1820

August 28--Beginning near the southeast corner of William Todd's farm, thence north 45 degrees east through a corner of Lieut. George Poor's land (formerly owned by John Smith) about forty rods, thence bearing a little more cast as it is staked about ten rods to the road near the southwest corner of said Poor's barn.

1821

The Wallace Road laid out from the Wallace stand in Goffstown through Bedford and Merrimack 1819. The northerly end of the same was near Shirley Station thence past the James McDougall place and

1824

November 27--A road three rods wide, from a point opposite the house of William McQuesten, thence northerly across Piscataquog River, thence northerly and westerly to the bridge across Peter Dow's Brook.

1828

March 21--A road three rods wide, leading from near Jonathan Bell's, Jr., house to the road leading from Manchester to New Boston on the south side of the river.

1829

July 8--A road four rods wide, beginning on the river road near land of James N. Davidson, southerly through land of Oliver Dean, Daniel Farmer, Moody Hardy and Mrs. McGregor to the county road leading from Dunbarton to Amoskeag Bridge.

1834

November 8--A road three rods wide, from Stephen F. Bursiel's through land of Jacob Perkins, Willoughby Colby's and Abram Roberts' to the highway leading from Jacob Perkins' house to the meeting-house at Goffstown Center.

1835

January 24--A road two rods wide, a bridle path through land of James Dodge at the foot of the Uncanoonuc Mountain to land of Capt. Peter E. Hadley.

1836

July 5--Road near William Shirley's, beginning at the corner of William Shirley's orchard, thence northerly forty rods to the old road. This highway is in lieu of one discontinued.

1837

Laid out by court's committee, a road from Stephen Johnson's easterly by Samuel Dow's to James Reid's known as the Dow Road (never built), discontinued in 1839.

1838

Road leading from the Mast Road to the new mill of the Goffstown Manufacturing Company; this is supposed to be where the present bobbin shop is.

1840

February 27--A highway two rods wide, beginning near the house of Daniel F. Wells, thence northerly thirty rods, bridle path.

Laid out by court's committee, from John Butterfield's to new Boston line.

November--Laid out by court's committee, from Bedford line to Mast Road.

1841

May 29--A highway two and one-half rods wide, beginning at a point on the highway leading from Goffstown Center to Goffstown Village at a point three rods east from a causeway east from M. W. Woodbury's, thence northerly to the school house in school district No. 12 (widened and straightened).

1842

February 2--A road three rods wide, beginning about four rods southerly from a corner of land now occupied or owned by Mary Cushing, on the road leading from the Henry Bridge to the Merrill house, thence westerly seventy-eight rods to the Mast Road.

1843

August 26--An alteration from the schoolhouse in district No. 15 southeasterly to a point in the road near the house of Nathaniel George.

1844

August 31--A road three rods wide, beginning near the southeast corner of land owned by Joseph Poor near the Carr place, so-called, thence southerly about two hundred and twelve rods to the north end of the bridge over the millstone brook on the river road.

1845

June 19--The highway from the Harriman corner to the house where Charles A. Davis now lives was widened and straightened two and one-half rods.

1848

May--Laid out by court's committee, from John Butterfield's land to Moors Robie's.

November 15--A road four rods wide between the house of George E. Waite and Joseph Comfort.

1849

April 4--A road four rods wide, beginning near the southwest corner near Joseph George's barn, thence easterly to the Riddle Road.

June 29--Laid out by court's committee, from foot of hill east of David Worthley's to a point three rods north of Joseph and Amos George's house.

June 29--Laid out by court's committee, from Amos George's house to end of new road built in 1847.

June 30--A road two rods wide, from the residence of Thomas Colby, northerly to the Shanty Road, so-called, near the dwelling-house of Hibbard S. Merrill, so-called.

September 17--The road from Dunbarton to Parker's Village was changed so as to partially avoid the hill northerly of the Robert Alexander place.

October--Laid out by court's committee, from Daniel Farmer's to the Dunbarton Road through land of Daniel Farmer and others.

