first settled minister, and located himself on the ministerial lot. He also, by a vote of the town, obtained the use of the parsonage lot, with an addition of seventy pounds a year, one-half to be paid in cash, the other in corn and rye." His farm was in a beautiful location south of the center, and was afterwards owned for many years by the late Deacon John Paige; it is now the propery of his son, Lewis Paige.

In respect to his farm, buildings, fences, Dr. Harris was a model for the town. Two men once working for him were trying to move a heavy log. He told them how to manage according to philosophy; finally one said: "Well, Dr. Harris, if you and your philosophy will take hold of that end of the log while Jim and I take this end, I think we can move it."

Dr. Harris was sometimes called the "Broad-axe and sledgehammer of the New Hampshire ministry." He was a man of more than ordinary intellectual endowments, and graduated from Dartmouth College with high honors. Prof. Charles G. Burnham said in his address at the Centennial: "The influ ence of the life and preaching of Dr. Harris is manifest today in every department of your material prosperity, as well as upon the moral and religious character of the people, and will be for generations to come."

Dr. Harris was dismissed July 7, 1830, and died December 25, 1843. His successor, Rev. John M. Putnam, was installed the day Dr. Harris was dismissed; both were remarkable extemporaneous speakers. Mr. Putnam was called one of the best platform speakers in his profession in the State.

At the close of his pastorate he went to reside with his son at Yarmouth, Maine; he died in Elyria, Ohio, in 1871. He was dismissed the day his successor, Sylvanus Hayward, was ordained. Thus for more than 77 years the church was not for one day without a settled pastor. Mr. Hayward was born in Gilsum, N. H., and has written a history of his native town; he was dismissed April, 1866. His successors were Revs. George I. Bard, William E. Spear, who is now a lawyer in

Boston, and at present Secretary of the Spanish War Claim Commission, James Wells now deceased, Tilton C. H. Bouton, grandson of Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Bouton, for many years pastor of the North Church, Concord, N. H., George Sterling, Avery K. Gleason, and William A. Bushee. During Mr. Bouton's pastorate a parsonage was built in the north part of the village on land given by Deacon Daniel H. Parker.

The first deacons were chosen in 1790, and were James Clement and Edward Russell. Others were Samuel Burnham, David Alexander, John Church, Matthew S. McCurdy, John Wilson, John Mills, Samuel Burnham (a namesake of the first of the name), who with Daniel H. Parker served for many years. They were succeeded by Frederic L. Ireland and Frank C. Woodbury, the present incumbents.

Church discipline was very strict in ye olden time. What would the people of the present day think of being called to account for such a small matter as this? "A complaint was presented to the church by one brother against another for unChristian-like behavior in suffering himself to be carried in a light and vain manner upon a man's shoulders to the length of a quarter of a mile. The church accepted the complaint, and summoned the brother before it. He appeared, confessed his fault and was pardoned."

Deacon McCurdy was noted for his strictness in keeping the Sabbath. No food could be cooked in the house on that day, and no work done at the barn except milking and feeding the stock. He once, however, mistook the day of the week, and took a grist to mill on Sunday, while his wife began the the Saturday's baking. On arriving at the mill, he, of course, found it closed, and on going to the miller's house, he learned his mistake. He was so shocked that he would not leave his grist, but carried it back home.

The Baptist Church was organized in Mountalona in 1828. The first meeting house was built by Aaron Elliot, and Isaac Westcott was the first pastor. were held at the Center;

In the Spring of 1847 meetings Rev. John W. Poland (since fa

mous as the maker of " White Pine Compound") preached dur. ing that season. The next year a church was built.

The pastors were Revs. H. D. Hodges (who, with Rev. John Putnam, compiled a grammar), Samuel Cook, Horace Eaton, Jesse M. Coburn, Washington Coburn, John Peacock (as a supply), Stephen Pillsbury, Timothy B Eastman, Elias Whittemore, Samuel Woodbury, Adoniram J. Hopkins, Dr. Lucien Hayden, J. J. Peck, Charles Willand, and the present incumbent, S. H. Buffam. This list may not be exactly correct. At intervals no services have been held. Nathaniel Wheeler, John O. Merrill and John Paige were deacons for many years. In 1899 the house was painted and otherwise improved. The old house at Mountalona was used at times by the Baptists. Methodist services were also held there. It was burned

about seventeen years ago.

A Universalist society was formed in 1830 by Nathan Gutterson, Joshua F. Hoyt, Silas Burnham, Alexander Gilchrist and others and services were held in the old Congrega. tional Church. Rev. Nathan R. Wright preached here for four years and lived in a house near the late John C. Ray's which was burned about 30 years ago. It was afterwards known as the Hope house from Samuel B Hope, one of the owners. Mr. Wright was the father of Hon. Carroll D. Wright who was born in 1840. The family removed from town when he was three years of age.

