Information on this page is gathered from several sources though mainly from the History Of Salisbury by John Dearborn, “From the King’s Plantation to Home Town Heritage: Boscawen and Webster, New Hampshire by Authors, Walter Theo Silver, Linnea Stadig Silver, Historic Salisbury Houses by Paul Shaw, History of Boscawen, The Dartmouth Conservancy and by observation.
Reference to Indian trails comes from past conversations with Professor David Stuart Smith.
References to the Sutton “grain trek” comes from conversation with author and historian Jack Noon.
EARLY TOWN PLANNING
On this broad topic we are begin exploring why our town looks as it does now, how and why roads, houses and town centers are where they are and why some vanished. It will just scratch the surface as it is an overview and research continues. All researchers and input welcome.
Changes in our town requires deciphering, a peeling back of layers of time.
Old trails became surveyed roads, town populations shift, dam are built, changes in industry and commerce, mills proliferating elsewhere, the coming and going of railroads, floods, flood control etc., all changing our town. Once traveled roads became unused and seemingly went “private” or perhaps actually did.When new roads were added it often made older ones obsolete. Buildings were moved. Busy town clusters developed and then fell into quieter times. Cemeteries were moved or became remote.
A clear explanation would require digging into the town archives to discover how roads went from their original design, to use, to disuse and the assumption or actual fact of them ending up as private roads. It is a hot topic as you can well imagine.
When we look at our town now we are tempted to think of the Crossroads and Salisbury Heights as “town centers”. The founders did not foresee this layout exactly although they wisely created a layout that was flexible, allowing for a variety of clusters. They saw the possibility of several town centers, according to the map. It is interesting to note that it’s possible that those that initially drew up the herringbone lot layout may never have set foot in our town. They were from Kingston and Portsmouth.
The Salisbury, NH-Property Platt Map of 1825 by the Central NH Power Company is a wealth of information. It shows owners of all land lots and their herringbone pattern of lots off of three distinct Rangeways that dissected the town into four sections horizontally. By 1825 however there would have been subdivisions of the lots which is not shown. The guess is that this map does indeed show the earliest owners and their lots for clarity about boundaries however newer roads are overlayed on it that did not originally exist then. The only way to verify if the names on the 1825 map are the original or at least very earliest of owners is to get the actual records from the time showing the first proprietors of each lot. Until then we will reasonably assume it is correct.
The map also shows in each district areas reserved for a minister and school so basically they were thinking that each section of town might have some common center. So the early lines for the range roads from which the lots spread were planned about 15 years before they were formally built. https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/old-college-road/
For starters the following is a great introduction to the topic of Range Roads> range_road_handout
DESCRIPTION OF SALISBURY’ S THREE RANGE ROADS
Info from History of Salisbury by John Dearborn 1890:
What are the Rangeways?
- Three roads that served as the very earliest access from the earlier river rd that brought early exporters north. The town of Salisbury, previously called Bakerstown and then Stevenstown extended to the Merrimack River about 60-70 years before that section of town became Franklin. It is unclear how much of the North Rangeway was completed.
- Transportation routes across the town from the river to the slopes of Mt. Kearsage and beyond going fairy straight and spaced apart evenly (more less).
- Access points to all the long lots laid out in herringbone patterns abutting at the Range Roads. (Rangeways) The lots went up against each Rangeway (sometimes 2) and access was guaranteed.
- The older New England ideal during the 1600’s in Massachusetts and Connecticut was to keep the settlers together in village lots. New Hampshire planners of towns often repudiated the older ideal and and our town is a good example where lots are laid our broadly across the entire town along the Rangeways.
ORIGINAL SOUTH RANGEWAY
Formally surveyed in 1768 but likely traveled much earlier.
The South Rangeway follows a fairly straight line from south of Webster Place in Franklin. This section continues going through the NH State Forest and then through private not public land. It joins what is now Rte 127 (going east to west at the the curve in the road of 127 behind the small white cape just before Gerrish Road) at Stirrup Iron Brook. The first lot belonged to Philip Call.
The South Rangeway continues westerly straight through the Crossroads of Rte 127 and Rte 4 past Cooks Pond to the junction at Battle Street and Hensmith where it continues straight as Warner Road while 127 (Battle Street) heads south to Webster.
