HISTORY OF ORANGE, 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 555+ HISTORY OF ORANGE NH ORANGE lies in the southern part of the county, in lat. 43 degrees 39' and long. 71 degrees 55', bounded north by Groton and Dorchester, east by Alexanderia, south by Grafton and west by Canaan. It was granted to Isaac Fellows and others, February 6, 1769 under the name of CARDIGAN, which name has been applied to the locality some years before. The inhabitants petitioned several times to have the town incorporated, viz: in 1779 by the name of Bradford; in 1783 by the name of Middleton; and in 1789 by the name of Liscomb, which name was crossed out in the petition, and Orange inserted instead. In answer to this latter petition, June 18, 1790, the town was incorporated, by its present name. According to the town charter the town was to have an area of 24,000 acres, but it fell short of this, and has been greatly curtailed at various times since, viz: by an act passed December 13, 1804, a part of Hebron was annexed to Orange and a portion of Orange set off to Hebron; but the last named act was amended, December 2, 1808, and the lines between the two towns established. Lastly, December 6, 1820, an act was passed making the eastern boundary of the town range with the summit of Cardigan mountain, thus severing a large amount of territory. Other than these, no changes have been made in the territorial limits of the township, leaving it with an area of about 16,000 acres. Nearly half of this territory lies upon the steep western side of Cardian mountain, near whose summit the town line extends. In the southern part rise Hoyt hill and two other abrupt elevations, while a part of Kimball hill lies in the northern part. Orange is thus extemely mountainous in its character, and presents but comparatively little available farming land, though it has localities of rich, arable territory, and many fine farms. Orange brook, the principal stream, has several tributaries and flows west into Indian river. There are several other streams, of minor importance, which afford some available mill privileges. There is a small pond in the southern part of the town, from which is taken a species of paint, resembling spruce yellow, and near it also chalk and magnesia have been found. Yellow ochre, of a quality superior to that imported, is found in various localities. DEScRIPTION OF THE TOWN in 1884 In 1880 Orange had a popultion of 335 souls. In 1885 the town had seven school districts and seven common schools. Its seven school-houses were valued, including furniture, etc. at $1,021.00 There were fifty-nine children attending school, four of whom were pursuing the higher grades, taught during the year by one male and seven female teachers, at an average monthly salary of $18.00 for the former and $15.28 for the latter. The entire amount raised for school purposes during the year was $404.34, while the expenditures were $402.00 with Frank H. Perkins, superintendent. VILLAGES The town has no village and no post office, most of the inhabitants depending upon the postal facilities of Canaan for accomodation. SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN The settlement of the town was begun in 1773, by Silas Harris, Benjamin Shaw, David Eames, Col. ELisha Bayne and Capt. Joseph Kenney. Settlement was slow, however, for in 1786, thirteen years after the settlement was begun there were only eighty people here. As late at 1791 this number had only been increased to 131, though during the next decade the population nearly doubled, being 203 in 1800. BIOGRAPHES & GENEALOGIES OF EARLY SETTLERS & PROMINENT CITIZENS JOTHAM STEVENS moved to Grafton NH from Enfield NH, married Ruth Cross, of Ellsworth NH, and had born to him two children, Alonzo W., and Samuel H. The former married Rhoda, daughter of Asa and Lucy (Whittier) Hoyt, located in Grafton NH, where he remained sixteen years, and then came to Orange. He has had born to him two children, Alfred A., and George O. The latter married Mahala, daughter of Steven W. and Maria (Chapman) KNowles, of ALexandria NH, and has one child, Eulali Stevens, and resides on road 18. ALonzo W. Stevens lives at East Canaan village, and has been town representative. ISAAC LOWELL, son of Daniel Lowell, who lived in Vermont, married Mehitable