IN THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE PIONEERS.
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��the Hon. A. M. Chase dispensed his plain but generous-hearted hospitality, and from here, in 1S76. was he gath- ered to the family corner in the little " God's acre" among the hills. He had lived but sixty-nine years, as we count years, by summers' suns and winters' colds, but in the events and experiences of the world he had rounded a full measure of years. He was one of New England's representative men, and in the world of politics, in social life, and in the whirl of business, he was well and favorably known beyond his native New Hampshire. Mr. Chase was an earnest agitator in the great struggle against slavery, and was early numbered among its prominent leaders, being a co-worker with Hale, Sumner and Wilson. He was noted fur his fearless independence in the promulgation of his advanced political ideas, and for his entire unselfishness while battling for what he considered the rights of humanity. He needs no epitaph engraved in stone, for is not his memory embalmed in the hearts of his many friends and associates?
It was. we think, a strange idea of Col. Eames to locate his number one range in the midst of this township rather than upon one side, in his sur- vey ; but thus we have it. There is little in the numbering, however, so we have it for a title ; and number one in the first range fits as closely by the side of number one in the eleventh, as does number one in the second upon the south side. The title to number one in the fourth range, another angu- lar lot on the western border of the town, back of the Burns pond outlet, was once in the name of Jonathan Dix, the great grandfather of Gen. John A. Dix, and one of the origi- nal grantees of the township. He was a native of Massachusetts, and by trade a tanner. He removed to Boscawen, N. H., about 1790, with the family of his son, Timothy Dix, sr. His grand- son, Col. Timothy, jr., in the first year of this century, purchased a large tract in the northern part of the state, which, in 1805, was granted in, and
��has since borne his name, Dixville, which has become somewhat renowned in these later years for its bold and romantic scenery. It remained in his possession, however, but a few years, as, on account of its wild and far-away situation, he was unable to procure the necessary settlers, in accordance with the terms of the grant, and it soon passed by tax-sale and otherwise into other hands.
At the date of the grant of White- field, in 1 774, the grandfather. Jonathan Dix, was, we believe, in Canterbury, but whether as a resident, or in his military capacity (for he was an ancient war- rior) , we are uninformed. In the original draft his title was number twenty-nine, which, in the first or 1793 tax-sale, was bid off by Samuel Minot, but was soon redeemed by the original owner.
In the new division, or 1S02 draft, this number two in the fourth range was a part of his allotment, the other section being in the extreme north- eastern part of the town, afterward oc- cupied by Ephraim James. The first Jonathan kept his title good until near the close of his life, which was a long and eventful one. He died at Bos- cawen, in 1S04, aged 94 years.
Between this lot and the present Parker farm was a part of the Timothy Nash grant, cornering near the outlet of the Burns pond. The other divis- ion to this title being near the head of the same body of water, number two in the seventh range. This Nash will be remembered as a renowned hunter of this "Cohos" section, and the fortu- nate discoverer of the White Mountain notch, in 1771. He was active in pro- curing funds for locating and building a road connecting the Coos with the " Pequawket country," by way of his recently discovered gateway of the mountains. Of the birth, death, or burial-place, of this one of those his- toric names of
��giant men
��"Whose deeds have linked, with every
glen. And every hill, and every stream, The romance of some warrior dream."
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