Canaan (N.H.)
Biography
Canaan, New Hampshire was settled in the winter of 1766-1767 by John Scofield. In 1828 attorney George Kimball helped organize building the town's Congregational church. He was among the New England abolitionists who founded Noyes Academy in March 1835, one of the first schools in the region to admit students of all races.The Northern Railroad (predecessor of the Boston and Maine Railroad) was constructed to the town in 1847, spurring development. Water powered mills were built on the streams. By 1859, the population had reached 1,682, and Canaan had one gristmill, three lath and clapboard mills, and one tannery. Canaan was the site of a famous train wreck on September 15, 1907. Four miles west of Canaan Station, the southbound Quebec to Boston express, crowded with passengers returning from the Sherbrooke Fair, collided head-on with a northbound Boston and Maine freight train. On June 2, 1923, the Great Canaan Fire burned 48 homes and businesses, destroying the heart of Canaan Village (East Canaan).
Found in 2 Collections and/or Records:
Canaan, NH legal papers collection
Canaan, NH Collection of legal documents relating to the history of the town. Includes wills, deeds, guardianships, voter records, surveys, bills, and receipts.
Petition of Towns of Plainfield, Lebanon, Cornish, Hanover, Canaan, and Cardigan
In English.