this wild, untamed place. One night after a day’s work, Cyrus lay in his bed thinking of mother and listening to his uncle’s loud, also most musical snoring. It was only
the second night after they're arrived here
A group of bobcats were nearby and making the noise as follows: “I w-a-n-t so n-o-a-w,” with the n-o-a-w long drawn out. Cyrus made every effort in trying to wake his uncle, which he finally succeeded in doing. He jumped up out of bed and grabbed his gun and fired in the direction the sound was coming from and said, “there, take that and if you want more come back and start another concert, and I will give you all you want.” He went back to sleep within three minutes of getting up, but the animals didn’t come back that night.
One day in the early 1820s, John Messer along with his nephews, Enoch and Allan Peabody, went hunting in the township of Success. Allan, who was suffering from a bad headache, wanted to stay the night at Benjamin Bean’s house on Page Hill, but Messer wanted to head back to Shelburne to stay at his own house. The three reached a small, steep hill and Mr. Messer’s snowshoes went from under him, and away he went down the hill shouting at the top of his lungs,
hay before dark. He hitched his oxen and headed up the river to the Wheeler residence to get a flint and steel to start a fire. When Thompson reached the Wheeler place, there was no flint and steel. Instead he started back down the river with a couple of firebrands.
By the time Benjamin Thompson returned to his oxen and overturned sled, the firebrands went out, leaving him in total darkness. He finally returned to the oxen and gave them some hay and then they crawled up in the rest of it, keeping them from freezing to death. He had to wake up twice during the night to fight off wolves that were after the oxen. Wolves once inhabited New Hampshire until being wiped out in the 1840s. It’s hard to believe that all this went on very close to where Family Dollar store now stands. In the morning Mr. Thompson reloaded his hay and headed back to his house where the Brown Farm is today, then called the Thompson Farm.
Thomas Wheeler came here from Shelburne in 1826, with his wife and children, all natives of Gilead, Maine. Before coming here, he and his sons cleared some land on the Milan road. He built a log house and during the month of September, put all he owned on an ox-cart and came up a trail near the present location of Main Street. Everyone walked, with the older children assisting the younger one.
We now come back to the little bridge crossing the Dead River that is spoken of above. This story takes place before the one of Mr. Thompson. The Green family built this little bridge when they made the trail from Shelburne to what is now Berlin. The little bridge was wiped out in August of 1826 during a flood, which had taken the Greens sawmill also. The bridge had to be repaired in order for the Wheelers to get to their new home, near where the road to Cates Hill is today.
The bridge was repaired and they made their way to their home, which was unfinished. They could not get the material on the ground to construct a chimney until late fall, and had to cook over an open flame. The family suffered immensely from the cold. This home was used as the first schoolhouse in 1827.
Now it’s time for a description of Mr. Wheeler. Thomas Wheeler was a small man, he weighed about 110 pounds, but very active. This rewarded Wheeler with a very long life; he died on February 22, 1868 at the age of 84 years and 23 days. Towards the end of his life, he lived with his son Rueben. Being the son of a Revolutionary War soldier, he was a staunch American. It is
said that he also favored slavery, but his two daughters would not submit to his beliefs.
On December 13, 1836, Sally Blodgett, the wife of Thomas Wheeler, died. She was 49 years old. She was a tireless worker, skilled in all the necessaries of a pioneer’s wife. She had to feed ten children and she made all the clothing that the family wore from flax and wool worked out by hand. She accomplished more in her short time here than most women of our time do.
Another tragedy struck Mr. Wheeler in 1837 when he lost two of his sons. One day while Amos and Thomas Wheeler, along with Samuel Phipps, were logging in their camp up in Jericho, near where Granite State is today. Their camp caught on fire and all three men lost their lives.
Let’s now take a look at the young Cyrus Wheeler; only 15 at the time, coming here and helping his Uncle “Bill” build the first home. Wheeler was very homesick and concerned about the wild animals that roamed this wild, untamed place. One night after a day’s work, Cyrus lay in his bed thinking of mother and listening to his uncle’s loud, also most musical snoring. It was only
the second night after they're arrived here
A group of bobcats were nearby and making the noise as follows: “I w-a-n-t so n-o-a-w,” with the n-o-a-w long drawn out. Cyrus made every effort in trying to wake his uncle, which he finally succeeded in doing. He jumped up out of bed and grabbed his gun and fired in the direction the sound was coming from and said, “there, take that and if you want more come back and start another concert, and I will give you all you want.” He went back to sleep within three minutes of getting up, but the animals didn’t come back that night.
One day in the early 1820s, John Messer along with his nephews, Enoch and Allan Peabody, went hunting in the township of Success. Allan, who was suffering from a bad headache, wanted to stay the night at Benjamin Bean’s house on Page Hill, but Messer wanted to head back to Shelburne to stay at his own house. The three reached a small, steep hill and Mr. Messer’s snowshoes went from under him, and away he went down the hill shouting at the top of his lungs,
"I’m gone, I’m gone, sartin as creation!"
The two boys dropped their axes in the snow and slowly made their way down the hill. They found the old man hung up in a spruce tree. They helped him out and went to look from the axes. The axes were nowhere to be found and they decided just to stay the night. Enoch gathered some kindling, and started a fire, which he tended all night until the journey back home could be made in the morning.
References
1. Once Upon a Berlin Time: A Pioneer Family, by Paul “Poof” Tardiff.
2. Traditions and Recollections of Berlin, N. H., by Bailey K. Davis, pg. 10
3. History of Shelburne, New Hampshire (1882), by Mrs. R. P. Peabody, pg. 9-10
2. Traditions and Recollections of Berlin, N. H., by Bailey K. Davis, pg. 10
3. History of Shelburne, New Hampshire (1882), by Mrs. R. P. Peabody, pg. 9-10