HISTORY OF DIXVILLE, COOS 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). ****DO NOT LINK DIRECTLY TO THIS TEXT FILE, INSTEAD LINK TO THE FOLLOWING URL***: http://www.nh.searchroots.com/coos.html#Dixville ======================================================== History of Coös County, New Hampshire by George Drew Merrill; Syracuse N.Y.: W.A. Fergusson & Co., 1888, 1888, 1018 pgs. Chapter LXIX, page 649 DIXVILLE, with an area of 31,023 acres, is situated immediately east of Colebrook, Columbia and Stewartstown, and received its name from Col. Timothy Dix, father of Gen. John A. Dix, the noted war governor of New York, to whom the township was granted in 1805. As early as 1811 the New Hampshire legislature authorized a lottery to obtain funds to construct a wagon road from Colebrook to the Main line through Dixville Notch. This road had been in contemplation from about 1800, and, although the lottery proved a failure, the road was built, and made a valuable highway to the sea-port of Portland. Sine the road was opened to Errol there has been most of the time a house of entertainment in the town. The wealth of Dixville consists in wild siblimity of grandeur appearing in the famous Notch, and the timber with which nature so generously endowed it. For a description of the Notch and scenerey, see "Scenery of Coos" in General History. John Whittemore of Salisbury came to Dixville in 1812 to take charge of the interests of the Dix family in the region. He was employed by Ezekiel and Daniel Webster, attorneys and agents of Col. Dix. Mr. Whittemore resided here many years, cleared a large farm, and his house (on the east side of the Notch) was the wayside inn and a famous stopping place in its day. He died after attaining a good old age; and with his wife lies buried on the desolate and forsaken place which once was a comfortable homestead. After the death of his parents, Benjamin, who had been the home boy, abandoned the town, and the old home rapidly fell into decay. Since then, about 1830, there has been no permanent inhabitant. A few have made short occupancies, but that is all that civilization brought, until the Alpine scenery of the Notch attracted summer travellers. One Walker built a small hotel near the western entrance of the Notch in 1870. This was burned after a few years and never rebuilt. In 1874 George Parsons, of Colebrook, constructed a two-story summer hotel, with accomodations for fifty guests. This was built on the west side of the Notch, on a beautiful plateau, about sixty rods from the highway, directly in front and in full view of the west gate of the Notch. By request of the Dix family it was named the "Dix House," and was dedicated by a reunion of the Dix family. The house is conducted personally by Mr. Parsons, and is open to guests from June to October. The surface of the town is rocky and rugged, but there is some very good land. There are numerous streams, which can be utilized for water-privileges. (end)