Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 7.djvu/141

 WINDHAM, N. H.

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��had undoubtedly been traversed again and again by exploring and hunting expeditions before and after that date ; still it is doubtful if any permanent settlements were made till the advent of the Scotch in 17 19, in the London- derry colony. The first house in Windham was established on Copp's hill, south-east of Cobbett's pond, about 1720. Its occupant was John Waddell. In 1 721 David Gregg, son of John Gregg, of Londonderry, Ire- land, and grandson of Captain David Gregg, a Scotchman, and captain in Cromwell's army, established himself in the west side of the town. He was the uncle of Andrew Gregg, member of the \J. S. Senate from Pennsylvania, in 1806-7.

This David Gregg was joined by Alexander McCoy from the highlands of Scotland. In 1723 John Dinsmoor, son of John Dinsmoor of Scotland, lo- cated near the Junction. In 1728 or '29 John Archibald settled in the north part of the town.

About 1 730 Lieut. Samuel Morrison, son of Charter James Morrison, of Londonderry, N. H., and grandson of John Morrison, of Scotland, settled in the east of the town, in the " Range." He was the ancestor of the Morrisons of Windham.

In 1733 Henry Campbell, of Lon- donderry, Ireland, and grandson of Daniel Campbell, of Scotland, settled in the west side of the town, on Beaver river, and where his descendants " live unto this day." About this same date Alexander Simpson and Adam Tem- pleton struck for settlement here.

John Cochran, of Scotch blood, came in 1730, hewed his farm from the wilderness, and upon which his descendants have since lived. Alex- ander Park and John Armstrong ap- peared soon after.

These are some of the pioneer fa- thers : William and Robert Thompson, Joseph Waugh, Thomas Quigley, Alex- ander and James Dunlap, John Kyle, John Morrow, Hugh Graham, John and James Vance, Samuel and William McAdams, James Gilmore, Andrew

��Armour, John Hopkins, Daniel Clyde, William Thom, John Stuart, Hugh Brown, Samuel Kinkead, Francis Smilie, Alexander Ritchie, William Jameson, Nathaniel Hemphill, James Caldwell, who were here in early times, and, with the exception of William Thom, not a single descendant of any of this list, bearing the family name, remains in town to-day.

THE FIRST SETTLERS.

Immediately after the first settlement had been made in Londonderry, near what is now the east village, individuals would go from home to the more dis- tant glebes to work in summer, and would return in the winter. Many young men lived in this manner several years, laboring thus to prepare a home for their future companions. When the home was provided they went or sent to Scotland, or to the Scotch set- tlements in Ireland, for the brave lass who had consented to cross the wide ocean to meet her stern lord in the wilderness, and by her presence to cheer, to brighten, and to bless his home and life.

Land was cheap, and John Hopkins purchased a large tract for a web of linen cloth. Neighbors were far apart, oftentimes as far as three miles, and it was said, " we were obliged to go three miles to borrow a needle, not being able to buy one."

There were no grist-mills nearer than Haverhill or Andover, Mass. ; so the grain was carried on poles trailed from the horse's back. They often broke their corn into meal by placing it between two revolving stones, this being a hand- mill called a cairn. They lived main- ly on what could be raised in the ground. They possessed but little wealth, for their lot was like their Fa- therland, Scotland, cast in a cold and wintry land, with a hard and rocky soil.

Amid all their trials, their character stands out in bold relief. They were not illiterate people. They had re- ceived a fair education, many of them, in Scotland, or the Scotch settle-

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