HISTORY OF CENTER HARBOR, BELKNAP COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE ---------------------------------- Information located at http://www.nh.searchroots.com On a web site about GENEALOGY AND HISTORY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE and its counties TRANSCRIBED BY JANICE BROWN Please see the web site for my email contact. ---------------------------------- The original source of this information is in the public domain, however use of this text file, other than for personal use, is restricted without written permission from the transcriber (who has edited, compiled and added new copyrighted text to same). ======================================================== SOURCE: History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties, New Hampshire Philadelphia: J.W. Lewis & Co., 1885, 1108 pgs. Page 725 The town of Centre Harbor lies in the northern part of the county, and is bounded as follows: On the North west and North, by Grafton County; Northeast by Carroll County; South by Meredith and New Hampton. This town was incorporated December 17, 1797, having been set off from New Hampton. For several years previous to the incorporation of the town the locality of the present village was known as "Centre-harbour." Moultonborough harbor being east and Meredith habor west, made this the centre harbor, and from this source the town derived its name. The village of Centre Harbor is located on Lake Winnipiseogee [sic] and commands a charming view of the lake and neighboring hills. It is somewhat celebrated as a watering-place. There are two churches in this town [1885]--Congregational and Baptist. The first petition for the incorporation of the town was made in June 1788, and signed by Benning Moulton and fifty others. This petition, however, was not granted, and, in 1797, a second petition was presented to the General Court, which was granted, and the town incorporated, as mentioned agove, December 7, 1797. The signers of this petition were--Ezekiel Morse, C. Sturtevant, John Pain, John Hawkins, Chase Robinson, Jesse Sturtevant, John Sturtevant, Hosea Sturtevant, Amos Pain Jr., Stephen Hawkins, John Knowlees, A.B. Glines, Nehemiah Lee, Benning Moulton, Daniel Page, Moses Morse, Hugh Kelsea, Joseph Kenney, Daniel Norris, Robert Kelsea, James Tebbets, Caleb Towle, Perez Sturtevant, James Little, W. Robinson, W. Pain, William Berry, Jonathan Robinson, Joshua Pain, Jeremiah Towle, Pelham Sturtevant, Joseph Moulton, J.M. Pain, Abel Morse, Moses Kelsea, Smith Cram, Joshua Norris, Benjamin Sturtevant, John Pain Jr., Isaac Morse, James Towle, Wadleigh Cram, Jos. Senter, E. Chamberlain, C. Hawkins, Stephen Kenney, and Amos Pain. THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING was held March 12, 1798, and the following officers were elected: Winthrop Robinson, Captain Jesse Sturtevant and Hugh Kelsea, selectmen; Winthrop Robinson Clerk. [the book goes on to list town officers from 1799 to 1886, but are not included here]. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES COL. JOHN HALE MOULTON, who was born at Centre Harbor, N.H. June 24, 1795, and died at his residence, Moulton House, June 3, 1885, aged ninety years. Colonel John Hale Moulton was of the sixth generation in descent from the emigrant John and grandson of General Jonathan and son of Benning and Sally (Leavitt) Moulton. After a common-school education, he entered his brother's store in his native town and continued with him until 1812, when he was employed as a clerk in Hampton for three years. Returning to Centre Harbor, he resumed his old position in his brother's employ, and also had the opportunity of adding to his education by receiving instruction from that able teacher, "Master" Dudley Leavitt... Three years after, 1818, he established himself in trade and continued merchandising for ten years...in 1828 purchased a mill privilege in an adjoining town, erected a saw, grist, and shingle mill, and also owned and conducted a freighting boat on Lake Winnipesaukee, with which he conveyed his lumber to market. In 1836, Colonel Moulton again established himself in Centre Harbor, as a merchant, and in 1848 he purchased the hotel which as for so many years borne his name. He continued in business, managing his store and farm.. until 1880, when he retired from active life. In 1832, Colonel Moulton married Susan Sargent, daughter of Rev. Huntington Porter, of Rye, N.H. Mrs. Moulton is a descendant of two old colonial families