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28 church:—Abiel Silver, Edna N. Silver, Nathaniel L. Noyes, Sarah A. Noyes, Mary Nichols, Rhoda Cutler, Sullivan Hutchinson, Edna C. Silver, Charles Gould, Erastus E. Currier, Lucy H. Currier, Elizabeth C. Dean, Joseph Dow, Asa Kimball, John Converse, Urania N. Converse, Rhoda C. Putnam, Joanna L. Chase, Alonzo Currier, Emily Currier.

Rev. Abiel Silver continued to preach in Contoocook till April 4, 1858, building during his residence in Contoocook the house now occupied by John F. Jones, Esq. On the 15th of August, 1858, the Rev. George H. Marston, of Limington, Me., became the minister, continuing till the month of October, 1862. Since October, 1871, the Rev. Charles Hardon has been the regular minister of the church.

During the times when this church has been without a settled minister various persons have supplied the desk. The services have been frequently, and for months at a time, conducted by a reader. Mr. W. Scott Davis has officiated a great deal in the capacity of reader. This church has suffered a good deal by removals and deaths. A Sunday-school has been connected with the society since its earlier existence.

The Methodists quite early had a foothold in this town. In 1842 their allotted portion of the ministers tax was very small. Regular worship was held in the Academy at the lower village. Revs. Stephen Eastman, John English and Joseph Hayes were among the ministers supplying regularly. The Methodist Biblical Institute, at Concord, furnished preachers to a greater or less extent. We have not been able to find any record of this society, which abandoned regular services about 1850. Previously to the year 1871 there had been a number of Methodist families living for a longer or shorter time at Contoocook. Preaching had been sustaindsustained [sic] also to some extent during a few previous years. On the 20th of March, 1871, at a meeting held at the house of George H. Ketchum, legal organization was effected as follows: Rev. L. Howard, President; George H. Ketchum, Secretary; W. A.Patterson, Treasurer; John F. Burnham, W. M. Kempton and Samuel Curtice, Financial Committee. The society purposing to build a church, on the 10th of the next month, at a meeting at Mr. Kempton's, D. N. Patterson, T. B. Hardy and Samuel Curtice were made a building committee.

The church was erected the same year at a cost of something over $2,000, on land purchased by the society of Samuel Curtice, and dedicated on the 16th of November. It it a neat and tasty edifice. The society, though small, is active. The following have been preachers:—Rev. L. Howard, from 1870 to 1873 inclusive; Prof. J. B. Robinson, 1874; Rev. E. Adams, D. D., 1875; Rev. Joel A. Steele, 1876; Rev. L. Howard, 1877 and 1878.

That wide stretch of hilly country lying between the Merrimack and Connecticut rivers in this State was, a hundred and forty years ago, a densely-wooded wilderness. The few who would have ventured to occupy it well knew that so long as the French remained in possession of Canada this region was in continual danger from attacks by the Indians. In 1746 these attacks had become so frequent and successful that many of the settlements commenced in the central and southern parts of the State had been abandoned. There remained on the Merrimack small openings at Nashua, Litchfield, Concord, Boscawen and Canterbury, and one at