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��NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
��was the chief magistrate of the state. His administration of the affairs of the state government was characterized for integrity, true economy, and a spirit of progress and reform. In the posi- tion in which the political parties then stood, it was simply impossible that he could be re-elected.
He was again elected" to the legisla- ture in i860, from New London, and was appointed by Gov. Berry, in 1861, as adjutant-general of the state, at a time when the best man in the state was needed for that responsible posi- tion, made so responsible by the great importance of the struggle in which the country was then engaged. He performed the duties of this office in a manner entirely satisfactory to the gov- ernment and the people, and resigned in 1863. He was long an active and in- fluential member of the church here, as well as a leading member in the denom- ination in the state. He died July 20, 1873. He always lived in this town, and always, except the first eight years of his life, in the house into which his father moved in 1800, and where both father and son have died. No man ever devoted himself more fully and constantly to the building up of what he believed to be the best inter- est of his native town than he did. He married for his first wife, Miss Mary Everett, of New London, and for his second, Mrs. Eliza Richardson, of Bos- ton, who survives him, and continues to live in your midst.
In 1847, the union meeting-house, sometimes called the Free Church, was built at the Four Corners. This remained for several years, but was finally sold, and removed and converted to other uses, it being wisely concluded that one good strong church in a place is far better than two or three feeble ones, and that one meeting-house well filled is far better than several empty ones.
In 1850 the population was 945, being a loss of 74 from 1840. Benja- min R. Andrews was the delegate from New London to the Constitutional Con- vention of that year in this state. In 1 85 3 the new town-house was built,
��near the new meeting-house. There was quite a struggle upon the question of removal, the subject having been voted on at no less than three town-meet- ings, held in rapid succession, in the spring and summer of that year.
In 1853, when the academical and theological school, under the patronage of the Calvinist Baptist denomination, was removed from New Hampton to the state of Vermont, it left the denomination without a school in this state. They soon resolved that this state of things ought not to be, and they at once looked about for the best place to locate their seminary of learning. The friends at New London offered to give the denomination their academy, and put it in good repair, and build a ladies' boarding-house, and furnish various other accommodations. This propo- sition was favorably considered by the denomination, and the preference was given to New London. Accordingly a new act of incorporation was obtained in 1853, and "The New London Liter- ary and Scientific Institute" was incor- porated that year, and the school put in successful operation that fall, and in course of its first year enrolled upon its catalogue some 335 scholars. The property of the New London Academy was transfered to the Institute. In 1855 an alteration was made in its name, changing the word Institute to Institution, and modifying some of the provisions of its charter, and its name has remained unchanged from that time to the year 1878, when it was changed to that of "The Colby Acad- emy" at New London, which name it now holds.
In 1854 the old town-meeting house was sold, by vote of the town, and re- moved to this neighborhood and con- verted into a boarding-house for the use of the academy.
Benjamin P. Burpee, of New Lon- don, was elected a county commissioner for Merrimack county for the years 1852, 1853 and 1854. He was also the representative of the town for the years 1853 and 1854.
In 1856, George W. Everett, of this town, was ..appointed solicitor of Merri-
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