History of Colonel John Shepard

The “Stone Bridge” in Milford is officially named the Colonel John Shepard Bridge because according to page 23 of Ramsdell’s 1901 History of Milford N.H.:

“The highways in town were without exception laid out over paths already trod, and no land damages seem to have been paid. John Shepard had built a bridge across the Souhegan at the point where the stone bridge now stands, for the accommodation of the patrons of his mill, and in 1758 the town of Monson repaid Mr. Shepard some portion of the expense, and became the owner of the south half. Ten years later the selectmen laid out two highways, or streets, from the middle of the bridge to the then existing highway through the town, one passing east of Union square and the other to the west. The bridge was an inexpensive structure, and the amount paid Shepard small, but it was the largest item of expense to which the town was subjected during its existence.”

Colonel John Shepard was one of the first settlers in Milford. Here are a few excerpts from Ramsdell about him. (Ramsdell lists him as Shepherd in several places in error, and I have corrected all the errors for consistency).

Chapter IV, page 29, Early Settlers

John Shepard, a prominent citizen of Concord, Mass., in 1741, induced by an offer on the part of the proprietors of Souhegan West, settled on the north side of the river, erecting mills upon the present location of Gilson’s saw-mill, near the present granite bridge. He built a cabin a little north of the Methodist church, and afterwards a house upon the spot where now stands the residence of Fred J. Kendall, and still later erected a more pretentious dwelling upon the site now occupied by the residence of Henry H. Barber.

The following is a copy of the vote of the proprietors of Souhegan West, passed April 30, 1741:

Voted, That the proprietors will give to Mr. John Shepard one hundred and twenty acres of land to begin at William Peabody line and run down the river to the bottom of the falls and so wide as to make the one hundred and twenty acres . . . he building a good Grist Mill and a good saw mill on said Souhegan river against the aforesaid land, and to finish them by the last of November next, and keep them in good repair for the use of said proprietors, he giving a bond to our treasurer to comply with the same forthwith, he having the liberty to cut such white oak timber for the mill as he wants and has not of his own.

Mr. Shepard was an honored citizen of the town and did much to establish business at the falls, as Milford village was called in those early days. He was succeeded by his son, John Jr., who was also prominent in public affairs, serving as colonel of the state militia and as one of the judges of the inferior court of common pleas for the county of Hillsborough. His granddaughter Sarah married William Crosby, many of whose descendants are at present occupying positions of responsibility in town. Andrew N. Shepard, or East Milford, is a great-great-grandson of the original settler.

Chapter II, page 19, Origin of the name of Milford

Before the coming of the white man there were several ford-ways by which the Indians crossed the Souhegan on foot; one much used was located at the foot of the falls below the factory of Morse, Kaley & Co. Parties using this ford as they were traveling in a northeasterly direction entered the shallow water near what is now the western terminus of the foot bridge, and came out upon the river bank near the shop of the late S. D. Knowlton. The building of the stone dam of the Souhegan Manufacturing company has caused the water to flow back and cover the old shallow ford-way to such a degree that it is not now easy to conceive of this place as a passageway through which the red man for generations, and the white man afterwards, crossed the river whenever the water was not unusually high. After the building of Shepard’s mills upon these falls in 1741, this ford was known as the Mill ford by way of distinction. At the date of the incorporation of the town the settlement in the vicinity had been for half a century known as the Mill-Ford village. Hence the name of the town.

Chapter VI, page 51, The War for Independence

During the winter and spring of 1775, a company of minute men had been formed and drilled, in anticipation of the coming conflict. The collision at Lexington, April 19, aroused the country, and the Amherst company in command of Captain Josiah Crosby, at once started for Cambridge. His first lieutenant was Daniel Wilkins, Jr., son of Pastor Wilkins. His second lieutenant was Thompson Maxwell, already alluded to.

Colonel John Shepard, who was in his seventieth year, and too old to take the field, went to Cambridge with the men, and received from Captain Crosby the following, at a later day:

“This certifies that Esq. Shepard, in April 1775, went with a detachment of Militia of about one hundred men from Amherst to Cambridge, aided, assisted, and comforted them and at Cambridge left with them two Spanish milled dollars.
“Josiah Crosby.”

On the back of this certificate is a list of other articles left, as follows:

“Pork 57 ½ lbs., ½ bushel beans, 1 ½ bushel to Sargent, some bread and 1 ½ bushel meal.”

