Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/107

 THE

��GBANITE MONTHLY.

��A MAGAZINE OF LITERATURE, HISTORY AND STATE PROGRESS.

��VOL. II.

��NOVEMBER, 1878.

��NO. 4.

��GEN. NATT EH AD.

��Passing up the romantic valley of the Merrimack, that queen of New England rivers, the nursing mother of our great- est industries as well as the brightest adornment "of our most beautiful land- scapes, the traveler observes, when near- ly midway between Hooksett and Sun- cook, upon the table-land, commanding an extensive view of the valley in either direction, an elegant and spacious brick mansion which seldom fails to attract more than mere passing notice. It is indeed one of the finest country resi- dences in New England, the elegance as well as the substantial comfort and convenience of its interior appointments fully bearing out the promise of its ex- terior. This mansion is the residence of one of New Hampshire's self-made men — men who through the avocations of manual labor and the stirring discipline of business life have won their way to competence and honor — commanding the confidence of their fellow citizens as manifested in their elevation through the suffrages of the people to positions of trust and responsibility.

Here lives Gen. Natt Head, whom the people of New Hampshire at the recent election — the first holden under the amended constitution — selected for their chief magistrate for the term of two years from June next.

��Gen. Head is a descendant of Nathan- iel Head, who, with his brother John, came from Wales to America and set- tled in Bradford, Mass., but subsequent- ly removed to Pembroke in this State. He had three sons, Nathaniel, James and Richard. The former was the grand- father of the subject of our sketch. In the history of Chester, by Benjamin Chase, it is related of him that in his youth he paid his addresses to a young lady of Scotch-Irish descent named Knox, a daughter of one of the leading families of the town. Between these families there was a feeling of hostility. While driving the cattle in the field for his father one day the old gentleman asked young Nathaniel if he intended to marry that Irish girl. " Yes, father," was the reply. "Then understand," said he, " you can never share in my property." " Very well," said the youth, " I will take care of myself," and drop- ping his goad-stick in the furrow, he left the field and his home, and went out to make his own way in the world. He served for a time in the Revolution- ary army and attained the rank of Cap- tain. Having married the young lady of his choice, Anna Knox, he established his home in a log cabin in that part of the old town of Chester now embraced in Hooksett, upon the very site now oc-

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