1850

1851

December 25--Laid out by court's committee, from Amoskeag Hotel to third stone pier from west side of Amoskeag Bridge.

1854

October 23--Laid out by court's committee, a relay of the line from New Boston line to the Mast Road at Parker's Depot.

1855

October 16--A road three and one-half rods wide, widened and straightened from the foot of the Cheney Hill, so-called, north of Moses W. Woodbury's, through land of Gilman Blaisdell's, and the old highway and land of Henry B. Stearns to the old highway.

December 29-A road three and one-half rods wide, widened and straightened through land formerly owned by Joseph George in southeast corner of Goffstown.

1859

January 1--A road two rods wide from the bars near Alfred Story's barn to Thomas Stevens' house.

1858

October-A road three rods wide from the residence of William A. Phelps (afterwards Franklin Pierce) to Shirley Road, so-called.

1859

August--Laid out by court's committee, Thomas Colby Road, so-called, from Shanty Road southerly to house of John Bartlett.

1866

July 5--A road three rods wide from the Wallace Road south of Samuel Orr's to the road leading from Ebenezer Ferrin's to Leonard Cram's.

Extension of the Thomas Colby Road from John Bartlett's house to Francis J. Beard's.

October 7--Laid out by court's committee, from the northeast corner of graveyard to Dow Bridge.

1869

July-A road fifty feet wide relaying in part, and new highway in part from sawmill of Leonard Robertson to house of Jesse Terrill.

1871

From the house of A. J. Phelps to the northeast corner of the graveyard.

September--Laid out by court's committee, from north end of Thomas Colby Road to Dunbarton line.

1872

February--A road forty-two feet wide from Elm Street in Goffstown Village to Jeremiah Austin's sash and blind shop.

1874

May 4-From the Mast Road to the schoolhouse in Goffstown Village.

From the Mast Road between house of E. F. Gage and Charles Watt southwesterly to the Joseph Gage house.

1877

Beginning on the road leading from Grasmere to Manchester near the northeasterly corner of the cemetery, thence southerly and westerly through land of B. and J. Greer and cemetery and land of M. E. Society to the highway first mentioned.

1878

A road one rod wide, beginning near the building of B. F. Hazen through land of said Hazen and Eldora Blaisdell and Luther Kidder to land of Lewis Sargent.

A road thirty feet wide, beginning at center of the Mast Road near the hotel formerly owned by D. M. Taggart, thence northerly across the Boston and Maine Railroad to the fairground.

Beginning at the stone causeway near the mill of Ira 0. Cree on the Bog Read, thence southerly to the road leading from the George M. Eaton place to Leach Hill, so-called.

A road three rods wide, beginning at the center of the old highway leading from Goffstown Village to Dunbarton northerly of the house of George Pattee, thence southerly to a point in the old highway in front of the barn of Jabez B. Pattee.

A road three rods wide, beginning near the Joseph Gage house to the New Boston Road near the intersection of the Bog Road.

1881

September--Laid out by court's committee, from the foot of the steep hill in the old road at land of John G. Dodge southwesterly to the old highway north of the Dodge buildings.

1882

A road sixteen feet wide a portion of the way, and twenty-five feet wide the remainder of the way, beginning at the brook near the A. J. Morgrage land, thence westerly along the northerly bank of the river to the Mast Road at the residence of Mrs. R. J. Weston and M. E. Conner.

1884

A road fifty feet wide, beginning in the old highway leading from the Mast Road near Clement Sawyer's past William L. Roberts' at land of N. S. Merrill, thence southerly to a point in the old highway east of the house of Harvey S. Scribner, known as the Abram Buzzel place.

1886

From the northeast corner of the village cemetery to the west end of Church Street.

1887

A road twenty-four feet wide, beginning at the Mast Road near the Methodist Church, thence southerly through land of Samuel Upton to a large rock near the house of Johnson C. McIntire.

1889

A road thirty-three feet wide, beginning near Warren B. Richards' barn, thence northerly to the New Boston Road.