Orsborn [sic Osborn] of Loudon NH, and reared five children. He resided in Orange, where he died in 1865. His son, Elijah O. Lowell, married Sarah, daughter of Jonathan and Sally (Tucker) Batchelder, and had born to him five children. He died June 27, 1874, aged fifty years. His son, Edgar I. Lowell, resides with his mother on road 7. RICHARD FORD, a native of Grafton NH, married a Miss Kimball, and reared seven children. His son, Abel Ford, came to this town, from Grafton, and married twice, first Clarissa, daughter of Wilder Greeley, and second, Mrs. Judith Ladd, daughter of Moses Atwood, of Bristol. He died July 21, 1881 aged eighty-two years. Charles H. Ford, one of the six children now living, married Nettie, daughter of Solomon Shattuck, of Dracut, Mass. He is first selectman of the town. John Ford, son of Abel, married Sophia, daughter of Oliver Pierce, of Moriah, NY, and has four children, Olin J., Jennie I., Wallace A. and Clara E. He served in the late war, in Co. F., 15th NH Vols. William Ford was also a soldier in the Rebellion, and died at Andersonville prison. ELIJAH WHITTIER moved to Canaan NH, from Amesbury MA in 1776, and was one of the early settlers. Elijah Whittier, one of his four children, married twice, first Nancy Kineston, of Canaan NH, who bore him nine children, and second, Lucretia Aldrich, and had born to him three children. His son, Nathaniel Whittier, married Sophia daughter of Jonas Hastings, of Bristol NH, has one child, Mrs. Julia S. Hoyt, and resides on road 18. He has been town representative twice. OLIVER FRENCH resided in Sutton NH, and reared eight children. His son, John French, married twice, first Polly Brown, who bore him seven children, and second, Maria J. Flanders, and had born to him two children. His son, John H. French married Hannah M., daughter of Lorenzo and Margaret (French) Dow of Warren NH, and resides on road 7. There are strong indications of iron ore deposits on his farm. THOMAS FERNALD was a resident of Loudon NH, and had born to him seven children. His son, Seth Fernald, a native of Loudon NH, married Ceclia Huntoon, of Unity NH, located in Orange where he lived for a time, then removed to Loudon NH, where he died November 2, 1881, aged seventy-six years. He reared a family of seven children, four of whom are living. His son John Fernald, married twice, first Betsey B. French of Orange, who bore him one child Clara A., and second Mary E., daughter of Jonathan and Margaret (Clark) Patten, and resides on road 12. GOULD DIMOND, a native of Loudon NH, married Dolly Marden of Canterbury, and reared eight children. He moved to Alexandria, where he died, aged seventy- two years. Mrs. Dimond died at the age of eighty-two years. His son Reuben Dimond married Judith S. Goodwin of Northfield NH. Of his eleven children, his second son, Furber G. Dimond, married Mary, daughter of David and Rhoda (Morse) Currier, and has eight children, namely, Francis, Edward C., Nellie M., Lillian M., David A., Rhoda D., Willie L., and Susie M. He resides on road 5. MICAJAH MORRELL, a resident of Chichester NH, reared eight children, one of whom Micajah, was a soldier in the war of 1812. The latter married Sally Shaw, of Chichester NH. James Morrell, one of his nine children, married Lovina, daughter of George and Nancy Stoning, and resides on road 7. Mrs. James Morrell, died in 1856, aged twenty-two years. SAMUEL ADAMS, son of Samuel, married Dorcas Hall, of Carlisle, Mass. Jonas J. Adams, one of his twelve children, married twice, first, Betsey Foster, of Tewksbury, Mass., and second, Mrs. Sarah A. Preston, daughter of Thomas and Hannah P. (McCoy) Perkins. Mr. Adams served in the late war, in Company A., 5th N.H. Vols, and was honorable discharged. He came to this town from Manchester NH in 1882 and resides on road 14. Seven of his ten children are living. ***** CHURCHES ****** THE UNION CHURCH, located in the southern part of the town, was built by the Free Will and Calvinistic Baptist residents, in 1835, though it belongs to the former denomination now, which was organized in 1835, with thirteen members. The church building will accomodate 150 persons and is valued at $500.00. The society has forty members, with no regular pastor. The society also has a Sabbath-school with twenty-five scholars. (end)