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��ANCIENT INSTITUTIONS IN CONCORD.
��sprang up in what was then known as the Republican, in distinction from the Federal party. They at the North End regarded their down-town brethren as desirous of giving law to the party. Conspicuous among the latter were Isaac Hill, William and Joseph Low, Richard Bartlett and Jacob B. Moore; and of their North End brethren were John George, Robert Davis, Samuel Coffin, Abi- el Walker, Francis N. Fisk, and Charles and Joseph Walker — all now numbered with the dead. The first publisher of the Statesman was Luther Roby, Esq., who came hither from Amherst, and opened a printing office at the North End, in a building still standing and oc- cupied as a dwelling-house. The first person who had charge of the paper was Amos A. Parker, Esq., who had been in the practice of law at Epping ; and it is a somewhat remarkable circumstance that both these gentlemen still live; Mr. Roby in Concord at about seventy-six years, and Mr. Parker in Jaffrey, past four-score.
It would be a laborious work, as in the case of the New Hampshire Patriot, to write of the mutations which the New Hampshire Statesman has undergone ; and even if stated in detail, the narrative would possess little or no general interest. Many are the publications which had birth and died in Concord since these journals were commenced, and as to printers and publishers connected with one or the other, they would count a score and more. William Butterfield, Esq., is the oldest surviving editor of the Patriot ; of those who had charge of the Statesman and still live are Amos A.Parker, George Kent, George W. Ela and Asa McFar- land— the two first at more than four- score years ; the two last about ten years younger.
3. The New Hampshire Historical Society.
Two hundred years had passed since the settlement of New Hampshire before the formation of its Historical Society ; an institution the utility of which is made manifest to all who have ever examined the contents of its well filled halls and cabinets in Concord, or taken into consid- eration the influence it has exerted in
��procuring to be written and published the many histories of New Hampshire towns.
In March, 1823, a literary society in Portsmouth addressed letters to Ichabod Bartlett, Timothy Upham, Alexander Ladd and Nath'l A. Haven, Jr., of Ports- mouth ; Andrew Peirce, James Bartlett and Charles W. Cutter, of Dover ; Ste- phen Mitchell of Durham; David Barker, Jr, of Rochester ; John Kelly of North- wood; William Smith, O. W. B. Peabody and Peter Chadwick, of Exeter; Samuel D. Bell of Chester, and Jacob B. Moore, Richard Bartlett and John Farmer, of Concord — requesting them to meet and make arrangements to celebrate the two hundredth anniversary of the settlement of New Hampshire. A meeting of gen- tlemen was held in Exeter, March 13th, and, after attending to the subject for which they assembled, they associated with themselves several others present, and proceeded to consider the subject of forming a society, the object of which should be to procure and preserve mate- rials relating to the natural, civil, litera- ry and ecclesiastical history of New Hampshire. Hon. Ichabod Bartlett of Portsmouth was called to the chair, and Professor HoseaHildreth of Exeter chosen secretary. The meeting resolved that it was expedient to form such a society, and a committee was appointed to call another meeting, to be held at Ports- mouth on the 20th of the following May.
The meeting took place, and was at- tended by twenty-one gentlemen, who formed themselves into an historical so- ciety, and took measures to procure an act of incorporation. An adjournment was had — Concord being designated as the place in which to re-assemble — and a charter having in the meantime been pro- cured, the first election of officers took place in that city on the 13th of June, 1823, as follows :
President, Hon. Wm. Plumer, of Ep- ping ; Vice Presidents, Levi Woodbury, of Portsmouth, and Bennett Tyler, D. D., President of Dartmouth College; Re- cording Secretary, John Kelly, of Exe- ter; Corresponding Secretary, Nathl. Haven, Jr., Portsmouth; Treasurer, George Kent, Concord ; Librarian, Jacob
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