Concord, Neiv Hainps/iijr.
��265
��comers. Why should not they re- ceive land for actual settlement as well as aliens and strangers ? Had not their fathers and grandfathers done good service in the various Indian wars ? Many petitions were sent to the Great and General Court of Massachusetts, claiming grants on a multitude of pre- texts ; this northern part of the colony was even then in dispute, and might at any time, by decision of the home gov- ernment, be decided to be within the limits of the Royal Province of New Hampshire.
��These first settlers of the plantation, of Penacook were carefully selected men, brave, law-abiding. God-fearing, chosen from among their fellows by a committee of the court, to establish a model community. They came to stay. Very many of the first families are represented by their descendants to this day. They laid out our wide and beautiful Main Street substantially as it is now ; ' they divided the land into home lots and farms, cleared away the forest trees, built log houses at first (which were soon replaced by frame
��� �� ��These and other causes hastened the granting of a township at Penacook. A little later the Province of New Hampshire granted the township of Bow, covering almost the same territory. The Massachusetts settlers, however, were the first on the ground. They came up the valley of the Merrimack from Andover and adjoining towns, and laid the foundations of the future city. Their first surveyors found a company of Scotch-Irish in possession of the intervales on the east side of the river, where a fort had been erected for their protection. These intruders were legally warned off the premises, and retired without a contest.
��VIEW OF INTERVALE ACROSS HORSE-SHOE POND.
��buildings, some still standing), and a meeting-house. Their plantation was incorporated under the name of Rum- ford. They built several garrison-houses for the protection of their families, for an Indian war broke out soon after the settlement was effected. For a number of years this was a frontier post, ex- posed to the attacks of the savages. Of a Sunday their minister would go into the pulpit, armed with the best gun in the parish, and preach to a congre- gation armed and equipped to repulse a possible Indian surprise. Men went to their work in the fields wth an armed
��' Main Street was originally laid out ten rods wide ; but in the course of time the abutting owners were al- lowed to encroach two rods on each side, reducing the width to six rods. The Robie house and the Herbert house stood on the old street line.
�� �
