Three inches of fresh snow greeted us Nelsonites that morning, two days before Christmas. Our weekly Monday hike was on Friday this week, and we looked forward to exploring the extreme northeast corner of town. We hoped to check out some rumored trails around Rollstone Mountain, an intriguing area on USGS maps and Google-Earth satellite views. Rollstone Mountain and Holt Hill make up the uplands in the extreme northeast of Nelson. Strangely, the hill is higher than the mountain. Years ago Sue and I had followed a bobcat here, along logs and across walls, round feline tracks in powder.

Four of us carpooled from the village, skidding up slippery Old Stoddard Rd, barely squeezing by the Hayes wrecker parked mid-street on the straight uphill stretch of road past the town barns. The car on the flatbed was an indication of the driving conditions. So was the greasy road itself.

Two sections of Nelson’s town lines cross Rye Pond: a north-south section of the border abuts Antrim to the east. North of the east-west line sits Stoddard. It’s a wild area—most who drive NH 123 between Hancock village and South Stoddard spend less than a minute in Nelson, but a disproportionate percentage of the town’s moose collisions likely happen in those few rods. We parked on the shoulder and heading into the woods of Antrim.

Soon we were on the King’s Highway, here just a woodland trail between two parallel stone walls. In Nelson, this oldest of roads most likely is buried under 123. We could have followed it southeast into Hancock, where it becomes a town road, but instead we left it for another trail heading southwesterly. At a fork, we headed uphill to the right, thinking that was the main trail. We were wrong.

The trail disappeared on a slope of refrigerator-sized boulders. We clambered upslope, but soon decided to “follow the contour” south. We split up briefly when Kathy Schillemat and I headed uphill along a brook, while the other two, Niña Iselin and Kathy’s son-in-law Roland, chose the small ridge just past the brook. We soon rejoined on the ridge after the brook-walkers hit a tangle of downed trees, and we continued climbing.

This section was pure hardwood. Beech, maple, birch, but not a single conifer—pine, spruce, or fir— anywhere in sight. Soon we hit an actual trail—apparently an old logging road (and more currently a snowmobile trail, we soon discovered. It was also the left fork we should have followed, we later determined). This trail angled upslope to the right, northeasterly. Soon we saw conifers again—first spruce sprouts half buried in snow, then spruce saplings.

Up to now we had seen little fresh wildlife sign. Tracks of gray squirrels, mostly, and some snowed-over deer tracks. Now we found deer tracks among nibbled ends of evergreen wood ferns. Here the trail leveled—the main slope up west to our left, a rugged knoll rising on the right. It was an enchanting spot—Niña called it a fairyland. Between these slopes the trail passed through brushy pools and puddles, thinly frozen, around which we shunpiked.

A square of plywood nailed on a tree was a snowmobile trail sign. One arrow pointed down the trail we had just ascended. A side trail headed to “Mark’s Park”, whatever that might be. We went the other way, crossing a stone wall that likely is also the town line, thus returning to Nelson. The trail trended uphill. Soon we came upon fresh tracks of ruffed grouse stitching the snow and crossing the trail. We variously backtracked this “partridge” and followed the trail, until the trail headed steeply down where the bird tracks crossed again. The others returned to where we had first seen the tracks. I continued backtracking, and soon found where the tracks began. The bird had dragged its toes in the snow as it landed, then walked.

Meanwhile, the other hikers caught up with and spooked the grouse to flight. Fresh pile of droppings on a log, wingtips brushing the snow.

We continued uphill through mixed woods, towards where the grouse had flown. Saw no more sign of it, but where the slope steepened we found deer beds—melted patches in the snow. The tracks leaving them seemed very fresh.

It is fun to search for hairs in spots where wildlife have bedded. Usually you can find a few if you search. Deer and moose have hollow hairs, which likely provide better insulation than would solid hairs. It also means they kink if you bend them, like hollow garden hoses. We found and kinked a few.

When bushwacking in a group, you could walk in single file. Or you can spread out, improving the chance of somebody finding something interesting. Uphill from grouselaunch log, we were more scattered. I found red squirrel middens—little piles of spruce-cone scales where the little rodent had sat and snacked on spruce seeds, tearing apart the cones to get to the morsels—but only Roland saw the deer.

It appeared we were topping out. This could be the top of Rollstone Mountain, Holt Hill, or some other bump on the map. We were more into conifers—one section of open woods appeared to be pure spruce, contrasting to the earlier pure hardwoods. And here was the top—two or three car-sized boulders topped with an artistic stone cairn. Later we decided this was Rollstone’s peak. Through the woods and the fickle mist we picked out Nubanusit to the southeast.

Time to head back—one member of the party had promises to keep. To the east, we reckoned we would hit the King’s Highway, or maybe our old tracks. Within a few hundred yards or less we hit a stonewall running north-south.

I suspect it was the same wall we had crossed earlier to the north—the town line wall—and that if we followed it south we would get to where Kathy, Rick Church, and I had started a transect of Nelson a few weeks back. That wall is visible on Google-Earth’s satellite view, and makes a right turn where we had started our transect, heading west into Nelson. That excursion, on December 5, took us from the east edge of Nelson to Holt Farm Rd. We had bushwacked west from the town line, up over the shoulder of Holt Hill, skirted just north of White Swamp (the wetland north of Spoonwood), up an incredible steep slope of boxcar-sized boulders to a lookout spot on the north shoulder of Osgood (City) Hill, and on. (On a previous expedition, Kathy and I had named that spot “October Snow Rock”, for the day we first came there from the north. We had discovered it last summer on a hike up from Brickyard Brook and Kulish Ledges). Descending Holt Hill on December 5th, we had startled a black bear from a split red oak. We hope to return to that oak—there seemed to be a bear-sized hollow at the split, maybe 15 feet off the ground. Hollow trees have been used for denning. In November Kathy and I had found bear tracks in snow on a north shoulder of Osgood Hill.

Rollstone Mountain as an eagle might see it.

East from that stone wall on the probable town line, we slipped and slid down, grabbing saplings, our group spreading out to variously explore or avoid boulders, rock overhangs, logs and log-tangles, and finally gathered on a trail at the bottom. It was the same trail we had hit twice already. Near where we were now, it switchbacked up towards our earlier fairyland, but we followed it back to that left fork (where we had gone right), and our old tracks in the snow. Back to the King’s Highway and thence to the car.

I would like to know more about how the King’s Highway was laid out and constructed. It was a rough road through the wilderness, but here at the base of Rollstone, it passes through some bony land. Some boulders would have been a challenge to move. All this with oxen, horse, manpower, and what tools were then available? But if the Easter Islanders, in the remote Pacific, could move those much bigger monoliths without any animal power, these would not be impossible.

I have long thought that rebels in the American Revolution had dragged cannon from the captured Fort Ticonderoga to Boston along this road, and thus were able to drive out the British. I had heard this about Vermont’s old highway, the Crown Point Road, and I assumed that once they had hit the Connecticut River near Fort Number Four, they would naturally have continued on the King’s Highway through New Hampshire. But a little online research proved me wrong. Colonel Henry Knox, Continental Army, took a smoother and more southerly route through New York and Massachusetts, bringing 60 tons of cannon and other equipment to Boston in the winter of 1775-1776, in what was called “The Noble Train of Artillery”. Our King’s Highway awaits other adventures.

The NELLs will be celebrating the season on Wednesday, Dec. 14th, at 12:30 PM at Luca’s Restaurant on Central Square in Keene.  Please make reservations by Tuesday, Dec. 13th.  Call Priscilla at 847-3264 or Bert at 847-9945.  Hope to see you there!

The Monadnock Folklore Society brings this community event to the Nelson Town Hall each year, admission is $5, and treats are appreciated for the dessert potluck. This year the evening will begin with a holiday concert featuring a selection of traditional and original seasonal music; as part of the concert 2011 Johnny Trombly Scholarship recipient  will entertain us with their musicianship. The Folklore Society invites you to bring along your favorite holiday dessert and we’ll supply the beverages for the intermission. After the concert the chairs and benches are cleared to make way for a traditional New England Contradance. Unfortunately, or not, the dance is often interrupted by various groups of unsavory characters presenting their idea of seasonal entertainment. These diversions, sometimes involving costumed individuals making complete fools of themselves or performing ancient ritual dances to help us through this dark time of the year, are generally tolerated as once they are applauded and fed we can return to dancing the night away.

Come by the Nelson Congregational Church to hear the Nelson Town Band playing Christmas Carols and Holiday Songs as the church is being decorated. Then around 7:00 outside for caroling and the lighting of the church tree and the town tree.

Sophia Newell (or possibly an imposter) in front of the Gad Newell home, on Cemetery Road.

Editors note:  This is the third and final article in a series relating the founding of the first ministry in Packersfield.  The first detailed the many efforts to acquire a minister for a small, remote community. Several ministers came for trial periods and several offers of employment were made before Jacob Foster accepted the call. The second discussed Foster’s contentious dismissal for reasons the records do not make clear.  What is clear is that the parting was difficult.  This final article deals with the start of Packersfield/Nelsons longest ministry, that of Gad Newell.  Sensitive to the situation in the aftermath of the Foster mess, the young Newell took a healing approach.