of consequence, Huntington and Porter, and is a lady of winning personal presence and amiable character. Her father, Rev. Mr. Porter, was an able and noted minister of the gospel... Colonel and Mrs. Moulton had three children -- Franklin Hale (died aged two years), Oliver Porter (died in infancy) and Susan Huntington, who married Smith F. Emergy. They have two children-- Caroline Porter Emery and Alice Huntington Emergy. Before he attained his majority in 1815, Colonel Moulton enlisted in the New Hampshire Light Infantry... and, in 1832, received his commission as colonel, and was considered an able officer. In politics he was an uncompromising Democrat...He represented Centre Harbor in the General Court in 1847 and 1848, and again from 1852 to 1856, and was county commissioner from 1858 to 1861. In 1819, he was chosen selectman, and was often re-elected until 1862 when he was made chairman of the board and retained that position until 1868. He was moderator for years and repeatedly served as town treasurer, and justice of the peace. He also held the office of deputy sheriff of Strafford County for five years. In early life Colonel Moulton was a believer in Universalism, but later, changed his views and subscribed to the "Articles of Faith" adopted by the Congregationalists, although he never became a communicant with the church in Centre Harbor. [more biography and likeness]. JOHN COE ...Robert Coe was born in Suffolkshire, England, in 1596. With his wife, Anna, and their three sons, he sailed from Ipswich, Suffolkshire, April 10, 1634. They reached Boston the following June, only six years from the date of the first settlement in the Massachusetts colony. Robert Coe settled in Watertown, near Boston, and in 1635 he moved to Wethersfield, Conn. On the 30th of October 1640, Mr. Andrew Ward and Mr. Robert Coe, with about twenty other planters, commenced a settlement in Stamford, Conn. In 1644, Robert Coe and several others formed the first settlement at Hampstead, L.I. In 1652 he made a settlement at Middlebury (now Newton) L.I. In 1656 he with others commenced a settlement in Jamaica, L.I. John Coe, of the seventh generation from the above-named Robert Coe, was the son of Rev. Curtis Coe and Annie Thompson, and was born at Durham, N.H. January 15, 1797. His father moved to Newmarket, N.H. with his family when John was about nine or ten years old. A few years thereafter John engaged as a clerk in a store kept by his brother Ebenezer, at Northwood, N.H. After faithful service for several years..he became acquainted with a gentlemen who owned an unoccupied store at Centre Harbor, N.H. Mr. Coe visited the place, then very thinly settled, leased the store and, returning, bought at Portsmouth, N.H, a stock of general merchandise, ordering it shipped to Dover, thence to Alton Bay by teams, thence to Centre Harbor by boat propelled by oars and sails. On his arrival at Centre Habor, soon after, he found his goods at his store. He at once began to take an interest in public affiars of the town...Being town clerk at the time of his marriage, he was, according to the law of that time, obliged to rise in church and declare his own intentions of marriage. He married Lavinia T. Senter, eldest daughter of Samuel M. Senter, one of the first settlers in the town which afterward took his name. After about eight years of active, succesful business as a country merchant, he removed to Durham, N.H. where he engaged in ship-building. During his stay at Centre Harbor he became convinced of the need of a temperance reform, and banished from his table and places of business all intoxicants. Upon entering his new busines of ship-building at Durham, he found that it was a long established custom for the men employed in the shipyards to have a liquor dealt out to them at regular hours of the day. True to his convictions, he determined to break up that custom in his yard, and gave notice that no more "grog" would be furnished or allowed on the premises. His men all refused to work without it, knowing he had a large amount of work that must be finished at a given time or he would lose heavily. Not heeding the advice of his friends, he stood firm on the side of temperance, going in the night to Dover and engaging a new crew of men, who came to his yard at sunrise the next morning. His work went on and no more intoxicating liquor was even allowed on his premises. About 1832 he moved to Dover, there residing till 1835 , when he came back to Centre Harbor, where