A Personal Look at a Period of Plaistow History

This exhibit features an excerpt from the 225th Anniversary Town of Plaistow, N.H. commemorative book. These interesting events from 1883 through 1898 are based on diaries preserved at the historical society. Copies of the 225th anniversary book are still available for $5.00 at the museum.

Jan. 1, 1883	Railroad gates, at Main Street, first manned.
Jan. 26	Fanny Sleeper broke her arm sliding on hill this morning. (Great Aunt of Mrs. Virginia Ingalls)
Apr. 12	Steam mill set up on Sleeper land to saw logs.
Sept. 22	Bill and Joe Judson dug 14½ foot well, Elm St. lot.

Jan. 22, 1884	Bot 82 pounds coal of Cass, $2.60.
Feb. 9	Wyman claims assault on him in “The Dive”.
Apr. 22	Clement moving store from Hills land to Chase lot.
Sep. 1	Col. Joseph Pollard’s death reported in town.
Dec. 9	Accident at Willow Tree Crossing; 6:30 train hit wagon, killed Mrs. Levi Carter, injured other. Horse killed.
June 3, 1885	Night Freight accident, several cars wrecked at brickyards.
June 30	New Bandstand on Common dedicated.
July 9	Hauling poles and insulators for telegraph line on Elm St.
Aug. 12	Cellar put in for A.C. Clement shoe shop.
Sep. 7	Freight train wreck near depot.
Jan. 12, 1887	Two horses of Mr. Nason killed at Willow Tree Crossing.
Mar. 8	Richardson house, near Noyse, burned this morning.
May 11	Set out larch trees near railroad, and Witch Lane.
May 14	Mrs. Dan Harriman’s house burned, occupied by a Frenchman.
June 5	Five men baptized at Pollard Mill Pond.
July 4	Big celebration, speaker and Navy Yard cannon, fireworks.
Aug. 29	Man killed at Greenough brickyard today. Wm. Lacey, also.
Oct. 16	Six cows impounded; taken out of pound at night.
Nov. 30	T.J. Nichols opened grocery store in J.N. Sleeper building, near RR crossing.
Feb. 14, 1888	Freight accident this AM, one car off track from Newton Meadow to Westville.
April 1	Rev. Wm. Weeks preached farewell sermon.
August 6	Cummings house burned.
Nov. 8	Harry R. Seaver & Fanny Sleeper married.
Dec. 17	John H. Kelly house & barn burned this evening.
Jan. 8, 1891	Gilinan Harris staked land for Baptist vestry lot.
Jan. 28	Concert and lecture at Town Hall.
Feb. 14	Gen’l Wm. T. Sherman died in N.Y. at 1:50 PM.
Mar. 18	Wallace Keezer sworn in as Police Officer. Also Badger & Flanders.
Mar. 26	E. Tucker moved from old Stephen Sawyer house to near pound.
April 11	5 complaints & warrants issued on roadhouse parties. Selectmen & officers made raid, found nothing.
May 15	Police out in force, looking for unlicensed dogs. Found none.
June 23	Nichols place raided.
Aug. 12	Bill Judson dug well near Town Hall. Found water at 10 feet.
Sept. 14	C.W. Cass took over F.S. Davis store today.
Nov. 12	Moses Davis barn torn down. Meeting of Democrats at Union House.
Dec. 5	Old Bradley house, near Atk. line, burned this PM.
June 12, 1893	Maxfield death. Buried in pauper cemetery.
June 25	G. Greely opened new store in Sleeper building.
June 30	John Badger moved his barn to the rear of his house.
July 4	George Hills house took fire on roof. Probably firecrackers.
Aug. 23	Peaslee family gathering at old Homestead, Sweet Hill.
Oct. 9	Catholic Fair opened today in Town Hall. Benefit new church.
Nov. 12	Post Office moved from Casses to Greeley’s store.
Nov. 16	First talk about ELECTRIC ROAD through town.
March 1, 1894	J. Hobart Pollard has moved back to town from Lowell.
March 5	Meeting at Town Hall about proposed new TOWN HALL, Library and a graded school.
April 27	Sidewalk being cemented from church northward.
April 28	At town meeting in PM, called about building town hail. Declared illegal and dissolved.
April 30	Greeley Store & Post Office burned down after 3 this morning.
May 21	Subscription written for fire apparatus and engine house.
June 2	Fire Engine House is being built near the hay scales on land of J.N. George, (near RR).
June 30	New platform being built at railroad station.
July 7	New bell arrived for Baptist Church, gift of Arthur Pollard.
July 29	A new Dr. (McLaughlin) has taken the J.S. Hills house.
October 6	New shoestring factory being raised today at Witch Lane.
Febr. 1, 1895	Friends of ELECTRIC ROAD hold meeting at Town Hall.
March 12	Town Meeting; voted to build a Town Hall and to raise $8,000 for that purpose. Also voted not to raise money to suppress the sale of rum at houses of ill favor.
March 15	Selectmen appointed anti-rum police officers.
April 22	Began taking down Town Hall; tearing out inside.
April 25	Schoolhouse privies moved near window. Moved schoolhouse off lot.
April 26	Walls of Town Hall all down.
April 27	Moving safe out of old town hail.
April 29	Selectmen putting up batters for foundation of new Town Hall.
April 30	School house moved again.
May 1	Town Hall basement begun.
May 25	Dr. Bennette planning program for laying cornerstone. He is Master of Kingston Lodge, Masons.
June 3	Cornerstone ceremony held. Speech by Wm. H. Hills, published in Haverhill Gazette and Bulletin. Ceremony by Masons.
July 16	Raid at Union House last night.
August 6	Fixed points of compass on New Town Hall at request of Asa Warner. He took down the staging without help. Vane put up, set letters by compass.
August 10	Tom Nichols committed suicide.
August 31	Police issued order: No vehicle riding on sidewalk.
Sept. 7	Windows put in Town Hall.
Sept. 8	Bicycle notice destroyed and 8 went East and West on sidewalks.
Oct. 7	B.J. Flanders planning dedication of New Town Hall.
Nov. 14	Dedication of New Town Hall. Governor and staff present.
Jan. 2, 1897	Town Library opened for first time.
Feb. 5	J.S. Hills bot out Wallace Keezer’s store.
Aug. 6	Simons building, North part of town, burned.
Aug. 22	Moses B. Steven’s barn burned last night, with 6 horses, 4 cows.
Sept. 27	US Cavalry passed thru, en route Rochester to Haverhill.
Feb. 24, 1898	Bill Keezer made first trip with butcher cart (Was Holt & Darby)
Aug. 23	J.E. Peaslee’s 2 horses killed on RR at Fecteaus brick yard.
Sept. 2	Blacksmith shop hit by lightning, burned.
Oct. 18	Dr. Noyes arrived in town.