In 1864 or 1865 Episcopal Church services were held by clergymen from St. Paul's School in school houses in the west part of the town, afterwards in the Hope house. In the summer of 1866 the corner stone of the church was laid on land given by the Misses Stark. The money to build the church was collected by their grand neice, Miss Mary Stark, a devoted churchwoman, who died in 1881. The church is a lasting memorial of her. It is a beautiful building with a seating capacity of 110. The fine chancel window was given by the father of the Rector of St. Paul's School. The church was consecrated in 1868, and named the Church of St John the Evangelist. For about fourteen years the services were in charge of Rev. Joseph H. Coit,

the present rector of St. Paul's School. He was succeeded by Rev. Edward M. Parker, a master of the school, who with the assistance of Mr. William W. Flint, lay preacher, holds services in Dunbarton and East Weare. In 1890 the church was taken down and re-erected in North Dunbarton on land given by David Sargent south of the school-house, in front of a beautiful pine grove. A service of re-dedication was held december 15, 1890. Frank B. Mills was organist and leader of the singing with only a short interval until his removal from town in 1895. The organist at the present time is Miss Sara E. Perkins.

After the removal of the church, a brass tablet in memory of the Misses Harriet and Charlotte Stark was placed therein by Rev. Joseph H. Coit.

Dunbarton has had many fine musicians within her borders. Col. Samuel B. Hammond led the singing in the Congregational Church for a long term of years, resigning in 1875. The choir was formerly large and numbered among its members Mrs. Elizabeth (Whipple) Brown, her daughter, Mrs. Agnes French, Ove Caldwell, now Mrs. Morrill of Minnesota, the daughters of the late Deacon Parker, Mrs. Harris Wilson, Nathaniel T. Safford, William S. Twiss, and others.

Before the advent of the cabinet organ instrumental music was furnished by a double bass viol played by Harris Wilson, a single bass-viol played by Eben Kimball, a melodeon played by Andrew Twiss, and one or two violins. When the church was remodeled the organ and choir were removed from the gallery to a place beside the pulpit. Mrs. Mary (Wilson) Bunten is now organist. For several years a quartette, consisting of William S. Twiss, Frank B. Mills, Horace Caldwell, and Frederic L. Ireland sang most acceptably on many occasions, especially furnishing appropriate music at funerals, until the removal from town of Mr. Twiss in 1884. At various times signing schools were taught by Eben Kimball, Joseph C. Cram of Deerfield, "Uncle Ben" Davis of Concord, and at Page's Corner, by Frank B. Mills.

The first School houses in town were few and far between,

with no free transportation as practiced at the present time. Hon. Albert S. Batchellor, of Littleton, in searching the columns of a file of old newspapers recently, came across the following which will be of interest to Dunbarton people :

"Dunbarton May ye 15, 1787.

We the subscribers Promise to pay to Mrs. Sarah Ayers Young three shillings per week for five Months to Teach school seven or Eight Hours Each Day Except Sunday & Saturday half a day, to be paid in Butter at half Pifterreen per lb. flax the same or Rie at 4 shillings, Corn at 3s. Each. Persons to pay their Proportion to what scollers they sign for Witness Our Hands. Thomas Hannette 2 Scollers Thomas Husfe 1 Jameson Calley 2 Andrew fofter 1 John Bunton 3 John Fulton 2

Before 1805 Dunbarton had three school districts. The first house was at the Center. Rev. Abraham W. Burnham, of Rindge, in response to the toast, "Our Early Inhabitants," at the Centennial, said: " My brother Samuel, when so young that my mother was actually afraid the bears would catch him, walked two miles to school." This same boy was the first college graduate from town, in the class of 1795. Robert Hogg, called Master Hogg, was the first male teacher, and Sarah Clement the first female teacher.

In

Another teacher of the long ago was Master John Fulton, who lived on the farm now owned by John W. Farrar. those days pupils often tried to secure a holiday by "barring out" the teacher on New Year's Day. More than once Master John Fulton found himself in this situation. On one occasion he went to one of the neighbors where he borrowed a tall white hat and a long white coat with several capes. Thus disguised he mounted a white horse and rode rapidly to the school house. The unsuspecting pupils rushed to the door, when, quick as thought, Master Fulton sprang from the horse, entered the school house and called the school to order. At another time, while teaching in a private house in Bow, finding himself "barred out," he entered a chamber window by a ladder, removed some loose boards from the floor (the house being unfinished) and descended among his astonished