In the aftermath of the Reverend Jacob Foster’s dismissal, Packersfield moved on.

A much more established community now, the town seemed to have little trouble finding a replacement.  The process took two years, but there is no record of repeated trials of new ministers and rejected offers of employment. The town provided a settlement of 170 pounds (a sort of signing bonus) and offered the new preacher a salary of 70 pounds per year.  The new minister was a twenty-nine-year-old Yale graduate named Gad Newell.  The Reverend Newell was installed on June 11, 1794 and retired 43 years later.  His letter to the people of Packersfield bespoke his faith in God and of the healing needed in the aftermath of Jacob Foster’s dismissal reproduced here in its full late eighteenth century eloquence:

“To the Church of Christ and the people of God in Packersfield in the State of New Hampshire – grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord be multiplied –

“It has pleased the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory with whom are the hearts of all men to unite this church and congregation in making choice of me for your Gospel Minister.  Accordingly you presented your proposals to me for my consideration (bearing date October 22 A.D. 1793). As it is one of the greatest events of my life and unspeakably important consequences depend it has become me and I do endeavor to feel myself under the all seeing eye of God and I trust I am not actuated from motives of personal private interest or reward but with a view to the glory of God. And have endeavored humbly to look unto God for His direction in a serious consideration and enquiry respecting my duty in this important affair — Considering the extraordinary and singular unanimity of the church and congregation and how undesirable it is for a people to be scattered upon the hills without a spiritual instructor and guide. These things lead me to conclude and afford a prospect that my compliance will be for the glory of God the honor and interest of the cause of Christ and the God of the immortal Souls.  From this view that it is for the Glory of God the interest of the Redeemer’s Kingdom and for the salvation of souls. I am as I trust induced cheerfully to comply with your invitations relying on the grace of God and the gracious promises of the Lord Jesus Christ made to his faithful ministers.

“And may I obtain mercy and grace of God to be a faithful minister on the new covenant to come unto you in the fullness of blessing of the Gospel of Christ seeking not yours but you and willing to spend and be spent in the cause of Christ and for the spiritual good of your immortal souls.  How great arduous and important the work. How solemn that I must give account of the souls committed to my charge. Should I consult flesh and blood and look to my own ability and sufficiency in undertaking and performing this great work I might well shrink back from it.

“Who is sufficient for these things is the expresion [sic] even of the great apostle through Christ strengthening even the weak may be made strong and small means blessed for great good. And without His especial gracious assistance no one can be properly sufficient leaning not to our own understandings but heartily to the allisufficiancy [sic] and faithfulness of the Great Head of the Church we may go forward finding consolation and support.

“It becomes a minister of Christ to give himself wholly to the work in which he engages not for filthy lucres [sic] sake but have a ready mind. And as I expect and engage this to do to spend the principal part of my time to study and labor continually for the upholding of Christ’s cause and church among you and for the spiritual interest of your immortal souls.  It is but proper as long as I thus do I should reap your carnal things receive from you a comfortable subsistence and this I trust I shall so long as the unanimity and friendship continues and there is a prospect of my being useful and doing good among you and when this is at an end it is best we should part. But may God of His mercy grant that no unhappy separation may take place, but that each of us may know what is proper for our several stations and to conduct as that we may further one another’s salvation.

“I shall stand in a near relation to this Church and in a very important one to you all both the aged the middle aged and the youth and even the children and all who attend on my ministry I am to watch for your souls as one that must give an account. Many will be the souls committed to my charge.  The work is difficult arduous and unspeakably important. I need therefore to be much in prayer meditation and study and to be diligent and faithful, and need and do desire your prayers your watchfulness your friendly correction and council as well as that you will need mine.   And the same forbearance being but a man shall I need from you that you will from me.

“As the upbuilding of Redeemer’s Kingdom and is infinitely important and the most glorious object and the welfare of your immortal souls of unspeakable concernment to you and as you invited me to labor among you in these things to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ it is my duty to be plain and faithful not to seek to please men but God. And it is important how you hear if may obtain mercy of God to be a faithful minister of the new covenant. What I deliver will be a savor of life unto life or a savor of death unto death to you all. But I would charge you not to hearken to what I deliver now follow my example any further than they shall be according to the word of God in your best judgment which you are to study daily to know what is the truth and practice according to it. For all men are fallible and imperfect.

