Albany, New Hampshire
Strafford county, lies 60 miles N. by E. from Concord, and 67 N.N.W. from Dover. The principal river in Albany is Swift river, which passes from W. to E. into the Saco, at Conway. There are several small streams in different parts of the town, furnishing convenient mill privileges. These streams were once the residence of numbers of the beaver, otter, &c.—There are several lofty hills and mountains in this town, the highest of which is called Chocorua, and is visible from a great extent of country. It received its name from Chocorua, an Indian, who was killed on the summit by a party of hunters in time of peace, before the settlement of the place. The predominant rock of these hills is granite—a soft, decomposing variety, in which the crystals and grains of feldspar are very large. The soil is fertile, being a sandy loam, mixed occasionally with coarse gravel. There are some fertile intervale lands on the borders of Swift river. This town has been considerably retarded by a peculiar disease which afflicts neat cattle. Young cattle cannot be reared, nor can cows or oxen be kept here for a series of years, without being attacked by a singular and fatal distemper. It commences with a loss of appetite—the animals refuse hay, grain and salt—become emaciated; an obstinate costiveness attends, but the abdomen becomes smaller than in health, and is diminished to one third its original bulk. After these symptoms have continued for an indefinite period, a brisk scouring comes on, and the animals fall away and die. Though superstition may have found a reason in the dying curse of the murdered Chocorua, philosophy has not yet ascertained a satisfactory cause for the disease. It is probably owing to the properties contained in the waters. This town was granted Nov. 6, 1766, to Clement March, Joseph Senter and others, and until the 2d July, 1833, it bore the name of Burton. Population in 1830, 325.
