A Sketch of the
Mills and Water Power
in the Town of
Epsom, New Hampshire
by Hiram A. Holmes
Down the river with a fall of 55 feet we come to Cass
Dam where there is seven feet head (referring to the
little Suncook River). November 3, 1803 Francis Locke
entered into a contract with John Chesley, Daniel Philbrick,
John Downes and Philip Stevens to build a saw and grist
mill to be leased to them for 20 years. Soon after the
contract closed the mills were allowed to go down.
July 13, 1830, Ephraim Locke sold the right to run a
carding and fulling mill to Dearborn Lord, who sold
the same right to Joseph B. Cass on September 19, 1846,
together with a right which he had bought of Bennett
Lawrence, who was running a hat factory with water across
the road from the dam. J.B. Cass took out the machinery
and put in a lathe for making bobbins for the Lowell
cotton factories. He continued running the carding mill
for many years. (Near Mary Framback's home)
In 1846 the saw mill privilege was bought by George
Batchelder and sold by him to Hiram A. Holmes, March
Down river a half mile, with a fall of 50 feet was Isaac
Libbee's fulling mill, with ten feet head. He sold out
to a man named Kyer or Currier, who soon sold the machinery
and let the mill go down.
About a quarter of a mile further down river with 8
feet fall was Capt. Samuel Locke's saw mill and grist
mills, with 8 feet head. He sold out to a company of
which Deacon Frederick Sanborn and his brother were
members. They rebuilt the mills, Benson Ham was the
millwright. (Across from Knowles' Store).
About 1858 Alonzo Wallace bought the mills and sold
them in 1859 to a man named Smith. He reconstructed
the saw mill putting in a circular saw machinery. About
1867 he sold out to Albion Locke. James D. Paige was
the millwright and miller. About this time Mr. Paige
moved the grist mill to the dam on the south side of
the stream and added a shingle mill. Mr. Locke sold
to Ephriam Heald in 1871. He had the mills rebuilt in
1873, millwright on the grist mill was William Shackford;
on the saw mill was Hiram Holmes. (Ed: This is probably
where Slab City got its name.)
At 12 o'clock on a September night in 1877, the mills
were burned with all their contents. Mr. Heald sold
the dam and privileges to Henry Knox, who sold it again
in 1878 to Henry Knowles who built the grist mill now
standing in 1880, as a merchant mill fitted with elevators
and storage bins. Albert Ladd was millwright.
A half mile down the river with 25 feet
fafl is Horace Bickford's dam with 11 feet head. At
this place on March 12, 1778, Capt. James Gray bought
the mill privileges and grist mill of Isaac Libbee (Libbey).
Capt. Gray soon added a saw mill just below the grist
mill which was afterward burned. Present saw and shingle
mill build by Horace Bickford in 1870, with H. A. Holmes
as millwright. In 1873 H.A. Holmes built a planing mill
for himself and in 1875 added a grist mill, in 1894
moved them both away.
Down river a quarter of a mile with a fall of 12 feet
is the shoe factory dam with a head of 12 feet. Dam
and factory were built in 1880 by the Epsom Shoe Factory
Company. The factory was built by J.C. Philbrick, the
dam by H.A. Holmes, who also put in the machinery. Eight
companies have carried on the shoe business there. From
the shoe factory to the next mill there is an 8 foot
fall. (Across from the Baptist Church on the river.)
Mills on the big Suncook River
At the first dam there is a 6 foot head. This mill and
dam were built in 1872 by Morrill D. Bickford and William
Tripp for the manufacture of lumber and boxes. H.A.
Holmes was the millwright. William Tripp sold the box
shop to Guy Marden who sold to George H. Burnham in
1889. About the same time Mr. Burnham bought out M.
D. Bickford, added a water wheel and grist mill and
is doing a thriving business.
The water from this mill flows nearly level to the next
mill pond where the dam has 8 feet of head. The first
saw and grist mill at this place was built by Jeremiah
Gordon. Mr. Gordon granted to Nathan Bickford right
to run a carding and fulling mill at the dam. Afterward
he changed it to a shingle mill which was burned, rebuilt,
and burned again. It was again rebuilt by M. D. Bickford
and moved away.
In 1817 Jeremiah Gordon and Exekiel Burnham built a
dam of timber cut on the river banks, some of the timber
is still in the bottom of the dam. They also built a
saw and grist mill which were washed away. Mr. Gordon
built a saw mill after the company's mill washed out
and sold it to Jeremiah G. Marden. September 2, 1847
he sold to William Goss and John Clark who soon sold
to Stickney and Joseph Robinson. They sold to Atrel
Boynton on March 16, 1850. Boynton paid $2,500 for this
mill. By September 5, 1857 the mill ;had again been
washed away and the mill privilege was sold to Isaaih
Samuel Bickford bought the mill privilege in 1860 and
built a saw mill on the old site. In 1862 he sold one
half of all to Capt. B.A. Noyes and the following year
the machinery was changed from upright to a circular
mill and a shingle mill was added. H.A. Holmes was again
the millwright. Capt. Noyes bought out Mr. Bickford,
the machinery was moved away, and the mill taken down.