It continues through Smith’s Corner in the floodplain (junction of South Rangeway Road and Mills Road/Couchtown Rd) just past Little Road. Little Hill Road comes up from Boscawen and was perhaps a trail traveled very early by Native Americans, the earliest settlers to this part of Salisbury. It likely provided access to the meadow area where the Maloons settled very early on. It is also possible they came up Couchtown Rd, also which likely was barely a trail at the time. Incidentally previously to settling in the meadow at Smith’s Corner the Maloons lived on the Old Province Road in Boscawen/Webster a section called Dublin Lane (on the road between Little Hill road and Couchtown Road).
Just before the Tucker Pond area the Rangeway appears to veer right off up into the hills but in actuality it is the Warner Road that veers off southwest to Warner as it is presently constructed. At this point the land that the old South Rangeway is on rises up onto the highlands on the slope of Mt Kearsarge into what was known as the Watson district of Salisbury. This area was once more settled with a schoolhouse.
CENTER RANGEWAY
This Rangeway was in existence prior to 1768 and also one route by which settlers came from the south on the river road past the old fort settlement on the river turning up Punch Brook Rd or another very close by.
If the founders intended this to be the main road into Salisbury from the East from the established river road, things changed quickly as Boscawen (Contoocock Plantation) became more developed. Settlers came from Boscawen up though Little Rd as well as Mutton Road and possibly some version of Old College Road n/s. However it was indeed traveled in the earliest of times.
There isn’t any indication of settlement this portion of the Center Rangeway closest to the river. Speculation is that settlers chose to move away from the river, even as far up on North Road as well, to avoid any possible lingering Indian raids. This section of the Center Rangeway, possibly today’s Punch Brook Road, extends from just north of Webster Place and crosses rte 127 just west of Smiths Corner in Franklin (just west of North Road off Rte 127). It is at this location roughly that Ebenezer Webster had his mill.
From the area that is now the junction of South Rangeway and Rte 127 the ascent up Searle’s Hill is an extremely rough at this time. It likely always was difficult. There was a large Meeting House, a Parsonage, a few homesteads with barns, a fine Granite quarry, a schoolhouse and orchard that were essentially largely but not entirely abandoned by 1790.
The church was moved in 1790 to the flatlands first near Parsons Corner (Whittemore Road & Center Road area) but finally was reconstructed after much debate on the South Rangeway and Old Coach Rd. where it remains today except for a slight reorientations at one point.
It then descends from the apex on Searle’s Hill down to Thompson’s Corner (area at the junction of Center Road>New Road, Raccoon Hill Road and Searles Hill Road (Center Rangeway).
After Thompson’s Corner (area where Searle’s Hill Rd/Center Rangeway mets New Road) it is called Center Road going towards Rte. 4.
East of Rte. 4 there are sections briefly through a private driveway it seems and then continues as Loverein Hill Rd. There is small section of Loverein Hill Road that is public but the remainder to the river, which is not federally owned, is considered by abutters to be private at this point. More research is needed on this issue.
For a short while the people of Perrystown (Sutton) would bring their grain over to the Webster mill on Punch Brook (South Rangeway) which apparently was both a saw mill and grist mill. The farmers may have come up the Gore Road in what is now Warner and connected to the Center Rangeway or the South Rangeway near the western edge of Salisbury and then down onto the valley towards Ebenezer Webster’s Mill. This Rangeway seems to have been well traveled for a brief time in history which may explain the early dates of one of the houses on the Center Rangeway, Chestnut Cottage.
What changed?
Sutton developed its own town center and other routes became more popular to new settlements spring up. The Center Rangeway no longer exists as a functioning connector road in most of the western part of Salisbury although it was populated by Salisbury residents, had a school and cemetery was referred to as the “Watson District.
NORTH RANGEWAY
Never completed, appears to follow the lines of Montgomery Road in the eastern section and a remnant is found off West Salisbury Road and exists as a trail.
The area in between the Rangeways was more or less a bit more evenly spaced than the map suggests.
