Salisbury, New Hampshire
Merrimack county, lies 15 miles N. from Concord. Black water river passes through the W. part of Salisbury. There are 5 bridges across this stream in this town. The soil of the upland is strong, deep and loamy; the hilly land affords some fine tracts of tillage, but chiefly abounds in excellent pasturage. On Blackwater river there is some very fertile intervale, which united with the adjacent hilly land, composes several very valuable farms. A considerable portion of Kearsarge mountain ranges within the bounds of Salisbury, the N.W. corner bound of which extends nearly to the summit. There are two very pleasant villages in this town, situated on the 4th N.H. turnpike about 1 1/2 miles apart.
Salisbury was incorporated by charter from the government of N.H., March 1, 1768, when it took the name of Salisbury. It was settled as early as 1750. The first settlers were Philip Call, Nathaniel Meloon, Benjamin Pettengill, John and Ebenezer Webster, Andrew Bohonnon, Edward Eastman, and others. The first inhabitants experienced the inroads of the Indians. On the 16th of May, 1753, Nathaniel Meloon, living in the W. part of the town, was captured, together with his wife, and three children, viz: Sarah, Rachel, and Daniel. They were carried to Canada where he and his wife were sold to the French in Montreal. The three children were kept by the Indians. After the parents had resided in Montreal about a year and a half, they had a son born, who was baptized by a French friar by the name of Joseph Mary. Mr. Meloon returned from captivity after four years and a half, to his farm in Salisbury. Sarah died with the Indians. Rachel, who was 9 years old when captured, returned after 9 years. She had become much attached to the Indians, was about to be married to Peter Louis, son of Col. Louis, of Cognawaga. She had the habits, and acted like an Indian, understood the Indian language and could sing their songs.
The Hon. Ebenezer Webster was one of the early settlers; a patriot of the revolution; an officer of the militia; for several years a senator in the legislature, and a judge of the court of common pleas till his death in 1806. He was the father of the Hon. Ezekiel and Daniel Webster, names well known throughout the country. Population in 1830, 1,379.