The mill privilege was sold to Freeman Marden on September
12, 1896. who also bought the right which M.D. Bickford
owned to use the power from the dam, and built a shop
for making doors, sash and general job work.
After passing down the rapids of Long Falls, with
a fall of 14 feet, the water stands nearly level to
the dam at Short Falls where there is a 6 foot head.
About 1786 John Tripp built a dam and sawmill. A paper
mill was built here and burned April 30, 1839. The
present dam and grist mill were built in 1839 by a
company consisting of Jeremiah Tripp, Winthrop Fowler,
Squire Martin, James William Knox and Norris Cofran.
Theodore Elliott was the millwright. The mill was
reconstructed in 1873, with new flume, water wheels
and machinery. H.A. Holmes was the millwright. This
mill has been the most successful of any in the vicinity.
Farmers have brought wheat thirty miles to be ground.
There have been but five millers during the 63 years
that the mill has been run. Millers; John Harvey assisted
by James Marden and later Andrew Ladd for 8 years,
Worcester Preston for 30 years, William Burnham for
7 years, to James W. Marden who has filled the place
for 25 years. Long may he last!
To all to whom I am indebted for information is regard
to the mills, I extend my hearty thanks.
signed: Hiram A. Holmes. Hiram A. Holmes was born
in 1838 and died 1916.
HOW ONE COMMUNITY TURNED THE TIDE
by Earl P. Robinson, County Agent
Published in Granite Monthly about 1925 Vol 55-525
Some places they are taking about quitting farming
and moving to the city. But over in Epsom they say
that the carpenters are all rushed with work and have
more jobs scheduled with farmers than they can do
in weeks. And furthermore, the writer did not hear
the doctrine of reduced production advanced. He did
learn that many were increasing their enterprises.
In fact the activity of carpenters is in considerable
part due to the expansion of business on poultry farms,
and in lesser degree to the setting up of new poultry
establishment. Since there are so many communities
in Northern New England where a decreasing population,
a decreasing number of farms in operation and a reduced
acreage of crops and number of livestock indicate
communities hastening on to dissolution, it seems
the part of wisdom for all public spirited citizens
to study communities that seem most successful stemming
the tide and swinging back toward vigorous and healthy
development. Epsom is such a community. Once a thriving
dairy town with milk shipped out to Manchester and
Boston, it later experienced hardship, discouragement
Then something happened. They gave up dairying for
The story beginnings appear to be about like this.
Mr. S. W. Bickford, becoming dissatisfied with the
unsettled condition of and small returns from dairying
about fifteen years ago, began to look around for
a more remunerative type of agriculture, and noticed
Mr. A. N. Peaslee of South Pittsfield, who had been
in the poultry business for years and appeared to
be very successful. Mr. Peaslee was helpful in his
advice and encouragement with the result that Mr.
Bickford got a good start with poultry more than a
dozen years ago, and had progressed rapidly since
Mr. Bickford states that the introduction of the coal
burning brooder stoves had considerable to do with
his expansion of the business. This new apparatus
enables a man to take care of much larger flocks of
chicks than does the old style of brooder with lamps.
Another man who was a pioneer in the business in Epsom
was Mr. W. C. Burnham.
Another thing that has been of great importance in
the development of the industry is the fact that Senator
Walter Tripp of Short Falls, for years a merchant
in the community, watching the developments taking
place, noted with deep concern that there was less
and less milk being shipped out each year. Realizing
that a decreased output from the town meant a decreased
income and consequent hardship and perhaps failure
in the end, his voice was soon upraised in encouragement
of the poultry enterprises that were starting in a
small way. Mr. W.C. Pickard, employed in Mr. Tripp's
store, was also spreading the gospel of poultry raising,
with a good success. There undoubtedly were others
in the community pointing the way toward a happier
These men were among the to first recognize that
Epsom was not holding its own with the old type of
agriculture, and with considerable courage and initiative,
they launched into something that from the evidence
looked more profitable. And subsequently developments
seem to have proved the wisdom of their choice.
Today Epsom is known far and wide as a poultry center.
The assessors figures give it the largest number of
hens of any town in New Hampshire. In January, 1923,
one thousand and eighty-five cases of eggs were shipped
from the two railroad stations of the town, bringing
in close to 30,000.00. The buyers of baby chicks from
many states come to Epsom, and even New York City
commission men accorded distinction by establishing
buyers at its two shipping points, Epsom Depot and
Short Falls Depot.
