BELKNAP COUNTY, containing an area of some 370 square miles, being next to the smallest county in the state, was established December 23, 1840. It is bounded on the north by Carroll county and Lake Winnepesaukee, east by Stratford county and the lake, and south and west by Merrimack and Grafton counties. It was set off from Strafford, and was made to embrace all the land and waters included in the towns of Alton, Barnstead, Centre Harbor, Gilford, Gilmanton, Meredith, New Hampton, and Southampton. Without increasing its territorial limits, a ninth town has been added— Laconia — being set off from Meredith.

The county received its name in honor of Dr. Jeremy Belknap, the historian of New Hampshire. Gilford was made the shire town.

The surface is somewhat uneven ; but there are no mountains of any considerable magnitude. The soil, however, is well adapted to agriculture, and contains many well-cultivated farms. It is most completely watered by large lakes and the various streams connected with them. Winnepesaukee and Long bay present the most wild, diversified, and enchanting scenery; being nowhere in this country, and scarcely in the world, surpassed by a similar combination of land and water. This lake is indeed a miniature archipelago.

The county belongs to the fourth judicial district. The annual law term of the supreme judicial court is held at Gilford on the fourth Tuesday of December. Terms of this court and the common pleas are held at Gilford on the third Tuesday of February and first Tuesday of September in each year.

-Laconia, the shire town, was incorporated Dec. 22,1840.
-Alton, originally New Durham Gore, was incorporated June 16, 1796.

ALTON, Belknap County, has Winnepesaukee lake and bay on the north, and is twenty-two miles from Concord.
It was owned by the Masonian proprietors, and was originally called New Durham Gore.

Jacob Chamberlain and others arrived in 1770, and commenced its settlement. It was invested with corporate privileges January 15, 1796, and named by one of its proprietors after Alton, a market town in Southamptonshire, England.

The first religious society formed was that of the Free-will Baptists, in 1805.

The general appearance of the town is rough and uneven, though the soil, which is rocky and hard, with proper attention, produces good crops. The most noted eminence is Mount Major; though there is a large swell of land, called Prospect Hill, from which, in clear weather, the ocean and other objects are visible, and which is still more useful in affording ample grazing almost to its summit. Merry-meeting Bay (a part of Winnepesaukee lake) extends, southerly into Alton about one thousand eight hundred rods, where it receives the waters of the Merry-meeting river. Half-moon pond lies between Alton and Barnstead, and is three hundred rods long and one hundred and fifty wide.

There are three church edifices — Freewill Baptist, Congregational, and Union. Twenty school districts. Four post-offices (Alton, Alton Bay, East Alton, and West Alton), and two grist-mills, seven saw-mills (two of which are propelled by steam), five shoe manufactories (which manufacture annually about 300,000 pairs of shoes), and three hotels. Quite a business appearance is given to the place by the Cochecho Railroad, which has its terminus here, whence the travel is by steamer to Wolfboro' and other places on the lake.

- Barnstead was incorporated May 20, 1727.

BARNSTEAD, in the southern corner of Belknap county, is twenty miles from Concord.

It was granted to the Rev. Joseph Adams and others, May 20, 1727, and settlements were commenced in 1767. Among the early inhabitants were Colonel Richard Sinclair and John Pitman, the latter of whom lived to the extreme age of one hundred and one years, nine months, and twenty days.

Mr. Pitman had several very providential escapes from death. On one occasion, while descending a hill on a team laden with boards, he fell between the wheels; and the boards, trailing as they were on the ground, carried him along, rolling him over and over. At last, one of the wheels struck a stone, and giving a bound to the boards, thus released him from his unpleasant situation. At another time, being in a saw-mill, he had occasion to go down to do something to the water-wheel; and while there his son came into the mill. He, not knowing the position of his father, set the machinery in operation, and his father was turned over on the crank in the pit till at last he was thrown out into the stream unhurt.

Barnstead is not mountainous, but the land in some parts lies in large swells ; though the soil is easy of cultivation. The principal ponds are the two known by the names of Suncook and Brindle, and Half-moon pond. Suncook river and its tributary streams furnish good water-power. In various parts, plumbago, bog-iron ore, and yellow ochre have been brought to light.