A road forty-five feet wide, beginning at land of N. S. Merrill, thence easterly to the highway leading from the Henry Bridge to Charles George's about one hundred feet southerly of the Baptist parsonage.

1891

A road twenty feet wide, beginning at the Mast Road near the house of Moody B. Jones, thence northerly to East Union Street, so-called, at a point near the railroad crossing and just west of the same.

A road twenty-four feet wide, beginning at the Mast Road near Paige's block, thence westerly to a point near the tenement house of Rodney Johnson.

1893

Widened and straightened Elm Street from Mast Road to the northwest corner of H. W. Loxton's.

1894

A road fifty feet wide, beginning at the old Mast Road near the residence of Charles George, thence easterly to a point southerly of the County Farm barn.

A road two rods wide, beginning at a point southerly of the residence of H. M. Campbell, thence easterly to Prospect Street.

1895

A road sixty feet wide, from the northerly side of Elm Street near land of E. A. Blaisdell to land of W. S. Rowell.

A road twenty feet wide, beginning at the Mast Road near the store building of Poore, and Bowen, and easterly to land of Charles G. Barnard.

Highway was widened and straightened from the house of L. Abbie Warren to Charles S. Parker's.

1900

A road twenty-four feet wide, beginning on the old Mast Road opposite the barn of Mrs. H. H. Johnson, westerly to a point in said old Mast Road where the Richards' Road, so-called, intersects with the same.

1905

A road fifty feet wide, from the Mast Road as now travelled west of the bridge above the Milford branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad, to the depot at Grasmere Junction.

1906

Beginning east of the Grasmere schoolhouse and town hall, thence northerly to a point near the shed of Frank D. Martin.

1907

A road thirty feet wide, beginning on the easterly side of the Shirley Hill Road south of the residence of C. S. Fuller, thence easterly five hundred and twenty-five feet through land of E. C. Shirley.

The Pattee Road, so-called, was widened on the westerly side from the southeast corner of the field of Mrs. J. H. Stiles to the northeast corner.

From the westerly end of the Cram Road to the road leading from the residence of the late Daniel Shirley to the base of the mountain.

1905

A road twenty-three feet wide, beginning on the southerly side of Church Street, thence southerly through land of Isadore and Ernest Johnson to the railroad.

1909

From the easterly end of the first mentioned highway laid in 1907 easterly four hundred feet.

BRIDGES

The first bridge over the Merrimack River was built in 1792. June 16 of this year Robert McGregor and others obtained a charter for the purpose of building a bridge across the Merrimack River between the towns of Goffstown and Derryfield below the Amoskeag Falls, which was to be a toll bridge. December 15, 1796, the proprietors petitioned the General Court setting forth that they had built the bridge, and the present rates of toll had fallen far short of compensating them for money expended in the construction of the bridge, and they accordingly requested that the toll rates might be increased, and the prayer of their petition was granted.

Potter says: "The cutting of the timber was began the 3rd of August, and on the 29th of September following, making fifty-seven days inclusively, the bridge was passable for travellers." This bridge was mainly built through the energy of Robert McGregor, Esq., for whom the bridge was named. It crossed the Merrimack at nearly the same place where the bridge now stands at the foot of Bridge Street in the city of Manchester, and was said to be the first bridge spanning the Merrimack River northward from the ocean. This bridge became impassable about 1815.

June 19, 1817, a charter was granted to John Dwinell, Samuel P. Kidder, Robert Hall, John Stark, Jr., and others for the purpose of building a bridge across the Merrimack River, which should be a toll bridge. Apparently this is as far as the company ever proceeded in the construction of a bridge.

December 6, 1824, a charter was granted to Jonas B. Bowman and others to build a bridge across the Merrimack River at the foot of Amoskeag Falls, at or near the place where the old bridge stood. This company rebuilt the bridge in 1825, Col. William P. Riddle of Piscataquog building the same for the sum of $3,600. This bridge was built upon seven wooden piers, and was twenty feet in width and was purchased in 1837 by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company.