“May God grant I so speak live and that you may so hear and practice that I and you may have occation [sic] to rejoice in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ that I have not run in vain nor labored in vain. And therefore let us keep near the throne of grace and continually bear each other and zion’s cause on our hearts in our addresses to the God of all mercies that we may finally rejoice together united by  – forever with Christ in his Kingdom and glory. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus that great shepard [sic] of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant make you perfect in every good work to do His will working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ to whom be glory forever. Amen.

“I subscribe myself your affectionate friend and brother in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. Gad Newell

Dated Packersfield April 5^th 1794”

The young Reverend Newell was mindful of the fate of his predecessor when he wrote that he would remain in Packersfield’s service “so long as the unanimity and friendship continues and there is a prospect of my being useful.” He even contemplated the end of his service: For when “doing good among you… is at an end it is best we should part. But may God of His mercy grant that no unhappy separation may take place, but that each of us may know what is proper for our several stations and to conduct as that we may further one another’s salvation.”

It had been a little over two years since Jacob Foster’s difficult dismissal.

Gad Newell served long and well. His life and service saw the financial separation of church and town and the building of the third place of worship, Nelson’s current Congregational Church. He died in 1859 at age 95 and was buried in the very spot where once his pulpit stood high on the hill.

Click here to see more history articles by Rick Church.

And, it certainly wasn’t the smell of the kerosene pot burner or yesterday’s fried liver (Frank liked it well done).  Nor was it the stale and overflowing ashtray hand-crafted by his good friend Boo Doore from Harrisville, or the spare floatplane propeller propped up in the corner, or even the Remington pump-action deer rifle that hung in the spider webs over the kitchen window, under which a toaster fire had once charred its butt end.  And it probably wasn’t the wind that howled off the lake through the north end of the house, often accompanied by mini-drifts of snow blowing into the kitchen.

“What it was,” Barry says, “was that the kitchen door was always open – that old door scratched by generations of dogs – it was always open and everybody was welcomed in by Frank.

Mismatched mugs, chipped cups and tarnished spoons (even some sterling silver ones whose worn family monograms spoke of times past) were scattered among the paper clutter and the jar of instant coffee – perhaps a metaphor for the people often sitting around Frank’s kitchen table – some as mismatched and chipped as the mugs.  That was the allure.  You never knew who was going to be there.  And there was always somebody there – an impressive cross-section of humanity.

Perhaps it was yesterday’s social media, but news got passed along around Frank’s table – the good with the bad.  Stories that now make up a large part of our local lore were told (Frank was a master storyteller).  People laughed and cried. This was a true gathering of community vitality where things were shared and ideas were born.  Frank’s kitchen was a “happening” place, where a kind of grassroots democracy thrived.

Ray Oldenburg, author of The Great Good Place, would have called Frank’s kitchen a “third place”, where people gather and interact beyond the realms of home (1^st place) and work (2^nd place).  This 20 year-old book spoke of the growing loss of such informal gathering spaces and the community disconnect that has resulted.

In fact, folks at the Nelson Community Forum, held in September 2010, understood Oldenburg’s concerns, and shared some of the following thoughts:

“There’s no place to talk about day-to-day happenings”

“We need a place to ‘hang out’”

“There’s little communication around what already exists”

“We need a common place where we can ‘bump into’ others”

This theme repeated itself throughout the Community Forum weekend.  The town is crying out for “third places”.  (Copies of the Forum Final Report are available for download at www.movinginstep.org.)

While many wonderful “events” exist in Nelson that bring us together – first Tuesday teas, first Thursday potlucks, NELS luncheons, ice cream socials, etc., – many still seem to hunger for spontaneous gathering places in neutral spaces.  Some of us may seek that place in our amazing library, while others may seek that place in one of the general stores in our neighboring towns, where people gather to sit for a cup of coffee, some friendly conversation and community.

Folks at this end of town often seek the community of The Harrisville Store, where we not only ‘bump into’ our Nelson neighbors, but also have a chance to swap news and ideas with our Harrisville neighbors.  The Store is a gem among general stores, and in its own special way, it answers the call of Frank’s kitchen.

When the chairs around Frank’s kitchen table would break down, they were relegated to his no-longer-used front parlor to gather dust.  However, a replacement would somehow emerge (sometimes even an antique Chippendale) from that same abandoned parlor – perhaps another metaphor for the allure of Frank’s kitchen.  It was a social equalizer, not only for his chairs, but also for the people who sat in them.

