Great Fire in New Ipswich - 1872
Total loss $114,000
Mill Fire at Highbridge Mill
Great Fire in New Ipswich.
MASON VILLAGE, N.H., Feb. 26. 1872 -
Fire broke out in the mill owned by the Columbia Manufacturing Co., at High Bridge, New Ipswich. Mill total loss, with one large store and ten houses. Loss some $80,000, and some one hundred people homeless.
The Journal has the following additional particulars of the fire at New Ipswich, brief notice of which was given in our telegraphic dispatches: The Columbian manufacturing company's mill No. 2, and picker house, are a total loss. Their loss is estimated at $100,000; insured. Patrick Ray's house, loss $400; a small insurance. James O. Reed's store and outbuildings, and the Hamilton House and barn, owned by Mr. Reed, total loss, stock and furniture; no insurance. The loss will amount to about $7,000. S. S. Brown's house and barn, loss $3000; insured for $1,000 in the Cheshire Company; John M. White's house and barn, loss $1,500; no insurance. This makes a total loss of $114,000. A very high wind prevailed during the fire, baffling all efforts of the firemen to stop the progress of the fire.
Highbridge Mill
Editor’s Note - This mill was captioned as burning in 1838. Not sure if the caption is wrong and this is the mill referenced or whether it was rebuilt several times. Presently Warwick Mills occupies the location.
One Hundred Formulas
George Carmichael donated a copy of Stephen A. Thayer’s “One Hundred Formulas” which was published in 1883. It contains recipes from everything from printing ink to pain killers. Another opium based cough remedy. Do you think “Dr. Gilman” even exists, or did Thayer make the name up for marketing.
WARNING: Please don’t try any of these “remedies”, many contain ingredients which have been shown to be harmful.
James Roger diary entry
October 27th 1908 (Tuesday)
Fair clear day wind N.W. David on roads down town. Hamish came by mail at 11am. Him and I fixed the paths to brooder house and cleaned two pens in the hen house.
Unimaginable tragedy. It must have been devastating for Highbridge. Even when I live there in the 40s and 50s many Highbridge residents were in that mill. The photo above is strange to me. It doesn't have the right topography for the Highbridge mill. The Souhegan flowed in front of the Highbridge mill. The mill was in a depression and from where the photo was taken it should have been lower in the photo. This may have been the mill in Bank Village. Did you notice the people in that photo?