HISTORY OF ELLSWORTH, GRAFTON 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: Gazetteer of Grafton County, N.H., 1709-1886 by Hamilton Child, Syracuse, N.Y.: H. Child, June 1886 page 242+ HISTORY OF ELLSWORTH NH Ellsworth lies in the central part of the county, in lat. 43 degrees 54' and long. 71 degrees 48', bounded north by Woodstock, east by Thornton and Campton, south by Rumney, and west by Warren. It was originally granted to BARLOW TRECOTHICK, May 1, 1769, and bore the name of Trecothick until its incorporation June 16, 1802, when its present name was substituted. In the charter deed the township is bounded as follows:-- "Beginning at a beach tree standing at the northwest corner of the township of Campton, thence running west 5 degrees east by the township of Thornton five miles and three quarters; to a red birch tree standing at the southeast corner of the township of Pealing; thence north 59 degrees west to a red birch tree standing at the northeast corner of the township of Warren; thence running south 24 degrees west six miles to a maple tree standing at the northwest corner of the township of Rumney; thence turning off and running south 64 degrees east seven miles and 210 rods by said township of Rumney, to a beach tree standing at the northwest corner of the township of Campton, the place of beginning." These boundaries thus gave the town an area of 24,957 acres, considerably more than it has now, its area only being about 16,606 acres. Topographically considered, this is but a romantic hamlet situated high up in a great basin among the hills, isolated from the rest of the world, and full of tarns, brooks and mountains. Ellsworth pond, in the southeastern part of the town, contains about one hundred acres, and affords a fine mill stream called West Branch brook. Moulton brook, from Warren and Buzzell brooks, flows into this pond. One of the three Glen ponds is on the western boundary, and a portion of Stinson pond on the south line. Stinson brook flows through the west part, and in the northern part is Kieno brook and Hubbard brook, an affluent of Hubbard pond, in Woodstock. Mr. Kineo, 3,557 feet high, so-called from an Indian chief, is in the center, and Black Hill, formerly a great place for Moose, is in the valley between Mt. Kineo and Mt. Carr. In the south part is a portion of Stinson mountain. Ellsworth, though a popular resort for the summer tourist, hunter and fisherman, affords little good farming land, its soil being hard and untilable, and the greater part of the territory covered with forest. It has no village, and has no post office. DESCRIPTION OF ELLSWORTH IN 1885 In 1880 Ellsworth had a population of 209 souls. In 1885 the town had two school districts and two common schools. Its two school-houses were valued, including furniture, etc. at $605.00. There were sixty-four children attending school, taught during the year by four female teachers, at an average monthly salary of $21.50. The entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $177.03, while the expenditures were $181.60 with David R. Buzzell, superintendent. SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN OF ELLSWORTH NH The first permanent settlement was made here by JONATHAN T. DOWNING, from Gilmanton in 1790. He located off road 10, upon the farm now occupied by his grandson, Ira C. Downing, and his son Jonathan was the first white child born in the town. In the spring of 1791 the settlment was increased by the arrival of BENJAMIN HILL, FRANCIS AvERY and GIDEON HILL, and in the autumn by DANIEL CRAIG. From this time, however, the settlement must have been slow, for in 1800 the census report shows only a population of forty-seven souls. This vicinity was a favorite hunting resort of the Indians, as the frequent discovery of relics testifies. The chief Kineo, from 'Kunnawa,' meaning 'the bear,' it is said, hunted upon the mountain which now bears his name. In the neighborhood of Stinson Pond are found numerous ores and minerals, and on some of the streams gold has been found. JOHN BUZZELL, from Thornton, came to Ellsworth about 1811 and settled on road 4. In the following year he moved to road 2, where David R. now lives, and where he reared a family of five children--Lucy, Silas, Sally, John and David R. The latter, who still occupies the homestead, is one of Ellsworth's most influential citizens. CHURCHES The ELLSWORTH FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH was organized about 1799, and Rev. Israel Blake was its first pastor. In 1824 a church building was erected, with, with repairs made in 1860, is now valued at $1,000.00, and will seat 200 persons. The society has thirty-eight members, with no regular pastor. ------------------- 1810 Census of Ellsworth NH HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD / MALES under age 10/10-15/16-25/26-44/44 and over // Females under 10/10-15/16-25/26-44/45 and over Henry Buzwell 3/-/-/1/-//1/-/-/1/- Ebenezer Perkins -/-/-/-/1//-/-/-/-/1 Israel Blake 1/-/1/1/-//1/1/1/1/- John Blake 2/2/-/1/-//2/1/-/1/- Joseph Moulton 1/1/-/-/1//1/2/-/1/- William Spokesfield [nothing listed except his name] Jasper Elkins 2/-/1/1/-//1/1/-/1/- Gideon Hill 2/-/1/1/-//1/4/-/1/- Aaron Straw 2/-/-/1/-//3/3/-/-/1 Samuel Avery 1/-/2/-/1//3/1/-/1/- Andrew Willey 2/3/1/1/-//3/-/1/1/- Moses Avery 1/2/-/-/1//2/1/1/-/1 Stephen Avery 1/1/1/-/-//-/-/1/-/- Jonathan T. Downin[g] 5/2/-/1/-//2/2/-/1/- Edward Sanbourn -/-/-/1/1//-/-/-/-/- Benjamin Hill 1/-/1/-/-//1/-/1/-/- Edmund M. Moulton 1/-/1/-/-//-/-/1/-/- Nathan Stone 1/-/-/1/-//1/-/1/-/- Francis Avery 2/2/-/1/-//2/2/-/1/- Ephraim Avery 2/-/1/-/-//1/-/1/-/- George Kimball [none listed except name] Abigail Spokesfield 1/-/-/-/-//-/-/1/-/- TOTALS: 31/14/12/11/6//26/19/9/10/4 (end)