TIMELINE
1734-Boscawen began to be settled in 1734, it soon had a meetinghouse, sawmill, gristmill and ferry across the Merrimack River. A garrison offered protection, but guerrilla attacks during the French and Indian Wars left some dead or carried off. It is likely the Maloons and Beans came to Salisbury from this more interior direction see bel0w 1748
1738- Following settlement patterns can be speculative and best left up to scholars however we do know that in 1738 the town (Bakerstown first name) is first laid with some lots with Proprietors however the settlement requirements were not met at the first and second attempt.
1740- The River road is laid out as a highway. This is another direction for influx of settlers into Salisbury along the primitive range roads, about 15 years later.
According to John Dearborn p 54 History of Salisbury -Prior to 1754 Eight families lived in the township of Stevenstown ( second name), Several families located near the Fort on the Merrimack near Webster family graveyard route 3.
Pages 291 of History of Salisbury describes the river road along the west bank of Merrimack/Pemi extending up into Coos County.
1748- Approximately, Nathaniel Maloon & Sinkler Bean settle in the western section (crossroads of Mill Road and South Rangeway-Warner Road in the floodplain now) at his time. This tells us that there was likely a 2 directional influx into the township at that time. The road the Maloons migrated up from was called the Province Road which went to Charleston Fort no #4 and was used by Rogers Rangers in the French and Indian Wars. By 1743 10 families lived at Fort NO 5 the northernmost British Settlement along the Connecticut River in NH until the French and Indian Wars in 1754-1763. The Maloons come from their homestead on Province Road on the Dublin Lane just the Province Road (a section of Little Hill road Boscawen). Contact us for details.
About Province Road courtesy of Soonipi Magazine:
1749- Grant of Stevenstown occurs with Proprietors. When the earlier Proprietors laid out the settlement they did so in lots of 100, 80, 60 and 30 acres and reserving a portion for public roads. Grant did not produce a true settlement.
1753- The proprietors voted to build 4 houses: Stephen Call at the Old fort area on the River
1754 -(Prior) 8 families lived in Salisbury
1753- James Tappan, one of the earliest proprietors of Bakerstown arrives in Stevenstown (Salisbury) and builds his house on North Road which is still standing and presumably the oldest house in town. North Road is off the old Center Rangeway. This is prior to the formal construction of the Rangeway Roads which tell us some primitive roads exited. 1753 James Tappan settles on North Road but likely just a small road off the center or future North or Center Rangeway? as North Road is not formally built until 1770.History of Salisbury indicates this road was actually a very traveled thoroughfare. Was it from the established river road inland likely via the Center rangeway (Punch Brook Road or close to it, not Smith Hill) to the emerging settlements of east Andover and north into Hill Bristol and Hebron Alexandria as they were being settled.
Likely these settlers must have lived on trails off somewhat rudimentary “trail” roadways.
1753- Approx The Meloon family kidnapped off the SouthRange Road (Flood Plain- Smith’s Corners- Mill Rd) residence by Native Americans.
1758-1760 Henry Morrill resides on Smith Hill Road area. The Rangeways are still not surveyed but apparently are traveled upon from the river road. Smith Hill road is not formally built until later.
1760-By 1760 house are appearing at the South Road Village (Crossroads), at the heights Joseph Fifield House 1755, on Loverein Hill Road/ Center rangeway west of now route 4, Humphrey House near tolls, Old College Road junction with the later rte 4. see OLD COLLEGE ROAD.
1761- In 1761 the Webster Sawmill is built on Punch Brook near the still “unbuilt” rangeway. This is explained under the Chapter “Stevenstown” in the
1761- Ebenezer Webster Webster moves to Salisbury (Stevenstown) North Road.
1763- NORTH RANGEWAY surveyed. Only a few sections were ever built.
1763- SOUTH RANGEWAY surveyed by William Calef
1764- In Kingston NH- A committee is established to decide where the Meeting House should be established. The Meeting House on Mt Pisgah (Searle’s Hill) is designated. Ten acres on the North side of Searles Hill is selected.
1765- Prior in an early map of Merrimack Valley there appears to have been located a Meeting House however in 1765 when the people of Stevenstown petitioned Kingston in regards to their settlement they represented that there had built a fort and were about to but a meeting house. It may be they had constructed one of logs previous to this date. There is not reason to believe this had done so the Searle’s Hill Church is regarded as Salisbury’s first church.