he still owned much real estate, and bought the "Senter House" of its first proprietor, Samuel M. Senter, and began a very successful career as a hotel proprietor, and with his estimable wife, enjoyed a reputation as landlord and landlady second to none in the state. As the business increased, he made additions to the hotel until, instead of forty feet frontage, he had a house with one hundred and twenty feet front, and comparatively large additions in the rear. In 1846, leaving his son Curtis S. in charge of the "Senter House" he removed to Boston and leased the Marlboro Hotel, on Washington Street, which he kept four years. Returning to Centre Harbor, he sold the "Senter House" to his son, C.S. Coe, and repaired and modernized the house he built when he first came to Centre Harbor, thinking to retire from active business; but being largely interested in real estate at Jamaica Plain and Newton, for several years he spent most of his time in Boston, returning to his family and country home to spend the Sabbath...as a day of worship. In early manhood..he united with the Congregational Church at Centre Habor. During his life he was much interested in agriculture, owning and tilling several large farms. In 1860 Mr. Coe visited the South on business, spending several weeks in an around Natchez, Miss. Returning home, he was taken ill and died April 2, 1861. The children of John and Lavinia S. Coe were Curtis S., Annie L. (Mrs. Charles P. Towle), John L., Ellen L. (Mrs. Dr. S.J. Quinby), Rufus L., and Daniel W. ------------- RANDALL S. KENESON Randall Seavey Keneson, son of John and Polly (Jackson) Keneson, was born in that part of Eaton, now Madison, N.H., December 14, 1811. John Keneson was a man of great versatility of talent, of much mechanical ability, and, with his trade of watch and clock making, carried on a boot and shoe manufactory in Eaton, his native place. He married February 8, 1804, Polly, daughter of Phillip and Mary (Place) Jackson. They had nine children--two sons and seven daughters. Mr. Keneson was a Whig in his political views, and, although the town was largely Democratic, he often received more than the vote of his party when nominated for office. He was town clerk for twenty-five years, and also held a commission as justice of the piece for a long period, and served in various minor offices. He was a Free-Will Baptist in religion... He was of medium size, social, made many friends, and always took an intelligent interest in the welfare and growth of his native town. He was born May 18, 1784, and died March 24, 1838. Randall, from his earliest childhood, had a great aptitude for mechanics, "had rather frame a slate at home than use it at school," and, not altogether willingly, received instruction which was given him for several years at the pulbic schools, and learned the jeweler's trade and custom boot and shoe making, remaining with his father until he was twenty years of age. His mechanical skill soon made more than ordinarily proficient in these avocations, so he went to Haverhill and worked at custom shoemaking with good success for one season. His health failing, he was obliged to give up labor for a year. After the recovery of his health he went to Dedham, Mass., where he was employed in a broadcloth-factory for four years. He .. devoted the time not required in his duties at the factory in repairing clocks, watches, etc., and in this way..he was enabled to save enough money for a capital for future business operations. He then returned to Eaton, and went to work on his father's farm, and also..fitted up a small shop and established himself as a jeweler. Mr. Kenison married, first January 9, 1838, Almira, daughter of Moses Morse, of Centre Harbor. She died August 9, 1842. They had two children--Elvira (Mrs. George B. Blake) and Newell, who died when an infant. He married, second Miranda S., daughter of Isaiah and Deborah (Mason) Forest of Eaton where she was born, April 8, 1816. They had one child, Adelaide H. (Mrs. Lewis R. Veasey). Mr. Keneson continued in business in Eaton until August of 1852, when he removed to Center Harbor and has since been a resident of that town [1885]. Here he devoted himself exclusively to his jewelry trade, and cararied it on until 1880, when he retierd from commercial transactions... Democratic in politics, he represented Centre Harbor in the legislative term of 1878-79 and he has also served in town offices...Mr. Keneson is a member of the Congregational Church...