Book Description

"Our New World, when first found by the white man, was full of wonders. Scarcely less wonderful were the varied events that followed its discovery. Events that wrought out the coming of the Pilgrims, the settling of New England by a generous manhood -- perpetuating progress in agriculture, civilization, and the arts, and affording to history its noblest, proudest chapter." So begins Jeremiah Jewett's history of the proud old New England town of Barnstead, New Hampshire. This new edition is a reprint of the text as revised and enlarged by Robert B. Caverly in 1872, following the death of Dr. Jewett in 1870. Caverly gave direction to Jewett's informative but poorly organized work and expanded it to create a definitive history of the settlement of Barnstead. Despite the implication of the title, the first three chapters of the text are actually concerned with the establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the initial exploration of New Hampshire prior to 1727. The majority of the text is given to plotting the evolution of public institutions in Barnstead, such as the establishment of the court system and early trials, the organization of churches, the first schools, manufacturing and industry, and the machinations of local government. Accounts are given of Barnstead's contributions to the French and Indian War, the War of the Revolution, the War of 1812 and the Civil War, including lists of servicemen. Also of note are biographical and genealogical sketches of the first settlers and first families of the region, as well as lists of legislators, selectmen, town clerks, post masters, and justices of the peace. Rounding out these sections are accounts of significant historical events, strange occurrences, and peculiarities of the region, as interpreted through the cultural biases of the day. These include: Origin and Habits of the Red Man; the Custom of Wearing Long Hair (Barbarism); Native Fruits; Earthquakes; Sanitary Influences; Climate Extremes of Heat and Cold; Comets, Their Appearances Etc.; and, the Burial of the Dead. Illustrated.