THE THREE TAVERNS. In the history of the lake there have been during the last century three taverns at pleasant points along its shores, each occupied by guests, and conducted by one proprietor for a sufficient length of time to be distinguished from the temporary eating and drinking resorts by the name of tavern. In the year 1800 Mr. Wade Cogswell came from Ipswich, bought a lot at the north end of the lake where the turnpike crossed the Candia road, and built what was known in those days as the Cogswell house. It was a substantial strongly framed building without pretention to any architectural beauty, as will be seen from our engraving herewith given. How long it retained that name does not appear, but in 1844 it was owned by Mr. Daniel Merrill and was sold by him in 1845 to Mr. Edward P. Offutt. Mr. Merrill is said to have began some changes and improvements in the building, but by reason of unsteady habits was unable to complete his plans. He died soon after, leaving two daughters named Hannah and Ruhama, estimable members of the First Congregational church who boarded for awhile in the family of our president, Mr. Herrick. Mr. Offutt came to Manchester from Lowell, Mass., in 1839, and established a furniture and crockery establishment at 31 Elm street, now 959 (?). He began changes and improvements in the house, stables were added, a hall for parties, for Sunday services and for political meetings was built, a miniature park was laid out on the approach to the lake, trees set, the low lands about drained and brought under cultivation, and a small steamer called the "Gem of the Lake" was launched. A zoo was started for the amusement of the children wherein was a mother goat and her sportive kids, a sober and sagacious donkey, sundry strange fowls, parrots in cages, and an occasional melancholy monkey. Mr. Offutt was an enterprising man, and in addition to his hotel property acquired the place known as the Oswego mill, where machinery was introduced for sawing shingles and for planing, and houses were erected for the use of workmen. This was where the stream from Tower hill pond crosses the Candia road. The dam, however, which was some years previous washed away in a freshet, again gave out, and no vestige of the settlement now remains. It is probable that Mr. Offutt had too many kinds of business on his hands to make a successful landlord. At any rate, the Massabesic house is not supposed to have proved a profitable investment, though well patronized at times. Mr. Offutt died February 2, 1870, survived by his widow and five children, now living. His widow, a most estimable lady, at this time of writing ninety-one years of age, is held in kindly remembrance by dwellers about this lake shore for her interest in Sunday school work and for her compositions in poetic form with which she entertained her classes. She has since occasionally sent to her friends a birthday poem. * In 1882 the house and accompanying land was sold to Charles Williams and is still owned by his heirs. It was leased by various parties at different times, but failed to recover any great amount of patronage, and on the 14th of May, 1903, the Massabesic house was totally destroyed by fire, undoubtedly the work of an incendiary, as it had been closed all the previous season for the first time in many years. Next in point of time and first in its commanding view of the lake was Folsom's in Auburn, on the Londonderry turnpike. From the rear of the house the land sloped gradually to the water's edge. Off the shore at no great distance the green forests of Deer Isle were in full sight, and across the deep blue of the waters the view reaches on to the mountain heights, northwest of Manchester. This tavern, as shown in our half-tone, was built by John Folsom in 1806. Mr. Folsom was born in Newmarket March 11, 1776. The family soon after moved to Harrisburg, Pa., where the father engaged in nail making. In 1792 they returned to New Hampshire and settled in Chester, near the chief affluent of the lake. Here Mr. Folsom bought the fulling mill of Joseph Blanchard and installed his machinery for nail making. In 1805 John Folsom and John Melvin took a contract to build fifteen miles of turnpike from Hooksett bridge, and also the bridge at the straits, or Deer neck. For the bridge Mr. Folsom was allowed one thousand dollars. At this time he bought lot ninety-eight, second part, second divison, upon which the tavern was built. The picture given here is a very good representation of the house as it appeared fifty years ago, as the writer can testify, having experienced its hospitality * Mrs. Ann M. Offutt died at her home, 319 Chestnut Street, February 20, 1904. She was the oldest member of the Merrimack-street Baptist church and was a member of the Manchester Old Residents association and of the W. C. T. U. She leaves three sons, Willard C. Offutt of Savannah, Ga.,'and E. Howard and Albert E. Offutt of this city; two daughters, Mrs. Annie M. French of Hazardville, Ct., and Mrs. Ella J. Wheeler of this city; eight grandchildren and a great-granddaughter. |