The names of the villages, two in number, are the Parade, and Centre Barnstead.

The churches are three Congregational and one Free-will Baptist; the former being served alternately by Rev. Enos George, who has been established here for the last fifty-four years. There are sixteen school districts, two libraries, an insurance company, and three post-offices — Barnstead, North Barnstead, and Centre Barnstead. Also, six stores, a woolen cloth factory, seven saw-mills, four shingle mills, four clapboard mills, one grooving machine, one turning machine, and two somewhat extensive tanneries. Lumber is quite a large item of trade, the wants of neighboring towns being supplied.

Belmont, Gilmanton divided, was incorporated as Upper Gilmanton June 28, 1859, and the name changed to Belmont in July, 1869. Center Harbor, formed from Moultonborough Gore and part of New Hampton was incorporated Dec 7, 1797.

CENTRE HARBOR is a small town in the northern part of Belknap county, and contains an area of about 7,500 acres. Its settlement was commenced in 1755 by Ebenezer Chamberlain, who was followed, two years afterwards, by Colonel Joseph Senter. Their progress in improving the township was slow. Their supplies had, for some years, to be obtained from the more prosperous settlements on the Merrimack. The titles to the lands were obtained under the grant of Governor Benning Wentworth to General Jonathan Moulton, in 1763.

On the incorporation of New Hampton, Centre Harbor was included within the territory of that town, and remained a part thereof until 1797, when it was set off and incorporated under its present name, which, it is alleged, was given on account of the location of the place midway between two other ports or landing-places on the lake. It is mainly Halle's Location, on the contrary, that its name was designed to be in compliment to Colonel Senter; but, by a clerical mistake, it was recorded Centre Harbor.

The early settlers came principally from Chester, Hampton, Raymond, Candia, and Londonderry in this state, and from Ipswich and Halifax, Mass. In 1812, the first house of worship was erected in the easterly part of the town; but the edifice, after some years, went to decay, and was some time since removed. The present edifice in the village was erected by the Congregationalists in 1837.
The surface of the town is hilly; but there is a strong soil, producing average crops. Squam lake is a beautiful sheet of water, making the northern boundary of the town, and is much visited in the summer season for fishing and bathing. Lake Winnepesaukee, that forms the southern boundary, is, however, the great place of resort for pleasure seekers, in which respect its attractions are second only to the White Mountains. The extreme length of the lake is some twenty-five miles, and its greatest breadth about ten miles, its altitude above the sea being 472 feet In form, it is quite irregular, and its surface is bespangled with numerous islands, which fact, with the beauty of its marginal lands and its surrounding mountains, — its pure water, well stocked with fish, and the ever invigorating breezes that seem to be at home here, renders it a most desirable summer retreat. Two steamers make the cir??? Sunset view of Lake Winnepesaakeo from Centre Harbor. The larger part of the lake, between the Weirs, Centre Harbor, Wolfboro, and Alton Bay. Sloops and boats are also seen gliding in every direction.

There are two religious societies— Congregationalism and Free-will Baptist; eight school districts, with 237 scholars; and one post-office.

Gilford, part of Gilmanton, was incorporated June 16, 1812.
Gilmanton, including Gilford and Belmont, was incorporated May 18, 1727.
Laconia, Meredith divided and a part of Gilford, was incorporated in July, 1855
Meredith, originally New Salem, was incorporated Dec. 30, 1768.
New Hampton, part of Moultonborough Gore, was incorporated Nov. 27, 1777
Sanbornton divided, was incorporated in July, 1869. 1777.
Sanbornton, including part of Franklin, was incorporated March 1, 1870.
The town was divided in July, 1869, and the south part was called Tilton.
Tilton, Sanbornton divided, was incorporated in July 1869.

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Sources:
Colony, Province, State 1623-1888 History of New Hampshire, John N. McClintock, Boston, 1889
History and Description of New England. New Hampshire, 1860
[contributed by: Candi H.]

 
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