In 1851 it was completely carried away by the great freshet and no bridge was constructed upon this site while this territory remained a part of Goffstown.

AMOSKEAG FALLS BRIDGE

In 1839 a company obtained a charter for a bridge across the Merrimack at the head of Amoskeag Falls. The bridge was built in 1842 and by the act of incorporation was a toll bridge. In 1852 it was made a free bridge by the road commissioners, the public highway being laid across it and the town of Goffstown paid the sum of $2,897 to Amoskeag Falls Bridge Co. and for the construction of the highway leading thereto. In March, 1853, this bridge was carried away by a freshet.

Town meetings were held in the months of April, May, June and July relative to the Amoskeag Falls Bridge. On the 28th day of May, 1853, a committee was chosen consisting of Joseph Dunlap, D. L. Robinson and Thomas R. Butterfield to rebuild the bridge, and the town voted to raise $5,000 to defray the expense of building said bridge. On the 3Oth of June the legislature of New Hampshire passed an act disannexing this part of Goffstown from Goffstown, and annexing the same to the city of Manchester, but left the question of annexation to be settled finally by the city council of Manchester, and on the 6th of August the act of annexation was ratified by the council of Manchester, and the city of Manchester constructed the present bridge.

BRIDGES ACROSS THE PISCATAQUOG BRIDGE

The first record we find of the construction of a bridge across the Piscataquog River at the village was in 1766. Previous to that time the river was crossed at what was called the old "Mast Fordway" which is not far from the present site of 0. B. Pierce's mill, then following up the valley of the Whittle Brook to a point just north of the house of Mrs. Goodhue and coming into the present travelled road near the house of Eliphalet Richards.

This bridge was carried away the next year and was rebuilt in 1768. Evidently the inhabitants of Goffstown felt that the building and maintaining of bridges was a heavy burden upon them, as we find that James Eaton and fifty-three others petitioned the General Court setting forth:

"That There are two Large Streams running through said Town, more Particularly one known by the name of Piscataquog River, which is well known to be wide and Verry rapid, at Sertain Seasons, Passing through the Center of said town. That your Petitioners are under the Necessity of Supporting, three Large Bridges, over said River, for the Publick benefit Viz^t--
   1^st a bridge near twenty Rods in Length, (verry much Improved) on the great County Road, that Leadeth through Ware, &^c many Different ways, Northerly & Westerly to The Interior parts of the State,--
   2^d another bridge, near 15 Rods in Length, of great use to the Publick, & near the Center of the Town that the Major Part of the Inhabitants are under necesity of crossing it to attend Public Worship--
   The Third Bridge is on the North Branch of said River, Near the Division line, of New Boston & Goffston on the Leading Road through N. Boston, to the Western Part of the State--
   The other Stream is called Black Brook, large, and verry rapid at Sertain Seasons, where we are obliged to Support three other expensive Bridges, also a large share of Smaller Bridges, which with the aforementioned,--make an almost Intolerable Burden, for a Town so thinly Inhabited to bear, and what still adds to it, we have never been able to make a bridge cross the Piscataquog of but few years Duration, and as their is an absolute and Imediate Necessity of rebuilding s^d Bridges, and we are not able to go to the expence of Stone piers & Butments (which we find necessary,) your Petitioners humbly Pray they may be Indulged with the Benefit of a Lottery To raise Two Thousand five hundred Dollars which will Enable them to build Sutable & Durable Bridges in such Places as shall be most convenient, an Beneficial to the Publick, as the moneys raised by said Lottery will be apply^d to so Necessary & Important a Purpose-We doubt not of a Speedy Sale of the Tickets, by which we shall be Imediatly enabled to enter on this great work--
   And your petitioners as in Duty bound will ever Pray &^c.--"

The prayer of the petition was not granted and the town was constrained to rely upon their own resources. In 1780 the bridge was rebuilt across the Piscataquog River near the residence of Job Dow; and Job Dow gives a bond in the sum of $3,000 to keep in good repair eight rods of the causeway on the south end of the bridge on Piscataquog River, beginning where the first stick lay.

