District 1 and Camp Tel Noar

Today, District 1 of the Sunset Lake Association includes Camp Tel Noar and the Cecil and Sunset Avenue neighborhoods, but this area was originally a much a larger property that spanned between Sunset Lake/Wash Pond and Island Pond. The area contained water powered mills as early as 1739, "healing mineral springs", and the famous Emerson Shoe Factory. Owners of this land included individuals of quite some historical significance to Hampstead history.

In colonial times, this land was originally part of the "5th Division of Haverhill" given to William Hancock Jr. and was likely a 300-400 acre parcel. A 1742 deed describes dividing this land into parcels between Thomas Crawford, Ebenezer Gile, William Hancock Jr., Benjamin Philbrick, Richard Saltonstall, and Thomas Worthen.

Richard Saltonstall's parcel was 80 acres which later became the farmstead on the Camp Tel Noar property and it was sold to Benjamin Harrod in 1757, to William Moulton 4 months later, and finally to Colonel Benjamin Emerson Jr. in 1777. The cost of the sale to Emerson was 676 Pounds 13 Shillings and 4 Pence since English money was still in use and the US Dollar was not established until 1792.

Colonel Benjamin Emerson Jr. was a 3rd generation resident of Hampstead who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His grandfather Robert and father Benjamin Sr. were some of the earliest residents of Hampstead, owning property on Stage Road since 1734. The Emerson's were active in the church and town politics, Benjamin Sr. being a Selectman and town Moderator and Benjamin Jr. being a Selectman.

Here are just some of the interesting pieces of Hampstead and American history contributed by the Emerson family:

• It is suggested on page 333 of Harriette Noyes 1899 Memorial of the Town of Hampstead that Governor Wentworth (the 1st colonial governor of New Hampshire) was influenced to name our town Hampstead by Benjamin Emerson Sr. because Robert Emerson was born in Hampstead, England.
• 4th generation Benjamin Dudley Emerson, who was born in the farmhouse in 1781 and died in 1872, was the founder of Hampstead High School (now the Hampstead Town Hall). His will which can be read on page 233 of Harriette Noyes 1899 Memorial of the Town of Hampstead specified all the details for the founding of the first high school in Hampstead. He was a graduate of Dartmouth College, a teacher in Newburyport, Superintendent in Boston, and published some of the early spelling books in the United States.
• 4th generation Frederick Emerson, brother of Benjamin Dudley, was the first person to be invited to give Hampstead's 100th Anniversary address in 1849, but declined due to lack of time to prepare for the event (although he did attend and gave shorter remarks). He was a teacher and school in Boston and authored some of the early arithmetic books in the United States.
• According to Maurice Randall's 1999 History of Hampstead book, one of the 2 barns on the property had a glass cupola on the roof with seating so visitors and boarders could view the lake.
• The Emerson family operated "medicinal mineral springs" on their property near the dam. These springs must have been quite an attraction since, besides showing names of residents, churches, cemeteries, and shops, the mineral springs are the only attraction labeled on the 1857 map shown below. Today, a causeway built of stones over 100 feet long still exists under the surface of the water which was likely built for tourists to access the springs.

Benjamin Emerson Jr. and his family expanded the 80 acres by about 20 additional acres between 1784 and 1851, the farmstead eventually being owned by Benjamin's son Frederick. When Frederick died in 1857, the property was deeded to Albert Brown and then went to Josiah & Mary Eastman for $3000 in 1868.

Dr. Josiah C. Eastman was a prominent figure in Hampstead and U.S. history. He was a 1837 graduate of Dartmouth College and moved to Hampstead about 1839. He was a surgeon in the Civil War from 1861-5, one of the oldest members of the NH Medical Society and president in 1860, a member of the Rockingham Medical Society, and a Member of the American Medical Association. In addition to being a well known doctor, Dr. Eastman was active in local and national politics as one of three NH representatives in the international congress in Philadelphia, a representative in the NH Legislature from 1847-50, county treasurer of Rockingham County, a state senator in 1853-4, director of the NH Railroad Commission from the building of the railroad until his death, as well as holding local offices including Hampstead town Moderator for 10 years and Rockingham County treasurer in 1845-6. He was also on the Committee of Arrangements for Hampstead's 100th Anniversary in 1849.

Interestingly, not only did Dr. Eastman own the same property as the Emersons, but he continued the efforts of the Emerson's in forwarding education in Hampstead as a teacher in one of the school districts and a member of the Superintending School Committee in 1839-1844,1861,&1884.

In 1849, Dr. Eastman was instrumental in introducing legislation that established the public library system in New Hampshire and in the same year was one of the original trustees in the establishment of the Hampstead Public Library, which was originally just a single room in the brick house that still exists at 48 Main Street. A detailed biography of Dr. Eastman is available on page 341 of Harriette Noyes 1899 Memorial of the Town of Hampstead.

Dr. Eastman kept the ~100 acre farmland in tact with the exception of a house lot at the southeast corner of today's Tel Noar property, adjacent to 137 Main Street that he sold in 1895 and that stayed as a separate property until Camp Tel Noar acquired it in 1945.

Dr. Eastman passed away in 1897, but the farm was still owned by the Eastman family until it was sold to Everett and Bessie Mills in 1916.  The Mills family operated a dairy farm on the property. Like previous owners of the property, Everett was also involved in local politics as a Hampstead Selectman from 1917 until he passed away in 1939.

The Mills family subdivided their property into those properties that are present today. In 1922, Everett sold the land that became the Sunset Avenue neighborhood to Thorndyke Putnam who subdivided it from 1926-1941. Putnam was also very involved in Hampstead politics being a Selectman in 1913, a School Board member from 1927-1934, and Tax Collector from 1926-1952. He also provided the labor in 1931 to convert the old District No. 2 School House into a basketball court; the building was later expanded and is today's Memorial Gym at the corner of Stage Road and West Road.

From 1921-1946, the Mills family sold off parcels of land along Mills Shore Drive, some properties being on Island Pond while others being on the south side of the road. The name Mills Shore Drive actually comes from the Mills family name rather than the fact that there were mills along this road (see Water Powered Mills and Emerson Shoe Factory below). There is also evidence in deeds that the Mills family leased parcels of land and possibly with houses built on them. For instance, there is mention of leased and rented land in 1922 and 1925 deeds around the area of 123 Mills Shore Drive. The tax card also indicates that the house on 135 Mills Shore Drive was built in 1888, yet that property was not deeded by the Mills family to Henry Ordway until 1923. It could be that the Ordway family, the 2nd wealthiest family in town that owned a store in West Hampstead, built this property on the lake while renting the land from Dr. Eastman.

In 1938, the Mills family sold a portion of the waterfront on Sunset Lake to Levi Duston in 1938 who operated an ice house until 1950 when it too was sold to the owners of Camp Tel Noar.

After Everett's passing, Bessie Mills sold off land in 1940 that became the Cecil Avenue neighborhood. It was subdivided from 1940-1972 by various owners over those years.

Some of the original plans for these developments are shown below.