By 1767– Tavern at Andrew Pettengills, Crossroads
1767- Population of Salisbury is 210
1768- CENTER RANGEWAY ROAD Road fully surveyed though operational before. “Chestnut Cottage” was already built by about 1760- on the Center Rangeway and may have served as a travelers stop heading from the heights to Province Road to Sutton and Charlestown?
1761-1769-Hanover NH and a charter is given for the founding of Dartmouth College.
1770- Grain is transported out of Salisbury to Sutton (Perrysville) for a brief period..
BY 1770-Roads north westerly: Wolfeboro Road is built from Wolfeboro NH to Dartmouth College. A branch of the Old College Road exists in Salisbury.
Province Road already exists going from Boscawen through Salisbury to Sutton to Fort # 4 Charlestown and the road to Hanover. About OLD COLLEGE ROAD> https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/old-college-road/
1768- Approx- Meeting House/Church is built with a parsonage. Settlers arrive. 1773 Reverend Searles comes to Mt. Pisgah later known as Searles Hill Salisbury NH, preaches and farms. Has an orchard. 1768-abt 1788
1768- Salisbury is founded and the first meeting is at the home of Andrew Pettengill at what is now The Crossroads. Homes are already built in this area since about 1760.
1769- April 7, 1769 Legal voters for the New town of Salisbury meet at Andrew Pettengill’s Tavern (gray house crossroads) serves as a town Meetinghouse.
1770- NORTH ROAD is formally constructed. starts at Shaws Corner and goes to Andover. According to Dearborn this was the second road to the North country. Perhaps the first being the Merrimack/ Pemi River road. “This was for many years a thoroughfare for the northern section of the country” however families are already settled on north road since 1753
1774 -A Cross Rangeway likely existed- linking South Rangeway near the Stirrup Iron Pond to the Center Rangeway just west of Salisbury Meeting House on Searle’s Hill. It is barely a trail now. Likely replaced by Bog road.
Bog Road- Cross Rangeway links South Rangeway with the Center Rangeway. Once well traveled.
1775- Deacon Moses Sawyer settles on Center rangeway
1781- Raccoon Hill Road
Date unknown Calef Hill Road– connected to Water Street Boscawen. Date unknown Calef Hill Road-link to Water Street Boscawen likely much earlier. Was this a major road? It seem an older house exsted here and was moved to the South Range Road which had assumed more of a town center.
Mills Road -Center Road Village to West Salisbury- (West Salisbury Road). Both Scribner’s Corner and Smith’s Corner are very early settlements.
Cross Range Road (Hensmith) connects South and Center rangeway from Center Village to Battle Street at the heights HOWEVER it goes by Baptist graveyard not where it is today.
1784- Old College Road plans submitted is planned. See OLD COLLEGE ROAD>
https://www.salisburyhistoricalsociety.org/old-college-road/
1790- Reuben True House/Bell Tavern is built and accommodates travelers on the Fourth Nh Turnpike toll road after 1800..
1804- Fourth NH Turnpike constructed.
1819- Mutton Road off the the junction at the Crossroads- South road Village to Corser Hill to Hopkinton.
Water Street now called Rabbit Road commences near the Academy-note Rte 4 in this section did not exist a the time, and goes to Water Street n Boscawen.
1823-Shaws Corner to north east to Franklin (Rte 127)
1825-The town is divided for Franklin-A petition for a new town was presented to the Legislature in 1825. The petition was bitterly opposed by the towns who would have to give up parts of their lands, the result being that several years would elapse before the matter was settled.
The people who wanted a new town persevered and as a result, Franklin, the Town, was incorporated on December 24, 1828. It would become a city in 1895.-historyof franklin.org
1849- The “New Road” now Stirrup Iron Road/Gerrish follows Stirrup Iron Brook down Switch Hill towards the Merrimack River to Rte 3 is constructed thought it existed prior. Purpose was to reach the Gerrish Station 1842 , transport and pick up goods & mail. Perhaps simply improved.
1869- New Road
1950’s- “The Crank” at the Crossroads is remedied with a small straight extension through the farmlands of Rene Beaudoin into the crossroads junction sometime in the mis 1950″S (1955?).