A Hike to Page Pond

Following the NALF Reunion at Hart's Turkey Farm Restaurant, on 25 June 2022, and a visit to the Historical Society Museum downtown, it was time for a hike. The Page Pond Community Forest in Meredith has several parking lots, and I chose the southern entry point, on Barnard Ridge Road. 

From the parking lot, looking north. This would be Lot #41, 3rd Division of lots.

A southern view.

First up on the trail is an old cellar hole. It is found shortly after crossing the stone wall into Lot #42. The maps of 1856 and 1892 show only a Bickford name in this vicinity. Unclear if this was once the homestead of either Weare Leavitt Sr. or Weare Jr., both having lived in the lot, each with their own buildings.

Next is the LEAVITT Cemetery.

There are only two stones here with inscriptions:
Francena, daughter of John & Almira Leavitt, died 30 April, 1839, AE 5 mos
Francena, daughter of John & Almira Leavitt, died 9 Oct 1841, AE 11 mos & 14 days

John Leavitt was the son of Joseph, a son of the Weare Sr. who lived on this land. Weare Sr., who died in 1829, and wife Betsey (d. 1818), may lay here. When Weare Jr. sold his deceased father's half of this lot in 1830 [Strafford County Deeds: Vol. 149, pg 142], the deed mentions "excepting the burying ground, thirty feet square". 

There is another burial directly beside them, marked with field stones, whose size suggests another young child. A few feet away are a couple of other field stones, their positioning seemingly showing perhaps two other burials.

On the way to the mill dam, there is a fine view of Page (aka Little) Pond.

Sewall (or Sewell) Leavitt was another son of Joseph Leavitt. He purchased, from James Gilman, a lot below Little Pond in May 1830, and built a saw mill and dam on the brook. He bought another piece from Gilman adjacent to this in 1835. Only a year later, on 25 Nov 1836, he sold it all to John Page [Strafford County Deeds: Vol. 172, pg 61], and would relocate to Manchester, NH.

The photo can't really do this construction any justice. It is 16 feet wide and 18 feet high, with the spillway over 50 feet long.

How much of this is the original build from Sewall Leavitt, and what was subsequently added onto by John Page, is unknown. 

Lastly, using part of a map from "NH Stone Wall Mapper", some of the old lot lines, or parts of them, can still be seen (in purple). I've roughly outlined the bounds of Lot #42, 3rd Division, and circled the Leavitt cemetery on the knoll, and the mill dam locations.