Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 2.djvu/305

 TOWN HISTORIES.

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��TOWN HISTORIES.

��No state in the Union is richer than our own in the materials for history ; yet the history of New Hampshire remains to be written. Belknap and Barstow blazed the pathway along the course of the early years ; Bouton collected and arranged a great mass of information ; Sanborn has contributed valuable sug- gestions ; but the man who is to write a comprehensive history of New Hamp- shire, which shall tell the story of her growth and achievements, and her full contribution to the national life and honor, from the landing of the fisher- men at Dover Point down through the first completed century of American In- dependence, has yet to make himself known. Let us hope that he may come forward ere many years have gone, and apply himself to the work with that patient devotion, loyal zeal, tireless en- ergy and discriminating judgment which shall ensure its thorough and satisfacto- ry completion.

In the meantime it is all-important that the materials themselves, as far as possible, be gathered and preserved, as the years go by. To this end, the com- pilation of town histories is beyond question the most effectual instrumen- tality ; and yet to gather, arrange and em- bellish the materials requisite to a respec- table history of one of our New Hamp- shire towns, or rather to properly select and arrange, from the mass of attainable facts, those of greatest interest and worth, is a task of no small magnitude, and one, which, it appears, few men have as yet assumed. Although several town histories have recently been pro- duced in the state, and others are now in course of preparation, the entire number published thus far is quite small in proportion to the whole number of towns. In fact, not more than one in ten of all our New Hampshire towns have anything like a complete and sub- stantial written history which has been given to the public in printed form.

��A brief investigation, as thoroughly made as circumstances permit, shows that histories of the following towns have been published — mostly in well bound octavo volumes — the name of the author or compiler, date of publica- tion, and number of pages, being also given :

Acworth — J. L. Merrill, 1S69 ; 306 pp.

Barnstead — Jeremiah P. Jewett and R. B. Caverly, 1875 ; 463 pp.

Bedford — Compiled by Committee, 1S51 ; 364 pp.

Boscawen and Webster — Chas. Carle- ton Coffin, 1878 ; 666 pp.

Charlestown — Henry H. Sanderson, 1876, 726 pp.

Chester — Benjamin Chase, 1869, 702 pp.

Concord — Nathaniel Bouton, 1856 786 pp.

Croydon — Edmund Wheeler, 1S67

173 PP-

Dublin — Levi W. Leonard, 1S53

433 PP-

Dunbarton — Caleb Stark, i860; 272

pp.

Gilmanton — Daniel Lancaster, 1845 > 304 pp. 12 mo.

Londonderry — Edward L. Parker,

i?5 x ; 359 PP- I2 mo- Manchester — Chandler E. Potter,

1856 ; 760 pp. John B. Clarke, 1875 >

463 pp.

Mason — John B. Hill, 1858 ; 324 pp.

New Boston — Elliott C. Cogswell, 1864 ; 469 pp.

New Ipswich — Compiled by Com- mittee, 1852 ; 488 pp.

Peterborough — Albert Smith, 1876;

735 PP-

Raymond — Joseph Fullonton, 1875 ;

408 pp.

Rindge — Ezra S. Stearns, 1875 > 7^8 pp.

Temple — Henry Ames Blood, i860; 35 2 PP-

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