Within the past six years, Professor A.W. Richardson
of the State University, with his sound advice, infectious
enthusiasm and substantial help in improving methods
and meeting the problems of the business, has rendered
a splendid service.
The store-keepers report that the increased prosperity
is clearly reflected in the improved business and
the prompt payment for goods. And they tell stories
of laboring men and others who, once having a pretty
stiff fight to keep even with the world, now have
from 500 to 2,000 hens each and are rapidly getting
ahead. One of the leading poultrymen is quoted as
saying that with 300 hens well managed, a laboring
man would find himself as well situated as with steady
work at good wages working out.
The writer, having the prosperity of the community
as a whole in mind, did not
investigate cases of individual poultrymen to see
what the profits are. But the
success of this community is significant because New
Hampshire needs encouragement.
And she also needs examples. What do we get from the
success of Epsom that will turn
other towns from their drift toward failure, right-about-face
toward permanent success:
In the first place many communities will have to make
radical changes to adapt themselves to changed conditions.
Once the cities of Southern New England were under
the necessity of buying their dairy products near-by.
That practically settled the question of the type
of agriculture for thousands of farmers near the cities.
Now dairy products are easily secured from a more
distant zone, and at the same time strong demands
for vegetables, fruits and other heavy perishable
products make their product relatively more attractive.
That calls for readjustment of agriculture in many
communities. The writer does not imply that there
is no longer a place for dairying, but he does insist
that in view of the rapid and decisive changes that
have taken place in industry - including agriculture
-every farmer needs to subject his farming enterprise
to a most vigorous test to see whether it does shape
up well with the new conditions. Try to see where
one is likely to arrive in twenty years.
Such a forward view by a prominently successful dairyman
in Peterboro has led him to the policy of starting
an orchard on some of his rough fields that are difficult
to cultivate. In his case dairying has been and still
is profitable, but he is looking forward to the time
when he will no longer want to wage the stubborn battle
with boulders in a rock-strewn field, and when that
time comes he wants to be prepared to fall back on
a crop that will give him returns and satisfaction
comparable with the business he has for years handled
In the second place Epsom community forcefully emphasizes
the fact that our fortunes are very closely bound
up together. Failure for a part of any community is
in some measure failure for all. And success for many
also betters the fortunes of all.
Take the matter of production. There is no place so
favorable for a beginner to start as in Epsom or some
other community where there are many successful Ipoultrymen.
He can get his stock easier, can watch the methods
employed and learn from the failures as well as the
successes. In such communities new discoveries and
better methods make their first appearance, and there
also warnings of danger are first sounded. The writer
believes also, from his brief survey of the community,
that Epsom realizes that any failure in the community
hurts all of the members. There is therefore, a sympathetic
interest in the new ventures and hope that they will
meet with success.
And marketing, that great unsolved problem of the
farmer, becomes much simpler where a large volume
of business develops in a given community. One man
said it amused him this past summer to witness the
discomfiture of hucksters who previously had done
a flourishing business there, who now return to their
home towns in Massachusetts almost empty-handed, because
local representatives of two large wholesalers from
New York, recently established in Epsom and Short
Falls, have put the market above what it had been.
There are rumors that these firms plan to establish
a service of carload shipments of poultry. That means
reduction of handling and shipping costs, which will
at least in some measure benefit the poultry raiser.
It appears, therefore, that Epsom has prospered. That
should encourage every community in the state and
should suggest the means of turning the tide where
it is now flowing in the wrong direction.
There has been little written about the poultry business
in Epsom. However, during the era of this writing,
there were large poultry plants all over town. Cow
barns had been converted into hen houses, many long
one or two story buildings built to house large numbers
of chickens. Ernest Dowst had a large plant next to
Webster Park. Scott Monroe had large hen houses where
Rick Harkness now lives, Fred Fife on route 28, John
Cox up at the Center are some of the larger ones that
I remember. Most every farmer had some chickens. The
general stores each had grain rooms. I remember the
incubator house at home that my father had built.
The basement had that long wooden structure with doors
that opened into the many compartments that held wire
trays for the eggs that were to hatch. There was a
crank that was used to move the trays and the eggs
several times each day so that one did not have do
this by hand. The incubator was heated by a coal heater
at the end
I believe that eggs sold for about SI.00 a dozen making
them a valuable crop. Herbert Hoover's campaign promise
to put "a chicken in even.' pot" was to
be a step up for the working class. The crash of 1929
took its toll on the poultry industry as it did on
all other industries. However, many survived that
set-back and continued to make a living with their
chickens for years after that. Robert Cass is a poultryman
who could tell a great deal about a successful poultry
business that he shared with his father in the Mountain