This causeway which Job Dow gave bond to keep in repair was a short bridge reaching from the southerly side of the large rock upon which the southerly abutment of the present bridge now stands, to the southerly bank of the river. This causeway or bridge was removed in 1861 and the space filled by constructing a retaining wall upon each side.

We find the following vote passed at town meeting on the 11th of June, 1781, "Voted that the town rebuild the bridge over Piscataquog river near where the old bridge stood." And a committee of six men were chosen who had full power to state what "howers each man shall work per day," and "voted that the town bring back what plank can be found upon piscataquog river that the freshet carried away from the bridge, and the spikes taken out of the old bridge be demanded, and if refused to prosecute to final judgment."

This bridge was again evidently rebuilt or extensively repaired in 1804 or 1805 as we find considerable agitation in town meeting of the subject whether the southerly end of the Dow Bridge should be moved further up the river or repaired where it now is, which was finally referred to a committee consisting of Philip Clement, Peter Patterson and Lesley Gregg but as to the location we can find nothing definite.

The next bridge, of which we have any knowledge, constructed across the Piscataquog River at this point, was in 1824 to replace the one carried away by the great freshet of February 11, of the same year. We make the following extract from the diary of Stephen Collins who lived where Daniel W. Hoit formerly lived:

   "Feb.11, 1824, It was rainy and a great thaw."
   "Feb.12, In the morning I and John Whitney and Joseph Hadley went down to Benaiah Richards' and behold the bridge was gone and the mills much injured. The greatest freshet ever known in this quarter; it took off many bridges and injured many mills."

In 1831 this bridge was again repaired at quite an expense. In 1861 a new bridge was constructed here, which stood until October 4,1869, when it was carried away by the flood. Another bridge was constructed the same fall which was a lattice bridge and a roof was put on in 1870; this stood until 1900 when it was replaced by the present steel structure.

GRASMERE BRIDGE

The first bridge across the Piscataquog River was built in 1764, and it is supposed stood very near where the present bridge at Grasmere now stands; Alexander Walker, Asa Pattee and Jonathan Martin were appointed a committee to build said bridge, and each taxpayer in the town was to work out his proportional part or tax. This bridge evidently only stood a year or two, as on the 29th of September, 1766, the town voted "That the same be rebuilt this present year," which was accordingly done.

The site fixed upon was where the old bridge stood near the site of the present bridge at Grasmere. And the model of the bridge and the construction thereof should be left to the committee. They evidently constructed the bridge as we find that the next year the town "Voted to 'Except' (accept) of the new bridge as it stands over Piscataquog river."

In 1804 a new bridge was built here and the location somewhat changed, but according to the vote of the town the same should be above the old dam. In the construction of this bridge the town appointed a committee consisting of five men to draft a set of rules respecting the hours of labor, pay, and the general construction of the bridge; this committee attended to their duties, formulated the rules and appointed James Aiken, Lieut. George Poor and Thomas R. Hoit, Sr., a committee to build the bridge and make a report at the next meeting. The committee reported and the town refused to allow the accounts of Messrs. Aiken and Poor in full for services rendered, considering the same exorbitant.

In 1822 the town chose David Barr, James Aiken and Ephraim Warren a committee to build a bridge here in the best and cheapest manner they can for the best interests of the town, which they evidently did as we find no further records of their doings. In 1852 this bridge was rebuilt under the supervision of the selectmen.

The next bridge was a lattice bridge constructed in 1870, which stood until 1900 when it was replaced by the present steel bridge.

BRIDGE AT PARKER'S

In the fall of 1770 a bridge was constructed across the northerly branch of the Piscataquog River on the road leading from Parker's to New Boston near where the present bridge is now located. This bridge was repaired and reconstructed from time to time until 1852 when an entirely new bridge was put on which by occasional repairing, replanking, etc., stood until 1904 when it was replaced by the present steel bridge.

