Pre-Settlement
Long before the colonists arrived, members of the Sokoki
band of Abenaki Indians, lived in the area of Jaffrey. We do
not know much of their history, yet we do know about their
lifestyle and culture. The Sokoki lived as hunter-gatherers
and as basic farmers. They predominantly grew corn, squash,
beans and tobacco. Archeological evidence points to their
inhabitation of the area for at least 10,000 years. Thus the
Sokoki of the Western Abenaki were the first true
inhabitants of Jaffrey. In February of 1706/7, Lieutenant
Seth Wyman of Groton, became the first recorded colonist to
visit Mount Monadnock. Giving the lay of the land, he quite
possibly and unknowingly, visited the future Town of
Jaffrey. He was on a scouting mission with a force of 40
men. This occurred at the beginning of the French &
Indian war. Originally, Jaffrey was a township of
Massachusetts. In the great boundary dispute between New
Hampshire and Massachusetts, the court of King George II,
decided that 22 towns actually belonged to New Hampshire and
not Massachusetts. In 1741 the new boundary line was
surveyed. This boundary has existed until the present day.
Settlement of the Town of Jaffrey, then known as Monadnock
#1, was begun in 1742 by Abel Platts.
1770-1800
Jaffrey was incorporated as a township in 1773. In 1775 the
Revolutionary War broke out. Fifty two men from our small
town arrived for duty only four days after the battle of
Lexington and Concord. These men from the Town of Jaffrey
took part in the Battle of Bunker (Breeds) Hill. As General
Benedict Arnold fought through the Maine wilderness, a
Jaffrey man, one John Dole, was with him. Upon their arrival
at Quebec, the force was hungry, cold and worn out. Most of
the soldiers under Arnold's command were captured or killed.
One of those captured was Mr. John Dole. Men from Jaffrey as
well as men from the rest of New Hampshire took part in the
Battle of Bennington. Here a group of rag tag farm boys
defeated some of the best trained troops in the world. When
news of the Hessian defeat reached the cities bells rang in
all the steeples. The effect on the Continental Army was
tremendous. The Continental Army went on to defeat the bulk
of Burgoyne's Army at Saratoga. Throughout the Revolutionary
War, men from Jaffrey served in both the New Hampshire
militia and the Continental Army. From Bunker Hill to
Yorktown, the men of Jaffrey made great sacrifices and
served with distinction. Without the sacrifices and service
that was rendered by men like these, from throughout the
thirteen original states, we may never have gained our
freedom. While the men were away, the women of Jaffrey
continued the task of raising families and running farms. To
their credit they faced an enormous task in an era that did
not recognize the contributions of women. Without their
sacrifices, the men would not have had the opportunity to
leave and fight for freedom.
About the Seal
The arms on the town seal are those of the Hon. George
Jaffrey (1717-1801) after whom the town was named in the
charter of August 17, 1773. His father and grandfather, also
named George, were prominent citizens of Portsmouth and the
Portsmouth vicinity. The third George, before the
Revolution, was judge of the Supreme Court, Councilor,
Treasurer of New Hampshire, and one of the Masonian
proprietors.
"Arms, paly of six ar. and sa. over all a fesse of the
first charged with three mullets of the second. Crest, the
sun rising through a cloud ppr. Motto, POST NUBILA PHOEBUS.
These are the arms borne by the Jeffrey's of Kings Wells,
Scotland"
(New Eng. Hist. and Gen. Register, v.31 (Boston, 1877)
.p.61. See also Bolton's American Armory (Boston, 1927),
p.90, & letter of Edward Gilchrist, Esq., April 3, 1927
(V.I.S. archives). On the crest, cf. Fairbairn's Crests
(Edinburgh, 1860), v.2, Pl.67, Cr.g, and Boutwell's Heraldry
(London, 1954), p.81.
In non technical language the description would be: six
vertical stripes, alternating white (argent, silver) and
black (sable), surmounted by a horizontal band of the first
color bearing three stars of the second. Motto: "After
the clouds, the sunshine."
1801-1900
During the War of 1812 Jaffrey men again answered the call
to arms. Eighteen men and boys from Jaffrey volunteered to
fight the British. These men saw little action but there
spirit and sense of duty will be remembered. The War with
Mexico made hardly a stir in New Hampshire. Only two Jaffrey
men are credited with volunteering for duty. The War was
short and no call for action or volunteers was raised in
Jaffrey. Hundreds of men heeded the call of service to the
Union during the Civil War. Jaffrey residents served with
valor throughout the war taking part in every major campaign
of the war. An interesting volunteer of note is George
Montear, an escaped slave from Virginia, moved to Jaffrey
and enlisted and served with U.S. Colored Troops.
1901-1940
Sixty one young men saw service in the Armed Forces of the
United States during World War 1. Fourteen of these young
men saw overseas service. One young man was taken from the
town in the Battle of Apremont, France. His name was John
Humiston, after whom Humiston recreation field is named. The
Wall Street "crash" of 1929 was heard and felt in
faraway Jaffrey. Yet, as a community, Jaffrey banded
together. Times were tough and the situation between
landlords and tenants exemplifies what happened in Jaffrey
throughout the depression years. Many tenants were unable to
pay their rent and extensions were granted. As one landlord
put it, " ...they paid it all finally." March 18,
1936, was the day that the Flood hit Jaffrey. As with other
New England towns Jaffrey was inundated with water. The main
bridge into town was washed away. All industry and lines of
communication were destroyed. It was days before
communication with the outside world was reestablished. It
was then that the town learned the extent of the flood. The
damage from the great flood had barely been repaired, when
Jaffrey had to face another natural disaster. This disaster
was the 1938 Hurricane. On Wednesday Sept. 26, flood
conditions were arrived at after three days of constant
rain. The new main bridge was washed away. And trees fell
throughout the town. Some remain to this day where they
fell.
1940-1945
Jaffrey men and women were once again called by their
nation. During World War II, 504 Jaffrey men and women
joined the Armed Forces. Of those that served, nine men made
the ultimate sacrifice for freedom. Here on the home front
Jaffrey once again proved to be an extraordinary town.
Whatever wartime restrictions were imposed on it's citizens
were accepted without grumbling, for grumbling doesn't win
wars. From tire rationing to war bond drives, from victory
gardens to "ersatz" coffee, the residents of
Jaffrey supported their nation and their men and women in
uniform. While throughout the war the people of Jaffrey had
enthusiastically done their share on the home front, there
was a sigh of relief everywhere when the war finally ended.
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