The White Mountains; A Handbook for Travellers

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890. Excerpt: ... In June, 1775, Andrew McMillan sent down from Conway, praying that troops might be sent to guard the town, as 15 of her citizens were in the American army besieging Boston. The State sent a supply of powder to Conway, and during the following summer Capt. Joshua Heath was ordered to enlist ten rangers and scout through the Conway woods for three months. At this time (census of 1775) Conway had 273 inhabitants and 2 negro slaves. The Congregational church was organized in 1778. In 1781 a postal service was inaugurated here by Ihe State, consisting of a mounted mail-carrier, who rode fortnightly from Portsmouth to Conway, Plymouth, Haverhill, Charlestown. Keene, and Portsmouth, his compensation each three months being 70 hard Dollars, or paper money Equivalent. When the party of Drs. Belknap and Cutler passed through Conway, in 1784. The good Women understands there were 3 Ministers in yc Compy were in hope we should lay the Spirits w& have been fuppofed to hover about ye White Mountains--an opinion very probably derived from y Indians who tho;t thefc Md y- habitation of some invifible beings & never attempted to afcend them. In the early part of the prepentcentury, when all the freighting between the Coos country and the pea-shore passed this way, Conway was a busy place, its street being frequently traversed by wagon-trains a half-mile long. In 1797, President Dwight visiied thetown, and speaks favorably of the intervales and the view of Mt. Washington; saying also that The inhabitants appeared to be in comfortable circumstances, and the houses were decent. Conway is underlaid by the so-called Conway granite. The geological theory is that near the close of the Labrador period a tremendous earthquake occurred in the White-Mt. region, followed b...