Chapter XV, page 167, Important Events, Year 1801

During this year a highway was laid out and constructed from Shepard’s bridge through the mill-yard towards Amherst. When Shepard built his mill nearly sixty years before, he laid out with bounds more or less definite, a mill-yard for the accommodation of the logs which were from time to time drawn in to be manufactured into boards and other lumber. During these years the travel from the bridge to Amherst was obliged to pass north of the mill-yard, except as it crossed it at some seasons of the year by sufferance. The new road was laid out two rods wide, and many are now living who remember the appearance of the logs as they were piled very high upon the north side of the road through the mill-yard; in fact, it was a matter of some danger to pass through this narrow road in the spring when the snow and ice were melting. The selectmen licensed this year eight individuals to retail spirituous liquors, all good and prominent men; this was the number usually licensed by the town during its first half century.

Chapter XXIV, page 529, Centennial Celebration (Remarks by Ramsdell at 1894 meeting)

In imagination let me roll back the wheels of time one hundred and fifty years, and what do we here behold? Peabody established on his farm--John Shepard with his grist and sawmill erected on the Gilson privilege, given to him by the town of Amherst, on condition that he build a mill, the machinery of which was to be dragged part of the way by hand through the forests; Benjamin Hopkins, with his friend and hired man, Caleb Jones, laying the foundations of his bullet-proof dwelling a little north of the residence of the late Luke Smith, on his magnificent farm of over eleven hundred acres; John Burns hoeing his corn on the George W. Duncklee farm, about a mile and a half from where we stand. These five men, with their families (excepting, of course, the Nevins settlement), made up the entire population of our territory one hundred and fifty years ago. It is not certain that Hopkins and Burns had completed their dwellings so as to be counted actual settlers in 1744, but they were here a part of the year, at least, at work upon the land.

This is his listing on page 921 in the Family Registers section of Ramsdell:

Col. John Shepard, born in Concord, Mass., in 1706, and died in Amherst, Nov. 29, 1785. Married (1) a Miss Hartwell; (2) Sarah French, born in 1722, and died in Milford, Oct. 31, 1802. He was a farmer, residing on place on road to Amherst, his house standing on the lot now occupied by the dwelling-house of Fred J. Kendall, settling there in 1741. He also built and operated a grist-mill on the site now occupied by the saw- and grist-mill of Smith Berry.

CHILDREN, THREE BORN IN CONCORD, MASS., SEVEN IN AMHERST.

1. John, Jr., b. 1732.
2. Lydia, b. 1735; m. a Mr. Howe, and d. June 14, 1791.
3. Abigail, b. Apr. 6, 1738; m. a Mr. Stevenson, and d. in Lyndeborough, Aug. 23, 1822.
4. Benjamin, b. March 18, 1744; m. Lucy Lund, and d. March 26, 1810.
5. Samuel, b. 1746; d. Jan. 12, 1835.
6. Mary, b. Sept. 21, 1749; m. Jacob Hildreth of Amherst; res. there, and d. Jan. 22, 1823.
7. Sarah, b. Oct. 17, 1757; m. Stephen, Son of Benjamin and Sarah (Harris) Kendrick of Amherst; res. there, and d. Sept. 5, 1840.
8. Jotham, b. June 22, 1761; d. young.
9. Rachel, b. Apr. 5, 1762; m. July 4, 1781, Samuel Dodge, Jr.; d. July 23, 1785.
10. Daniel, b. Sept. 25, 1764; m. May 25, 1793, Fanny Wentworth; d. Sept. 22, 1794.

Col. John Shepard, Jr., son of Col. John and (-----) (Hartwell) Shepard, born in Concord, Mass., in 1732. Came to Milford with his father in 1741. Was a farmer, residing in the house on the Mont Vernon road next north of the Methodist church, on east side of the highway, where he died Dec. 1, 1802. Married, Oct. 21, 1757, Mercy Wilkins, born in Middleton, Mass., in 1732, and died in Mason, Aug. 11, 1825.

CHILDREN, BORN IN MILFORD.

1. Elizabeth, b. Apr. 16, 1759.
2. Mary, b. Oct. 5, 1760; m. James Gilman; d. in Milford, Oct. 8, 1841.
3. Jonathan, b. Oct. 31, 1762.
4. Sarah, b. Nov. 28, 1767; m. Nov. 16, 1790, William, son of Josiah and Sarah (Fitch) Crosby of Milford; res. there, and d. Dec. 15, 1845.
5. Lydia, b. June 12, 1770; m. May 24, 1795, Daniel Staniford, and d. in Boston, Mass., June 1, 1796.