![]() Freighters and travelers no longer frequented the Mack Tavern. Deerfield was bypassed because of its hilly terrain. ![]() Reasons for the decline included the unprofitability of farming and the advent of railroads to the area. This third period saw forests encroach upon farmland and church congregations dwindle. By 1820 the population reached 2133, and the forests had been almost completely cleared.Īfter 1850 - Deerfield's population began a steady decline which continued for nearly 100 years. Much of the town's land has remained in the same families for 200 years. Skills and houses passed from generation to generation. These jobs supplemented the main work of farming. Blacksmiths, cobblers, and people pursuing every occupation could be found working at home in early Deerfield. Water-powered manufacturing was established on many of the brooks and rivers. They filled taverns like the Mack Tavern on South Road, where a night's accommodations including drink and song could be found. Drovers and freighters brought people and business to the town. Several main roads had been laid through the town one lead from Exeter to Concord. By 1773 the population had reached 911.ġ770 to 1850 - The next period was a busy and prosperous time for the town. This changing view of the forest's value provides a way of dividing the town's history into four periods.īefore 1770 - The earliest period, before 1770, was a time of clearing the forest, settling the land, building houses, and erecting the first meeting house. It should be noted, however, that forest land is important to the community for purposes of recreation and conservation. Old stone walls which marked the edges of mowed fields have disappeared into the forest, and new trees choke old cellar holes. Today, forest has reclaimed much of the town which had once been painstakingly cleared. Each school district operated almost autonomously with its own moderator, school board, clerk, and auditor. The first one-room schoolhouse must eventually have been established, and by the mid-19th century, the town had 15 school districts and 13 school buildings - one within walking distance of almost all children. After choosing a site for the Meeting House and organizing a church, one of the first matters the early citizens considered was establishment of a grammar school. South Road, which also lay on the main highroad, quickly became a center, of trade, commerce, and hospitality.Įducation of its children has been an important part of the history of Deerfield. Leavitt's Hill became the site for a store, a well-known creamery, and a post office. Deerfield Parade, located along the route to Portsmouth became quite a busy location with an inn for travelers, a store, and an academy to educate the sons and daughters of the doctors, lawyers, and other prominent citizens, who lived in its fine homes. Shortly after its incorporation, the residents erected a Meeting House on Chase's Hill or what became known as the Old Center. Several small centers developed and thrived. Lying along the main route between Concord and Portsmouth, the town soon became an active center of trade and commerce and remained so throughout its early history. A garrison was built for protection from the Indians near the Parade in 1742. Deerfield was settled in the late 1730's. In 1766, the residents petitioned and received permission from the royal governor to become a separate town. ![]() The Town of Deerfield was originally the southwestern part of Nottingham from the original Nottingham grant of 1722.
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