Books › Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, 1886 › scan 316
Scan 316
Gazetteer of Grafton county, N. H. 1709-1886, 1886
10 lines. Read by computer on 17 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Stillman Merrill, a resident of this town. She died just one week previous to her mother's death. Mr. Hall is in good health, and his memory excellent for one in his advanced years.
3Pettingill Blaisdell was born in this town, in 1824. His parents were also natives of the town. His father was Sanborn Blaisdell and his mother Mehitable Sanborn. Pettingill married Lorette Lillis, also a native of Dorchester. They had three children—two sons and one daughter. The children all developed a remarkable musical talent when quite young, and, with their father, traveled fourteen years, giving concerts and playing for various societies throughout the New England States, the Western States and the Canadas. Mr. Blaisdell played the clarionet, Henri G., first violin, Ella Mable, violin soloist, and Pettengill S., double bass. They were long considered second to none in New England, until the death of the daughter, Ella M., April 19, 1882. Since that time the father has retired. Henri G. has now an orchestra at Concord, and is called for from far and near. Pettingill S. is at home with his father.
5CHURCHES.
7Previous to 1827 there was a small Methodist meeting-house, without a steeple, in the west part of the town. In November of that year Rev. I. S. Davis visited Dorchester, and, without any request or prospect of compensation, spent four weeks here visiting from house to house, preaching evenings. The first Sabbath he preached in the Methodist meeting-house, and many were converted. From this a Congregational church was organized, May 20, 1828, with three males and six females. About this time Mr. Davis offered to raise $400.00 toward building a meeting-house. His offer was accepted and a church was built, costing $1,500.00. Of this, Rev. Dr. Codman, of Dorchester, Mass., paid $100.00. The mother of Rev. Mr. Davis, of Newton, contributed another $100.00, and probably contributed the remainder. Mr. Davis was ordained pastor of the church the same day the meeting-house was dedicated, October 9, 1828. On account of dissatisfaction relative to the location of the house, another was built, in the south part of the town, which was occupied mostly by the Baptists, no one denomination owning it. Rev. Mr. Davis served the people faithfully as their pastor for five years. The meeting-house on the site of the present town-house was burned January 23, 1842. The old church in the south part of the town stood tenantless and unused for many years, and, in 1883, was taken down and the present church edifice built, near the town hall, at Dorchester Center.
9The Free Will Baptist church, located at Dorchester Center, was organized by its present pastor, Rev. J. D. Cross, with twenty members, in 1882. The church building, a wooden structure erected in 1844, will seat 200 persons and is valued, including grounds, at $2,000.00.
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