OTHER BRIDGES ACROSS THE PISCATAQUOG

In 1778 the town "Voted 200� to build a bridge over the Piscataquog river near Capt. Samuel Richards' mill," and further "voted that Robert Kennedy, Enoch Page and Alexander Gilchrist be said committee." A bridge was evidently here before this, as we find a record that the bridge should be located "At or near the place where the old bridge stood." This was somewhere on the Piscataquog River in the vicinity of the present County Farm interval.

About 1850 a bridge was constructed across the Piscataquog River northerly of the present County Farm buildings at the time of the sale of the property by Noyes Poor to Hillsborough County, which remained until after the property was purchased by Governor Cheney and was carried away by the freshet.

In 1806 a causeway was constructed at the Eddy at Amoskeag costing $337.

LANDINGS

There was only one landing within the limits of Goffstown. This was on the land now owned by the Amoskeag Manufacturing Co. and located near the ferry of Thomas Hall upon the westerly bank of the Merrimack River. Mention was made of this when the proprietors held a meeting at the house of James Walker in Bedford on the 26th of June, 1751, and the following reservation when Thomas Hall assigned to Jonathan Martin one undivided half of one full right or proprietors share in the common and undivided land in said town according to quantity for quality. Appending the statement as follows: "There is a highway containing 3 3/4 acres from the road now improved to and from said Hall's Ferry to the land reserved at the common landing place from the fishing islands in Namoskieg Falls."

This was evidently used as a public landing by people for many years. In about 1847 the question of ownership of this territory came up and the following article was inserted in the warrant for the March election of that year: "To see if the town will vote to appoint an agent to take into consideration the subject of the public landing near Amoskeag bridge, and if thought expedient to have said agent petition the legislature for a license to sell the same."

George Poor was elected the agent, who at the March election of 1848 made a report, the substance of which was as follows: he referred to the reservation made by Thomas Hall in 1751 when he assigned to Jonathan Martin, and a strip of land on the river, and the landing place had been used by the public from 1761 to 1815, when the McGregor bridge became impassable, at which time one Captain Trask, the owner of the McGregor farm, opposed the passage to and from the landing.

In 1827 the town appointed a committee to investigate relative to said landing, who reported that a highway had been laid out more than fifty years before, from the main road to Hall's Ferry, which was never discontinued. And they advised that the highway be opened; subsequently the selectmen made a contract with the Land and Water Power Company paving $5 a year for keeping the same fenced, and concludes his report by stating that he could find no record of the bounds and locations of the landing, and until such could be found the town of Goffstown must remain without the benefits of the road. His report was accepted, here the matter remained until 1853 when the town authorized the selectmen to sell all their right to the public landing or road leading from Hall's Ferry to the fishing islands in Amoskeag Falls, provided the Land and Water Power Company of Manchester will pay therefor the sum of $1,000.

This seems to be the last of the matter so far as Goffstown is concerned as we find no record that they ever received the $1,000.

PISCATAQUOG LANDING

This landing was situate in Piscataquog Village, now West Manchester, between what is known as Log Street and the Piscataquog River, was largely patronized by the people of Goffstown. As early as 1756 the Mast Road was known by that name. At this village a bridge was constructed across the Piscataquog River in 1759 or 60, and the history of Bedford says: "This was the first bridge built across the river at this place and probably the first on the river."

Goffstown was noted for its pine forests from which many masts were taken and drawn to the Piscataquog landing, and from this fact the Mast Road derived its name. Subsequently mills were constructed upon the Piscataquog River and its tributaries and large quantities of lumber were manufactured which was teamed to Piscataquog landing and then rafted to Newburyport, Mass. The Piscataquog landing being more accessible to the people of the Piscataquog River valley and its tributaries in Goffstown was therefore largely patronized, and the Mast Road received a larger amount of travel in consequence than any other road in this vicinity.

FERRIES

MARTIN'S FERRY

This ferry was established at an early day by Samuel Martin; it was in that part of Goffstown now within the limits of Hooksett and near the station which bears that name. After the decease of Samuel Martin it was conducted by his widow and sons. This ferry like all the others on the river long since ceased to be used.