Even though I know that most of Frank’s chairs burned up in his house fire, every time I go to The Harrisville Store, I like to imagine that a few of them were rescued from the charred remains, fixed up and passed along to the Store, where they live on in the spirit of Frank’s kitchen.

PS:  Where is your third place?  Submit a comment (below) to tell us.

Old Home Day Games: Town Common 9:00 a.m.
Possibly the last bastion of amateur excellence in American sports. Foot races, frog-jumping, tug of war, egg toss, and more.

Races: Town Common 9:00 a.m.
Bike race (helmets required) and Nelson Marathon. Please note that the races start at 9:00 a.m.

Book Sale: Town Hall 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Thousands of great (and once-great) books on every imaginable subject – priced to move! Get there early for best selection and to beat the dealers.
Dollar a bag sale at 12 noon. All proceeds benefit Olivia Rodham Library.

Old Home Day Luncheon/Barbecue / Town Band
Nelson Congregational Church Lawn Noon
Old Home Day Association Meeting 1:15 p.m.
One of the summer’s best barbecues, accompanied by the Nelson Town Band – and a chance to visit with friends and neighbors. Capped by awards for the day’s game contestants and a very brief rundown of the business side of Old Home Day. Barbecue: $9.00 for a half chicken, $6.00 for a quarter chicken.

Old Home Day Speakers: Deb Gode and Wendy Hall – Take a Walk on the Wild Side
On the Church Lawn 1:30 p.m.

Chairs
Remember to bring your own lawn chairs to Old Home Day. You’ll be much more comfortable while eating lunch and watching the festivities.

Waterball
Mackenzie’s Field 2:30 p.m.
Bring your A-game and a towel (or two or three)! All the youth in town like this event. Most years it’s girls against the boys!

Softball Game
Eagle Field 3:00 p.m.
For those with energy left to give, here’s a chance to test your
skills with and against Nelson’s formidable ball-playing talent.
Bring a cooler, a glove, and pick a side.

Nelson Folks Concert
Nelson Town Hall 7:00 p.m.
Join your friends for an evening of wonderful music played by your talented Nelson neighbors or folks strong Nelson
Connections. Always an enjoyable and varied show.

Dudley Laufman will lead the dancing at a special Old Home Week edition of the Nelson Saturday Contra Dance on August 6th.

On a recent episode of the NH Public Radio program, The Exchange, host Laura Knoy said, “When he raised the roof at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 with his country orchestra, Dudley Laufman energized the youthful crowd and helped re-light the torch for traditional country dancing that had been carried at the time by a few old-timers. He helped create a movement of contra dancing and contra music that has played out in the churches and barns of small town New England for more than a quarter of a century.” Dudley was named a National Heritage Fellow in 2009, and received the NH Council of the Arts Folk Heritage award in 2001.

Dudley and Jacqueline Laufman, usually joined by several of their musician friends, are a tradition at the August Nelson dance.

Dedicated dancers should note that this dance is being held on the first Saturday of the month, instead of its regular second Saturday date. Note also that there will not be a first Saturday dance at the Peterborough Town Hall in August, thus, dancers should plan to go to Nelson instead.

Dancing begins at 8:00 PM. Beginners and singles are welcome and all dances are taught throughout the evening.

Admission is only $2, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous benefactor.
The dance takes place in the historic Town Hall in Nelson, NH and is sponsored by the Monadnock Folklore Society. For more information call 603.762.0235 or visit www.monadnockfolk.org.

The old mill site is on the upper falls of Bailey Brook . The falls had a lot of water going over  it from recent rains and downstream the brook ran through its rocky bed with a musical sound.  The banks were lush with ferns. Bailey Brook briefly forms a wetland before entering a cut with steep banks culminating in the waterfall that can be seen from Old Stoddard Road.

The Nelson Trails Group, established under the auspices of Moving in Step, is working to make the beautiful, educational and historic places in town accessible to the walking public.  The nearly twenty-member committee plans to start by identifying Nelson’s abandoned but accessible old roads.  The first project,the town’s first documented road laid out in 1773 and only closed in 1959, is the original road from the Packersfield meeting house to Dublin some call the Klemperer Road.  It features gentle walking on an old road, four old cellar holes, and a number of vernal pools.  Forest types change as you pass stonewalls and are the result of early land use by the settlers there and the date of their final abandonment.

The group is in the process of documenting the natural and historical things of interest along some of our old roads and is seeking abutting landowner co-operation so that more Nelson walkers can enjoy the natural and historical features of Nelson’s abandoned roads. If you ware interested in participating, please call Rick Church at 603-847-3206.