Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 9.djvu/399

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Localities in Ancient Dover.
367

tion says the name orignated from the use formerly made of this point to snare foxes. "Reynard, being once driven there, could not escape his pursuers without swimming the river or bay, much too wide for his cunning."

Frenchman's Creek. This name was given as early as 1656 to a creek running into Back river on the western side. It was the next creek above Rayal's cove.

Fresh Creek. This name was given as early as 1648 to a tributary of the Cochecho river, which it joins on the eastern side at a point two miles below the city hall. The name is retained until this day.

Gage Hill. The hill between Garrison hill and Cochecho pond on the Garrison hill road, and some forty years ago often called Faggotty hill.

Gallows Hill. Gallows hill, "commonly so called" in 1699, was a little above the second falls of Oyster river. The second falls are about one mile above the head of tide-water.

Garrison Hill. The name was first given to the hill which the road ascends at the foot, and west of the present Garrison hill. John Heard's garrison stood on this small hill on the west side of the road. The name was not given to the "Great hill." alias the "Great Cochecho hill," alias "Varney's hill," until after 1834. There was never a garrison on the latter, which now goes by the name of Garrison hill. Whitehouse's map, in 1834, calls it Varnay's hill.

Garrison Houses. There were five garrisons at Cochecho, that is to say where the city of Dover now stands, at the time of the Indian massacre on June 28, 1089. They were John Heard's, Richard Otis's, Richard Waldron's, Peter Coffin's, and Tristram Coffin's. It is doubtful whether Thomas Paine's house, on now Portland St., was or was not fortified. In other parts of the present city of Dover were John Gerrish's at Belloman's Bank river, as early as 1689; Lieut. Zacharias Field's on Field's Plain, as early as 1694; Clement Meserve's at Back river, now tumbling down; Drew's at Back river, which is in an excellent state of preservation; Pinkham's at Dover Neck, which was said to have been fortified, and which was taken down in 1825; and Lieut. Jonathan Haye's at Tolend, which was pulled down in about 1810.

In Oyster River parish, in 1649, there were twelve garrisons which Belknap mentions, and afterwards there was another near the second falls of Oyster river. In the present town of Lee there were at least two garrisons,—one near the Cartland farm, and Randall's, near the Hale farm, which has been taken down recently.

Gerrish Garrison. Capt. John Gerrish had a garrison at Belloman's Bank river, probably near his mill, which he sucessfully defended in the Indian massacre at Cochecho on June 28, 1689.

Gerrish's Mill. Capt. John Gerrish's mill was on Belloman's Bank river, one mile below the forks of the same, and north-west of Barbadoes pond, where the road crosses the stream.